batavia

For such a beautiful, unseasonably warm fall day, a holiday, it sure was quiet in Dewitt Park today.

Workers are busy on Cedar Street installing a new sewer line that will be one of two connections between the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park and the city's sewer system.

The Cedar Street line will run from the west side of the park, through the county's highway department property and then north on Cedar to the city's main line under Main Street.

Alpina Products, the first tenant for the new business park, breaks ground on construction of its facility at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.

It's Columbus Day, and as the line of mail trucks parked behind the Post Office on Main Street shows, there is no mail delivery today.

Stephanie A. Wixson, 34, of 335 Bank St., Apt. A6, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Wixson was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine by Officer Dan Coffey during a traffic stop on Pearl Street at 8:53 p.m., Friday.

Eslie J. Worthington III, 21, of 6657 Cole Road, Byron, is charged with disorderly conduct. Worthington is accused of shouting obscenities while outside a residence on Dellinger Avenue, Batavia.

John W. Hackett, 32, of 5697 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, is charged with felony counts of DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and aggravated unlicensed operation. Hacket was stopped at 2:03 a.m. Saturday on Cedar Street by Officer Eric Bolles.

Katherine Lynn Ogden, 28, of State Street, Medina, is charged with unlawful possession of a noxious matter. Ogden was charged after allegedly using pepper spray at a smoke shop on Bloomingdale Road, Basom. Ogden was reportedly involved in a verbal dispute over a mobile phone.

Victoria Hollie Gilbert, 39, of Shepard Road, Batavia, is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Gilbert allegedly allowed her two children, ages 6 and 8, to return home from school and be at home unsupervised.

Vincente Antonio Torres, 20, of Willowen Drive, Rochester, was turned over to the Sheriff's Office by Irondequoit police on a bench warrant stemming from a DWI charge. Torres was jailed on $500 bail.

A car reportedly hit a bicyclist in the area of 232 Vine St., Batavia, but the rider is "up and around" and complaining only of an arm injury.

City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched non-emergency.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the general area of East Main Street, East Avenue, North Street, Bank Street, Summit Street, Ross Street, Vine Street, Elm Street, Trumbull Parkway, North Spruce Street, Naramore Drive and Clinton Street.

Homes and businesses nearby may be affected. These flows may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

A little fall color behind the Highway to Holiness Church. The church is on Maple Street, the tree is off Ganson Avenue.

Town of Batavia Fire Department was dispatched to the report of an unknown type fire at the end of Briarwood Terrace.

As Engine 21 was rolling on the call, an assistant chief arrived on scene and reported that Engine 21 could stand down.

"The homeowner is operating a fog machine," reported the chief.

"Copy," said a dispatcher, "homeowner operating a fog machine."

Second dispatcher: "That's got to be a first."

Town of Batavia fire, back in service.

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Three people were arrested yesterday following an investigation by the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force into the transportation and sale of cocaine in Batavia.

All three face charges related to the sale of a controlled substance.

Members of the drug task force, along with Batavia police officers and Sheriff's Office deputies, executed a search warrant at 335 Bank St., Apt. B3, yesterday evening and allegedly found a quantity of cocaine with an estimated value of more than $1,500. 

Also seized was $750 in cash, drug paraphernalia and marijuana.

Arrested were:

Julia B. Wescott, 29, of Batavia. Wescott was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal nuisance, 1st, and criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd.

Thomas L. Hill, 22, of Rochester. Hill was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminally using drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Jade Cierra Wims, 18, of Rocheter. Wims was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and criminally using drug paraphernalia.

Wescott is accused of allowing Hill and Wims to deal cocaine from her apartment on Bank Street, which is the basis of the "criminal nuisance" charge.

All three were arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail.

Photos: Top, Wescott, Hill and Wims.

Miranda Fix was at Coffee Culture on Saturday signing copies of her new novel -- her sixth -- "Calling all Angels."

Fix, a registered nurse with 30 years experience, describes her new book this way:  “It’s about my story and my experiences as a nurse surviving in a profession that is full of illusions, disenchantments and despair. But deep inside that sadness is a rainbow of color and these shades of blues, yellows greens and reds are the true colors of our angels. They are there for us, they guide us, empower us, pray for us and keep us safe. They are there when you call upon them…you just need to ask them for help. 

"Calling All Angels is a novel about true life and the amazing strength in the patients I have met along the way. Stories that will make you laugh and cry, but they are full of hope and wonder. I wish you love and happiness as in the ways of the angels…and remember to believe.”

The mother of two children, and grandmother to three, Fix lives in Corfu.

The UMMC Foundation is holding its annual Fall Auction at the Clarion Hotel tonight.

Director Lorie Stupp said the foundation expects to raise $30,000 from the event.  More than 260 tickets were sold.

The evening opened with snacks, drinks and a chance auction, followed by dinner and a live auction hosted by Bontrager's. 

There was also a sumptuous dessert table.

Teachers, teachers' aides, administration, staff and community members gathered in each of the city shool districts schools this afternoon for further education on anti-bullying initiatives.

From 12:30 to 3 p.m., with students on a half-day schedule, each school hosted a seminar on how to recognize and deal with bullying in schools, from pre-K up through 12th grade.

Shawn Clark led the discussion at Jackson Elementary School and said the turnout was strong and participation high.

"It links community members, businesses and the schools," Clark said. "What we're looking at is a communitywide impact here."

He said the programs were a year in planning and the district intends to conduct annual seminars to stop bullying.

The 36th annual Salvation Army Fall Festival is under way now at the Salvation Army HQ, 529 E. Main St., Batavia.

Besides a rummage sale and bake sale, at 6 p.m. the Spud Fest begins -- baked potatoes with all the fixin's along with a drink and desserts for $10.

Today, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County announced the results of the third annual Great Pumpkin Weigh-in. It was held Oct. 1 at J&L Feed & Farm Supply in Corfu.

Anna Dorman, of Batavia, grew the largest orange orb -- a Dill’s Atlantic giant pumpkin, which topped the scales at a whopping 120 pounds.

Other participants were Steven and George Underhill, who grew 90-pound pumpkins, and Andrew Underhill who weighed in with a 60-pounder.

The contest also included tiny Jack-Be-Little pumpkins.

The Tarbell family, of Corfu, (Alexandria, Colton, and Quinton) are the lightweight winners with a 40-gram pumpkin.

Anna Dorman came in close with a 42-gram entry. The Tarbells also grew 53-gram and 75-gram pumpkins. Melissa Keller entered a 108-gram Jack-Be-Little.

The pumpkin-growing contest is an annual, educational event and one of many that Genesee County youth participate in as part of the 4-H program.

Youth ages 5-19 who are interested in becoming a member of 4-H, may contact Amy at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 343-3040, ext. 101.

A two-car accident with a minor injury is reported at Park Road and Veterans Memorial Drive. It is not blocking traffic. Mercy medics are responding, non-emergency mode. One person is complaining of back pain.

UPDATE 12:38 p.m.: Town of Batavia Fire Department also responded to the scene and is now back in service.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: One woman with a history of back problems is transported to UMMC via ambulance.

Batavia is a city with a lot going for it, where the pluses more than cancel out the negatives, but to talk with local residents and business owners, you would never know it, according to a trio of consultants who spent time recently studying every aspect of life in Batavia.

The consultants, Charles Buki, with czb LLC, Kennedy Lawson Smith (pictured above), with Clue Group, and David Boehlke, made several visits to Batavia, spending time interviewing people, hanging out in coffee shops and restaurants (sometimes just listening to the chatter a table or booth over), walking residential neighborhoods and visiting local businesses, as well as gathering and studying all available data on the city.

Their conclusion, presented at a meeting Wednesday evening at city hall: There's too much negative talk about Batavia, and the negative attitudes hold down home values and discourage business development.

"The overarching message is this is a wonderful community, " Buki said. "Rarely do we get a chance to be in such a welcoming place, such a beautiful place. This is the kind of community we grew up in, almost everywhere we looked, there are strengths and opportunities."

But, Buki, Smith and Boehlke all said they were taken aback by the amount of negative talk about Batavia.

"Destructive language and sentiment dominates discussions," said Buki (bottom inset). "Public as well as private institutions present Batavia poorly."

Even signs at the city entrance and public parks present a negative image, the consultants said, telling visitors "this is not a fun place," suggesting there are problems in the city that they should worry about.

"Batavia has a habit of seeing the glass as half-empty and half-empty and half-empty until it is dry," said Boehlke (top inset).

Among the positives for the city are more than 200 homes of historic value, several successful locally owned businesses, nice parks, recreational opportunities, a history of volunteerism, affordable housing and a central location between Buffalo and Rochester.

While local residents complain about declining neighborhoods, the city is actually dominated by a core group of good, caring homeowners, Boehlke said. 

While there is an overabundance of single-family homes that have been converted to two-, three- and four-unit complexes -- 25 percent of the housing stock -- there are fewer than 40 troubled properties in the city. Yet most of the chatter the consultants heard about neighborhoods is that there is widespread decline.

The negative attitudes about neighborhoods and housing are hurting real estate values. Homes are undervalued by as much as 20 percent (compared to similar homes in the Town of Batavia) said Boehlke, with a majority of owners and renters paying less for rent and mortgages than they can actually afford.

The perceived lack of real estate value discourages some property owners from making needed investments in their property, which can cause actual declines in value.

"This is not a city with a true housing problem," said Boehlke. "It’s a city with a tremendous opportunity."

Residents and city leaders have a habit of thinking "if only we had more enforcement" all of our problems will be solved, the consultants said. But arresting people on more misdemeanor crimes or (having) stronger code enforcement isn't going to fix much, they said.

The city needs to develop a strategic plan for community improvement and economic development, and downtown is at the core of it.

And one of the biggest problems downtown is what urban renewal wrought -- the mall, which both sucks the life out of downtown and is probably is what feeds a lot of the negative attitudes about Batavia.

Smith spoke about the history of downtown declines across the country, which is a product of interstate highways, the G.I. bill and suburbanization, changes in tax law (rewarding mall developers) and the rise of mega chains such as Walmart.

In some ways, Batavia is not unique, and urban renewal was a reaction to these changes in society, but the destruction of the north side of Main Street didn't just reduce the economic strength of downtown by 50 percent. It reduced it by 80 percent.

Vibrant downtowns need street-facing retail businesses on both sides of the street to thrive, Smith said.

Her suggestion: Deconstruct the mall so that there are more street-facing businesses and a mixture of retail, office and residential space.

There are ways to get it done, she said, if the community makes it a priority.

"We have heard everybody's pain and everybody's feelings," Smith said. "It's something you're going to have to grapple with over the next five to 10 years if you're ever going to fix downtown Batavia."

A pair of Shortsville residents were arrested Wednesday for allegedly shoplifting from Kmart and Walmart.

After being apprehended at Kmart, they were allegedly found in possession of tools designed to defeat security tags at Kmart.

Charged with petit larceny and possession of burglary tools were Elizabeth Anne Smith, 26, and Daniel Gordon Vandewalle, 32.

The couple was stopped by loss prevention officers at Kmart and were found to have items allegedly hidden under clothing and in a purse.

When deputies searched the couple's car, deputies reportedly found items allegedly stolen from Walmart.

The case was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker, Deputy James Diehl, Trooper Daniel Hollands and Trooper Brian Pritchett.

A driver is accused of running a red light at the intersection of Seven Springs Road and Clinton Street Road at 5:07 p.m., Wednesday, causing a two-car accident that sent three people to the hospital.

Cited for allegedly failure to stop for the red light was Jonathan C. Pestillo, 17, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia. Pestillo was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital minor injuries.

The other driver, Bonnie M. Behage, 70, of Ellenton, Fla., and her passenger, Jenna M. Aradine, 22, were also transported to Strong with minor injuries.

Pestillo was driving a 2005 Chevy SUV and Behage was driving a 2010 Hyundai SUV.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

(Initial Report)

Press release:

The Genesee Community College Foundation has once again surpassed its $459,000 annual campaign goal. With the help of 119 local volunteers the campaign brought in $491,008 in funds to support local students as they achieve their dreams of earning a college degree.

"We've had an excellent core of volunteers that have made this campaign so successful," said Monica Hale Dawson ('72) secretary-treasurer of Shepard, Maxwell Hale Insurance Agency, and foundation board director and general chair of Genesee Foundation's 2010-2011 annual campaign.

"The diligence of our community is remarkable. Those that give to the campaign know they are investing in the human resources and the economic vitality of our region."

She added that there are nine divisions in the annual campaign. Each division chair is responsible for a portion of the overall $459,000 goal. Division chairs were:

•    Alumni Division: Robert Bennett, ('74) of Batavia, vice president, Bank of Castile, Batavia

•    Associates Division: Jane Scott, of Stafford, branch manager, Five Star Bank, Batavia

•    Faculty and Staff Division: Marirose Ethington, of Pavilion, professor of biology, GCC

•    Genesee Division: Peter Call, of Batavia, president, My-T Acres, Inc.

•    Heritage Division: Patrick Forsyth, of Batavia, CPA, and foundation board director

•    Leadership Division: Robert L. Boyce, of Le Roy, broker, Tompkins Insurance Agency and foundation board director

•    Livingston Division: co-chairs Les Cole, of Caledonia, president, Commodity Resource Corporation and foundation board director, and Robert C. Savage, of Avon, president, WYSL and foundation board director

•    Orleans Division: Wendy L. Hinkley, of Albion, branch manager, HSBC Bank, Albion office

•    Wyoming Division: Teresa Eddy, of Alexander, branch manager, Five Star Bank, Attica office

The campaign includes an Endowment Challenge Grant, a five year federal grant, from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant matches dollar for dollar funds raised for students in need up to $80,000 per year. For the second year, generous donors have met the Endowment Challenge goal.

The 2010-2011 campaign year also introduced five new named scholarship funds established by faculty, staff and caring and community-minded friends of the college:

•    Denniston K. Wood Art Scholarship, awarded to students interested in the arts.

•    Michael Stoll Scholarship, awarded to students in a health career degree program.

•    Richard J. and Maribell Scholl Reid Musical Theatre Scholarship, awarded to students with an interest in the field of musical theater.

•    Seymour Family Scholarship, awarded to second-year students demonstrating financial need.

•    William H. Collins Scholarship, awarded to students pursuing a degree in business or finance.

•    Stuart Steiner Leadership Fund, supports projects that foster leadership excellence at GCC.

Community organizations, businesses, service clubs, families and individuals are welcomed to establish named scholarship funds with the Genesee Community College Foundation. A donor can decide on basic information such as the name, purpose, criteria for making awards from the fund and when it will be established.

An agreement is then drawn up and signed, usually by the donor, club president or scholarship chair. The fund may be established with the intention to contribute $500 or more annually. Donors may also establish a fund with the intention to contribute a minimum of $10,000 to endow the fund and to use the income to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. Gifts to establish the endowment may be made over a period of one to five years.

More information on named funds can be found at http://www.genesee.edu/about/foundation/funds_special.cfm.

The Genesee Community College Foundation was formed in the mid-1980s as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing service to and support of the college. Its 30-member board of directors is comprised of business and civic leaders, and last year, the foundation's philanthropic support provided 678 scholarships to Genesee students, as well as other grants, totaling $599,779.

Contributions for support for the college programs and students may be sent to the Genesee Community College Foundation, One College Road, Batavia, NY 14020. For more information contact the foundation (585) 345-6809 or foundation@genesee.edu.