batavia

Press release:

Residents of the following streets can rake leaves to the parkway, but do not place in the street; these streets are Clinton Street, Oak Street, Main Street (including East and West Main Street), Pearl Street, South Main Street (between Oak Street and Walnut Street),Walnut Street, Richmond Avenue (between Oak Street and Prospect Avenue). If your street has a route number (i.e., Route 5, Route 33, Route 63 and Route 98), then please keep leaves out of the roadway.

All other streets are asked to rake leaves to the curb line, taking care not to block storm drainage structures/catch basins or not to block travel way of streets.

Leaf operations typically have one crew on the Southside beginning on River Street moving east in areas south of Main Street and second crew on the Northside will work from Grandview Terrace moving west, north of Main Street. A third crew will work using a vacuum along main roads and numbered routes. It takes about two weeks to go through the entire city.

Any resident with leaves can also bring them to the yard waste station until it closes for the season on Dec 9. Beginning Nov. 6th, the Yard Waste Station hours will be adjusted to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAF COLLECTION:

• Leaf piles must be clear of sticks and other debris;

• Grass clippings, flower pottings, branches, pumpkins CANNOT be picked up and residents are encouraged to bring those items to the Yard Waste Station on Law Street;

• Leaves should not block traffic;

• Leaves should not be piled near intersection corners. This causes sight issues for motorist/bicyclists/pedestrians;

• Keep leaf piles clear of drainage ways and catch basins. Blocked drainage leads to localized flooding;

• Leaves should not be piled around mailboxes, power poles, fences, fire hydrants or other obstacles;

• Do not park on leaf piles. The heat from a vehicle exhaust system could start a fire;

• Do not wait to get your leaves out. We will normally collect leaves twice within the month of leaf collection;

• If it is snowing, we plow first. If it continues to snow, then leaf operations will be suspended;

• There is no leaf pickup in the spring.

Press release:

Richmond Avenue will be closed between Bogue Avenue and Woodrow Road on Thursday, Oct. 19th, between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for street repair.

All motorists are asked to avoid this area and seek alternative routes. While work is being performed in this area, the roadway will be closed to all through traffic. Local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays.

All residents/businesses within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during repairing operations.

This is weather-dependent work. If work is postponed it shall progress next work day. Please, plan accordingly and contact the Bureau of Maintenance with any questions. Thank you for your cooperation in advance. 

UPDATE 12:35 p.m.: Richmond Avenue is reopened to all through traffic.

Information provided by Grandma's Luv'n Care:

There will be an Open House from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, at Grandma's Luv'n Care Childcare and Development Center in Batavia.

The nonprofit facility is located at 5079 Clinton Street Road.

You are invited to attend and learn more about the childcare center, meet the teachers, staff and take a tour.

Infants age 6 weeks and children up to school age are now being enrolled.

Grandma's Luv'n Care is fully licensed and staffed by caregivers trained in first aid/CPR and MAT (Medication Administration Training).

The center offers quality full-time and part-time care, as well as an after-school program.

It has seven rooms to accommodate the needs of children, including age-appropriate curriculum, activities and learning through play.

There's a staffed kitchen to provide breakfast, lunch and snacks.

The building is equipped with secuity cameras and key fob entrances.

Normal hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, call 815-4308.

A group of non-smoking residents at 400 Towers are demanding stronger enforcement of a no-smoking policy that was instituted in April and they've prepared a petition for the Housing Authority asking for sterner measures against rule violators.

Nathan Varland, executive director of the Housing Authority, said the agency is doing everything it can to enforce the ban on smoking in apartments, in the building and anywhere within 25 feet of the building.

"I'm also frustrated," Varland said. "We put a policy in place in order to help us go in a healthier direction and it's something I feel strongly about and something I want to move forward on."

Varland has been the director since 2015 and he said work on the policy began under the previous housing director. It took a long time to implement because the authority wanted to make sure it was rolled out to residents in a way that gave them time to adjust their living arrangments if necessary.

There was a 60-day notice prior to the policy becoming official. That gave residents who wanted to continue smoking in their apartments time to move and while some people did move during that 60-day period, Varland couldn't say whether they left 400 Towers specifically because of the new policy.

There have been five residents who quit smoking as a result of the new policy, however, Varland said.

According to the non-smoking residents, many who gathered in a meeting Friday night led by resident Beverly Morgan, most of the residents who smoke are complying with the rules, but there are about 20 residents who continue to either smoke in their rooms, in hallways and stairwells or in the front of the building.

"There's no place you can go outside and not smell smoke," Morgan said.

Residents expressed concerns about the dangers of secondhand smoke, especially for vulnerable people, such as seniors and those with related medical issues. It's not just an issue with smelling smoke, they said, but a real health concern.

Under the new policy, smokers who violate the rules get three chances to comply. First, there is a written warning, then a fine, and then eviction.

"I know for a fact there are some people who should have been evicted already," said one resident at Friday's meeting.

That isn't accurate, Varland said. There are a few residents who are on the cusp of a third violation, but they haven't crossed the line yet.

"There are certainly not people who have three strikes right now," Varland said. "We go by our own policies as much as we try to enforce our policies fairly. If we have evidence we move ahead with eviction."

Getting evidence can be difficult, however. During non-office hours, the only people around to file complaints about smokers are other residents. There is a group of volunteers who are empowered to patrol the building and grounds and turn in complaints, but those complaints must still be substantiated in order for the housing authority to take action.

While the Batavia Housing Authority developed its own policy, during the period of implementation, the Housing and Urban Development Department issued its own policy banning smoking at HUD-funded facilities.

"A few tenants have been slower to realize that it's time to change their habits or move," Varland said. "That's up to them. We can only enforce our policy the way it is intended and we're going to enforce it."

The authority also recently received a grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation to build amenities, outdoor spaces, for non-smokers and those projects should be completed by late spring or early summer, Varland said.

Cigarettes aren't the only smoking issue Varland is dealing with. Residents said, and Varland confirmed, there is also some marijuana use at 400 Towers. 

Varland said the housing authority is bound by federal law to treat smoking marijuana like any other illicit drug use. It's a crime and Batavia PD has been cooperative in trying to investigate these crimes, he said.

"We are forced to take it very, very seriously," Varland said.

At its annual meeting at Terry Hills yesterday, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County celebrated its 100th anniversary. The board also recognized CCE's staff and volunteers, including Paul Randall, who has been a master gardener for 25 years.

Above, Brandie Waite presents Randall with a pin and certificate. Randall, a resident of Elba, has averaged more than 100 hours of volunteer service for the past 25 years. He has volunteered for diagnostic home visits, judged horticulture entries for the Genesee County Fair, assisted in master gardener training, performed "countless" pH soil tests, assisted with the tree survey at the State School for the Blind, and helped plan and plant the garden at the CCE's building on East Main Street in Batavia.

County Legislator Mike Davis was the keynote speaker. Davis, who has 72 days left in office, has served as legislative liaison to CCE. Last year, the county reduced funding for CCE along with other outside agencies and Davis said he opposed the cuts and will oppose any further cuts during this year's budget discussions.

"There are great things going on at CCE," Davis said.

Director Bev Mancuso said when she took the job in 2003, she went out and talked with people in the community about what made the extension valuable and important.

"It was really interesting because, overall, the feedback I got was that our programming was really seen as vital to the fabric of our community and that through our programming we could rebuild the moral fiber of our society," Mancuso said. "Wow. I remember when people said that to me and the thing that struck me was I thought, ‘I want to be able to do that through our programming. I want to to be able to make this place better.' I wanted to do it because I believed our staff could do it. I believed the volunteers and the leaders and program participants could do it. And I believed that this community deserved it."

Besides supporting local agriculture, the extension supports 4-H and Leadership Genesee.

"We have touched a lot of lives in the past 100 years," she said.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley presented an Assembly proclamation recognizing CCE's 100th anniversary.

A bicyclist has been hit by a car at Richmond Avenue and Vernon Avenue, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Press release:

The 35^th annual Health and Humanitarian Award of Genesee County will be presented to Carm and Jerry Reinhart, of Batavia, on Friday, Dec. 1 at an awards luncheon at Terry Hills Restaurant. (EDITOR'S NOTED: EVENT CANCELLED.)

The award presented by The Jerome Foundation recognizes volunteer men and women of Genesee County who have helped promote emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the area’s residents.

Nominations reflected “ordinary people who reach far beyond themselves to the lives of those in need, bringing hope, care, and friendship, and helping build a stronger, healthier community.”

In naming the Reinharts for this year’s award, the Jerome Foundation will recognize more than 20 years of volunteer service and community involvement by Carm and Jerry Reinhart. They have supported numerous charitable causes in our community including Notre Dame High School, St. Joseph School, Genesee Community College, UMMC (and previously Genesee Memorial Hospital), YMCA, YWCA, Batavia Rotary, CASA, among others.

Michael Grammatico, an advisor to The Jerome Foundation Board of Trustees, nominated Mr. and Mrs. Reinhart, saying “Jerry and Carm have been strong advocates for local organizations for decades, whether helping behind the scenes, or being out front leading capital campaigns. Their approachable demeanor is admired and respected.”

CASA, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that advocates for the best interest of abused and neglected children in Genesee County is one of many charities the Reinharts have supported. When speaking to a CASA board member recently, the board member shared examples over the course of years of the Reinharts’ generosity, ranging from financial support to hosting fundraisers, and providing needed commercial space for CASA.

In the late '90s the Batavia YMCA Gymnastic program suddenly became “homeless.” It was the Reinharts who provided free space for years, allowing the YMCA gymnastic program to flourish.

Recently, a staff member of Notre Dame High School “lit up” when he spoke of the Reinharts’ support saying “Their lending of equipment, expertise, leadership, and financial support has been overwhelming.”

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at East Main and Bank streets in the city. Law enforcement is on scene. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:47 p.m.: No injuries; minimal damage to vehicles.

Timothy John Beaudoin, 29, of Maltby Road, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, speeding, and driving left of pavement markings. Beaudoin was stopped at 1:30 a.m. Sunday on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello. 

Randy J. Heslor, 24, of Cherry Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and no seatbelt. Heslor was stopped at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on Jackson Street, Batavia, by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Frank Mastrodonato, 33, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. Mastrodonato was stopped at 12:02 p.m. Monday on Route 33, Bergen, by State Police.

Tatiana C. Lugo, 22, no permanent address, Batavia, is charged with: second-degree harassment;third-degree robbery; endangering the welfare of a child; tampering with physical evidence; and criminal mischief, 4th. Lugo was allegedly involved in a fight with a male on Bank Street at 1:02 p.m. Sunday in the presence of two young children. During the course of the investigation by officers Kevin DeFelice and James Prusak, Lugo allegedly stole property from the victim. Lugo was ordered held without bail.

Patrick Ervin Say, 57, of Nesbitt Road, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving left of pavement markings, and failure to keep right. Say was allegedly involved in a single-car accident on Molasses Hill Road, Bethany, at 5:43 p.m. Sunday. The accident was investigated by Deputy Ryan Delong and Sgt. Jason Saile. (Initial Report)

Shane Lee Hoehn, 43, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or higher, failure to notify DMV of address change, and driving over the divide on a divided highway. Hoehn was stopped at 2:16 a.m. Sunday on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Clifford W. Matthews, 43, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Stafford, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Matthews was allegedly involved in an accident on Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Stafford, at 4:43 p.m. Friday. The accident was investigated by Deputy Jenna Ferrando and Sgt. Eric Seppala.

Shawn Micheal Koegl, 30, of Alleghany Road, Attica, is charged with: DWI; driver view obstructed; possession of an open container; failure to keep right; and uninspected motor vehicle. Koegle was arrested following an investigation by deputies Mathew Clor and Eric Meyer into an accident at 2:02 a.m. Saturday on Route 77, Darien.

Passiona C. McConnell, 39, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with a curfew violation under the Batavia Municipal Code. McConnell was charged after her underage son was located in public after curfew. The youth was located at 12:59 a.m., Oct. 7, in the area of 20 Main St., Batavia, by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Michael J. Henry, 50, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Henry allegedly refused a lawful order by police to disperse at 10:45 p.m. Saturday while at Van Detta Stadium. Henry was arrested by officers Frank Klimjack and Stephen Cronmiller.

Joseph R. Paner, 37, of Cheekwood Drive, Cheektowaga, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. Paner's vehicle was located after a complaint at 9:27 p.m. Saturday on Genesee Street, Pembroke, of a vehicle being operated erratically. Deputy Ryan DeLong initiated a traffic stop. Assisting in the investigation was Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello and Deputy Eric Meyer.

(name redacted upon request), 42, of Bethany, is charged with DWI. xxxx was stopped by State Police in the City of Batavia at 9 a.m. Friday. No further details released. 

The Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in the stabbing of a man behind businesses on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, on Friday night.

Jeffrey L. Barr, 18, no permanent address, was located by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay at State Street and Washington Avenue, Batavia, at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Barr is charged with attempted murder in the second degree, a Class B felony. He was arraigned in Town of Batavia and jailed without bail.

Barr is accused of stabbing a man from Buffalo multiple times, including in the neck and chest, at 9:30 p.m., Friday, behind the mall at 4140 Veterans Memorial Drive, the location of Jagged Edges, Pawn King, Yume Asian Bistro and Peebles.

The victim stumbled to the parking lot of Batavia Downs where he was located by a good Samaritan who called 9-1-1. Deputies arrived on scene and provided first aid until Mercy medics arrived.

Barr was identified as the suspect early on and deputies and members of the Local Drug Task Force, working closely with Batavia PD, spent most of Saturday trying to locate him, based on tips that indicated he was in the Batavia area.

The name of the victim and his current medical condition has not been released.

An apartment fire is reported at 404 Ellicott St.

City fire is responding.

UPDATE 11:57 p.m.: Burnt food. 

The Sheriff's Office is investigating a stabbing that occurred about 9:30 p.m., Friday, behind a shopping mall on Veterans Memorial Drive.

A male victim was stabbed in the throat.

A good Samaritan found the victim in the parking lot of Batavia Downs and called for help. Deputies arrived on scene first and administered first aid until medics arrived.

The stabbing is believed to have occurred behind 4140 Veterans Memorial Drive, the location of Jagged Edges, Pawn King, Yume Asian Bistro and Peebles.

The victim was transported by Mercy EMS to ECMC for treatment of serious injuries.

The investigation is ongoing.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by Batavia PD, State Police, Mercy EMS, and security staff from Batavia Downs.

Two ambulances are requested to the scene of an accident at Lewiston Road and West Main Street, Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE: A 64-year-old man was transported to UMMC with minor injuries.

After 100 years, the St. Jerome’s Guild is thriving and continuing its mission of being an organization of women who work together to benefit the community.

Helen Batchellor, has been a member of the nonprofit guild since 1949, back when they held many dinner dances, and parties for newly born babies.

The group is celebrating its Centennial at the Jerome Center by holding a public reception at 2 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 14), enjoying an afternoon with No Blarney’s Rich Conroy, who will provide Irish songs for the party. It is located at 16 Bank St. in the City of Batavia.

“It’s a get-together time for everybody,” Batchellor said. “I spoke to a couple doctors that worked at St. Jerome’s a few years ago and they said they’re looking forward to coming. It’s a nice thought.”

Batchellor said the Jerome Sisters, who started the guild, bought the property on Bank Street in 1917, where the guild still resides today.

“At that time there was an epidemic of influenza,” Batchellor. “The little hospital that we had, wasn’t big enough.”

The group of nuns who formed St. Jerome’s Guild were originally from Ireland.

“They were very active in taking care of the sick,” Batchellor said.

When the Jerome Sisters purchased the land on Bank Street, there were wooden houses at the time.

Judy Stiles, a research assistant at the Genesee County History Department, assisted Batchellor in filling in the dates from the guild’s history that she could not remember.

“Everyone at the Genesee County History Department has been a big help with the history,” Batchellor said.

Batchellor said the guild has advanced in their technology use since she first joined.

“We’re trying to evolve with modern technology,” Batchellor said.

While they don’t hold dinner dances, or other events as fundraisers anymore, Batchellor said they depend on their gift shop.

“It is located in the Jerome Center now,” Batchellor said. “It has been very successful.”

The gift shop has unique giftware items that artisans from coast to coast have designed, including jewelry, purses, and country aprons.

The guild donates funds yearly to the hospital for new equipment, and has a scholarship for students pursuing higher education for a career healthcare.

Batchellor said times have changed a lot since 1917 during World War I, and the flu epidemic.

“Things change, people change, and I guess we have to change with it.”

GO ART! invites you to chalk the "Walk of Hope" on Saturday, Oct. 14 along the sidewalk at the Liberty Square Plaza.

For a $20 donation you can secure your spot along the sidewalk near Ficarella's Pizzeria's parking lot.

Artists can arrive at 7:30 a.m. and judging will happen at 2:30 p.m. You must bring your own chalk art supplies.

This is part of the (hurricane) "Harvey Festival," which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prizes -- sponsored by Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle, Pollyanna & Dot/The Hidden Door, Charles Men's Shop, Batavia Bootery, Main St. Pizza Company and The YNGodess Shop -- will be awarded for the best design in the following age groups:

• 10 and below
• 11 to 14
• 15 to 17
• 18 and up

All proceeds of the event will go toward aid for the victims of the summer's devastating hurricanes.

For more information, contact Jodi Fisher at   jfisher@goart.org or phone 343-9313.