The City of Batavia Police Department is honored to announce the promotion of Officer Christopher "CJ" Lindsay to the rank of Sergeant.

Sergeant Lindsay began his career with the City of Batavia Police Department in September of 2014.

He attended the Basic Police Academy at the Monroe County Public Safety Training Center, graduating in 2015.

Sergeant Lindsay is a Field Training Officer, Bicycle Patrol Officer and a member of the Department's Emergency Response Team. He has been active in community events and has received recognition from the Department, City and community for his work on several cases. 

Sergeant Lindsay is a 2006 graduate of Cornerstone Christian Academy, where he received his high school diploma and then attended Genesee Community College, graduating in 2013 with his Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice.

Sergeant Lindsay will be assigned to the swing shift.

She endorsed the move during this week’s City Council meeting as a first step toward relieving the city of unnecessary assets. Or maybe it’s a second step, after securing an appraiser to review the properties and provide estimated pricetags for each.

Tabelski asked council to first approve the expense of $5,400 for the appraisal services of Rynne Murphy before she can proceed with putting the properties on the selling block.

“There are several interested businesses that are looking at properties inside City Centre mall,” Tabelski said. “Currently the city would like to take steps to divest of the City Centre properties, however, more important we want to see them in productive use, such as the theater in which the city is continuing to rent space to.”

The city will not cease its responsibilities for the 46,000 square-foot mall concourse, and will continue to maintain that space, she said.

Tabelski was asked why the city can’t go with the assessed values available online, and why an appraiser was needed.

“We need the market value according to the Charter,” she said, backed up by City Attorney George Van Nest.

The city Charter mandates use of an appraised value versus what has been assessed, they said.

The Charter includes several statements about selling city-owned property, including this from Section 66:

“Where there is a strong showing of competitive developer interest for large or unique parcels, the land shall be sold employing a request for proposal process,” the passage states. “A price shall be obtained from a licensed independent appraiser prior to the negotiation stage.”

A total amount of $440,789 in VLT money was received by the city, and the $5,400 would come out of that, Tabelski said, and be put into a Community Development fund. Performing these appraisals and proceeding with potential sales and/or leases of vacant properties is part of a mall redevelopment strategy to “bring vibrancy to the mall,” she said.

Parcels 2, 35 and 39 have recently been rented by Batavia Players during the group's theater construction.

Council also approved Police Chief Shawn Heubusch’s request to spend $125,000 of reserve money to purchase police vehicles by the end of the year. He typically would put in for the purchase during budget talks in March, however, a dealer advised the department that supply chain issues are likely to bog down the process.

“We’ve been informed that if we don’t order them by the end of the year, we won’t get them next year,” he said.

Go here for previous coverage on these issues.

File Photo of City Manager Rachael Tabelski, by Howard Owens.

There will be many items available for purchase this weekend -- from ground lamb, winter squash and sugar waffles to holiday hams, furniture and jewelry -- during the last Mall Market of the year at Batavia City Centre in downtown Batavia.

The market is set to run from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the mall concourse. 

The following vendors are planning to be there with their goodies::

• Garner Farms: holiday hams and breakfast sausage, pasture-raised chicken cuts and other pork cuts.
• Porter Farms: winter squash, ground beef, ground lamb and gift cards.
• Tastefully Simple: spices, sauces, mixes and gift items.
• Designed Gracefully: beautiful clay jewelry
• Max Pies Furniture: furniture and flooring
• Flint’s Maple: maple products, gift boxes and dog treats
• Dilcher’s Concessions: cotton candy and sugar waffles
• Tree Hugger Hard Cider: artisan ciders

Additional vendors may register as this week progresses, Batavia Development Corporation Director Tammy Hathaway says.

"We also will have two delightful guest pooches (from Flint’s Maple) in Santa hats who love attention, and to have their photos taken," Hathaway said. "Should anyone be interested in vending this Saturday, or participating in the Mall Market after the new year, please contact me at any time."

For additional information, go to Mall Market. 

A new city police station project has virtually gone high-tech.

Members of the police department were able to view the new station during the design phase with virtual reality equipment and provide feedback before the actual construction gets going, Chief Shawn Heubusch said.  

“When we completed the VR tour, we were able to ‘walk the halls' and see some of the details that we would have needed to wait to see until walls were built,” Heubusch told The Batavian. “This allowed us to really pick out if a window or door was in the proper place or if the adjacency of rooms was correct for everyday use. This will save time and money during the construction process as it will require less change orders further down the road.”

Being the second most publicly traveled city facility — with City Hall being first — it’s important to get the building and details right, he said, and should save money from the typical myriad change orders of large construction projects.

Project Manager Ken Pearl presented the designs and a timeline during this week’s City Council meeting. A 20,000 square-foot building will take up a front portion of the parking lot at Bank Street and Alva Place.

A total of construction, engineering, equipment and material costs is estimated to be from $13 million to $15 million, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said.

At least 115 public parking spots are to remain after construction, in addition to free public parking on surrounding streets, “which would more than adequately serve the needs of existing businesses on Washington, Alva and State Streets,” she said.

This has been a long time coming, given prior consultant studies, Task Force Committee meetings and discussions about how to proceed with the current station housed in a 167-year-old building. Known as the Historic Brisbane Mansion, the Main Street site has been deemed unsuitable for police operations, and renovations were ruled out as being too costly.

“There have been no less than five studies conducted since 1991 to determine the future of the police station in Batavia, as well as a citizen task force commissioned to investigate possible site locations,” Tabelski said.  “The location of the new facility was identified by the task force in their top three site recommendations.” 

The new facility will improve “the quality, efficiency, security, and regulatory compliance features of the services and activities of the department,” she said.  It will also enhance the opportunities to meet community-oriented policing needs, and become a space to conduct community events, including educational forums, police-assisted addiction recovery initiatives, explorer post, citizen academy, and focus groups.

“The new station and headquarters will be designed with accreditation standards in mind, including LEED and will be ADA compliant,” she said. “In short, the new station and headquarters will be a welcoming place for all persons in our community.” 

LEED is a third-party green building certification program, and these buildings are, according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s website, proven to save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people.

Heubusch highlighted the fact that the Brisbane Mansion was to serve as a residence, and has been renovated throughout the years to fit the needs of city government.

“However, the current facility does not meet regulatory requirements as well as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements for a modern facility, not to mention the regulations surrounding a police station. The new police station will be better in every way; it will meet the department's needs for proper workspaces; interview rooms; evidence storage; vehicle storage; victim and witness interview spaces; training spaces; a community room; proper lobby and records facilities; proper locker and shower facilities and secure parking for our staff and visitors,” Heubusch said. “In short, it will be a welcoming and professional, purposely built facility to meet the needs of the Department and community for the next 50 years or more.”

Tabelski further expanded on the current station’s misgivings: it was built in 1855 and retrofitted for purposes other than a residence since the city took on ownership in 1918. Continuing to renovate the station as a modernized version to include the various operational and legal requirements “is cost prohibitive,” she said.

City Council approved the new station in 2021 and approved Ashley McGraw Architects PDC of Syracuse in January 2022. Pearl said that final figures won’t be nailed down until the project goes out for bid and council awards contracts for the work.

Construction documents are to be finalized by February, with the project to go out for bid in March. Contractor bids are expected in April, and construction is to begin sometime between May and July, Tabelski said.

And now for the big question: how will this be paid for?
The new station would be financed by the city with a 30-year public improvement serial bond, Tabelski said.

“The City will pursue various state and federal grant opportunities in an effort to offset the cost,” she said.

For anyone wanting to view the renderings in person, they are available at City Hall, she said.

Top Photo of  the new city police station to be built at the corner of Bank Street and Alva Place in downtown Batavia; a view from the side of the building, in front at night and toward the rear next to a parking lot. Renderings by Ashley McGraw Architects courtesy of the City of Batavia. 

Press release:

Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will be participating in a coordinated effort with the STOP-DWI program to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

Law enforcement officers and STOP-DWI programs across New York State will be participating in special engagement efforts to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives.  The campaign, which runs Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - Sunday, January 1, 2023, aims to educate people about the dangers and consequences of driving drunk.  Efforts nationwide will begin December 16, 2022.

Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.

If you are going to drink, drink responsibly.  Don’t drink & drive.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C,I - Batavia) recently criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s support for calling a special session prior to the next legislative season to raise lawmakers’ salaries. If a pay increase were passed, New York would have the highest-paid lawmakers in the country. A raise would increase lawmakers’ salaries by 61 percent since 2019.  New York is already facing relentless criticism for its record-high state spending since the end of the pandemic.

“This rhetoric is completely senseless. With the New York state legislature already being the second highest paid state governing body in the country, we should be organizing a special session to tackle real issues that matter to all New Yorkers,” Hawley said.

“We are experiencing our highest inflation rate in decades and should be addressing issues that affect the people we represent. New York’s top priorities must be public safety, eliminating the sales tax on gasoline, and lowering taxes for all New Yorkers to help make our state more affordable. We must not allocate any additional funding for more government spending as it would inevitably come back to haunt taxpayers.”

Press release:

Would you love to grow nutritious, great-tasting vegetables but don’t have space for a garden?  The Batavia Community Garden can help!

The Batavia Community Garden is currently accepting applications for raised bed rentals.  Garden plots are offered in three sizes: 4’ x 4’ ($20), 4’ x 8’ ($30) and 2’ x 10’ ($25) trough plots for gardeners with limited range of motion.  All plots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Plot rentals are available to anyone living in Genesee County.  All fees are non-refundable.  The garden is located next to 12 MacArthur Drive.  The Batavia Community Garden is currently managed by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County.

New gardeners (with little or no gardening experience) shall be limited to one 4’ x 4’ plot rental.  Gardeners with gardening experience can rent up to two 4’ x 4’ plots or one 4’ x 8’ plot.  Elevated trough beds (for adaptive gardening needs) are limited to one bed per gardener if available.  Potential gardeners should review the Batavia Community Garden Rules and Information prior to applying.

Plot fees include access to a raised bed filled with a growing soil mix, access to a water source with a hose, watering wand, and watering cans; use of provided hand tools; use of compost bin and other resources at the garden.

Plot requests are filled according to the order in which applications are received.  A check or money order must be included with the application.  Payments of cash can be made at the CCE Genesee office during business hours at 420 E Main St, Batavia, NY 14020.

For more information please contact Mandy McCauley at CCE Genesee County, (585) 343-3040, ext. 101, stop by the CCE office at 420 East Main Street in Batavia or visit the website http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/gardening/community-garden.

Photo: File Photo from 2016 by Howard Owens

A 24-year-old North Carolina man, who reportedly participated in the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection in Washington D.C. and was later arrested in Le Roy with an illegal AR-15 rifle, entered a guilty plea to Federal charges today in U.S. District Court in Rochester.

Michael Alan Jones, of Charlotte, N.C., admitted to the felony of being in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The charge stems from his March 19 arrest by sheriff's seputies following a traffic stop of a Nissan Sentra driven by Jones.

Upon approaching the vehicle, Deputies Kenneth Quackenbush and Nicholas Charmoun observed several knives, military surplus gear, and two compound bows inside the vehicle, according to a Federal affidavit by an FBI agent. 

The affidavit says a passenger in the car was identified only as PK.  The deputies reportedly observed a backpack on the passenger-side floorboard with bolt cutters protruding from the pocket.

Upon searching the vehicle, the deputies located pry bars, bolt cutters, and gloves, which, the affidavit states, the deputies believed to be consistent with burglary tools. They also found pepper spray and ammunition. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Moynihan, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2019, Jones was convicted in Alamance County, North Carolina, of two felony crimes, and as a result related to sexual involvement with a teenage girl, and is therefore legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Jones was originally scheduled to enter a plea a week ago but his hearing was delayed by his medical issues, according to Raw Story.

Jones was hospitalized for treatment of MRSA, a bacterial infection that resists antibiotics.

“His infection is very severe and he needs to remain at the hospital for about the next two weeks receiving intravenous antibiotics,” Slawinski wrote. “He also tested positive for COVID-19 last week while in the hospital. His condition is serious and it is possible that his leg may have to be amputated if the infection spreads further.”

Sentencing is scheduled for May 16 at 2:30 p.m.

It's Day 1B of the $15 million World Poker Championship in Las Vegas today -- it's the largest pot in poker tournament history -- and a Batavia native is still in it.

Ronald “Tigar” Penepent, who now resides just outside of Chattanooga, Tenn.,  won his $10,400 buy-in to the championship through a satellite tournament.

A satellite tournament is one where the top prize is a seat at a major, higher-buy-in tournament.

The WPT Championship runs through Dec. 18. 

Penepent is one of 1,531 entrants in the tournament, and the prize pool is now expected to exceed the original $15 million estimate. Registration for the tournament in Las Vegas closes at 10 p.m. EST, at which time the total prize pool will be set.

Penepent told PokerNews that his love of poker began with family and friends in Batavia. 

“It was always a dream of mine to win a big tournament, and I often shared this goal with my Dad," he said. "Sadly, my Dad passed away in 2020 from cancer. Winning an entry into this tournament is truly a bucket list item for me.”

He told PokerNews he would love to meet two poker legends, Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth.

“During my time in Las Vegas, I will be joined by 10 family members," he said. "They will be there to support me and have fun as we always do. They will be traveling from New York, Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, and Alabama.”

Photo courtesy of the Penepent family.

Press release:

Using his Storm Punch Out ball for the first time in quite a while, Albion resident Bill Logan knocked over plenty of pins en route to victory in the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour stop Sunday at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

Logan, 72, a retired Village of Albion employee, averaged 244 for his six games – finishing with a 270 game in the four-person finals – to claim the $300 first prize. It was his first victory on the tour and first trip to the finals.

“I took the ball out of the cellar the Thursday before and used it throughout the tournament,” said Logan, who posted 709 in the qualifying round. He then rolled 225 and 265 in the eliminator rounds before ending with 270.

Batavians Mike Pettinella and Bill Neubert placed second and third, respectively,

Pettinella, 67, a two-time tour champion, rolled 681 in the qualifying round and followed that with 257, 228 and 201 to earn $195. Neubert, 72, qualified with 674 and then posted games of 224, 235 and 183.

Terry Bennetti, 72, of Lockport finished in fourth place.

Reid Cole of Albion, the high qualifier with a 750 series, made it to the top eight and won $70.

The tournament drew 46 entrants. The next event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 15 at Doug Kent’s Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark.

VOLKER, CAPIZZI 1^ST IN LE ROY

The team of Kevin Volker of Buffalo and Sam Capizzi of Rochester took first place in the Bubba’s Landscaping Scratch Doubles Tournament at Le Roy Legion Lanes on Saturday.

The winning duo defeated Brandon Martin and Ricky Zinone of Rochester for the $800 top prize.

Batavians James Townsend and Jason Quilliam placed third, splitting $200.

Other local bowlers cashing were Paul Bacon/Mark Brown and Brian/Brady Weber. Bacon and Brown were the top qualifiers with 924 for two games – a 230 per bowler average.

Twenty-nine teams competed in the annual event.

Submitted photo: From left, Tournament Director Pete Nashburn, Bill Logan, Mike Pettinella and Bill Neubert.

A pickup truck has reportedly hit a parked box truck in the area of 6366 Big Tree Road., Pavilion.

Injuries were reported but the latest info from the scene is that everybody is walking around so Pavilion Fire can proceed non-emergency. 

Rob Credi doesn’t really want to be that guy. You know, the relentlessly squeaky wheel who continuously complains about issues, in this case issues he believes have been created by city officials.

After sending emails to management and City Council previously during the Harvester Avenue road construction project, Credi tried again recently with another issue related to parking.

“My problem isn’t that we don’t have a lot of parking on Harvester, I know we don’t have a lot of parking,” he said Monday night. “It’s that they gave us more parking and then took it away.”

Only one councilman replied to Credi’s latest email, and suggested that he attend a council meeting.

On Monday evening, Credi addressed all city leaders explaining his and other business owners’ plight.

After more than two months of trying to operate a business while beholden to construction crews, torn up pavement and road closures that happened without any forewarning, Credi thought he saw a reprieve. After finally getting a new smooth road, he also noticed that the no parking signs had been taken down on the east side of Harvester Avenue, providing more parking spots for customers.

“I thought it was a nice little consolation prize,” he said during the conference session at City Hall. “The issue at hand is that we’re back to no parking. It’s the inconsistency of what’s being afforded my customers. Two times in the past three months the damage has already been done. My ask is what can we do to implement a structure beforehand so we can prepare for it and our customers can prepare for it?”

Credi, owner of The Pub Coffee Hub, sought answers when portions of Harvester were closed off to traffic, and his primary complaint was that he and other Harvester Center merchants weren’t informed of what was going to happen ahead of time so they could make alternative options to still serve their customers.

Now, with having extra parking and then seeing that yanked away, he again is frustrated that no one communicated it before putting no parking signs back up.

Not only does having two-sided parking serve customers better, but it helps to slow down traffic, he said.

Having owned a business in downtown Batavia, Credi compared his experience: there were no communication issues when in the heart of the city versus on the southeast side, he said.

He went to the police station to talk about the issue and was referred to City Council. Council President Eugene Jankowski on Monday pointed him back to the police.

"I think we need to refer you back to the police chief. Maybe we can revisit that," Jankowski said. 

Credi is to meet with Chief Shawn Heubusch, who said he needed to look into the road width and local law for allowing parking on both sides of a city street.

City Code lists all city roadways and their parking limitations if any. Harvester is cited as having “no parking from the west curb line of Harvester Avenue to a point 100 feet westerly therefrom,” and on the “east curb line to a point 50 feet easterly therefrom.”

For what it’s worth, there’s also a line about no parking allowed 25 feet east and west of both driveways in front of Carrols (from the 70s) restaurant, so it may warrant some updating.

Councilman John Canale, who owns a drum studio at Harvester Center, said he had concerns as well.

“I have experienced all the turmoil there, and one and a half weeks ago, before the no parking signs, it really opened things up, and doubled parking,” Canale said. “And then all of a sudden, the signs went back up. I would like to visit the idea of allowing parking on that side.

“I plead with you to do whatever you can to open up parking,” he said.

Councilman Bob Bialkowski, who had suggested that Credi attend the meeting, agreed. Batavia strays from many other small cities that don’t have locally owned businesses, he said, and it's important to preserve any locally owned small businesses that exist.

“I just think it’s vital that we do whatever we can,” he said.

Credi feels that he was heard and supported about the parking situation.

“I am now waiting on hearing back from the police chief for more detail on why things happened the way they did, ideally with some clarity on why it was open to parking for six weeks and then removed without notice,” he said. “Additionally, getting a definitive answer on enforcing the parking laws on our side of the street would be great.

“I do feel like my main point of improving communication between the city and business owners in the future before a major disruption occurs — for example, roadwork and the parking situation — was kind of pushed aside by council president Jankowski with no real answer as to what can be done to improve it,” Credi said.

File Photo of Rob Credi, owner of The Pub Coffee Hub on Harvester Avenue, Batavia, by Howard Owens.

An approximately 25-gallon diesel fuel spill is reported at the TA Travel Center on Allegheny Road in Pembroke.

The initial spill reportedly happened at 9 p.m. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments were just dispatched. City Fire's FAST team is also dispatched.

Next Monday looks to be a busy one for Batavia City School District, with  three meetings and a public hearing about spending more than $200,000 for repairs have been scheduled for the Board of Education.

The Audit Committee is set to meet at 4:30 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Conference Room, followed by the Policy Committee at 5:15 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Office, and a regular board meeting at 6 p.m. will also meet in the conference room on Monday at Batavia High School, 260 State St., Batavia.

The hearing is related to the proposed spending of $244,000 from the Repair Reserve Fund to pay for the replacement and repair of the public address/clock system and entry and classroom door hardware at the high school. Awarding contracts for such work is also part of the resolution that will go to the board for vote.

For in-person attendance, people are asked to arrive at least five minutes early and sign in legibly. This is an opportunity for qualified voters of the district to participate in a discussion about the repairs.

For anyone wanting to view from home, the meeting is on YouTube.

A full agenda for the meeting is not yet available.

Of all the pictures associated with Van Gogh, a one-eared boxer-pitbull mix, perhaps the neatest one will be of him with his new family at Christmastime.

“We all have matching PJs, red and black plaid,” said his new mom, Batavia native Jessica Starowitz. “I’m a foster fail. As soon as I met him I thought, he’s staying here. His smile, and when he first came in he was prancing, looking for butt scratches, and playing. It was literally love at first sight.”

That happy ending had a very ugly beginning, one of Van Gogh being used as a bait dog by a dog fighting outfit in North Carolina. 

Meanwhile, Starowitz, daughter of local resident Anne Marie, was grappling with the loss of her rescue poodle Mulan since May 2021, and finally reached the point that she wanted to do something with animals. She volunteered to foster at Happily Furever After Rescue, a no-kill and foster-based shelter in Connecticut and brought home a cat named Blue.

Sometime later, she was asked if she’d foster a dog named Van Gogh. He had been adopted from a North Carolina shelter and somehow ended up homeless. While living on the streets of Raleigh, NC, he was known as the neighborhood stray and was also super friendly, she said. But then the pooch got picked up by someone who used him for dog fighting. He ended up being dumped and was discovered in a drain pipe with injuries, including a missing ear. He was brought back to the shelter he was originally in.

Enter Jaclyn Gartner, who operates Happily Furever After Rescue. She saw the sad one-eared dog online and decided that he needed to come to her shelter in Connecticut. Gartner’s heart has been drawn to those seemingly unadoptable dogs that get returned for one reason or another.

Van Gogh arrived in June by a private jet used for animal transports.

As it happens, Starowitz, who lives in Norwalk, Conn., had volunteered to foster animals from that shelter. After Blue the cat, she was asked to foster Van Gogh in October. By this time, he was becoming famous for his masterpieces. Gartner had decided to put his one-eared characteristic to good use and let him try out his artistic talents after his namesake. She put a canvas with paint blobs inside a plastic bag covered with splotches of peanut butter. As he licked the nutty treat, Van Gogh created canvas pieces of swirled shapes and colored mergings. It turned out to be a great distraction for a dog that had nervous issues, and in turn raised some money for the shelter and gave him Internet fame.

“You can't bring them certain places, right, like with other dogs, because it stresses him out and stresses out other people. So it's just a little harder to give them exposure. That's how the painting started, to do fundraising and get him some exposure,” Starowitz said. “And then from there, it's exploded. It's been overwhelming and so much fun. But also, it's just, it's wow.”

Van Gogh has done about 75 commissioned works, and the proceeds go to Happily Furever. He has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CBS, and Inside Edition, to name a few. His celebrity status has helped to raise money for the shelter, but for Starowitz, her new four-legged companion has another purpose.

“I’m just here to love the dog, she said. “It’s just a gift that keeps on giving. It’s just a feeling you can’t describe. Sometimes you just have to have patience … the love you get back is exponential.”

She’s had to spend some money for a trainer, but feels it was money well spent “for his own good and my own good.” Before Van Gogh, there were rescue poodles and cats, and pets of some type for 22 years, she said. Her job as an information risk and cyber security consultant was keeping her plenty busy, and there came a point -- after the loss of Mulan -- when she said no more animals.

At least for a while. A friend sent her a post of Van Gogh at Happily Furever Rescue, which drew her back in as a foster. She admits to being a foster fail because she wanted to keep Van Gogh as soon as they met.

Her two boys, Jack, 16, and Charlie, 12, are also animal lovers, which makes for a happy pet family. Van Gogh’s injuries have finally healed, and he enjoys a good round of tug of war, and two-mile walks every morning.

Gartner comes to visit for painting sessions, and “he’s like, oh, peanut butter is coming out; he’s all excited,” Starowitz said.

“I’ve gone from a 12-pound poodle to a 70-pound boxer,” she said. “Sure they’re different, but they all have the same love.”

Further Reading: 

• Washington Post: Nobody wanted to adopt the dog with one ear — until he started painting​
• Today: Van Gogh, a one-eared rescue dog, paints his way into adoption​

Top Photo: Batavia native Jessica Starowitz snuggles with Van Gogh at their home in Connecticut; the pooch enjoys playing outdoors and indulging his new mom's penchant for dressing him in holiday attire. Photos by Joanne Beck. Photo of Van Gogh with his artwork as part of a Happily Furever After fundraiser posted online. 

A cardboard box fire was reported at Koolatron, 4330 Commerce Drive, Batavia, shortly after 7 p.m.

Town of Batavia Fire was dispatched.

Multiple employees reported boxes on fire and a dispatcher could hear the building's alarm sounding in the background.

The building was evacuated. The sprinklers were activated.

Elba Fire dispatched mutual aid.

City Fire asked to cover Town of Batavia calls, if any.

UPDATE 8:20 p.m.: Stafford and East Pembroke asked to have crews standby in quarters.

“Whether I’ve been working in full-time ministry, teaching in the military or working in IT (information technology), I’ve always tried to focus on people,” said Granger, who was hired last month as Director of Recovery Services at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

Granger, 58, (photo at right), is back in Western New York after spending 11 years as a senior IT director for a Dallas, Texas company. He and his wife, Teri, are residing in Mount Morris.

The Wellsville native and Army veteran calls his latest assignment, which includes supervision of around 30 GCASA recovery staff members, “one of the most important things I’ve ever done.”

“I’m honored and privileged to be in this position, and am excited for the opportunity,” said Granger, who has been in leadership roles for most of his adult life.

Granger earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Theology from Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary and went on to full-time ministry in the Southern Baptist denomination.

He spent eight years in active military service before running military schools in Germany for 10 years – teaching young men and women to become successful soldiers.

From there, his travels took him to Costa Rica and Honduras, conducting mission trips for three years.

He then was the pastor of a church in Coleman, Fla., for about six years prior to taking a position as Director of Religious Education for the Department of Defense, both in Germany and then in Fort Drum (N.Y), from 2007-2010.

“It has been very rewarding. I’ve had a great life,” he said, adding that he also spent some time in Russia and Ukraine for pastoral training.

Granger’s responsibilities at GCASA include overseeing programs involving peer recovery advocates, transportation, re-entry (after incarceration), and The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road, along with working with management of the treatment, residential and prevention departments.

When not on the clock, Granger said he makes time to craft items out of wood and likes to travel with his wife.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.