batavia

Jeff Houseknecht, whose 42 birthday is the 26th of this month, continues his battle with a terminal stage 4 cancer so rare fewer than 100 people on the planet are known to have it.

He lives on Garden Drive in Batavia, with his wife of almost 15 years, Carolyn, and their two children, 12-year-old Zachary and 10-year-old Lily.

Jeff has had health problems since he was 20, starting with epilepsy, but was able to soldier on because of his strong work ethic and upbeat attitude. Soon after the birth of his daughter, he was hit with multiple health problems, some of which went largely undiagnosed. These ranged from pneumonia and gastrointestinal problems to a spinal condition that caused his spine to slowly fuse together.

The physical problems steadily piled on.

He eventually was also diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which in turn brought on Parkinson's disease, according to his neurologist, and the resulting impediments to movement and speech that had to be overcome. He nearly recovered but some Parkinson's symptoms remain to be wrestled with.

To continue to be mobile and able to work, he was given twice-monthly shots of Humira, an immunosuppressant drug.

But in 2014, a softball-size lesion developed on his spine, which turned out to be MRSA -- methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus -- an infectious "super bug" that's difficult to treat and eradicate.

It found an opportunity in Jeff because of the Humira regime.

More such lesions would crop up and jeopardize his health further. A golf-ball-size lesion on his forehead appeared to respond to antibiotics at first, then one morning he woke up looking like he endured the bad end of brawl and doctors told him he might lose his right eye.

When Zachary was 6, he told his family his birthday wish was for daddy not to die. The child's heart-wrenching plea was a turning point, prompting Jeff to take time from his work to support his family and instead focus on his health so he could live and resume his responsibilities.

All the while, of course, there are bills and co-pays, plus travel and living expenses that mount as does the emotional toll.

Things were looking better last year before coronavirus struck. The Houseknechts opened Farmers Insurance Agency at 214 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia and the ribbon cutting with the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce was Feb. 20, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown came almost a month later. They are open now with the expected health and safety protocols in place, but like most small business owners will tell you, it's been a tough year.

And that's without the deep water the Houseknechts have had to slog through. 

But it hasn't been all bad.

"The outpouring of help and support has been probably one of the best things to come out of all this," Carolyn said this afternoon.

Sounding a little choked up, she added, "This community has helped us with housework, helped rake the yard ... we didn't expect to need this much help so soon, but we're very, very grateful for everyone's help."

Jeff said he grew up here and that's just the way people are raised -- they help their neighbors, they give to their community.

They hold basket raffles, meat auctions, 50/50s, chicken BBQs, donate farm produce, give away clothes, boots and mittens, and stock food pantries with goods, donate blood, recycle old electronics for a good cause, pray for you, enlist small armies to craft greeting cards -- you name it.

(We know firsthand they'll pull your vehicle out of a snowbank. (If you're a newcomer with California plates, your wintertime predicament may concurrently prompt the briefest faint smile, but then that could just be your imagination...))

If you'd like to help Jeff and Carolyn Houseknecht and their family monetarily, there's a GoFundMe, established by Carolyn on April 7. To date, $24,510 has been raised toward the $50,000 goal.

Read more at the GoFundMe partner site, CaringBridge.

And/or help the family out by providing them with prepared meals via Meal Train.

File photo of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the Houseknechts' insurance agency in Batavia a year ago February.

A mechanical failure of a refrigeration unit apparently caused a carbon dioxide leak at the Aidi Food Market in Batavia this afternoon.

The leak led to the evacuation of every business in the structure, from the Job Bureau on the east to the Five Star Bank on the west.

Chief Stefano Napolitano did not have an estimated time for when the buildings can be reoccupied. Firefighters are using fans for ventilation, or "positive pressure" to push air through the buildings, as the chief put it, to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. The goal is to get it down to 400 parts per million, which is a satisfactory ambiant level, the chief said.

The driver of a silver sedan that rear-ended a semi-truck on Ellicott Street at the intersection with Swan Street, Batavia, was evaluated by a Mercy medic and declined further treatment.

The roadway was reopened moments ago.

Tricia Mae Blatt, 34, of East Main Street, Byron, is charged with: fourth-degree grand larceny; aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree; unlicensed operation; and operating an unregistered motor vehicle. At 3:47 p.m. on April 3, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a larceny on East Main Street in the Town of Byron. After an investigation, Blatt was arrested. It is alleged she took a cell phone valued at more than $1,000 from a person, then left the scene operating an unregistered vehicle while her license was revoked. Blatt was issued appearance tickets and is due in Town of Byron Court on May 3. The case was handled by Deputy Erik Andre, assisted by Deputy Kyle Tower.

James Joseph Gabrys, 29, of Gasport, is charged with: possession of a hypodermic needle; criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree; and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. Gabrys was arrested at 3:39 p.m. April 8 on Bloomingdale Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation for an incident at 2:47 a.m. that morning. He was transported to Genesee County Jail and issued an appearance ticket to be in Alabama Town Court on May 4. The case was handled by Austin Heberlein, assisted by Sgt. Michael Lute.

Mark Frederick Kurzanski, 58, of Olde Stone Lane, Lancaster, is charged with first-degree criminal contempt. At 7:24 p.m. on April 5, Kurzanski was arrested for an incident that occurred at 7:08 p.m. on West Main Street Road in Batavia. He was subsequently arraigned in Batavia Town Court and is due in Genesee County Court on June 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Dimmig, assisted by Deputy Zachary Hoy.

The Batavia Society of Artists held its first -- and they hope it will become an annual event -- Tabletop People's Choice Awards at Eli Fish Brewing Co. in March.  

More than 400 people voted.

The winners and prizes: 

• 1st Place $100:  Joan D'Alba
• 2nd Place $50:  Bethany Zimmerman
• 3rd Place $25:  Brian Kemp

Photos of winning pictures posted in order. Submitted photos.

A skittish female shih tzu who lives at 66 Tracy Ave. in the City of Batavia is missing and owner Nikkie Stronge is beside herself with worry and anxiety about it.

The tiny black and white dog, named "Oreo," managed to bolt out her front door somehow after being chased by a cat she shares the home with.

This happended at about 11:30 a.m. yesterday. She was last seen running northbound, then she darted off and a friend lost sight of her.

There's some history with this feline housemate of hers. In her photo here, she's wearing a protective collar while her eye socket heals -- the cat literally scratched her left eye out and it could not be saved.

"It's not noticable right away because she has black fur around her eyes," Stronge said.

Oreo went back to the vet Friday for a check up and all was good. With some warm weather approaching, Strong decided to bath her a couple days ago and shear off her fur. She removed the 15-month-old pup's collar with tags for the grooming session.

Alas, Oreo is out in the wild world without ID, but she's readily identifiable. Plus, she's wearing Pokémon "Pikachu" character pajamas that are striped black and yellow like a bumble bee. Adorable!

"I'm holding her collar in my hands now," laments mom.

There's another little doggie in the household and the cat chases it, too. So for now the cat she rescued is in a cage and Strong is looking to rehome it.

"The cat is good with other cats and people, but not dogs," Stronge says.

When the canine -- known historically as "the little lion dog" and also the "chrysanthemum dog" skittered away from home, Strong was in Rochester and she returned to learn of the bad news an hour later.

She did everything she could think of: called the animal shelter in three different communities; contacted law enforcement; put up a notice on a lost pet website; scoured parks; looked around wooded areas in the vicinity; and even drove to Alexander on a sighting tip that didn't pan out.

Let's all keep our eyes peeled for Oreo.

If you spot her, give Nikkie Stronge a buzz or text her at (347) 702-1222.

UPDATED 11:28 a.m. April 8: Below, photo of Oreo in her Pokémon "Pikachu" character pajamas.

Griffin Della Penna, the voice of the Batavia Muckdogs, interviews Manager Joey Martinez.

Video submitted by the Batavia Muckdogs.

Previously: LIVE: Interview with Batavia Muckdogs Manager Joey Martinez

There will be a 13-day electronics recycling event at Ascension Parish in Batavia starting tomorrow, Thursday, April 8, and running through Tuesday, April 20.

The drop-off site is the garage adjacent to the parking lot behind the parish hall, which is located at 17 Sumner St. Signs will be put up to direct you.

Time is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Sunnking Recycling is handling the recycling.

Proceeds will benefit Camp Good Days & Special Times, an organization is working to help improve the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer.

City fire was dispatched to a residence on Elm Street for a garbage container fire and it turned out there was extension into the house.

The fire is out.

Firefighters are commencing overhaul.

UPDATE 5:56 p.m.: City fire is clearing the scene.

Peter Joseph Mancuso, 32, of Northwood Drive, Williamsville, is charged with third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal contempt. It is alleged that he caused damage to a person's vehicle at 8:44 p.m. March 6 on Roberts Road in Alabama, in violation of an order of protection. Mancuso was arraigned in Genesee County Court April 5, released on his own recognizance and a subsequent order of protection was issued. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Minuto, assisted by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Jeanna Marie Hattaway, 34, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with third-degree criminal trespass. Hattaway was arrested after she entered Walmart at 9:35 p.m. April 2, in violation of a June 12, 2018 Notification of Restriction from Property that was issued by Walmart Stores Inc. Hattaway was issued an appearance ticket and is due in BataviaTown Court on April 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

Hezekiah N. Burch, 19, (inset photo right) is charged with: two counts of first-degree rape with forcible compulsion, a Class B felony; first-degree sex abuse with forcible compulsion, a Class D felony; and attempted sex abuse in the first degree with forcible compulsion, a Class E felony. The charges allegedly stem from separate incidents on Hutchins Place over a one-month time frame earlier this year involving a child less than 15 years of age. Burch was arrested at 6:15 p.m. March 29 after a sex abuse investigation. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail in lieu of $40,000 cash bail, $60,000 bond, or $80,000 partially secured bond. He was due back in city court April 2.

Kyle J. Gugel, 35, (inset photo left) was arrested in the City of Batavia for allegedly violating an order of protection, illegally entering a residence and forcibly raping a victim at 9:30 a.m. on March 18 on West Main Street. He was arrested at 9:30 p.m. March 31 and charged with first-degree criminal contempt, a Class E felony; first-degree rape, a Class B felony; and second-degree burglary, a Class C felony. No court, jail or bail information provided.

Alejandro Rodriguez, 24, was arrested at 5:30 p.m. on March 28 and charged with: third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor; and second-degree robbery, a Class C felony. It is alleged that at 5:09 p.m. March 28 that Rodriquez was involved in a domestic incident on Dellinger Avenue in Batavia wherein he punched a woman in the face and stole property from her. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail, $5,000 bond or $7,500 partially secured bond. Rodriguez is due back in city court tomorrow (April 6).

Adam M. Jellison, 43, was arrested at 9:30 p.m. on March 25 following an investigation of a domestic incident that occurred Jan. 1 on Columbia Avenue in Batavia. He is charged with first-degree criminal contempt, a Class E felony, and second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony. Following his arraignment in Batavia City Court, he was jailed without bail.

Jeffrey J. Keily, 51, of Hidden Pond Lane, Walworth, is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- first offense; aggravated DWI per se -- with a BAC of .18 percent or more; operating a motor vehicle without insurance; and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway. Keily was arrested at 7:37 p.m. April 3 on Clinton Street Road in Stafford after deputies were dispatched for a report of an erratic driver. After an investigation, it is alleged Keily had a BAC of more than three times the legal limit. He was released with appearance tickets to be in Stafford Town Court on April 21. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, assisted by Deputy Jonathan Dimmig.

Kerwin Rey Vega, 33, of Flint Street, Rochester, is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- with a conviction within the last 10 years; aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree; DWI with a child passenger less that 16 years old (child is 11); operating a motor vehicle while having an open container of alcohol; operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device; and refusal to take a breath test. At 1:12 a.m. on April 4, Vega was arrested after a traffic stop in the Town of Bergen. Vega was released on appearance tickets and is due in Bergen Town Court on April 14. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Rae Cook, 32, was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment at 7:30 p.m. March 30 after multiple disturbances at a Batavia residence. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court tomorrow (April 6).

Kristen Marie Owens, 32, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs and speeding in excess of 55 mph. She was arrested at 7:59 p.m. April 2 on Route 237 in Stafford after a traffic stop. She was issued appearance tickets in be in Stafford Town Court on April 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Sgt. Andrew Hale.

Shane Crites, no age provided, was arrested on an active warrant out of Lamar County Sheriff's Office in Paris, Texas, where he is considered a fugitive from justice. He was arrested after a traffic stop at 11:13 p.m. March 25 on West Main Street Road in Batavia at Colonial Boulevard. Crites was arraigned in Batavia City Court then put in jail to await extradition to Texas. He is due back in Batavia City Court on April 22.

Paula Pierce, 29, was arrested on a Batavia City Court Bench Warrant on March 18 for failure to appear in court. Pierce was located after she called police to report an unrelated incident on State Street. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in city court April 8.

Amanda Maben, 42, was taken into custody in St. Lawrence County on March 24 on a Batavia City Court Bench Warrant. She was arraigned in Wyoming County Court on a Wyoming County warrant in addition to the Batavia warrant. She was released on her own recognizance and is due in city court April 28.

Via City Church

Recently, we were all vaccinated against coronavirus and off to finally visit our grandchildren. How wonderful to finally see them in person. On our first night together, we were talking about what they were doing to have fun.

The conversation turned into what we did for fun at their age. 

A typical day in the '60s would be playing kickball with our homemade bases and arguing about who was out. In the afternoon, we would go to the end of our street, where there was a swampy area, and we would try to float on our makeshift raft.

At night we sleep outside in a tent or at a neighbor's house on their back porch. We actually caught fireflies and put them in a jar.

We would ride bikes when the park was open and spend afternoons at the community "New Pool." We would go over to our neighbor's for her Kool-Aid popsicles.

The highlight of the summer would be a block party. If you notice, none of these activities cost any money, just our imagination and the participation of neighborhood kids. I guess you could call those our playdates.

If we fought with a neighbor kid, which happened often, the moms and dads never got involved. It was a life skill to learn how to get along.  

The other part of growing up, and the most important part, was your family. My memories are going to church and being separated from my brother, so we didn't fight in church. As we entered the pew, our dad would give us a tiny pinch just to remind us to behave in church.

We were usually late because getting eight family members ready for church was an event.   

We took a memorable trip to Florida when I was in fifth grade in our station wagon. My parents in the front, with my youngest brother in the middle, I was in the middle seat with my grandmother, and my other two brothers were in the backward seat. My sisters were too little to travel.

The trip only took four days to get to Florida. It included bathroom stops about every hour. It was like one of those movies about a crazy vacation adventure.  

Family holidays were so important with grandma, all the aunts, uncles and cousins with a food table that would feed 100!  

So now that I'm in my 70s, my memories seem to mean more to me. When I'm with my siblings, we love to talk about growing up and sharing our stories.  

One Christmas, when we were over at mom and dad's, and our children were running around, our mom gave us each a photo album filled with pictures of each of us growing up. I can't express how much those albums meant to all of us. She captured our childhood with photos and her love.  

Now I've turned into my parents -- telling my grandchildren what it was like when I was growing up.

My dad's favorite story to tell was about how he had to walk miles to school and home for lunch in all weather conditions. We live in the house he grew up in, and walking from our house to Ross Street wasn't that far, but he sure loved to tell that story, and we never got tired of listening to it.

Growing up in the '60s, a tablet was something we wrote on, a screen was on a black-and-white TV, and our phone was attached to the wall.

If you were lucky and had a Kodak Instamatic camera, it would have a little tower on it where you would put a flashcube to take a picture. It would take a week for the photos to develop.

So, I have lived through my childhood of the '60s, our daughters' in the '80s, and our grandchildren's in the 2000s.

I hope they have memories that they will cherish growing up during their time and the same for my grandchildren.

Yes, times have and will always change, but I hope everyone can still hold on to those memories of growing up.

I think we baby boomers have the best memories!

If you are fortunate to have your parents, ask them to tell their story, write it down or tape it. You will never regret their memories.

Always feel free to share your memories with me.

Photos of the Peca family, courtesy of Anne Marie Starowitz (née Anne Marie Peca).

Top, Anne Marie with her dad and two of her brothers - and two cameras!

Below, the nuclear Peca family all dressed up.

Bottom, the extended Peca clan, each member looking sharp.

The First Presbyterian Church of Batavia held its first-ever Easter Egg Hunt today.

An officer is dispatched to the Walmart parking lot for a report of a dog locked inside a Dodge Caravan for more than an hour.

The vehicle is parked in the last five rows "near the tree line."

It's 47 degrees outside.

Friends of the family burned out of its home on Maple Street in Batavia on Tuesday held a fundraiser for them today -- photos with the Easter Bunny in the Gazabo next to the Oatka Creek in Le Roy. 

The event was organized by Jenna Read and Ally Scofield.

With Easter Bunny are Lilly, 7 months, and Addison, 11 months.

The GoFundMe campaign for the family, organized by Scofield, has raised more than $7,000 (with a new goal of $9,000).