batavia

The time has come for the voters of the Town of Batavia to finally put an end to the madness and focus on what counts!

I think we’ve all had enough of the irrational, mentally imbalanced rantings, and judgmental, unfounded comments …

Did you know that JOHN GERACE has been lobbying in Albany at least 3 times a year for 20 + years…For YOU & I, the taxpayers of this town??? Not as part of his job … on his own personal time, at his own cost. Fighting to keep down property taxes, recording fees, mortgage taxes, school taxes, and any other ridiculous State fees and/or taxes that get onto the Assembly floor for a vote.

Did you know that JOHN GERACE has also lobbied in Washington D.C. for all of New York State taxpayers????

Did you know that JOHN GERACE has served with dedication to the Town of Batavia for over 17 years???

·      10+ years as a Councilman*

·      5 years on the Planning Board

·      2 years on the Zoning Board of Appeals

***VOTING FOR AND FINDING WAYS TO KEEP A 0% TAX RATE IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN BOARD TO BE PROUD OF!!!!***

John Gerace stands for lifelong commitment to the Town of Batavia and all of Genesee County through his actions with YEARLY support of…

·      Genesee Cancer Assistance…Every fundraiser

·      Habitat For Humanity “Home in a Box” build with physical and financial participation

·      Crossroads House

·      Constant fund raising for the Republican Party at the Town, County, State, and National level

·      Volunteer work for local clothing drives and food pantries

·      The United Way Day of Caring

·      Countless Rotary Club events over the years

·      School fundraisers, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts

·      Many, many Church fundraisers…the list is endless…

JOHN GERACE’S immense contributions to the Town of Batavia happen greatly on his own time…

Not as an occasional byproduct of his day job, which he gets paid to do, but from the heart in an effort to improve our lives through making our town a better place to live, and to provide our children a financially sound community in the future so that they can one day raise their own children here.

Please get out and

VOTE FOR THE PROVEN REPUBLICAN, JOHN GERACE

The Republican primary is September 13 from Noon to 9 p.m.

~Paid for by The Friends of John Gerace.

A year or so ago when the Rathod family opened Salsa & Curry on Jackson Street, Downtown Batavia, they offered only a few Indian dishes along with a full menu of Mexican food items.

With no Indian restaurants in Genesee County, the Rathods weren't sure how the unique cuisine would be received.

It turns out, it was received very well.

After closing for a few weeks while the family traveled to India for a wedding and then did some minor remodeling, Salsa & Curry reopened a week ago with a daily buffet of Indian food, more Indian food items on the printed menu and slightly fewer Mexican food items.

While Indian food has a reputation for being spicy -- and WNYers have a reputation for not liking spicy food -- not all Indian dishes are spicy, or need to be prepared with a hot flavor.

The buffet features only mild items.

What the Rathods have learned, however, is some kick has its place.

"We were actually surprised -- a majority of people like it spicy," said Sonny Rathod, who is managing the restaurant with his brothers Raveen, Nick, sister Anupa Hirani and her husband Peter.

Customers who don't want to partake of the milder buffet can order spicy alternatives prepared immediately in the kitchen and over the past week that's exactly what a lot of customers have requested, Sonny said.

Meanwhile, in a couple of weeks the restaurant will have a liquor license and will be able to serve domestic, Mexican and Indian beer as well as margaritas.

The restaurant is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday until 10 p.m. and Sunday, Noon to 7 p.m.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Friday, Sept. 14 at approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area north of West Main Street and west of Bank Street.

Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests 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.

A two-car accident with two injured victims is reported at Washington and Porter avenues in the city. It is blocking traffic. Mercy medics and law enforcement are on scene and firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 12:03 p.m.: A female is being taken to UMMC with a complaint of right ankle pain.

UPDATE 12:10 p.m.: A 37-year-old female is also going to UMMC with complaints of tenderness in her abdomen and on her face. There was air-bag deployment in her vehicle and she was seat belted.

UPDATE 12:48 (by Howard): A witness, Leonard Johnson, said he saw the PT Cruiser trying to make a left-hand turn from Porter Avenue onto Washington and the Ford Focus hit the Cruiser. He said it was a pretty hard impact. "It wasn't a good accident," he said.

Open Letter from Chad Zambito, candidate for the Republican line in the Town of Batavia board race:

As you probably know, there is a primary for a position on the Batavia Town Board on Thursday and the polls are open from noon-9 p.m. This position was left open when my opponent, John Gerace, resigned after an incident that occurred at the Town of Batavia Fireman’s Installation Dinner. I was not at this event and have heard several accounts of what happened but will take Mr. Gerace at his word that the incident has been blown out of proportion and was actually a “hiccup” and not characteristic behavior.

I certainly appreciate John’s service, he and I served together beginning in 2003 and he had spent a few years on the planning board prior to his election. I am, however, disappointed with his efforts to exploit my failing business for his political gain. The people of the Town of Batavia deserve better than muckraking politics. This type of campaign hurts the system and discourages good people from running for public office. I have attempted to run a clean campaign and not engage in dirty politics. I do, however, feel I need to set the record straight on some level.

I take issue with several statements made by Mr. Gerace. In a recent interview, he stated that the consolidation charter effort, which he supported every step of the way, wasted $100,000 of taxpayer money to produce a document that he says he has never seen. This is simply not the case. A $54,000 state grant was awarded to the City of Batavia for the study and the work only came to a halt when the Town Board failed to act on a home rule legislation request that simply would have allowed the process to continue. It concerns me that my opponent has not read this document since it easily available online. My sense is that he realizes consolidation is an unpopular issue in the town and he hopes to connect me to that effort regardless of the fact that he has supported it at several junctures.

Upon my appointment, Mr. Gerace went to great lengths to have the appointment nullified claiming that the process used was invalid. That claim was quickly dismissed by the town’s attorney as unfounded. I also take issue with a political postcard Mr. Gerace has issued. He claims a “Zero Tax” rate for in town as one of his top accomplishments but the town has enjoyed a zero tax rate for decades. He has asked voters to “Re-elect” him and also labeled himself “Councilman John Gerace” in a recent political postcard. That statement is inaccurate and misleading.

I have always felt that I was the best candidate for this position. I have been appointed by the Town Board and have the endorsement of the Town Republican Committee. I am a dedicated professional that has three years of economic development experience and I have had a direct hand in the town’s growth. I worked diligently to resolve issues related to Gateway II while serving on the board, paving the way for Ashley Furniture to open its doors and provide nearly 80 jobs. I wrote the grant that led to the design of the Med-Tech Center Building and negotiated an easement that brought much needed sewer capacity to the Ag Park. I have generously volunteered my time to Chamber of Commerce, an Advisory Committee for GCC’s BEST Center, the GLOW Region’s Workforce Investment Board and numerous career days and community events. I currently work for Paragon Advertising in Buffalo and also serve as the Director of Advancement for St. Joseph School of Batavia, a position I find extremely rewarding.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have supported me every step of the way, including my wife, Jennifer. My one regret is that the issues brought forward in this election have caused her undue stress and frustration.

I encourage you to head to the polls from noon-9 p.m. on Thursday and hope you will give me your support when you do. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments at chadzambito@gmail.com. Thank you.

Paid for by Chad Zambito.

A convicted child molester sentenced just last week to 15 years in state prison faces a new first-degree sexual abuse charge.

James Little Jr. was arraigned in Batavia City Court this afternoon on the single count.

Det. Kevin Czora said the new charge reflects the alleged discovery of a second child sexual abuse victim. The second alleged victim is elementary school age.

There is only the one charge now pending against Little and Czora does not anticipate any further charges, and to the best of his knowledge there are no further victims.

The alleged abuse took place in March, Czora said, which is the same time frame Little abused a toddler in the city.

Recently, Beverly Hensel, 53, of 8921 Alleghany Road, Pembroke, was arrested and charged with possession of a sexual performance of a child. In a deposition, Little said he first received a DVD of child pornography from Hensel in January 2009.

Little's case was set for a preliminary hearing at 11 a.m., Nov. 13. Little remains in the Genesee County Jail awaiting transfer to state prison.

Police are responding to Batavia Commons to search for a man who allegedly stole a whole grocery cart of beer from Tops Market. The suspect is white and wearing a football jersey. He has a red car, possibly a Firebird.

UPDATE 2:22 p.m.: The car is now believed to be maroon in color. The driver is further described as wearing a blue jersey with the number 5 on the back, denim shorts and white sneakers. He's with a female who is supposedly barefooted.

Ken Mistler has placed a very large flag on the former Carr's building in Downtown Batavia as a 9/11 remembrance.

A tenant of an apartment complex on East Main Street is being evicted this morning and the deputy handling the eviction said the man has four cats.

He's requested cat carriers from animal control, but the animal control officer says if the plan is to relocate the cats to the shelter, there is no room.

"That's definitely my last resort," the deouty said, adding that the tenant's mother is trying to find some place to place the cats.

Animal control is responding with cat carriers to at least act as temporary housing for the felines until more suitable arrangements can be made.

UPDATE: The deputy is apparently taking the cats to a location on Lewiston Road.

DNA test results have allegedly linked a Batavia man already suspected of stealing from a church with two more church burglaries over the summer.

John Anthony Cabrera Jr., 22, will be arraigned in city court today on two more counts of burglary in the third degree.

According to police, DNA samples gathered at the scene link Cabrera to break-ins at the First Baptist Church, 306 E. Main St., Batavia, and St. Mary's Church, 18 Ellicott St., Batavia.

Both burglaries occurred July 8.

Cabrera was allegedly caught in the act of burglarizing St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Washington Avenue on July 23.

Two days later, Cabrera allegedly escaped from the Genesee County Jail, but was apprehended before he could leave the building.

Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian spent some time the past few days fending off angry constituents, all under the impression that she rented one of her apartments to a Level 3 sex offender.

"All of the people in the neighborhood were alarmed with it and they have a right to be alarmed with it," Christian said. "But, this guy does not live, has not lived and will never live in any property I own."

"This guy" is James Chase, who was convicted in 1999 of sodomy in the first degree for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy.

It's unclear how it came about that a notification letter was sent out to residents in the area of 220 S. Swan St., Batavia, that Chase had moved into an apartment at that location.

The city's Web site still lists the 32-year-old Chase as a resident of 7 Mill St., Batavia.

No children were injured this morning when the school bus they were on was hit by a car that had been rear-ended by another vehicle.

The driver who hit the stopped vehicle blamed sun glare for lack of visibility but was cited for allegedly following too closely.

The school bus was actively involved in loading a passenger, according to the accident report, and the driver, Jessica Ann Naas, 46, of Lockport Road, Oakfield, had not turned on the bus stop lights.

The bus was stopped at 3800 Batavia Elba Townline Road at 7:14 a.m.

Cited for allegedly tailgating was Alec Richmond Seppala, 18, of Drake Street, Oakfield.

Seppala's 2001 Pontiac sedan hit a 1998 Nissan sedan driven by Steven R. Koneski, 32, of Salt Works Road, Medina.

Koneski suffered a minor injury and was transported to UMMC.

There were 15 students on the bus, ages 13 to 17.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.

Batavia DPW will be able to replace three aging trucks at well below anticipated costs thanks to some money-saving programs available to the city.

Currently, the city's sewer vac truck, bucket truck and dump truck with a snow plow are all more than 20 years old.

City officials originally budgeted $712,000 to replace them.

Because the city can now purchase such vehicles through federal and county bid contracts, Batavia can save $134,000 on the dump truck and the bucket truck. Additionally, because the city won't need to lease the dump truck, Batavia will save $100,000 in interest payments.

To help with the purchase, the city will use $58,000 of recently received video lottery terminal funds.

The city had already accumulated $450,500 in the equipment replacement fund.

That leaves the sewer vac, at a cost of $283,000, which is $57,000 less than anticipated, but it will still need to be leased.

City council approval of liquor licenses are generally routine matters, but this one is noteworthy: Daphne's Restaurant & Lounge at 341 S. Swan St., Batavia.

That's the former location of St. Nick's Social Club.

The building was recently purchased by Jeremy Yasses and after being unable to drum up interest in reestablishing St. Nick's or something similar, Yasses has leased the location to Daphne L. Cross, a former manager of Scooter's in Batavia.

The council voted unanimously tonight to support the liquor license request.

We've been unable so far to get in contact with Cross to find out more information about the new restaurant, but when we stopped by the location today, there was a good deal of remodeling taking place.

From Officer Eric Dibble:

Batavia Police are looking for assistance in locating the owner of a dog that bit a 9-year-old male on 09/10/12 around 7:30 a.m. on Vine Street near John Kennedy School. The dog owner is described as a white male with gray hair. The dog is described as medium-large, dark brown, possibly a pit bull, and possibly named "Riley." Police need to speak to the owner to verify vaccination records. The owner of this dog, or anyone with information is asked to contact Batavia Police at (585) 345-6350.

John H. O'Shea is indicted on counts of burglary in the third degree and grand larceny in the third degree. O'Shea is accused of breaking into a residence on North Street in Le Roy and stealing items valued in excess of $3,000, including tools, brass fittings, copper wire, bronze manifolds, a galvanized garbage can, a tool bag and a camera.

Tammy M. Chojnacki is indicted on counts of felony DWI and felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Chojnacki is accused of driving drunk March 24 on Route 33 and Pike Road, Batavia. Chojnacki was previously convicted of DWI in Attica in October, 2007.

Jason W. Wolf is indicted on counts of felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree. Wolf is accused of driving drunk on Route 77 on March 18. Wolf has a prior DWI conviction in Septermber, 2007.

A fire alarm has sounded in Spruce Hall at College Village. Town of Batavia firefighters are responding. The address is 8170 Batavia-Stafford Townline Road.

UPDATE 9:02 p.m.: Firefighters on scene report "nothing showing."

UPDATE 9:06 p.m.: The chief says a second unit should search the center of the building for burnt food. "Looks like they were fryin' food a little too hot," says a firefighter. They've checked Room 206 and found nothing, but then checked G105 and found evidence of smoke. "It seems to be coming from the heater, but the heater hasn't been turned on for several hours."

UPDATE 9:27 p.m.: The alarm is deemed unfounded. Town of Batavia is back in service.

A caller tells dispatch his girlfriend was "jumped" about 15 minutes ago by a man near Jackson Street and Dawson Place. The suspect then ran into some bushes. He is described as black, with a "salt and pepper goatee," wearing black shorts and a black sweatshirt. Police are searching for him now.

UPDATE 12:25 p.m.: The suspect was last seen headed eastbound on the railroad tracks. Mercy medics are responding to the scene for the victim's possible shoulder injury.

UPDATE 12:46 p.m.: The 24-year-old victim is very distressed and is being transported to UMMC complaining of shoulder pain and experiencing an anxiety attack.

Press release:

The Batavia Town Board will hold its September meeting outside at Kiwanis Park on Wednesday, Sept. 12. While it is unclear if the board has ever held a meeting outdoors before, it certainly has not been done in recent memory.

“I've been with the town since 1994 and I don't remember a meeting that hasn't taken place at Town Hall,” said Town Clerk Teressa Morasco.

The meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will be followed by a dedication ceremony for the new canoe launch which was built with a $6,000 grant from the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District to promote recreational access to the Tonawanda creek.

The Town of Batavia Engineering Department designed the launch and completed all the permitting and the town Highway Department built the canoe launch. It is approximately 12 feet wide to accommodate multiple canoes and kayaks and provides a safe and easy access point to the Tonawanda Creek.

Also at the meeting, the board will recognize John O'Brian, who was a member of the planning board in 1975, when the park was first conceived. O'Brian later served as the group's chairman.

The park was built in 1976 and first included 12 picnic tables, three grills and a 25-foot flagpole. The stone pillars that still stand at the park's entrance were constructed by longtime highway superintendent Bob Smart, who personally collected the rocks used in the structures.

Following the meeting, Councilperson Patti Michalak, will make a special announcement regarding the park. A reception with refreshments will follow. The public is invited.

Andrew Zimba Perdock, 25, of 17 Holland Ave., lower, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Perdock is accused of shoplifting from Tops. He is also charged with menacing, 2nd, and attempted petit larceny. Perdock was observed allegedly putting merchandise in a backpack while inside Walmart. After Walmart were alerted to the situation, Perdock reportedly removed the items from the backpack. Perdock allegedly displayed a knife with the blade showing while in the presence of Walmart employees.

Brian J. Lambert, 30, of 1 Prune St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and trespass. Alert Cedar Street residents spotted a suspicious vehicle pull behind Arctic Refrigeration and observed an individual allegedly stealing scrap metal. Lambert was later located at his residence and the allegedly stolen property was recovered and returned.

Alexis A. Czaja, 30, no permanent address, is charged with petit larceny. Czaja is accused of shoplifting from Tops.

Kristine Szumigala, 38, of 260 Ross St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Szumigala is accused of shoplifting from Dollar General.

Samantha A. Bowles, 22, of 33 Williams St., Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Batavia PD officers received a report of loud noise coming from a residence on Williams Street. On call back, the person making the complaint reported a physical altercation. Upon arrival, officers made contact with Bowles, who was described as agitated and irate. Bowles reportedly pushed past officers during questioning. Bowles reportedly physically struggled with officers while being taken into custody.

Steven N. Utter, 26, of Route 96, Waterloo, and Cory A. Miles, 34, of County Line Road 13, Shortsville, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument. Utter and Miles were arrested following an investigation by Deputy Brad Mazur and Deputy Jason Saile into a suspicious vehicle at Wilson Farms on South Lake Road, Pavilion. Both men were jailed on $2,000 bail.

Joseph C. Wind, 42, of Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Wind is accused of stealing $4,000 cash while employed at The Home Depot.

Brandy R. Douglas, 33, of South Main Street, Elba, is charged with petit larceny. Douglas is accused of shoplifting $48 in merchandise from Target.

Patrick D. Moore, 34, of Strouts Road, Elba, is charged with petit larceny. Moore is accused of shoplifting $29.99 in merchandise from Target.

Brett M. Doran, 21, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with obstruction of breathing and harassment, 2nd. Le Roy PD responded to a report of a disturbance where a female was heard screaming to stop choking her. Doran is accused of kicking the female in her face and choking her during an argument. Doran was jailed on $500 bail.

Kyle Andrew Bilby, 22, of North Pearl Street, Oakfield, and Adam Andrew Dixson, 22, of Cary Avenue, Oakfield, are charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 5th. Bilby and Dixson were arrested after Deputy Patrick Reeves stopped to check on a suspicious condition at St. Cecillia Cemetery and allegedly found the defendants smoking, and in possession of, marijuana.

Darrel D. Smith, 56, residence not listed, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and DWAI. Smith was stopped by State Police at 3:16 a.m., Saturday, on Route 77, Darien.