batavia

City firefighters raised $5,601 in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association this year as part of its annual "Fill the Boot" campaign.

It's the most ever donated in a single MDA boot drive, according to Greg Ireland, president of IAFF Local 896.

On Friday, off duty firefighters, stood at the intersections of Main and Court and Ellicott and Court with firefighter boots and asked passersby to drop in donations.

"It was an amazing day," Ireland said.

I stumbled across this video on YouTube -- it appears to be old home movies, showing mostly their business ventures, from the Mancuso Family.  It appears to be all shot pre-war, 1941.

This Saturday, Heather Ackerman invites you into an alternative universe with alternative theater...

Well, all right, maybe that first "alternative" is a bit over the top...but the second is definitely real.

The venture

Ackerman's new East Bethany-based theater group, "Honesty Theatre," will be putting on their second production Saturday, June 12. It will be made up of a series of individual performances grouped under the theme of "alternate realities."

"All of these stories will be based on different 'what if' ideas," Ackerman said, citing as an example a vignette that has Sophocles' Antigone winding up in New York City.

Ackerman describes Honesty Theatre as "an experimental writing company for the stage." The group is made up of small teams of actors, each responsible for writing, producing and performing a short play...all in one day.

Each teams' play is included in a single, themed performance every month. At Honesty Theatre's premiere last month, the plays that were all about "beginnings." Subjects included Adam and Eve, beginning relationships, the first day in a new town, etc.

Ackerman says this style of theater is good for both audiences and actors; audiences get to see something "no one has ever seen before" (since it's being more or less created and performed at the same time), while actors have the chance to explore their creative instincts.

"Our emphasis is on the creative process, what we learn along the way and being creative with words, rather than on the final product."

Nevertheless, the Honesty Theatre troupe is taking advantage of lessons learned from their last show to enhance the quality of the next one. For example, instead of writing the scripts on the day as the performance, they decided to "workshop" the scripts well in advance this time. Spontaneity will still be very much in play, but with scripts prepared in advance, the actors can focus more energy on the performance aspect of the show.

"Acting on the fly is a lot better than writing on the fly," Ackerman said.

She also encouraged more interaction and reciprocal feedback between the different acting teams, as well as some advance rehearsal time. During the first production, the actors had to rehearse while the other vignettes were being performed. This time, they will be able to see and offer feedback on their fellow actors' work.

The brains behind the operation

Though currently a resident of East Bethany, Ackerman is a Batavia native. She has been acting since she was a youngster and has an impressive repertoire of local theater performances, including roles in Summer Youth Theater productions of "Alice in Wonderland," "Godspell" and "Oliver." She has also worked with a local independent theater company called Something-or-Other Productions, acting in such plays as "The Laramie Project" and "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged" from 2004-2007.

While a student at Genesee Community College, she had starring roles in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "A Christmas Carol."

In addition to acting, she also has experience writing local theater productions. Her first stage play, an experimental piece about young girls and their perspectives on relationships (love, breakups, etc), premiered at GCC in 2003.

After earning a bachelor's degree from the NY University at Buffalo, she spent six months living in Boulder, Colo. It was there that the seeds of Honesty Theatre were planted.

"I was looking at the want ads and I noticed that there were these people looking for a theater writer," Ackerman said. "I called them right away, got the job, and wrote for them the whole time I lived in Boulder."

The names of the two individuals in question were Erin Kelly and Jesse McDonald, and they ran a spontaneous theater company just like Honesty Theatre. Kelly, in fact, was one of the founders of "L.A. Café," which was the first group to experiment with this type of theater.

"They're actually doing very well in Boulder," Ackerman said. "In the time since I left, they've already become a larger theater company."

Ackerman was so intrigued by their approach to live theater that she wanted to bring it to her own neck of the woods. She asked Kelly and McDonald for their permission, and they granted it happily.

The venue

Honesty Theatre productions take place at the East Bethany Old Town Hall, at 10440 Bethany Center Rd., which Ackerman says has "exactly what (they) need" in spite of its smaller size. The hall contains an old vaudeville stage.

"It has seating for 100, and it's great as a theater because it has an old-fashioned look and bright polished wood."

Saturday's show will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last about an hour and a half. Tickets are $8 and will be for sale at the door.

For more details, call Ackerman at 356-4678.

There are two public meetings scheduled to discuss possible revisions to the Genesee County Smart Growth Plan.

One is at 7 p.m., Monday, June 7, in the large meeting room in County Building No. 2, located at 3837 W. Main St. Road in the Town of Batavia.

The other is at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 8, inside the Le Roy Town Hall, 48 Main St.

The Smart Growth Plan, first adopted by the county legislature in 2001, is required to be reviewed every three years and any recommendations for revision must be made at that time.

The preliminary draft of the proposed revisions can be viewed on the county's website, specifically at:

<http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/dpt/planning/SmartGrowthPlan%202010Prelim.pdf>

The overall plan is intended to mitigate potentially significant environmental impacts of the Genesee County Water Supply Project on agriculture.

To this end, Smart Growth Development Areas were designated based on access to transportation, minimal conflict with county agricultural districts as well as state regulated wetlands.

The plan assesses the feasibility of extending public water service and the potential for extending public infrastructure to support community development.

There was a large turn out Friday evening at Batavia Downs for the annual Festival of Hope to benefit Genesee Cancer Assistance.

GCA raised $30,000 this year.

The event featured a 5K walk/run, games for children, music, a Chinese Auction and haircuts and beauty treatments.

On left below, Paul C. Stomper poses with Dr. Kevin Mudd. Stomper was the keynote speaker Friday. The Batavia native has travelled the U.S. working with cancer patients and has authored a book, "Come Sunday, Inspiration for Living with Heart."  Mudd is president of GCA. You can find out more about Stomper and his book at ComeSunday.net.

More pictures after the jump:

At the intersection of Putnam and East roads, crews were harvesting hay this afternoon.

A 41-year-old Batavia woman has been charged with adultery after being caught engaged in sexual intercourse on a picnic table in Farrall Park.

The woman was arrested along with a 29-year-old Oakfield man and both were charged with public lewdness.

The man was identified by Batavia Police as Justin M. Amend.

Because the woman is married with children, The Batavian has chosen to withhold her name.

UPDATE: After more thought (see our post explaining the reversal of the decision here), we've decided to publish the female suspect's name. It is Suzanne M. Corona.

Sgt. John Peck said that Officer Matt Baldwin was dispatched to Farrall Park about 5:15 p.m. after parents in the park called police. Baldwin witnessed the couple still engaged in sex when he arrived.

"There was a little alcohol involved," Peck said. "They initially didn't seem too embarrassed."

Peck acknowledge that adultery charges are rare these days.

"Many people probably don't realize it's still a crime," Peck said.

He said Amend was not charged with adultery because he was apparently not aware the woman was married.

Both suspects were issued appearance tickets for City Court on June 8 and released.

Firefighters Mike Morris and Jeff Whitcombe were on Main Street at Court Street this morning collecting donations from drivers passing by as part of the City of Batavia Fire Department Local 896's annual campaign. The funds benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Firefighters will be at Main and Court and Ellicott and Court until 5 p.m.

A motor vehicle accident with injuries is reported in front of the Miss Batavia restaurant at 566 E. Main St. in Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

Photo by Howard Owens.

Sean Christopher McGuire, 25, of South Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings. McGuire was stopped at 12:31 a.m. today by Deputy Patrick Reeves on Route 77 in Pembroke.

Kevin E. Kern, 22, of South Main Street, Manfield, Pa., is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of. 08 or greater, and speeding. Kern was stopped at 12:12 a.m., today, on Route 33, Town of Batavia, by Deputy James Diehl.

Joseph Beszczynski, 24, of Darien, is charged with petit larceny. Beszczynski was arrested by State Police in the area of 11000 Darien-Alexander Townline Road at 9:13 a.m., Monday. No further details were released.

John E. Swabb, 54, of Oakfield, is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI with no priors. Swabb was stopped by State Police on Wortendyke Road, Batavia, at 3:18 p.m., Sunday.

LaToya D. Jackson, 24, of Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and violation of probation. Jackson was arrested by State Police at 4036 W. Main St., Road, Batavia, at 12:05 a.m., Monday. No further details available.

William Brown, a native Batavian, is and always will be a newshound. He has spent a long lifetime writing stories from the sensational to the mundane, the odd and the expected, and everything in between.

He’s a regular at the Batavia City Council meetings, notepad and pen at the ready.

“They pray before every meeting,’ Brown said.

His latest series of articles for the Buffalo News is about Leandra’s Law, the new DWI law, which makes it a felony if a child is in the car of an inebriated driver.

Besides newspaper writing, Brown spent many years in radio broadcasting, something he was drawn to since taking a high school course about it.

But initially, he set his sights on becoming a principal or school superintendent. He even earned a master’s degree Educational Administration.

Then he joined the Army, touring Japan during World War II, and served in its radio service program. He was in charge of communications between the camp and the troop he belonged to.

After returning from the war, Brown took a job at WBTA. From there on out, he was in the news business.

“This is usually a good starting point for people and after a few years they move onto a larger market or get out of the business, although some people stay,” Brown said.

When Brown first started at the station, he was an announcer and he covered the police and city hall beats. He did the 12:30 p.m. newscast.

“The funniest moments I remember were the announcers and their bloopers. Such as: ‘The woman is under the physician’s car’ when the announcer meant to say ‘The woman is under the physician’s care.’”

The biggest stories of his career were both exciting and terrifying -- The flood of Tonawanda Creek in 1942 and the 1971 Attica Prison riot.

At the time of the flood, WBTA was only a year old. It had a rocky start because people in Batavia believed they could get all of their news from either Buffalo or Rochester and didn’t need a local station.

That changed when the Tonawanda Creek flooded the entire south side of West Main including the railroad tracks. There was no communication from outside of the town.  Everyone was cut off.

People had to rely on WBTA. When communications were finally restored, Batavians found that they enjoyed their local station and began to value its importance in the local community.

Nearly 30 years later, WBTA was on the frontlines of the Attica Prison uprising.

“We had a reporter there all the time giving us updates on what was happening.”

WBTA provided coverage for more than 50 radio stations – stories of inhumane conditions and shoddy treatment, the overcrowding, racism and beatings which boiled over into a four-day riot that left 39 people dead.

New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s orders to use tear gas and open fire on the inmates were heavily criticized. The prisoners got some concessions and things improved.

Years after the Attica uprising, Brown bought one-third ownership in WBTA. But he eventually sold his share and retired from radio – but not the news business.

Brown is particularly proud of his editorials.

“The editorials used to be about baking pies and stories of Mom. I believed editorials are made to be thought provoking, involved and controversial.”

So he set about changing the way the local editorials were done. He wanted to spur people into action. In each of the 16 years he worked on editorials, he won an award from the Associated Press.

Of the 12 books he has written, he cites two favorites: “The Linden Murders” and “Genesee’s Rich and Famous.”

The former is about four unsolved murders in Wyoming County. These cases were labeled “perfect” because no clues were left behind.

His other favorite book includes some colorful personalities, such as railroad baron Dean Richmond, director for the Utica and Buffalo Railroad Company.

Then there’s the story of Edward Newton Rowell who murdered his wife’s lover in their home.

“Rowell shot the man in the back as he was fleeing down the stairs.”

He went to the police and confessed to the crime. The jury later found him not guilty of the crime, on the grounds he killed an intruder in his home.

A 100 years ago, murder was apparently more forgivable than adultery.

The book also features Orator Francis Woodward, who bought the Jell-O formula from his neighbor Pearle Wait for only $450. He named his company Genesee Pure Foods Company and so effectively marketed Jell-O that it became a household name.

Photo: File Photo from a December 2009 Batavia Rotary Club meeting where Brown received gifts from the club.

Members of the local law enforcement community carried the Special Olympic torch through Genesee County as it makes its way to Utica for the opening of the games on June 4. After passing down Oak Street, the runners made their way to Walnut and the headquarters of Genesee ARC where there was a special reception.

City of Batavia firefighters are asking local residents to once again "fill the boot."

The annual fundraising drive benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

At 9 a.m. Friday, residents are encouraged to drive through the intersection of Court Street and Ellicott Street or Court and Main and drop donations into a firefighter's boot.

This is the 16th year City of Batavia Fire Department Local 896 has sponsored a local "fill the boot" drive.

Last year, the community donated $4,500 to the effort.

"Everyone at the firehouse is looking forward to this Friday," said Union President Greg Ireland.  "The guys really appreciate the generosity of those that can give, whether it be their spare change, a dollar or even more."

Donations help cover everything from wheelchairs to braces, physical therapy sessions to kids summer camps.

Photo: File photo from last year.

Michael T. McKeever, 42, of Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, is charged with menacing, 2nd. McKeever is accused of exiting his home with a shotgun and approaching his son with it during a domestic incident. McKeever then approach a car and shot out the passenger-side window. At McKeever's arraignment, an order of protection was issued and McKeever was ordered to turn over all of his weapons to the Sheriff's Office.

Randell Lee Krtanik, 59, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, moving from lane unsafely, failure to reduce speed for hazard. Krtanik was arrested following a traffic accident on Bethany Center Road, Bethany, at 11:33 a.m., May 22. Krtanik was uninjured in the accident, and neither the mailbox he hit nor his vehicle were damaged. Krtanik allegedly swerved to avoid another car making a turn. The accident was investigated by Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.

Melvin Leverne George, 42, of E Avenue, Akron, is charged with trespass. After being arrested for an alleged fight on Council House Road, Alabama, George is accused of staying on private property after being told to leave.

Robert Conrad Grant, 48, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Deputy Jason Saile reports that at 2:22 a.m., Sunday, he stopped Grant on Angling Road, Pembroke. Upon investigation, Saile determined that Grant was allegedly in possession of stolen telephone wire from a property on Route 5, Pembroke. Grant allegedly fled the scene of the traffic stop on foot. Grant was also charged with unlicensed operation, driving left of pavement markings, unregistered motor vehicle, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. Grant was issued an appearance ticket.

Mike Klotzbach and Mike Corona showed up at the Batavia Elks Lodge #950 today, they said, for a sense of closure.

Klotzbach had been involved with the lodge for more than a decade and Corona for nearly 15 years.

They had a lot of good times in the lodge building, they said, and they enjoyed serving the community through Elks.

In February, the Grand Lodge shut down Batavia's 105-year-old lodge for reasons that have never been fully explained.

Today, the Bontrager auction service took bids on many of the items left in the lodge building at the corner of East Main Street and Wiard. Both Klotezback and Corona said they wanted some memento of their dedication to the lodge. For Klotzbach, he walked out of the back door with an American flag. Corona successfully bid on a set of red velvet chairs.

"It's just  a keepsake," Klotzbach said, "just something to remember the club by, the time and effort."

Klotzbach said there were 200 members in the lodge, 35 or so who were active and essentially kept the lodge running, and among those, he said he would count himself as the top three most active. As a trustee and board member, he said, he was deeply involved in the issues surrounding the Grand Lodge's decision to pull the local charter.

He said it came as a total shock when it happened.

"I felt let down," he said.

As Corona loaded the last of his dozen or so chairs in the back of his black pickup truck, he said he would miss his time at the lodge. For him, it wasn't just a place to hang out, it was a place that enabled community involvement.

"I'll remember the time we gave to the community," he said.

The local Elks were involved in fund raising for local youths, including scholarships for deserving high school students.

Klotzbach added that everybody involved in the lodge misses the camaraderie.

"People just don’t know what to do now,"  Klotzbach. "Where do you go? It was more than just a neighborhood bar.

"With the closer of something you’re intimately involved with there is a hole," Klotzbach added. "The schedule of our lives revolved around this place. We’re doers. We’re leaders. We weren’t followers."

Both Klotzbach and Corona expressed concern about some items not being put up for auction (which resumes at 9 a.m., Wednesday) and those are the plaques upstairs that list the names of deceased members. They said auctioneer Todd Jantzi only told them the plaques weren't being put up for auction, but he doesn't know what will happen to them.

"The last thing I want to see," Corona said, "is for them to wind up in the basement of some other lodge."

The Batavian attempted to contact Kenneth Perry, one of the trustees appointed to the closure of the Batavia lodge by the Grand Lodge, but he was not available when we called.

"We knew a lot of the people on those plaques," Corona said.

An unshaven Scott F. Doll appeared in City Court this afternoon to deny a charge of promoting prison contraband.

Doll is accused of hiding on his body a green balloon containing a white powder when he was admitted to Genesee County Jail on May 21 following his conviction by a jury of murder, 2nd, for killing Joseph Benaquist.

Lab results on the white powder are not yet available.

After Doll's attorney, Daniel Killelea, entered Doll's not guilty plea, Judge Robert Balbick set an other hearing date for June 29, giving the county ample time to produce the lab results.

Even though Doll, who appeared in the jail's orange jumpsuit and shackles, is locked up without bail on the murder conviction, Killelea ask for a nominal bail in the case so that Doll might get credit for time served on the contraband charge.

Balbick declined to set bail since Doll showing up for future appearances in the case is not in doubt.

Lee Earl Galton, 31, of East Main Street, Angelica, is charged with criminal mischief and trespass. Galton is accused of allowing a vehicle to be driven onto a farmer's cornfield, then setting up camp on the field and burning a wood campfire while camping overnight on the recently planted field, all without permission of the landowner. The field is in the area of 9666 Route 77, Darien. Also arrested and charged in the alleged incident was Bethanne Marie Brown, 27, of Angelica.

Michael John Johnson, 19, of Sprucewood Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with assault, 3rd. Johnson is accused of using Super Glue on a person who was sleeping. He is accused of trying to glue one of the person's eyes and ears shut. Johnson was jailed on $500 bail.

Joseph M. Miano, 20, of Akron Road, Corfu; Joseph N. Striegel, 19, of Main Road, Pembroke, as well as a two 17-year-olds from Pratt Road, Batavia, are charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21. At 2:49 a.m., Tuesday, Deputy Jason Saile was dispatched to the TA Travel Center where a group of people were reportedly causing a disturbance. Striegel was also charged with petit larceny for allegedly stealing a laser pointer.

Sandra Lynn Pearce, 51, of Genesee Street, Corfu, is charged with disorderly conduct. Pearce is accused of interfering with a police investigation of a reported disturbance at an address on Genesee Street.

Robert Gehron McCarthy, 52, of Belvadere Lane, Batavia, is charged with harassment.  McCarthy is accused of getting into a fight with another person while at the dog show in Alexander Fireman's Recreation Hall.

Johanna Marie McCarthy, 60, of Belvadere Lane, Batavia, is charged with harassment. McCarthy is accused of getting into a fight with another person while at the dog show in Alexander Fireman's Recreation Hall.

James Ross Sweet, 49, of Shady Lane, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Sweet was taken into custody at 2:59 a.m., Monday, after the Sheriff's Office was called to the Country Meadows Trailer Park on three separate occasions within an hour's span. Sweet was reportedly playing his music too loud, honking a car horn more than 10 times and using profane language. Sweet was jailed on $250 bail.

A 17-year-old from Depew is accused by Batavia City Police of providing a false identification to a police officer on May 19, even after being warned that it was a crime to provide a false identity. Her true identity was later learned by police and she was located on Monday and arrested. She was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Kevin J. O'Connell, 29, of 433 E. Main St., Apt. 8, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd. O'Connell was charged following a domestic incident in which he allegedly hit another person and the child was knocked down.

Judson James Adamski, 42, of 142 Pamona Drive, Rochester, is charged with disorderly conduct. Adamski is accused of walking into a Subway restaurant in Pembroke at 9:02 p.m., Monday and yelling profanities.

Michael Cameron Humphrey, 19, of East Bethany Road, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child and criminal nuisance, 2nd. Humphrey is accused of hosting an underage drinking party. The alleged party was discovered while the Sheriff's Office investigated a 9-1-1 hang up call.

Cheryl A. Wittman, 40, of Bergen, is charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17. Wittman was arrested by State Police following an alleged incident reported at 3:16 p.m., Saturday. No further details were released.

Matthew L. Hume, 19, of Silver Creek, and Joshua Fisher, 24, of Warsaw, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Hume and Fisher were cited by State Police at 12:10 p.m., Wednesday, on Route 19 in Le Roy.

Eric J. Chaffee, 28, of Akron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC. of .08 or greater with two priors and unsafe turn. Chaffee was stopped at 11:46 a.m., Wednesday, by State Police on Akron Road in Pembroke.

Accidents reported in the State Police blotter:

9 p.m., Friday, Gillate Road, Alexander, one vehicle; Driver 1: Gary R. Ewert, 58, of Corfu. No injuries reported.

10:18 a.m., Thursday, West Main Street Road, Batavia, two vehicles; Driver 1: Michelle L Konieczny, 41, of Batavia; Driver 1: left the scene. No injuries reported.

4:11 p.m., Thursday, Home Depot parking lot, Batavia, two vehicles; Driver 1: Walter C. Purtell, 73, of Retsof; Driver 1: Lawrence P. Steen, 83, of Le Roy. No injuries reported.