Press release:

The fourth annual Traditional Martial Arts Association Tournament will be held at the Le Roy High School Gym Saturday, Nov. 5th, with eliminations starting at 10 a.m.

The tournament will consist of Sparring (point fighting), Individual Kata (forms), Team Kata, Weapons Kata, Self Defense, and MMA Grappling.

Tournament organizers are Soke William Cavalier (Livonia Tatsu Do School), Hanshi Dick Borrell (Borrell’s Karate Academy, Batavia), and Renshi Fred Merica (Le Roy Karate & Self Defense Center/ Main Street Fitness). All three have been close associates and tournament/ clinic organizers for the past 35 years.

John Ferrar from Bedroc MMA in Rochester will be sponsoring the MMA Grappling portion of the tournament.

Ages of competitors will start as young as 4 years old with no age limit. We have had competitors in the past well into their 70s. Divisions are broken down by skill level and age.

Spectators are welcome at $5 each and students at $4 each. To see a flier go to www.fitness-martialarts.com and click the link at top of page “November 2016 TMAA Tournament- Download Flyer” or call 585-414-3181.

There will also be a breaking demonstration at noon. They break everything from boards, bricks, coconuts, and Louisville Sluggers with their shins.

Anyone interested to help be a scorekeeper please call 585-414-3181 for more information, minimum -- 15 years old, no experience needed.

Tournament sponsors are:

•     Northwoods Sporting Club / Le Roy 
•     Chapin Manufacturers / Batavia
•     Ben’s Appliances / Batavia
•     Joe Spadaro / S&S Limo / Le Roy 
•     Sport of Kings Restaurant / Batavia
•     Cameron Construction / Le Roy
•     Scofield Rolloff Services / Stafford
•     Le Roy Karate & Self Defense Center / Le Roy
•     Borrell’s Karate Academy / Batavia
•     Livonia Tatsu Do Karate / Livonia

Independent Living of the Genesee Region, along with other community-minded partners, will be hosting an Employment for People with Disabilities Event, including a panel discussion of consumers who have found work, a Job Fair of potential employers, and a FREE breakfast!

This is made possible by Restoration Society Inc.’s ACE Employment Services, the Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties, and the Genesee County One-Stop Career Center, with funding by a Grant from the Local Business Advisory Council. 

Genesee County: It will take place from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday Nov. 15th at Terry Hills Golf Course, Restaurant and Banquet Facility, 5122 Clinton Street Road, in Batavia.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., followed by breakfast at 8:30; the 9:15 a.m. Consumer Employment Panel includes: David Dodge, Todd Vaarwerk, Veronica Frost and Gail McKee.

They will discuss issues such as the Americans with Disabilities Act barring disability-based discrimination in hiring, and the expectation that employers should make “reasonable accommodations” for employees with disabilities, as long as they are not an “undue burden."

Employment seekers should bring their résumés, be “dressed for success” and ready to talk to hiring managers at the Job Fair, starting at 10:30 a.m. We will be recruiting employers to participate in the Fair up to the day of the event.  

For more specifics and to register to attend, contact Donna Becker at (585) 815-8501, ext. 411, or by email at dbecker@wnyil.org. A limited amount of transportation may be available; if you need it, inquire when you register. Pre-registration is required for you to attend, so arrangements can be made.

Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County Public Health Column:

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is this week, Oct. 23-29. The Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming County Health Departments encourage you to learn about lead, lead poisoning, and the importance of preventative testing in order to make our community a healthier one.

Lead is a metal found in the earth and it is a poison. For years, lead was used in paint, gas, plumbing and many other items. Since the late 1970s, lead paint was banned in the United States, however other countries may not have regulations regarding the use of lead products. Lead can be found in the soil, deteriorated paint, household dust, contaminated drinking water from old plumbing, lead-glazed pottery, some metal jewelry, and at some jobsites (typically construction, manufacturing and mining).

Lead poisoning is preventable but when ingested, even a small amount can cause severe and lasting harm. Exposure to lead can happen from breathing air or dust, eating contaminated foods, or drinking contaminated water. All houses built prior to 1978 are likely to contain some lead-based paint. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 24 million housing units have deteriorated leaded paint and elevated levels of lead-contaminated house dust.

Lead dust, fumes and paint chips can cause serious health problems. Too much lead in the human body can cause serious damage to the brain, nervous system and red blood cells. Everyone, young and old, can be affected if exposed, but children and pregnant women are considered at highest risk. Young children between 6 months and 6 years old are more likely to suffer health problems from lead exposure. Lead poisoning can slow a child’s physical growth and mental development and may cause behavior problems, intellectual disability, kidney and liver damage, blindness and even death.

“New York State Department of Health requires health care providers to obtain a blood lead test for all children at age 1 and again at age 2,” said Brenden Bedard, director of Community Health Services for Genesee and Orleans counties. “Up to age 6, your doctor or nurse should ask you about ways your child may have had contact with lead.

"Pregnant women are at high risk because lead can pass from mother to her unborn baby, as well as be responsible for high blood pressure and miscarriage. Also, be concerned if you or someone in your home has a hobby or job that brings them in contact with lead."

Prevention is the key! Protect yourself and your family from possible lead exposure by talking to your Primary Care Provider about lead testing. There are also many precautions that can be taken to protect yourself and your family; here are a few. Prior to consuming food, make sure hands are washed, clean your home weekly, do not allow your child to chew on something that is dirty, avoid wearing shoes in the house, and hire a qualified professional if you suspect there is lead in your home that you want removed.

For information about this topic or Health Department services contact,

• Genesee County Health Department at: 344-2580, ext. 5555, or visit their website

at www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/health/index.html. Visit Facebook at Genesee County Health Department and Twitter at GeneseeCoHealthDept.

• Orleans County Health Department at: 589-3278 or check out our website at: www.orleansny.com/publichealth. Visit Facebook and Twitter: the user name for both is OrleansCoHealth.
• Wyoming County Health Department at: 786-8890 or visit their web site at www.wyomingco.net/health/main.html

The former Batavia mother who is accused of leaving her two young children home alone before a fire broke out, killing both little boys, made her first court appearance today on charges of endangering the welfare of a child; she entered a not guilty plea.

Public Defender Jerry Ader told Justice Micheal Cleveland that he had not yet been able to meet with his client and asked that her case be continued to 10:30 a.m., Nov. 21.

Ace made no statement during the short proceeding.

Investigators have not said where they believe Ace went the night of May 20, allegedly leaving her 2-year-old twins, Micah and Michael Gard, unsupervised at 8157 State Street Road, Batavia.

The children were inside their bedroom at the residence at the time. The investigation determined that the fire originated either inside of, or in close proximity to, the children's bedroom. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

Ace, out of jail on her own recognizance, was given revised release orders. Cleveland ordered her to report for supervision to Genesee Justice.

ADA Melissa Cianfrini asked Cleveland to order Ace undergo alcohol evaluation, but Cleveland's order specified only that she not consume alcohol or non-prescription drugs while the case is pending.

Ace appeared in court accompanied by several friends and family members.

An attempted burglary has been reported -- didn't catch the address -- and there is damage to a door. The suspects were last seen fleeing west on Route 5 -- in a golf cart. Law enforcement is responding.

UPDATE 2:15 p.m.: Law enforcement is out with the golf cart, a Yamaha. No word on arrests.

Press release:

Citywide leaf collection will begin Monday, Oct. 31 and continue through Friday, Dec. 2.

Residents of the following streets can rake to the parkway, but do not place in the street:

• Clinton Street
• Oak Street
• Main Street (including East and West Main Street)
• Pearl Street
• South Main Street (between Oak Street and Walnut Street)
• Walnut Street
• Richmond Ave (between Oak Street and Prospect Avenue.

If your street has a route number (i.e. Route 5, Route 33, Route 63 and Route 98), then please keep leaves out of the roadway.

All other streets are asked to rake leaves to the curb line, taking care not to block storm drainage structures/ catch basins.

Leaf operations typically have one crew on the Southside beginning on River Street, moving East in areas South of Main Street; and second crew on the Northside will work from Grandview Terrace moving west, north of Main Street. A third crew will work using a vacuum along main roads and numbered routes. It takes about two weeks to go through the entire city.

Any resident with leaves can also bring them to the Yard Waste Station on Law Street until it closes for the season on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Beginning Nov. 7^th, the hours of the Yard Waste Station operation will be adjusted to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAF COLLECTION

• Leaf piles must be clear of sticks and other debris;
• Grass clippings, flower potting material, branches, pumpkins and gourds cannot be picked up and residents are encouraged to bring those items to the Yard Waste Station;
• Leaves should not block traffic;
• Leaves should not be piled near intersection corners; this causes sight issues for motorist/ bicyclists/ pedestrians;
• Keep leaf piles clear of drainage ways and catch basins; blocked drainage leads to localized flooding;
• Leaves should not be piled around mailboxes, power poles, fences, fire hydrants or other obstacles; 
• Do not park on leaf piles; the heat from a vehicle exhaust system could start a fire.

Bryan D. Bates, 37, of West Main Street, is charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree coercion, second-degree harassment, obstruction of government administration, and resisting arrest. Bates was arrested at 6:35 a.m. on Oct 20 on Liberty Street, Batavia, following a domestic dispute. Bates allegedly unlawfully entered the victim's residence with the intent to commit a crime. He then allegedly became involved in a physical disturbance with the victim. When confronted by police, Bates fled until he was captured by poluce, at which time he allegedly resisted arrest. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed without bail. He is due in court Oct. 27. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Paris J. McCrimmon, 24, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with first-degree coercion, second-degree menacing, endangering the welfare of a child, and obstruction of governmental administration. McCrimmon was arrested at 9:20 p.m. on Oct. 21 on South Swan Street following a domestic dispute. The defendant was  arraigned in City Court and jailed without bail. The defendant is due in City Court this afternoon. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Eric Foels.

Samantha Tando, 36, of Penfield Road, Penfield, is charged with second-degree harassment. She was arrested and processed on location at 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 following a physical domestic incident at Batavia Downs where it was alleged that she struck a male across the head. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in City Court on Oct. 25. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Tyrone A. Brooks, 24, of Tibbits Road, Medina, is charged with second-degree harassment. At 8:42 p.m. on Oct. 16, Batavia Police responded to the Genesee County Nursing Home on Bank Street for the report of a male refusing to leave. While entering the elevator, Brooks allegedly pushed an employee with his shoulder. He was subsequently arrested and arraigned in City Court. He was jailed on $500 bail and was due in City Court on Oct. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Eric Foels.

Trey G. Henderson, 24, of Jackson Street, Batavia, was arrested at 12:55 a.m. on Oct. 22 as the result of an investigation into an incident that occurred a short time earlier at T.F. Brown's restaurant in Batavia. He is charged with second-degree harassment. He was processed, then released with an appearance ticket returnable to City Court on Oct. 25. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Eric Foels, assisted by Officer Eric Bolles.

Jamie J. Corrieri, 52, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, speeding, refusal to take a breath test and driving in the center lane. Corrieri was arrested at 1:39 a.m. on Oct. 21 as the result of a traffic stop on Ellicott Street a short time earlier. The defendant was arraigned at 6:30 a.m. in City Court, then jailed on $1,000 cash or bond. Corrieri was due in City Court to answer the charges on Oct. 21. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Eric Foels, assisted by Officer Eric Bolles.

Christopher Lambert, 36, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. At 10:40 p.m. on Jackson Street, Lambert was allegedly found in possession of a hypodermic needle and heroin. He was issued an appearance ticket for Oct. 25 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jamie Givens.

Dakota Ryan Lee White, 18, of South Lake Avenue, Bergen, is charged with petit larceny. The defendant was arrested at noon on Sept. 29 on Buffalo Road in Bergen after an investigation revealed he allegedly took merchandise from a business in the Town of Bergen during the course of his employment. He was issued an appearance ticket for Bergen Town Court on Nov. 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Erion.

Adrienne F. Yocina, 35, of Alleghany Road, Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. Yocina was arrested at 4:29 p.m. on Oct. 18 after an investigation at a place of business on Ellicott Street in Batavia. Yocina allegedly stole money from the business over the period of a month by making false returns. Yocina was issued an appearance ticket for Oct. 25 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Nicole Salamone, assisted by Officer Chad Richards.

Frank Edward Finnin, 50, of Raymond Avenue, Batavia, was arrested at noon on Oct. 12 on a warrant issued by Genesee County Court for alleged violation of felony probation. He was transported to Genesee County Jail by the Probation Department and was due in County Court this monring. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Ivan Nicolivich Molodkin, 33, of Wellington Avenue, Rochester, was arrested on an outstanding bench warrant  after failing to appear at Batavia City Court. He was transported to City Court, arraigned and released on his own recognizance. He was due in court on April 27 in regard to an unspecified incident which occurred on July 2, 2015, on Main Street in Batavia. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Richard E. Stafford, 76, of Orange Grove Drive, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear in City Court on a ticket for aggravated unlicensed operation. He was issued an appearance ticket for this afternoon in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

There is a power outage in Batavia that covers an area north of East Main Street, from about Bank Street to just east of Clinton Street stretching north in a triangle with the tip on Bank Street Road in East Elba.

About 2,400 National Grid customers are affected.

The cause of the outage is not available at this time and emergency dispatchers are not aware of the cause.

National Grid is giving an estimated time of power restoration of 12:45 p.m.

UPDATE 11:59 p.m.: Steve Brady, spokesman for National Grid, said the cause it not known at this time. A crew is at the substation.  He will provide more information when it's available.

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: From Steve Brady: "All customers were restored at 12:54 through some switching, but root cause of the outage is still unclear.  There may have been a fuse problem in the station, but crews are still looking at it."

UPDATE 2:03 p.m.: Batavia High School Principal Scott Wilson sent parents/guardians a voice message this afternoon about the power outage. He said power was reported out at 10:55 a.m. and it was restored at 12:30 p.m. and that school officials were in contact with National Grid. The high school remained open throughout the power outage. Backup generators were used and lighting was in place for bathrooms, and the students were provided a hot lunch. They took advantage of natural lighting and students were directed to sit in the atrium and gymnasium. Having Chrome book computers during a power outage was noted as a "new benefit" of the devices, enabling instruction to continue with a minimum of disruption. Wilson said afternoon instruction for BOCES students has been cancelled; students were directed to the library and could be dismissed from there with parental consent. Anyone with questions is asked to call 343-2480, ext. 2000.

A car in the area of 5117 N. Byron Road, Elba, has rolled over after reportedly striking a deer, but the caller reports no injuries.

Elba fire dispatched, and as a precaution, Mercy EMS dispatched.

Several years ago, dispatcher James Tripp and then Batavia PD Lt. Jim Henning got to talking one day about how cool it would be to have replicas of Batavia patrol vehicles made, and Tripp, being a bit of a collector of fire and police memorabilia, he started researching how to get it done.

Employed by both the Sheriff's Office and Batavia PD, Tripp began with the idea of getting replica patrol vehicles for both agencies. 

For that batch, he found a company in California that could make them.

About five years later, both agencies had replaced most of their old vehicles and members of both agencies were interested in updated models. He and Henning discussed the options and Henning suggested VSP graphics in Buffalo; the company, at the time, did the decals for Batavia's patrol vehicles. 

That set of vehicles was created in 2010. 

VSP was unable to handle the workload this year, so Tripp turned to Vinyl Sticks, with an office in Batavia, and Vinyl Sticks was willing to take on the job in between their larger jobs. 

Trip ordered the blank 1/24 scale of the SUV used by both departments and the first batch was recently completed.

"These replicas as I indicated are not mass produced and each car's decals are manually applied, which can be a time-consuming task," Tripp said.  

The cars are sold to members of both agencies looking for a keepsake and conversation piece. They can be customized with the officer's badge number on the top of the roof and license plate number. 

Tripp said these cars are not sold at a profit. 

"One other footnote is the City of Batavia replicas (and most common folk would not even notice) have the City of Batavia Police Department special 100-year century of service sticker on the back door of the model, just like the real patrol vehicles, which makes them even more unique," Tripp said.

"I would just add it is one of those things likes arts and crafts I guess that you're either into it or not," Tripp said. "My feelings are, for me anyway, it is a sense of pride for me to display and be proud of what I have done and who I have worked for most of my adult life. Serving and working with emergency services to me has been a blessing for me and I am honored that I have had that opportuinty to do just that in this community. While I am semi-retired, I still enjoy walking in the door of both agencies to represent both agencies to the best of my ability. This project for me is part of that pride."

A 61-year-old man was injured this morning while shooting a shotgun on Buffalo Road in the Town of Bergen.

The man's finger was reportedly injured by the shot.

Emergency dispatchers received a call about the incident at 9:17 a.m.

The man, whose name was not released, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Bergen fire and ambulance responded.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.

The Local Drug Task Force executed the warrant on Torrey's home and on Torrey himself and his vehicle in the Town of Le Roy. 

Agents allegedly found a grow operation inside his residence, a quantity of marijuana and cocaine, a set of metal knuckles, a gravity knife and U.S. currency.

Other charges include criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal possession of marijuana, 4th, criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

He was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond. 

The John Gardner Society gathered for the 20th time last night for its annual reading of works by and about John Gardner, the acclaimed novelist originally from Batavia.

This year, Bill Gardner, John's cousin, attended and spoke at the end about a phone call he received from John near the end of his life. He said John was morose and despondent over the state of his writing.

“I want to come back to Genesee County," John told Bill. "I lost my roots."

He wanted Bill to find him a place to live, ideally a Greek revival home. Bill said he there wasn't much around, but he had seen a place in East Bethany, so he went took at it, but found it had been turned into apartments.

John died in a motorcycle accident in Pennsylvania (where he lived) not long after that, but Bill said he was always struck by the fact that John felt he couldn't write because he had strayed too far from home.

"He had lost his touch," Bill said. "He had lost his ability to write and the problem, as he saw it, was that he lost his touch with the land where he grew up and he wanted to come back."

Top photo: Maureen Maas-Feary.

Gretel Kauffman

Byron Hoot, who travels from Pittsburgh each year for the reading.

Helen Maier

Bill Gardner

Timothy Bucknam stands in for Philemon Tracy, the only Confederate officer lain to rest north of the Mason-Dixon line, who is buried in the Batavia Cemetery.

Bucknam provided visitors to the cemetery last night with information on Tracy's life during the Batavia Cemetery Association's annual ghost walk.

Also pictured below are Tracy Ford as poet Rev. John Henry Yates and Patrick Weissend as Joseph Ellicott.

A pair of large obelisks at grave sites in the Batavia Cemetery, which were knocked by falling tree branches in recent years, were placed and positioned on their stands earlier this week by Craig Wolcott and his crew from Wolcott Lawn and Cemetery Maintenance.

The project was funded through a grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation and a donation by the Landmark Society of Genesee County.

Photos and information from Sharon Burkel.

James Dillon explained to more than a dozen people who attended the open house Saturday night at the new Harvester Makerspace what a makerspace is all about and what they can do there.

Members will have access to a variety of tools to help them turn their ideas into useful items, art or new products to try and bring to market.

The space provides 3D printing, CNC milling, laser cutting and vacuum forming.

Wet and cold and a slippery pigskin defined much of Batavia's opening round game against University Prep at Van Detta Stadium on Friday night.

Batavia pulled out a win, 24-12, after falling behind in a first half 12-8 marked by four fumbles.

In all, both teams would combine for more than 10 turnovers on the rain-soaked night.

U-Prep held Batavia's season-leading rusher, Ray Leach, to less than 40 yards on the ground. He did score the opening touchdown.

It was a tough night for passing, and with Leach pretty well bottled up by U-Prep's defense, Batavia turned to QB Jerry Reinhart to run the ball. He rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

The star of the night was likely Anthony Ray, who had 10 tackles and two sacks, including one for a safety.

To purchase prints, click here.

Alexander roared out of the playoff gate with an impressive 53-0 win over Lyons in the first round of the Section V Class D tournament.

Dane Heberlein led the way for Alexander with 22 carries for 222 yards and four touchdowns. Chris McClinic added 109 yards and a TD on seven carries.

Senior QB P.J. Brennan scored a touchdown on the ground and was six for 12 passing for 109 yards and a two TDs. Brennan has tossed 18 touchdown passes on the year against only two interceptions.

Hauling Brennan's tosses for TDs were Dustin Schmeider and Job Smith.

Hannah Paolucci notched five extra points.

The Trojan defense recovered three fumbles on the night. Erik Scharlau blocked a punt and had five tackles. Schmeider had a sack and five tackles. Zack Jasen had six tackles.

The news wasn't as good out of East Rochester, where Le Roy fell 70-0 in its sectional playoff game. East Rochester's Cameron Cleveland rushed for 249 yards and six TDs on 13 carries. 

Game photos by Rick D. Franclemont.

A caller reports a vehicle on its roof in the area of 6042 Fisher Road, Oakfield.

Unknown if any injuries.

Oakfield fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 8:58 a.m.: Mercy Flight #7 is on a ground standby.

UPDATE 9:01 a.m.: Patient out of the vehicle.

UPDATE 9:05 a.m.: Cancel Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 9:21 a.m.: The road can reopen.

Solidly updated country ranch in great location! This 3 bedroom 2 full bath home has not one thing to do but move in and decorate! Home has been newly remodeled and updated with beautiful hardwood floors! Living room is roomy but cozy and has eye catching brick wall fireplace which looks into pretty maple kitchen with all new stainless appliances and double oven for those that love to cook! This home features a beautiful bright and airy sun room with cathedral ceiling and lots of windows and pretty sliding door which walks out onto one of the three porches!! On almost one acre yard is nicely landscaped with stamped concrete patio work and surrounded with fields! Large workshop off attached garage for hobbyist and oversized high and dry basement! Something for everyone and easy to see!  Click here to view the complete listing for 7973 State Street Road. Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today at 585-344-4663!