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Batavia City School District officials are trying to use the posting of a video on Facebook of two middle school girls fighting as a "teachable moment," according to Deputy Superintendent Christopher Dailey.

He met with reporters from area TV stations Friday afternoon to answer questions.

Dailey admitted there were things he would rather do on his Friday afternoon than meet with the media over a little dust-up involving student conduct, but was hopeful that lessons can be learned from the incident.

"It's a teachable moment about what not to do on Facebook," Dailey said. "Unfortunately, in this day and age when something is out there online, it doesn't go away, even though we acted very quickly to get it removed.

"There is the potential for ongoing (problems). We don't want anything out there to come back and harm kids later on."

Getting the "Batavia Fights" page removed from Facebook was a combined effort involving the school district, Batavia PD, along with the cooperation of the parents of the child who created the page and the staff at Facebook, Dailey said.

"In this case, somebody let us know last night (about the video)," Dailey said. "Even if we hadn't learned about it last night, we would have found out about it today. We have wonderful kids in Batavia. We have kids who really care about their community."

There is a constant effort in the schools, Dailey said, to educate children about the pitfalls of online behavior.

"It's a new media and we try to teach them the right way to handle it," Dailey said.

The district is still investigating the incident and officials have yet to determine if the fight was staged for the benefit of a video camera or if it was a spontaneous fight.

Two middle school girls were involved in the fight and they suffered minor bumps and scrapes, according to Dailey.

At this time, officials don't believe the fight was related to any specific ongoing bullying issue, but officials were concerned that if the video stayed on Facebook, it might lead to harassment and bullying.

The fight occurred just after dismissal at the middle school, Dailey said, and in the 26th second of the video, a teacher at the school is seen arriving and intervening.

"Facebook is a blessing and a curse," Dailey said. "I used it for the reunion of my high school class and it was wonderful. When not used correctly, it can be hard for kids to handle."

The video was captured by WBTA's Geoff Redick before it was removed. The version below was altered by Redick to obscure the faces of the youngsters involved.

The blowing snow has apparently created somewhat of a driving hazard for eastbound drivers on East Main Street in the City of Batavia. Snow has reportedly blocked out the traffic lights at a couple of signals near East Main and Bank streets. A caller tells dispatch that you can't tell which light is showing -- red, yellow or green.

Last October, Empire Tractor moved to a new location at 5072 E. Main St. Road and has taken the past few months to get settled into the new, larger facility.  Today and tomorrow, Empire Tractor is holding a grand opening and open house.

Among the items on display is a newly released Oxbo Model 4334 self-propelled merger. The merger -- pictured below -- is made by Oxbo in Byron and is the only piece of equipment in its class in the world. Several aspects of the technology behind it are patented. The merger can gather hay on 250 to 400 acres in a day. It moves across a field at 8 to 12 mph.

Standing in front of the 4334, above, are Tim Call, president of Empire Tractor, Ken Krokowski, of Oxbo, Steve Werner, Dan Athoe, John Bannister and Bill Friese.

The open house continues tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tomorrow is the first of three singing auditions for students in grades 8 to 12 in Genesee and Orleans counties who would like to participate in a professionally recorded music project with renowned local artist Lisa Barrett.

The Batavia singer/songwriter wrote a poignant song called "Everyday Hero" -- about youths who choose to be drug, alcohol and tobacco free, and who are positive leaders. She is sponsored by GCASA, where she is a prevention educator, and received a Reach Grant this year from GO ART!

Barrett is hoping to gather a choir of about 30 students to perform this song on Saturday, April 30, at the Linden Oaks Studio in Rochester where it will be professionally recorded.

After the recording is complete, the song will then be turned into a You Tube music video.

Along with the audition, potential choir members will be asked to submit a short essay. The essay content should include why they want to be a part of this project, as well as their views on tobacco, drugs and alcohol use.

Either email completed essays to lbarrett@gcasa.org or bring a copy to the audition.

The auditions will be held at GCASA’s Batavia site, 430 E. Main St.

The audition dates are as follows:

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 10
• 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 14
• 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, March 22

For more information, contact Lisa by phoning 815-1879 or by email at lbarrett@gcasa.org

The Everyday Heroes Project is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

UPDATED 1:39 p.m.

For a brief time overnight and this morning, a page appeared on Facebook called "Batavia Fights," which promoted itself as a place for students to post videos of their friends and classmates fighting.

One video was posted of two girls reportedly at Batavia Middle School involved in a fight as classmates cheered them on.

Christopher Daily, assistant superintendent of the school district, said the district was aware of the page and video and were investigating possible student involvement.

"Obviously, we don't condone it," Daily told WBTA. "We will work with the authorities as well to make sure that our students' safety is of utmost concern."

The school district contacted Batavia PD this morning and according to Det. Todd Crossett, the PD used a special law enforcement phone number to contact Facebook and alert the social network to the page.

Crossett he didn't have information on whether Facebook removed the page or if the original poster removed it.

There's nothing criminal, Crossett said, about shooting or posting the video and the actual fight itself is a school disciplinary matter and at this point law enforcement isn't involved.

Comments on the video were mostly approving, calling it "cool" and "funny."

At the end of the video an adult appears to enter the shot and break up the fight.

The video appears to have been posted around 5 p.m., Thursday.

By 11:40 p.m., the page was no longer available on Facebook.

A screen shot and the video were saved by WBTA's Geoff Redick before the page disappeared. Redick blurred the video to make it harder to identify individuals in the shots.

Joseph Henry Schenk, 20, of Overlok Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Schenk is accused of possessing a watch and refusing to give it back to its owner.

Martin Robert Maye, 36, of Johnson Mill Road, Berkeley Springs, W. Va., is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Maye allegedly had contact with a child he is barred from visiting unless a supervisor is present.

Jordan James Bennett, 18, of Tinkham Drive, Darien, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under age 21.

Taken this evening on the Tonawanda Creek behind the Kiwanis Park on West Main Street Road, Batavia.

An elderly female has crashed her vehicle into the Dunkin' Donuts shop at 136 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia. She has a head injury. City firefighters and Mercy medics are responding. A code inspector is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 2:45 p.m.: The 89-year-old patient is being transported to UMMC. She is conscious and alert.

Justin M. Wotherspoon, 25, of Gibson St., Oakfield, is charged with criminal trespass. Wotherspoon is accused of entering the hotel room of two women, who were sleeping, without permission.

Melissa J. Vesosky, 25, of 1260 Lehigh Station Road, Henrietta, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from lane unsafely. Vesosky was stopped at 10:26 p.m. Sunday on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Matthew Fleming.

Douglas S. Sprague, 44, of 63 S. Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana, and was wanted on a Family Court warrant for alleged failure to pay child support. Sprague allegedly violated an order of protection. At the time of his arrest, at 8:07 p.m, Tuesday, Sprague was allegedly found in possession of two glass pipes containing marijuana. Sprague was jailed on $1,500 bail.

DEC officials and the owners of MY-T Acres have agreed to a $7,500 fine for the farm's Oct. 12 release of a pesticide that led to the evacuation of as many as 300 homes along West Main Road.

The DEC faulted MY-T Acres for application of a restricted use of a pesticide by a non-certified applicator, use of pesticide contrary to the label and contamination adjacent the non-target area.

The pesticide used, Chloropicrin, is applied to potato fields prior to planting.

Oct. 12 was a humid, windless day and the pesticide hung close to the ground. One person was treated for minor exposure and residents who did not evacuate the area were encouraged to close their windows.

MY-T Acres waived a hearing on the violations and agreed to pay the fine.

A possible electrical fire has been reported at 114 North St., Batavia.

Smoke is reported in the residence.

City fire responding.

UPDATE 10:06 a.m.: City fire back in service.

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The Tonawanda Creek, taken Monday evening from River Street.

A third windmill went up on the Partridge Farm on Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, today.

Don and Pat Partridge, who acquired the farm from the White family in 1980, installed their first two windmills four years ago.

Those power plants have supplied about 50 percent of the farm's electricity and with the new windmill, Don hopes to reach 100 percent, or close to it.

"The new windmill is about 30 percent more productive," Partridge said.

The list price on the windmill is close to $75,000, but Partridge received a state grant and won a competitive USDA grant.

He expects to break even on his investment within 12 years (as he will with the first two windmills).

The windmills have an expected useful life of 25 years.

"It's the last half of their life where I'll enjoy them the most," Partridge said.

Partridge, who now works at Cummings & Bricker on Lehigh Street, quit full-time farming in 1999 for "a paying job," but he still raises some corn and hay and has a few head of cattle. The rest of the acreage is run by another dairy farmer.

"We're in a very wind-productive area," Partridge said. "It's Class C wind, which is productive wind. I think we have more wind power than solar."

With all that wind, Partridge said he doesn't understand the resistance to wind power.

"We would like to see more people get involved in solar and wind," Partridge said. "I just don’t understand all of the resistance to the big ones. I wish I had some big-wind ones up here. If the town put four big ones up here, the town residents could get credit for their electric bills. I would think that would be worth doing."

Genesee County’s annual “State of the County” address is planned for 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 14 in the chambers of the Old Court House in the City of Batavia.

Chair of the County Legislature Mary Pat Hancock will deliver the brief address to be followed by refreshments prior to the regularly scheduled legislature meeting. The speech will include key accomplishments of individual departments during 2011, as submitted by those departments.

It will also point out some of the unique challenges that face the county this year, along with strategies to maximize the impact of a proactive, positive county response.

The public is cordially invited to attend.

More than 650 spring bouquets were sold in Genesee and Wyoming counties during the pre-sale period for 18th annual event, which benefits the HomeCare & Hospice Foundation, according to Linda Cummings, development director (top photo).

Volunteers from Notre Dame and Pembroke high schools and Batavia Kiwanis were at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia today to help get the arrangements in buckets and boxes and properly marked for deliver on Monday.

If you didn't get your order in on time, there's still plenty of opportunity to make a purchase.

On-site sales will take place:

• Noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Batavia Downs
• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday, UMMC
• Noon to 3 p.m., Wednesday, and noon to 5 p.m., Thursday, at the Bank of Castile
• Noon to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday at First Niagara Bank.

Traditional bouquets are $8 and the Bouquet of Hope is $16.

Press release:

MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES! This year, the Batavia Business Improvement District is excited to begin the planning for the Batavia Downtown Public Market that runs from June 21 to Sept 27. We are looking for farms, wineries, artists and craftsmen to participate.

Conveniently located in the downtown, visit our market before you do your regular shopping to be sure your food is the freshest and that your dollars remain local. Now entering its seventh year, the public market has grown and changed to become a staple of the downtown.

Although public markets have now become quite the trend, the goal is the same. People want the tradition of heading to the market to buy fresh, quality foods and wine and unique crafts from local farms and craftspersons. There is a desire to feel connected to their community.

Batavia has a unique geographic advantage because it bridges two major sales markets, Rochester and Buffalo. It also has four major routes that converge within the city – Routes 5, 33, 63 and 98.

Unlike some public markets which are tucked in a small lot or out of public view, the Batavia Downtown Public Market is located at the corner of Ellicott Street (Route 63) and Center Street, right in the center of the downtown. According to the Department of Transportation, over 15,000 cars drive past the market daily. Public parking is plentiful and easy to find.

The Business Improvement District, otherwise known as the BID, is a nonprofit organization made up of downtown property owners and tenants dedicated to economic and cultural revitalization that is above and beyond what the municipality can do.

A public market that is in the center of town creates a sense of place and belonging. Going back to our roots, farmer’s markets are one of the oldest forms of direct marketing for small farms, wineries and other businesses.

Farms, large or small, wineries, or artists/craftsmen that would like to sell their homemade crafts are welcome to participate.

If you would like to know more about the BID in general or how to participate in the Downtown Public Market or the autumn Wine Walk, please contact Laurie Oltramari at the BID at 585-344-0900 or email LOltramari@downtownbataviany.com.

Visit your downtown FARMACY for local food, fun and familiar faces!

Press release:

For the eighth consecutive year Site Selection Magazine has recognized Batavia/Genesee County as one of the top micropolitans in the United States, including the number-one ranking in the Northeast. The criteria for receiving the recognition includes capital investment and job creation. Through the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), approximately $51.3 million in new capital investments were made in the county creating approximately 172 new jobs in 2011.

“Through the collaboration of the Genesee County Legislature, the City and Town of Batavia, and many others in our community, we had another successful year in our economic development efforts,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. "With the recent announcement of Premiere Credit and Java Equipment projects, 2012 is off to a tremendous start.”

In 2011 the GCEDC was able to participate in 30 project “wins," including four major projects that have significant employment impacts for the region. Alpina Foods, one of the most recognized dairy companies in the world, and a leading dairy producing company in Colombia and South America, will open its first specialty yogurt manufacturing plant in the United States and will be the first occupant of the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. Alpina will create 50 jobs and invest more than $15 million in the construction and occupation of its new manufacturing plant.

The expansion at Graham Corporation will create 26 new jobs while a green technology firm, Vegetal I.D., which creates green roofs, will be adding 20 jobs over the next three years. In the Gateway I park, a new Holiday Inn Express is under construction that will create 19 jobs. The new hotel will be attached to an existing banquet hall.

“Congratulations are in order and Genesee County should be very proud of the achievements of our GCEDC,” said Mary Pat Hancock, chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature. “The recent groundbreaking by Alpina in our newly opened agricultural park, and the recent activity at the park promises a substantial investment in the economic health of our area.

"There were additional achievements, new cooperative workforce-training programs, businesses expanding, jobs retained; do not think that all this would have happened without the inspired and dedicated work of the GCEDC and their team. Their success is our success."

The City of Batavia, in partnership with Mancuso Business Development Group, was able to complete the Masse Gateway Redevelopment Project which included the demolition of 40,000 square feet of vacant industrial space in the Batavia Industrial Center, and the renovation of approximately 120,000 square feet for commercial, residential and light industrial use. In December 2011, the first new business in the Masse Gateway Redevelopment project was secured and in January 2012 the second business was secured. Both expect to be open by Spring/Summer 2012.

“We appreciate the recognition and will continue to build upon our rich entrepreneurial history and facilitate collaborative partnerships that support and enhance opportunities for all community residents,” said Batavia City Manager Jason Molino.

Upstate New York’s City of Batavia, the hub of the Batavia Micropolitan region, continues to reinvent itself in the wake of the national Site Selection recognition. An empowered Batavia Development Corporation -- the city’s strategic alliance and economic development agency -- invested in personnel, small business development and infrastructure initiatives to support the continued growth and success of the area in 2011.

“New staff was hired, more small business loans were distributed and a newly defined action plan for adaptive re-use was adopted,” said Ray Chaya, president of the Batavia Development Corporation (BDC). “The BDC has seen confidence return to the community."

The city's Business Improvement District completed six façade improvement projects totaling more than $17,000 in reinvestment in downtown properties, with another six projects that are expected to be completed by the end of this month. The BID is also pleased to announce that it paid off early the $250,000 bond for the Ellicott Street streetscape project, which was done in conjunction with the City of Batavia.

“The Batavia Business Improvement District is extremely proud of having four new downtown businesses, which includes a Save-A-Lot Food Store. This means approximately another 35 individuals being employed within the district,” said Don Burkle, executive director of the BID.

“I can only express my deepest appreciation for the all of the partners, municipalities, and employees who continue to collaborate and are dedicated to the strategic vision of growth for our community,” said Greg Post, supervisor of the Town of Batavia. “This success is because of the partnerships that have been fostered over the last 10 years and the willingness of everyone to work together as a team to achieve a common goal for economic success."

“The chamber congratulates all of the economic development partners in Genesee County on receiving this award. It is always gratifying to be recognized for a job well done — particularly when the hard work is often done ‘behind the scenes’,” said Lynn Freeman, director of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

“The investment being made in our community, as a result of our economic development groups and the chamber, is bringing more and better paying jobs to Genesee County that will in turn improve the quality of life for all of us."

A person reportedly kicked his way into the Discovery Chapel, 315 W. Main St., Batavia, overnight and left barefooted sometime later.

The break-in was reported at 8:15 a.m.

A door to a storage shed was forced open as well as a door into the church itself.

Found in the seating area of the church was a jacket, shoes and socks.  Investigators believe these items were left by the perpetrator.

Police found the impressions of bare feet in the snow outside the church. The footprints indicate the person walked east on the south side of Main Street, and in the area of Main and Court, the person turned toward the roadway and may have gotten into a car.

The suspect appears to have suffered a cut on his right foot.

So far, no items are reported missing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350 or by calling the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.