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Today's Deals: Alex's, Herbly Wonderful, Picasso's and Valle Jewelers

By Howard B. Owens

Picasso's Pizza, 419 W. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: A great variety of pizza, subs and salads -- and try the wings, too. We have three $5 booklets of $1 gift certificates ($15 value) for $7.50.  The gift certificates can be used collectively or individually).

Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: Need a gift? Need some sparkle? Valle's has a large selection of jewelry and gifts STARTING at UNDER $25. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Herbly Wonderful, 3701 Pearl St., Batavia, N.Y.: Plants, teas, herbs, mixes, a great place to shop to make your home more cozy and natural. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, N.Y.: One of the region's premier restaurants and a favorite place for business lunches. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies (50 cents on items below $10)

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.

Alex's Place

SOLD

Picasso's Pizza

SOLD

Herbly Wonderful

Valle Jewelers

SOLD

Remember when we were Teenagers?

By Sheryl Smigelski

I am the Mom of three boys, the oldest is 15 and we have discovered that there really isn't much to do for teens in this area.  We thought we didn't have anything to do when we were teenagers. Our kids really don't have anything to do.  They can't even ride their 4-wheelers (being mindful of property lines and wearing safety gear) without getting trouble, they are stopped by the police and chased. 

So what do you remember about being a teenager, what did you do?  I remember going to the movies, but that is expensive now.  We're open to ideas for our kids.

UPDATE: 'Dangerous' thunderstorm warning canceled

By Howard B. Owens

UPDATE: The severe thunderstorm warning for Western New York was cancelled by the National Weather Service:

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN ERIE...SOUTH CENTRAL GENESEE AND WYOMING COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
AT 233 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THAT THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED AND WAS NO LONGER SEVERE...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
RADAR INDICATED THAT HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS WERE STILL POSSIBLE FROM THE THUNDERSTORM.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN NEW YORK.

See the gathering dark clouds?  The National Weather Service says that's the front of a severe thunderstorm about to hit Genesee County, and they make the warning fairly ominous:

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

As I write, I see lightening to the northwest.

Here's the rest of the alert:

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 215 PM EDT THU JUN 25 2009
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... NORTHERN ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK SOUTHWESTERN GENESEE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK
* UNTIL 230 PM EDT
* AT 213 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES EAST OF AKRON TO ORCHARD PARK TO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF DERBY...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... MARILLA...ORCHARD PARK AND ALDEN BY 220 PM EDT... DERBY...DARIEN AND HAMBURG BY 225 PM EDT...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN NEW YORK.

Stafford Trading Post may move to new building

By Howard B. Owens

As long as just about anybody can remember the Stafford Trading Post has been located in the Odd Fellows building at the corner of Main and Transit, but that may change before long.

The Stafford Planning Board approved a site plan last night for the adjoining lot, 6167 Main Road.

Owner Tom Englarth has been seeking approval for construction of a building suitable to a convience store and deli for nearly a year. Englarth expects Shelley Macan-Mouery, the current owner of the Stafford Trading Post, to move her store to the new location.

Laughing after the meeting, Englarth said, "I've never worked so hard to spend so much money in my life.

The new building will be fronted by 17 parking spaces and have a dining area for up to 25 people.

The site plan application says the proposed business will employ three people fulltime. The board stipulated that the occupant cannot be open for business between midnight and 5 a.m.

Macan-Mouery said this morning she isn't ready to discuss the possible relocation.

The lot is part of the four corners area, which has been designated a historical district.

Linda Call, president of the Stafford Historical Society, expressed concern during the meeting that the new building won't fit within the historical nature of the district.

"This is the most historic section of the Town of Stafford," Call said. "Doesn't this represent a modern intrusion into the district?"

Code Enforcement Officer Lester Mullen noted the current lot is vacant.

"It would be nice to fill that lot with something that would be good for the town," Mullen said.

"We're certainly mindful of the historic nature of the district," said board member Sharon Valyear-Gray, "but the current owner of the Odd Fellows building hasn't done anything with it."

The site plan passed on a unanimous vote.

H1N1 prevalent in state, health director says, following reported case at UMMC

By Howard B. Owens

A case of H1N1, often misidentified as "swine flu," has been reportedly contracted by a member of the United Memorial Medical Center staff, according to Randy Garney, interim director of the health department for Genesee County.

Citing privacy concerns, UMMC spokeswoman Colleen Flynn said she could not share any information about the reported case. Flynn did confirm that a memo was sent to employees on Tuesday.

Garney indicated people should not dwell too much on where a case might be found, but realize H1N1 is prevalent throughout the state.

"The general public should realize it's here," Garney said.

People, he said, are largely unaware of how  widespread H1N1 is at this point because most cases are never severe enough to lead to the person seeking medical attention.

But if you have flu-like symptoms, you have H1N1.

"It's considered H1N1 right now because we're beyond the flu season," Garney said. "If anybody has those symptoms, they should consider it H1N1."

Flu symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills and extreme tiredness.

While H1N1 is pervasive throughout New York, the fatality rate is very low, less than .1 percent.

"The more troubling part of H1N1 is that it's being more aggressive with five- to 21-year-olds," Garney said. "Flu is usually more aggressive with people over 65, but H1N1 is not bearing this out."

Because H1N1 is such a new strain, Garney said, there is still much scientists are trying to learn about the strain. It's possible that older people at one time contracted a variant of the strain in their younger years and now have some level of immunity.

Garney reiterated that people with flu-like symptoms should stay home and avoid as much as possible and avoid unnecessary contact with other people.  Also, wash your hands and maintain other sanitary practices.

Our Lilies and Marigolds

By Peter O'Brien

The lilies below are from the side of our porch and the marigolds surround our vegetable garden

 

Storage facility approved for parcel on Main Road in Stafford

By Howard B. Owens

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The land at 5981 Main Road is Stafford isn't good for much, according to Zoning Enforcement Officer Lester Mullen. You can't build a house on it and it's no good for agriculture because of the rocky structure under the surface.

The problem for years, though, is that it's zoned Agricultural/Residential.

Now the land has a use, and the Stafford Planning Board gave its blessing, after months of wrangling, to Bruce Scofield's plan to build a warehouse on the land.

Scofield runs roll-off container, fuel oil truck and refuse collection business. He plans to build a six-bay facility to store his trucks.

The facility is a perfect fit for the location, Mullen said, because unlike a house, it won't require septic. Septic requires digging, and apparently, you can't dig that deep on the parcel in question.

Two major considerations in the special use permit is that Scofield will not be allowed to store anything outside of the building and he must attractively landscape the front of the building along Route 5.

"The Town of Stafford gave a chance for him (A.D. Call) a chance to thrive, to succeed and that's all Mr. Scholfield is asking" his attorney Reid Whiting told the board. "He's just looking for an opportunity for his business to take off. It's a business that will be beneficial to Stafford. It will create jobs and tax revenues."

Police Beat: Man accused of striking member of his family

By Howard B. Owens

Andrew Kosiorek, 37, 53 W. Main St., #101, Corfu, is charged with criminal contempt and harassment following an alleged incident in Batavia. Kosiorek reportedly following a family dispute in which he allegedly struck another person. The person allegedly attacked is covered by a protection order.

Patricia M. Morris, 58, 5359 Horseshoe Lake Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI , driving with a BAC of .18 or more and driving left of road markings in a no passing zone. Morris was stopped following reports of erratic driving in the City of Batavia and Stafford.

Jennifer L. Heil, 26, 5690 Eagle Harbor Road, Oakfield, is charged with DWI,driving with a BAC of .18 or more and driving left of pavement markings. Heil was charged following a traffic stop in Stafford.

Super Cruise Latinas

By daniel cherry

On tuesday night the boys and i went to the super cruise.They had a DJ.A 50/50 raffle we lost.It was alot of fun.Vintage automobiles make great images.

Williamsport Pitching Hands Batavia First Loss

By Mollie Radzinski

The offense wasn’t there for the Muckdogs (4-1) tonight, as they were handed their first loss of the season by Williamsport (3-3) ona slim 1-0 margin.

Crosscutter starter Siulman LeBron (2-0) had a brilliant start, going seven strong innings with only two hits and one walk while striking out ten for the win.

The one decisive run of the game came in the top of the 3rd for Williamsport.  Jiwan James had a two-out double and came home during the next at-bat on a base hit by Evan Porter.

Batavia pitching remained sharp despite the lack of run support.  Starter Tyler Leach (0-1) threw four innings with three hits, one run and one strikeout.  Relievers Christopher Corrigan and Josh Squatrito combined for only three hits, two walks and one strikeout.

Matt Carpenter made up most of the Muckdog offense, having 2 of the team’s 4 hits.

Batavia is on the road tomorrow to start a three game series with Jamestown.  They return home on Friday night at 7:05.

BHS grad Gugel already moving up

By Brian Hillabush

Ryan Gugel, the Gulf Coast League barely got to know you.

The Batavia high grad who signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Phillies organization after the Major League Baseball Draft didn't get to play in the GCL Phillies opener because he's been promoted from the short-season rookie league to long-season A ball.

The catcher will make his professional debut with the Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League.

The club is 42-26 and leading the Northern Division.

Fellow BHS grad Chris Page was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds organization, but has yet to sign a contract. The Reds drafted four first baseman and is waiting to offer him a contract until a position opens up.

Genesee County Farms take protest drive on Thruway, slowing traffic

By Howard B. Owens

Two groups of farmers took a slow drive on the Thruway through Genesee County today, slowing traffic and sending a message to Albany about a proposed bill that opponents call the Farm Death Bill.

The bill would change farm labor law. Among the provisions, farmers would be required to pay workers time-and-half for overtime. Farmers say it would cost the New York agriculture industry $200 million and drive hundreds of farms in the state out of business.

The bill has already passed the Assembly and now awaits consideration by the dysfunctional Senate.

Le Roy dairy farmer Dale Stein, who helped lead the protest, said it appears the protest was effective. He received a call this evening and was told Gov. David Paterson heard about the protest and immediately called a meeting with the agricutlure commissioner to discuss the legislation.

Two groups of farmers -- one starting in Batavia and another Le Roy -- participated in the protest. The Batavia group, comprised of representatives from about 20 farms, headed east and the Le Roy group headed west.  Each group drove 35 to 40 m.h.p., but blocked both lanes in each direction for only a portion of the drive.

Stein said he's heard of only one ticket being issued, to a van in the Le Roy group, and even though State Police were in the area of the eastbound group, no vehicles in that group were stopped.

The protest was organized, Stein said, on only about two or three hours notice.

Stein said State Police did not interfer with the eastbound protest, but he heard of a ticket being issued to a westbound driver.

Sgt. Derrick Harris of the State Police said that actually, six tickets were issued to westbound drivers. He said there were only six drivers involved in the westbound lanes. He said no action was taken in the eastbound lanes.

Listen: Audio of an interview after the protest with Stein.

Downtown Public Market opens in the morning

By Howard B. Owens

The Downtown Public Market opens in the morning at 9:30 a.m.

Vendors this year include: Lloyd Christ Farms, S & T Christ Farms, J & W Fresh Farm Produce, Nice Farms, Schwab Farms & Watt Farm, Alston’s BBQ Sauce, Genesee ARC (Handmade) Pet Products, Nonna’s Vegetable Plants & Crafts & Pressed Flowers by L. Regatuso, Posy Power Peddler

Jackson St. Grill & Belladessa’s Pizza will serve hots, hamburgers, pizza & refreshments from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

The market runs every Thursday for the season from 9:30 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of Center and Ellicott.

Fire alarm sounded at Notre Dame

By Howard B. Owens

Fire trucks are responding to Notre Dame High School for a tripped fire alarm.  A custodian on scene reports no smoke nor fire seen. Crews on scene also report nothing showing.


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Farm bill protest planned on Thurway

By Howard B. Owens

The aptly named "Farm Death Bill" is going to be the subject of a protest today, but what I don't get ... on the Thruway?

Here's the announcement I just got:

There is going to be a caravan along the thruway this afternoon to protest  the farm labor bill.  The caravan will start at 3:45 PM today beginning at   Boyle’s Motors on Route 98 in Batavia.  From there they will head to the   thruway.  Anyone is welcome to participate driving whatever they would like.    Any questions please call Maureen’s cell xxx-xxx-xxxx.  We need as many  people to participate as possible.  Thank you.

So that's only 15 minutes from now.

But the Thruway?  One of the very things that has helped to destroy WNY (diverting traffic from its city and towns), not to mention for any kind of visibility of the protest, it's going to be hard to follow or view for most people.

UPDATE: I'll have video and pictures shortly (in a separate post). Representatives from about 20 farms showed up, according to Dale Stein. The plan is to drive 40 m.p.h. doublewide out to Genesee Community College, and then merge into one lane.  People while, another group started in Le Roy and is driving to Batavia.  No idea on how big that group is right now.  The area's best agricutlure reporter, Tom Rivers, was there, so look for his report in tomorrow's newspaper.

Det. Crossett runs first marathon to benefit youth group

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia Police Youth Det. Todd Crossett completed his first marathon May 25 in 4 hours and 4 minutes, and it was for a worthy cause.

Crossett ran into the Buffalo Marathon to raise funds for the Royal Rangers, a scouting group of 30 boys supervised by Crossett.

He raised $400, which will help boys participation in the Royal Rangers.  Many would not be able to attend camp outs without the funds, according to a BPD press release.

Top Items on Batavia's List

Town Court Clerk Below are two lists: one details the myriad responsibilities that fall within the purview of the court clerk; the other summarizes the knowledge and abilities that court clerks possess or acquire through training. These lists are provided so that a judge and municipality can intelligently discuss the benefits that a court clerk can provide. The items below can also form the basis for a list of job duties should a municipality need to fill a vacancy in a court clerk position. Primary Responsibilities A. Maintain confidentiality of records and information when required to do so B. Prepare court calendar C. Collect monies, reconcile daily receipts, deposit receipts, prepare reports for monthly disbursements, reconcile bank accounts, and prepare administrative reports D. Enter convictions on drivers' licenses and prepare conviction reports electronically transmitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles E. Enter criminal conviction on NCIC reports and electronically send same to Division of Criminal Justice Services F. Respond to inquiries-in person, by phone, by e-mail and by mail-and provide assistance to lawyers, litigants, media, and members of the public G. Prepare monthly reports that are electronically sent to the Office of the State Comptroller H. Prepare orders, summonses, warrants and other court forms i. Communicate with outside agencies in order to coordinate the Court's activities and provide services to litigants. Such agencies include: ii. Law enforcement agencies, such as local police departments, New York State Police, Sheriffs office, FBI and CIA, US Armed Forces, and the Office of the District Attorney; I. Other courts, including superior courts and other local town and village courts; and i. Miscellaneous county agencies, such as Community Service, Community Dispute Resolution Center, Pre-trial Release, Probation, Stop DWI program, Victim Impact Panel, and Youth Court. ii. State agencies that require periodic reporting, including the New York State Unified Court System, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office of the State Comptroller, the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and the Office of Court Record Retention. J. Examine court documents to ensure their accuracy and completeness K. Receive and file summonses, traffic tickets and other documents for court proceedings i. Assist the Justice at the bench during all Court proceedings Knowledge of: 1. The functions and organization of the Unified Court System ii. Basic legal terminology, codes and abbreviations iii. Court forms, practices and procedures, including those set forth in the Uniform Justice Court Act and the Uniform Civil Rules for the Justice Courts (22 NYCRR Part 214) 2. Ability to: i. Prepare judicial orders and decisions ii. Effectively communicate information orally and in writing iii. File and retrieve materials, extract data from various sources for entry onto court form iv. Research and interpret laws outlined in court documents and litigants' motions and other papers v. Perform mathematical tasks in order to compile court activity reports, total receipts, accept payments, and verify bills vi. Refer to appropriate documents, statutes, citations or other sources in order to respond to specific questions from attorneys, litigants and members of the general public vii. Interpret policies, statutes, rules and regulations and apply them in specific contexts viii. Establish work priorities ix. Constructively manage conflict with court users Qualifications: Highschool diploma recognized by the NYS Dept of Education or appropriate equivalent. Along with 4 years of college, specialization in criminal justice, law, business administration or related field. -OR- 2 years college with specialization in Business Administration or related field. Please email your resume to abrownell@townofbatavia.com no later than 12/16/2024. Pay is based on experience.
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