batavia

A skittish female shih tzu who lives at 66 Tracy Ave. in the City of Batavia is missing and owner Nikkie Stronge is beside herself with worry and anxiety about it.

The tiny black and white dog, named "Oreo," managed to bolt out her front door somehow after being chased by a cat she shares the home with.

This happended at about 11:30 a.m. yesterday. She was last seen running northbound, then she darted off and a friend lost sight of her.

There's some history with this feline housemate of hers. In her photo here, she's wearing a protective collar while her eye socket heals -- the cat literally scratched her left eye out and it could not be saved.

"It's not noticable right away because she has black fur around her eyes," Stronge said.

Oreo went back to the vet Friday for a check up and all was good. With some warm weather approaching, Strong decided to bath her a couple days ago and shear off her fur. She removed the 15-month-old pup's collar with tags for the grooming session.

Alas, Oreo is out in the wild world without ID, but she's readily identifiable. Plus, she's wearing Pokémon "Pikachu" character pajamas that are striped black and yellow like a bumble bee. Adorable!

"I'm holding her collar in my hands now," laments mom.

There's another little doggie in the household and the cat chases it, too. So for now the cat she rescued is in a cage and Strong is looking to rehome it.

"The cat is good with other cats and people, but not dogs," Stronge says.

When the canine -- known historically as "the little lion dog" and also the "chrysanthemum dog" skittered away from home, Strong was in Rochester and she returned to learn of the bad news an hour later.

She did everything she could think of: called the animal shelter in three different communities; contacted law enforcement; put up a notice on a lost pet website; scoured parks; looked around wooded areas in the vicinity; and even drove to Alexander on a sighting tip that didn't pan out.

Let's all keep our eyes peeled for Oreo.

If you spot her, give Nikkie Stronge a buzz or text her at (347) 702-1222.

UPDATED 11:28 a.m. April 8: Below, photo of Oreo in her Pokémon "Pikachu" character pajamas.

Griffin Della Penna, the voice of the Batavia Muckdogs, interviews Manager Joey Martinez.

Video submitted by the Batavia Muckdogs.

Previously: LIVE: Interview with Batavia Muckdogs Manager Joey Martinez

There will be a 13-day electronics recycling event at Ascension Parish in Batavia starting tomorrow, Thursday, April 8, and running through Tuesday, April 20.

The drop-off site is the garage adjacent to the parking lot behind the parish hall, which is located at 17 Sumner St. Signs will be put up to direct you.

Time is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Sunnking Recycling is handling the recycling.

Proceeds will benefit Camp Good Days & Special Times, an organization is working to help improve the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer.

City fire was dispatched to a residence on Elm Street for a garbage container fire and it turned out there was extension into the house.

The fire is out.

Firefighters are commencing overhaul.

UPDATE 5:56 p.m.: City fire is clearing the scene.

Peter Joseph Mancuso, 32, of Northwood Drive, Williamsville, is charged with third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal contempt. It is alleged that he caused damage to a person's vehicle at 8:44 p.m. March 6 on Roberts Road in Alabama, in violation of an order of protection. Mancuso was arraigned in Genesee County Court April 5, released on his own recognizance and a subsequent order of protection was issued. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Minuto, assisted by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Jeanna Marie Hattaway, 34, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with third-degree criminal trespass. Hattaway was arrested after she entered Walmart at 9:35 p.m. April 2, in violation of a June 12, 2018 Notification of Restriction from Property that was issued by Walmart Stores Inc. Hattaway was issued an appearance ticket and is due in BataviaTown Court on April 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

Hezekiah N. Burch, 19, (inset photo right) is charged with: two counts of first-degree rape with forcible compulsion, a Class B felony; first-degree sex abuse with forcible compulsion, a Class D felony; and attempted sex abuse in the first degree with forcible compulsion, a Class E felony. The charges allegedly stem from separate incidents on Hutchins Place over a one-month time frame earlier this year involving a child less than 15 years of age. Burch was arrested at 6:15 p.m. March 29 after a sex abuse investigation. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail in lieu of $40,000 cash bail, $60,000 bond, or $80,000 partially secured bond. He was due back in city court April 2.

Kyle J. Gugel, 35, (inset photo left) was arrested in the City of Batavia for allegedly violating an order of protection, illegally entering a residence and forcibly raping a victim at 9:30 a.m. on March 18 on West Main Street. He was arrested at 9:30 p.m. March 31 and charged with first-degree criminal contempt, a Class E felony; first-degree rape, a Class B felony; and second-degree burglary, a Class C felony. No court, jail or bail information provided.

Alejandro Rodriguez, 24, was arrested at 5:30 p.m. on March 28 and charged with: third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor; and second-degree robbery, a Class C felony. It is alleged that at 5:09 p.m. March 28 that Rodriquez was involved in a domestic incident on Dellinger Avenue in Batavia wherein he punched a woman in the face and stole property from her. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail, $5,000 bond or $7,500 partially secured bond. Rodriguez is due back in city court tomorrow (April 6).

Adam M. Jellison, 43, was arrested at 9:30 p.m. on March 25 following an investigation of a domestic incident that occurred Jan. 1 on Columbia Avenue in Batavia. He is charged with first-degree criminal contempt, a Class E felony, and second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony. Following his arraignment in Batavia City Court, he was jailed without bail.

Jeffrey J. Keily, 51, of Hidden Pond Lane, Walworth, is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- first offense; aggravated DWI per se -- with a BAC of .18 percent or more; operating a motor vehicle without insurance; and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway. Keily was arrested at 7:37 p.m. April 3 on Clinton Street Road in Stafford after deputies were dispatched for a report of an erratic driver. After an investigation, it is alleged Keily had a BAC of more than three times the legal limit. He was released with appearance tickets to be in Stafford Town Court on April 21. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, assisted by Deputy Jonathan Dimmig.

Kerwin Rey Vega, 33, of Flint Street, Rochester, is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- with a conviction within the last 10 years; aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree; DWI with a child passenger less that 16 years old (child is 11); operating a motor vehicle while having an open container of alcohol; operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device; and refusal to take a breath test. At 1:12 a.m. on April 4, Vega was arrested after a traffic stop in the Town of Bergen. Vega was released on appearance tickets and is due in Bergen Town Court on April 14. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Rae Cook, 32, was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment at 7:30 p.m. March 30 after multiple disturbances at a Batavia residence. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court tomorrow (April 6).

Kristen Marie Owens, 32, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs and speeding in excess of 55 mph. She was arrested at 7:59 p.m. April 2 on Route 237 in Stafford after a traffic stop. She was issued appearance tickets in be in Stafford Town Court on April 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Sgt. Andrew Hale.

Shane Crites, no age provided, was arrested on an active warrant out of Lamar County Sheriff's Office in Paris, Texas, where he is considered a fugitive from justice. He was arrested after a traffic stop at 11:13 p.m. March 25 on West Main Street Road in Batavia at Colonial Boulevard. Crites was arraigned in Batavia City Court then put in jail to await extradition to Texas. He is due back in Batavia City Court on April 22.

Paula Pierce, 29, was arrested on a Batavia City Court Bench Warrant on March 18 for failure to appear in court. Pierce was located after she called police to report an unrelated incident on State Street. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in city court April 8.

Amanda Maben, 42, was taken into custody in St. Lawrence County on March 24 on a Batavia City Court Bench Warrant. She was arraigned in Wyoming County Court on a Wyoming County warrant in addition to the Batavia warrant. She was released on her own recognizance and is due in city court April 28.

Via City Church

Recently, we were all vaccinated against coronavirus and off to finally visit our grandchildren. How wonderful to finally see them in person. On our first night together, we were talking about what they were doing to have fun.

The conversation turned into what we did for fun at their age. 

A typical day in the '60s would be playing kickball with our homemade bases and arguing about who was out. In the afternoon, we would go to the end of our street, where there was a swampy area, and we would try to float on our makeshift raft.

At night we sleep outside in a tent or at a neighbor's house on their back porch. We actually caught fireflies and put them in a jar.

We would ride bikes when the park was open and spend afternoons at the community "New Pool." We would go over to our neighbor's for her Kool-Aid popsicles.

The highlight of the summer would be a block party. If you notice, none of these activities cost any money, just our imagination and the participation of neighborhood kids. I guess you could call those our playdates.

If we fought with a neighbor kid, which happened often, the moms and dads never got involved. It was a life skill to learn how to get along.  

The other part of growing up, and the most important part, was your family. My memories are going to church and being separated from my brother, so we didn't fight in church. As we entered the pew, our dad would give us a tiny pinch just to remind us to behave in church.

We were usually late because getting eight family members ready for church was an event.   

We took a memorable trip to Florida when I was in fifth grade in our station wagon. My parents in the front, with my youngest brother in the middle, I was in the middle seat with my grandmother, and my other two brothers were in the backward seat. My sisters were too little to travel.

The trip only took four days to get to Florida. It included bathroom stops about every hour. It was like one of those movies about a crazy vacation adventure.  

Family holidays were so important with grandma, all the aunts, uncles and cousins with a food table that would feed 100!  

So now that I'm in my 70s, my memories seem to mean more to me. When I'm with my siblings, we love to talk about growing up and sharing our stories.  

One Christmas, when we were over at mom and dad's, and our children were running around, our mom gave us each a photo album filled with pictures of each of us growing up. I can't express how much those albums meant to all of us. She captured our childhood with photos and her love.  

Now I've turned into my parents -- telling my grandchildren what it was like when I was growing up.

My dad's favorite story to tell was about how he had to walk miles to school and home for lunch in all weather conditions. We live in the house he grew up in, and walking from our house to Ross Street wasn't that far, but he sure loved to tell that story, and we never got tired of listening to it.

Growing up in the '60s, a tablet was something we wrote on, a screen was on a black-and-white TV, and our phone was attached to the wall.

If you were lucky and had a Kodak Instamatic camera, it would have a little tower on it where you would put a flashcube to take a picture. It would take a week for the photos to develop.

So, I have lived through my childhood of the '60s, our daughters' in the '80s, and our grandchildren's in the 2000s.

I hope they have memories that they will cherish growing up during their time and the same for my grandchildren.

Yes, times have and will always change, but I hope everyone can still hold on to those memories of growing up.

I think we baby boomers have the best memories!

If you are fortunate to have your parents, ask them to tell their story, write it down or tape it. You will never regret their memories.

Always feel free to share your memories with me.

Photos of the Peca family, courtesy of Anne Marie Starowitz (née Anne Marie Peca).

Top, Anne Marie with her dad and two of her brothers - and two cameras!

Below, the nuclear Peca family all dressed up.

Bottom, the extended Peca clan, each member looking sharp.

The First Presbyterian Church of Batavia held its first-ever Easter Egg Hunt today.

An officer is dispatched to the Walmart parking lot for a report of a dog locked inside a Dodge Caravan for more than an hour.

The vehicle is parked in the last five rows "near the tree line."

It's 47 degrees outside.

Friends of the family burned out of its home on Maple Street in Batavia on Tuesday held a fundraiser for them today -- photos with the Easter Bunny in the Gazabo next to the Oatka Creek in Le Roy. 

The event was organized by Jenna Read and Ally Scofield.

With Easter Bunny are Lilly, 7 months, and Addison, 11 months.

The GoFundMe campaign for the family, organized by Scofield, has raised more than $7,000 (with a new goal of $9,000).

Press release:

Batavia Police are looking to identify the driver in an accident that occurred at the intersection of Liberty Street at Ellicott Street on Friday Night (April 2) at approximately 11:08 p.m.

The vehicle is described as a white Chevy or GMC model 1500 with a light bar on the front grill and a black toolbox in the truck bed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Freeman at (585) 345-6350.

UPDATED April 5: "Batavia Police would like to thank the community for their assistance locating the driver and subsequent victim of a hit and run accident that occurred this weekend. The victim's vehicle was confirmed to be a GMC Sierra."

For a few small businesses, COVID-19 has meant the end of the line. The owners just weren't able to outlast coronavirus pandemic restrictions and people staying home. For Christine and Cassandra Wroblewski, a mother and daughter team (Cassandra pictured), the lack of income options after losing their jobs meant it was time to start a business.

Together, they've opened the Junk Drawer at 238 Ellicott St. Batavia.

"I bought my first pallet (of merchandise) and flipped it and made double my money (selling on eBay)," Christine said. "Then I bought another one. Then my house began to look like a hoarder's.  (Cassandra) wasn't working so I was like, 'You want to open a store?' and this place was available. This was all because of COVID."

Cassandra agrees, starting their own business together seemed like the obvious thing to do.

"Everything was just cluttering her house up and she's like, 'Hey, open up the store!' Cassandra said. "I'm like, 'OK, it's better than being at home.' "

The store specializes in selling remainders -- items that were overstock for some other store and are available wholesale at very low prices.  

A customer in the store yesterday afternoon who was loading up her basket on shampoos, soaps and lotions, said the Junk Drawer has become her place to go because the prices are so much lower than other discount stores in the city. 

Cassandra is an artist and a crafter, so items she and her mother-in-law crochet along with her paintings are also for sale in the store.

"We have beauty products; we have toys; we have anything you can imagine and our inventory is always changing," Cassandra said.