batavia

TO LISTEN TO THIS GAME, Tune in to WBTA.

Batavia received the kickoff. First play from scrimmage, Ray Leach gained about 30 yards. On the six play of the drive, with Leach carrying the ball on all six plays, Leach scores from the 15. Extra point is good, 7-0 Batavia.

Skaneateles second play from scrimmage is a 15-yard pass by Patrick Hackler for a first down. On the fourth play, Hackler breaks free on a keeper from the 45, carrying it to the Blue Devils' 25. Areh Boni scores on a handoff from Hackler from the 25 after a couple of incomplete passes. Extra point is good; 7-7.

Leach gets the ball on the first play of the drive for a five-yard gain. Leach gets the first down on the next play. Next play, Leach breaks through the line and carries the ball to the Lakers' 11-yard line. Leach again, for six yards. Puts the ball just short of the four-yard line. The Lakes manage to hold Leach to just a one-yard gain making it third and two. Leach scores from the two. Extra point is good; 14-7.

Lakers start next series on the 36. Hackler connects on the first play for 50 yards to Nick Wamp. Hackler on a keeper gains four yards. Hackler tries for the corner of the end zone and misses. Pitch to Areh Boni, held to a short gain. Skaneateles loses 10 yards on a holding penalty. On a fourth-down play from the 34, Hackler has to scramble and fails to reach the first-down marker. Batavia takes over on downs.

From the 28, Leach gains six yards on the first play. Leach stopped for a loss. Ball on the 32. Ethan Biscaro on a keeper. He reaches the 34 bringing up fourth and three. Batavia punts. Wamp receives the punt on the 30 but a flag on the play. The penalty is against Skaneateles. 

The Lakers series starts at their 19-yard line. A two-yard run by Boni. 

End of the first quarter, Batavia 14, Skaneateles 7.

The second quarter begins with Skaneateles on its own 22-yard line, second down. Hackler completes a 10-yard pass followed by a screen pass for a one-yard gain. Boni gains more than 20 yards on a run, putting the ball on the Blue Devils' 46. Taiyo Iburi-Bethel breaks up a long pass, bringing up second and 10. Boni rushes for three yards. Third and seven. Hackler scrambles pursued to the sideline where he dumps it off to Nathan Mulligan for a first down. Ball on the 32. Handoff to Nick Wamp stopped after a five-yard gain. Boni gains three, third and two. Keeper, Hackler for the first down. Ball on the Blue Devils' first down. Heckler on a keeper. Blue Devils close up a big hole quickly and stop him at the 12-yard line. Hackler overthrows William McGlynn. Offsides on the Blue Devils. First down for Skaneateles on the seven-yard line. Boni with the carry, gains two. Hackler on the keeper. Extra point is good; 14-14.

Short kickoff snagged in the air by Zack Anderson, who steps out of bounds at the 42. Leach dragged down from behind after a two-yard gain. Flag on the play. Holding on Batavia. It will be first and 20 from the 32. Biscaro attempts a 30-yard pass, dropped by the receiver. Leach breaks three tackles, gains 70 yards before he's tripped up on the one-yard line. First and goal. Leach scores. Extra point is good. 21-14, Batavia.

Nick Wamp takes the kickoff and is stopped by Leach with a hard-hit at the 34-yard line. Screen pass to Wamp, who picks his way through the defense for a 30-yard gain. Hackler's long pass skips into the arms of his receiver for an incomplete. Wamp rushes for six yards, bringing up third and four. Hackler on a keeper to the 22-yard line for a first down. Hackler tries to connect with McGlynn in the end zone, ball knocked away by Iburi-Bethel. Hackler carries on an option for a first down, first-and-10 at 10-yard line. Hackler's to Wamp on the six is complete. Hackler on the keeper, breaks through the line and scores. Extra point is good; 21-21.

Batavia starts its series on the 39-yard line. Skaneateles calls a timeout. Ray Leach gains 10 on the first play. Leach gains five. Leach gains four. Leach gains five, first down, ball on the Lakers' 41. Leach with another first down. Ball on the 24. Leach just short on his next carry of the first-down marker. Leach tiptoes through the line, finds a small hole, gains four and gets the first down. First and goal on the nine. Leach carries, carrying defenders to the one-yard line. Leach scores. Extra point is good; 28-21.

And the half ends with Batavia up 28-21. The Blue Devils will kick off to start the second half.

Skaneateles starts the half at the 49. First play, Hackler goes long and is picked off by Batavia's Andrew Francis. 

Batavia on its own 18. Leach stopped at the line of scrimmage on the first play. Delay of game, second and 15 at the 14. Leach sweeps to the near-side and gains seven. Biscaro drops back and then scrambles to the far-side and picks his way along the sideline to the Lakers' 47 for a first down. Leach on the next play carries the ball to the five-yard line. Leach from the five, scores. Extra point is good; 35-21. This is the first two-possession lead for the Blue Devils (this is also the first game all year that Skaneateles, who came in at 11-0, has ever trailed).

Leach has five TDs and more than 300 yards on the ground. He has more than 1,000 yards over three post-season games.

Nate Wellington takes the kickoff down to the eight-yard line of the Blue Devils, first and goal. Nick Wamp carries it to the four-yard line. Hackler sweeps right to the two-yard line, but the play is negated by a holding call. Second and 17. Hackler to Nick Wamp for the touchdown. Extra point good; 35-28.

Ethan Biscaro on the kickoff return, brings it back to the Lakers 45. Leach stopped at the line. Leach for a five-yard gain. False start. Third and 10. Leach held to only four yards on his next carry. Brings up fourth and eight. Batavia will go for it. Biscaro's pass is incomplete. Lakers take over on downs.

Skaneateles takes over on their own 43 and Hackler is stopped for no gain on the first play. Hackler passed to Nate Wellington who is hit immediately by Leach, for a five-yard gain. Hackler's next pass falls incomplete. On fourth and five, Hackler completes a pass in the flat but is two-yards short of the first down. Batavia takes over on downs.

Batavia starts on its own 47. Leach pushes through the line for a seven-yard gain. Leach stopped at the line by penetration from the line, Jimmy Liberatore making the initial hit on Leach. Biscaro tries to sweep to the far sideline and comes up short of the first down but he is face-masked and Skaneateles is assessed a 15-yard penalty.  Ball on the 30. Leach is the ball carrier and gets it to the 15-yard line for a first down. Leach gains seven on next run. Leach takes a direct snap and gets it to the first down. Biscaro on the carry to the two. Second and goal. Leach scores. His sixth touchdown on the night. Extra point is good; 42-28.

Skaneateles starts on their own 47. Leach intercepts a long pass from Hackler on the 10-yard line and brings it back to the 25-yard line. 

First and 10, Batavia at the 25.

End of the third quarter, Batavia 42, Skaneateles, 28. Short gain for Leach. Biscaro, looking to pass, hustles out of bounds for a loss. Batavia will punt.

From the Blue Devils' 39, Hackler with a run for eight yards. Hackler connects with Nick Wamp for a first down inside the 10-yard line. Hackler tries a keeper and is dragged down in the backfield. Hackler to Boni in the flat but Boni stumbles and falls, with nobody between him and the end zone, on the five-yard line. Third down. Hackler up the middle, stopped on the two-yard line by Josh Barber. Hackler with a light toss to William McGlynn for the touchdown. Extra point is good. 42-35, Batavia leads.

Skaneateles tries an onside kick and recovers but the ball doesn't go 10 yards. Batavia's ball on the Lakes' 49. Leach carries for nine and then on next carry takes it to the 32 for a first down. Leach gains seven. Leach brings the ball to the 16. First down. Leach scores. That's his seventh TD. Extra point is blocked; 48-35. 

Lakers' ball on their own 42, first and 10. Hackler takes the ball to the 49, second and three. Hackler stands tall in the pocket and finds Nick Wamp in the flat for a first down. Ball on the 34. Hackler to Wamp, 13-yard gain and a first down. Hackler runs, gains six and he makes it out of bounds. Pass to Wamp in the flat, who gets a good block and scores. Extra point is good; 48-42. The drive took only 54 seconds off the clock.

Skaneateles tries another on-side kick, recovered by Andrew Francis, ball on the Lakers' 47, first and 10. Leach stopped in the backfield. Second and 11. Leach breaks free on a sweep for a 48-yard TD run, his eighth TD. Two-point conversion fails; 54-42, Batavia.

Nate Wellington picks up a squib kick and is tripped up on the Lakers' 38-yard line, first and 10. Hackler pass falls incomplete. Hackler to Nick Wamp, putting the ball on the Blue Devils' 34. Hackler sprints out of bounds to the 18-yard line, first down. Hackler's pass into the corner of the end zone, incomplete. Defended by Andrew Francis. Hackler on a keeper up the middle to the four-yard line, another first down. Hackler on a sweep, scores. Extra point good; 54-49.

Batavia recovers another on-side kick. First and 10 at 50-yard line. 2:19 left in the game. No gain on the first play and the Lakes call a timeout. Leach with the carry for six, bringing up third and four. Leach for the first down. Lakers take a timeout. Leach for two yards. Leach for another three. One minute left with a third down play.

BATAVIA WINS, 54-49.

Downstairs is open and great for entertaining but very homey. Some hardwood floors and gorgeous unpainted woodwork really give this home charm. Upstairs bedrooms are all large with closets and attic is already partially finished and with a little paint could be amazing extra living/play space!

Mechanically sound with nothing urgent to tackle but what you want to do! Enjoy the front porch that has the Trex decking to enjoy the neighborhood. Or have your morning coffee on the back deck to enjoy the peacefulness of the cute backyard, either way come check out a really nice home!

Click here for more information on this listing or call Lynn Bezon today!

A pair of brothers from Batavia are suspects in a string of burglaries in Batavia and Stafford, including one who was stopped Thursday night on Washington Avenue and allegedly found in possession of a stolen handgun. 

The handgun was allegedly taken in one of the burglaries and after the burglary, the serial number had been partially removed.

TeeSean T. Ayala, 19, of Walnut Street, Batavia, was reportedly driving the car stopped by Investigator Chris Parker on Thursday night on Washington Avenue. Parker recognized the vehicle as possibly linked to the string of burglaries.

The driver of the vehicle pulled into the driveway of a residence on Washington Avenue -- by coincidence, the home of County Manager Jay Gsell -- and somebody in the vehicle threw the handgun out the window.

The appearance of a gun prompted a multi-patrol response from local law enforcement.

Ayala, a former standout basketball player at Batavia High School, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd, criminal possession a weapon, 3rd, unlawful possession of marijuana, and plate obstructed.

His brother, Malik Isiah Ayala, 27, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property.

Malik Ayala is accused of being in possession of stolen property at Pawn King on Oct. 24 valued in excess of $3,000.

Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster said both arrests are the result of an investigation into burglaries that occurred in the City of Batavia, Town of Batavia, and Stafford. 

In all, at least five burglaries are believed to be connected to the same suspects, Brewster said.

TeeSean Ayala was ordered held on $15,000 bail. Malik Ayala's bail was set at $20,000 cash or $40,000 bond.

Brewster said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.

Celia Murillo-Rios, left, and Michael Cook, students at Batavia Middle School came out the big winners Thursday night at the school's annual Family Night when their names were drawn in a giveaway of two bicycles.

The girl's bike was donated by the school's Parent-Teacher Association and the boy's bike was donated by the Batavia Police Benevolent Association.

Also pictured, Maureen Notaro, 7th and 8th grade VP, and Brian Sutton, 5th and 6th grade VP.

Constantine D. Murrell is indicted for the crime of second-degree robbery, a Class C violent felony. It is alleged that on Sept. 25 at the Kwik-Fill gas station/convenience store at the intersection of Ellicott and Jackson streets in the City of Batavia that Murrell forcibly stole a 2008 automobile. In count two, he is accused of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony. It is alleged in count two that during the commission or attempted commission of the aforementioned felony that he cause physical injury to a person. in count three, he is accused of reckless driving, a misdemeanor, for driving the 2008 vehicle in a manner that interfered with the free and proper use of the roadways and/or unreasonably endangered users of those roadways. In count four, Murrell is accused of unlawful lfeeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count four that he attempted to flee an officer, knowing that he had been directed to stop, and that his speeds equaled or exceeded 25 miles per hour above the speed limit or he engaged in reckless driving.

Dylan J. Perry is indicted for the crime of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. It is alleged that between Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 he knowingly entered and remained unlawfully in a building located on Broadway Road in the Town of Darien with intent to commit a crime. In count two, Perry is accused of petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count two that Perry stole $300 in U.S. currency and a pair of work boots while inside the property on Broadway Road.

Antonio J. Goodson is indicted for the crime of criminal contempt in the first degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 22 in the City of Batavia that he violated a duly served order of protection by being in the presence of the protected party. In Special Information filed by the District Attorney, Goodson is accused of having been convicted of criminal contempt in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, on Jan. 19 in City of Rochester Court. That conviction was for a violation of a stay away family offense order of protection and was within five years of the crime alleged in the current indictment.

Thomas J. Claffey is indicted for the crime of driving while ability impaired by drugs, as a Class E felony. It is alleged that on June 18 in the Town of Stafford that he drove a 2016 Chevrolet on Route 33 while his ability to do so was impaired by use of a drug. In Special Information filed by the District Attorney's Office, Claffey is accused of having been convicted for DWI, as a misdemeanor, on July 28, 2008, in Town of Irondequoit, and that conviction was within 10 years of the crime alleged in the current indictment.

Prizes:
First Place (highest combined scores) -- $150 / Second Place (combined scores) -- $50 / Highest-scoring word -- $35

Press release:

Please be advised that Jennie-O Turkey Sales LLC has recently issued a recall of it's raw ground turkey products that may be associated with an illness outbreak of salmonella. 

Of these products, Tops Friendly Markets ONLY carried minimal quantities of:

• Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey with a use by date of 10/2/18
• Jennie-O Taco Seasoned Turkey with a use by date of 10/2/18

This recall does NOT impact any other Jennie-O product currently carried by Tops stores.

Customers who may have purchased these items from our stores will be receiving a call alerting them of the recall. Those with questions re: the recall can contact Jennie-O Consumer Engagement Team at 1-800-621-3505.

It wasn't a lot of snow that fell overnight but it was wet and heavy and that made it hard to shovel, said Bob Pappalardo, above, who was clearing a driveway on Summit Street this morning.

Paul Lamendala, below, said the snow wasn't much easier to clear with a snow blower on the sidewalks outside of City Church/St. Anthony's on Liberty Street.

The snow is tapering off through early afternoon and Saturday and Sunday are expected to be partly cloudy.

A motor-vehicle accident with three minor injuries is reported at Route 33 and Donahue Road, Batavia. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

A second ambulance is called in. The roadway is blocked; traffic control is needed.

Multiple city police units are on scene and officers have guns drawn after a gun was thrown out of a car at 317 Washington Ave. No further information.

More T/K.

UPDATE 5:24 p.m.: According to Sheriff's Office Sgt. Andrew Hale, a suspect vehicle in a string of recent burglaries "all over" was spotted by a marked Sheriff's patrol car traveling on Washington Avenue with two occupants. Sheriff's Investigator Christopher Parker, working patrol, turned around and followed the vehicle, which turned into a driveway randomly in an attempt to elude the Sheriff's unit. (By coincidence, it happens to be the residence of County Manager Jay Gsell.) One of the occupants threw out a 22-caliber semi-automatic pistol in an attempt to ditch the weapon. It was never pointed at anyone and no threat was made. The occupants did not attempt to flee. Two brothers, one age 19 and the other age 14, were transported to the Sheriff's Office for questioning. If charges are brought, more information will be released by law enforcement, Hale said.

Submitted photos and press release:

Eugene Jankowski Jr., of Batavia, finished Second Place Semi-pro and 11th overall in the practical division and qualified for the final shoot-offs at the 2018 3-Gun Nation nationals.

He is president of the Batavia City Council and a retired lieutenant with City of Batavia Police Department.

Held in Clinton, S.C., more than 100 competitors from all over the country used three guns (pistol, modern sporting rifle and shotgun) to complete eight challenging natural terrain courses of fire over two days.

Competitors were required to safely engage multiple targets for the quickest time while navigating various obstacles and unusually wet, muddy weather conditions.

3GN Nationals, presented by NRA Sports, brings shooting challenges, camaraderie, shoot-offs and sponsor engagement to 3 Gun Nation members.

Heidi L. Harder, 43, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child less than 17. Harder was arrested following an investigation into the report of drug activity being conducted in the presence of a child and forcing that child to smoke marijuana. The incident allegedly occurred at 6 p.m. on Sept. 9 on Montclair Avenue. Harder was arraigned in Batavia City Court on Nov. 13. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Robin L. Williams, 33, of Jackson Street, Batavia, and Michael L. Jackson Jr., 37, of Maple Street, Batavia, are both charged with endangering the welfare of a child. They allegedly allowed and encouraged their respective juvenile daughters to engage in a physical altercation. The incident allegedly occurred at noon on July 3 on Thorpe Street in Batavia. The adult defendants were issued appearance tickets and were due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 13. The cases were handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Chiyannon J. Bundy, 31, of 98 Lake St., Le Roy, was arrested Nov. 11 following a reported disturbance call in the Village of Le Roy. Bundy was charged with one count each of burglary in the second degree, a Class C felony, and criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged that during the disturbance, Bundy knowingly and unlawfully entered a residence with the intent of damaging property and damaged the property of another. Bundy was arraigned and released under the supervision of the Genesee Justice Program.

James E. Soggs III, 24, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal mischief. He was arrested at 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 11 on Thomas Avenue in Batavia after a domestic altercation at his girlfriend's residence. He was arraigned and jail on $2,500 cash or bond and was due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 12. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Arick Perkins.

Christopher A. Ridgeway Jr., 26, of Bridgewood Road, Midlothian, Va., is charged with: unlawful possession of marijuana; aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree; unlicensed operation; and operation without headlights. He was arrested at 1:17 a.m. on Nov. 7 on West Main Street in Batavia following a traffic stop for driving without headlights. He posted bail and was issued an appearance ticket along with several traffic tickets. He was due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 14. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Nicole McGinnis.

Andrew D. Vicary, 27, of East Main Road, Stafford, is charged with DWI, unsafe backing and following to closely. Vicary was arrested at 4:04 p.m. on Nov. 1 on East Main Street in Batavia following an investigation into a three-car accident at the intersection of East Main Street and Swan Street. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on his own recognizance. He was due back in city court on Nov. 2. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kyle Krtanik, assisted by Officer Catherine Mucha.

Cynthia May Mack, 51, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. She was arrested at 10:24 a.m. Nov. 14 on South Swan Street in Batavia following a probation house check. She was allegedly found to have a house guest whom she was restricted from having any contact with due to a complete stay away order of protection. She was jailed on $2,500 cash or bond. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Jessica L. Holtz, 35, of Williams Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. It is alleged that she stole $3.48 worth of merchandise from Save-A-Lot. She was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 and processed at Genesee County Jail. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 20. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Press release:

Habitat for Humanity of Genesee County teams up with Oliver’s Candies, located at 211 W. Main St. in Batavia, for Santa Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Come visit Santa, shop for sweets and enjoy a petting zoo! There will also be hot dogs for sale! A hot dog, bag of chips and a soda can be purchased for $3.

You can also help build Habitat’s next home by “Sponsoring a Stud.” Sign your name or write a message on a 2 in. x 4 in. for a donation of $1 and it will be added to Habitat’s current project at 6 Manhattan Ave. in the City of Batavia.

All purchases and donations benefit Habitat’s mission to provide decent, affordable housing to families in the community. As always, Habitat thanks you for your support.

St. James Episcopal Church in Batavia announced that its first Pie Sale/Basket Raffle will be held this Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the church, 405 E. Main St. Admission is free.

Known for the wonderful desserts served at Lenten Fish Fries, the bakers of the parish have been busy in the church kitchen making apple and pumpkin pies for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Stop in to buy a homemade pie for $8. Hot soup (eat-in or take-out) will also be available for sale.

A variety of gift baskets have been assembled, including a cash treasure chest and a lottery tree. Tickets will be on sale throughout the event and you need not be present to win.

Dorian Ely, one of the organizers, said, “We hope the community will support this beautiful historic church by stopping by on Saturday, purchasing some raffle tickets, a pie, and maybe even grabbing a cup of hot soup to speed them on their way during this busy holiday season.”

The phone number at the church is 343-6802.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced nearly $6 million in funding will be injected into six, much-needed bridge and culvert repairs in Genesee, Orleans and Monroe counties as part of the BRIDGE-NY program that was a component of last year’s state budget.

A recent study by CNBC ranked New York’s infrastructure as some of the worst in the nation, with 10.5 percent of bridges ranked as deficient and 60 percent of roads classified as in poor or mediocre condition.

“I am very pleased to see our hard-fought victory for more upstate infrastructure funding is finally yielding tangible results,” Hawley said. “At a time when too many lawmakers set their sights on funneling more and more of our resources to fix downstate calamities like the MTA and LaGuardia Airport, it is more important than ever to focus on addressing upstate’s needs and that starts with our deficient roads, bridges and highways.

"Rest assured, maintaining the longevity of programs like BRIDGE-NY, PAVE-NY and increasing CHIPs funding will be among my top priorities come next year’s session.”

A list of BRIDGE-NY projects in the 139^th Assembly District is as follows: 

• $1.081 million to Genesee County for Sharrick Road over Murder Creek;
• $907,000 to Genesee County for Tower Hill Road over Spring Creek;
• $787,000 to the Town of Alabama (Genesee County) for Meadville Road over Canal Creek;
• $1.082 million to the Town of Batavia (Genesee County) for Upton Road over Bowen Creek;
• $686,000 to Monroe County for Lake Road W Fork over Sandy Creek;
• $1.111 million to Orleans County for Transit Road over W Branch Sandy Creek.

Angela Marie Torcello, 35, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with: falsifying business records in the first degree; grand larceny, 4th -- using a credit card; and petit larceny. Following an investigation of an incident that occurred on May 8, Torcello was arrested on these charges. It is alleged that she used a credit card that she stole to purchase products from a traveling vendor. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on Nov. 26. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Rick Austin Drury, 21, of Judge Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI, DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or higher, and moving from lane unsafely. He was arrested following the investigation of a vehicle off the roadway on Ford Road in Elba at 3:55 a.m. on Nov. 10. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Elba Town Court on Dec. 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Craig Hobart Sleeman, 38, of Victor, is charged with: DWI; aggravated DWI with a BAC of .18 percent or more and no priors; unsafe turn/failure to signal; failure to keep right; and moving from lane unsafely. He was arrested at 1:48 a.m. on Nov. 11 following a traffic stop on Main Street Road in Batavia. He is due in Town of Batavia Court on Jan. 28. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Heberlein.

Susan Michelle Rea, 45, of Sheridan Road, Bergen, is charged with DWI, refusal to take a breath test, and stopping/parking on a highway. Rea was arrested at 3:52 p.m. on Nov. 10 on Wortendyke Road near Route 33 in Batavia after she was allegedly found asleep behind the steering wheel of her vehicle. She was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance. She is due in Batavia Town Court on Dec. 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Heberlein.

Downtown Batavia's future is not the mall; it's the open areas south of Main Street, suggests Tim Tielman, a preservationist and urban planner with a track record of success in Buffalo.

Jackson Street, Jackson Square, the south side of Main Street, are where we can find what's left of Batavia's vitality, Tielman said, in a recent interview with The Batavian. The mall, he said, is the last place Batavia should invest tax dollars.

"It's a continuing drag on Batavians, their creativity, their dynamism, their energy," Tielman said. "It's this energy sucking death star in the middle of the city, and you shouldn't spend any money making it a better death star."

We interviewed Tielman in advance of his talk this Wednesday night at 7 o'clock at GO ART! for The Landmark Society of Genesee County's annual meeting.

The topic: How Batavia gets its mojo back. 

Tielman's basic thesis is that Batavia was at its apex just after the end of the 19th century when the village, soon to become a city, had a robust, densely populated urban center with hundreds of businesses.

If that downtown, which was destroyed by urban renewal, still existed Tielman said, people from Rochester and Buffalo as well as the rest of the GLOW region would flock to Batavia every week for the small city experience.

Niagara on the Lake still has it. Batavia lost it. But, with effort, Batavia can get it back, but it will literally be a ground-up process, not a top-down, consultant-driven, developer-driven effort. Batavians have to do it for themselves. But Batavians are already pointing the way if city leaders will listen.

"There's obviously an innate human need for want of a better term, congenial spaces, in towns, cities, and villages, and even in times where they've been destroyed in war or urban renewal, people find them or build them," Tielman said. "What we see in Batavia is people have happened upon Jackson Square because it's a leftover thing that no one thought about and wasn't destroyed.

"The qualities of the thing as a physical space make it a very interesting case. You enter through a narrow passageway, and suddenly, totally unexpectedly, you come to a larger space, and even though it obviously wasn't designed with gathering in mind it has everything people want as a place to gather."

Jackson Square, Jackson Street, combined with the local businesses that still populate the business district on the south side of Main Street are strengths to build on, Tielman said. Batavia can leverage the density already found there and add to it.

But Tielman isn't an advocate of trying to lure developers with tax dollars to build big projects. He believes, primarily, in a more grassroots approach. 

The "death star," he said, and continuing efforts to deal with it, are part of the "urban renewal industrial complex," as he put it, and that failed approach should be avoided.

"The solutions (of urban renewal) are all the same," Tielman said. "It's like, 'let's put out an RFP, let's get some state money instead of saying', 'well, what do the Batavians need? What are they thirsty for? What are they dying for?' What you'll find is that Batavians are like every other group of homo sapiens on the face of the Earth. If they had their druthers, they'd want something within walking distance.

"They'd want to meet friends. They'd want to do stuff close at hand and in a way that they're not killed by vehicles careening down streets at 30 or 40 miles an hour. They want their kids to be safe. They don't want to worry about them being struck by a tractor-trailer when they're riding their bikes to the candy store."

That means, of course, narrowing Ellicott Street through Downtown, perhaps adding diagonal parking to Main Street, moving auto parking from out of the center of the city, particularly in the triangle between Jackson, Main and Ellicott, which Tielman sees as the most promising area of downtown to increase density first.

Batavians will need to decide for themselves what to do, but what he suggests is that the city makes it possible for the parking lot between Jackson and Court become one big mini-city, filled with tents and temporary structures and no parking.

"The rents for a temporary store or a tent or a stand or a hotdog cart should be low enough to allow a huge segment of the population (of Batavia) to experiment," Tielman said.

Low rents remove one of the biggest impediments to people starting a business and open up the experimental possibilities so that Batavians decide for themselves what they want downtown. 

"This gives Batavia the best chance to see, whether for a very low investment on a provisional basis, (if) this will work," Tielman said. "It's not sitting back for 10 years trying to concoct a real estate investment scheme based on some RFP to lure developers and give them handouts at tremendous public risk. The idea is lower the risk and do things the way successful places have done it for millennia."

That's how it worked for Canalside, one of the projects, besides Larkin Square, Tielman has helped get started in Buffalo. With Canalside, development started with tents and temporary vendors. Now the area is revitalized, and permanent structures are being erected. It's a Buffalo success story.

The idea of starting new business and community centers with tents and temporary structures is something Tielman suggested for Batavia's future when he spoke to the Landmark Society in 2013. He suggested then the major obstacle standing in the way of Batavia's economic vitality wasn't the mall, it is massive amounts of asphalt for parking -- economically unproductive and mostly unused.

While he likes the Ellicott Street project, primarily because of the 55 apartments being added to Downtown's housing stock but also because of the involvement of Sam Savarino who has been part of successful restoration projects in Buffalo, Tielman thinks the project needs to have "connective tissue" with everything on the north side of Ellicott Street.

That means narrowing Ellicott, adding wider, more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, and slowing down truck traffic flowing through Downtown.

Any such plan would involve the state Department of Transportation but that, he said, is just a matter of the city being willing to stand up to the DOT and paying for its own maintenance of that stretch of Route 63.

"If the Batavia's really serious about fixing (Route 63), it should do it on its own dime," Tielman said.

As part of Tielman's suggestion to concentrate growth strategies on the south side of Main Street, Tielman agrees that the farmer's market, currently at Alva and Bank, should be moved to Jackson Street.

The current location is too far from the existing local businesses, so the tendency is for people to drive to Alva, park, shop and leave. The traffic being drawn downtown isn't staying downtown.

Tielman talked about contiguity, the quality of commercial spaces adjoining each other, being necessary for convenience of users and survival of businesses.

"Connective tissue," a phrase used several times by Tielman, is critical to city centers.

"Contiguity is the lifeblood of settlements of towns and of cities," Tielman said. "If left to their own devices, places will develop like this -- and you'll see this up to World War II -- whether they were European cities, Asian cities or American cities.

"Look at a (1918) map of Batavia, contiguity was everything," Tielman added. "In a town of 18,000 people you had four-story buildings. It's crazy, you would think, but (it was built up that way)  because (of) the distance from the train station to Main Street to the courthouse. That's where you wanted to be. Everyone's walking around."

People are social animals -- Tielman made this point several times -- and Batavians, if given a chance, will support a city center with more density, Tielman said because that's human nature. What exactly that looks like, that's up to Batavians, but creating that environment will give residents a stronger sense of community, more personal connections, and shared life experience. That will foster the community's creativity and vitality, which is better than just accepting decline.

"I mean, if you look at the great John Gardner," his formative years are "when Batavia was still a place where a young John Gardner could walk up the street, buy comic books, get into trouble over there by the railroad tracks, buy something for his mother on the way home, blah, blah, blah. He could have quite a day in town and encounter characters of different stripes that can actually (be worked) into pretty rich novels of American life. You wonder whether Batavia could produce a John Gardner today."

Tim Tielman has a lot more to say about Batavia getting its mojo back (this is condensed from an hour-long conversation). Go to GO ART! at 7 p.m. Wednesday to hear more about it, ask questions, even challenge his ideas.

Top: Use the slider on the map to compare Batavia of 1938 with Batavia of 2016.

Press release from Mike Bakos, manager, Genesee Country Farmers' Market:

On behalf of the members of the Genesee Country Farmers' Market, I would like to thank everyone that supported this year's Market -- the City of Batavia, the Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District (BID), our 2018 market sponsors, our market vendors, and of course, our loyal customers.

The Market, located at the Downtown Batavia Public Market, on the corner of Bank Street and Alva Place, was, once again, able to sustain a three-day/week market schedule being open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from mid-June through the end of October.

This year marked the third year of collaboration with the BID. The popular Friday "BIG" Market continues to grow and receive inquiries from new vendors interested in joining the Market.

It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people visited the Market each week, bringing 30,000 to 40,000 market customers into the Downtown Batavia Business District over the 20-week market season.

During the off-season, the Market will be pursuing new/prospective vendors with a goal of growing/enhancing the upcoming 2019 Market.

Please know that the Market is committed to our Mission of "providing a family-friendly environment where the residents of the Greater-Batavia area and Genesee County can shop for fresh, locally grown, produce and specialty artisanal items" -- and our Vision of "making the Genesee Country Farmers' Market @ The Downtown Batavia Public Market a WNY Destination."

Comments/inquiries regarding the Market are welcomed by emailing mbakos@rochester.rr.com.

We wish you a wonderful and safe holiday season. Hoping to see you next June.