batavia

A house fire with smoke and flames showing is reported at 14 McKinley Ave., Batavia.

All occupants are out.  One may have smoke inhalation. 

City Fire dispatched. Also dispatched, Town of Batavia, Elba, Oakfield, and Stafford.

The fire hydrant on McKinley is not working. A hydrant on East Main will be needed. Traffic on East Main to be shut down.

Submitted by Coach Matt Holman

On Tuesday, the Batavia Boys Alpine Ski team found a mixed bag of weather and conditions at Swain Resort. 

The warmer temperatures over the weekend led to a sugary snow, easily pushed away by each skier leading to a hard service with large banks of soft light snow. The morning sun turned to afternoon clouds and light snow of giant picturesque snowflakes.

The boys came in sixth place out of 11 teams in the competition.

Freezing overnight conditions left the race course in great condition for the girls on Wednesday. 

The soft snow from the day before was much more solid and the girl skiers did not have to worry about snow piles of any kind. The day was perfect for ski racing, with bluebird skies minimal cloud coverage, and the bright spring sun.

The girls, competing with an incomplete team, came in eighth place out of 11 teams.

Dylan T. Jordan, 22, of Bliss, was arrested on a warrant on Jan. 29.  The arrest stems from an incident reported on Jan. 15. Jordan is accused of engaging in a fight with police officers in the emergency room at UMMC. Jordan allegedly placed an officer in a headlock and attempted to strangle him. Jordan was charged with attempted assault 2nd, attempted strangulation 2nd, criminal obstruction of breathing, obstructing governmental administration 2nd, and harassment 2nd. Jordan was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Edmund Sobresky, 54, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI/Drugs. Mathew Parker, 34, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th. Katelyn Jimenez, 30, of Eagle Street, Medina, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th, and criminal impersonation. Deputies conducted a traffic stop at 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 8 at Route 33 and Route 5, Batavia. Deputies determined that Sobresky appeared to be driving while under the influence of drugs. During the traffic stop, found the occupants of the vehicle were allegedly in possession of a large quantity of narcotics, enough to lead to accusations of dealing drugs.  Jimenez is also accused of providing deputies with a false name. All were held pending arraignment.

Tajhenne T. Walker, 28, of Buffalo, and Ericka K. McBride, 34, of Buffalo, are charged with grand larceny 4th, possession of burglar tools, and conspiracy 6th. Walker and McBride are accused of stealing merchandise from Ulta Beauty on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, at 7:28 p.m. on Feb. 3rd. They were released on appearance tickets.

Danny D. Williams, 35, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st.  Williams is accused of violating an order of protection on Jan. 28. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held. 

Olivia J. Patten, 26, of Oakfield, was arrested on Feb. 1 on a warrant issued by City Court. Patten was initially charged on Nov. 1 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd. She was accused of driving with a suspended license. A warrant was issued after she failed to appear in court. Patten was arraigned in City Court, where the case was settled.

Scott D. Murray, 38, is charged with criminal contempt. 2nd. Murray is accused of violating an order of protection on Jan. 31 by making contact with a protected party while at the Genesee County Courthouse. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.

Jeanna M. Hattaway, 37, of Batavia, was arrested on Jan. 30 on a warrant issued by City Court. Hattaway was initially charged on Dec. 13 with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th in connection to an incident reported in April, 2023. A warrant was issued after Hattaway failed to appear in court. Hattaway was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Adrienne S. Bechtold, 28, of Batavia is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Bechtold was allegedly found in possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia after police responded to a report on Jan. 27 of a suspicious vehicle on East Main Street, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket.

John A. Cabrera, Sr., 56, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Cabrera is accused of stealing merchandise from Kwik Fill on Jackson Street, Batavia, on Jan. 26. He was issued an appearance ticket.

James W. Zurek, 20, of Batavia, was arrested on Jan. 29 on two warrants. The first warrant stems from an incident in August 2022 when Zurek was charged with strangulation 2nd, assault 3rd, and petit larceny after a disturbance on Cedar Street. The second warrant charged Zurek with bail jumping 3rd. He was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Andrew William Taylor, 36, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Taylor is accused of stealing $39.97 worth of merchandise from Walmart at 1:07 p.m. on Feb. 2. Taylor was released on an appearance ticket.

Richard Wayne Rumble Jr., 39, of Scribner Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, unlicensed operator, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. At 12:27 a.m. on Jan. 16, a caller reported a vehicle swerving into oncoming traffic on Route 5 in Pembroke. The caller followed the vehicle to Crosby's in East Pembroke and stayed on scene until Deputy Carlos Ortiz Speed and Deputy Ryan Mullen arrived.  The deputies reportedly found a driver asleep behind the wheel of the pickup truck. Rumble was released on appearance tickets.

Philip Stewart Mayberry, 52, of South Geddes Street, Syracuse, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd.  Mayberry was arrested following an investigation into an incident at 8250 Park Road, Batavia, at 11:47 a.m. on Jan. 22. Mayberry was released on an appearance ticket. Also charged, Shandell Marie Lissow, 35, of Allen Road, Albion.

Ashton Lea Mohney, 33, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting dangerous contraband in prison 1st. Mohney was arrested in connection with an incident reported a 8:15 a.m. on Feb. 5.  The incident was investigated by Deputy James Stack. Mohney was arraigned in City Court and ordered held. No further details were released.

Jacob William Patterson, 28, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Patterson was arrested during a check-the-welfare call at a hotel on Park Road at 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. He was held pending arraignment.

Jacob William Patterson, 28, of East Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with introducing prison contraband 1st. Patterson was arrested in connection with an incident at the Best Western Hotel in Batavia and transported to the Genesee County Jail. He is accused of bringing dangerous prison contraband into the jail. He was held pending arraignment.

Mary Ann Virgilio, 48, of State Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal tampering 3rd. Virgilio is accused of entering a residence on State Street Road, Batavia, at 4 p.m. on Feb. 1, and then denying the resident of the property access to the home by locking an internal screen door. Virgilio was issued an appearance ticket.

Austin Chase Durham, 28, of Dewey Avenue, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment 2nd. Durham is accused of repeatedly sending text messages on Feb. 6 to another person with the "intent to harass, annoy, or alarm, with no legitimate communication," after being warned by a police officer to cease communication with the person. Durham was ordered held pending arraignment.

Thomas Matthew Gang, 43, of Alleghany Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater.  Gang was stopped at 5:03 p.m. on Feb. 5 on Roberts Road, Alabama by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kristan Rae Aquino, 40, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Aquino is accused of intentionally damaging a bed inside the Genesee County Jail at 4:46 a.m. on Dec. 3. Aquino was arrested on Feb. 6 and issued an appearance ticket.

Jeanna Marie Hathaway, 37, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd. Hathaway was stopped at 1:20 p.m. on Feb. 9 on South Main Street, Elba, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. She was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine. Hathaway was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Jeanna Marie Hathaway, 37, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Hathaway is accused of stealing merchandise from Ulta Beauty at 3 p.m. on Jan. 30. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Stephanie Marie Hockenberry, 36, of Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, driving on a suspended registration, and no motor vehicle insurance. Hockenberry was stopped at 8:07 p.m. on Feb. 9, on Route 33, Stafford, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Hockenberry was issued an appearance ticket.

Luis Alexis Harloff, 41, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and unlicensed driver. Harloff was stopped at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 10 in the parking lot of a location on South Main Street, Elba, by Deputy Jacob Kipler.

Rob Arthur Shuttleworth, 66, of Scotland Road, Akron, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operator 2nd, driving without an interlock device, and driving left of pavement markings. Shuttleworth was stopped at 2:13 am. on Feb. 10 on North Lake Road, Pembroke, by Sgt. Mathew Clor.

Janell Marie Sauer, 48, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Sauer was charged following a traffic stop at 2:13 a.m. on Feb. 10 on North Lake Road, Pembroke, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. Sauer was a passenger in the vehicle.

Richard James Burdick, 46, of Coward Road, Byron, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd, unlicensed operation, and failure to keep light. Burdick was stopped at 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 12 on West Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz. Burdick was released on an appearance ticket.

Lisa Marie Fox, 52, of Crimson Heights, Albion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and facilitating aggravated operation 3rd. Fox was allegedly in possession of narcotics while a passenger in a vehicle stopped at 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 12. She is accused of knowing the driver was driving on a suspended license. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Amy Susan Goodenow, 43, of East Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Goodenow is accused of stealing a person's car keys and refusing to return them in an incident reported at 12:22 a.m. on Jan. 20. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Christine M. Caplis, 43, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Caplis was arrested on Feb. 13 in connection with an alleged possession of a controlled substance on April 18 during a traffic stop in Corfu. She was arrested after police investigated a disturbance on Dellinger Avenue, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Erich Douglas Hildebrant, 45, of Batavia Bethany Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.  Hildebrant was charged after an incident reported at 9:20 a.m. on Feb. 2. He is accused of holding a firearm in his hands while making statements and conducting himself in a manner that was detrimental to three children in his presence at the time.

Water — whether there’s too much of it through flooding out west or not enough with the drought right here in Bethany, or the materials used for it, such as the case in Newark, NJ, which spent nearly $200 million to replace residents’ lead water lines, and now has become an issue for the city of Batavia — is no doubt a force to be reckoned with sooner or later.

Newark’s officials were lauded for creating a lead line replacement program — replacing all 23,000 lines — and the Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing a Lead and Copper Rule Revision that Batavia must follow by developing a service line inventory, city management says. 

Although they’re not certain about a timeline to follow, the first step is to get that inventory completed by Oct. 24, 2024, Public Works Director Brett Frank said. 

“What we're basically asking the public to do is, we've got to gather a bunch of landline inventory, it's your water service inventory that we're looking to obtain. So right on the city website underneath the Public Works page, if you click that ... that'll take you to a flyer that explains what a water service line is, and what the common materials are. And we're looking to have people scan a QR code and take a picture of their water service line," Frank said. "Easiest way to tell what kind of line you have is, if it's old galvanized steel, you take a magnet, and it'll stick right to your water service line, which runs directly to your water meter. It’s typically going to be one of four materials, it's either going to be galvanized steel, copper, plastic, or in extremely rare cases, it's going to be a lead service line inside the home, which we rarely ever run into. So it's not anything for people to be alarmed about."

Earlier this week during City Council’s business meeting, Frank and City Manager Rachael Tabelski reviewed the program and plan to gather service line information from residents. This doesn’t mean that city water is unsafe; to the contrary, the city provides high-quality drinking water, Tabelski said: “We test the water several times a day,” she said.

The city has an effective corrosion control process tore cue the risk of lead leaching from lead plumbing materials, and the city routinely tests the water and results are consistently below the EPA action level for lead, according to that water pamphlet Frank mentioned.

This first step is just about getting an idea of how many property owners in the city have pipes with lead in them, either the pipe itself or having been soldered together with lead. Using a magnet will identify the pipe material, because if it sticks, the pipe is galvanized steel versus copper, plastic, or lead. 

Due to this being a potential monster of a project, Frank is hoping that residents will use the city website and/or pamphlet and QR code, take and submit a photo of their water lines, and reduce that portion of work from city staff. Eventually, it may come to hiring an intern or seasonal staff to assist with gathering inventory if citizens aren’t responding to this appeal for assistance, he said.

Meanwhile, the city has applied for grant funding to do a “potholing” project to discover the existence of lead lines between the public side — the city’s responsibility — on the street over to the private side — the homeowner’s property, which runs from the curb line through the basement to the water meter. 

“So if that grant comes through, that would give us enough data to where we could plug it into what's called a predictive modeling platform,” he said. “So that's the goal is to get this grant to do roughly, 1,100 to 1,200 potholes, plug that into what's called a predictive modeling platform, and then we could use that data, which is accepted to kind of map out where we believe we will find lead services. A complicated process, right?”

Right. All of this process has to happen before the city even gets to the point of discussing lead line replacement. And once that arises, the city, while nowhere near where Newark was financially, is still looking at a $30 million project cost, Tabelski and Frank said. 

Lead has been a hot topic of the moment, not only with water lines, but also within the home. Genesee County Health Department has devoted funding for the dangers of exposure to lead-filled paint in older homes, as lead is a toxic material, and can cause health issues, especially in children. 

Perhaps that’s why it was “one of the big items” for discussion at a recent New York Conference of Mayors that Tabelski and Frank attended. While they don’t want to sound any alarms, nobody wants to see issues from undue lead exposure down the road either. 

“We're facing about $30 million of lead replacements, not only on the public side but on the homeowner side. We are meeting weekly now to try to deploy a plan because by October we need to identify as many lead or non-lead services in the city to gain a better understanding of what our replacement will actually look like. And to hone in on that $30 million cost,” Tabelski said. “There's been new rules that have come out that basically say you can't replace the city side and not replace the owner side. So legally, we need to work through some of those challenges.” 

If anyone has questions or would like to schedule to have your pipe checked in your home, call 585-343-6345 or email leadservice@batavianewyork.com.

Press Release:

Please be advised that Bank Street, from Main Street to Washington Avenue, will be closed until midday on Friday as the Bank Street Water project nears completion.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank the public for its patience and cooperation as we work to improve our community.

On Senior night, one win-shy of a .500 season, Batavia came out strong against Geneva and came away with a 59-19 win.

The game began with a 6-4 early in the first quarter lead for the Blue Devils but trailed at the end of the quarter 11-8.

With a strong second half, Batavia turned out the light on Geneva, going into the half with a 33-12 lead, and the game was never close again.

After a couple of consecutive seasons where wins were hard to come by, Coach John McCulley sees progress in a 10-10 season and a group of young players developing winning habits and gaining experience.

"The season started out pretty good," McCulley said. "We had a light schedule. We started out with a bunch of girls that hadn't played at the varsity level. The senior girls that I had, that's what made it so special throughout the season. The senior girls I had were a huge help for me, as far as the right attitude, and teaching the young girls the right way to handle things. And so the season went pretty well. We had our ups and downs but as far as I'm concerned, from last year to this year, leaps and bounds. We've learned a lot, everything, every game, we progressively got better."

There are nine freshmen in the program, between varsity and JV and McCulley believes they have high ceilings.

"The freshmen are going to be phenomenal for me," McCulley said. "And I got Jamie (Macdonald) coming back another year that she just took leaps and bounds towards the end of the year. I think she's going to accept this role as a leader and just be a powerhouse next year."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Press Release:

Please be advised that Blue Heron Construction will continue to work on interconnections for the Jackson Street Water project today, Thursday, February 15, on Jackson Street.  

Loss of water should be expected in the surrounding area depending on valve closures.  If discolored water occurs when water pressure is regained, please avoid doing laundry or cooking until the water runs clear.

We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank the public for their patience and cooperation as we work to improve our community. 

Press Release:

Join us for our annual FeBREWary Beer Walk Downtown Saturday, Feb. 24 from 4 - 8 p.m. with 23 participating businesses. Registration is to be held at GO ART!

Come walk The Downtown Business Improvement District, sip some delicious craft beer, and visit local businesses. Shop our downtown as you visit with friends and family, eat some great food, and see what is new. 

FeBREWary tickets are $35.00 per person, and you must be 21 or over to attend. No one under 21 will be allowed entry. 

Tickets are available at Adam Miller Toys & Bicycles, Yngodess Shop, and Eventbright. For more information, visit our Facebook page or at www.bataviabid.com.

Press Release:

From Jan. 26 to Feb. 24 a land owner may submit a request to include entire parcels of predominantly viable agricultural land within a certified New York State Agricultural District.

NYS Agricultural and Markets Law requires that the County Legislature designate an annual thirty-day time period within which a land owner may submit a request for inclusion of property within a certified agricultural district. 

This annual time occurs in Genesee County from Jan. 26 to Feb. 24 and is exclusively designed to incorporate property that is predominantly viable agricultural land – defined by Genesee County as lands that are composed of at least 51% prime farmland soils and/or are contiguous to the main farm operation.

Applications for the inclusion of land are available at the Genesee County Department of Planning in County Building No. 2 (3837 W Main Street Rd, Batavia) or can be downloaded or printed by visiting the website:

http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/planning/agricultural_farmland_protection_board.php#annualenrollment

The application must be completed and signed by the landowner and returned to the Genesee County Department of Planning by 5 p.m. on Feb. 24. Due to the language of the NYS Agricultural and Markets Law, no applications can be accepted before Jan. 26.

PLEASE NOTE: Requesting enrollment of property during this thirty-day time period is not a guarantee that your property will be added to an existing Agricultural District, and it will not automatically qualify your property for a reduced agricultural property tax assessment. For information on obtaining a reduced agricultural property tax assessment, you must contact your local assessor. Please remember, that the Taxable Status Date is March 1.

Press Release:

GO ART! is hosting a Creative Arts Camp during February Break (Feb. 19 - 23). This camp is tailored to students in grades K-6. 

Grade school students will create and maintain positive connections while enjoying hands-on exploration of various disciplines including culinary arts, visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts. 

Participants will build upon problem-solving and critical thinking skills while increasing their knowledge about different mediums and forms of art in a safe, inclusive, and structured environment. 

In the past, we have done visual arts projects while learning about famous artists and art movements, created puppets and put on plays, played in the musical garden, learned about different styles of dance, as well as various arts and crafts projects.

Please drop off your camper between 8:45 and 9 a.m. and pick them up between 2:45 and 3 p.m. GO ART! will provide snacks and water but don’t forget to send your camper with lunch. Registration is required to attend Creative Arts Camp and spots are limited. https://goart.org/programming/exlporeart/exlporeart-children/, call (585) 343-9313 or email Jodi at jfisher@goart.org.

Sixty years ago, The Beatles invaded America, beginning on Feb. 9, 1964, with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, followed by a concert in Washington, D.C., a second appearance on Ed Sullivan, and then several other concerts in the U.S.

For young Batavians who wanted to hear more or know more about the Fab Four, there were two choices: Roxy's Music Store, where they could buy records, and Marshall's News Store, where they could buy magazines.

Walking down Main Street, you would stop at Roxy’s, buy the latest 45 single, and then move on to Marshall’s News Store. 

As 14-year-olds, my best friend Cathy and I made the pilgrimage to our two favorite stores once a week. What we took for granted were the smiles that would greet us at the two stores.  

Years ago, I had the privilege of talking to Art Marshall, the last Marshall to own the store, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. I asked Art about his fondest memories. He didn’t hesitate; he said the customers and people he worked with at the store.  

In 1999, when the store was sold, The Batavia Daily News did an article titled "Last Edition; Batavia Newsstand closes after a Century." Many people were interviewed, and you knew the news store was more than just a place for buying a newspaper. It was an institution where people came to connect with their friends. 

Art told me the news store was the first business in Batavia to sell lottery tickets. That reminded me of my first and last ticket I bought at his store many years ago.   Everyone wanted to buy a lottery ticket. As I was trying to remember the dates and ages of my family members, one by one, I realized I was holding up the line. When I left Marshalls and the unhappy line of ticket buyers was out the door, I knew that would be my last lottery ticket.

There are many memories from Marshall’s News Store, from young boys who pedaled newspapers early to the store becoming a favorite place to buy the Sunday paper after church.   I look back and smile, remembering Rosie and Art’s welcoming faces as we entered the store.

It all began in 1898; Arthur H. Marshall purchased the news store on 67 Main Street from Orville L. Howard. In 1901, he was joined by Hugh H. Telfair and moved the newsroom to the rear portion of the Farmer’s Bank. By 1921, Art Marshall dropped his partner and moved to 11 Jackson St., staying there for many years. He shared a building with Ebling Electric. In 1974, the store moved into the Daily News building and was operated by Marshall’s grandson, Arthur Marshall Jr., who owned the store until 1994, when it was sold.

A name synonymous with the news store is Rosie Tumminello. He began working at the news store as a paperboy in 1936 when he was eight. At 12, he was hired by Art Marshall to work inside the store. He remained with the store for 52 years and eventually became the store manager. He was the heart of Marshall’s News Store.

 In writing articles for many years, I have always been filled with beautiful memories and saddened by the loss of Main Street. Gone are the days when you could walk down Main and Jackson streets and buy anything from produce, clothing, a washing machine, a meal, and last but not least, a newspaper and lottery ticket. Thank you, Marshall News Store, for the memories and for reminding us of the Good Ole Days.

Information for this article was made available from the Genesee County History Department files. 

Press Release:

The YWCA of Genesee County is pleased to announce the 2024 Women of Inspiration Awards on April 28 from 12:30 - 3 p.m. The event will be held at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Road, Batavia.

Our Keynote Speaker will be, a multi-award-winning anchor and investigative reporter, Deanna Dewberry. In March 2017, Deanna joined the News10NBC team. Deanna is a strong advocate for women and a four-time cancer survivor. 

She is actively involved in community activities that enrich the lives of cancer survivors and women and promote social justice. Her commitment to advocating for her community has been evident throughout her career including stops in Dallas, Indianapolis, Little Rock, and Lubbock. 

That advocacy has earned her 12 regional Emmy Awards which included being named the region’s top consumer reporter. “We are so excited to have Deanna join us this year and help us honor some of Genesee County’s most incredible women”,
said Jamie Rada, YWCA Executive Director.

Nominations for the prestigious Women of Inspiration Awards are now open. Do you know an inspiring woman? A woman who makes her community a better place to live by going above and beyond for others? A woman who perseveres in the face of challenges and serves as a role model for women and girls? If so please consider nominating her for this years women of inspiration award.

For more information on nominating a deserving woman, event details, and registration, please visit www.ywcagenesee.org.

For Questions, Please Contact the YWCA of Genesee County Office at 585-343-5808.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department has received its updated Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification (PPC).

ISO works to classify all fire departments and fire districts on a scale of 1 to 10 with Class 1 being the best. Those classifications are used by insurance companies to help determine rates. The better the classification, the better the insurance rate. 

ISO’s Public Protection Classification Program (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. In fact, most U.S. insurers – including the largest ones – use PPC information as part of their decision-making when deciding what business to write, coverages to offer, or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.

ISO's PPC program evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria, incorporating nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association. A community's PPC grade depends on:

• Needed Fire Flows, which are representative building locations used to determine the theoretical amount of water necessary for fire suppression purposes.
• Emergency Communications, including emergency reporting, telecommunicators, and dispatching systems.
• Fire Department, including equipment, staffing, training, geographic distribution of fire companies, operational considerations, and community risk reduction.
• Water Supply, including inspection and flow testing of hydrants, alternative water supply operations, and a careful evaluation of the amount of available water compared with the amount needed to suppress fires up to 3,500 gpm.

The City of Batavia Fire Department received a PPC of 3, which is considered highly protected. Out of 38,195 departments or districts evaluated, only 6,328 have a PPC of 3 or better.

This rating is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the members on the CBFD. Special thanks to Captains Morris, Herberger, and Call for the effort put forth in collecting and providing the required documentation to receive this rating.

Press Release:

The major fundraiser for the Batavia Rotary Club concluded with the grand prize drawing, but the real winners are the many local organizations that receive support from Rotary all year long.

"This is the major fundraiser that allows our club to make so many contributions to the community, such as $18,000 in college scholarships to area students each year," said President Susie Ott. 

Rotary is also contributing $250,000 toward the Healthy Living Campus under construction on Main Street, a joint project for the YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Most recently, Rotary has offered a $150,000 matching pledge for the renovation of the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, Mrs. Ott said.

Rotary's motto is Service Above Self, she explained. Rotarians actively engage in projects to improve the local community. 

"Fundraisers like this Corvette event are critical for helping us help others," said Lisa Ormsbee, who co-chairs the event with Laurie Mastin. 

Once again, the grand prize winner receives the choice of a Corvette or $50,000. The winning ticket that was drawn last week belongs to former Batavia resident Ned Chatt.

In addition to the grand prize, there are 10 additional prizes of $500 each, Mrs. Mastin explained.

Those winners are:

• Christie Komarek
• David Nelson
• Howard Cohen
• Patrick Kennedy
• Parker Moeder
• Kristen Shirtz
• Vincent Pellegrino
• James Main
• Brett Rhinehart
• Zachary Fuller

The drawing was live on Facebook.

Press Release:

The Business and Employee Skills Training (BEST) Center at Genesee Community College is offering courses in HVAC/R and CNC starting this month. The renovation of two classrooms into HVAC/R and CNC laboratories has included the purchase of new equipment from grant funding. The CNC equipment purchases were made possible by an award of $400,000 from the Heckscher Foundation for Children Grant and additional SUNY support.

Developing new programs would not be possible without support from industry partners. GCC's Advanced Manufacturing Committee has been instrumental in guiding the skills, equipment, and curriculum needed for training and industry-recognized credentials", said Jennifer Wakefield, executive director of workforce development of The BEST Center.

A major supporter of the HVAC/R Program is Triton Mechanical. Triton Mechanical is a premier commercial refrigeration and HVAC service provider. 

"We respect our industry, our customers, our competitors, the environment, and above all, our employees. We are guided and governed by our core values of innovation, integrity, respect, and sustainability," said Jake Koch, president of Triton Mechanical.

Jake Koch's family has been involved in the heating and cooling business for decades. 

"I've been in the industry ever since I was a kid. I'm the fifth generation in my family to be involved in the industry. My great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather ran an ice delivery business; they were salesmen. My dad and my uncle ran a refrigeration company, and my family has been involved in it for a while," Koch said."

Koch, a resident of Hilton, has owned Triton Mechanical in Monroe County with his father Jeff, and friend Kevin O'Connell for more than six years. 

In 2023, Triton Mechanical purchased Turnbull Heating and Cooling in Batavia. The company originated organically, and the team - which also includes mom Wendy - has worked to make it a successful heating, ventilation, and air conditioning operation.

O'Connell has an extensive background in commercial refrigeration and HVAC. He began as a commercial service technician and has experience as a service manager, operations manager, and project manager. He is a certificated member of RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society) and holds several NATE (North American Technician Excellence) certifications. Kevin oversees the technical training, compliance, and safety of the company.

"We are grateful for the generosity of Triton Mechanical for their commitment and investment in GCC's HVAC/R Program.," said Craig Lamb, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, "GCC's new vision and commitment to the applied technologies and skilled trades for the GLOW region will allow opportunity for a variety of students. Recent high school graduates, incumbent workers, and individuals who want a career change can find several opportunities at The BEST Center at Genesee Community College."

The first series of HVAC/R courses are scheduled from March 3 - March 20 on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Batavia Main Campus. CNC FANUC Certification courses have several classes scheduled in February and March. For more information, contact Christa Palmer, coordinator of technical programs at The BEST Center at bestcenter@genesee.edu or call (585) 345-6868 to register.

The BEST Center at GCC is the recognized regional leader in developing the skilled workforce that powers local economic growth. The Center serves individual employees as well as businesses large and small with seminars, workshops and trainings designed to improve the performance of people and processes.

If you thought downtown Batavia was at all hampered by some traffic cones and a driving lane shutdown these past several weeks, that was just the appetizer for an ambitious entree of construction projects at Batavia City Centre beginning this April, and a corner city parking lot a few months later, city management says.

A water project along Bank Street from Main Street to Washington Avenue has caused the shutdown of one lane and slowed traffic for several weeks now, as Phase I of a three-phase project in that section of the downtown area. Phase II will be the new police station and a groundbreaking in the parking lot at Alva Place and Bank Street is expected to begin early this summer.

The police station, which will eventually move the department out of its 10 Main St. headquarters at Brisbane Mansion next to the county jail, will begin its journey of construction across from the Jerome Center in late spring, or early summer, Public Works Director Brett Frank said.

A third phase will complete the work in 2025 with a streetscape to more narrowly confine Bank Street, Frank said during Monday’s business meeting.

“So the Bank Street water project, first off … we've got four service connections to put in there. And then in springtime, final pavement will be done. So that'll take care of that water main project. So we're actually going to do this project in three phases. It's gonna be about a month of kind of being torn up. So we started with the water line in the spring, early summer, we're looking to break ground in a new police station. So we'll do that," Frank said. "And then as that kind of comes to close to being done, we're also entering into a Bank Street traffic calming and streetscape enhancement project. Right now we're at about 50 percent as far as designs are concerned, so that will take place on the back end of the police station. 

"So that'll kind of be what culminates, wraps everything, kind of ties it all together. Right now, tentatively, we're looking at 2025, next summer, as to actually the following summer, as to when we get into construction for that project," he said. "That will be a typical project where we’ll go to bid. It is a federal project like the Richmond Harvester project where it's at 80 percent federally reimbursed, and the remaining 20 percent will be paid for using funding. So it'll be the source of revenue for that.”

The Bank Street water project received a $334,000 grant for the total $418,000 project cost, and the city received a $2.5 million USDA grant to put towards the $15.5 million police station expense. A $944,934 grant will offset the total $1,113,920 cost of the Bank Streetscape project, which is the only one of those three still in the design phase.