batavia

Work crews spent most of the day finishing installation of a footbridge, as part of the new Ellicott Trail, scheduled to open this fall, over the Tonawanda Creek at Walnut Street in Batavia.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants In the areas south of Main Street and west of Jackson Street on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 14 and 15, from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 16, from approximately 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.

This may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear.

Donald Frisby (inset photo left), 64, was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department on July 16 and charged with one count of first-degree sexual abuse, a Class D felony.

It is alleged that in the month of July, while in the Village of Le Roy, that Frisby subjected a female to sexual contact by forcible compulsion. Frisby was arraigned before the court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Jeremy D. Lyons (inset photo, below right), 34, of Perry Road, Le Roy, is charged with one count each of the misdemeanors of third-degree assault and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. A violent domestic/assault led to the arrest of Lyons, a parolee, in the Village of Le Roy on Aug. 6.

The domestic incident was reported in the early morning hours on Church Street in which the victim reported that Lyons was staying with the female on Church Street, allegedly in violation of his parole conditions. It is alleged that Lyons tackled the female to the ground then punched her multiple times in the face and choked her.

Afterward, Lyons ran off. Lyons was located later that day by police after a small search, in which Lyons was discovered hiding in the weeds in the area of the Little League Field between East Main Street and St. Marks Street. Following his arrest, Lyons was arraigned and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $750 bail. A parole violation warrant was also issued due to this incident.

Darrell D. Smith, 52, of Highland Parkway, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief. He was arrested after a domestic incident at midnight on Aug. 8 on Prune Street, Batavia. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on his own recognizance. He is due in city court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Carlos E. Flores, 27, of Rand Street, Rochester, is charged with second-degree harassment. Flores was arrested after an incident at 8:35 p.m. Aug. 11 on Bank Street in Batavia. He allegedly threatened a person using gestures with his hands during a verbal dispute that caused the victim to be in fear. He was issued an appearance ticket and released and is due in Batavia City Court on Aug. 20. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Darius Lamar Jones, 27, of Exchange Street, Attica, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance; unlawful possession of marijuana; speed violation -- exceeding 55 mph; and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. At 9:02 p.m. on Aug. 7 on Route 33 in Byron, Jones was arrested after a traffic stop. It is alleged that "criminal indicators were observed," leading to a search of Jones and his vehicle. The search allegedly yielded marijuana, controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. He was issued appearance tickets for Sept. 9 in Byron Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy James Stack.

Linda Marie Clemens, 58, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and DWI. At 11:23 p.m. on Aug. 7, deputies responded to the parking lot of Batavia Downs on Park Road for a reported motor-vehicle accident. When they arrived they located Clemens in her vehicle. It is alleged that Clemens struck a parked vehicle in the parking lot. She was released on appearance tickets for Aug. 26 in Batavia Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Brock Cummins, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.

(name redacted upon request), of Farwell Drive, Batavia, is charged with unreasonable noise. He was arrested following a loud music complaint at 11 a.m. on Aug. 9 on Farwell Drive. He was released on an appearance ticket for Aug. 20 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Adam Tucker, assisted by Officer Jason Ivison.

Carrie A. Stewart, 39, of Church Road, Darien, is charged with petit larceny. She was arrested after an investigation of a larceny that occurred at 11:47 a.m. on Aug. 10 on East Main Street in Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Aug. 20.

Christine Wark, 34, of School Street, Le Roy was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department on July 22 and charged with one count of petit larceny after a complaint from a local business that Wark was allegedly seen shoplifting inside the store. Upon arrival of the Le Roy Police, Wark was arrested and released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Le Roy Court at a later date.

Cody N. Proefrock, 26, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. He was arrested after allegedly shoplifting from a local store at 5:20 p.m. on Aug. 6. He turned himself in. He was issued appearance tickets and released and is due in Batavia City Court on Aug. 20. The case handled by Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence.

Tony J. Aguglia, 39, of Main Street, Clarence, is charged with failure to appear. He responded to Batavia Police station at 1 p.m. on Aug. 6 and turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He is due in Batavia City Court on Aug. 13. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

The bridge that will span the Tonawanda Creek as part of the Ellicott Trail is being installed today.

The $1.7-million project will provide a biking and walking trail from just west of Williams Park to Seven Springs Road (see map).

(Editor's note: For a closer look at the trail map, click here.)

An unoccupied SUV in the grocery pickup section of the Walmart parking lot reportedly has a dog locked inside. The caller waited by the vehicle 15 minutes to see if the owner would return before calling dispatch. An animal control officer and a deputy are en route.

UPDATE 11:44 p.m.: The deputy is on site and speaking with the dog owner. The deputy advises the animal control officer can disregard the dispatch.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported on the Citgo Gas Station property at 8204 Park Road. NYS Troopers are on scene. Mercy medics are called for reports of generalized pain. Town of Batavia Fire Department is also responding.

UPDATE 12:15 p.m.: One vehicle is blocking traffic.

UPDATE 12:16 p.m.: A first responder on scene says injuries are minor. There is a lot of debris in the roadway.

UPDATE 12:39 p.m.: The town assignment is back in service.

Above, band Finance Director Bob Pastecki with 2019 scholarship winners Kyla Leno, left, and Katie Dessert.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Batavia Concert Band closed its 94th season on Aug. 7th, and presented some special awards.

Scholarship awards were presented to Katie Dessert and Kyla Leno. Dessert received the Batavia Concert Band Board of Directors Scholarship, and Leno received the Conductor’s Choice Scholarship.

Both Dessert and Leno are Music Education majors, have played with the Batavia Concert Band for several season, and aspire to become music teachers.

Board Member Ann Arent also presented the annual Pam Frisby Friend of the Band Award. Frisby was a former Board present and ardent supporter of the Band, and this award is given in her honor. The 2019 recipient was Charlie Gould. He is a regular presence at the Wednesday evening concerts, and often leads the crowd in singing the "Star Spangled Banner."

The Board of Directors and band officers would like to thank a dedicated and enthusiastic crowd, and season-long sponsors GO-ART! and WBTA. A full listing of gold, silver and bronze sponsors may be found at www.bataviaconcertband.net

Plans are already underway for the 2020 season!

Below, Board Member Ann Arent speaking about the annual Pam Frisby Friend of the Band Award.

Below, Charlie Gould, this year's recipient of the annual Pam Frisby Friend of the Band Award.

 

A caller reports a pet(s) left behind when the occupants moved out of a residence on Valley View Drive in Batavia. An animal control officer is responding.

UPDATE 5:42 p.m.: A reader with knowledge of the situation writes: "The owners were located and the pets are being taken care of by family members while the owners deal with some health issues."

A caller tells dispatch that a loose pig is running through the yard at 3684 S. Main St. in the Town of Batavia, between Lover's Lane and Fairway Drive. An animal control officer is dispatched to round up the porker.

At first the officer didn't she heard the call right. "What kind of animal is it again?" she asked.

Press release:

Genesee Community College invites visual artists to submit their work for possible exhibition at GCC's Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery located in the Genesee Center for the Arts on GCC's main campus located in Batavia.

This call for work is open to individual artists and group exhibitions in all media interested in the 2020-2021 academic year. The deadline for consideration for the 2020-2021 academic year is Dec. 31.

The Steiner Gallery's mission is to foster community involvement in the arts while enhancing the learning experience for all GCC students, faculty and staff. Proposals are selected by the GCC Gallery Committee, which seeks out exhibitions rich in content and quality craftsmanship. 

"Our gallery attracts artists and visitors from across Western New York, and with our robust international student population, there is also a dynamic community of enthusiastic supporters right on campus," said Mary Jo Whitman, gallery coordinato.

"During the academic year, we average about 300 visitors each month. Our committee is always looking for artists who contribute meaningfully to the education of students while participating in the larger discourse of the contemporary art world."

The Roz Steiner Gallery opened in Spring 2011 and offers 1,700 square feet of outstanding exhibit space featuring 25-foot walls, moveable island walls, bamboo flooring and multimedia capabilities.

To review the space and submit an exhibition proposal go to GCC's webpage for the Roz Steiner Art Gallery here.

Today the YMCA in Batavia is getting about $90,000 in new cardio equipment, part of a six-year replacement cycle (with half of the cardio equipment getting replaced every three years).

Delivered today were new Expresso bikes (digital training programs on video screens), recumbent bikes (ideal for seniors and people recovering from injuries), ellipticals, and arch trainers (options for multiple training motions on one machine), as well as new bikes for the spinning class.

Jeff Townsend, executive director, said the new spinning class bikes are state-of-the-art and few facilities have these. They replace 12-year-old bikes.

"Our cycle club and group that will be coming indoors soon is the one that will be pretty excited to get back into indoor cycling with these new bikes," Townsend said.

The only cardio equipment not replaced today were the treadmills and rowers, which were replaced three years ago.