batavia

Byron Hoot, a Pittsburgh-area resident, is a longtime John Gardner fan and scholar. He's a poet and author who has worked for years on a series of poems based on Gardner's novel "Grendel." For the first time last year, Hoot came to Batavia for the annual Gardner night at the Pok-A-Dot. He then came back in the summer for the Gardner symposium at Genesee Community College and returned this year for the Gardner Society's annual gathering at the Dot.  (To file under "It's a Small World," Hoot studied at a college in Ohio where his literature professor was Art Seamans. I also took literature classes with Seamans in San Diego. The two men join a group of writers annually for a workshop in the Adirondacks. I've not made that trip yet. Maybe this summer ... ). Here's an appreciation by Hoot of the annual local reading and Batavia's literary giant.

I do not know how many cities, towns, or villages across America that have a famous son or daughter of literature do what Batavia, New York does.

Once a year (and it almost feels like “Once upon a time. . ..”), a group gathers who are John Gardner fans. Fans is the wrong word. Friends, students are better words though it’s difficult to explain a relationship with someone dead who still so influences the living, a group of people from all walks of life not strictly academic. . . .

To say nothing of having John’s brother, Jim, and family members there to listen and recite John Gardner’s words which are still very much alive.

We came, the last Saturday of October because he speaks to us still. We come to the Pok-A Dot diner because that’s where he went. We read to honor someone whose writing is honest enough to have opened something in each of us that would have never been opened before.

Terry Abrams, one of the readers, called it — most recently, last Saturday -– a community.  It is. He said in a world where entertainment is everywhere this form where reading and listening and then later talking at O’Lacy’s is an anomaly. He’s right, of course. And I think of that old adage of writing – “to delight and to instruct.” We have forgotten that delight and instruction is of the soul. But not all.

And I suspect John Gardner would growl and say, “Of course! Of course! Write on! Write on!” and give a Grendel smile.

Batavia . . . well done.

Several school bus drivers have reported a dangerous condition at Hutchins and Ellicott streets, apparently due to a landscaping operation blocking, or partially blocking, the roadway thereby obstructing traffic.

Mercy medics are on scene to aid a person with an amputated finger behind the barn on the grounds of the County Highway Department. The location is off the "new road area off Cedar and Ellicott." The original location was reported to be Ag Park Drive East.

Daniel C. Dilaura, 39, of Brooklyn Avenue, Batavia, is charged with felony criminal contempt, unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, criminal mischief, 4th, felony DWI, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, refusal to submit to breath test, obstructing government administration, 2nd, and resisting arrest. Dilaura was reportedly in a vehicle on State Route 39 at Chapman Avenue, Town of Castile, when he was observed in an alleged domestic dispute. Dilaura allegedly held a female in his car against her will. Once Dilaura pulled the vehicle to the side of the roadway, she reportedly attempted to call for help, at which time Dilaura allegedly took her phone away. She was able to get the phone back a short time later and phone 9-1-1. The first officer on scene was Aaron Chase, Perry PD. He reported observing Dilaura exit the driver's seat of his car and begin running away on foot. Chase pursued Dilaura into a nearby field and was able to apprehend Dilaura after an alleged brief struggle. Dilaura was turned over to the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office when deputies arrived. Dilaura allegedly violated an order of protection barring offensive conduct toward the female. He was allegedly found to be driving drunk and has a prior DWI conviction from 2007. Dilaura's vehicle was towed from the scene. He was jailed without bail.

Jerald E. Bliemeister, 43, of Gibson Street, Oakfield, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol and failure to keep right. Bliemeister was stopped at 3:37 a.m. Sunday on Route 354 at Schad Road, Town of Bennington, by Deputy Colin Reagan, Wyoming County Sheriff's Office, for an alleged traffic violation.

Three 17-year-old Batavia residents are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The youths were allegedly found in possession of marijuana by Batavia PD at 2:15 a.m. Saturday on Walker Place, Batavia (behind Batavia Middle School).

Richard A. Brink, 32, of 1625 Culver Road, Rochester, is charged with disobeying mandate. Brink allegedly violated a court order by contacting a protected person.

Anthony Daniel Micucci, 19, of Bonnie Brea Drive, Darien, is charged with petit larceny. Micucci allegedly entered the vehicle of another person without permission and stole personal property. Micucci was jailed on $2,500 bail. Micucci was also charged with criminal trespass, 2nd, and possession or consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

Amara Michele Dahn, 23, of Royce Road, Varysburg, is charged with petit larceny. Dahn is accused of stealing merchandise from Kmart.

Jorden Mackenzie Charcholla, 23, of Fairgrounds Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right, speeding and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a public highway. Charcholla was stopped at 11:12 p.m. Friday on Townline Road, Byron, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Amy S. Hofert, 40, of 67 Mechanic St., Elba, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Hofert allegedly punched another person in the nose.

Mark Anthony Antinore, 35, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Antinore allegedly threatened another person with physical injury during an argument.

Shadow S. Jonathan, 18, of Basom, is charged with assault, 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Jonathan was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident Sept. 13. No further details released.

Kyle A. Arne, 19, of North Tonawanda, is charged with petit larceny. Arne is accused of stealing from a location on Veterans Memorial Drive.

Submitted by Jen and Jackie Witt.

Ken and Jackie Witt took their 1922 Model T Ford out for a Sunday drive today and thought the mural on the back of Center Street Smoke House in Jackson Square was the perfect backdrop for a picture.

Submitted by Lisa Rapone.

Pictured are some of the participants at a Breast Cancer Workout held yesterday at Batavia Cross Training.

A driver struck a house garage at 4982 Route 63, south of Shepard Road. The driver is out and "okay" but there's heavy and "significant" structural damage to the garage. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding and Mercy medic #1 is on scene.

UPDATE 8:26 p.m.: The house is for sale and unoccupied. The driver did not require transport to a hospital and Mercy medics are back in service. A tow truck will be responding to haul away the vehicle.

New location, new recipe, but same big success this year for the annual Pancake Days breakfast put on the by Kiwanis Club of Batavia.

Because of remodeling at the First Presbyterian Church, the event was moved to Daphne's on Swan Street this year.

Top photo, Sheriff Gary Maha pours out another batch of pancakes.

Andre Dunlap pauses from serving to enjoy his own breakfast.

Matt Landers, Anita Strollo (who chaired the event this year) and Dunlap.

Travis Sick serves breakfast.

A former director at GCASA is apparently no longer working for the drug and alcohol treatment agency after being arrested earlier this month for allegedly driving while impaired by drugs.

John T. Walker, 50, of Old Meadow Lane, Batavia, was arrested following a report of an erratic driver in the city at 5:07 p.m., Oct.14.

Until recently, Walker was listed on the GCASA Web site as director of clinical and residential services. He reportedly listed his employer at the time of his arrest as GCASA.

John Bennett, executive director of GCASA, said he could not comment on personnel matters.

Police responded to a complaint Oct. 14 of an erratic driver after a witness reported seeing a 2000 Chevy Tracker leave the roadway for about 25 yards on East Main Street near Tractor Supply. The driver appeared unable to maintain his lane, according to the witness. The witness followed the Tracker to the parking lot outside Eastown Beverage, at which point the driver parked and walked into the store.

"As he walked, his gait was slow and unstable," the witness wrote.

At that point, Officer Felicia DeGroot arrived on scene and approached the male driver. Officer Jason Davis arrived on scene and conducted a field sobriety test.

According to court documents, Walker passed a breath test but allegedly failed the field sobriety test.

He was taken back to the police station and processed for alleged driving while impaired by drugs, first offense, which is an infraction.

Walker has not yet appeared in City Court on the charge. He's not scheduled to appear until Nov. 6, yet he appears to be out of a job.

We attempted to contact Walker for comment. In the arrest report, Walker apparently gave officers his work phone number and the only home phone number listing we could find has been disconnected.

City firefighters, members of IAFF Local 896, have been volunteering their time to help with the revitalization of a house on Harvester Avenue by Habitat for Humanity.

Joining in the tasks today were Dave Adams, Tim Stengel, Chuck Hammon, Mike Dorgan, Adam Palumbo, Nathan Kinne, Mark Mikolajczyk and Christina Marinaccio.

Top photo, Kinne and Palumbo. Bottom, Marinaccio and Stengel.

Press release:

In the mood to see ghosts, vampires, and zombies this weekend? Then stop by Batavia Sports Park on Bank Street Road for the third annual Soccerween Tournament sponsored by New York Premier Soccer. Games start at 8 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m.

Soccerween brings together soccer players ages 9 to 14 for a weekend of fun competition. Park coordinator Ted Hawley says, “The accent is on the fun in this tournament. It’s a great way to celebrate the end (for some) of the soccer season.”

Teams typically choose a theme and each player dresses accordingly.

“We’ve had teams of Smurfettes, Cat in the Hat, and The Hulk,” Hawley said. “The coaches even get into the spirit and can often be seen wearing costumes.”

Trophies are awarded for Most Creative Costume and Best Dressed Teams/Coaches.

New York Premier Soccer organizes this event for travel- and premier-level teams. Each team is guaranteed at least three 7v7 or 9v9 games in a one-day tournament format.

“Aside from fostering team camaraderie, Soccerween is a great way to celebrate the season in a fun, healthy atmosphere,” said Robin Apholz, event coordinator. “Dozens of teams participate each year in what is becoming one of our most popular tournaments.”

Soccerween is free and open to the public. Food will be available to purchase at the park. For more information contact Ted Hawley at 585.343.3329. For additional information on New York Premier Soccer contact rapholz@globalpremiersoccer.com

A Batavia man accused of robbing the 7-Eleven on East Main Street in Batavia was denied a chance at bail today after pleading not guilty to the two felony counts against him.

Michael C. Kraatz, 34, is accused of robbing the convenience store Oct. 6 and is indicted on counts of of robbery, 2nd, a Class C violent felony, and grand larceny, 2nd, a Class C felony.

Kraatz was originally indicted on lesser charges, but the grand jury elevated the robbery charge and District Attorney Lawrence Friedman sought an elevated grand larceny charge after reviewing the statute and the alleged facts of the case.

"That (the robbery charge) was elevated based on testimony at grand jury that the robbery victim has suffered physical injury," Friedman said.

As for the grand larceny charge, Friedman said Kraatz was appropriately charged with third-degree grand larceny when he was arrested, but in an unusual quirk of the penal code, the same set of circumstances also apply to the higher level charge.

"He was properly charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree based on coercion and threat to cause physical injury or serious physical injury or the threat of death in the future," Friedman said. "In examining the statute, I discovered that not only does that spell out grand larceny in the fourth degree, but it also spells out grand larceny in the second degree. It's somewhat of an unusual situation, but the same elements make up grand larceny in the second degree."

Kraatz entered not guilty pleas to both counts today.

When Kraatz was originally arraigned in City Court, because of his prior felony convictions, the lower court judge did not have the authority to set bail. County Court Judge Robert C. Noonan could have set bail today, but ordered Kraatz held without bail.

The next scheduled court appearance for Kraatz is Dec. 13, when attorneys are expected to argue any motions in the case.

Also in County Court today, Jon T. Magliocco, entered not guilty pleas to the 17-count indictment filed against him. Magliocco is accused of being 21 or older and having sexual relations with a person less than 17 years old. He is being held on $50,000 bail.

Jaime Lynn Killinger, 37, of West Main Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, driving while on a suspended or revoked license and improper left turn. Killinger is accused of driving a car into a ditch at 10:40 p.m., Oct. 18, on Route 5 in Le Roy, and then leaving the scene of the accident. The accident was investigated by Deputy Matthew Butler.

Jeanine Lynn Calica, 41, of South Spruce Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant for an alleged violation of probation. Calica is accused of failing to appear in Town of Pavilion Court on a violation of probation charge.

Paul Michael Gelardo, 28, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Gelardo is accused of not showing up for an original appearance in Batavia City Court on a CPCS charge. He was arrested by Batavia PD, turned over to the Sheriff's Office, arraigned in City Court and jailed on $1,000 bail.

Denise A. Kingsley, 30, of Silver Springs, is charged with petit larceny. Kingsley, who was arrested by State Police, is accused of stealing from Kmart.

City Republicans, Democrats and the Genesee County Libertarian Party couldn't agree on a debate format, but they have agreed to come together for a meet the candidates night prior to the Nov. 5 election.

The event is 7 to 8:30 p.m., Nov. 1, in the Batavia High School Library.

Along with the nominees for the three at-large seats on the Batavia City Counci from the three parties, independent candidate Rose Mary Christian will be participating.

Voters are invited to come and chat with the candidates. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

Former Batavia PD officer Eugene Jankowski had another successful showing at a gun competition, finishing in the top 25 percent out of 202 competitors and winning 1st Place in the senior tactical optics division.

The competition, the 2013 Blue Ridge Mountain Three-Gun Championship, was held last week  at the Rockcastle Shooting Center in Park City, Ky.

Competitors shot nine stages of fire in natural terrain over three days.  

All stages required the use of a modern sporting rifle, semi-auto shotgun and semi-auto handgun.  The targets were required to be engaged from awkward shooting locations and positions. Targets ranged from 3 to 425 yards for the rifle, 3-70 yards for the pistol and 10-75 yards for the shotgun.

Jankowski is sponsored by Metal Spinning Targets in Le Roy, CMC Triggers in Fort Worth, Texas, Wolf Gunsprings and Offhaus Farms in Batavia.

The U.S. Marshall's Fugitive Task Force apprehended a man in Albion today who was wanted in Batavia for alleged sexual abuse of a child less than 11 years old.

Terrell Goodson, 25, was taken into custody on a felony warrant for alleged aggravated sexual abuse 2nd and sexual abuse 1st.

The Task Force assisted in locating Goodson.

The investigation into Goodson's alleged crime was handled by Det. Kevin Czora.

Goodson was arraigned and jailed without bail.

Don't miss the 54th annual Popcorn Ball starting at 6 p.m. this weekend at St. Joseph's School. Tickets will be available at the door. $60/couple.

The World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals will have a very familiar feel for Batavia Muckdogs fans when it gets under way tonight in Boston.

Nine Cardinals players, including three starters, and one member of the Red Sox passed through Batavia at some point in their young careers.

Matt Carpenter, who played nine games in Batavia in 2009 and hit .469 in 32 at bats, will see the first pitch of the 2013 series as the Cardinals' lead-off hitter.

Somewhere in the middle of the line up, perhaps hitting clean up, will be Matt Adams, who really put himself on the map in the Cardinals organization in Batavia.

Adams was the 699th player taken over all in the 2009 draft and wasn't on anybody's list of elite prospects coming out of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. He distinguished himself as a Muckdog, hitting .346 while drawing 11 walks and slugging four monster home runs in 31 games.

Lance Lynn, on the other hand, was signed with nearly a $1 million bonus in 2008 before starting his pro career in Batavia, where he quickly demonstrated to fans why he was so highly regarded by the Cardinal scouts. In six games with the Muckdogs, he posted a 0.96 ERA, striking out 22 in 18 2/3 innings before being promoted to Quad Cities.

Also on the Cardinals' roster for the series are Daniel Descalso (2007), Pete Kozma (2007), Tony Cruz (2007), Joe Kelly (2009), Kevin Siegrist (2009, 2010) and Seth Maness (2011).

Quintin Berry (2006), plays for the Red Sox.

Interestingly, only one of the series-bound former Muckdogs (Lancy Lynn) spent any time on the 2008 team, which won the NYPL championship.

The Muckdogs have long promoted that one reason to come to games is to see the major league stars of tomorrow. With 10 former Muckdogs carrying two teams to the World Series, that pretty much proves the point.

Photo by Michelle Taylor.

A motor-vehicle accident is reported on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia, which has its fire department responding along with Mercy medics. Mercy Flight is called to the town's Highway Department.

UPDATE 7:46 p.m.: Sheriff's deputies are also responding. The highway department is located at 3833 W. Main Street Road.

UPDATE 7:49 p.m.: The accident is blocking both lanes of traffic.

UPDATE 7:50 p.m.: One patient has an "angular fracture to the right leg."

UPDATE 7:57 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed in the parking lot of the Town Hall. That option was chosen due to concern about the gravel on the ground at the adjacent Highway Department.

UPDATE 8:45 p.m.: Town of Batavia's assignment is back in service and both westbound lanes are reopened.