batavia

The Batavia Boys basketball team beat Williamsville South today in a game scheduled as part of the Niagara Falls Cataract City Classic, an invitational tournament for the top prep teams in WNY.

Jeff Redband led the Blue Devils to a 58-46 win with 18 points. Justice Fagan contributed 13 and Malachi Chenault added 11.

Batavia jumped out to an early 34-18 lead, but the game tightened in the 4th period with Williamsville closing in at 40-35. From there, Batavia pretty much controlled the game and put Williamsville away.

Mendon has always presented a challenge for the Batavia High School girls basketball team, often over the years snatching double-digit victories over the Lady Devils, which was why Head Coach Marty Hein put the Vikings on the schedule early in the season.

It was a chance for Hein to see where his team stood.

The verdict? Not really different from what he said about his team in the pre-season: The Lady Devils lack bench depth and until the younger players step up their game, Batavia will struggle against teams that can rotate seven or eight players.

"Some of the girls will understand that we've got to work hard and work our way to having a deep bench like Mendon does," Hein said. "Hopefully, we'll be there by mid-season."

To start the game, the Lady Devils looked like the dominate team and held a lead until just about a minute left in the second period, and even through most of the third period, Batavia kept the game within a basket or two.

Then the wheels came off. The plays didn't run as smoothly, the passes weren't as crisp, if not higher risk, and the steals came easier for the Vikings.

"Todd's (Todd Julien) a very smart coach," Hein said. "He didn't use any time-outs (in) quarters one, two and three because he didn't give any opportunity for my girls to get a rest. He knew the longer I kept my starters on the floor, the sooner they were going to wear out."

The final score: Mendon 43, Batavia 36.

Sam Cecere led Batavia in scoring with 14 points. Mendon's Darby Kreienberg presented a challenge for the Lady Devils. She scored 26 points.

Maddie McCulley, who hit a clutch three late in the second period just when it looked like the Vikings might be poised to pull away, suffered what appeared to be an ankle or foot injury early in the third period. She returned to the game a few minutes later and Hein said she'll be fine.

"When we play one-three-one she's down at the bottom with some giants so she takes a beating sometimes," Hein said.

Top photo: Essence Williams drives for a successful layup.

Maddie McCulley

McCulley and Alley Phillips scramble for a loose ball.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

An accident involving a pickup and another vehicle is reported at Route 33 and Wortendyke Road. There are injuries and it is blocking traffic. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding along with two Mercy rigs. Mercy Flight is called to the scene.

UPDATE 11:21 a.m.: Extrication is needed as soon as possible. A landing zone will be set up in a nearby yard.

UPDATE 11:25 a.m.: There's heavy traffic congestion in the area.

UPDATE 11:31 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed. The patient to be airlifted is conscious and alert. Extrication of victim(s) will "easily be five to 10 more minutes."

UPDATE 11:39 a.m.: A third ambulance is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 11:50 a.m.: Extrication has been completed. One person is being transported to UMMC; another is being taken to UMMC Erie County Medical Center. Mercy Flight is airborne.

UPDATE 11:58 a.m.: Mercy Flight is going to ECMC.

UPDATE 12:10 p.m.: The East Pembroke assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 1 p.m. (by Howard): Trooper Steven Brady said the initial investigation indicates that the sedan was eastbound on Route 33. The truck was westbound. The sedan driver didn't see the oncoming truck before executing a left-hand turn onto Wortendyke. The sedan was T-boned. There were circumstances at the time of the accident that would have prevented the driver from seeing the truck, Brady said. "He simply didn't see it." There was another car making a right-hand turn, which may have distracted the sedan driver for a moment. East Pembroke Chief Don Newton was the first emergency responder on scene. He said he requested Mercy Flight primarily as a precaution for the patient in the passenger seat because of the heavy impact on that side of the car. There's no indication at this time that the injuries are serious. The driver of the sedan and the truck were transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC with minor injuries.

Rick Fleming will conduct the Genesee Symphony Orchestra in a holiday concert Sunday at St. Mary's.

The program features compositions by Leroy Anderson, Mozart, Bach and David Rose as well as a performance by the Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School Chorus, directed by Danielle Mileham.

The concert begins at 4 p.m.

Fleming is an associate professor of music and director of bands at Buffalo State. He is founding conductor of the Erie County Chamber Winds and conductor of the Buffalo Silver Brass Band.

These photos were taken at the orchestra's Friday night rehearsal.

Friday night was the first night of Taste of the Holidays. The festivities included a chance for visitors to the tent on Jackson Street to sample food from area restaurants and visit with other vendors. Bus rides to the Holland Land Museum Office to see the Wonderland of Trees were also part of the event.

The event continues today from noon to 3 p.m. and will include carriage rides and a scavenger hunt.

Children can also visit Santa today in City Centre.

The beds of two pickups were filled with donated toys today for Santa to deliver to local boys and girls who might not otherwise get many presents under their trees, no matter how good they've been. The annual toy drive is sponsored by WBTA, Ken Barrett Chevy, the Salvation Army, the Batavia Fire Department and numerous local businesses.

Pictured are Tim Stengel, Art Smith, Corinne, Sarah, Colleen, James, Joan Stevens and Lt. Jeff Whitcombe.

Batavia High School opens its performance of "The Brother's Grimm Spectaculathon: Not your Disney fairy tales" at 7:30 tonight in the high school auditorium.

Tickets are $10 at the door ($8 for students).

There is a second performance at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.

(submitted photos)

A vehicle that was the subject of an erratic driver report has apparently crashed in the area of 1669 Main Road, Corfu.

As dispatchers were relaying description and direction information to a responding deputy, the caller informed a dispatcher that the car went off the roadway.

The car reportedly crossed to the north side of Main Road and took out a utility pole, according to a first responder, then crossed back to the south side and struck a tree and rolled over.

The driver is out of the vehicle and appears to have suffered only minor injuries.

Twin Cities ambulance medics were passing by at the time of the accident and are evaluating the patient.

East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy EMS responding.

Route 5 is being shutdown at Route 77 with Indian Falls responding for traffic control.

Wires are reported down in the roadway. National Grid is notified, but no ETA.

Andrew Lucas Kosiorek, 41, no address provided, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal trespass, 3rd, and obstruction of governmental administration. Kosiorek was arrested after being allegedly located in a garage on South Main Street at 12:30 a.m., Nov. 28. Kosiorek allegedly tried to flee from police at the time of his arrest. Upon being taken into custody he was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance. He was jailed on $2,500 bail. Also charged with criminal trespass was Damien R. Graham, 41, no residence.

Norman S. Malkimos-Gonzalez Jr., is charged with menacing, 3rd. Malkimos-Gonzalez is accused of threatening to shoot another person while in the area of 85 Main St., Batavia, at 4:10 p.m. on Nov. 22. Malkimos-Gonzalez was later located in the area of Ellicott and Jackson and taken into custody. No weapon was found.

Morgan L. Cox Jr., 21, of 119 State St., #4m Batavia, is charged with criminal intent to damage property and harassment, 2nd. Cox was arrested following an investigation into an alleged domestic incident at 12:59 p.m., Nov. 28.

A 16-year-old resident of West Main Street Road, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing $85.07 in merchandise from Tops.

Thomas W. Morey Jr., 38, of 10631 Main St., Alexander, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Morey was allegedly found in possession of two firearms during a traffic stop at 6:26 p.m. Nov. 25 on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer James DeFreze. Morey reportedly has a prior felony conviction.

Christina S. Baudanza, 37, of 154 Jackson St., Batavia, is charged with disobeying a mandate. Baudanza was arrested following an investigation into an alleged domestic incident.

Matthew A. Beccue, 44, of 4 Elm St., Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a public highway. Beccue was stopped at 8:32 p.m. Nov. 22 on East Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Chad Richards.

Taraleen T. Tundo, 29, 10901 Marsh Road, Bethany, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. Tundo was allegedly found in possession of suboxone without a prescription during a traffic stop at 12:40 p.m. Nov. 21 on Ellicott Street, Batavia, by Officer John Kirbis.

Antonio Lester James, 22, of Avenue A, Rochester, was arrested on a bench warrant. He is accused of failure to appear in County Court on a grand larceny, 4th, charge. James was being held in Monroe County Jail and turned over to the Sheriff's Office. James was arraigned in County Court and sentenced by Judge Robert Noonan to a state prison term.

George A. Booth, 50, of Rural Route 1, Hinton, W. Va., was arrested on a warrant stemming from a criminal possession of a forged instrument charge. Booth was arrested in West Virginia and extradited to New York. He was arraigned in Town of Alexander Court and jailed on $5,000 cash bail.

Timothy R. Benbynek, 48 of Corfu, is charged with trespass. Benbynek was arrested at 816 Gabbey Road, Pembroke. No further details released.

William H. Englert, 47, of Caledonia, is charged with DWI. Englert was stopped at 9:55 p.m. Dec. 1 on Bernd Road, Le Roy, by State Police.

Allissa A. Fodge, 23, of Bergen, and Megan C. Marchese, 26, of Bergen, are both charged with grand larceny, 3rd. The alleged incident was reported Oct. 18. Fodge and Marchese were arrested by State Police. No further details released.

H.E. Turner Funeral Home hosted its annual service of prayer and remembrance at Grace Baptist Church tonight for those who lost loved ones during the past year.

Above, Pastor Donald Shirk.

Joshua Smith, H.E. Turner.

Pastor Mark Hurlbut.

This is a copy of a photo, like the one below, that I acquired last night at auction through Bontrager's.

It was shot Dec. 4, 1940.

The photographer was William Seaver. He resided for a time at 21 Ellicott Ave., Batavia. His office was at 90 Main St., Batavia.

We can assume, I think, that this picture was taken from his office window. The exquisite sharpness and detail of the photo suggests he was using a quality, large format camera (the single sheet of film was likely 8x10, much larger than 35mm film). 

The block you see is the south side of Main Street from Court Street (where the Hotel Richmond stood) to perhaps Jackson Street or just west of Jackson Street.

Seaver's office would have been approximately where Hillside Children's Center is now, on the west end of the mall.

Comparing it to the photo below, Seaver used a wider angle lens for the 1940 shot than he did for the 1927 shot. In 1927, he used some sort of telephoto lens. I don't know 8x10 format lenses all that well. It appears he used a wider angle lens in 1940 than he did in 1927 based on the crop and compression of space.

When I stopped by the County History office today, Larry Barnes, the city's historian was there. He had seen the 1927 shot before. It's in his book "Batavia Revisited." He had never seen the 1940 shot before.

I'm not sure if there are any descendants of William Seaver still in Batavia, but it would be something if his negatives still existed. These are high-quality photographs and it would be a shame if his negatives (and who knows what else he shot) were lost.

This geneology page says "William Seaver registered for the World War I draft on 12 September 1918 in Batavia, Genesee County, New York. He was age 45, born 18 May 1873. 

In 1910, he lived at 35 Center St., Batavia. In 1920, he lived at 21 Ellicott Ave., Batavia, and 1930, he was a lodger residing at 102 West Main St. In each census he was single, even at age 56, so perhaps he has no descendants.

There was also a William Seaver who lived in Batavia before the photographer. He was the first captain of the first fire department and a president of the Village of Batavia in 1838. That Seaver appears to have published a book in 1849 called "A Historical Sketch of the Village of Batavia."

The older William Seaver, judging by the genealogy site, was the uncle of the photographer William Seaver. The photographer's father was David Seaver, the son of a William Seaver born in 1789 in Peru, Mass., and died in Batavia in 1871.

To aid in seeing the pictures at a higher resolution, I've put them into a slideshow below. I recommend viewing them in full-screen mode.

More than 50 vegetable farmers from throughout WNY were at the Cornell Extension in Batavia today for "Tunnel School."

Tunnels, also called hoop houses, are like greenhouses. They're large enclosed structures allow plants to be grown in-ground but protected from the elements.

"What we're trying to do is help vegetable farmers grow over a longer season," said Judson Reid, a senior extension associate. "We really trying to help farmers increase their profitability with some of the technology we're talking about here today."

Tunnels allow farmers to plant vegetables earlier in the spring and harvest later in the fall, and because the plants are irrigated and aren't hit with rain water, the vegetables often come out looking better, which makes them easier to sell.

Not just growing vegetables but topics such as pricing and marketing where discussed in some depth by the farmers.

"One of my co-presenters said earlier today that farming is about marketing, business and growing, in that order," Reid said. "It's really fun to talk about plants, growing, soils, but really, we can never neglect markets.We have to focus on our marketing ability to improve our profitability."

Paul Fenton, owner of Fenton Farms in Batavia, was among the local farmers at the workshop and he said he was getting a lot of good information from the presenters.

"We're here because we want to extend our growing season and improve quality," Fenton said.

He said he's planning on growing cherry and  grape tomatoes. 

The entire staff at Cedar Street Sales & Rentals wants to thank you for your patience during the road construction project. We are movin’ on up from a beat up, one lane dirt road to a paved road complete with lines. Cedar Street is now paved, the bridge has been raised to accommodate tall tractor-trailers and some of the sidewalks leading to the park have been completed. The balance of the work is scheduled to be finished next spring. We are excited. It was much overdue and it will really look nice once completed. The sidewalks will serve a much needed purpose allowing access to our beautiful Dewitt Park. 

For most of November it was difficult at best to get to our business. Many times the wait was 15 minutes or more and customers were forced to try both ends of the street. We greatly appreciate our loyal customers who took extra time out of their day to pick up rental equipment, buy a part, shop for a new snowblower or chainsaw, or just stop in to browse. We realize that your time is precious and we can’t thank you enough for supporting us. 

We want to thank Zoladz Construction for a job well done, especially considering the time frame and conditions that they were given to complete the job. They worked incredibly hard and tried their best to be as accommodating as possible to the businesses and homes on Cedar Street. 

As a token of our appreciation we are raffling off a Shop Local Christmas Gift Basket complete with Oliver’s Candies, Kutter’s Cheese, Finger Lakes Wine, local movie and dinner gift certificate and $100 spending money! No purchase necessary. It’s our thanks just for stopping in. The drawing will be held on Wednesday, December 18th.

Thank you again for 20 years of support. God Bless and Merry Christmas. 
Guy Clark
Cedar Street Sales and Rental

While on routine foot patrol in the early morning hours Batavia PD Officer Todd Crossett came across four people who appeared to be hiding at a location on Center Street and fled on foot when Crossett approached.

Back-up patrols arrived on scene and the youths were quickly located.

One 18-year-old, Steven Gilliatt, was charged with consumption/possession of alcohol under age 21. According to Chief Shawn Heubusch, Gilliatt admitted consuming the beverage throughout the night.

None of other youths reportedly with Gilliatt were charged.

All of  the victims of two-car accident Friday at Richmond Avenue and Oak Street are out of the hospital, according to Batavia PD.

The two pedestrians struck either by a vehicle or debris were treated and released at UMMC for cuts and contusions. One victim was 22 years old, the other 29.

Of the four occupants of the red GMC Jimmy, one patient spent about a day at Strong Memorial Hospital. The 14-year-old suffered a broken orbital bone in his or her left eye. 

The driver, 40, was treated and released for a back injury. The front passenger, 45, was treated and released for a wrist fracture. The other rear seat passenger, 20, had no injuries.

The driver of the black Acura, age 45, suffered a back injury and was treated at UMMC and then transferred to Strong and has since been released from the hospital.

Chief Shawn Heubusch has declined to release the names of the victims citing an ongoing criminal investigation.

Previously, the driver of the Acura was reported to be Michael I. Sanders of 22 Columbia Ave., Apt. #1, Batavia. He was cited alleged failure to yield right of way.

Batavia resident and avid chess player Kevin Larsen has had some free time on his hands lately, so he decided to start a chess club in Batavia.

This comes just as the game of chess seems to be making a comeback. According to a recent article in The New York Times, the game lags in popularity in spite of a record number of players worldwide -- possibly due to the absence of an appealing personality to represent it.

A promising candidate is 22-year-old Norwegian player Magnus Carlsen, who is the top-ranked chess player worldwide. Larsen has not followed Carlsen too closely, but he agrees that an appealing personality as the "face of chess" might, in part, be what the game needs.

"If people see someone young and cool playing chess," he said, "they might be more interested."

Furnished with United States Chess Federation regulation boards, clocks, and scorebooks, the "Batavia Community Chess Club" is for novices and chess buffs alike. 

"As long as people have fun with it, it's fine with me," Larsen said. "But I do hope to get people who are interested in coming every week and want to get better at chess by studying and competing."

He would like people to use clocks so that competitors have equal playing time, as well as scorebooks so they can keep track of their progress in the game and discover what they need to work on.

So far, 13 people have said they will come to the first meeting this Thursday from 6 until 8:30 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Library, at 19 Ross St. in Batavia.

Club meetings will take place every Thursday during that time frame. All ages are welcome, but young children should be accompanied by their parents.

Larsen said it will be easier if everyone who is interested comes at the same time, since otherwise people might have to wait 30 minutes to an hour for someone to play against. But people are welcome to walk in at any time between 6 and 8:30.

Because "Batavia Community Chess Club" is being run with the support of the library, it is open to the public at no cost. However, Larsen said he will accept any donations to pay for equipment upgrades, clocks, and funding for the NIOGA Library System so they can purchase more chess-related books.

Chess has been touted as a tool for helping people to sharpen their concentration, build patience and perseverance, develop critical and analytical thinking, and improve planning and management skills.

Larsen rejects the stereotype that you have to have a high IQ in order to do well at chess.

"It helps," he said, "but if you have a good teacher and are willing to study, you'll do fine. I've read scientific literature about people who had below-average IQs but were high-ranking chess players."

Right now, Larsen has only a couple of volunteers helping with the club. When he gets more, he would like to have people available to teach the game.

For more information and to contact Larsen, visit www.bataviachess.org.

Police have yet to identify the driver involved in a hit-and-run accident around 5:20 p.m. on Nov. 22 on Liberty Street near Ellicott Street.

A black Chevy Silverado struck two vehicles and fled the scene. Both struck vehicles sustained significant damage. No serious injuries were reported.

A witness described the suspect vehicle as an extended cab, possibly late 1990s or early 2000 with 4x4 written on the side. The truck would have sustained damage to its front and back. A partial plate of 14196 or 14197 with a letter A in it. The driver is described as a white male with dark blond hair and facial hair, approximately in his 30s. He is possibly 5'8" to 6' tall and about 200 pounds.

Anybody with information that may assist in the investigation can contact Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350.

Since 1971, the Genesee Chorale has been making beautiful music for the people of WNY. That tradition continues this month with two holiday concerts.

First, the Chorale performs a show entitled "Hail the Star" starting at 7 p.m., Friday, at Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School, 9300 South St.

Two days later, on Sunday at 3 p.m., the group performs in Albion at the First Presbyterian Church.

The 70 or so people who comprise the chorale have been traveling weekly to Batavia from the seven area counties of WNY to prepare for these concerts.

"We come from a lot of rural communities," said chorale president Maureen Degolyer. "Coming from a rural community, like I am from Castile, you have to be willing to travel a distance to do any quality music, and that's what we do here."

The Chorale is dedicated, she said, to providing audiences with the highest quality performance they could possibly hear.

"Our expectations are high and we don't do anything that isn't quality because nobody could stand it," Degolyer said. "We aim for quality and it is wonderful stuff."

The concert is a blend of traditional and contemporary songs.

A few of the selections are: “Jesus Loves Me,” which has a jazz influence and will be feature Dan Jones on the alto saxophone; “What Strangers Are These,” featuring Fran Woodworth on flute and Mike Teeling on acoustic guitar; and, a unique arrangement of “Jingle Bells” as made popular by Barbra Streisand.

For more information and tickets, visit www.GeneseeChorale.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Top photo, conductor Ric Jones.

Fran Woodworth

Maureen Degolyer

Mike Teeling

Bob Holley

Jones conducting, Woodworth on flute.

The chorale's rehearsal at St. James Episcopal Church in the community room.

Dustin Michael Locicero, 29, of Gibson Street, Bergen, is charged with forgery 2nd. Locicero was arrested following an investigation into a complaint of a stolen check and its forged use at a location in the City of Batavia. Locicero was jailed without bail.

Thomas E. Newcomb, 42, of 27 E. Main St., Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Newcomb is accused of striking a woman in the face with his hand during an argument.

Brandon David Gendron, 25, of Judge Road, Basom, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, uninspected motor vehicle and failure to keep right. Gendron was stopped at 11:25 p.m. Fridayon Fotch Road, Stafford, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Stephen Joseph Peters, 18, of Wyoming Road, Warsaw, is charged with petit larceny. Peters accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

David William Buchholtz, 54, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Buchholtz is accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

Harry Lee Flatt, 68, of Fruit Avenue, Medina, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and moving from lane unsafely.

Donald Anthony Irwin, 43, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Irwin was allegedly found in possession of a metal knuckle knife following a property damage accident at 9:12 p.m. Thursday in the Walmart parking lot.

Michael J. Wall, 39, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child. Wall was arrested following an investigation into an alleged domestic incident reported at 6:40 a.m., Nov. 23.

Christopher Brian King, 22, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. King is accused of ordering food at the Denny's in Pembroke and leaving without paying for the food.

Dana Robert Devin Cipra, 21, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Cipra was arrested following a traffic stop at 12:47 a.m. Thursday on Route 77, Corfu, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Danielle M. Stevens, 37, of Ford Road, Elba, is charged with petit larceny. Stevens was arrested after a check of video surveillance footage indicated she allegedly stole two vacuums from Walmart.

Robert Allen Norway, 40, of Lake Avenue, Rochester, is charged with violation of a Family Court order. Norway was arrested on a warrant out of Family Court.

A private contractor is working on a water line on Center Street today. The line broke Saturday afternoon. The line runs into Center Street Smoke House and for most of the day, the city has been able to provide water to the restaurant. The restaurant is expected to be open for business this evening.

UPDATE: Water service was fully restored at 5:30 p.m.