batavia

Come on downtown and check out all of the Christmas displays in store windows, such as this one at Adam Miller Toy and Bicycles. The displays will be judged tonight as part of a contest tied into Christmas in the City.

The annual event promises to be a good deal of fun. Dozens of businesses are participating, plus there will be live music, horse-drawn wagon rides, Santa and food (Steve Mullen will be roasting chestnuts outside Larry's Steakhouse).

Stop into one of the local businesses and pick up a program for the event, which contains a schedule of entertainment as well as coupons for 14 businesses.

Walk into Batavia Downs and you don't necessarily hear the cash register ringing, but you can certainly hear the cha-ching of video gaming.

And it's a good thing. It turns out that harness racing may be fun to watch, but it isn't profitable for the race track.

The historic facility is again projecting a loss for living racing, but will more than make up for it off of slot machines.

"I think everybody in the harness racing industry statewide understands that without video gaming, harness racing would no longer be in existence," Michael Kane, vice-president of Western OTB, told WBTA (mp3). "You need harness racing to have video gaming. It's a cost of doing business."

Kane added, though, that Western OTB works very hard to reduce its losses in racing.

Harness racing is expected to lose $1.3 million dollars, but overall Western OTB is projected to turn $5 millions in profits, thanks to those dinging, donging, clanging, light-flashing machines on the second floor of the Down's building.

A year ago today, a large black plume of smoke cast a dark shadow over the City of Batavia, alerting many residents to the fact that there was a big fire some place. It turned out to be at My "T" Acres/Call Farms, on Lewiston Road in the Town of Batavia.

Today, the large barn that was destroyed is being rebuilt.  Phil Call said it's been a challenging process to get the barn rebuilt, but that it made the most sense to rebuild on the same location on the original foundation. Otherwise, he said, it isn't the Calls way to make a big deal out of such a thing and declined a more detailed interview.  He said they were just glad to be rebuilding.

UPDATE: Nate Fix, a lieutenant in the Town of Batavia Fire Department, sent the following pictures he took the day of the fire.

Sandy Konfederath, from Genesee ARC, arrives at Ken Barrett Chevrolet this morning with an armload of toys to donate to the annual toy drive sponsored by WBTA and several local businesses.  The toy drive continues until 4 p.m. today.

A Silver Springs man is accused of distributing cocaine and marijuana in Pavilion and Batavia after allegedly selling drugs to an undercover agent.

Mark A. Washburn, 20, of 31 East Duncan Ave., Silver Springs, was taken into custody by members of the Wyoming County Drug Task Force on the Genesee County warrant.

Washburn is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal sale of marijuana and unlawful possession of marijuana.

The investigation was conducted by the Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

He is being held in Genesee County Jail pending arraignment.

Brian T. Rushing, 23, of 127 West Park St., Albion, is charged with one felony count of grand larceny. Rushing, operating under the DBA of B&R Roofing and Siding, allegedly was paid $5,500 to perform home repairs for a residence in Bergen, but never completed the work and allegedly never purchased the necessary materials.

Rushing was released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. The investigation was conducted by Deputy John Baiocco, Investigator Timothy Weis, Sgt. Greg Walker and State Police Investigator Mike Notto. Rushing's name also shows up in today's State Police blotter on another charge of grand larceny in Albion with a value of less than $3,000.

Natalie A. Catuska, 27, of 37 Prospect St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to keep right. Catuska was observed by Deputy Christopher Parker allegedly crossing the center line after making a turn from Route 33 onto Wilkenson Road at 1:47 a.m. today.

Allen Leonard George, 51, of 101 Harvest Road, Fairport, is charged with criminal contempt. George is accused of calling his ex-girlfriend in violation of an order of protection.

Route 63 near Shepard Road is blocked by a two-vehicle accident.

No injuries are reported.

Ok, only Paul's brother Gene and his son, would have the nerve with no fear to climb on top to do the lights!

This young man helped decorate the tree on the bus.

Last Saturday, PJ and Ruth Reiner opened their garage and home for the annual Care-A-Van bus decorating party. A team of family members and volunteers gathered together for an enjoyable evening of decorating the bus.

We kick off our Christmas tour with Christmas in the City, Friday night. Be sure to stop by and get one Paul's famous brownies and hot chocolate.

On Saturday morning, we will be at Batavia Gardens for our weekly grocery distribution

On the evenings of December 19th through December 22nd, we will be going out with the bus each evening beginning at 6:00 PM. We will be taking Christmas gifts and a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings for families that normally would not have Christmas.  We coordinate with other agencies to make sure that the families we bless are not receiving from another agency.

We always welcome folks that would like to come along and be a blessing who might have a heart to sing a few Christmas carols. If you have never experienced this, why  not have this be your first year? If you are interested in joining us, please call us at 343-0328. It would be a ride you will never forget!

Many people get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and forget the true reason for the season, the birth of Jesus. We go forth to share of the wonderous celebration of the season.

We are in need of donations of candy canes. Last year, we gave away over 800!

Financial donations are needed as well to be able to bless families with gifts.  Donations can be mailed to  4 Lewis Avenue, Batavia, NY 14020. We take Christmas to approximately 15 families. We thank all of you who continue to partner with us with your prayers and financial contributions to help Keep the Light On here in Batavia! God bless and Merry Christmas!

With a patient on board, a Mercy Flight helicopter made an emergency landing at the Buffalo airport yesterday morning.

The Batavia-based crew was taking a patient from Orleans County to ECMC when the helicopter began to show signs of losing power.

Margie Ferrentino, spokeswoman for Mercy Flight, spoke with WBTA this morning and said the pilot decided it would be safer to land at the air field rather than a rooftop in Buffalo.

"If he had to enact emergency procedures, he would have the resources to support him," Ferrentino said (mp3).

Ferrantino said a replacement chopper was brought into Batavia by yesterday afternoon.

The patient was driven from the Buffalo Airport to ECMC by ground ambulance.

Photo illustration courtesy Mercy Flight.

With little fanfare -- only a small sign on the front door -- Ponderosa Steakhouse announced today that it is closing its Batavia location. The simple sign reads "This location has closed. We thank you for your patronage."  It then says that people with coupons can take them to one of Ponderosa's locations outside of the area.

I'm hanging out at The Daily Grind, Main and Jackson, for a little while this morning.  I'll be doing a couple of posts from there -- including the Deal of the Day -- so if you're in the area, feel free to stop in and say hello.

In a compliance check of local stores that sell alcohol on Friday, three store clerks were cited by the Batavia Police Department for allegedly selling liquor to minors.

The police used an under-age buyer with a valid New York driver's license in the compliance check. The person entered 18 local stores and attempted to buy beer, wine or liquor.

The clerks cited worked for Kwik Fill, 99 Jackson St.; Plaza Spirits, 563 E. Main St.; and, Wilson Farms, 355 W. Main St..

The clerks will be given a chance to complete a server-training course in exchange for possible dismissal of the charges. The names of the clerks were not released.

The operation was supervised by detectives Rich Schauf and Todd Crossett.

Rob Crede, manager of The Daily Grind on Main and Jackson in Batavia, serves Jim Kujawski on the first day of business for the new coffee shop and juice bar.

Owner Ken Mistler (pictured below) has been preparing for the opening for months, but characterizes this week's opening as "soft" so any kinks can be worked out.  But soft or not, Rob served a steady stream of customers this morning.

Meanwhile, the gym, Next Level, adjacent to the coffee shop, is moving closer to opening in a few weeks.  More pictures follow the jump.

Mistler stands in front of an in-progress mural by Vinny Del Plato at the top of the stairway leading to the lower-level workout area and men's locker room.

The kids' room, with mural painted by Karen Reisdorf.

Jade Wolff works with her father, Leigh Wolff, late this morning on her first snowman of the winter (maybe her first ever -- I forgot to ask) just before all the snow melts away.  The Wolff's were in the front yard of their south-side Batavia home.

UPDATE 8:20 AM:
All road segments mentioned below plowed and passable now, though E/W Saile is still somewhat slick as of about 7:15. Some lanes are not fully cleared yet, but there is a clear path of travel in both directions.

Road Conditions as of 6:00 AM:
Main St. From Tops (5/63 Split) to Aldi (5/33 Split): Passable, was able to maintain speed limit.

63 from Main to Oakfield: "Snowball's Chance," slick, could not safely exceed 35 in 55 zone, TBFD called out to 8100 block (My-T Acres area) for vehicle off the road into the South/West tree line.

Hawley (GCC): "Snowball's Chance," in some spots even 25 did not seem to be a safe speed, unplowed as of 4:50. Eastbound appears to have been cleared now.

33 from Main to Batavia Stafford Townline/Seven Springs: Passable, cautiously.

E & W Saile Dr. (Airport) : Again, "Snowball's Chance," highly variable condition, slick, unplowed as of 5:00.

98 from W Saile to Thruway Entrance: Could not safely exceed 40.

Edit Notes:
8:20 AM - Added updated conditions, fixed Hawley direction described earlier, I lost my sense of direction.

On Tuesday, December 1, tickets for Encore! Theatre Arts’ January production of Disney’s High School Musical will be on sale to the general public. Whether you’re buying a holiday gift for theatre goers or the East High “wildcat” in your life, tickets to Disney’s High School Musical are a perfect choice.

Tickets are available for $10 advanced sale at Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle (located at 8 Center St., Batavia) during regular business hours. After 3 p.m. on show dates, tickets will be available for $12 at the venue door.

The show premieres January 7-10, 2010 at Batavia High School (260 State St., Batavia).

For more information, hours or phone orders, call Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle at (585) 343-0548 or visit http://adammillertoyandbicycle.com.

Michael P. Murphy, 24, of 38 Columbia Ave., Batavia, is charged with assault in the third degree and harassment. Murphy is accused of entering his brother's residence and pulling him out of bed and punching him in the back of the head. He allegedly pulled his arm in such a way as to injure his brother. Murphy's brother was treated at UMMC and released. Murphy was held on $2,500 bail.

David R. Gross, 19, of 7421 Seldon Road, Le Roy and two teen-agers also from Le Roy have been charged with petit larceny and possession of alcohol under 21. The trio allegedly stole alcohol from Tops.

Susan M. Shell, 28, of 2226 12th Place, Washington, D.C., is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and improper tail light. Shell was reportedly stopped on East Main Street by Officer Dan Coffey on Saturday at 12:53 a.m. for the alleged broken tail-light.

John W. Szabo, 54, of 9233 Main St., Lot 50, Clarence, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and failure to notify DMV of a change of address. Deputy James Diehl responded to a "check the welfare" for a car parked on Route 77 in Alabama. Diehl reportedly found Szabo in his car allegedly intoxicated and with an open container.

John D. Baudhuin, 28, of 92 Marks Place, Apt. 3E, Staten Island, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Baudhuin was stopped by Deputy Patrick Reeves on Route 33 in Pembroke for an alleged traffic violation and found to allegedly be driving drunk.

Joseph Isadore Brenon, 58, of 349 Wright Road, Alabama, is charged with menacing in the third degree. Brenon allegedly verbally threatened a person.

Jacquelyn M. Siverling, 28, of 3747 S. Main St. Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08, a speed-zone violation and failure to keep right. Siverling was reportedly spotted driving 51 mph on West Main Street by Officer Darryle Streeter on Wednesday. Her vehicle was pulled over in the parking lot of Billy Goats.

Brian A. Merritt, 35, of Alexander, has been arrested by State Police and charged with unlawful imprisonment and criminal contempt. The alleged incident was reported at 12:10 a.m. Sunday. No further details were released.

The new coffee shop/juice bar at the corner of Main and Jackson opens at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Owner Ken Mistler said he will be on hand throughout the day to provide tours of the adjacent gym, which should open in a few weeks.

One of the unique features of the new shop is that a number of the drinks are named after people and businesses downtown. For example, you can stop in and order The Batavian, which is a strawberry smoothie with banana chucks mixed in and dark chocolate shavings on top.

For the past 10 years, the City Church in Batavia has hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the community. The first year, they teamed up with Miss Batavia Diner and "hosted" the dinner -- which means that they paid for everyone who came in for a turkey dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For the following four years, they rented out the First Presbyterian Church's kitchen. For the past three years, they have been hosting the event at their facility.

The day before Thanksgiving is spent organizing food that has been donated from people and businesses in the community, decorating tables, and tying up all the final loose ends.

On Thanksgiving day, they start cooking meals early in the morning so they are prepared when the doors open at 11:00 a.m..

Transportation is provided by the church's bus ministry for those who need it. When people arrive they are met at the door by a “greeter” who welcomes them and gives them any information they might need. Then they are seated in one of the many tables set up in the back of the church. Volunteers go around the room asking people what they would like to eat or drink, while several people in the kitchen constantly cook food.

On average there are usually around 125 people who take part in the event and about 25 of those are usually deliveries.

“This dinner isn't just for the disadvantaged, it's for anyone who would like to have Thanksgiving dinner with other people, or maybe they don't have room for their family at home, so they come here and have dinner with us,” said Debbie Osborn, a City Church member.

If you spent Thanksgiving alone or were crowded in your home, next year remember that there is a place you can go to enjoy a happy, fun filled, peaceful Thanksgiving dinner with other people.

After a fall from a second-story window, a two-year-old girl has been taken to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy Flight.

The unidentified girl fell at 8:50 a.m. from the window of a residence at 45 Central Avenue.

(Via WBTA)