batavia

Batavia's annual basketball camp opened this week with sessions at Batavia Middle School and John Kennedy School.

Conducted by Batavia High School head Coach Buddy Brasky and assistants, the camp provides instruction ball handling, shooting, defense and game-play situations, among other skills.

There were sessions today for high school boys at the middle school and younger players at JK. Tomorrow, the girls will have camp day.

The camp runs through Aug. 15.

This is the last in a series of articles about the other communities, located east of the Rocky Mountains, that are named “Batavia.” This one is about Batavia, Arkansas, an unincorporated collection of houses and other buildings west of Harrison in Batavia Township, Boone County. It is nestled in a beautiful area of the Ozark Mountains.

At one time, Batavia, Ark., was an incorporated community. It had a post office, stores, hotels, a canning factory, a train depot, a stockyard, mills, a blacksmith shop, a school, and churches. Today, the railroad is gone, the post office closed, and only houses, three churches, and a small repair business still exist. A convenience store and the bar and grill into which it had recently been converted, were both out of business in the spring of this year.

The local historians assert that the community was named about 1880 by Rowell Underwood who became the first postmaster and named the town after his hometown of Batavia, N.Y. They also claim that Underwood had worked for four years in Genesee County as a surveyor for the Holland Land Co. The latter claim seems improbable because the Holland Land Co. had ceased its operations in Western New York in the mid-1830s. If the claim were true, it would make Underwood at least 70 years old at the time he became postmaster in Arkansas.

A person is stuck in an elevator at 172 1/2 S. Main St. City fire is responding. The location is The Meadows senior apartment complex.

UPDATE 1:49 p.m.: The person is safely out of the elevator.

UPDATE 1:54 p.m.: City Ladder #15 is returning to service.

Young, aspiring basketball players are invited to a youth basketball camp Aug. 11-15 at the Jackson School Gym in the City of Batavia.

The camp is sponsored by Batavia Boys Basketball Boosters and is open to boys and girls entering grades 3 through 7.

The cost is $65 and includes a camp T-shirt.

Coach Jim Fazio, youth director for Batavia Junior Blue Devils, will lead the camp, with assistance from other coaches and current Blue Devil basketball players.

The camp will focus on the offensive fundamentals of the game including shooting, passing, dribbling, and ball handling, with a major emphasis on shooting. There will be daily contests with full-court and half-court games.

For more information and the registration form, click here.

This is the sixth in a series of articles about the other communities, located east of the Rocky Mountains, that are named “Batavia.” This one is about Batavia, Iowa, an incorporated city of around 500 people located west of Fairfield in Jefferson County. The city (no, that is not a typo) is governed by a mayor and five councilmen.

According to local records, Batavia, Iowa, was laid out in 1846 by David Switzer, a county surveyor, for William McKee, Henry Crease, and Elijah O’Bannor, proprietors. Besides the proprietors, other early settlers included Henry Punnybecker, Joseph Crease, and Benjamin Abbertson. At that time, the community was named “Creaseville (or Creeseville)."

Seven years later, in 1853, in response to a petition presented to the State by William Hambrick with the unanimous consent of the people in the town, the name of Creaseville was changed to “Batavia.” Who Hambrick was, where he came from, and how he persuaded fellow residents to change the name is lost in history.

In a later Federal census, the same apparent Hambrick shows up in Western Iowa. In this census, he is identified as a German immigrant. This leads to the speculation that William Hambrick may have been a native of Passau, Germany, a city once named “Batavia” after the Batavii, the same Germanic tribe that temporarily gave its name to the Netherlands and, thus, indirectly to Batavia, N.Y. If this is correct, it would explain why Hambrick liked the name, but it still leaves a major mystery. How did Hambrick persuade the residents of Creaseville to change the name of their town, named after two of the first settlers, to the former name of a city in Germany?

Press release:

Nationally award-winning balloon artist Janice Spagnola will be appearing this year at the Genesee County Fair, July 15th-19th. Janice transforms thousands of latex balloons into works of art. “I call what I do air sculpture” says Janice.

This year marks the Genesee County Fair’s 175th year, and in commemoration Janice will take her inspiration for this large art display straight from the Genesee County Fair logo. Featured will be a large Ferris wheel. This installation will take thousands of balloons to complete. Fairgoers are should stop by often to view the progress and take pictures.

In addition, Janice will be offering two demonstrations each day during the fair. The installation will be completed by the last day of the fair to ensure guests are able to view the finished piece.

Besides balloon fun, the fair offers a variety of agricultural experiences, exhibitors and interactive activities as well as traditional fair fun! People who have attended the fair recently are finding it a fun family place to spend time together. Where else can an entire family go to spend a day enjoying exhibitors, demonstrations, animal and agricultural exhibits for just $5 per carload? This fee includes parking, entry for everyone in the vehicle to the fair and a show program.

So what’s going on at the fair in 2014?

There will be a new midway for 2014. Midway Rides of Utica will be providing quality rides for fairgoers to enjoy. There will be several featured performances this year in the grandstands. Grandstand events include: a Monster Truck & Thrill Show on Tuesday night; Special Raceway 5 Stock Car Racing on Thursday night; The Grand Demolition Derby on Friday night; and ESP Tractor Pulls on Saturday night.

Other featured events include: The Grand Parade; Day one of our two-day Fair Queen and Princess Pageant; and karaoke on Tuesday night; an all day Draft horse show on Wednesday; Day two of our Fair Queen and Princess Pageant Wednesday night; and “Genesee’s Got Talent” Show on Thursday night. Don’t forget about the Livestock Exhibits and Kids Corner going on all day every day of the fair.

For a complete listing of events during fair week, visit gcfair.com
If you are interested in volunteering, or becoming an exhibitor of the fair, go to the fair’s Web site gcfair.com to download all of the forms and to obtain contact info. We would like to make the 175th fair special. In order for us to do this, we need your help!

Jamie A. Dutton, 22, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 3rd, and grand larceny, 3rd. Dutton is accused of cashing multiple forged checks. He was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Randy L. Haughton, 56, of Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation. Haughton was allegedly speeding in the Village of Le Roy when he was stopped by Le Roy PD. Haughton was jailed on $1,500 cash bail or $3,000 bond.

Dealmond T. Robinson, 28, of Le Roy, is charged with strangulation, 2nd, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Robinson was allegedly involved in a domestic disturbance. He was jailed on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.

Diane L. Powell, 42, of Main Road, Corfu, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs and failure to signal lane change. Powell was arrested following a traffic stop at 12:49 a.m., July 1, on West Main Street Road by Officer Matt Lutey.

Mark Walter Grabowski, 56, Chestnut Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass and harassment, 2nd. Grabowski was allegedly involved in an incident (no details provided) at Batavia Downs on June 27.

Peter A. Conway, 28, of North Maple Street, Warsaw, is charged with issuing a bad check. Conway was arrested on a warrant and jailed on $500 bail.

Robert J. Barnes, 24, of Watson Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Barnes was allegedly involved in a disturbance at a residence on Watson Street at 2:58 p.m. Friday.

William C Welch Jr., 25, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Welch is accused of possessing a stolen BMX bike.

Tyrone N. Thigpen, 37, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Thigpen is accused of threatening another person with physical harm during an alleged incident on Maple Street at 4 p.m. July 1.

Amy L. Munnings, 37, of Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI and felony driving with a BAC of .08 or higher. Munnings was stopped at 10:08 p.m. Saturday on Wortendyke Road and Pearl Street Road, Batavia, by a State trooper.

Vincent Di Risio hit his first grand slam home run Saturday in a 10-and-under Little League All-Star game against Le Roy. Batavia won 12-1.

I saw this on Facebook and asked Leanna Di Risio for a copy so we could post it on The Batavian as well.

A car vs. motorcycle accident is reported on Cedar Street near Ellicott Street. A law enforcement officer on scene says the motorcycle rider is "up and walking around." City fire is on scene and Mercy medics are responding.

This is the fifth in a series of articles about the other communities, located east of the Rocky Mountains, that are named “Batavia.” This one is about Batavia, Wisconsin, an unincorporated collection of houses and other buildings southwest of Sheboygan in Sheboygan County.

Local historians regard 1851 as the year in which Batavia, Wis., was founded, although there appear to have been settlers beginning in 1846. They claim that the name originated from the many early settlers who came from near Batavia, N.Y. However, unlike other communities, the process by which this naming came about is not recorded.

Batavia, Wis., grew into a fair-sized village. By 1900, there were two dry good stores, one furniture store, one hardware store, a carriage and wagon factory, a hotel, a dance hall, two blacksmith shops, a tin shop, a boot and shoe store, two churches, two schools, a sawmill, a grist mill, a cheese factory, an undertaker, a seamstress, a cigar factory, an egg flume (egg-shaped water conduit), an ice house, and a butcher shop.

Over time, this Batavia shrunk to the status of a hamlet. The one remaining school, an elementary school, had recently closed as of 2013. Most of the businesses and other enterprises listed above are gone. Nevertheless, the homes are generally well kept and the residents, who now generally find employment in other communities, appear to be reasonably prosperous.

However, for the most part, Batavia, Wis., is one of those places where, if you blink, you’ll miss it. Although there are two or three side streets, the community mainly consists of a single main street. One descends a grade to a small creek, Batavia Creek, and then ascends another grade while leaving town.

A car vs. motorcycle wreck with injuries is reported at 3904 Pearl Street Road. Town of Batavia fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:59 p.m.: Mercy Flight is on ground standby at the Batavia hangar. The location of the accident is between Donohue Road and Treadeasy Avenue.

UPDATE 1:09 p.m.: Mercy medics are transporting one patient to the hangar. A second ambulance is called to the scene.

UPDATE 1:12 p.m.: The second ambulance is cancelled and the first rig will transport two patients to ECMC. Mercy Flight was cancelled.

UPDATE 2:45 p.m. (by Howard): According to Deputy Joseph Graff, it appears at this point in the investigation, that a Harley-Davidson and a Mercury Sable were both westbound on Route 33. The car slowed and proceeded to make a left-hand turn into a driveway and the motorcycle appears to have attempted to pass the car on the left. The driver of the motorcycle reportedly told deputies that the car had pulled to the shoulder before turning left. The car was turning into the driver's in-laws' residence and a neighbor said the driver had been to the residence many times. The motorcycle struck the driver's side front fender and sheared off the front bumper. It proceeded westbound into a drainage ditch on the southside of the road, struck a culvert and dislodged a piece of rebar that became caught on the bike's handlebars. The bike came to rest just inches short of a fire hydrant. The female passenger reportedly suffered a serious leg injury. The male driver reportedly asked to be a sign-off, but was transported to ECMC with his passenger as a precaution. The names of those involved have not yet been released.

Joseph Gottstine found four $1 coins in the front yard of his mother-in-law, Stacy Lynn Neureuther, Saturday afternoon. What makes them such a neat find, is three of them are silver dollars from the 1880s. One is a silver dollar from 1971.

Gottstine's metal detector tells him if the hunk of metal under the ground is likely a penny, nickel, dime, quarter or silver dollar. Neureuther's yard on Elm Street is apparently filled with coins, though Gottstine only dug out the dollars.

Neureuther is curious how the coins got there. The house was built in 1910. Could construction workers have lost them? Or did they just accumulate over time.

She looked up the value of the coins online and the 19th Century pieces may be worth about $65 apiece.  

Gottstine said he took up the hobby of metal detecting about a year ago and this is probably his most exciting find yet.

A hit-and-run accident was just reported on West Main Street, Batavia.

The suspect vehicle is a Red RAV4 last seen southbound on River Street.

Batavia PD is on scene.

UPDATE 1 a.m.: The vehicle is said to have a trailer hitch and handicap Florida plates.

UPDATE 1:02 a.m.: Correction on the RAV4. The vehicle does not have Florida plates

UPDATE 1:10 a.m.: A vehicle has been stopped at Route 33 and Dewey Avenue.

UPDATE 1:18 a.m.: Another potental matching vehicle was found at another location in the area, but there's no damage and the engine is cold. It doesn't sound like the first vehicle is considered a suspect vehicle at this time.

It would be impossible to get better conditions for an outdoor music festival than the blue skies, mild temperature and gentle breeze we experienced in Batavia on Saturday.

Two stages jammed with tunes and hundreds of music fans turned out for the annual event.

Sue Cappiello Copp and Anne Crotzer were collecting donations in support of Paul Tydelski, a local business and music booster, who has been ill.  The guitar, signed by Ramble musicians, was donated by Roxy's Music and will be given to Tydelski as a gift.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

This is the fourth in a series of articles about the other communities, located east of the Rocky Mountains, that are named “Batavia.” This one is about Batavia, Illinois, an incorporated city of around 27,000 people located west of Chicago in Kane County.

The city is governed by a mayor and 14 aldermen. Batavia, Ill., in its very earliest days, was a small settlement known as “Head of the Big Woods.” It was renamed “Batavia” in 1841 by Judge Isaac Wilson when he became the postmaster. Wilson, who previously lived in West Middlebury, Wyoming County, N.Y., had immigrated to Illinois in 1835. Historians in Illinois believe he wanted to honor Batavia, N.Y., where he would have seen service as a judge.

Batavia, Ill., is a very prosperous outer suburb of Chicago. The median home value in 2008 was $329,800 which compares to only around $85,000 for Batavia, N.Y. The estimated median family income in 2008 was $103,445. One reason for its wealth is its proximity to the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

There is a variety of attractions for local residents and visitors alike. For example, the Fox River flows through the center of the community and there are numerous developments, including a performance center, that capitalize on this waterway. Batavia was once billed as “the windmill capital of the world” because of the number of windmill manufacturers in the city. Today, restored examples of the windmills are on display near the Government Center. Batavia also has a museum depicting local history that is situated in a restored train station.

A garage fire is reported in the city next to the residence at 12 Montclair Ave. Engine 11 and Ladder 15 are en route.

UPDATE 12:56 p.m.: Responders report smoke showing from a detached garage.

UPDATE 12:57 p.m.: The fire has gone to a second alarm.

UPDATE 12:59 p.m.: The Fast Team is called to the scene.

UPDATE 1:01 p.m.: All off-duty city fire personnel called to the scene along with Darien Fire Department. Town of Batavia fire is asked to stand by in the town's hall.

UPDATE 1:06 p.m.: Scene command reports the fire is knocked down. Alexander's Fast Team is called to respond non-emergency.

I was driving to Centennial Park on July 4th afternoon when we got the call for the fire in Bethany, so I didn't make Picnic in the Park until things were winding down.

I did get to meet Hiawatha and her owner Brian, which was fun, and I enjoyed some great Celtic music by Gan Ainm.

To purchase prints, click here.

UPDATE: Kathy Hochul at Picnic in the Park later in the day with Wayne Fuller. Photo sent to us by a third party, but originated with a member of Hochul's staff.

NOTE: You may be wondering why there are no pictures to go with Kathy Hochul's stop at the farmer's market. My camera was still set up for multiple exposures from last night's fireworks at the Muckdogs game. A fact I didn't discover until I got home. This also left me with no usable pictures from the Kiwanis 5K to benefit autism research.  

Genesee County's former congressional representative, Kathy Hochul, now running for Lieutenant Governor, said she's been craving some brownie-stuffed cookies from the Batavia Downs Farmer's Market, so Hochul said she decided to get an early start on her campaign day and drive out to Batavia.

Hochul also bought strawberries and hand-crafted chocolate.

"It's a big state and I've got to go to all four corners, but I love Genesee County and I'll be out here as often as I can," Hochul said.

After terms as Erie County County Clerk and in the House of Representatives, Hochul worked for about 18 months for M&T Bank. It was a job she said she loved and still got her out into the community, but when Gov. Andrew Cuomo called and asked her to replace Robert Duffy on the election ticket, Hochul said she was tugged by the lure of representing people in New York again.

"I realized when the call came, there was a little bit of an emptiness, that I really wanted to get back and serve people in a more direct way, so I could not have been more thrilled than to have received the call and accept this honor and start running," Hochul said.

This, she said, is what she was meant to do.

"It's not something I pushed for at all," Hochul said. "When I think it about it, it just feels right, to be back out there meeting people all over this amazing state. I love my congressional district and I love representing Upstate New York, but the opportunity to go all over the state and meet new people and see them in their environments and businesses, I just feel like this is a calling. I've always thought public service is a calling. I'm so delighted to be back in the game."

As a candidate for reelection to Congress, Hochul had won over pretty much all of the gun rights groups, campaigning as a strong advocate for the Second Amendment. Now she's working for a man who has become the most reviled politician in New York by gun rights advocates. Hochul said she doesn't believe there is a contradiction in her position then or now.

Here's her full response to that question:

I believe there is a middle ground. I know many, many gun owners. I have family members who are marksmen and who are hunters and this is part of a culture up here and people need to understand that. There's no effort to remove guns from legitimate gun owners. I think there is sometimes a hysteria that's created, but people have to understand we respect the Second Amendment, but also there are many people who understand the need for background checks. As a county clerk, I like the fact that there are background checks performed, because there are people you don't want to have guns in their hands. They could do harm to fellow citizens. I believe there is an accommodation and I believe there is a reasonable approach. The extremes on one side or the other aren't going to agree with that, but that's how I've been my entire life in public service. There's a pragmatic middle ground and if people are willing to listen to each other, we'll get to the right answer. That's where I stand.

The stop at a farmer's market reminded her a lot of her term in Congress, she said, especially representing farmers.

"It reminds me so many tours of the farms and the struggles they face, when the weather's bad and there's a flood or a drought or there's army worms," Hochul said. "They're such resilient people and to know that I'll be in a position to promote their work in a new capacity as Lieutenant Governor working with Gov. Cuomo, it's going to be great."