batavia

Press release:

Carl Ribbeck, Jr. of Batavia has claimed his $1,000,000 prize on the New York Lottery’s 25X The Cash scratch-off game.

The winning ticket was purchased at Harry’s Niagara located at 563 East Main St. in Batavia.

Ribbeck, Jr. received his $1,000,000 prize as a single lump-sum payment totaling $579,390 after required withholdings.

All top prizes on the 25X The Cash game have been claimed. Players may continue to cash lower-tier prizes through 2/16/23. New York Lottery players can check the status of any scratch-off game by downloading the Game Report at nylottery.ny.gov.

New York scratch-off games generated $4,231,742,980 in total sales during the fiscal year 2020-2021. School districts in Genesee County $13,961,635 in Lottery Aid to Education funds during the same time period.

Don Burns did something recently he probably never imagined when he graduated from Batavia High School in 1992 -- dress up as Darth Vader and recite one of Shakespeare's famous monologues in the Richmond Mausoleum. 

Burns, now a teacher in Rochester, was both Darth Vader and executive producer of a Star Wars fan film, Tomorrow & Tomorrow.

The production was a project of 501st Legion's Garrison Excelsior, a worldwide not-for-profit costuming group that raises awareness and money for charities while spreading its members' love for Star Wars.

So far, the film has raised $1,200 for Make-A-Wish.

Burns and another Garrison conceived of the film.

"While researching for upcoming lessons, I happened upon a short film about a Stormtrooper reciting Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech," Burns said. "As an English teacher, and Darth Vader, I've mused with Vader as the title character in Macbeth and was disappointed that I was beaten to the punch. My friend, who is a mask-maker by profession, encouraged me  to look further into it and together we mapped out a way to get it done."

Half the movie was shot at Rochester's Sunken Garden and half at the mausoleum in Batavia.

The film was directed by Joseph Palluconi. The editor was Mark Lukenbill. 

"When all was said and done, it turned out better than I ever had a right to imagine," Burns said.

Here's a behind-the-scenes video about the making of the film.

The Marshalls store on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia Town Center is being evacuated because of sparks and smoke coming from a light fixture in the building.

Town of Batavia Fire responding.

This morning's sky was stunning, and Frank Capuano, Batavia (top photo), and Jodi Carmichael, Alabama, shared these two photos.

Kerwin Eric Ransom, 58, of Genesee Street, Pembroke, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Ransom is accused of pushing a pre-teen child. He was arraigned in Town of Pembroke Court, issued an order of protection, and released.

Tina Marie Baase, 59, of Hamlin, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely. Baase was stopped at 9:34 p.m., March 26, on Route 98 in Batavia, by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell. Baase allegedly failed a field sobriety test. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Jessica Jean Easton, 38, of Easton Road, Esperance, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of.18 or greater. Easton was stopped at 8:50 p.m., March 26, on Gillate Road, Alexander, by Deputy Morgan Ewart. Easton was released on an appearance ticket.

Sierra Nicole Biegasiewicz, 31, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Biegasiewicz is accused of shoplifting at Walmart. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Press release:

To coincide with National Library Week, April 3-9, 2022, the Richmond Memorial Library is offering a selection of new library cards featuring classic and contemporary images.  The cards also feature a new library logo, in use since earlier this year.  The new cards will be available beginning Monday, April 4.

Images on the new library cards include a striking photograph of the historic 1889 building in winter, taken by local photographer Jim Burns, and a certified “reading therapy” dog named Tillie reading a very unlikely selection.

 “We are so pleased to officially reveal the logo,” Library Director Bob Conrad said.  “It captures many facets of who we are and how we serve the community.” The logo was the culmination of a brand marketing initiative that solicited stakeholder input and community feedback, according to Conrad. The library worked with Causewave Community Partners in Rochester, an organization that assists non-profits and libraries with marketing, workplace development, board training, and more. A group of employees, trustees, and community members met for several workshops to learn about brand marketing, and then to articulate the library’s many roles and purposes in the community. After a “brand platform” was developed, graphic designer Andrew Soucier of Soucier Design created a bold new logo based on the results.

According to a “logo rationale” provided by Soucier , the “logo mark” represents several ideas. “The essence of a trusted community hub is represented by the ‘hub and spokes’ design. The mark can also been seen as an abstract book spine, with pages radiating around it, or a nod to the prominent architectural feature of the library itself: an arch. It is meant to not explicitly depict any of these, but is left open to the viewer’s interpretation.”

Viewers’ interpretations of the abstract logo have run the gamut, according to Community Outreach Librarian Samantha Basile. One patron interpreted it as “Friends, sitting together at a table.” A library volunteer found the circles reminiscent of a motif in the library Reading Room’s leaded-glass windows.  Still another saw a sunrise.

“The earthy colors of red, yellow, blue, and green … present as a grown-up version of a primary palette,” the logo rationale continues. “This retains an element of playful youth, but keeps the logo in a more usable and sophisticated color space.”  Conrad translates: “It’s kid-friendly.  It’s family-friendly.  But it still has grown-up appeal.”

Just as much consideration was given to the “word mark” portion of the logo.  “The word ‘Richmond’ is set large, based on our experience that ‘Richmond’ is what people actually call us,” Basile explains.  “Like, ‘Mom, I’m going to the Richmond.’ But ‘Batavia, NY’ is included, too, because we’re not known or recognized very far beyond Genesee County – and sometimes, we want to be, for example with our vendors, or within the library industry.”

“The logo communicates a lot, very quickly,” Conrad agrees.  “It tells you exactly who, what, and where we are, and some indication of how we try to be.  Many of the world’s most famous logos don’t do that much.”

To celebrate the new logo, the library will waive the usual $1.00 replacement fee during the month of April 2022. But be careful.  “A new card will have a new number,” Conrad warns, “So if you already have your account number memorized, or if it’s saved in all of your eBook and audio apps, then you might be better off just sticking with what you’ve got, at least until you lose it.”

How to get a library card
A first library card is free for most area residents. To qualify, be a resident of Genesee, Orleans or Niagara County OR work, own property or attend school within the borders of the Batavia City School District and provide proof thereof.  Provide a current, valid form of photo identification with your current address.  If your ID does not have your current address, bring an alternate proof of address like a recently postmarked piece of mail, a utility bill, or car insurance.

For people under 18 years of age, the patron must be able to sign their own name and have photo ID with proof of current address OR their parent or legal guardian must provide the same to establish proof of residency.

Non-residents can also obtain a card for an annual fee of $40.00 (for 12 months), or a quarterly fee of $12.00 (for 3 months).

Press release:

Set the date aside for a fun night on April 12 from 7 to 9 PM at the GoArt-Seymour Art Center at 201 E.Main St.  Batavia Society of Artists is proud to be able to present the opportunity for its members as well as guests to experience the intuitive painting process. This process is a tool to allow artists the experience to be inside color, paint, and process. Reference has been made to being spontaneous and to not over-think your painting. Taking away all expectations for your art may free your mind from the normal constraints of “getting it perfect”.

Batavia Society of Artists will have a program in collaboration with the Genesee Wind Ensemble, led by Conductor Philip Briatico, who has been in the music education field for 15 years. His background includes music education at  Buffalo State College and the University of Buffalo. He has extensive experience in conducting and holds the GIML Level 1 certificate. Mr. Briatico has been a member of Genesee Chorale and the Eastman Community School Music Educator’s Wind Ensemble and is also co-manager of the Batavia Swing Band. He currently works at Niagara Falls City School District and has worked at Elba and Warsaw Central Schools. 

As the ensemble plays in various parts of the facility, artists and guests are invited to “let the music take you” and practice this free-form, loose style of painting. This promises to be a new experience for many painters and may even inspire a new category at local art shows.  No over-thinking or evaluating your work….. after all, it’s ART!
All members are welcome, the non-member fee is $5.00

Press release:

City Assessor, Rhonda Saulsbury, announces beginning April 1, 2022, Change of Assessment Notices will be mailed to property owners within the City.  Instructions will be included with each notice indicating the procedure for requesting an informal review, how to obtain forms and where to get information.  Ms. Saulsbury reminds property owners to review the full market value estimate found on the Change of Assessment Notification. If you do not agree with this estimate AND can offer proof for a change, you can follow the process of filing a challenge.  Informal reviews will be held in April.  Appointments are required. 

Information regarding property assessments, inventory data and sale information will be available beginning April 1st online at: https://cityofbatavia.prosgar.com

Please call 1-866-910-1776 to inquire about the valuation process or Informal Review process.

The City of Batavia strives to maintain a 100% equalization rate (sale price to assessment ratio) which means that we keep our assessments at 100% full market value across all property types. To accomplish this we do yearly re-valuation and make adjustments accordingly during the assessment update project. Values can adjust due to physical changes and/or market changes. 

As part of this process, we run each property through our appraisal software system, comparing the building style, square footage, year built, bedrooms, baths, lot size, et cetera, against the recent sale data. We then do a field review to determine the fair full market value based on the aforementioned data.

Although we review each neighborhood within the City yearly, we only update values in those that have experienced an increase in market values. For 2022, we will send out just over 4,400 change-of-assessment notices throughout the City.

As high sale values have continued to climb upwards of 9 - 22% +/- above assessments, we must adjust assessed values in accordance with NYS Real Property Tax Law guidelines, sometimes in consecutive cycles.

If a property owner feels that they could not sell their property for the new assessed/market value, they can request an informal review of their assessment. The Informal Review Application form can be found at the links below, or at the City Clerk’s Office, (Formal Grievance Day is held May 26th from 2:30-4:30 PM and 6:00-8:00 PM). The procedures to request the review are included with the change-of-assessment-notices. As at any time, we practice an open-door policy to anyone with a question or concern.

To access the above-mentioned information online, go to: https://cityofbatavia.prosgar.com/ and look for the RED links. Please keep in mind that only the new preliminary assessed values for comparable properties can be used in comparison to the reviewed property’s new preliminary value.

To submit the Informal Review Application, email it to: batavia2022@garappraisal.com or bring it in to the City Clerk’s Office and we’ll email it for you by April 22nd. There is a week processing time prior to May 1st needed.

If a property owner does not have access to a computer, printer or scanner, all relevant forms can be picked up at the City Clerk’s Office Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30.

If you wish to challenge your new assessed value after the April 22 informal timeframe has concluded, you can submit a formal Grievance any time up until the start of Grievance Day, May 26th at the City Clerk’s Office, or you can attend Grievance Day on May 26th from 2:30-4:30 PM & 6:00-8:00 PM.  Grievance Day is held in Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of City Hall, located at One Batavia City Centre.

The Grievance form, sale & inventory data, and the Citywide new assessments to assist you in comparing property values, can be found in the City Clerk’s Office, at the library, and on the City of Batavia’s website:  https://www.batavianewyork.com/  (Departments/Assessment) as well as https://cityofbatavia.prosgar.com

Fishtales Hideaway, an intimate fine dining restaurant at 107 Evans St., Batavia, has closed.

Ryan Fannin, who has run the restaurant recently for his parents Todd and Grace Fannin, said the prolonged slow down in the restaurant business since the start of the pandemic made keeping the doors open unsustainable. 

"It was a tough decision for me," Ryan said. "I would have loved to keep it open for everybody in town."

As manager of a seafood restaurant, Ryan said he was hoping Lent would generate a return to pre-pandemic customer volume, but it didn't happen. He said when he's driven around town on Friday nights and looked into other restaurants, it seems those establishments haven't returned to previous customer volume. 

Lynn Bezon, broker with Reliant Realty, represents property owner Chuck Keating and she said she's already looking for a new tenant for the building.  She will list the vacancy with the multiple listing service soon.  

Todd and Grace moved to Florida for Todd's health some time back and are now operating a small restaurant there, Ryan said.

Batavia PD is responding to Tully's for a report of an intoxicated male causing a ruckus. 

He was reportedly throwing tables and chairs around in the restaurant.

When police arrived, he was reportedly in a vehicle about to leave.  An officer is with him now.

Nancy L. Lawrence, 69, of Batavia, is charged with soliciting alms on a public street or public place. Lawrence is accused of soliciting alms in the parking lot of a business on Ellicott Street at 12:30 p.m., March 18.  She was issued an appearance ticket.

Kiha S. McNear, 24, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd. McNear was arrested following an investigation that began with a traffic stop by a Batavia patrol officer at 4:18 a.m., March 17. McNear was allegedly found in possession of an illegal substance. McNear was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail.

Adam E. Bortle, 38, of Wayland, was arrested on a warrant. He was arraigned and released.

NaQuan J. Shepard, 22, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Shepard was allegedly involved in a disturbance in an apartment complex on North Spruce Street, Batavia, at 11:22 p.m., March 23.  Shepard is accused of throwing a cardboard box at another person. Shepard was issued an appearance ticket.

Curtis Williams, 55, of Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Williams is accused of stealing more than $1,000 from his employer on Ellicott Avenue over a period of time. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Erik R. Motquin, 29, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Motquin is accused of trying to leave a store on West Main Street, Batavia, with $316.03 in merchandise without paying for it. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Joshua Leneir, 35, of West State Street, Albion, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Leneir is accused of violating a complete stay-away order at 3:36 p.m., March 17, at a location on Lent Avenue, Le Roy. He was ordered to appear in Town of Le Roy Court on April 5.

Garrett Berntsen, 25, of Stewart Street, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant in Rochester and brought before the Town of Le Roy Court to answer to charges of criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of the stolen property. He was released under supervision. 

Kasondra Lynn Hubbard, 36, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Hubbard is accused of endangering the welfare of a child during a disturbance at a residence on Myrtle Street, Le Roy, at 8:11 p.m., March 24. Hubbard was ordered to appear in Town of Le Roy Court on April 21.

Earl Benson, 33, of Lyan Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, unlicensed operation, aggravated unlicensed operation, no distinctive plate, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and refusal to submit to a breath test. Benson was stopped at 9:23 p.m., March 25, on Bank Street, Le Roy, by Officer John Ceneviva. He was issued traffic tickets.

Francesca G. Pieter, 21, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Peter is accused of stealing something at 4:23 p.m., March 27, at a location in the Town of Batavia. An 18-year-old from Batavia whose name was not released was also arrested. Both suspects were issued appearance tickets. The State Police did not release additional information.

For many people the neighborhoods where they spent their young years, the houses they lived in and the things that happened there become an indelible part of their childhood memories. As folks get older, with more time behind them than there is ahead, those remembrances seem to come to mind more and more often. My recollections are of the Thomas and Ellicott avenues neighborhood where I spent my years between ages 1 and 10.

Newlyweds
My parents, Jim and Anna Newhouse Reilly were married in April 1944. Dad was serving as a lieutenant in the Army Air Force during World War Two and was stationed at Mitchell Field in Long Island. He had wanted to be a flier but was too tall for the cockpit and at the age of 33 a bit too old. So he had to settle for piloting a desk.

After their wedding in Batavia at St. Joseph's Church ( mom was not  Catholic, but agreed to convert) and reception at Young's Restaurant on Main Street the newlyweds lived in Long Island until dad got shipped overseas for mop-up duty at the end of the war. Mom returned to Batavia to stay with her parents at 25 North Lyon Street until dad was discharged after the war ended.

When my father returned to Batavia he and my mom rented an idyllic spot at what they always referred to as “The Mill” on Seven Springs Road east of town. In a wooded expanse, there was a stream and a pond. The pond emptied over a small waterfall and a small grist mill had been built there in 1811 with a waterwheel for grinding grain which continued for that use for 80 years. From the early 1900s until the 1940s it was owned by a family named Gubb and used as a riding camp and stables. Today it is the Chapin Mill Retreat Center used by spiritual groups for meditation. 

 The Mill on Seven Springs Road where my parents lived when I was born (photo courtesy of Ed Kademan)

The sale of the Mill property to the Chapin family and my parents' desire to own their own home with room for kids led to them buying their first house at 26 Thomas Avenue in the City of Batavia. Located off West Main Street that was where I spent my early years and where my brother Dan was born in 1949.

The Houses
The Thomas Avenue house had plenty of room with three bedrooms, a basement (with a cistern which is still there but not used), and an attic. Upstairs was a cedar closet that had a nice aromatic fragrance.  I used to hide out in there and read Hardy Boys books. There was also a detached one-car garage which might have fit a Model T, but it was too small for the long finned and big bumpered monstrosities of the '50s.

One downside, which resulted in us eventually moving, was the tiny back yard which wasn't even big enough to play catch in. About  20 yards behind the house was someone else's garage on Dellinger Avenue the next block over.

Dave (right) and brother Dan (left) on porch of 26 Thomas Ave. 1955

In 2011 I happened to drive by my former home and noticed a for-sale sign with notice of an upcoming open house. On a Sunday afternoon, I showed up and probably made a mistake by telling my real purpose of the visit to the realtor. Once she found out I wasn't a buyer she kept trying to hurry me along when I wanted to browse around and reminisce.

It was kinda like the twilight zone to be walking around in a house I hadn't been in since 56 years ago. Subsequent owners had changed a few things (the cedar had been removed from the closet), but mostly it was the same. The one thing that really surprised me was how small my childhood bedroom was. My little kid self had seen it as a lot larger.

Dave on the porch of 26 Thomas Ave. 2011

In 1955 my parents sold the house because they wanted a big yard for us kids to play in and for my mom to garden. But, they couldn't find that house right away so for two years we moved one block to the west. If you cut through a couple of back yards (which we often did) it was literally a move of a few hundred yards. We rented the top floor of a huge house at 20 Ellicott Avenue, a wide street with many expansive and beautiful homes. So, new and smaller living quarters (I grudgingly had to share a bedroom with my brother ), but same neighborhood, same kids. One cool thing was we had a second-floor screened porch and I remember sitting out there watching tree limbs fall when the winds and rain from a hurricane moved through. We also had a bigger yard with an apple tree.

20 Ellicott Ave. 2021
 

The Neighborhood
Thomas-Ellicott was a good place for kids to grow up. Two blocks north was State Park (now Centennial Park) where we'd play and go sledding in the winter. A few blocks to the East was Austin Park which had a wading pool. On the corner of Thomas and Washington avenues was a vacant lot ( a house is there now)  where we'd frequently play, so the small yard didn't deter us kids too much.

If mom needed a quart of milk (in a glass bottle) or a pack of smokes ( Viceroy) Corrigan's grocery was around the corner on Main Street.  Mr. Corrigan's daughter was pretty good about letting a kid look through some comics if you didn't bother anyone. Since this was just post-World War II  and the Korean War my favorites were what we called “army comics” and I had quite a collection. Like a lot of other things I should have saved which became valuable, I wish I had kept them.

Next to Corrigan's was J. Frank Dicke's bike shop where my parents bought my first bike. My mom was a worrywart though and wouldn't let me get a two-wheeler until I was 10. So, until then I was reduced to tooling around on a big trike. My friends teased me that if I got a dog in a basket I'd look like Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard Of Oz.

Across from Austin Park was Washington Elementary School ( currently it's RRH Reed Eye Associates.) I attended Kindergarten there until I switched to St. Mary's for first grade when it opened. For some strange reason, I remember virtually nothing about that year. My mom kept a class photo and I don't recall the teacher or the kids.

Across Main Street was the Holland Land Office Museum where I spent a lot of time when I got a little older and my mom would trust me to cross the busy thoroughfare. One of my earlier stories was about how I tried to hoodwink the museum director into displaying a fake artifact I supposedly found ( I failed).  

Kitty-corner across the street was the residence of our family physician Doctor Biagio Mansueto. He made house calls so that was pretty convenient if you needed him or you could go right to his house like my mom did with me when I managed to get a dime stuck in my nose at church. 

Next to the Mansueto's lived an elderly woman named Gladys Foster. She had a bunch of red currant bushes behind her garage and I tormented her by constantly picking them. If I was more clever I could have used the excuse that I was just keeping up with currant affairs.

When we moved to Ellicott there was a widow downstairs named Midge who was raising a couple of kids (older than me) on her own. My mom, who easily made acquaintances with almost anyone, became fast friends with her. For some reason, I recall being downstairs with them when Elvis made his swivel-hipped appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956. Midge wasn't too impressed.

Neighborhood Shenanigans
I have remarked before that it's odd that you often remember quirky things that took place rather than all the big occasions like Christmas, Halloween, etc.  I certainly have my warm memories of family times, but also some vague recollections of little weird or funny incidents that happened.

We had a bully in our area whose name I can't recall, but at Christmastime when I do my annual viewing of “A Christmas Story” on television the bully being described as having “yellow eyes” always makes me think of him. One time he caught me alone on Dellinger Avenue and believe it or not he tied me to a tree and left me there. Did the kid carry rope with him just in case he came across a victim?  More unbelievably though, that was the day I  had sneaked a paring knife out of my mom's kitchen drawer.  Why?  Little boys do stuff like that. So, I was able to cut myself free. But, I couldn't even tell my mom about it (it was embarrassing anyway) because I had to surreptitiously get the knife back without getting caught.

On Ellicott Avenue was the residence of a well-known Batavia photographer. He had a son my age and one day I went over there to play. For some reason, we were up in the attic and the kid locked me in there and went away. After I pounded on the door for a while his mom let me out. Are you seeing a pattern here?

But,  I wasn't always a wimp.  I've only been in two fights in my life, both when I was a kid. One day we were playing at a property on Thomas where there was a big iron fence (it's still there). A kid from Lincoln Avenue named Billy was picking on my little brother. Of course, I tormented Dan every single day. It's almost a requirement of big brotherhood. But I couldn't let someone else do it. So, I took the kid on. I think I won but had a couple of scrapes to show for it. And my brother owed me.

So if I wasn't a fighter was I a ladies' man? Near the corner of Washington Avenue and Dellinger lived a little girl named Nora Ann. We were friends and played together until inevitably the teasing began. “Dave's got a girlfriend!”  I would have been glad to hear someone say that in high school, but at age 7 or 8  it was the kiss of death. Luckily, we went to different schools so I could avoid her and the needling.

Little kids have vivid imaginations and my friends and I were no different. On Dellinger lived an elderly woman. Due to her wizened appearance, we conjured up in our feeble brains that she was a witch. One day  I got up the nerve to go into her enclosed porch, I think with the intent to peek in her window may be looking for a pointy hat or a bubbling cauldron. . My friend waited by the sidewalk.  Suddenly he yelled, “Dave, the old witch is coming down the street!” and took off like he was shot out of a gun. I froze and then spotted one of those cushioned porch swings. Quickly, I crawled underneath and waited, shaking and trembling. Hansel and Gretel's images involving me in an oven flashed through my head. I heard the porch door open and saw some black shoes and heard a key in the lock. The door closed behind her as the “witch” went inside. I scrambled out from my hiding spot and seemingly in seconds was halfway down the street and didn't stop running until I got home. The poor woman who had probably gone to Corrigan's to get a few groceries had no idea that any of this took place. Nonetheless, when we went trick or treating on Halloween we gave that house a wide berth.

One time when I was little,  our neighbor, Dr. Mansueto's son Freddy (who was older than me and went on to a lifetime career as an FBI agent), decided to take me along on an expedition to some wooded property his family owned out on Walnut Street. This wasn't good for a number of reasons: he didn't tell anyone where he was going, we had to cross Main Street and a bridge over the Tonawanda Creek and some railroad tracks and I was about 3 or 4  years old. A frantic search ensued and four parents were pretty upset until we arrived back home. I don't know what punishment Freddy might have received, but my mom wasn't going to let something like that happen again. She bought a harness that fits a child and tethered me to our backyard clothesline so I could no longer wander off. I suppose you could say mom was fit to be tied so she made sure I was too.

In the summer of 1957 when I was 10, my parents found their house with a big yard at 122 North Spruce Street and we moved to the east side of town. This resulted in a bunch of changes and  new opportunities for kid capers as I and my friends got older.

Paul Jerge was born blind, but that hasn’t altered his perspective. 

Although he is visually impaired, the 69-year-old enjoys spending time with family, rooting for the Buffalo Bills and checking out the latest news from his local paper. He just sees in a different way, he says. 

“I follow sports, but I like to read the actual articles, and watch games on TV. I consider it reading … I always say ‘watch’ because that’s what everyone else is doing,” Jerge said to The Batavian. “I’m listening to something all day.  I like to support it. The volunteers give of their time and I really appreciate that.”

In the last few months, Jerge, a 1972 graduate of the State School for the Blind in Batavia, has added the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service to his repertoire as a way to enhance his pool of printed materials. He does everything on his smartphone, including connecting to the online reading service for some news, podcasts, magazine or book recitations.  

Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service has “given voice to the printed word” since 1987. The nonprofit supplies 100 volunteer readers — a number expected to keep growing — for several areas throughout Western New York. Staff is planning to expand into the Southern Tier and small cities including Batavia, Mark Robinson said. 

A former executive director for other agencies in the Buffalo area, Robinson wanted t to slow down a bit, he said. He discovered the radio reading organization two months ago. 

“I really wanted to be part of this; it really is amazing,” he said. “We’ll have boots on the ground in Genesee County very soon.”

There are 150,000 potential listeners that are not able to access the service in this area, he said. So far, the service has covered western regions, including Erie County. There are 500 receivers (provided free of charge) out in those communities for listeners, while the online listeners are a majority of the service’s consumer base, he said. There are apps for smartphones, an online website and access through other devices, including Amazon Echo and Google Home. 

People just like Paul Jerge can access a world of printed materials with just a click or a voice command on a smart device. Within a 24-hour daily schedule, volunteers read the news, perhaps something from the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, a best-selling book, the Buffalo Bills Digest and from several other sources. One the most popular readings isn’t an article at all, Robinson said. 

“They like the Sunday shopping ads,” he said. “They could be disabled veterans, were born blind, lost their sight due to disease or injury. Anybody can access it; as of two years ago, anyone in the world can. We’re working on expanding the service into Rochester and the Genesee Valley.”

Although anyone can access and listen, volunteers are still vital to the program, he said. They are needed to read the news that is local to the area in addition to those John Grisham novels and the like. 

Robert Sikorski, a Buffalo lawyer, founded the organization in March 1987. Thanks to a federal law on the books allowing printed materials to be read for the purpose of enriching the lives of the blind or sight-impaired without copyright infringements, the reading service just surpassed its 35 year anniversary. It now boasts having tallied more than 250,000 hours of reading.

Many volunteers read without leaving their homes, or it can be done at the service’s home base studio in Cheektowaga. All that’s required, Robinson said, is to read out loud and a desire to help. Reading usually takes a couple of hours per week. The service is funded by grants and donations, and listeners have often become strong financial supporters as well, he said.

Robinson is seeking people interested in forming a committee in Genesee County. For more information about that or obtaining a free reading radio, becoming a volunteer and/or donor, go to: www.nfradioreading.org or call (716) 821-5555.

Just before 1 p.m., Town of Batavia Fire responded to 4018 South Main Street Road for a chimney fire.  

There was heavy smoke but no flames showing when firefighters arrived on scene. 

A chief on scene suspected creosote build-up as the cause of the fire.

All occupants were safely out of the structure.

The fire was contained to the chimney.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Melvin A. Huntley is indicted on four counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, a Class D violent felony, two counts of rape in the first degree, a Class Class B violent felony, four counts of rape in the third degree, a Class E felony, one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, three counts of predatory sexual assault against a child,a Class A-II felony, four counts of course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree, a Class D felony, three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, a Class D violent felony, a count of rape in the second degree, a Class E felony, and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, a Class D violent felony. Huntley is accused of sexual contact by force twice in the summer of 2015. He is accused of sexual contact with another person by force in the winter of 2016. He is accused of sexual contact with another person by force in the summer of 2017.  He is accused of sexual intercourse with another person by force in the summer of 2017.  He is accused of sexual intercourse with another person by force in the summer of 2016.  He is accused of sexual intercourse twice, while being 21 or older, with a person less than 17 years old in the winter of 2016.  He is accused of acting in a way injurious to a child in the winter of 2016. He is accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with another person less than 13 years old by force in or about the year 2001. He is accused of being 18 years or older and committing rape in the first degree by engaging in sexual intercourse with a person less than 13 years old in or about the year 2012 through 2021. He is accused of engaging in two or more acts of sexual conduct, including at least one act of sexual intercourse, oral sexual contact, or anal sexual conduct, with a child less than 13 years old in the summer of 2013 through July of 2021. He is accused of sexual contact with another person less than 11 years old in the summer of 2013 and in September 2015.  He is accused of engaging in sexual intercourse, being 18 years old or older, with a person less than 15 years old, in June 2021. He is accused of sexual intercourse, being 18 or older, with a person less than 17 years old in June 2021. He is accused of subjecting a person less than 11 years old to sexual contact in June 2019 and in the summer of 2019 and in December 2020. He is accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with a person incapable of consent in June 2021.

Brennan M. Dean is indicted on a count of assault in the second degree, a Class D violent felony. Dean is accused of assaulting a Genesee County Jail corrections officer, contrary to penal law while being convicted of a crime and being incarcerated at a correction facility. 

Arthur J. Brown is indicted on a count of grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony. Brown is accused of stealing a debit card on Aug. 11 in the Town of Le Roy.

Wade J. Murray is indicted on counts of unlawful imprisonment in the first degree, a Class E felony, strangulation in the second degree, a Class D violent felony, assault in the second degree, a Class D violent felony, and attempted assault in the second degree, a Class E felony.  Murray is accused of restraining a person in a manner that could cause serious injury on July 12 in the Town of Oakfield. He is accused of applying pressure to another person's neck with the intent to impede breathing or circulation of blood. He is accused of causing serious injury to another person with a dangerous instrument, a boot. He is accused of intending to cause serious physical injury to another person.

Carlos Diaz, 21, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding.  Diaz was stopped at 2:10 a.m., March 25, on Route 33, Bergen by Sgt. Mathew Clor.  He was allegedly driving 101 mph in a 55 mph zone.  He was released on traffic tickets.

Arnold Keith Shaffer, 55, of Orange Grove Drive, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Shaffer is accused of stealing several items from Walmart at 4:36 p.m., March 23.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Press release:

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will host the 100th “Great Batavia Train Show” on Sunday, April 3rd, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Richard C. Call Arena, Genesee Community College, 1 College Road, Batavia, NY 14020. Admission: $6 (Adults), $3 (under 18 yrs.), Free (under 13 yrs.)

The train show typically attracts 1,200 to 1,500 model railroad enthusiasts and railfans from across Western and Central NY, Northwestern Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. There are over 100 vendors occupying 250 tables offering merchandise ranging from antique railroad artifacts to the most modern digitally controlled model trains. This year the Club will also be hosting the “Batavia Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet” along with the train show.

“We had hoped to host this milestone event back in 2020 but it got side-tracked due to COVID”, said Mike Pyszczek, Train Show Chair, “It's great to get things back on track again.”

The GSME began hosting Train Shows in the early 70s at the Holland Land Office Museum. From those humble beginnings the “Great Batavia Train Show” has progressively moved from the HLOM to the Alexander Fire Hall, Holiday/Sheraton Inn, Batavia Downs, and to its present home at GCC. Each move has allowed the show to continually grow in both size and popularity making it one of the premier events of its kind in Western New York.

The train club hosts two shows each year, a spring show in April and a Fall show in October. A free Open House is held, typically, on the first Saturday of December at the Club’s facilities in Oakfield where club members maintain operating layouts in O Gauge (Lionel), HO & N scale.

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers is located at 50 Main Street (Rte. 63), Oakfield, N.Y. (above the M&T Bank) and is open Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Business meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month. Visit www.gsme.org. Like us on Facebook. Visitors welcomed. (Stair access only.)

The Batavian Video: From the 2019 train show.

Michael Alan Jones, 24, of Welford Road, Charlotte, N.C., is charged with criminal possession of an assault weapon 3rd, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd (ammunition feeding device), unsafe turn, number plate violation, driving an unregistered vehicle on a highway. During a traffic stop at 4:36 p.m., March 19, on School Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, Jones was allegedly found in possession of an AR-15 rifle. He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court. He is scheduled to appear again on April 21.  Deputy Nicholas Charmoun assisted in the investigation.

Krystle Denise Sanders, 37, of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny.  Sanders is accused of shoplifting from Walmart at 10:43 a.m., March 18.  She was released on an appearance ticket.

Katherine Frances Foels, 36, of Elm Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Foels is accused of shoplifting from a store on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia. The name and address of the store were withheld from the press release. Foels was released on an appearance ticket.

Adam Eugene Bortle, 38, of Lackawanna Street, Wayland, is charged with promoting prison contraband and three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Bortle was transported to the Genesee County Jail after being arrested on a warrant. He reportedly denied possessing any narcotics or other contraband.  He was allegedly found in possession of controlled substances during a search.  He was held until arraignment at a later date.

Ryan Thomas O'Connor, 37, of Center Street, East Aurora, is charged with DWI, driving left of pavement markings, and moving from lane unsafely.  O'Connor was stopped on Route 77 in Pembroke at 10:59 p.m., March 19, by Deputy Trevor Sherwood. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Anthony Daniel Micucci, 27, of Darien Alexander Townline Road, Alexander, is charged with escape 2nd.  Micucci was reportedly arrested on a warrant and while entering Town of Pembroke Court at 3:45 p.m, March 12, Micucci allegedly escaped from custody by running from law enforcement. He was taken into custody by Deputy Kevin McCarthy after a foot pursuit. He is also charged with three counts of criminal contempt 1st for allegedly violating an order of protection by calling the protected party in a complete stay-away order.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

David Michael Martin, 61, of West 6th Avenue, San Manuel, Arizona, is charged with bail jumping second.  Martin was arrested in Arizona and extradited to New York after allegedly failing to appear in Genesee County Court on a grand larceny 3rd charge.  He was arraigned in County Court and ordered held on $5,000 bail.

Sean G. Johnston, no age or residence provided, is charged with assault 3rd. Johnston was charged following an investigation by Le Roy PD into a disturbance at an apartment building in the Village of Le Roy.  No date or time for the disturbance provided. Johnson was issued an appearance ticket.

Cyle Hindle, no age or residence provided, is charged with felony DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, and driving with unsafe tires. Hindle was stopped by Le Roy PD at a time and date and location not specified in the release. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Brian M. Raphael, 33, of Batavia, is c charged with petit larceny. Raphael is accused of taking a package delivered by Amazon from the porch of a residence on Summit Street on March 11 at 12:01 p.m. Raphael was allegedly found with the package by Batavia PD after the resident was notified by Amazon that the package had been delivered.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Brooke M. Davis, 29, of Medina, was arrested on a warrant. Davis is accused of failing to appear for a court appearance in the Town of Batavia. Davis was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.

Leroy M. Stafford, 41, of Basom, is charged with felony DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, and driving without an interlock device. Stafford was stopped by State Police at 8:54 p.m., March 20, in the City of Niagara Falls. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Steven A. Wasielewski, 38, of Pembroke, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing. Wasielewski was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 12:21 p.m., March 20, in the Town of Pembroke. He was released on an appearance ticket. No further information released.