batavia

Mercy Flight & Mercy Emergency Medical Services held their annual open house Saturday afternoon at Home Depot in Batavia to showcase services they provide to the community.

Fire departments and law enforcement agencies in the county participated, too.

Children enjoyed getting a close-up look at fire trucks, ambulances and Mercy Flight's helicopter. The City of Batavia Fire Department offered child safety checks. Batavia police did a demonstration on bike safety and state troopers did a rollover-accident simulation.

“The open house is basically for kids to see the backside of EMS, so if an ambulance or helicopter comes they are not afraid," Lynn O'Donnell, Mercy Flight & Mercy EMS outreach coordinator. "Kids get to meet the crew members so they know we are all a part of the community and here to help out."

In addition to the tours, they had a Chinese auction and sold merchandise and food to help raise money for Mercy Flight's mission sponsor program, which assists people who cannot afford to pay medical transportation bills.

Stan's Harley-Davidson held its Cruise-In Car and Bike Show this afternoon. A variety of vintage, rare and customized motorcycles and cars participated in the show. Eight trophies were given out this year.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced that a bill he introduced to provide tax incentives to renovate "zombie" properties in the City of Batavia, A.7570-A/S.5196A, was passed by the Assembly and Senate on Thursday.

The legislation establishes a program giving property-tax assessment incentives to residents of Batavia who purchase and renovate dilapidated single-family properties. The program, if successful, could be allowed in other cities statewide.

“I was pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Senator Ranzenhofer to ensure that this legislation passed both houses before the end of session,” Hawley said. “Zombie properties have plagued Batavia for years and this is a monumental step toward addressing the issue. Residents who purchase these dilapidated properties will be given a property-tax exemption to help alleviate the financial burden of repairs made to the home.

"This will ensure that home renovation costs do not exceed property value. Also, the legislation protects against large real estate companies buying many properties and subdividing them into apartments or multiple-family dwellings. The bill will now be sent to the governor for his signature. If it receives his approval the program will take effect immediately.”

Senator Michael Ranzenhofer carried the bill in the Senate and Hawley applauded his efforts and said he is pleased to have worked with him.

“By spurring redevelopment of vacant homes, this innovative program will help to benefit all taxpayers," Ranzenhofer said. "For prospective home buyers, it will provide a real incentive to make costly repairs to a distressed home. For neighbors, it will make their street a better place to live and prevent their home values from being depressed.

"For all taxpayers, it will help to dilute the burden of property taxes by adding more properties with higher valuations to the tax rolls,” Ranzenhofer said. “I am hopeful that the Governor will sign it into law.”

Melanie Case submitted this photo of fireworks after the Muckdogs' opening night game at Dwyer Stadium. I don't think I've ever seen a better photo of fireworks at Dwyer.

A two-car crash with injuries is reported in front of Safelite AutoGlass in the Eastown Plaza parking lot, Batavia.

The driver of the Cadillac SRX is being evaluated for injuries.

According to Sgt. Matt Lutey, the driver of the Cadillac was traveling eastbound through the parking lot and the driver of a Dodge Avenger was traveling southbound heading toward East Main Street. One of the drivers allegedly failed to yield for the other driver.

City of Batavia firefighters, Mercy medics and Batavia police responded.

Photographs submitted by a reader.

This afternoon there was a disturbance in Wendy's parking lot in Batavia possibly involving youths said Batavia's Police Chief Shawn Heubusch.

The parking lot was blocked off on both sides. Officers from the Batavia Police Department and Genesee County Sheriff's Department were on scene. The situation is currently being investigated.

Press release:

The Genesee County Libertarian Party is pleased to announce our endorsement of Lisa Whitehead to be a candidate for Batavia City Council Ward #2.

At approximately 5 p.m. there was a bear sighting near South Main Street and Wortendyke Road in the Town of Batavia. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and police are at the scene. Updates will be posted as they become available.

UPDATE 10:40 a.m.: There has been no further information from the DEC.

Terrence D. "Spaz" Butler, 33, of Swan Street, Batavia, has been arrested on a sealed indictment warrant for allegedly selling crack cocaine on two occasions.

Butler was taken into custody when located as a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Le Roy PD at midnight Saturday in the Village of Le Roy.

Butler is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Butler was jailed on $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond.

Mark W. McWethy, 47, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, was arrested on warrants stemming from the alleged sale of oxycodone to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force and for allegedly possessing drugs with the intent to sell during a traffic stop on Law Street, Batavia, in August 2014.

At the time of the stop, McWethy allegedly possessed heroin, with the intent to sell, and cocaine.

He was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

McWethy was jailed on $25,000 bail.

Michael A. Hahn, 36, of Lincoln Avenue, Attica, was arrested on a warrant out of Town of Darien Court for allegedly selling methamphetamine to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force.

He is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal sale of a controlled substanc, 7th.

Hahn was jailed on $1,000 bail.

A white SUV and green Chevy Cruze collided at a four-way stop at the intersection of Bank Street and Washington Avenue. According to Sgt. Christopher Camp, the SUV was heading south on Bank Street and the Chevy Cruze was heading east on Washington Avenue. There were no injuries.

Support your local farmers at your downtown farmacy in Downtown Batavia!

The Public Market is held on Bank Street & Alva Place Parking Lot from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday from June 18th - Sept. 24th.

There you'll find fresh baked goods, vegetables, fruit, fresh cut flowers & herbs, dog treats, maple syrup, homemade sausage, jerky & smoked meats, handmade clothing, quilts, wooden toys & planters, pulled-pork sandwiches, hot dogs & BBQ sauces, and much more...

We'll have Master Gardeners from Cornell Cooperative Extension, drawings every week for a free gift basket!
 

SPONSORS: Java Farm Supply, DelPlato & Casey Law Firm
Interested vendors should call 585-344-0900
Market brought to you by: Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District

The Landmark Society of Genesee County showed a second screening last night of its documentary on Federal-style Architecture to highlight the importance of the historical style.

The event at GO ART! featured the live action documentary and insights from guest speaker Bernard Schmieder, producer of the film and past president of the Landmark Society.

The film takes you back to the early 1800s when the Federal Style was the most popular home design for family farmers and artisans settling in Batavia. The style differed from Colonial-style homes in many ways. Federal homes were typically rectangular structures with symmetrical elements. The style was mainly composed of simple designs and furnishings. Many of the design elements included circles, semi-circles and ellipses. 

Most of the materials used to build the homes could be found on the land. All the wood needed to build the framework was cut down from nearby forests. Locally water powered sawmills made construction easy. Brick was also a common material used in building the structure. The bricks were made from locally dug clay and fired at brick yards.

Windows and doors were all made on sight as well. The large windows were divided into several panes with simple molding. The doors were flat paneled with latches. The main door was usually in the center of the house and the most decorative element of the exterior. The flooring was primarily made out of chestnut wood because it was easy to hand plane. 

The distinguishing interior characteristic of a Federal-style home was the fireplace. There were no iron stoves so homeowners used brick fireplaces as their main source of heat. The largest fireplace was located in the center of the house and had a cooking hearth. Typically next to the cooking hearth was a beehive oven for baking bread. Smaller fireplaces were built in the bedrooms.

Following the screening, Schmieder held a discussion about making the movie and the restoration of the 1815 Federal-style home he and his wife, Jane, own in Bethany.

Schmieder restored the home room by room using the sawmill and blacksmith shop on the property. 

"I enjoy woodworking so I was interested in restoring the home and using all the old hand tools," Schmieder said. 

Although the home is not symmetrical it still has many Federal-style features including six fireplaces, a beehive oven, large windows, flat-paneled doors and chestnut board floors. Schmieder also made furniture by hand to match the Federal Style.

There are only a small amount of these Federal-style homes remaining in Genesee County. The Landmark Society hoped the screening revived the community's interest in historical architecture and the importance of preserving the Federal-style homes that remain.

In November, the Landmark Society will hold another screening for the second part of the architectural series which explores the Greek Revival Style. DVD copies of the series are also for sale.

Press release:

The Executive Committee of the Genesee County Democratic Committee met to endorse candidates last night. They accepted the recommendations of the towns and city committees and unanimously endorsed candidates in the City of Batavia, Town of Darien, Town of Byron and the Town of Alabama. It is expected that there will be active races in the towns which ballot by Democratic Caucus.

Recommended by the City of Batavia for County Legislature was incumbent Ed DeJaneiro Jr. who was unanimously endorsed by the Executive Committee.

Are you a Democrat who is civic minded? It is not too late to run for political office in any of the Legislative districts in Genesee County or for local town positions. The Democratic Party is still actively seeking candidates in all county offices.

Please send a letter of intent as soon as possible as petitioning deadlines are approaching. Send letters to Jennifer Keys, 43 E. Main St., Le Roy, NY 14482 or e-mail Jennifer.keys@rochester.rr.com

For as long as he can remember Batavia native Gary Call Hanley has been surrounded by music. As a child, his grandmother, Leona Pastore, took him to orchestras and encouraged his love for music. It wasn’t long before Call Hanley learned to play a variety of instruments and began to play in various bands.

After a few years of touring in Western New York with local bands, he started playing with national bands. He has played legendary venues like New York’s CBGB. Now, Call Hanley has planted roots in Nashville, Tenn., as a recording and audio engineer with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

On July 3, his composition “Plight of the Common Man” will premiere at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center as part of the “Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: A Star Spangled Evening with the Nashville Symphony” event.  This will be the first time in the history of the Orchestra that it plays a symphony written by someone on its staff.

“The 1812 concert is annually one of the most popular performances on our concert calendar,” Dave Felipe, publicist for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra said. “It means Gary’s work will be heard by upwards of 1,500 or more people along with works by Gershwin, Copland, Barber and more.”

Felipe is right. Call Hanley is very excited.

“I don’t know of anyone else who has had their first symphony played by a world-renowned orchestra,” Call Hanley joked. “I just thought, if other composers can do it, so can I.”

So he did.

“Plight of the Common Man,” starts off minimalistic, builds up in the middle and comes back to a gentle ending. Call Hanley likened it to the life of man.

“We start off small, we live these big lives, and then we end small,” he said.

The title comes from the thought that man is facing a constant struggle.

“Life isn’t always a fanfare, sometimes it’s a plight,” he added. “The challenge is to overcome all of the hardships and heartaches that life brings. With the good comes the bad and with the bad comes the good.”

When he isn’t writing symphonies or recording for a GRAMMY Award winning orchestra, Gary Call Hanley finds solace in playing with his band Subway Lights. In addition to cowriting songs with his writing partner Alex Quinn, Call Hanley sings lead vocals.

“Music is in my DNA,” he said. “I hear melodies and music all the time in my head. If I didn’t have those outlets, I think I would be a very sad man.”

Call Hanley believes that Western New York holds a great deal of musical talent and he feels lucky to be a part of it.

“I feel very fortunate,” he said. “I feel very lucky to be where I am. I am very grateful to that. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’ve been very grateful.”

(Photo: Courtesy the Nashville Symphony.)

It turned out to be a beautiful evening for some really fine art in Jackson Square. The Centennial Celebration art and artisan show runs until 8 p.m.

"Bring Your Feet to the Downtown Public Market" says the Batavia Business Improvement District. It kicks off this Thursday at the parking lot at Bank Street and Alva Place (across from the Jerome Center). It will be held every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sept. 24.

"Support Downtown, Buy Local" says co-sponor Java Farm Supply. Fresh baked goods, fruit, vegetables, cherries & berries, honey, flowers, maple syrup, Alston's BBQ Sauce, dog treats, handmade quilts and clothing, handcrafted wood products, and lots more will be for sale.

Plus, enjoy Alton's pulled pork sandwiches, as well as hamburgers and hots.

Amanda Rose Hagedorn, 25, of West Hazeltine Avenue, Kenmore, is charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 and disorderly conduct. Hagedorn allegedly voiced numerous obscenities while in a public place, BJ's Wholesale Club, at 6:22 p.m. Saturday. She was jailed on $1,000 bail. Additional charges are possible.

Kirk Arnold Thomas Jr., 30, of Woodstock Gardens, Batavia, is charged with three counts of grand larceny, 4th. Thomas is accused of stealing more than $1,000 in merchandise from Target on three separate occasions.

Duty Everett Caswell, 23, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Caswell's vehicle was stopped in response to a complaint of an intoxicated driver on Angling Road, Pembroke, at 12:13 p.m. Monday. The traffic stop was made by Deputy Joseph Graff.

“We live in a world of gods and monsters,” Mitchell Lawerence, played by Alexander native, Tim Schiefer, said. “We’re simply here to tell the story.”

What story is Schiefer trying to tell? The story of “Godzilla: Heritage.” 

Schiefer and Director Greg Graves have been working on the film for six years. It’s all coming to fruition. However, to make the movie the way they have always pictured it, the crew needs help raising money.

Thirty-Six days remain for the project’s crowd-funded Kickstarter. They have so far reached $10,463 of the $40,000 goal. If the project does not get fully funded, the production will not receive any of the money raised.

This is the second kickstarter campaign following a successful lead. The first time, the crew asked for $10,000 and received almost $20,000. The money that was raised went toward nicer cameras, travel, filming the teaser and the creation of the monster suits.

The suits are being made by season six winner of the SyFy network show "Faceoff," Rashaad Santiago. Santiago moved to Batavia to help with the movie. Godzilla has been a fascination of his since he was a child.

“For me, he was an escape from reality growing up,” Santiago said. “My mom recorded seven or eight hours of a Godzilla marathon when I was younger. I would watch it on loop until the film popped.”

Schiefer and Graves brought several other professionals onto the project. They include Chris Barbis, Kyle Gilmore, Tyler Graves, Billy Rupp and Christopher Bloomer. Bloomer has done visual effects for “Zombieland” and “Dragonball: Evolution.”

The cast and crew need the money to finish making the monster costumes, pay actors, promote the film, for anticipated filming permits and other expenses.

“Eighty to 90 percent of the movie will be filmed in Batavia,” Schiefer said.

Ken Mistler, owner of several local businesses, including City Slickers, has donated the spaces that “Godzilla: Heritage” will be filmed in. Additionally, the movie may need to be filmed outside on a street and permits would be necessary.

The character of Godzilla is not in the public domain. In fact, he’s heavily trademarked. It is for this reason that Scheifer and his team are creating the film as a fan film. No money will be made off of this production. They are making the film strictly for the passion they have for Godzilla.

Investigators found nothing suspicious in the death of a resident of 400 Towers whose body was discovered Friday morning and had apparently been dead for a long period of time.

Batavia PD spokesman Det. Eric Hill said there is no exact time of death for the male resident, but that he had been dead for an extended period of time before his body was found.

WBTA, our news partner, attempted to contact leadership at the Batavia Housing Authority, which runs 400 Towers, for comment on the situation, but the calls were not returned.

In response to our question about whether this sort of circumstance is rare or common, Hill said, "It’s not unusual for a person to be deceased for a while before they are found. It’s also not something that we keep records on so I couldn’t say if it happens more often at one place than another."

Hill said the name of the deceased is being withheld out of respect for the family. He did say the deceased had a number of medical conditions. 

Press release:

William Fava, Chairman of the City of Batavia Democratic Committee announced the endorsements for the 2015 Election:

• Pierluigi Cipollone, City Council, Ward 4
• Kathy Briggs, City Council, Ward 5
• Rose Mary Sformo Christian, City Council, Ward 6
• Ed DeJaniero, Legislator, District 9

The City Democratic Committee will continue to accept applicants from interested Democrats seeking to be endorsed for the remaining City Council seats in Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 3; and Legislator seats in District 7 and 8. The Committee is looking for civic-minded Democrats who may be interested in running for one of these vacancies. If you would like to be considered or interested in working within the committee, please forward your credentials to William Fava, Chairperson at 41 Verona Ave. Batavia, NY 14020.