While being at the playoff game of the Elba Lady Lancers Friday night, I was able to capture the final minutes on video. What a game, and the student fans were filled with spirit! Enjoy!
Don Desjarlais, a representative of Oregon Cutting Systems out of Raleigh, N.C., talks about the differences in chain saw teeth during a chain saw safety clinic at Cedar Street Sales and Rentals.
The annual clinic provides area highway department workers and others who use chainsaws frequently detailed information on the operation of chain saws and their safe use.
Thirteen and under. Thirteen and under. It's the phrase that Batavia Head Coach Buddy Brasky has pounded into the head of his players all season. Just hold the opponent to 13 or fewer points per quarter, and you're going to win basketball games.
Friday night at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, it was more like 10 and under as the Blue Devils secured a Section V title with a 65-38 victory over #3 seed Livonia.
It was the first time in four Section V titles for Batavia under the leadership of Brasky that an opponent was held to fewer than 40 points.
More significantly, it is the first time in Batavia history that a varsity basketball team won back-to-back Section V titles.
"All the alumni, all of them that talk, but we’ve got that on them," said Junior Andrew Hoy. "They all had sectional titles, but we got two."
Hoy, who got to 1,000 career points, scored faster than any player in Batavia history, with 11 against Livonia and was named the tournament's MVP.
But for all of his offensive prowess, after the game, Hoy talked about defense.
"Defense got us the win," Hoy said. "Coach told us if we hold them to 13 and under per quarter we’d get the win, we would be sectional champs. We came out in the third quarter and won that quarter 25-2."
Their lopsided quarter allowed Batavia to run away with the game. After falling behind 13-0 against Batavia to start in the first quarter, Livonia was never really able to get into the game. The squad never pulled closer than 8 points.
"I showed them the past sectional championship pictures and I showed them score boards, because I always take a picture of the score board if we win and I hang it up in the trophy case, and all the scores were in the 40s for the other teams," Brasky said. "This the first year we got them under 40. We got them at 38, so they were pretty excited about that."
Coach Brasky gave credit to Josh Budlong for the quick start. Budlong finished the game with 21 points. Co Co Irvin scored 15 and Justin Washington added 8.
Bobby Schuster was the leading scorer for Livonia with 18 points. He was the only Livonia player to reach double digits.
The Sportsmanship Award went to Lou Stoller.
Batavia players who made the All-Tournament Team were Washington, Irvin, Budlong and Hoy.
Next, on Wednesday Batavia plays the qualifying game for the state championship series.
UPDATE: More pictures after the jump (nearly 70 more)
More Pictures:
Batavia Police have arrested a man apparently working three jobs for allegedly using his access to credit cards as a gas station attendent to buy material at a building supply company and then selling what he bought as a contractor, but pocketing the proceeds.
Dustin Hurlburt, 32, of 21 Elm St., Warsaw, is charged with four counts of grand larceny, 3rd, and two counts of grand larceny, 4th.
He was jailed on $10,000 bail.
Hurlburt allegedly made more than $22,000 in purchases at Armor Building Supply, where he worked, using credit card numbers he obtained while working as a full-service gas station attendant.
The purchases were allegedly made for a local building site, where Hurlburt acted as a contractor. He then allegedly billed the customers for the items he purchased using the stolen credit card numbers.
The alleged purchases were made between October 2009 and December 2009. There were reportedly six different transactions ranging from $1,800 to more than $5,000 each.
Det. Kevin Czora spent three months investigating the case and arrested Hurlburt on Friday.
An Oakfield woman is accused of thinking her ex-husband's bank account was still hers for the taking.
Michelle Parker, 39, of 14 Cary Ave., is charged with grand larceny, 4th, grand larceny, 3rd, and perjury, 1st, after allegedly stealing $8,000 from her ex-husband's account.
Parker allegedly gave false testimony about the accounts while under oath in Genesee County Superior Court.
She was released on her own recognizance following her arraignment.
The case was investigated by by Det. Todd Crossett of the Batavia Police Department.
It has been years since I have attended a high school girls basketball team. I truly enjoyed traveling to Letchworth this evening to watch the Elba Lady Lancers in the championship game against Jasper Troopsburg. The Lady Lancers were crowned the Double D Sectional Champions! The final score was 47-37. Their next playoff game will be Monday night at Gates/Chile. Tip off is at 6:00 PM.
I could not get over the fans! The gym was packed with supporters of the Lady Lancers. These students truly have school spirit! You can check out all the pictures at the Facebook Page of Care-A-Van Ministries. The students of Elba are awesome supporters of Care-A-Van. They have held a jeans drive and food drives.
Three of Elba's team were named All Stars- Meg Stucko, Kenize Bezon, and Cassy Engle. The community of Elba sure can be proud of this awesome young talented team! Great game girls! Coach Nowak was named Coach of the Year too! Good Luck Monday!
A bit of confirmation of rumors that Sam Pontillo is working on a deal to reopen the legendary pizzeria on East Main Street came out of the Genesee County Economic Development Center today.
Pontillo's potential landlord, BP Properties out of Rochester, was granted a $6,875 property-tax exemption by the GCEDC.
GCEDC officials said BP Properties and Sam Pontillo are trying to secure refinancing on $500,000 in debt left over from the previous operation.
(via WBTA)
Previously:
A Batavia woman wanted connection with alleged drug dealing at two strip clubs in Erie County has been arrested.
Cynthia Sims, 25, was initially considered a fugitive following the FBI investigation, but Sims was reportedly taken into custody yesterday.
Twenty-five other suspects have also been charged in connection with the investigation.
The exact charges against Sims have not been released yet.
(via WBTA)
A Pittsford firetruck that was apparently in Genesee County for repairs seems to have lost a long stretch of four-inch fire hose on West Saile Drive.
Monroe County dispatch was contacted in order to notify the firetruck driver so the crew can return and retrieve the hose.
Meanwhile, a county official is watching over the hose to ensure it's safe retrieval.
UPDATE 1:10 p.m: OK, it wasn't a Pittsford Fire crew that was with the truck -- the truck is still out for repairs. The hose apparently fell off while a mechanic took it out for a test drive.
Tammy L. Cicatello, 39, of 18 Pickthorn Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Cicatello was allegedly observed by a member of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force buying drugs while in a car in a parking lot of a Batavia business. Cicatello's car was stopped on Clinton Street Road and Drug Task Force members reportedly found two bags of crack cocaine and two crack pipes, along with some other drug paraphernalia. Cicatello was issued appearance tickets.
R.A. Aaron, 39, of 111 Liberty St., Apt. C, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Batavia Police officers responded to a report of a disturbance at the Green Wolf Tavern at 10:59 p.m., Thursday. While officers were on scene, Aaron allegedly continued to be belligerent and was shouting obscenities while in the parking lot. Aaron also allegedly pushed a police officer.
Brandon C. Dodd, 23, of 128 1/2 State St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Dodd was arrested at 12:43 a.m., today, in Batavia. Dodd allegedly struck another man on the side of his head and also spat on him. Dodd was jailed on $1,000 bail.
Accidents from the state police blotter:
2:43 p.m., March 3, Cato Street, Pavilion, two vehicles; Driver 1: Corey R. Ryan, 20, Le Roy; Driver 2: Kathleen D. Kingsley, 51, of Pavilion. No injuries reported.
The first thing Mike Rapone wanted to do after Notre Dame notched a Section V playoff victory Wednesday night in Gainsville was find his daughter.
They embraced at center court and fans, friends and family gathered round.
When the Rapones moved over closer to a sign bearing the numbers 546, Mike Rapone looked up at the crowd, still holding his daughter close, and for a second, the emotion of the moment was clear in his eyes and a quivering lip.
With a 60-41 victory over Arkport, the Fighting Irish clinched the final spot in the Section V Class D1 championship, and Mike Rapone became the all-time wins leader in Section V boys basketball.
"(The record) means a lot to me because it means so much to the people I coached over the years," Rapone said. "So many of them are here tonight. They’re the ones who won the games. I’m the coach. You steer the ship, but they’re the sailors. They do all of the hard work."
The 56-year-old Rapone has a shot at victory number 547 in the Blue Cross Arena at 11:45 a.m., Saturday, when the Irish face Fillmore.
A win Saturday would give Notre Dame its eighth Section V title under Rapone. The Irish have also notched two New York State championships, in 1992 and 2001.
Starting forward, senior Tom Rapone, said victory meant a lot to the team and to him personally.
"I’m so happy to be able to get it for my uncle," Rapone said. "He’s done so much for me in basketball. I always dreamed of playing for him in high school. The fact that I was able to help break the record for him as the last Rapone to come through Notre Dame High School, it’s just an amazing feeling."
Despite the lopsided total at the end, Arkport didn't make it easy for the Irish to get the win for Rapone. While the Irish led from start to finish, Arkport pulled close near the end of the half, and again near the end of the 3rd Quarter. Too many missed shots in the 4th quarter, though, allowed Notre Dame to pull well ahead.
"It’s sectionals and no team is going to quit," said Tom Rapone. "We just came together as a team. We’ve got great chemistry. We know how to play as a team. We can turn it up fast. That’s all thanks to our coach. He’s taught us great things in practice. It’s all thanks to him. He’s an amazing coach."
Even when Arkport pulled within three points late in the 3rd quarter, coach Rapone said he felt his team knew it was going to win the game.
"I don’t think they ever lost their confidence that they were going to win," the coach said. "That’s the mark of a winner and that’s why they’re 19-1."
More pictures pictures after the jump.
A Batavia woman is reportedly wanted by the FBI in connection with an alleged heroin and cocaine ring being run inside two strip clubs in Erie County.
The FBI is encouraging anybody who knows the whereabouts of Cynthia Sims to call the police.
According to WGRZ, several law enforcement agencies were involved over the past year in investigating the alleged drug dealing at the clubs.
The clubs were identified as Rick's Tally Ho in Cheektowaga and 24k Gold in Hamburg.
WGRZ reports that the owners of the clubs say they had no idea that drug dealing was going on at their establishments.
A man wanted by Batavia Police has been located in Florida and is in a Tampa-area jail awaiting extradition to New York.
A week ago, Batavia Police issued a "wanted" notice for Dajuandrick Gardner, 33, of Byron. Gardner is wanted for an alleged violation of parole.
U.S. Marshalls' took Gardner into custody on Monday.
No information has been released regarding the original charges against him.
When the police released the wanted information on Gardner, they also listed 18-year-old Jeremiah Williams as a wanted person on unrelated charges. Williams remains at large.
Last year was a very special benchmark for the Batavia Area Jaycees. It was their Diamond Anniversary.
On Saturday, the community service and social-networking group will receive the Special Service Recognition Award from the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.
"The membership looks at it as a lifetime achievement for everyone who's ever been a Jaycee," said Steve Tufts, chairman of the Jaycees' 75th Anniversary Committee. "I think they are looking at the award as a nod from the chamber of commerce that they're doing some good stuff for the community."
Other committee members are Danielle Russell, Jodie Freese and Tara Pariso. Alumni who served on it are Bill Young, Ron Weiler, Bill Dougherty and Tom Ditzel.
The 1934 charter meeting of the Batavia Junior Chamber of Commerce was held at the Hotel Richmond on Main Street. Membership was restricted to men aged 18 to 35, but the age span shifted to 21 through 39 once the national legal drinking age became 21. The local chapter incorporated in 1976 and changed its name to the Batavia Area Jaycees. Eight years later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the national organization and all its affiliates could not ban women from membership.
"That year, the brainstorming power of our chapter effectively doubled," Tufts said.
From the beginning, the Jaycees were all about networking and developing leadership skills to better themselves and their communities. So for decades now, the club has groomed tomorrow's leaders, which is one of the unique aspects of the Jaycees. Some people think of it as a "stepping-stone organization."
"We recruit them, train them and ship them out," Tufts said. "When they leave, they're better at organizing things, running a project or serving on a board. They understand the basics of Roberts Rules of Order and parliamentary procedure."
The development of an individual's leadership skills includes learning to: think fast and speak extemporaneously; debate topics; improve writing and otherwise hone the abilities considered to be valuable assets, both on the job and in the public sector.
People in their 20s and 30s experience a lot of flux and changes in their lives, so the average length of a Jaycee membership is three years. If a member hits 40 and "ages out," he or she affectionately becomes "an exhausted rooster."
Over the years, many people have benefitted from their association with the Jaycees. Past Chamber of Commerce President Ray San Fratello is said to credit the group with helping him learn the skills to serve in that capacity. Chamber Executive Assistant Melissa A. George was once a Jaycee president. So was Kelly J. Bermingham, the chamber's director of membership and special events.
Each year, the Jaycees Board of Directors proposes a calendar of events to meet the needs of the membership and the community. Programming falls into one of four areas: management development, individual development, community development and membership services. Community volunteer activities are offered most.
Early projects were health related, including Adam Miller's Stamp Out Syphillis program in 1937, free polio and measles clinics and a blood bank. During World War II, the chapter displayed flags on Main Street, led campaigns on civic planning, Americanism, Boost Batavia, and established three shelters for hitchhiking servicemen.
In the '60s, the Jaycees "spearheaded the effort to establish Genesee Community College," according to the Special Recognition Award application. And later, they held several annual competitions, including the Miss Batavia Pageant and Outstanding Young Farmer program. They developed a blind trail and built a shelter at Genesee County Park and a shelter at DeWitt Park.
Projects overseen by the Batavia Area Jaycees today include the annual Labor Day 5K Run, and the Home, Garden & Trade Show, which is the group's largest fund-raiser. Their 57th annual show was held this past weekend.
"It's been our longest-standing project because the basic model works -- it's a temporary place where local businesses can see more people than they normally would (in a weekend) and develop leads and maybe even sell some products," Tufts said.
He views the show as, indirectly, the chapter's best community service project, even though it is held to raise money for the chapter. Putting the show together serves as a "catalyst to local businesses" because homes are typically a family's greatest tangible asset, so virtually everyone has some connection to a home show.
The chapter's awards are too numerous to list. Suffice it to say that there are dozens and dozens of them, many of which are displayed at its hall in the historic Batavia Industrial Center on Harvester Avenue.
"We call it our woodpile," Tufts said, of the plaques, trophies, certificates, ribbons, etc., lining the shelves.
The fact that the Batavia Area Jaycees have a home base sets them apart from all other chapters in the state. It is a business. The chapter's ever-changing membership has been confident enough in its fund-raising abilities to take on the associated costs -- rent, utilities, insurance -- of renting office and hall space.
And they have succeeded, in part, because of the size of this community, not in spite of it. The small- to medium-sized community is best suited to any club that really wants to make a difference.
"We've got enough feelers out there to know and sense what needs to be done, how we can help and what gaps need to be filled," Tufts said.
General membership meetings are held at the Jaycee Hall at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. The Jaycee Hotline is 343-5775.
Photo: Tara Pariso, Danielle Russell and Steve Tufts.
A 16-year-old Batavia girl is charged with two counts of petit larceny. She allegedly stole items from Walmart and Kmart. She was arrested at 9:31 p.m., Tuesday.
Deborah Ann Butler, 42, of 5335 Egerton Road, Elba, is charged with issuing a bad check. Butler was picked up on a warrant on the charge.
Lynda Lee Snyder, 27, currently in state prison, is charged with criminal facilitation, 4th. Snyder allegedly allowed a person who had been ordered to stay away from her child to be in the residence and company of the child.
Kelly J. Rhim, 31, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Rhim was reportedly stopped by state police on the Thruway in Batavia at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28.
Accidents from the state police blotter:
8:58 p.m., March 1, Route 98, Alexander, one vehicle: Driver 1: Joyce M. McNutt, 46, of Darien Center. No injuries reported.
6:05 a.m., March 1, Quaker Hill Road, Elba, one vehicle; Driver 1: Karen J. Vancott, 49, Albion. No injuries reported.
If you weren't biting your nails at the half on Tuesday night, you're not a Batavia Blue Devils fan.
At the half in Batavia's Section V semi-final playoff game against Hornell, the Blue Devils were in locked horns at 20-20.
Even though Hornell came into the tournament as the #5 seed in the division against Batavia's #1 standing, Hornell wasn't making it easy on Batavia.
Hornell came out of the locker room with an aggressive game plan that had Batavia a little bit flustered in the opening minutes of the match.
“We didn’t play very good at all in the first half – our shots weren’t falling and the presses got to us, particularly me," said Batavia's leading scorer, Andrew Hoy. "I didn’t really know how to break it at the time, but we figured it out at half time. Coach gave us a game plan and we came out in the second half and said we’re going to hold them to 13 points per quarter and we played defense. That’s what Batavia is built on, defense.”
The plan worked. Hornell was able to manage only three baskets in the second half and Batavia went on to win 51-34.
Hoy sank three three pointers and led Batavia (17-3) with 24 points.
Justin Washington and Co Co Irvin each added nine.
The Blue Devils advance to the Section V finals against Livonia on Friday night.
Thirty more pictures after the jump:
Submited by Robert Hunt:
Batavia Ramparts Squirt B finished their regular season undefeated and went on to win the Division Championship Sunday February 28th over the Rochester Youth Hockey Hawks.
The Batavia Board of Education will hold a "special meeting" at the board office, 39 Washington Ave., beginning at 8 p.m., Monday, March 8. All are welcome to attend.
At 7 p.m., an hour prior to the public meeting, the board will meet in closed session.
For more information, please contact the board office at 343-2480, ext. 1000.
Garth Stein, author of "The Art of Racing in the Rain," will visit the Richmond Library, 19 Ross St., in Batavia to answer questions, talk to readers, and autograph copies of his book. The visit begins at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 11.
This event is the 8th annual "A Tale for Three Counties" area-wide book discussion and is open to adults and teens in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
Copies of Stein's book will be available for purchase. For more information, contact the library at 343-9550.
Two Batavia men were jailed in Wyoming County after a drug task force operation caught them allegedly trying to sell prescription drugs.
Larry Yoho, 37, of North Spruce Street, is accused of selling Xanax and Fentanyl to undercover agents.
Nicholas Williams, 37, of 15 Ross Street, is accused of possession and sale of Xanax.
(via WBTA)
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