batavia

A 17-year-old from Batavia who was spotted allegedly speeding by an off-duty deputy Dec. 24 on West Main Street Road has been charged with a felony and two misdemeanors stemming from events that transpired that day.

The deputy attempted to talk about speeding with the youth, Austin L. Wester, while stopped at Read Road, according to a Sheriff's Office press release.

The deputy reportedly attempted to keep Wester at the intersection until an on-duty deputy could arrive.

Wester, who lives on Pratt Road, reportedly refused to remain at the location. In his attempt to detain Wester, the deputy allegedly suffered a hand injury.

Wester was charged with assault, 2nd, resisting arrest, and assault, 3rd. He was jailed on $30,000 bail.

The investigation was conducted by Deputy Patrick Reeves, Investigator Timothy Weis, with assistance from Deputy Brian Thompson and Deputy Ronald Meides.

For years, Bill Dominiak has been known the world over as a master craftsman.

Dominiak makes pool cues, the kind top professionals buy and use to win tournaments.

Now, right here in Genesee County, anybody can buy a Dominiak designed and built product, but you won't need a felt-covered table to use it.

You just need a knife and something to cut.

Dominiak and business partner Tom Walter launched New York Butcher Block about six months ago and their local retail outlet is Batavia Restaurant Supply.

Blocks are $65 and up, and butcher tables are $275 and up, with table tops and countertops in the works.

The blocks are all natural, including the finish, which contains natural oils and beeswax.

"When you're in business, you're always looking for new revenue streams," Dominiak said.

For pool cues, Dominiak's Stafford-based company buys only the best hardwoods available in Western New York. The people who buy professional pool cues have very high standards and not all of the great wood is good enough to make it into a pool cue.

"Pool cue manufacturers are very fussy about the grade of wood they use and this gives us a chance to do something else with (the rest of the wood)," Dominiak said.

For years, Dominiak said, the wood not used in cues would just be given away.  Now he's found a way to turn the wood into money.

The county is scheduled to receive a $7,200 grant to help fund training for potential food-processing workers, as part of the Finger Lakes Food Processing Cluster Initiative.

The grant will likely assist Genesee Community College in developing food-training classes, said Scott Gage, director of the Job Development Center, and comes at a good time, with companies like Alpina opening factories in Batavia, along with existing businesses such as Yancey's Fancy in Corfu.

"Workers need to learn manufacturing techniques, process control, and health and safety issues," Gage said. "We’re seeing this as a tool to help us with these new businesses moving into the town."

Steve Hyde, CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, said there is an effort going forward from government agencies, schools and food-processing companies themselves to create a better trained work force for these types of businesses.

He said developing such tech-based job-training programs (and food processing is now a tech-based job) is hugely important for the region.

"We are better aligning education with industry needs," Hyde said. "If you really start being able to deliver (a better trained work force), boy, you are at a key strategic advantage (for attracting new businesses to the area)."

In the past 10 years or, call volume for the Town of Batavia Fire Department has jumped from about 50 calls per year to around 300 calls per year, and the number could soar to 800 calls per year in the next two decades.

That kind of growth requires planning, according to Board of Directors Member Tim Yeager, who was joined by department leaders Thursday to unveil a new master plan -- the first of its kind -- for the department.

"What has occured in the past 10 years, what's occurring now and what could potentially happen in the future -- we tried to address all of those things (in the plan)," Yaeger said. "We don't want to play catch up and be reactive. We want to be proactive and anticipate those potentials and better plan for those in order to keep costs down."

The department will remain all volunteer, Yaeger said, but staffing will need to increase from 41 active members to 100 active members.

That kind of recruitment and retention, according to the plan, may mean possible property tax relief for volunteers, stipends, retirement plans as well as other incentives to volunteer. The department's bylaws may also need to be amended to relax the residency requirements.

The biggest expense for the department is in possibly replacing two aging and inadequate fire halls, which could cost $5.8 million and $2.7 million respectively.

The department will also need a second ladder truck at a cost of $625,000 and to replace the current ladder truck, another $1 million. Plus over the next several years, other aging pieces of equipment will need to be replaced at a cost of $400,000 to $500,000.

All of this can be done, Yaeger said, without increasing the fire district's tax rate, which is currently $2.34 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Growth in the town, much of it fueled by the anticipated success of the Genesee Agri-Business Park, will drive up the overall assessed value of property in the town, meaning more revenue for the fire district.

"That increase should sustain us based on our predictions over that 20-year period and keep in consideration any increase in the cost of doing business over those 20 years," said Fire Chief Randy McIntire. "We can keep the tax rate as it is."

Station #1, at 8382 Lewiston Road, is 20 years old and only 6,800 square feet. The concept #1 new station would be 18,000 square feet and include five engine bays, a room for turn-out gear, men's and women's locker rooms, offices, a workout room, lounge area and increased storage.

But Station #2 is perhaps the location in most immediate need of replacement and enlargement.

The large buildings of the ag park will require the fire department to have a ladder truck at Station #2, and with the anticipated growth in both business and residential on the east side of town, the department will need updated trucks and personnel ready to respond from Station #2, according to the report.

Built on Clinton Street Road in 1977, the 1,920-square-foot facility has only two engine bays and not much else.

The concept #2 new station would be 8,200 square feet, have three bays, offices, conference room, locker rooms and a lounge area.

Construction on the new Station #2 would begin in 2014.

While the plan doesn't anticipate a tax increase, and forecasts the ability of the department to pay for new equipment out of tax revenue, the cost of new stations will probably mean the department will need to take out construction loans at an anticipated interest rate of 4.5 percent.

The plan came about because department officials were looking at growth in the town and realized they better be ready for it, but they didn't have a lot of data on what the town was planning or what was anticipated.

Department officials met with town officials over the past several months and gathered data to help them develop a plan for the future.

"We had a lot of ideas, and lot of good ideas on where to move forward, but there was nothing documented," Yaeger said. "We needed to gather the data to justify the decisions that we needed to make. All of the decisions in this plan are based on data."

UPDATE: Forgot to link to the PDF of the report. Here it is.

UPDATE: The Batavia Police Department announced today (Feb. 3) that Shannon Reichart was located today safe and unharmed. Detective Richard Schauf thanks the public for its assistance in locating her.

Batavia PD issued an alert today for a 15-year-old runaway who may be in the area.

Shannon Reichart has a history of running away, according to police and has been found in Genesee County before. She has a boyfriend in Genesee County. His name has not been released.

Reichart is described as 5'2", 110 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes. 

She was last seen wearing a black shirt with white letters that say "STAR" and black sweatpants with white Nike sneakers. Shannon has a tattoo of a peace sign on her knee cap and the initials "HHH" on the web on her left hand.

She may be in the company of her 17-year-old boyfriend who has brown hair and brown eyes, weights 160 lbs. and is 5'7".

A 35-year-old Batavia resident is accused of breaking into a home on Porter Avenue on Nov. 18 and stealing video games and a gaming system.

Jailed without bail on a charge of second-degree burglary is Justin C. Smith, of 25 Hutchins St., Batavia.

Melissa C. Verton, 32, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of petit larceny and resisting arrest. Verton is accused of stealing $35 in cash and merchandise while employed at Walmart as a cashier. Verton is accused of verbally and physically resisting arrest.

Brandon Marshall Weig, 33, of Shady Lane, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Weig was arrested on a warrant for an alleged violation of an order of protection Nov. 13. Weig is accused of having contact with a protected person. Weig is accused of doing the same thing on Dec. 18.

Kahlil Nathaniel Johnson,19, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass. Johnson is accused of being at College Village after being banned from the property.

Dustin Stephen Williams, 24, of Simonds Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to signal and speeding. Williams was stopped at 2:12 a.m. on Route 238, Darien, by Deputy Jason Saile.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported in front of Batavia High School, located at 260 State St. in the City of Batavia. City firefighters and Mercy EMS are responding.

UPDATE 3:01 p.m.: A second ambulance is responding to the scene.

UPDATE 3:15 p.m.: A 37-year-old female driver and her passenger are being transported to UMMC with complaints of neck and back pain.

UPDATE 3:23 p.m.: City fire is back in service.

A limo is reported to be on fire at Mancuso Limosines, located at 3959 W. Main St. Road in the Town of Batavia. The limo is at the shop behind the residence. A responder on scene initially reported "nothing showing." But then a limo was found to be on fire inside a structure. "The occupant thinks he's got most of it." He's using a garden hose. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: The fire is out. Units are continuing to the scene is non-emergency mode and they are going to check "to be sure there is no extension (of the fire) in the vehicle."

UPDATE 1:54 p.m.: A thermal-imaging camera is called for.

UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: Town of Batavia Fire Department is back in service.

City fire is being dispatched to the area of 8 Central Ave., Batavia, for the report of an arcing transformer.

It's been a beautiful snowy night so I stopped by Austin Park and took this picture of two trees under one of the lights in the park.

More than 100 brides visited Terry Hills today for a bridal show that featured 33 local vendors, such as Valle Jewelers, Stella's Bridal Boutique, Charle's Men Shop and Sweet Ecstasy Bakery.

It's the second year for the show and Lisa Fickel, marketing manager for Terry Hills, said the number of vendors is three more than a year ago, but the show can't get much bigger (maybe one or two more vendors next year) and she thinks that's a good thing.

"Rochester and Buffalo already had their shows and brides say lines are 12, 14 people deep and a lot of times they can't even get a business card from a vendor," Fickel said.

The show is helping expose local brides to the advantages of shopping locally for their gowns, cakes and accessories, Fickel said.

"People are very surprised to find we have all of this locally," Fickel said. "A lot of brides automatically think they need to go to Buffalo or Rochester for a quality wedding dress or a quality photographer," Fickel said. "They have been amazed to find they can find it all right here."

For a complete list of vendors who participated this year, click here.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at 4029 W. Main St. Road in Batavia. It's in the area of the Marks Trail Motel. One person is complaining of a shoulder injury. Town of Batavia firefighters and Mercy EMS are responding.

When Dennis Taber heard from a friend in another town how well he was doing with a gold, silver and coin exchange business, he decided it sounded like something he should do.

His friend actually invested in Taber's business and helped him open American Trust Gold and Coin Exchange at 239 Ellicott St., Batavia.

"He said it was a lucrative idea and I decided to take a chance on it," said Taber, who has worked for 30 years as an antiques dealer.

The lifelong Batavia resident said he deals in gold and silver, coins and any antiques he thinks he can make a buck on.

One of the Barker Brothers -- the two men charged over the summer with drug crimes and conspiracy to commit murder -- has been arrested again, this time for allegedly assaulting a fellow jail inmate.

Derick W. Barker, pictured left, of Jonesboro, Ga., was charged with strangulation, 2nd, and assault, 2nd.

At 11:54 a.m., Thursday, the 26-year-old Barker was reportedly playing cards with two other inmates of the Genesee County Jail when, for an unknown reason, he got up from the table in the common area, went behind an inmate sitting nearby and allegedly placed a choke hold on him.

The inmate lost consciousness for a short period and jail staff were able to intervene and lock Barker inside his cell.

The inmate was treated at the jail by medical personnel and remains in custody.

Barker was arraigned in Batavia City Court on the new charges and sent back to jail without bail.

On Jan. 19, Derick's brother Justin entered a guilty plea to burglary, 3rd, for a break-in at a restaurant in Darien and an "Alford Plea" on the conspiracy charge.  He is in jail awaiting sentencing.

Steven R. Cox, 29, of Franklin Street, Machias; Jessica A. Cox, 26, of North Union Street, Olean; and, Bonnie J. Bremiller, 33, of 4th Street, Olean, are charged with grand larceny, 4th, and conspiracy, 5th. The trio was arrested at 2:26 a.m., Thursday, following a routine property check by Deputy Kevin McCarthy of Deluxe Machine & Tool Co. at 8825 Route 98, Batavia, which revealed heavy equipment parts were missing. The suspects appeared to have left traveling south on Route 98, and with the assistance of Deputy Howard Carlson and Officer Brian Marceill of the Attica PD, a truck overloaded with metal was located on Route 98 in the Village of Attica. The suspects are accused of stealing $1,500 worth of used heavy equipment parts from Deluxe Machine & Tool. Steven Cox was jailed on $20,000 bail. Jessica Cox and Bremiller were given also jailed and bail was set at $10,000 each. Sgt. Brian Frieday and Deputy John Weis also assisted in the investigation.

Christopher J. Fiorentio, 21, of 622 Four Rod Road, Alden, is charged with petit larceny. Fiorentio is accused of shoplifting from Dollar General. Fiorentio allegedly fled from the store when confronted and was located by Batavia PD a short distance from the store.

Raymond Paul Boskat, 38, of Dorwood Park, Ransomville, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Boskat is accused of presenting a legitimate NYS prescription form containing forged information to obtain Oxycodone from the Kmart pharmacy.

Joel Brent Zajaczkowski, 18, of Main Street, Alexander, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Zajaczkowski is accused of damaging flowers and a flower urn at Alexander Central School.

Brendan Curry found a brown and white beagle-pitbull mix in his yard this morning and is hoping the owner will come forward.

He said the dog showed up on his porch after he let his own dogs in.

He lives on Batavia Elba Townline Road between State and Bank.

Brendan can be reached at (585) 219-4861.

A convicted sex offender who was charged with new crimes a year ago was found guilty by a jury Wednesday of four counts of sexual abuse in the first degree.

The jury found that in two separate incidents, Anthony P. Dioguardi, 28, a resident of Wyoming Correctional Facility, used force to have sex with a child age under age 11.

Following jury selection Monday, the trial took place Tuesday. The jury deliberated for 90 minutes Wednesday before finding Dioguardi guilty on all four counts.

Statement from District Attorney Lawrence Friedman:

Needless to say, these terrible crimes involving the sexual abuse of children are usually committed outside the presence of any other witnesses and, more often than not, there isn't any medical, physical or scientific evidence. Therefore, it is reassuring to see that convictions can be obtained when a brave child, like the victim in this case, comes forward and credibly testifies before a jury and sees that justice can be achieved.

UPDATE: Dioguardi is facing up to 14 years in prison, though his sentence could be concurrent with the time he is currently serving. Sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., March 21.