A two-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported in front of Wendy's restaurant on West Main Street. City police, fire and Mercy medics are on scene.
UPDATE 12:35 p.m.: Mercy medics transported a 46-year-old female to UMMC. She complains of lower abdominal pain. Responders are back in service.
With the encouragement of friends, her father, as well as her fiancée, Lisa Vokes decided start her own business and recently opened House of Kolor at 218 W.Main St., Batavia.
Her own full-service tattoo and piercing job shop seemed like the logical next step in her career, she said.
"I had reached a plateau and I wanted to branch out on my own," she said while creating a cover-up tattoo on the back of Brad Strzelecki.
Vokes worked locally for six years before deciding to strike out on her own, but her father was encouraging her to apply her artistic talent in body art for years before she took up the craft.
"Ever since I was young, my dad wanted me to be a tattoo artist," Vokes said. "He used to tell me he would buy me my own kit and we could sit at the kitchen table and I could tattoo him all day if I wanted to."
Vokes never took Pops up on the offer, but after she finished school, she deciding becoming a tattoo artist would be a good career choice.
"My father couldn't be prouder of me now," Vokes said.
As a young artist she loved drawing dog portraits and that quickly became one of her specialties in body art as well.
Creating meaningful tattoos for people is gratifying, Vokes said.
"It's amazing the connections you make and the people you get to meet," Vokes said.
"It's unreal.
"I love doing tattoos for people when they have meaning," Vokes added. "I've had several people who I've done memorial pieces for and they've actually gotten up and been in tears and given me a hug and said thank you. It's a great thing. People really appreciate it when you do things for them that have meaning. It's awesome."
Vokes said she's grown a lot over the past few years as a tattoo artists and appreciates the chance to do good work for people, especially when given the chance to do something unique, one-of-a-kind.
"Honestly, I really like to freehand on people now," Vokes said. "I don't like using the stencils anymore, so it's more like my art and it's going on their body forever. It's a special thing."
Vokes thinks it's important that no matter where somebody goes for ink, they make sure they like the artist, both as a person and their style, and that the parlor is following proper and safe procedures.
"It's important to find artists you like and are comfortable with and that you look at their portfolio and like their style," Vokes said. "If you're not comfortable with somebody, it's not worth going to them.
"It's going on your body for life and you want to make sure they're doing the right job," she added.
Vokes with her fiancée and business partner, D.J. Snyder.
Roger L. LaShure Sr., 46, of 3322 W. Main Road, #51, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, acting in manner injurious to a child less than 17 and harassment, 2nd. LaShure allegedly slapped a child in the face. There is reportedly an order of protection in place barring LaShure from having contact with the child.
Troy D. Schimley, 20, of 144 Main St., Attica, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Schimley is accused of sending threatening text messages to a family member in Batavia.
City fire responded to Liberty Street for a transformer arcing and National Grid has been called to the scene.
Until it's repaired, Liberty Street between Ellicott and School streets is closed.
Here's some shots from a late afternoon drive through East Pembroke, Indian Falls and Pembroke.
Above, on Stegman Road, Batavia.
Pratt Road
Little Indian Falls Road
Indian Falls Lake
Slusser Road
They called him the Bellevue Bomber because he had "one of the most devastating lefts" seen in Schenectady in a long time, but alas, in a 1947 bout billed as the "fight of the year" in Schenectady, Mike Sallee fell to Tony Barone in a five-round decision.
"Hard-hitting Barone, who was the aggressor throughout, hit Sallee almost at will and came close to ending the scrap in the first round," according to a newspaper account of the match.
Sallee -- who had notched 38 KOs as an amateur prior to meeting Barone -- began his boxing career with the Batavia Boxing Club as Micheal Saquella.
The boxer's son, Alan, came across our series on local boxers and sent us information about Sallee.
Alan doesn't know why his father fought under the name Sallee (pictured left above with two unidentified men), but he had a pretty good record. As an amateur going into the Barone fight, he had been in the ring 55 times with 44 wins. Beyond that, there isn't much available his fighting history that we can find. He's listed as club member #35 in Butch Zito's write-up on the Batavia Boxing Club, but there's no further information on him in the book.
He appears to have transferred Schtady as some point in his boxing career and hailed as a local boxer in the Schenectady papers of the period.
The pre-fight write-ups on Sallee are glowing in their appraisal of his ring prowess, but it was also clear he was in for a tough scrap with Barone.
"With both lads packing dynamite in either fist and boasting fine records, the betting is quoted as even money," wrote an unidentified sports reporter. "Plenty of dough is expected to change hands no matter who wins as both welterweights have a lot of followers."
If you come across Batavia boxing history in your family, send clips and pictures to howard@thebatavian.com.
A suspicious condition is reported at Wolcott School in the Village of Le Roy. A person is scanning the front lawn with a metal detector. Maybe there's buried treasure in the grass. Or some lost lunch money -- it adds up you know.
Le Roy Police spoke with him. No report was taken and the police just left.
Jerry Diskin sent in this picture of the Oatka Creek in Le Roy taken from the foot bridge between Mill and Church streets.
Rickelle Chugg is looking for help locating "Romeo."
The missing dog was last seen Saturday night leashed up outside his family's home on Jackson Street.
"Romeo" has escaped before, but always came back home. Not this time. He hasn't been taken to the shelter, Chugg said.
Anybody with information can call Batavia PD at (585) 345-6352.
Press release:
The Oakfield-Alabama Middle/High School faculty, students and administration would like to extend an invitation to all veterans in the area to attend a Veteran’s Day Celebration ceremony at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, in the High School Gymnasium. The school is located at 7001 Lewiston Road in Oakfield.
We will be honoring the veterans with music by the band and chorus. Each veteran will be asked to complete a short biography form so that he/she may be introduced to the audience. The veterans will spend some time sharing with the students, and be given lunch prepared by our students.
The afternoon will include spending time in the Elementary school where another celebration prepared by the elementary students will take place.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Patricia Trinder at 948-5211, ext. 4502, or at ptrinder@oahornets.org with your name, address, and telephone number so that we may mail the forms to you. We look forward to seeing many of our area veterans and hope you will enjoy our program.
John Dwyer will be honored at 54th Popcorn Ball with the theme of "Cork & Forks" focusing on food and wine pairings!
St. Joseph Catholic School is pleased to announce that John Dwyer will be recognized with the Outstanding Alumni Award at the 54th Popcorn Ball to be held on Oct. 26th.
This year’s theme will be “Corks & Forks” and will feature food provided by Alex’s Place of Batavia paired with wine from Heron Hill.
The menu will include a salad course, paired with dry Riesling, followed by Chicken Piccata paired with Heron Hill’s signature Eclipse White. Pork Tenderloin will be served with a Pinot Noir, followed by a flank steak complemented with a Cabernet Franc. A fruit and cream dessert served with a Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ice wine will finish the meal.
In addition to honoring Dwyer, the school will recognize Michael Falcone with the “Spirit of St. Joe’s Award,” and Tim and Wendy English will be named “Volunteers of the Year.”
John Dwyer is a 1946 graduate of St. Joseph’s School, a 1955 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and a veteran of the Army. He is the former president of Thomas & Dwyer Shoe Stores and the former chairman and later, the executive director of the Genesee County Industrial Development Agency. Mr. Dwyer has chaired dozens of boards and advisory committees, including, the Genesee United Way, the Notre Dame H.S. Board of Trustees, founder and president Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, and four foundation boards including Children’s Home, Genesee Community College, St. Jerome Hospital, and the Notre Dame HS Educational Foundation. He has been a staunch supporter of Catholic Education and the Church, supporting not only St. Joseph’s School, but Notre Dame HS and Genesee Community College. Mr. Dwyer served as a trustee of the Diocesan Catholic Charities Board for nearly 30 years. He has been a trustee and finance chair for both St. Joseph’s and Resurrection Parish. Mr. Dwyer was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Regional Director by the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association for his leadership on the UND Senior Alumni National Board of Directors.
Michael Falcone is a 1930 graduate of St. Joseph School and operated Falcone’s Electric in Batavia for more than 60 years before retiring at the age of 92. Mr. Falcone learned the value of hard work at an early age and after graduating from Batavia High he starting working with his mother to transport farm workers. He would start his route at 6:30 a.m. with his last stop wrapping up around 11 p.m. Mr. Falcone has been a strong supporter of the Church, St. Joseph School, Notre Dame High School, Genesee Community College and Christ the King Seminary.
Tim and Wendy English are co-owners of the local Subway franchise and have donated hundreds of hours to the school. Wendy has served on SOS or Supporters of St. Joe’s and has worked on the Walk for Education and the Penny Carnival. Tim has spent many hours assisting with the Mammoth Sale, making numerous pick-ups on the weekends for the fundraiser. The couple has three children, Emily (SJS Class of 2014), Aaron (SJS Class of 2017), and 2-year-old Avery.
The 54th Annual Popcorn Ball will be held on Oct. 26 starting at 6 p.m. at the school. Tickets can be purchased at the school or at Alex’s Place and are $35/person or $60/couple. A table of 10 can be purchased for $250. Ticket prices include food, wine, beer, soda and coffee. There will be a $500 cash raffle, Chinese Auction, and 50/50 drawings.
For more information call 343-6154 or visit www.sjsbatavia.org.
Kevin Michael Lampman, 40, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd. Lampman allegedly pointed a loaded shotgun at another person during an argument. He was jailed on $2,000 bail.
Ian J. Blake, 26, of Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 5th. Blake was allegedly found in possession of a baggie of more than 25 grams of marijuana while on Lake Street, Le Roy. Blake was jailed on $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond.
Faith Brenda Obeirne, 45, of Mount Read Boulevard, Rochester, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Obeirne was arrested in Monroe County on a warrant out of Town of Batavia Court. She was jailed on $2,500 bail.
Saul Doynseday Standsblack, 35, of Parker Road, Alabama, is charged with burglary, 2nd, and forcible touching. Standsblack is accused of illegally entering a residence on Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, and forcibly touching the intimate parts of a person inside the residence. Standsblack reportedly left the residence on foot and was located a short time later by deputies Matthew Fleming and Jason Saile and taken into custody. Standsblack was jailed on $10,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.
Colin Michael Borgus, 21, of Savage Road, Churchville; Kaci Lynn Sciarabba, 20, of East North Street, Geneva; and, (name redacted upon request), 21, of Queensland Drive, Spencerport, are charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 5th. The three people were allegedly found at 10:05 p.m., Oct. 3, in a car with the windows down in a public parking lot in Oakfield smoking marijuana.
Press release:
On Saturday, Oct.19th and 26th, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the Batavia Cemetery Association will host its annual guided Candlelight Ghost Walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue. The guided tours will feature some of the famous and infamous characters who shaped our community.
Guests will meet some of the men and women of Batavia who, for various reasons, exerted great influence in their day. Dean and Mary Richmond and Joseph Ellicott will tell the stories of their interesting lives and very powerful families; William Morgan may finally reveal his fate after he threatened to expose Masonic secrets and one Confederate ghost will tell why he should be buried in Macon, Ga. Mrs. Hunt will share the moving story of the two sons lost in the Civil War and visitors will be asked to help discover the name of the unidentifed murdered woman.
Fortunes will be told and futures revealed by a visiting Gypsy!
Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Tickets are available at the gate the day of the event at the cemetery or by calling 343-0248. Reservations are recommended.
Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery.
VFW Ladies Auxiliary District Treasurer Marge Buckley and Post 1602 President Maura Dibble are proud to introduce their first trip to Washington, D.C., for "Wreaths Across America." It will be the local debut of a national event honoring our nation's fallen veterans.
Open to men, women and children of all ages, the trip is being coordinated by "1st Choice Educational Tours." People from outside of Genesee County are also invited to participate.
The bus will depart from VFW Post 1602, at 25 Edwards St. in Batavia, at 6:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, and is estimated to arrive back in Batavia around 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. Additional pick-up locations may be added for groups of eight or more.
"Wreaths Across America" is a ceremony in which wreaths are placed on the graves of fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery as well as other cemeteries throughout the country. Travellers on this trip will get to be a part of the ceremony in Arlington at 8 a.m. on Dec. 14.
Dibble said it gives her "goosebumps" to see many of the wreaths on these graves, especially since some of them belong to unknown soldiers whose families and friends have passed on.
Buckley assures participants that they "will not be riding a school bus." Round trip transportation will be provided on a 56-passenger deluxe motor coach with a built-in restroom.
Price of admission also includes:
Cost is $399 based on double occupancy, $359 on triple occupancy, $339 on quad occupancy and $525 on single occupancy.
There are 15 seats still available. For more information, call Buckley at 344-1663 by the middle of this week.
Again, there was a big turn out for the annual barn dance in Elba.
Above, the Rebisz family of Bergen ready for the hoedown.
Virginia Steinbrenner, of Batavia, dances with Donald Darling, of Sterling Springs.
Norte Dame's senior quarterback Tim McCulley set a new school single-season touchdown pass record today as the Fighting Irish beat Finney 66-24.
McCulley tossed six TD passes, giving him 24 on the season, surpassing the record of 18 set by Doug Condidorio in 1979.
The 24 touchdown passes put McCulley at sixth on Section V's all-time list for a single season. The record is 31, set by Shawn Mizro of Newark in 2002.
McCulley completed 14 of 20 passes for 226 yards, giving him 1,217 on the season. He's completed 68 passes so far this season.
Norte Dame next faces Attica to end the regular season, 7 p.m. Friday in Attica.
With the victory, the Irish (6-0) secure the #1 seed in Class D sectionals.
McCulley also rushed for 50 yards, scoring once on the ground.
Cam Chamberlain carried the ball nine times for 108 yards and two TDs. Peter Daversa also had a rushing touchdown and had 55 yards on two carries.
Leading the receivers was Luca Zambito with 83 yards on four receptions and three TDs scored. Charlie Hebert had four receptions for 61 yards and a TD. Jason Hart grabbed three passes for 31 yards and a TD. Josh Johnson converted two of his receptions into a TD and had 37 yards gained on the day.
Hebert had eight tackles and Joe Zickl had 7.5 tackles. Jack Sutherland, six, Jason Hart, six, Rui Han, five, and Johnson, four and a half.
Time of possession in the game was lopsided in Finney's favor, 36.33 to 11.27. Mike Jones rushed for 224 yards and scored twice on 28 attempts.
In other football action Saturday, Attica beat Elba/Byron-Bergen, 28-6. Attica pulled off the victory even without star running back Matt Perry.
Attica and Alexander are tied for second in the Genesee Region League with records of 5-1, while ND is in first with a record of 6-0.
Batavia beat Greece Arcadia 43-19. Brandon Stevenson gained 72 yards and scored a TD and nabbed an interception. Greg Mruczek was 5-7 passing for 92 yards and two TDs, both pulled in by Jacob Radka.
A fully involved car fire, with flames shooting out of the front end, is reported at 14 Lake St. in the Village of Le Roy near Bacon Street. Le Roy Fire Department is responding. It is said to have exposure potential to nearby structures and the surrounding homes have been evacuated.
UPDATE 12:56 p.m.: The fire is knocked down.
Alexander kept their hopes alive for a share of the Genesee Region League crown with a 36-8 victory over Oakfield-Alabama on Senior Night.
The Trojans used their muscle to dominate the tempo right from the start, marching 55 yards on 11 plays on the opening drive before recovering a Dylan Scharlau fumble in the end zone to take a 6-0 lead.
Oakfield-Alabama got off to solid start as quarterback Allen Chatt completed his first two passes for 34 yards. The drive, however, was derailed after Alexander recovered a Chris Nanni fumble on their 36-yard line.
From that point on, the Trojans rode their senior Scharlau for the rest of the night.
Scharlau capped off an eight-play drive that took over four minutes off the clock with a 10-yard touchdown run to go up 14-0.
Following a Hornet three-and-out series, Alexander marched 80 yards on 16 plays, taking nearly nine minutes off the clock before Scharlau plunged in from three yards out for his second touchdown of the night, sending the Trojans to halftime with a 22-0 lead.
The senior running back finished the night with 187 yards on 40 carries and three touchdowns in his final home game.
After holding the Hornets to a three-and-out to start the second half, Scharlau finished another 12-play, 65-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the clock, with his third touchdown of the night.
“We always joke about giving [Scharlau] the ball 40 times, but we hadn’t done it yet,” said Alexander Head Coach Tim Sawyer. “By giving him the ball, we were able to dominate time of possession and the first down total in the game.”
Alexander held the ball for over 34 out of 48 minutes of the game, including 18 out of 24 in the first half. The Trojans also out-gained Oakfield-Alabama 363 to 110 for the game.
In a battle of two of the top quarterbacks in the Genesee Region League, Alexander’s Nelson Burke went 5-of-7 passing for 94 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown pass to Sam Browne, while also rushing for another 40 yards on the ground.
Hornet sophomore Chatt, struggled to find his rhythm all night, finishing 5-for-17 for 90 yards, with a 16-yard touchdown to Jon Korzelius, and an interception.
Oakfield-Alabama drops to 3-3 on the season and will play at Holley next Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Alexander (5-1) keeps their hopes alive for a share of the Genesee Region League crown and possible top seed in Class D.
“This was a big win for us,” Sawyer said. “Had we lost, Oakfield-Alabama would have swapped places with us in the standings because of a tie-breaker, but the kids really worked hard this week and really wanted to win this game. It has been a pretty magical season so far.”
Alexander travels to Pembroke next Friday night.
Other Friday night games (update by Howard Owens):
Le Roy 13, Wellsville 0. Peter Privitera rushed for 113 yards and one TD on 30 carries and Nick Egeling carried the ball nine times for 92 yards. Kody Lamkin had 11 tackles. Le Roy is now 6-0 and plays Cal-Mum next.
Pembroke beat Holley 23-20.
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