batavia

A few people had a question for us yesterday: Why was a State Police helicopter circling over the City of Batavia?

Answer: Marijuana eradication.

Rebecca Gibbons, spokeswoman for the State Police, just provided the answer.

"This is the time of year that it is very visible," Gibbons said.

The helicopter is in the air again today, but Gibbon's doesn't have information what areas it would be covering during its marijuana eradication mission.

Checkpoints were set up in Genesee County yesterday by the Batavia Police Department and the New York State Police, leading to the arrests of 14 people.

The checkpoints were at Clinton Street, as well as in the Town of Darien and on Colby Road in Pembroke.

Sally C. Dixon, 39, of 5801 Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with DWI. Dixon was stopped on Clinton Street by Batavia police.

The following arrests were made by State Police:

Robert Davis, 24, of N. Tonawanda, NY,  charged with DWI, allegedly driving with a BAC of .10 percent.

John Blackmore, 36, of Ewing, N.J., charged with three counts of criminal possession controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Michael Hirsch, 26, of Tonawanda, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .14 percent.

Richard Gentilozzi, 25, of Fairfield, Conn., charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Ryan Rich, 23, of Norwalk, Conn., charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Lawrence Taylor, 36, of Depew, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .08 percent.

Bret Cimerman, 27, of Buffalo, charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Hunter Ciliberti, 20, of Redwood, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC .13 percent.

Adam Drexler, 30, of Rochester, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .10 percent.

Thomas Lalomia, 26, of Getzville, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .16 percent.

Gregory Martin, 31, of Niagara Falls, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .09 percent.

Michael Sargent, 29, of Rochester, charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs.

Batavia resident Ben Long - a Pittsburgh Steelers fan - is shown here holding the first legally sold copy of Madden 10 sold in the city.

He showed up at FYE at around 11:30 p.m. and waited for the midnight opening for the sale of the game. I have heard other residents obtained the game yesterday and during the day today as some local stores were illegally selling the game before EA Sports allowed the release.

Ok, I grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and I got to tell you I never saw cabbage like this before! Care-A-Van was blessed this evening by local farmers ( I apologize I do not know which farmer)s donated corn for our cookout this evening  at East Main Street Parksite Apartments along with fresh cabbage ,  zuchini  and beets for  the folks to take home as well.  Thank you to these  farmers and all who help make a difference here in the city!  We will be back there Sunday afternoon at 2:30 for street church. 

Rick a volunteer with Care-A-Van cooks up the corn

Our Friend Larry and the kids sure did enjoy the ice cream

Charles Zambito will be honored by Batavia Downs on Aug. 29 as the second Genesee County resident to receive its now annual "Italian-American of the Year" award.

Joe "The Mayor of Batavia" Gerace received the first award last year.

Zambito, an attorney who was born and raised Elba and now serves as a Genesee County legislator, will receive the award inside the winner's circle at Batavia Downs.

The award honors a local Italian-American who has made a significant contribution to the community.

Zambito was elected to the Genesee County Legislature in 2001. He serves as the legislature’s liaison to the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and Genesee Community College.

A father of three, Zambito, 57, is a trustee of St. Padre Pio Roman Catholic Parish, where he also serves as a lecturer and usher. He is chairman of the Town of Elba Republican Committee and member of the county GOP committee.  Zambito is a former attorney adviser to the Genesee County Mock Trial Program, member of the Batavia Rotary Club, Genesee-Orleans Cornell Club and active with the Paolo Busti Foundation.

Zambito and his wife, Pat, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in September.

Italian-American Night is one of several ethnic celebrations at the Downs during racing season, now through Dec. 5. Anyone wishing to make reservations to attend the Aug. 29 festivities may contact Arna Tygart at (585) 343-3750 (Ext 437).  A special Italian Buffet will be served and live music will be featured with The Formula Band.

Are the kids driving you crazy in the evening? Are they full of energy that need to be put to a good use? Why not send them on over to Street Jam at Centennial Park.

Northgate is sponsoring Street Jam for all kids every night this week at the Park. They have been there all this week. It is not to late to send the kids on over. They will still be there Thursday night and Friday night from 6:00 pm until 8:00 PM. On Friday evening there will be a carnival. Everything is free!  There is praise and worship music, dramas, crafts, games and much more.

Care-A-Van has partnered with them in this endeavor. While the kids are having fun, stop by and have a fresh cup of coffee and just relax and enjoy the evening with us.

Great Job Northgate on providing fun and outreach to the kids of the community!

Oh to be young again and duck under a parachute!

The kids really enjoy craft time!

Rocking and Jamming with Jesus on opening worship time

Little ones learning how to pray to God

Everyone enjoys a good game of kickball

Care-A-Van is Always there because God cares and so do we

At least for Friday, it's time for the community to come together and forget any disagreements over the soon-to-be-discontinued Batavia ambulance service, says Greg Ireland.

Friday is the 15th-annual "Fill the Boot" drive for MDA, a fundraiser sponsored by City of Batavia Firefighters IAFF Local 896.

Money collected during the fundraiser benefits children who are diagnosed with neuromuscular diseases. Donations cover the costs of everything from wheelchairs and braces to physical therapy, as well as summer camps.

"This year is as important as any to these kids," Ireland said in an e-mail. "There is no reason why our Union's disagreements with City Hall should get in the way of helping them. Sure there is a lot of tension around the Fire House right now with the impending layoffs, but that doesn't change the fact the the MDA needs our support."

Ireland said union members held a meeting recently and united around the need to ensure "Fill the Boot" came together again this year.

Off-duty members of Local 896, including firefighters and medics who will be out of work on Sept. 1, will be at the fundraiser at 1 Court St. on Friday.

Last year's "Fill the Boot" campaign set a record with $5,000 in donations.

"To me, the MDA is very important," Ireland wrote. "These kids have been sentenced to a life of pain and suffering for no apparent reason. If we can raise money to make their life easier in any way, it's worth it. For example, The MDA of Rochester has several day camps for the kids. I've visited there before, and to see the kids being kids, being able to do the things that normal children can do, it is really great. It gives them a day or two to just leave their illness behind and enjoy being a kid! It is quite touching to see."

When people have a strong motivation that drives them to devote all their time and effort to something worthwhile, they are bound to find happiness; at least this is the case for Batavia resident Donald R. Carroll, who has spent countless hours helping local youth.

He is one of four inductees for the Oakfield-Alabama High School Hall of Fame ceremony, which takes place the first weekend in October.

For the last 35 years, Carroll has lived by his motto, “Pay it forward.” He graduated from Oakfield-Alabama Central School in 1974. Instead of following the trend of going off to college after getting his diploma, Carroll decided to join the workforce and focus on his passion for helping less fortunate children.

For his first organized project, he partnered with the Genesee/Wyoming YMCA to raise money to send kids to camp. The fundraiser was successful for 23 years.

Erik Fix, branch director of the Genesee/Wyoming YMCA said Carroll has collaborated with the organization over the years on many different occasions. Fix said most recently they have combined efforts on Don’s Secret Santa fundraiser to give gifts to children at Christmas time.

This fundraiser started because Carroll wanted to ensure every underprivileged child he was aware of was not disappointed on Christmas morning. This project has recently been expanded to provide grade school kids with supplies for school and winter coats.

Shortly after the camp fundraiser, Carroll switched his focus to helping students with college expenses. He started a 5k and 10k run in Batavia that ended in 2005 to support the Genesee Community College Foundation.

In 1997 he was named Geneseean of the Year (A person who has made an outstanding contribution to the community, contributed or volunteered beyond the call of duty and who is a resident of Genesee County) by the Chamber of Commerce.

Donald R. Carroll, the quiet, shy orphan who by chance grew up in Oakfield, NY, has become a true “Guardian Angel” of the less fortunate children of Genesee County.

Donald credits his success to having grown up in Oakfield and attending OACS where one individual in particular took a special interest in him. Donald will always be indebted to Coach Bill Burns for guiding him in high school, and getting him his first job as a counselor at YMCA Camp Hough. Coach Burns taught him by example about lending a hand, "paying it forward."

OA Alumni HOF dinner details: 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 3. at OA Middle High School. Tickets are $17. How to get tickets:

• 1. Write your check to "Dollars for Scholars"
• 2. Put "Hall of Fame" in the memo area
• 3. Mail check to -- Hall of Fame Treasurer, OACS, 7001 Lewiston Road, Oakfield,  NY 14125

A Canadian-based coffee chain is planning a location on Court Street with a "European style" formula, and the company is getting tax breaks that helped entice it to Batavia, according to an announcement by GCEDC today.

Coffee Culture stands to save $37,200 in taxes on its new equipment and building improvements to 6 Court St., and the company is also seeking property tax exemptions on the increased value the remodeled property will garner.

It's a program, according to GCEDC's Chad Zambito, that is available to any business, local or out of the area, that is investing at least $50,000 in its start up.

Ken Mistler, who is opening a coffee shop at Main and Jackson, declined the same assistance primarily because the timing of the process did not match Mistler's plans, Zambito said. Mistler was unavailable for comment this afternoon.

Coffee Culture plans to spend $330,000 to renovate the 2,500-square-foot location and turn it into a "high end" cafe and eatery. Initially, the business will be corporate-operated, but will be available to a potential franchise operator. It will offer free wi-fi, a plasma TV and meeting space.

Besides gourmet coffee, the chain offers breakfast and lunch sandwiches and desserts.

Zambito gave full credit to Don Burkel at the BID for getting GCEDC involved in the process of recruiting Coffee Culture to Batavia.

State troopers stopped a van last night on Route 98 in the Town of Batavia for allegedly speeding and found that two people inside were apparently in the country illegally.

Taken into custody were Leodegario Vazquez-Rodriguez, 48, and Francisco Hernandez-Gomez, 24.

Both were charged with unlawfully entering the United States.

Hernandez-Gomez was also charged with seven vehicle and traffic violations.

Vazquez-Rodriguez was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Hernandez-Gomez was placed in Genesee County Jail on the alleged vehicle and traffic violations, awaiting transfer to federal authorities after the local charges have been answered.

A two-car accident with minor injuries has been reported at Route 98 and Rose Road.

Both vehicles are blocking the roadway.

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Attention friends of do-gooders...Batavia City Manager Jason Molino wants to hear from you -- and soon!

The City of Batavia is seeking nominations for the Community Volunteer of the Year recognition award to be presented by City Council at its Sept. 14 business meeting. 

Nomination Forms can be picked up at the City Manager’s Office or by phone at (585) 345-6333. Nominations will be accepted through Aug. 17.

I happened to catch this truck going through the roundabout this morning, and the driver seemed to make it through just fine. He went, though, only half way onto the brick area.

As you can see, he's tilted a bit, so one of my questions is -- doesn't the DOT plan to level the asphalt with the bricks? My assumption was yes, but the sides of the curbs are bevele -- as if they're meant to be driven on -- leaving the asphalt inches below the bricks.

It was clear from the tire marks on the bricks that many drivers have discovered that it's OK to drive on the red roadway.

This afternoon, I spotted a long line of classic-looking, very tiny cars heading west. I turned around and followed them down River Street and eventually to Williams Park.

It turns out the American Austin Bantam Club is holding its 46th annual meeting in Batavia this week.

American Austins, and alter Bantams, were manufactured in the United States from the 1930s until the early 1940s. They were America's first economy car.

They were probably intended for second family cars, for short drives to the store and other errands, said club member Gene Loomis, of Warsaw.

The cars get about 50 miles per gallon of gas.

Phil Haynes, of Connecticut, said there were some 17,000 to 18,000 Austins built in Pennsylvania, and then about 6,700 Bantams manufactured.

It was Haynes (pictured in the white car below) I dropped behind after turning around on Main. As I followed him, he would occasionally stick his left arm out the driver's side and wave it straight down, back and forth.  At first, I thought, "He thinks I'm following too close," so I backed off, and he did it again, so I backed off some more, then he did it again, and that's when I realized, "he's rowing."

These little cars don't have a lot of horsepower. Haynes said he needed all the help he could get to coax his American Austin up any kind of incline.

The Club is staying at the Holiday Inn and will visit the VA Medical Center this afternoon.

A 38-year-old driver was injured during the ninth race last night at Batavia Downs.

Kevin Cummings, who was driving 13-year-old square-gaiter Devilinhiseyes, suffered a spill and sustained injuries to his hip and elbow, according to a statement issued by Todd Haight, spokesman for Batavia Downs.

Haight quotes Cummings:

I’m really not sure what happened. Things got tight and the race bike got jerked from underneath me. When the left wheel tipped sideways I knew I was in trouble. I just let go of the lines and landed on the ground.

My hip is really bruised, that’s where I hit the ground and my elbow has a hole in it. I lost a chunk of skin. It's really sore today.

The accident occurred going into the first turn, during the ninth race, a $4,000 claiming trot.

Cummings, a father of four, plans to return to racing on Wednesday night.

Devilinhiseyes was uninjured in the incident, nor were any other drivers or horses hurt.

Joanne C. Buchanan, 50, of Box 70 Country Road Route 37, Central Square, and Jayne E. Best, 52, of 9384 Woodlawn Drive, Brewerton, were arrested for allegedly attempting to evade or defeat tax and possession of untaxed cigarettes. Deputy Tim Wescott initiated a traffic stop for alleged speeding and reportedly found 10 cartoons of cigarettes in the car Buchanan and Best were in.

Donald J. Cummins, 60, of 104 Bernice Drive, Seneca, is charged with DWI. Cummins was reportedly driving westbound on Route 33 at 11:53 p.m. when his vehicle allegedly strayed from the roadway toward the left shoulder striking a road cone. Deputy Kevin R. McCarthy stopped Cummins and found he was allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was also cited for allegedly driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from a lane unsafely.

Susanna E. Venti, 60, of Alexander, is charged with DWI. Venti was stopped by a state trooper on Walker Road in the Town of Darien for allegedly crossing the center line. Venti's alleged BAC was .08 percent. Venti was cited for DWI, failing to keep right and driving an unregistered vehicle.