batavia

Here are photos from the Memorial Day Ceremonies at the Veterans Hospital, the NYS Vets Home, the Upton Monument, and the War Memorial at Jerome Center.

This is Scarlett, a nearly 6-month-old cat who lives on Monclair Avenue in the city. She has never been outside, until now of course, and her household is up in arms over her sudden disappearance.

Naturally, you are expected to keep your eyes peeled and find this feline, who by the way, was named after the fictional heroine Scarlett O'Hara and not Hollywood's Scarlett Johansson.

"She almost looks Chinese, but she's not," says her mom, Tracey Cook. (Did she mean Siamese?)

She suspects Scarlett may have darted out last night around midnight when her son, who lives happily in the basement, left to walk his girlfriend home from work.

This morning at 8 o'clock, the neighbor lady in the adjoining duplex reported seeing a slim snip of a white and gray cat on her back porch but had no idea it was Cook's cat -- since it had never been outside, until it got outside, you know.

The neighbor heretofore was only aware of Scarlett's big brother, who is neutered and goes in and out as he sees fit.

"I would've scooped her up," lamented the neighbor about the lost opportunity.

The neighbor said Scarlett was laying on the back porch. We say she was languidly lounging, oblivious, in a sunny spot before dashing off someplace in search of naughty fun.

"I'm afraid she'll get hit by a car ... we live close to Main Street," Cook wrote in her email, which also noted the prospect that someone might try to steal the kitten!

"She’s an emotional support animal and is in process of being registered as same," according to Cook.

Where's that emotional support when you need it most?

Scarlett's family and friends have scoured the neighborhood, peered up trees, beat the bushes and even went over to -- "Holland Ave," a known "hot cat spot," Cook says, to see if she wound up there.

Meanwhile, there are three "cat ladies" (they know who they are) who have been informed of this breach of security -- unauthorized access to the outside world --and they are quite skilled in cat-luring techniques.

Hopefully, it's just a matter of time. And it is ticking. Scarlett is due at the vet's in a couple days to be spayed.

An unspecified reward is being offered. 

​If you see Scarlett, call or text Tracey Cook at (585) 356-6082, or email:   brewertracey@aol.com

Photos courtesy of Tracey Cook.

Bryan Bartholomew submitted this photo of sunset over Lehigh Avenue, Batavia.

JoAnne Meiser submitted this photo of sunset in Indian Falls.

A dog is reportedly locked inside a red Ford Escape in a handicapped parking space across from Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel on Park Road. An animal control officer is responding.

UPDATE 1:35 p.m.: The officer is in the parking lot with the vehicle; she's waiting for a security guard from the Downs and has called for a zone car -- patrol car -- to the scene.

UPDATE 2:23 p.m.: Didn't hear an update other than the officer is clearing the scene at the Downs and heading to a dog-bite call received earlier today.

Marc C.J. Cook Sr., 30, of Church Street, Alabama, is charged with third-degree bail jumping, a Class A misdemeanor. Cook was arrested on May 27. In 2019 Cook was arrested for criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree. At that time, he was instructed to appear in Batavia City Court Sept. 15, 2020. Not only did he not appear in court on that date, he did not voluntarily turn himself in within 30 days of the required court appearance, according to the report from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. Cook was arraigned virtually in city court and put in jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond. He is due back in city court on June 15. Members of the GC Drug Enforcement Task Force made the arrest with assistance from Sheriff's deputies. The GC DA's office also assisted in the case.

Brandon D. Forsyth, 29, of Corfu, was arrested at 8:01 p.m. May 21 by Troopers out of SP Warsaw and charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to stop at stop sign. Troopers arrested Forsyth after a motor-vehicle accident involving a ATV on Schoellkopf Road in the Town of Bennington. Forsyth was issued traffic tickets returnable to Town of Bennington Court in June.

Darrin Mitchell Brown, 31, of West State Street, Albion, is charged with: driving while ability impaired by drugs; driving while intoxicated -- first offense; and failure to signal within 100 feet. On May 25 at about 2:45 a.m. on Clinton Street in Batavia, Brown was arrested following a traffic stop. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and issued appearance tickets to be in Batavia City Court on June 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.

Press release:

Horses and carriages! After skipping 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Northampton Driving Society will hold its annual pleasure driving show on June 13 at Silver Shoe Farm, 3336 Pratt Road in Batavia.

Time is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The judge will be Jeff Morse, current chair of the American Driving Society’s pleasure driving committee and a longtime Morgan breeder and driving competitor. 

As always, there will be classes for both novice and experienced whips, and for equines from very small to horse. Marathon vehicles will be permitted as well as more traditional carriages.

Competitors are judged on “turn out” – the overall visually pleasing and appropriate combination of driver, horse, and vehicle – driving skill, and equine responsiveness. There will be cones classes in the afternoon which add the dimensions of patterns and speed.     

A food truck and vendors are planned to add an extra dimension to the showing and spectating experience.

There is no admission charge for spectators. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the day!

File photo by Howard Owens, taken in June 2015 at Silver Shoe Farm's annual pleasure driving show.

A caller to dispatch reports that a dog who resides in the 7800 block of Lewiston Road in Batavia is "always outside" and the caller is concerned about whether the dog has any food or shelter.

"It's been an ongoing issue for over a year now," says the dispatcher.

A two-vehicle accident is reported in the median in front of Arby's at 212 W. Main St. in Batavia. One driver is complaining of whiplash. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

The location is between Holland Avenue and Oak Street.

Sure, serving in the Army during World War II was the patriotic thing to do, says Batavia resident Harry Boyer, but he's also humble about his service to his country.

"I figured I was one of the lucky ones who didn't have to carry a rifle," Boyer said. "I was in the Signal Corps. I just did what I was supposed to do."

At 101, Boyer is likely to be the oldest veteran taking part in the City of Batavia's Memorial Day Parade on Monday. He will be part of the veterans contingent marching and riding with the Batavia Lions Club.

Boyer served in the Army Signal Corps, first in Italy, and then after the war ended in Europe, he was shipped off to the Philippines, arriving there the Friday before the war in the Pacific ended. He then participated in the occupation of Japan until his service time ended.

He said there was nothing remarkable about his time in the Army, repeating, "I just did what I was told to do."

The parade starts at Eastown Plaza at 9:45 a.m. and will proceed down Main Street to Bank Street before wrapping up at Alva Place. The current forecast for Monday is partly cloudy and a high of 70 degrees.

Submitted photo.

A National Fuel crew is at the Agribusiness Child Development Center at 18 Brooklyn Ave. in the city to fix a slight leak in a natural gas pipeline in the kitchen.

There were no ill effects.

The children in the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program were dismissed for the day about a half hour ago. 

The faint smell of natural gas was detected in the kitchen, where some work had recently been completed, but city fire's monitors could not get a reading. National Fuel did and it was decided to dismiss the children, rather than have them wait outside until repairs are complete, because of the possibility of rain.

The city fire assignment is back in service and the National Fuel is in charge of the scene.

At Falleti Ice Arena last night we were able to talk with seven members of the Genesee Ice Devils and Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey teams about the proposal to merge the two teams. We also spoke with Mike Rapone, ND's athletic director since we hadn't spoken with him yet about the proposal.

      Jason Fitzpatrick       Samantha Makar

A chase, a search, and a tip led to the arrest of two people Tuesday night after they were located at Walmart in Batavia.

The incident began with a chase on Route 63 in Oakfield.

A deputy on patrol spotted a Pontiac sedan traveling north at a high rate of speed, so the deputy turned around and attempted to catch the vehicle.

The deputy observed the sedan continue at a high rate of speed and pass a vehicle by crossing into the southbound lane. At that point, the deputy, in his marked patrol vehicle, initiated a pursuit with lights and siren.

The vehicle failed to stop and continued east on Route 262 and then north on Fox Road. At Fox and Maltby roads, the vehicle allegedly ran a stop sign and went into the air off the north shoulder of Maltby Road into a field.

The vehicle struck a tree and then continued northwest through the field. A backseat passenger jumped from the vehicle and complied with a deputy's commands.

The sedan continued northwest and entered a neighboring crop field. It allegedly damaged about $1,000 in crops.

The driver stopped the vehicle and the driver and remaining passenger fled on foot.

A vehicle search allegedly led to deputies finding scales with residue and an illegal weapon in the vehicle.

A K-9 was dispatched to assist in the search. That search led to a nearby residence.

Deputies received a tip that two people matching the suspects were given a ride to the Batavia Walmart.

Police responded to Walmart and located the suspects in the Walmart parking lot.

The driver was identified as Jason M. Fitzpatrick, 38, of Sweet Road, Howell, Mich., and the passenger as Samantha R. Makar, 22, of West Madison Street, York, S.C.

Fitzpatrick is charged with: criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd; unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle; criminal mischief, 4th; obstructing governmental administration, 2nd; and aggravated unlicensed operation. There was also a warrant for Fitzpatrick out of Michigan as a parole absconder.

Makar is charged with obstructing governmental administration and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th.

The weapon recovered was not described in the press release.

The third occupant of the vehicle complied with deputies' orders and was charged.

Assisting the in the incident were NY State Police, The Department of Environmental Conservation's K-9 unit, and Batavia PD.

Deputies involved in the incident included Jacob Gauthier and Jordan Alejandro.

While working on the recent story about Devon Wright, the Batavia man who has been arrested multiple times but because of current state law can't be held in custody while awaiting trial, we asked Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch for comment on the case. Heubusch wasn't able to comment immediately. Today he issued the following statement:

Bail reform, a measure recently passed into law by the state legislature and the Governor, is seriously flawed. In this particular case, we get a front-row seat of the unintended consequences of so-called bail reform playing out across our State. Bail reform is putting the safety of our officers and our citizens at risk. I, along with my colleagues in law enforcement, implore the State Legislature to examine the current bail reforms and restore protections for the citizens of New York against violent criminals who are brazenly flaunting the law, knowing they will be back out on the street in a matter of hours.

There is reportedly smoke and flames coming from wires and pole in the parking lot next to City Church on East Main Street, Batavia, across from Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle.

City fire dispatched.

UPDATE 12:16 p.m.: National Grid will need to cut power to the utility pole. This could cause the traffic light at Main and Center to go dark. Batavia PD requested to provide traffic control.

UPDATE 12:22 p.m.: Power is out in the area.

UPDATE 1:01 p.m.: The traffic signal is "back up and running." 

Press release:

Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York is still recruiting volunteers to serve as escorts at our Batavia health center. Volunteers will greet and provide comfort to patients upon their arrival to the health center and upon their departure.

Candidates must be calm, friendly and comfortable ignoring protestor activity. A commitment of two hours per week on weekdays during daytime hours is required.

Thorough interview and screening are required and training will be provided. For more information call (585) 546-2771, ext. 338, or email volunteer@ppcwny.org.

About Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York

The nonprofit organization provides high quality, nonjudgmental reproductive health care; promotes responsible and healthy sexuality; advocates for access to comprehensive health care; and supports those affected by sexual violence. Each year, PPCWNY serves more than 31,000 adults and teens throughout Central and Western New York.

Statement from Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO ART!:

"It is with great remorse that we must announce that Picnic in the Park, on July fourth, at Centennial Park in Batavia, will be cancelled this year due to COVID. Beyond the issues of COVID regulations, sponsors of the event have had to pull their funding, as a result of the restraints COVID put on their budgets."

An officer is called to the Target parking lot for a report of a dog locked in a Chevy Sonic. "The windows are only down one inch," according to what the dispatcher was told.

The officer on scene reports the air-conditioner is running and the dog appears fine.

But the officer is going inside the store to try and locate the owner.

It's 83 degrees now and overcast, with 55-percent humidity, according to the National Weather Service.