batavia

A dog is reportedly locked inside a 2012 Chevy Malibu with the windows rolled up in the parking lot of Tops Market in Batavia. A Sheriff's deputy is responding.

A few summers ago, Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern, visited Batavia while researching a book on the future of journalism, focusing on digital efforts to provide communities with news.

In May, his book, "The Wired City," was released by the University of Massachusetts Press.

While the majority of pages in The Wired City are devoted to the New Haven Independent, a nonprofit community Web site in Connecticut, there is a section in the book about for-profit sites, including The Batavian.

For the book, Kennedy interviewed me, of course, and Tom Turnbull  and Mark Graczyk at the Batavia Daily News, Dan Fischer at WBTA, City Manager Jason Molino, Chamber of Commerce President Lynn Freeman, and Patrick Weissand, then HLOM director, among others.

In the book, you can find out a little more about the background of The Batavian, a little insider information and what some people -- Turnbull, say -- were saying about The Batavian when we were barely a year old.

Kennedy remains fascinated by an off-hand remark I made while we were driving past the Stafford Country Club during his visit -- that if I were ever a member, he'd know I was doing well with The Batavian. He mentions it his book and in a column today updating readers on the progress of The Batavian on Nieman Journalism Lab (spoiler alert: I'm not a member, not even a social member, even though I recently found out membership is a heck of a lot less expensive than I thought back during Kennedy's visit to Batavia.)

This Saturday, Kennedy will be at Present Tense Books on Washington Avenue to talk about the book and sign copies.

Fischer will interview Kennedy and me for Friday morning's Main and Center on WBTA, so tune in. I anticipate a lively discussion about local journalism, past, present and future.

Barry Sheldon, who was drafted by New York Mets in the seventh round after his senior year at Batavia High School in 1967, was inducted into the Section V Hall of Fame on Sunday during a ceremony at Frontier Field in Rochester.

Sheldon was a standout shortstop and pitcher for Batavia during all four seasons at the school.

Rather than sign with the Mets, Sheldon went to Genesee Community College for a year. That year, he was a fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in the January draft and by the Detroit Tigers in the fifth round of the June draft.

Sheldon transferred to New Mexico Highlands University where he was 15-0 with a 2.30 ERA over two seasons.

In 1972, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles and played one season of minor league baseball, going 2-1 with a 3.68 in 16 appearances with the rookie league team in Bluefield, W. Va.

Charles Wayne O'Shea, 35, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or higher, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd. O'Shea was arrested twice for alleged drunken driving within a four-hour period. The second arrest came after a traffic stop at 8:36 p.m. Saturday on Route 19, Le Roy, by Deputy Chad Minuto. Minuto said he observed O'Shea driving and knew from being involved with a prior arrest of O'Shea that O'Shea allegedly did not have a valid driver's license, so he initiated a traffic stop. Upon further investigation, Minuto concluded O'Shea was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Four hours earlier, according to Minuto's report, Minuto assisted Deputy James Diehl while Diehl arrested O'Shea for allegedly driving drunk.

Selime Bela, 49, of Crimson Drive, Albion, is charged with petit larceny. Bela is accused of shoplifting $67.49 in merchandise from Kmart.

Brandon Marshall Weig, 25, of Buffalo Road, Bergen, is charged with harassment, 2nd (physical contact). The alleged incident was reported at 1:02 a.m., Friday. No further details released. Weig was also arrested on a bench warrant for alleged criminal contempt, 2nd, and disobeying a mandate.

Michael T. Dibble, 21, of Corfu, is charged with DWI. Dibble was arrested by State Police at Erie County Medical Center for allegedly driving drunk in the Town of Pembroke at 4:19 p.m., Wednesday. No further details released.

Jeremy M. Sheehan, 30, of Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Sheehan was arrested by State Police following an alleged incident reported at 1:49 a.m. Thursday in the Town of Le Roy. No further details were released.

A fire alarm sounded at the Clarion Hotel about 20 minutes ago and the Town of Batavia Fire Department responded. There was no conflagration, but firefighters checked the floors of the facility to determine why the alarm went off.

The strong odor of cigarette smoke was coming from one room, but no alarms tripped on that floor. Higher up in the hotel, they found the problem spot -- "Hairspray in the Executive Suite" was the likely culprit said the captain.

This communication was received by a dispatcher and reinterated: Cause for the alarm was "executive hairspray."

I took a break from the Ramble this afternoon to go out to Ted and Patricia Hawley's barley field in Byron to get some pictures of the harvest.

The Hawleys are opening a malt house -- the first in New York in about 100 years -- and this barley will be used to create malt that can be used by microbreweries throughout the state.

All the rain we've had in the past week have made the harvest a challenge. The grain has to reach a search moisture level -- not too moist -- to be harvested. But in waiting for it to dry out there's a chance the grain could pre-germinate on the stock, which would affect the malting process.

This grain will need to be dried a bit before being stored in a bin because it's a just a bit too moist.

Above is barley grain that has been separated by the combine from the straw. The cut straw is left on the field and will be collected later. It can be used for a feed supplement, for mulch or -- according to Hawley -- dropped in ponds to purify the water. Hawley said it is very effective at cleaning pond water and the Hawleys may eventually try selling some of it for such a use.

Kevin Scroger gave me my first ride in the cab of a combine. Scroger has been operating combines since he was 14 years old. Back then, cabs weren't air conditioned. There weren't even cabs and Scroger said the combines were smaller and harvested fewer acres per hour. Not only are today's cabs air conditioned, they can be driven over a pre-defined route by a GPS system.

The 2013 Ramble Music and Arts Fest was again a success with hundreds of music fans enjoying performances by three dozen bands.

Several bands put in great performances and one of the most impressive was from a band called Verse (top photo and third photo).

Bill Kauffman (second photo) opened the event with these remarks:

What is Batavia? It’s Centennial Park in the autumn, all red and orange and melancholy. It’s Dwyer Stadium as the sun sets behind the left-field wall. It’s gamblers watching the longshot they bet on at Batavia Downs come in dead last, as it always—almost—does. It’s three on three basketball at Williams Park, or the Little Leaguer in right field at MacArthur Park praying “please don’t hit it to me.” It’s the St. Joe’s lawn fete. It’s Adam Miller’s. It’s beef on weck at the Pok-a-Dot. It’s 20-year-olds talking and laughing through the night in a corner booth at Sport of Kings. It’s reading about old classmates in the police blotter. Then in the obituaries. It’s drinking and dancing in Jackson Square. It’s Billy Walker walking down Main Street. It’s Wayne Fuller’s voice. It’s Bill McDonald with his guitar.

And it is the Ramble. Now in its eighth year, this annual gathering of musicians and people who love music has become a part of the score of Batavia. We have such a rich and varied musical history in this city, this county. We have the oldest community orchestra in the country. We were the Motown of the accordion. We’ve had thriving garage rock and folk music scenes. We’ve had, and have, alternative and heavy metal and country and rap musicians and bands, as well as gospel singers and crooners of the standards. We have church choirs and we have kids banging away at thrash and metal music in their basements. Discordant and harmonious…peaceful and angry…traditional and twisted…It’s the soundtrack of Batavia.

And so I give you…the 2013 Ramble.

To purchase prints of any of these photos, click here.

Two dogs are locked inside a Cadillac Escalade in front of the Peking Buffet at 8222 Lewiston Road in the Town of Batavia, which is in the same plaza as BJ's Wholesale Club. A caller is concerned for the canines' welfare and a Sheriff's deputy is responding.

Bob Evans Restaurant, 196 Oak St., Batavia, will be closed from July 7-14 for a remodel that will update the interior and exterior appearance, according to Assistant General Manager Jonathan Allen.

The restaurant will add a bakery section as part of the project.

Irish folk band Penny Whiskey, always a crowd favorite, opened the Jackson Square concert season Friday with two hours of Celtic rhythms and melodies. The square was pretty jam-packed with local music fans for the show.

Penny Whiskey is: Kirk McWhorter, Jon Carlson (top photo), Dan Lelito, Paul Kneis (second photo).

The Ramble Music and Arts Fest starts Saturday at 11 a.m.

Natalie Muscarella uses mom's camera to get some pictures of the band.

Officers Mark Lawrence and Eric Dibble next to the mural portrait of a Batavia police officer in Jackson Square.

To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

A tow truck is reportedly on fire in front of 182 Oak St., Batavia.

City fire responding.

UPDATE 12:24 a.m.: After Ladder 15 reported on scene, I've not heard anymore on this call.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is currently investigating several recent burglaries to unsecured garages/sheds. The Batavia Police Department would like to remind citizens to secure any and all of their property when it is not attended. If anyone has any information regarding the recent burglaries, please contact the department at (585) 345-6350.

Penny Whiskey kicks off a new season of concerts in Jackson Square at 7 p.m.

If it's raining at 5 p.m. or looks like rain is coming, the show will be moved to City Centre.

The Batavian is sponsoring tonight's show and I'll be there with freebies (photo prints, T-shirts and gift cards to local businesses) for anybody who signs up for a new membership in The Batavian Club.

Here's a list of shows this season:

It's My Party ('60s Hits) -- July 12
Ghost Riders (Country) -- July 19
OHMS Band (Rock) -- July 26
Bonnie & Collide (R & B) -- Aug. 2
Skiffle Minstrels (Swing & Zydeco...) --  Aug. 9
Kelly's Old Timers (Country) -- Aug. 16
C'est Bon All Girl Cajun Band (Cajun) -- Aug. 23
Mitty & The Followers (MoTown) -- Aug. 30

David W. Maxwell, 62, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, failure to dim headlights, failure to keep right, refusal to take breath test and controlled substance not in original container. Deputy Kevin McCarthy spotted Maxwell's car at 10:09 p.m. Tuesday on Route 33 in Pembroke and Maxwell allegedly failed to dim his headlights for oncoming traffic. When McCarthy attempted a traffic stop on Maxwell's car, Maxwell allegedly refused to pull over. A short pursuit followed and Maxwell eventually pulled over on Route 33 in the Town of Batavia.

Donna Marie Kroft, 59, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Kroft is accused of shoplifting at Kmart on Tuesday.

Dora Poodry, 19, of Basom, is charged with petit larceny. Poodry was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident reported at 9:18 p.m., Wednesday, at a location on Veterans Memorial Drive. No further details released.

A sky lantern may look pretty, but firefighters warn they're potentially dangerous and also outlawed in New York.

Tonight, one floated over the City of Batavia Fire Hall that narrowly missed landing on the roof of Saint Mary's.

"Should this unattended fire in the sky have landed on the roof of the church or surrounding buildings it could have caused significant damage," said the department in a press release about the incident.

Firefighters retrieved the lantern and extinguished the still-burning fire.

"We ask that all residents discontinue the use of 'sky lanterns' so they and their neighbors can enjoy a safe 4th of July," the release said.

PDF: A safety alert about sky lanterns.

PHOTO: From the PDF, not the actual lantern from tonight's incident.

Bob Zeagler was all decked out for the 4th -- as he usually is -- at GO ART's Picnic in the Park today in Centennial Park.

The picnic was once again a successful community event.

To purchase prints, click here.

A motor-vehicle accident is reported, unknown injuries, in the City of Batavia on East Avenue between Columbia and Vine streets. A moving Pontiac was hit along with a utility pole, causing the transformer to explode at 19 East Ave. The roadway is not passable and three National Grid trucks are on location. City fire and Mercy medics are on scene.

UPDATE 6:18 p.m.: A responder says power is out in the vicinity of the accident, including UMMC, which is activating its back-up generator immediately. "They gonna get my house, too, or just the hospital?" asks a dispatcher. Response: "You'll have to wait, Dan." Then the dispatch guy sighs in resignation ''ghsss...OK."

UPDATE 8:32 p.m.: Press release from Batavia PD:

The Batavia Police are investigating a two-car property damage motor vehicle accident. An eastbound pickup truck drifted into the westbound lane and side swiped a westbound vehicle on East Avenue. The pickup truck then struck a utility pole at the intersection, breaking the pole in two. Power was knocked out to approximately 2,600 customers, but was quickly restored by National Grid crews who were working in the area. The operator of the truck indicated he took his eyes off the road when some items fell onto the floor of his moving vehicle. The operator was cited for failure to keep right. The roadway will remain closed while the pole is being replaced by National Grid.

Lightning, thunder, fireworks, and that was all before the final out at Dwyer Stadium on Wednesday night as the Batavia Muckdogs rolled over the Auburn Doubledays 12-2 to end the Fourth of July show.

It was a tight ball game until bottom of the 5th when the 'Dogs exploded for seven runs, putting together a string of singles and walks and capitalizing on a throwing error by Doubledays third baseman Cody Gunter.

Batavia entered the bottom of the 5th down 2-1, with the Muckdogs' sole run to that point coming on a long ball off the bat of first baseman Felix Munoz. The ball was just long enough and just fair enough down the right field line to put Batavia on the scoreboard.

After Batavia's scoring deluge in the 5th, the rains came in the 6th, forcing a 38-minute delay after the top of the 6th.

Many of the 1,800 fans in attendance on 4th of July fireworks night (which was actually on July 3) left the park during the downpour.

The work stoppage didn't slow the Muckdogs, however, as they added four runs in the bottom of the 6th, with three runs plated on a bases-clearing triple by Carlos Lopez.

The winning pitcher was Fairfax, Va., native Ryan Newell, who tossed six innings, giving up seven hits, two runs (one earned), striking out two and walking only one. Through three starts, Newell is 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA.

Dane Stone (top photo), a second-year pro from Miami, dominated during two innings of relief work, holding Auburn scoreless on one hit while striking out four batters, including three of the four he faced in the eight. It was Stone's first appearance of the season.

Closing out the game in a non-save situation was Texan James Wooster who walked one but struck out two.

Munoz, a six-year pro from the Dominican Republic, had two hits, two walks, drove in three runs and scored three times. The home run was his first four-bagger of the season. He's hitting .313 on the season.

Lead-off hitter and starting shortstop Justin Bohn also had two hits. The Phoenix, Ore., native also had a walk, a run scored and a stolen base.

Left field Autstin Dean, from Spring, Texas, scored two runs on a walk and a single.

Avery Romero, from St. Augustine, Fla., and playing third base, reached on an error and a walk and scored twice.

The Muckdogs are now 7-7 on the season, a game and a half behind first place Jamestown in the standings.

Hitting leader so far is Romero with .353 average, giving him the fifth highest average in the NYPL at this point in the season. Munoz leads the team with 10 RBI.

Yefri Perez has seven stolen bases.

Batavia isn't home again until Monday, when the Muckdogs will complete a game-shortened game against Jamestown starting at 5:05 p.m. and then play a seven-inning match against the Jammers at 7:05 p.m.

Austin Dean

Justin Bohn lays down a perfect bunt for a base hit in the bottom of the fifth.

Part of the post-game fireworks show.

Karen Lynn Jones, 49, of North Street, Oakfield, is cahrged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and speeding. Jones was stopped at 10:49 p.m. Sunday on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Deputy Matthew Fleming.

Donna Marie Kroft, 59, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Kroft allegedly had contact with a protected party at a bank April 9. She allegedly confronted and spoke to the person. She was arrested Tuesday during an investigation into an unrelated larceny complaint.

Press release:

Why do you leave Genesee County to eat? That’s exactly what the Restaurant Creativity Advocates want to find out. In response to sales leakage reports provided by W-ZHA and The Community Land Use & Economics Group, a brief survey was developed for area residents to explain their dining and travel habits. The survey is available now through July 12th online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N6SCRMV.

The Restaurant Creativity Advocates is a local group formed by representatives of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Genesee Community College’s The BEST Center, Batavia Development Corporation, downtown's Business Improvement District and Senior Corp of Retired Executives. This group voluntarily organized to research and improve the local dining options throughout the county.

“We gathered in response to two recent reports that suggest area residents spend more than $12.4 million annually to eat and drink at restaurants beyond our County borders,” stated Julie Pacatte, Batavia Development Corporation. “We want to understand why people leave the County to dine-out. Ultimately, we want to do what we can to try to ensure more dining dollars stay local.”

The Restaurant Creativity Advocates began discussion early February 2013. Since then, they conducted their own local restaurant assessment facilitated by Lina LaMattina, director of The BEST Center.

“We began by asking team members to finish the open-ended question, wouldn’t it be great if...,” LaMattina said. “Allowing this cross-functional team to begin to consider the possibilities open to the County helped the group to generate some big picture thinking, think creatively, and develop the foundation for some real conversation with stakeholders without giving way to the  traditional stumbling blocks typically encountered when dealing with significant challenges,” LaMattina added.

The group categorized more than 100 committee responses and found that six areas of focus could potentially improve the local restaurant scene. Upon completion of the customer survey, the group will share all results with the local restaurateurs in hopes of devising an action plan to reduce the sales leakage.

The restaurant customer survey is brief, but it does end with the same valuable question “Wouldn’t it be great if…?”

The Chamber of Commerce has mailed a separate restaurant owner survey directly to their listing of 126 existing restaurants in Genesee County. That survey will also be complete at the end of next week.