Rollover accident on Saile Drive by airport
One car is on its side following a two-vehicle accident on Saile Drive in front of the Genesee County Airport in Batavia.
There is no entrapment in either car. There are two people injured. No fire.
batavia
City government
I know there has been a lot of talk about the City of Batavia saving money. Here is an idea that seems to be going around Erie county, lets downsize Council. Batavia seems to have a large council considering the times, maybe eliminating the two "at large" positions to cut more fat from the city budget might be a good idea. Not sure if it has been looked at, but if we are looking to save money in the city, why not start at the top? Maybe its just me, but wouldnt that be responsible government?
Mancuso ready to move forward with Masse project with grant in place
At a press conference this morning, Tom Mancuso, president of Mancuso Development, said he was "delighted" the state approved a $1.5 million grant to help advance the Masse Gateway Project.
Even though the grant was $1 million less than originally requested by the city, Mancuso said the project should still be able to move forward.
It will cost at least $3.1 million and create an entrance off Masse Place into the Harvester industrial complex. The plan is to turn the old buildings into space suitable or light industrial and commercial uses for small businesses.
Mancuso said the the funding "really entitles us to spend a lot more money." In addition to the planned private investment from Mancuso Development, Mancuso implied his company will also need to come up with an additional $1 million to complete the project.
Audio: Tom Mancuso talks about the project.
The Batavian's news partner, WBTA, covered the press conference.
Man allegedly found with stolen car jailed without bail
A Batavia man is in jail without bail after being found driving a car that was reported stolen Wednesday morning.
The auto theft was apparently part of a house burglary in the 200 block of State Street.
Reginald Wilson, 36, of 112 State St., is charged with criminal possession of stolen property.
Wilson was reportedly found driving the stolen car on Lehigh Street at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Police are investigating whether he was involved in the auto theft and burglary.
Batavia businessman charged with writing bad checks
Paul Pontillo, of Pontillo's Pizza in Batavia, is accused of writing bad checks from a business account.
The alleged bad checks were written in 2008.
The 53-year-old Pontillo was arraigned in City of Batavia Court yesterday and released on his own recognizance.
Previously:
Police Beat: Driver charged with DWI following roll over accident
Gregory M. Brew, 24, of 4799 Linden Road, East Bethany, is charged with DWI and unlicensed operationof a vehicle. Brew was arrested at Strong Memorial Hospital following a rollover accident on East Road at 10:38 p.m. on Wednesday. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. Deputy Matt Butler investigated the incident.
Tyrell T. Harris, 19, of 114 W. Englewood Ave., Teaneck, N.J., and William P. Ponder, 19, of 3905 Carpenter Ave., Bronx, are charged with trespass. Harris and Ponder were allegedly involved in an incident at College Village and told to leave. After Sheriff's deputies left College Village, Harris and Ponder allegedly returned. They were jailed on $250 bail each.
William Grey Neff, 35, of 1210 S. Main St., Medina, is charged with forcible touching. Neff is accused of forcibly touching a woman.
Kelly A. Decker, 23, of 127 Liberty St., upper, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Decker is accused of stealing $200 from July 23 to Aug. 20 while employed as a cashier at Kmart.
Dustin R. Benham, 20, of Darien, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Benham was arrested by State Police in the Town of Batavia. He was held without bail. No other details were provided.
Police seek help in finding driver who hit bicyclist
A car struck a bicyclist Thursday at 5 p.m., and while the driver stopped briefly, she left the scene before police arrived.
She is described as a "middle aged" white woman.
Police are asking the woman to either contact police, or if any witnesses can identify her, to call Detective Richard Schauf at 585-345-6312 or contact the confidential call line at 585-345-6370.
In a press release, police say the car turned right from West Main Street onto Jefferson Avenue. The bicyclist was traveling east. The driver got out of her car, but then got back in and left the scene.
No description of the car is available.
Neither the name of the bicyclist nor his or her condidtion were released by police.
UPDATE 5:03 p.m.: Det. Rich Schauf sent over this note a little while ago:
Thank You for your assistance in locating the driver of the car regarding the news release I sent earlier. The Driver heard the story on WBTA and phoned me. A witness also read the story on the Batavian. The driver was able to tell her side of the story which was verified by the witness. The report will be completed now. No charges are being placed. The bike rider had minor injuries. The important thing was the vehicle insurance information. Thanks again for your willingness to help us serve the community.
State grant for Masse Gateway comes in at $1.5 million
The city's application for a $2.5 million grant to help spark redevelopment of Masse Gateway (part of the Harvester Center complex) has been reduced to $1.5 million in the final award.
The city received word today that the funds will be released to the City, according to The Batavian's news partner WBTA.
City Manager Jason Molino told WBTA that the RestoreNY funds were intended to begin demolition and reconstruction of Masse Place.
"It's our hope that this will be the beginning of opportunities to develop that former industrial site into some more commercial and light industrial locations for businesses and hopefully increase jobs in the area," Molino said.
UPDATE: City Council President Charlie Mallow issued this statement this afternoon:
After decades of political inaction and stonewalling, our city has finally taken the first step forward to rebuild its decaying center. This could not have been possible without our City Manager and his staff. Their hard work and determination has brought millions of dollars in grants, as well as financial stability to our community over the last two years. I also want to thank Mr. Mancuso for believing in and investing in our city. Batavia can only prosper when business people like Mr. Mancuso are willing to take a chance and invest their own hard earned money into our community. I would like to give a special thanks to Governor Patterson and his staff for taking the time to understand the needs of our city and ensuring that Batavia receives its share of federal and state dollars to help stimulate our local economy.
Teen Car Accident Southern Tier
Please have your teens take note of this car accident.
This picture is from a car accident in the Southern Tier. It was one of my best friend's son who was driving. He is now in the Trauma unit of ECMC along with his friend who was a front seat passenger. There were two passengers in the backseat that walked away with some bumps, scrapes and cuts. The young man had just graduated from high school and was due to go in the Navy in the fall.
Please pray for the two young men that are now fighting for their lives.
It is possibly suspected that drinking while driving was involved.
Police Beat: Woman charged with violating restraining order
Anne Marie Weremblewski, 55, of 4016 W. Main St. Road, #4, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Weremblewski is accused of violating a no offensive conduct restraining order. She allegedly yelled obscenities at the protected party.
Smoke detector sounding, with smoke, at apartment on Bank Street
A smoke detector has sounded and the resident can see smoke, but she doesn't know where it's coming from and she doesn't see any fire at 335 Bank St., Batavia.
The City Fire Department is responding.
UPDATE 8:56 p.m: Engine 12 back in service. Reset the alarms.
City ambulances - out of service
I happened across this scene this afternoon -- four of the city ambulances sitting next to the fire hall on Evans -- out of service.
Lawmakers announce new law for shared court services
Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Steve Hawley today announced a new law that allows court proceedings for the towns of Elba, Oakfield and Batavia to be held at a single location, which will help save money.
Ranzenhofer says in a press release: “With the passage of the Shared Court Services legislation, the towns of Batavia, Elba and Oakfield have the opportunity to consolidate facilities to provide upgraded services and decrease costs. Residents ... will see savings on their tax bills by sharing one court facility. (This) reflects the willingness of the Elba, Batavia and Oakfield town supervisors to restructure local government to save money for taxpayers."
Hawley says: “We were pleased to facilitate the towns of Batavia, Elba and Oakfield’s request for this legislation. Helping localities streamline and consolidate their efforts -- resulting in more efficient operations while saving taxpayer dollars -- is indeed a positive reflection on the supervisors of the three towns."
All three adjoining towns expressed a need for upgraded court facilities. The new law amends the Uniform Justice Court Act to allow the court proceedings to be held either in the towns of Elba, Oakfield, Batavia or the city of Batavia. The facility must be approved by all three town boards. The law takes effect immediately.
“This is a good example of how a determined effort by community leaders and their respective staffs can provide a much needed and desirable benefit for the people they serve," said Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post.
"This partnership demonstrates efficiency in government with unlimited potential to expand benefits to local members of our population, as well as those who visit our VA campus or other attractions our area offers. The fact that so many elected entities can come together and set aside traditional boundaries to save tax dollars (holds) promise that our future here is bright."
Elba Town Supervisor Lucine Kauffman said: "The Town of Elba sees this proposed shared courthouse facility as an innovative way to meet our courtroom safety and functional needs while saving the taxpayers' money. This bill allows us to pursue the shared facility project and improve service to our communities."
No Creole interpreter available today for Batavia man's arraignment
A man accused of assault and endangering the welfare of a child couldn't be arraigned in City Court today.
Jimpce J. Etienne, 33, of 30 Buell St., Batavia, speaks Creole and a Creole interpreter was not immediately available.
No date has been set yet for his arraignment.
Etienne allegedly choked a woman in front of her child.
A woman identified as his girlfriend was in court. She had sent a letter to the court asking that a "stay away" order be revised to require him to refrain from offensive conduct and not to drink alcohol around her or the children.
She told Judge Bob Balbick that Etienne is employed full-time and provides for their four children. In answer to a question by the judge, she said she isn't afraid of Etienne and that he never causes a problem during the weekdays when he's working. This implied problems only occur on weekends when he might drink.
Balbick also ordered an alcohol evaluation by Genesee Justice. Etienne's bail was made last night, but the judge released him on his own recognizance.
Accused arsonist enters not guilty plea
Standing before Judge Bob Balbick in handcuffs and leg chains, Andre L. Scott said he was not guilty of the charges of arson, attempted murder and burglary.
Scott, standing 6' 8" in his green state prison clothes, offered no other statement. He is accused of starting a fire Jan. 24 with the intention of killing at least one of the residents of the dwelling.
Bail in this case was set at $100,000, but he's already in state prison on a criminal weapon possession charge.
A felony hearing was set for Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. in City Court.
UPDATE 3:50 p.m.: Det. Chuck Dudek just sent out an updated press release with more details of the alleged crime.
Scott allegedly threatened the life of his recently ex-girlfriend's father prior to allegedly setting the fire. Scott allegedly started the fire by pouring gasoline on two flights of an interior stairwell and then igniting it. This stairwell is reportedly the only exit from the second- and third-floor apartments of the building. The first- and second-floor apartments were occupied at the time of the 10:20 p.m. fire. Occupants were able to escape the building through windows and were not injured. The father of Scott's ex-girlfriend lived on the second floor.
"A quick response by the City of Batavia Fire Department minimized damage and preserved evidence," Dudek wrote.
The City Centre Mall Association is suing the City
The City Centre Mall Association thinks the city is responsible for replacing the mall's roof, repairing skylights and the silo entrances.
And since the city has resisted spending money on the mall, the association is asking the courts to come to its rescue.
In a lawsuit filed last month, the association also asks that the city be required to repair an uneven concourse floor, drop ceilings and HVAC, plus award $95,000 to the merchants and add "as close as 1,1,40 parking spaces as possible" to make up for spaces lost from construction of City Hall, a restaurant and two banks.
WBTA reports:
Dr. Mitchel Chess, president of the Mall Association, said he was hesitant to comment because the associations’ lawyers received the city’s initial response to the suit this morning.
City Manager Jason Molino confirmed the city had been served with the suit. He said the city’s attorney will handle the matter in house. He said the action by the mall association "had been expected."
This is at least the third lawsuit that the mall association has filed against the city since the Genesee Country Mall opened 30 years ago.
Police Beat: Man who allegedly threw chair that hit child jailed on $3,000 bail
James S. Nottingham, Sr., 29, of 511 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with assault in the second degree, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, aggravated DWI, aggravated unlicensed vehicle operation and unlawful possession of marijuana. James allegedly got involved in an argument with a woman and during the incident, he allegedly threw a chair that struck a 4-year-old in the face causing an injury. James also allegedly grabbed another child by the hair. James then reportedly left the scene of the incident in a car. He was subsequently stopped and arrested for alleged DWI and marijuana possession. He was jailed on $3,000 bail.
Peter C. Ayala, 44, of 44 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, harassment and resisting arrest. Ayala was arrested after police responded to a reported argument between a man and a woman. He was jailed on $2,000 bail.
Mark F. Limoli, 22, of Honeoye Falls, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 and failure to stop for a stop sign. Limoli was stopped by State Police on Sunday night at 4282 Clover St. in Darien.
Settlement between city and union caps an emotional two years
Terming it an "exit interview," Lori Ann Santini, an eleven-year veteran of the Batavia Fire Department's EMS service, told City Council members Monday night that the council had "no idea the distress the employees of the medic division went through" in the months following the decision to discontinue the service.
Santani told the council that EMS personnel felt they were not treated with the dignity and respect they deserved.
"We were never given the dignity of a human being notifying us of our impending job loss," Santini said. "We only found out through the Web. Then we spent months listening to angry words from you again through the Internet and radio. Not one of you took time out of your lives to address us. We definitely deserved that courtesy."
It was an emotional statement from Santini, punctuated by her stern attempt to hold back tears.
"As I stand here today, in front of you, there is no statement, no thank you that would be enough to compensate for how you dismissed us," Santini said. "If you want the City of Batavia to grow you, need to remember these few thoughts. You have to make it a place that people want to live and work. You have to show you that your employees are equally valued and respected."
The council's unanimous decision to accept a settlement negotiated by City Manager Jason Molino ends the fire union's unfair labor practices claims. It also and gives 36 union firefighters raises and bonuses while ensuring Santini and her EMS colleagues will no longer be part of the Batavia Fire Department. City Council President Charlie Mallow said there was no other way of handling the personnel situation.
"You’ve got to understand the laws of this state and how they revolve around union employees," Mallow said. "It’s laid down very precisely how we can do these things. It’s bit cold. That’s how the system works."
Molino echoed Mallow's remarks, saying the city followed civil-service law in how it handled relations with the EMS employees and had no other course of action.
During the press conference, Mallow praised his council colleagues and Molino for making tough decisions and sticking together.
"Change is a pretty difficult thing especially being a municipality, especially with unionized employees," Mallow said. "This city had to make a very, very tough decisions. The people on the council who made (those decisions) took one for the city, for the long-term health of the city. There is no point at which this was an enjoyable experience for the last two years.
"This was always hanging over our heads, especially during tough times when you’re letting people go. I mean, Ms. Santini, it’s pretty heart wrenching. Someone lost her job. I’m very happy that the circumstances were that they were able to retain their jobs with another company, but there is no way this wasn’t a very traumatic experience for everyone on council as well."
Many city managers, Mallow said, would have looked for an easier path, but Molino saw what needed to be done and made the right recommendation.
"Maybe it would have been easy for him to recommend another 20-percent or 30-percent tax increase," Mallow said. "To keep going with the status quo over and and over again and just wait for those post-retirement hits that keep coming, but he didn’t take the easy way."
As for the future, Mallow, who's council term ends in three months, said somebody on the City Council needs to step up, be a leader and deal with the expense, for a small city, of an all-professional fire department.
"I know there is support on the council for that (going to at least partial volunteer), Mallow said. "That's where the next council has to go. We have to be proactive. We have to lower costs, we have to right size this small little city. If the new council is not willing to step up, there will be another tax increase. But that’s me speaking. I‘ve seen the numbers. I’ve seen where we’re heading."
Both Mallow and Molino hesitated to call the settlement with the union a "win-win situation." Both sides protected their interests and both sides gave up something.
"I think what happened here is you got both parties understanding that there is an increasing amount of risk in either direction and in order to resolve the issue, this is the conclusion that was come to," Molino said.
With Mallow adding, "You have a situation where the union leadership gave up 20 of their people. They also gave up a good percentage of their overtime. When you figure in adding back the four people, maybe half of their overtime. You have the city who gave, but the rank-and-file also gave. They gave dearly. So it’s hard to say that one side came out on top in this."
Press Conference Audio:
Overheard on the scanner: Mercy EMS in service
Dispatcher at midnight: "Good luck Batavia EMS. Welcome Mercy EMS."
Mercy EMS: "Genesee, Mercy EMS in service, and thank you for the welcome to the county."
The new Mercy EMS fleet
Mercy Flight held an open house this evening at its headquarters at the county airport. Above is a picture of its new ground ambulance fleet. Mercy EMS takes over as primary provider for ground ambulance service in Genesee County at midnight.
