A person has reportedly struck a cashier in Walmart.
The suspect, a black male, has fled and employees are chasing him in the parking lot.
Police are responding.
UPDATE 11:20 a.m.: It sounds like they have a suspect stopped. The victim is in the ladie's restroom, requesting an ambulance. Batavia PD are on scene.
One person is reporting head and neck pain following a motor vehicle accident on West Main Street Road, Batavia.
The cars are reportedly in the parking lot of That Taco Place.
Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
A person suffered an apparent arm injury early Saturday morning after being struck by a CSX train near the Wortendyke Road crossing.
RIchard J. Kubus, 31, no permanent address, was reportedly walking on railroad ties outside the tracks when he was struck by the train's snowplow.
The train stopped and a conductor called 9-1-1 at 3:49 a.m.
When deputies responded they found Kubus walking along the tracks.
Kubus was transported to ECMC for evaluation. His injury is not believed to be life threatening.
Assisting at the scene were Mercy EMS and the East Pembroke Fire Department.
The investigation is being conducted by Deputy Jason Saile, Deputy Eric K. Seppala and Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, along with CSX security.
A motor-vehicle accident with injuries has been reported in front of Tops Market, 390 W. Main St., Batavia.
City fire and Mercy EMS responding.
A Maple Street resident is being held in jail without bail and charged with a handful of alleged crimes after local law enforcement executed a search warrant on his apartment Friday evening.
Edward R. Freida, aka "Rob," aka "Turtle," 40, of 10 Maple St., is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, criminal contempt, 1st, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, unlawful possession of marijuana and criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd.
Members of the Local Drug Task Force, along with uniformed deputies, including the K-9 unit, and Batavia PD officers, executed the search warrant shortly about 6:30 p.m., Friday.
Investigators allegedly found a quantity of heroin, some marijuana, five switchblade knives and four long guns along with drug paraphernalia.
A person on Upton Road near the CSX crossing may have been struck by a train.
The initial call was the person was conscious and alert, but a first responder has asked for the ambulance to "step it up" because the patient is in and out of consciousness.
East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
The train has stopped.
UPDATE 4:21 a.m.: A CSX investigator is in route, one hour ETA. A deputy responds that the patient will be transported to the hospital, "at a minimum for a mental health evaluation." CSX asks through dispatch if the person was actually struck. The deputy states, "The conductor says yes, but the physical evidence suggests otherwise." Later, the deputy reports, "Disregard what I previously said. There is an arm injury."
UPDATE 4:32 a.m.: CSX asks through dispatch if trains can pass at a reduced speed on the other track. A deputy responds, "We're going to be all set here. The can proceed as soon as the train is ready to go."
A person was seriously injured on Liberty Street on Friday night when he was stabbed by an unidentified assailant.
Police are looking for a suspect described as a black male, approximately 5' 10" and 160 lbs.
The victim was walking alone on the 100 block of Liberty at about 9 p.m., according to police, when the assailant attempted to steal property from the victim's pockets.
After trying to steal the property, the assailant stabbed the victim in the lower back.
The victim was transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC.
Police ask that anyone with information that may assist in the case to call Officer Chris Camp at 345-6350 or the confidential tip line at 345-6370.
Paul Berardini has gotten a warm welcome in Clarence.
When you make good food for people, things like that tend to happen.
The second location for Batavia-based Pauly's Pizza is really catching on, Berardini said, but what really kicked business up another notch was a rave review in the Buffalo News.
"That was priceless," Berardini said. "She gave us four out of four pennies and I've been told nobody has gotten four out of four pennies in a long time."
Berardini and partner Dave Stupp opened the new location Oct. 24 -- by coincidence, the seventh anniversary of the first Pauly's location opening on Liberty Street in Batavia (Pauly's is now located on Ellicott Street after a fire destroyed the previous location).
"This town needed something different," Berardini said. "They needed a hearth-baked pizza. They needed something we could offer that they're not used to getting in this area. They're used to pans, screens, conveyer belts, where we're doing hearth-baked, and my tenders, they've never had out here."
Where Batavia has eight pizzerias serving 18,000 people, Clarance only had four pizzerias serving 25,000.
When a prime location -- with more than 15,000 cars passing daily -- on Route 5 became available, Berardini and Stupp decided to move on it.
The 3,000-square-foot location was previously a served charcoal-pit hamburgers and hot dogs, but the owner struggled with a seasonal business, Berardini said.
The partners invested in two pizza ovens, a fryer, a griddle and all new furniture and fixtures.
"Everything you see here is new," said Berardini, who has talked in recent years about trying to find a way to expand the dining area of Pauly's.
The new location gives him a restaurant with plenty of seating.
"I always felt that a pizzeria isn't just a pizzeria any more," Berardini said. "Now we serve fish fry and ribs and pasta. We're already selling more fish fries and fingers here."
As is the process these days, it wasn't easy to get the new location open. There were delays with the health inspections and the town was giving some push back on the sign.
"Once they found out what we were investing in this place, and that we were hiring 20 people, giving 20 new jobs to the area, they kind of gave us a stay of execution on the sign," Berardini said.
Getting the restaurant open has taken a lot of Berardini's time. He hopes that after the first of the year, he can more evenly split time between the Batavia and Clarence locations. He hopes more friends and fans from Batavia will visit Clarence.
But working nearly seven days a week suits Berardini just fine for now. The new location is doing well, he feels like the employees in both locations are family, and he says he's living the dream.
"I was born to do this and this is what I love to do," Berardini said.
Michael A. Mistler is indicted on a charge of strangulation, 2nd, and assault, 2nd. Mistler is accused of obstructing the breathing and blood circulation by applying pressure to the victim's neck during an alleged incident July 22. Mistler is accused of trying to cause serious physical injury to the alleged victim.
Steven A. Mullen is indicted on charges of failure to register a change of address and offering a false instrument for filing. Mullen is a convicted sex offender and is accused of moving to a motel on West Main Street, Batavia, then he allegedly failed to register his change of address. Mullen allegedly filed a change of address with an incorrect address on the form.
Prosecutor's information: The Grand Jury declined to indict Thomas W. Sherman on a charge of assault, 2nd, but did charge Sherman with assault, 3rd. The case is referred back to the Town of Le Roy Court. Sherman allegedly assaulted a person in Le Roy on Jan. 23.
No Bill: The Grand Jury did not find sufficient evidence to indict Wyatt S. Penfold on charges of assault, 2nd, and attempted assault, 2nd. The charges stemmed from an alleged incident on July 22.
Barbara Ann Vaughn, 34, of East Robinson Road, Amherst, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation and failure to keep right. Vaughn was stopped at 4:10 p.m. Thursday on Genesee Street, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves following a report of an erratic driver. Vaughn was found to allegedly have consumed prescribed medication.
Sandra Lynn Cassford, 29, of South Main Street, Castile, is charged with petit larceny and unlawful possession of marijuana. Cassford is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.
Ashley Elizabeth Quintern, 22, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Quintern is accused of stealing $21 in merchandise from Kmart.
Press release:
The Salvation Army, Batavia chapter, is in the last days of its annual Red Kettle Campaign. There are two days left and Major Robert Kurtz noted "that as of Wednesday 12/21/11 the amount raised so far is $50,589.00 This means we need to raise $4,000 per day (today and) for the next three days!"
The goal is $67,000.
Monies are used to help more than 1,500 children this Christmas season and will also be used through their financial aid office throughout the rest of this year as well as 2012.
"People are extremely generous this year," Kurtz said.
He hopes this continues to be true over these next few days.
He added: "We are so thankful to the community for their help, not only with monetary donations, but (with) the toy drives, food drives and all those willing to volunteer their time to help with the distribution of toys and food as well as those brave enough to ring those bells."
Volunteers are still needed to ring bells over the next few days. Please call 815-5955. Ask for Sue.
A woman who at one point Wednesday night authorities feared may have wandered into a fast-moving Tonawanda Creek, was found later apparently safe in a mobile home on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia.
The woman was taken into custody on a bench warrant for alleged criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.
Jailed on $100,000 bail was Lisa Mae Rugh, 38, of Elm Street, Batavia.
The incident started about 6:30 p.m. when a woman was observed by a passerby lying on the shoulder of Route 5 near Pudgie's Lawn and Garden Center.
The woman, later identified as Rugh, denied a need for help, though she appeared intoxicated, according to the witness.
Rugh began walking south behind Pudgie's toward the Tonawanda Creek.
Members of the Sheriff's Office searched the area but could not locate Rugh.
The department's K-9 unit was called to the scene and "Pharoah" reportedly tracked Rugh to the edge of the creek.
At about that time, members of the East Pembroke Water Rescue Team were in route to the scene. Also dispatched were volunteers from the Town of Batavia Fire Department as well as Alden and Corfu.
"Pharoah" continued tracking Rugh and she was located at Lot #8 of Dreamland Trailer Park, 3540 W. Main St. Road, Batavia.
When deputies identified Rugh they discovered she had an active bench warrant for her arrest.
The Genesee County Emergency Services Office also assisted in the search for Rugh.
A water rescue search is being set up in the area of Wortendyke and South Main Street roads.
East Pembroke's water rescue team responding along with Town of Batavia.
A command post is being set up in the area of Pudgie's Home and Garden Center on West Main Street.
UPDATE 8:31 p.m.: A K-9 unit has tracked a path that indicates a woman may be in the water. Alden's water team also requested to stage in the area. "The water is moving pretty fast," a chief says.
UPDATE 9:09 p.m.: Corfu Fire Department is called to East Pembroke's hall to provide light towers where they are needed. The searchers are sweeping both sides of the Tonawanda Creek. They are headed west of the retention pond. A thermal imaging camera is requested to be at the ready roadside, south of Route 5. The woman they are searching for is said to be blonde, wearing a green jacket and carrying a backpack. They heard a female is screaming loudly near a storage unit, and thought it might be related to this call. The situation first came to the authorities' attention when a medic alerted dispatch that a woman, who appeared to be intoxicated, was lying on the ground near Pudgie's Lawn & Garden Center. She seemed to have an injured leg and was last seen headed toward the creek. Deputies who responded found a woman's shoe(s) roadside, and the K-9 "scented toward the creek." Now they are saying the screaming woman is someone in a trailer park close by yelling for her dog. "We don't have to look out for a pooch, too, do we?" "No" came the reply. A deputy says there's "a good deal of K-9 activity in the (Dreamland trailer) park, which is an indication that she may have been here and is now out of here."
UPDATE 9:17 p.m.: They found a shoeless woman at the Dreamland Trailer Park, lot # 8. Everybody is packing up and will be leaving shortly. An ambulance will be responding to her location.
UPDATE 9:35 p.m.: The patient refused treatment. She is now in law enforcement custody.
UPDATED with comments from Bromley at 2:01 p.m.
UPDATED at 4:43 p.m. with comments by Briggs.
Brennan Briggs, who led the Blue Devil's JV squad to an undefeated season in 2011, has been named the varsity's head football coach.
Briggs replaces Dan Geiger, who had a 16-35 record over six seasons as the Blue Devil's head coach.
The board of education approved the promotion of Briggs on Monday.
Athletic Director Michael Bromley said Briggs is somebody he's had his eye on since Brennan's student-athlete days at Batavia.
"It was easy to see as a young kid he was a great leader," said Bromley.
Briggs was a standout athlete in football and hockey, helping lead the hockey team to two sectional titles.
Bromley said when Briggs decided to major in physical education in college, he saw him as a potential teacher and coach at Batavia.
"He's got a lot of great experience and I have no doubt he will be a success," Bromley said.
The promotion, Briggs said, is exactly what he had in mind for himself.
"It’s been a goal of mine since I got into coaching to become a head football coach, to get out under the lights on Friday night and there’s no place better to do it than Batavia High," said Briggs.
Brigg's is the son of a former Gates-Chili coach Jim Briggs, a Section V Hall of Fame member.
Jim Briggs was also a standout athlete at Batavia HS and is in the schools hall of fame.
Bromley doesn't anticipate the senior Briggs being involved officially the football program, but he's sure father and son will talk a lot.
"It's obviously a great resource to have somebody with his knowledge and his level of success available as a dad," Bromley said. "I'm sure there will be a lot of dinner table conversations."
Brennan said you can rule out any idea of Jim becoming an assistant coach.
"He's got two grand sons he helps take care of and he's quite content doing that," Briggs said.
But they will talk.
"Obviously, I'll listen to anything everything he has to say, but he also does a good job of stepping back and let me be Brennan Briggs," Briggs said.
The players received the news of the promotion for Brigg's well, Bromley said.
It was important to get Briggs started as coach this month, with players already beginning training and weight work for next season.
"Winning football isn't just about what you do during the season," Bromley said. "It's also what you do during the off season."
Fans shouldn't read too much into the undefeated JV record, Briggs said. There are a lot of JV teams in the area that have undefeated seasons, but that doesn't necessarily translate into winning varsity programs.
"I don't want everybody coming here thinking, 'Oh, Coach Briggs is undefeated on JV and they're going to be undefeated on varsity.' It doesn't work that way," Briggs said. "It's not going to be a complete transformation over to varsity."
That said, Briggs said he's already established a relationship with a lot of his players, both from coaching JV football and coaching baseball at the school.
His goal: Establish a winning culture.
"It's about discipline and hard work and it doesn't always show up on the score board, but inch by inch, we'll get there," Briggs said.
Briggs is pretty young at 26 to take over a varsity program, and he sees his age as offering both pros and cons.
When you're a young coach, he said, you can relate to a lot more of what the kids are going through away from campus, but they can also come to see you too close as peer.
"There's a fine line where these kids see you as a young person, you’ve got to establish that you’re the coach," Briggs said. "Yes, I want a good relationship with them, but there’s a fine line and you establish that by expecting discipline, not accepting any excuses and being hard on them and just expecting the best from them every single day."
Bromley anticipates working with Briggs and putting together a coaching staff for Briggs over the next month.
Troy D. Hubler, 41, of 7634 Byron Holley Road, South Byron, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd, and criminal contempt, 2nd. Hubler was located in Orleans County by the Sheriff's Office in Orleans County and turned over to Batavia PD on a warrant out of city court. The warrant stemmed from an alleged Oct. 3 incident in which Hubler reportedly made telephone contact with a person protected by a court order. The order of protection was issued by Batavia Family Court.
Andrew Ziemba Perdock, 24, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Perdock is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.
Press release:
Batavia Downs Casino is pleased to announce that following a recent approval, a new Tim Horton's will open inside Batavia Downs Casino on Wednesday, Dec. 21, sometime in the afternoon.
“Tim Horton's has proven itself to be an industry leader and partnering ourselves with that brand will strengthen our own,” said Mike Kane, CEO and president of Batavia Downs Casino.
The Tim Horton's will occupy the site formerly knows as “Crumbs” and will serve Tim Horton's brand drinks as well as doughnuts. Other lunch items that “Crumbs” served will also be available. Tim Horton's brand coffee will be served for free to persons playing on the gaming floor.
Batavia Downs in owned and operated by Western Regional Off-Track Betting, a public benefit corporation. The track is also home to Batavia Downs Casino, featuring more than 600 video slot machines. Batavia Downs Casino is located less than one mile from Thruway Exit 48 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. Admission and parking are always free.
A Buffalo-based radio host decided to throw truth to the wind on Tuesday and hand out T-shirts at Batavia High School with a simple message, "Merry Christmas."
The act stemmed from an inaccurate news report by Rochester's News 8 that the school district recently banned "Merry Christmas" and other sectarian religious expressions from the school district.
As The Batavian posted the night News 8's report aired, the district has a decades-old policy about public religious expressions, but the policy also explicitly allows students and facility to engage in personal expressions of faith.
The Batavia Daily News story makes it sound like Batavia City Schools are intolerant of such expressions.
Kathy Weppner, whose program is broadcast at WBEN Radio, 930 AM, said she brought 300 shirts to the high school to support freedom of speech for students and faculty.
...
BHS junior Chelsea Dibble, 16, gave out shirts after she was asked to by Weppner and the four fans she brought with her.
“We think we should be able to wear what we want to wear,” Dibble said.
Dibble said the shirt has to say “Happy Holidays” and not “Merry Christmas” to be worn in the school.
“I think it’s cruel,” she said.
Of course, according to school policy, Dibble can wear a shirt that says "Merry Christmas" on it.
The school district responded in comments:
1.There is no letter, nor was there ever a letter, sent home to parents that explains BHS policy on teaching about religion and culture.
2. No students were ever told by a teacher that they couldn't talk about Christmas inside the school.
3. It is not against any school rules in the district to wear clothing that has "Merry Christmas" written on it.
4. The policy on religious expression, posted on the website, is the district's policy and is based on state and federal laws, including the First Amendment. It makes no mention of the expression "Merry Christmas."
In a way, you can thank Walmart for the new grocery store downtown, which held its ribbon cutting today and will officially open Wednesday.
Co-owner John Hedlund (top photo, right) once owned a grocery store in a small town in Pennsylvania, then Walmart came to town. The giant retailer leveled a hill across the street from his store and within six months had taken away half his business.
After closing the store, he started looking for other opportunities in the grocery business, and with his desire to remain entrepreneurial and independent, the Save-A-Lot model appealed to him.
Hedlund converted his Jubilee store in Salamanca to Save-A-Lot and along with business partner Bill Larson now owns and operates four Save-A-Lot locations in Pennsylvania and New York.
Larson was owner of the former IGA store in Corfu.
"Walmart devastated me, but they also put me on a different track," Hedlund said. "The Save-A-Lot program is a great business to bring to a community."
Save-A-Lot is a mixture of corporate-owned stores and licensed stores, such as the new one in Batavia. The company operates 1,200 stores nationwide.
The Save-A-Lot model is to maintain low prices with a comparatively limited inventory and smaller stores -- Batavia's store is 18,000 square feet, which is large for a Save-A-Lot. The store also sells its own brands, such as Bubba's sodas, Malone's canned meats and Manita's pasta (names taken from actual people who work at corporate headquarters in Earth City, Mo.
"The Save-A-Lot format is to provide quality products at lower prices," Hedlund said.
Larson (top photo, left) said the produce and meat offered at Save-A-Lot are always fresh and of the highest grade available.
Victor Gautieri's family company owns the former Jubilee/Latina's building -- between Jackson and Court streets on Ellicott Street -- where the new store is located. There are still 22,000 square feet available for lease. Gautieri said he hopes it becomes a retail hub for downtown anchored by Save-A-Lot.
"From the word on the street, we're hearing people say this is a godsend for Downtown Batavia, " Gautieri said. "And we're finally getting this white elephant off the shoulders of the city."
Outgoing City Council President Marianne Clattenburg said, "We're very happy in the City of Batavia to finally have another grocery store downtown."
More than a dozen customers were in the store after the ribbon cutting to check out what it has to offer and buy a few items.
"I like it because I used to drive to Save-A-Lot in Le Roy, but that's too far to drive," Carla Laird said. "And it's hard to get to Tops a lot of times."
Billie Jo Laird said, "It's great for people who don't have a car and can't drive."
Hedlund said it's the goal of his company to help the communities they serve to thrive.
"The downtown area was missing a grocery store and it needed a grocery store," Hedlund said. "This is a great opportunity for us."
District Board of Education Meeting
Highlights from the BCSD Board of Education meeting on December 19, 2011, include the following:
Christopher Dailey is Named Deputy Superintendent
The Batavia School District Board approved the appointment of BHS Principal Christopher Dailey as the District’s new deputy superintendent, effective January 1, 2012. Mr. Dailey will assume the role of superintendent of the District following the anticipated retirement of current Superintendent Margaret Puzio. An interim principal for Batavia High School has not yet been named.
(See related story: http://www.bataviacsd.org/news.cfm?story=839&school=0)
Modification & Consolidation of Existing Election Districts
As discussed at a previous Board of Education meeting (October 17, 2011), Business Administrator Scott Rozanski proposed that the number of polling places for the budget vote be revised for greater cost efficiency and that the election districts be redrawn to correspond to that change. Instead of three polling places (Robert Morris Elementary, Batavia Middle School, and Jackson Elementary), he proposed that there be two, and that those locations be Batavia High School and John Kennedy Elementary because both have greater ease of access and available parking.
The recommendation made to and adopted by the Board included changing the voting sites to Batavia High School and John Kennedy Elementary, and that the new election districts be divided by Route 5 so that residents who live north of Route 5 would vote at John Kennedy School, and those who live south of Route 5 would vote at Batavia High School. This would apply to all District residences in the City of Batavia, the Town of Batavia, and the Town of Stafford.
Following are details of each election district.
Election District Number 1, voting at John Kennedy School (166 Vine Street)…
includes all that part of the school district north of Main Street/Route 5 consisting of:
City of Batavia- Allanview Drive, Allen Street, Alva Place, Bank Street, Batavia City Centre, Belvedere Lane, Bogue Avenue, Bryant Street, Burke Drive, Buxton Avenue, Caroiwood Drive, Chandler Avenue, Charles Street, Chase Park, Clinton Park, Clinton Street, Columbia Avenue, Crescent Court, Dellinger Avenue, Denio Street, Dennis Drive, Douglas Street, E Main Street (odd numbers), East Avenue, Eleanor Place, Ellicott Avenue, Ellsworth Avenue, Elm Street, Eugene Street, Evergreen Drive, Fairmont Avenue, Farwell Drive, Fisher Park, Fordham Drive, Garden Drive, Gateway Drive, Genesee Street, Grandview Terrace, Harrold Square, Hart Street, Hillside Drive, Holland Avenue, Holmes Avenue, Hull Park, Hutchins Place, Jefferson Avenue, Jefferson Square, Kingsbury Avenue, Lacrosse Avenue, Lewis Avenue, Lewis Place, 8351 Lewiston Road, Lincoln Avenue, Macarthur Drive, Main Street (even numbers), Manhattan Avenue, Margaret Place, Miller Avenue, Mix Place, Montclair Avenue, N Lyon Street, N Spruce Street, Naramore Drive, New York Place, Noonan Drive, Norris Avenue, North Park, North Pointe Drive, North Street, Northern Blvd, Oak Street, Olyn Avenue, Park Avenue, 140-175 Park Road, Pickthorn Drive, Porter Avenue, Prospect Avenue, Raymond Avenue, Redfield Parkway, Richmond Avenue, Ross Street, Seneca Avenue, Soccio Street, State Street, Summit Street, Thomas Avenue, Tracy Avenue, Trumbull Parkway, Union Square, Union Street, Vernon Avenue, Verona Avenue, Vine Street, W Main Street (even numbers), Walker Place, Washington Avenue, West Avenue, Wiard Street, Willow Street, Woodcrest Drive, Woodrow Road;
Town of Batavia- Arena Parkway, Bank Street Road, Bennett Heights, Clinton Street Road (4950-5 133, Even 5138-5268), Colonial Boulevard, Commerce Drive, Constable Drive, E Main Street Road (odd numbers), Federal Drive, Lewiston Road (all but #8351), N Bennett Heights, Old Meadow Lane, 8200-8330 Park Road, S Bennett Heights, Seven Springs Road (even numbers), State Street Road, Stringham Drive, Terry Hills Drive, Veterans Memorial Drive, Violet Lane, W Main Street Road (odd numbers);
Town of Stafford- Clinton Street Road (Even 5172-5292), E Lake Road, Horseshoe Lake Road, Main Road (odd numbers), NW Lake Road, Prole Road, S Lake Road, Seven Springs Road (odd numbers), W Lake Road.
Election District Number 2, voting at Batavia High School (260 State Street…
includes all that part of the school district south of Main Street/Route 5 consisting of:
City of Batavia- Adams Street, Apollo Drive, Birchwood Drive, Brooklyn Avenue, Buell Street, Cedar Street, Center Street, Central Avenue, Cherry Street, Chestnut Street, Clifton Avenue, Colorado Avenue, Cone Street, Court Street, Court Street Plaza, Crossman Avenue, Davis Avenue, Dawson Place, Dewey Avenue, E Main Street (even numbers), Edward Street, Elizabeth Street, Ellicott Place, Ellicott Street, Elmwood Avenue, Evans Street, Florence Avenue, Franklin Street, Ganson Avenue, Garfield Avenue, Goade Park, Graham Street, Hall Street, Harvester Avenue, Highland Park, Howard Street, Hutchins Street, Hyde Park, Jackson Avenue, Jackson Street, James Street, Jerome Place, Kibbe Avenue, Law Street, 1-480 Lehigh Avenue, Liberty Street, Linwood Avenue, Madison Avenue, Main Street (odd numbers), Maple Street, Masse Place, McKinley Avenue, Meadowcrest Drive, Mill Street, Morse Place, Morton Avenue, Oakland Avenue, Orleans Avenue, Osterhout Avenue, Otis Street, Pearl Street, Pollard Avenue, Pringle Avenue, Prune Street, River Street, Riverview Parkway, Roosevelt Avenue, S Jackson Street, S Lyon Street, S Spruce Street, S Swan Street, School Street, South Main Street, Spencer Court, Sumner Street, Swan Street, Thorpe Street, 1-3, 4(A,B,F,G), 6 Treadeasy Avenue, W Main Street (odd numbers), Wade Avenue, Walker Avenue, Wallace Street, Walnut Place, Walnut Street, Warren Street, Watson Street, Webster Avenue, Williams Street, Wood Street;
Town of Batavia-Agpark Drive N, Agpark Drive W, Alexander Road, Batavia Bethany Townline
Road, Batavia Stafford Townline Road (even numbers), Broadlawn Avenue, Broadway Road, Creek Road, Donahue Road, E Main Street Road (even numbers), Edgewood Drive, Ellicott Street Road, Fairway Drive, Haven Lane, 4640-8901 Lehigh Avenue, Lovers Lane Road, Pearl Street Road, Putnam Road, Rollin Circle, Rollin Circle E, Rollin Circle W, Rose Road, Shepard Road, South Main Street Road, Treadeasy Avenue, Valle Drive, Victorian Drive, W Main Street Road (even numbers), Woodland Drive, Wortendyke Road;
Town of Stafford- Batavia Stafford Towline Road (odd numbers), Fargo Road, Main Road (even numbers), and Sweetland Road.
Building Consolidation Update
Board Member Steve Mountain reported that the Buildings and Grounds Committee is continuing its work on investigating building consolidation options by collecting and analyzing the information from the varied studies and meetings. They anticipate bringing a their recommendation to the January Board meeting for discussion, then presenting their recommendation to the Budget Ambassadors.
They are also reviewing traffic safety at the schools in regard to parents dropping off and picking up their children to see what actions are necessary to ensure student safety. In particular, Batavia Middle School, Robert Morris Elementary, and Jackson Elementary continue to be a challenge.
Backpack Food Program Drive
Superintendent of Schools Margaret Puzio spoke on behalf of the Backpack Program which was started last year in partnership with the United Way and the Salvation Army to provide weekend food supplies for some of our neediest students. Approximately 100 of our students receive a backpack of nutritious nonperishables each Friday to help provide for their needs through the weekend. Initially funded by the United Way, the goal was to have the program sustained through donations so, soon after the program began, the District sponsored a food drive to collect items from students and staff. Thanks to their generosity, enough food was collected to support the program through the end of last school year.
Mrs. Puzio is hoping for a similar result during this year’s food drive, scheduled for the week of January 9-13. Donation boxes will be set up at each of the schools as well as at the Administration Building. As part of the drive, admission for the boys basketball home game on January 13 will be free with a donation of at least one food item to benefit the Backpack Program. The boys play the Pittsford Mendon Knights, with JV game starting at 6:15 p.m. and varsity at 7:45 p.m. Suggested items are those that are nutritious and that require little or no preparation such as cereal (individual or 12 oz. boxes), juice boxes, canned soups, macaroni and cheese, applesauce, fruit cups, pudding cups, oatmeal, canned foods (vegetables, spaghettios, etc.), trail mix, cheese and crackers, peanut butter crackers, raisins, peanuts, and fruit snacks. Monetary donations are also welcome. Checks may be sent directly to the Salvation Army, payable to the Salvation Army with a notation for the “Backpack Program” on the memo line.
“It really is an important program and it’s doing wonders to help families in these tough times,” said Mrs. Puzio.
Press release:
The Batavia School District Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher J. Dailey as the district’s new deputy superintendent, effective Jan. 1.
He will assume the role of superintendent of the district following the anticipated retirement of current Superintendent Margaret Puzio. Dailey has served as Batavia High School Principal since May 2008.
“At a time when there is a tremendous shortage of quality superintendents and increasing turnover rates, we are extremely fortunate to have an individual that offers us a proven track record, a smooth transition, and is someone with a strong commitment to our community," said Board President Gail Stevens. "Mr. Dailey, in his role as high school principal, has earned the respect of the teachers, students, administration and community."
In 2010, the board identified the need for a succession plan to be put in place for key personnel who were nearing retirement. As part of that plan, Dailey was identified as a strong candidate to succeed Puzio. A process for conducting a new superintendent search had been considered as well, but searches can be expensive in a time of limited resources and sometimes lead to disappointing results.
After conducting extensive interviews with Dailey, each member was confident that the district had the right person internally to continue the district’s success and ensure continuity in these uncertain financial times.
In August, Dailey completed the Transition to Superintendency program through the educational Leadership Institute at Oswego State College. The program orients experienced school administrators to the skills and attitudes needed to become superintendents, according to the program description.
Dailey’s strengths are considerable. He is an excellent communicator who listens well and respects the views of others. His leadership of the high school has fostered pride and inspired a drive for excellence from both staff and students.
Although he is recognized for his strong administrative skills, he has earned multiple awards for his teaching and coaching. His experiences as a social studies teacher and coach in the Rush, Henrietta, Le Roy, and Brighton school districts prepared him well for his role as instructional leader.
This is a great opportunity for the district to carry on many of the initiatives that are under way with continuity in leadership and knowledge. Some examples of initiatives in which he has been involved include: a focus on improvement in student achievement; data driven instructional planning, including assessment analysis and targeted academic interventions; credit recovery and increased graduation rates; establishment of enhanced teacher leadership; alignment of curricula to the new Common Core Standards; and the new teacher and principal APPRs.
“I believe the board made a terrific choice for the district and I look forward with working with Mr. Dailey,” Superintendent Puzio said.
Before joining the administrative team in the Batavia City School District, Dailey was assistant principal in the Churchville-Chili School District. His numerous leadership roles -- including department chair, high school principal, high school assistant principal, and varsity coach -- signal a record of previous school leadership success. This led to consensus among members of the Batavia City School District Board of Education that he will be an excellent district leader.
Dailey holds a B.A. from SUNY Geneseo, and a master's degree and Certificate of Advanced Studies from SUNY Brockport.
For a report on Monday's school board meeting, click here.
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