batavia

"Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck gettin' dirty and gritty" -- The Lovin' Spoonful, #1 on Billboard Hot 100, August, 1966

For every teen there are two coming-of-age situations (well really three, but I can't write about one of them here). The first is learning to drive and getting a driver's license. Over the years safety concerns have changed that one somewhat, but it's still a big deal for most.

The second one involves finding and working at a summer job.

You can ask almost any older person and their summer jobs during high school and college are rife with memories -- good, bad, funny, and often becoming more nostalgic as the years pass by. Drug store, hot dog stand, lifeguard, or mowing lawns -- we all had to start somewhere.

Those jobs were our first foray into the working world, a chance to be independent and have some money of our own. But due to our being so young and inexperienced, they also resulted in some hilarious screw-ups and lessons learned the hard way.

E. coli Anyone?

I got my first job at 16 the way a lot of kids do because my dad knew someone. Dad was a paper goods salesman and one of his best customers was John Castronova who owned The Red Top restaurant.

It was a hot dog and hamburger stand on West Main Street across from Batavia Downs where Sport Of Kings is now. My duties were to wash dishes, clean up, stock coolers, and eventually I got to wait on customers.

One memorable order that sticks out in my mind is when two guys, who obviously had just come from spending quite a while at a bar, ordered “Cannibal Sandwiches.”I had never heard of this but the grill man had.

They wanted hamburgers put on the grill for about 30 seconds and then put on a roll with onions. So, they were essentially eating raw beef. It was as gross as you would imagine and I don't think the FDA would approve.

I only worked about 16 hours a week, but eight of those were on Saturday night from 6 p.m. until 2 o'clock Sunday morning.

I lived at the other end of town so when we got out one of the older guys would give me a ride to East Main and I would walk the rest of the way to our house on North Spruce. I would then spend about 30 minutes in the hot shower at 3 a.m. to get the grease off myself.

I was all too happy to be done with that job at the end of the summer and return to Notre Dame for my senior year of high school.

Factory Foul-ups

Between my senior year and freshman year of college I had a tough time finding a job. I had a couple friends who worked at the Melton Shirt Factory on Liberty Street and they were able to get me some hours filling in when extra help was needed.

What I remember the most about that place was that it was like the fires of Hades in there. The poor women at the sewing machines would look like rag dolls by the end of the day from the heat.

The owner/manager's name was Abe and he had a thick New York City accent. He was not exactly a patient guy and he would yell at the top of his lungs, “Dave, where's the shoits (shirts)?”

At the end of a day in that blast furnace I would, unlike the previous summer at the hot dog stand, stand for 30 minutes in a cool shower.

Apparently I didn't learn my lesson about factories though.

The following summer between freshman and sophomore year my friend Jim and I got a job at a company in the Industrial Center on Harvester Avenue. It was called Ritz-Craft and they built mobile homes.

The very first day Jim and I were assigned the task of unloading an entire railroad boxcar full of lumber -- by hand. Once again our bathtub came in handy as by the time I got home all I could do was fill it with hot water and sit in it for a long time.

That should have been an omen for me as I only lasted a few weeks as a “carpenter.” I wasn't what you'd call a skilled craftsman and constantly made mistakes until finally the foreman had to let me go. Being “all thumbs” was a mild way to describe me.

But, out of the frying pan into the fire I went next. I still needed money so I moved down the way a little into another company that made equipment for pool tables. It was in the former Massey-Harris plant, which once made tractors and other farm equipment.

My job was to run a machine which ground up miscast billiard balls and other table parts so the plastic could be reused. This machine sounded like if a Boeing 747 jet was taking off and someone was throwing rocks into the engines.

I recall that we would start at 8 a.m. and we would get a 15-minute break at 10. I would start and think to myself, “It's got to be almost break time.” I'd look at my watch and it would be 8:15. Those were very long days and a kid was never happier to get back to school like I was that year.

Fortunately, that experience was the last of my factory follies.

Things Go Better With Coke

The summer between my sophomore and junior years, Jim and I were able to get hired by the Coca-Cola Company on East Main Street in Batavia. Even though the first year didn't go so well for me, I was able to come back for three more summers after that.

I had some opportunities to be out in the community rather than being cooped up inside four walls all day.

I'm not sure why I got hired the first summer because a major part of the job was driving and I didn't have a license. The bosses would get really annoyed when they'd ask me to go make a delivery and I couldn't. Plus, all the vehicles were standard shift.

One time a boss asked me to move a truck away from a doorway and, rather than tell him one more time that I couldn't, I decided to try. As you could imagine that didn't go well.

After coming close to ramming two other trucks and the side of the building I was banished to stacking crates. I have no idea why they kept me on. My charming personality perhaps?

To make matters worse, I had a health problem that summer requiring a week's stay in St. Jerome's Hospital. (That's a whole other story -- one night I was served fruit for dinner and one of the nurses was so old that I wanted to get out of bed to help her help me).

Subsequently, I had to withdraw from my fall semester at St. John Fisher College and have surgery at Strong Memorial in Rochester.

So, the next year I made up my mind that I had to get my driver's license and learn to drive a stick shift, so I had at least a prayer of a chance to be rehired at Coke. Which I did, but the driving a standard shift part turned out humorously.

I learned from my almost 70-year-old gramma in her little Plymouth Valiant at the Batavia Downs parking lot. Hey, whatever it takes...

It took some slick persuading and a nervous demonstration that I could drive a stick, but I got my job back and I rode that horse (trucks actually) for the next three summers until I got a teaching job.

Working summers at Coca-Cola could be long hours and I think I originally we were paid $1.25 per hour, but it certainly topped factory work.

The hardest part was loading the heavy glass bottle cases of soda (or pop as it was called in Batavia) onto the delivery trucks at the end of the day.

But, during the day, we might be called upon to drive to Le Roy or Medina or Warsaw to deliver or pick something up, which meant a nice easy ride out in the country.

Crazy Carnivals

Another part of the job might be working a Friday or Saturday night at one of the many volunteer firemen's carnivals in the area. This would entail setting up the Coca-Cola equipment and then mostly just sitting around and taking it down at the end of the night.

A side bonus of entertainment at these carnivals was watching the antics that sometimes occurred at or near the beer tents. We could look on with amusement safely from a distance as security or sheriff's deputies tried to contain some of the overexuberant locals who had overextended their quota of Jenny Cream Ales.

There were some characters at that job, too.

The assistant manager was nicknamed “Clipboard.” He was a stickler for scheduling and neatness. When he would get in a bad mood he would spend the whole day rearranging the entire warehouse with the forklift (we called it a towmotor). The foreman was an ex-military man we called “Sarge.” You've seen movies where the drill sergeant could blister the paint on the wall with his cursing? That was him.

He told us that if he ever saw us drinking Pepsi or buying it in the store we 'd have to answer to him. So, we loved our Coke -- in front of him at least.

Actually, we had a Coke machine in the warehouse that would vend a 6-ounce bottle for 5 cents. And it was hot in there, so for a nickel at a time you could quench your thirst with an ice-cold Coke, right?

Well, you've probably heard the old wives' tale that Coke could take rust off a car bumper. Probably not, but if you drink about 10 of those a day for a while you might be more inclined to believe it.

Eventually, it got to the point where even looking at a bottle of Coke would make me nauseous. Thankfully, we also sold ginger ale and that was a lot easier on the stomach.

Over the course of four summers a lot of things happened while working for Coca-Cola that could be stories on their own. But, probably the craziest incident took place in 1969 about a month before I finished my tenure there.

Bee Unprepared

It was a Saturday morning and I had been assigned to take a truckload of tanks of Coke and dispensing equipment to a company picnic at Hamlin Beach State Park. I was to set everything up and then stay there for the day and then bring it back to Batavia afterward.

I had just passed through the Village of Brockport headed north on Route 19 when I saw a yellowish-brown “cloud” that seemed to be floating over the road.

“What is that?” I thought, “a bunch of falling leaves?” Well, there was no avoiding whatever it was and almost instantly I drove into it.

To my immediate shock I realized that I had driven smack into a swarm of bees! As the blues lyric goes, “If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all,” and the truck and I had showed up at exactly the wrong time.

Hundreds of bees were suddenly covering the windshield and, since the windows were open, in the cab flying around my head. I wasn't afraid of bees but this was unbelievable.

The next thing I knew I was heading straight for a utility pole. There was no way to swerve at that point, so the best I could do was to hit the brakes and hold on. As the truck slammed into the pole I saw an electric transformer flying over the top and I knew this was no little fender bender.

As soon as the truck stopped completely, bees were buzzing all around me and I jumped out the door and ran across the road as fast as I could. In retrospect it was good that power lines hadn't fallen on the truck because that never crossed my mind.

I noticed that other cars had stopped and people were getting out and tentatively advancing toward me, probably worried about live wires that I hadn't considered.

I took stock of myself and was pretty sure I wasn't injured, but I never noticed until later that I hadn't been stung even once! I guess I did have a little luck after all.

As they say, all hell broke loose then. Sirens, sheriffs, state troopers, fire trucks, an ambulance, and eventually utility trucks, responded. The trooper asked me what happened. Why did I lose control? Had I been drinking? Drugs?

So, in response I took him over to the truck. All over the hood, on the windshield, and in the cab were dead bees. Where did the swarm go though? The queen must have moved on and the others followed her I guess.

Then came the part where I had to go into the truck and call in on the radio (after the utility workers determined it was safe of course) and tell what had happened. You can imagine how that conversation went. “YOU WHAT!!?”

After a while the manager came with a different truck and a couple guys who were not having an easy time keeping from laughing. We transferred all the stuff (which had not been damaged) to the other truck and I continued on my way to Hamlin Beach with the guys' voices ringing in my ears, “Watch out for bees, Dave.”

The damaged truck was towed away and I got a respite (except for explaining to the customers why I was late) until Monday morning.

It was a good thing I only had a few weeks left to work because I was chided and teased about my bee encounter every single day until I left. “Hey Dave. Don't you need some calamine lotion? I think you have hives.” And so on. All day. Every day.

Rent-A-Cop Caper

One last job to mention was a part-time one during my senior year at St. John Fisher.

I was living with a roommate in an apartment in the City of Rochester and needed to keep up with my share of the rent. So, I took a job as a Pinkerton Security guard at Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta.

Two nights a week from 4 to midnight, clad in my uniform complete with police-style hat (left photo, with toy guns), I would ”guard” a parking lot, the student union or a science building.

One night I was on duty checking parking in a lot by the student dormitories.

Suddenly my car was surrounded by about 20 guys. They informed me that as part of a fraternity initiation they were going to “kidnap” me, tie me up, and leave me in a dorm basement. They stated that after a few hours they would call someone to come set me free.

Some quick thinking was obviously called for by me. I said something like, “Guys, no please. I'm a college student just like you at Fisher. I still have a paper to write after I get off work at midnight" (probably not true). My brain was racing. I needed to get out of this.

But how? Of course the same way you get out of a lot of things -- throw someone else under the proverbial bus.

“Hey guys,”I said, “if you go to the Pinkerton office around the corner, my boss is in there alone. He's always on my case and he's the one who put in all the horrible parking rules that you hate (doubtful). It would be so much funnier if you did this to a boss, especially that guy."

“Yeah!” one of them agreed. “We know the guy you mean. We can't stand him! Right guys? Oh, this will be sweet. C'mon, let's go get him!"

And off they went hooting and hollering.

As soon as they were out of sight, I wasn't taking any chances. I sped out of there to a desolate lot on the far side of the campus and stayed there until quitting time and then went home.

I never did find out if the frat guys carried out their plan because what was I gonna do? Ask the boss the next time I came to work? I had escaped and that was really all that mattered.

So, over the years I had a variety of summer jobs which resulted in some experiences that stick in my mind to this day.

Then, I went on to a long elementary school teaching career, which afforded me July and August off. And guess what? Yup. More summer jobs.

Like a lot of teachers, I painted houses in the summer. No more factory jobs. But, I did encounter my share of bees.

Images and photos courtesy of Dave Reilly.

A sheriff's deputy to dispatcher a couple of minutes ago: "Can you start me an animal job? Location will be Marshall's. Attempting to relocate a mother duck and ducklings who were hatched in a flowerpot outside." Dispatcher: "Copy that. Mother duck and ducklings."

UPDATE 1:40 p.m.: About 25 minutes ago a law enforcement officer successfully gathered the badling of ducks, or the brood of ducks if you like, and relocated them to a retention pond behind the store safe and sound.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum reopens to the public today, June 26, at its normal business hours. The museum will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The museum will be reopening with some noticeable changes.

Firstly, the museum is implementing its Safety Plan, which requires all visitors to the museum to wear masks and admission will be limited to 10 at a time. Also, visitors are asked to refrain from touching any of the artifacts and cases, and to follow our “one way” floor plan. Visitors are also asked to maintain the 6 foot social distancing protocol and to use the hand sanitizer and washing stations around the museum.

Secondly, the museum is reopening under a new admission policy. Visitors to the museum will now have to pay an admission fee. The ranges include: Free for Museum Members, $1 for Children, $3 for Students/Veterans/Seniors, $5 for Adults, and $10 for a Family of four.

The HLOM is instituting a strict cleaning procedure to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, and visitors, but wishes everyone to come by and visit us and see all our treasures of the history of Genesee County.

Thank you to all who have supported us in the past, through this difficult time, and continue to into the future. 

If you have any questions please contact the museum by phone at (585) 343-4727 or email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Information can also be found on our website, hollandlandoffice.com, or our Facebook page.

Emergency dispatch has received a report of a motorcycle down in the roadway with the rider in the roadway unresponsive.

The location is at Bethany Center Road and Ellicott Street Road, Batavia.

Town of Batavia fire along with Mercy EMS responding.  

Mercy Flight is on in-air standby.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie)11:28 a.m.: There is loose gravel on the roadway at the crash site. A portion of Bethany Center Road is shut down to through traffic.

UPDATE 11:32 a.m.: Per town command, Mercy Flight's in-air standby is cancelled and it is put back in service.

UPDATE 11:35 a.m.: The county's Crash Management Team is summoned to the scene.

UPDATE 11:42 a.m.: A silver pickup truck was also involved in this accident; no word yet on injuries, if any, to the occupant(s). The truck is up an embankment on the east side of Bethany Center Road.

UPDATE 12:33 p.m.: This was a fatal accident. The motorcycle rider who died at the scene is an older male who lived out of the area, according to Genesee County Chief Deputy Brian Frieday. The rider was northbound on Bethany Center Road when he went over the crest of a hill and slammed into the silver pickup truck. The truck driver had pulled into a driveway near the crest of the hill in order to turn around and change direction of travel, when he pulled out of the driveway in front of the motorcyclist, who he never saw coming, Frieday said. The truck driver was not injured.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Police Department is proud to introduce the newest member of the Department, K-9 “Hank,” with handler Officer Stephen Quider. “Hank” is a 1-year old Belgian Malinois/Shepard mix from Holland.

He was purchased from Upstate K-9 with asset forfeiture funding from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations in Buffalo. “Hank” and Officer Quider have begun their training in Monroe County. “Hank” will be trained as a dual-purpose Police K-9. He will be trained in narcotics detection, tracking and apprehension.

The Police Department conducted an initial fund-raising effort last year to help offset some of the costs associated with the program and received overwhelming support, raising more than $11,000 to date. All donations go toward food, toys and medicine to ensure “Hank” remains healthy and happy.

The Department continues to accept donations to assist in supporting the program, anyone wishing to donate can contact the City Police Department at (585) 345-6356.

A dog has reportedly been locked in a blue Chevy Equinox for more than 30 minutes in the parking lot behind Settler's Restaurant.

Batavia PD is dispatched.

Jason W. Whitehead Jr., 22, of Batavia, and Dakota E. Woodruff, 20, of Olean, were arrested after a motor-vehicle accident on Route 19 in the Town of Covington on June 24 (time not provided). Whitehead was driving a 2003 Suburu Legacy eastbound when he allegedly failed to negotiate a left-hand curve at the intersection of Court Road. According to the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office report by Sgt. Colin Reagan, Whitehead's vehicle left the roadway, sheared off a telephone pole, and took down multiple roadway signs. In addition to Wyoming County deputies, Pavilion Fire Department responded to the scene. The driver was allegedly found to possess cocaine and marijuana; he also had a non-driver ID with an active suspension. After performing poorly on field sobriety tests at the scene, he was arrested for driving while ability impaired by drugs. His passenger, Woodruff, was found to have a felony warrant out of Erie County so she was arrested, transported to Erie County and the Erie County Sheriff's Office took custody of her. Whitehead was taken to the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office and evaluated by a drug recognition expert, who determined Whitehead was impaired by multiple categories of controlled substances. He is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree; unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree; driving while ability impaired by drugs; driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs; aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree; unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle; and moving from lane unsafely. He was released to a sober family member and is due to answer the charges in Town of Covington Court on July 13. Subsequent to Whitehead's June 24 arrest, he was arrested again in connection with the same incident on June 25 after the owner of the vehicle reported to the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office that Whitehead had been driving without consent. A warrant was issued for Whitehead and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office arrested him and the Wyoming County Sheriff's deputies later took custody of him. This charge was added to the file: unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in the third degree; then he was released from custody. He will answer all charges, including the added-on charge, at his July 13 appearance in Town of Covington Court.

James R. McNally, 57, of Roosevelt Avenue, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching. McNally was arrested at 6:13 on June 17 on Clinton Street in the City of Batavia following an unspecified incident. He was arraigned in city court via Skype, then released under supervision of Genesee Justice. He is due back in court at 9 a.m. on July 23. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Austin Hedges, assisted by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Pamela J. Thomas, 41, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with disprderly conduct, resisting arrest and harassment in the second degree. She was arrested at 10:03 p.m. June 16 on Denio Street following an incident wherein she allegedly yelled at a person and threatened them. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on July 21. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Sgt. Eric Bolles.

Marshawn J. Singletery, 38, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. The defendant was arrested following a domestic incident at 4:45 a.m. June 22 on Liberty Street. Singletery was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released to the Genesee Justice Program. The defendant is due to return to city court on Aug. 13. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Connor Borchert, assisted by Officer Joshua Girvin.

A third-party caller reported to the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center that a man was attacked by a dog or several dogs running loose in the 5000 block of Terry Hills Drive. The pack of dogs then ran off. The location is "between Clinton Street and the dead end." Law enforcement and Mercy medics are responding. The caller is roadside inside a vehicle.

UPDATE 4:48 p.m.: The man who was bitten is upstairs on a back deck; a bandage was applied that stopped bleeding. Two dogs were involved and an officer told dispatch they are "contained in the house."

UPDATE 5:06 p.m.: An Amazon delivery driver was bitten on the inner thigh of one leg while on property making a delivery; the property owner's two dogs were in the yard at the time and barking when the delivery driver got bit. He was taken to UMMC for evaluation, but the injury appears to be minor.

UPDATE 5:20 (by Howard): The driver was treated on scene by the homeowners, who are both medical professionals and were able to walk from the backyard to his delivery truck on his own. He then walked from his delivery truck to the ambulance before being transported to UMMC. He continued to hold onto a delivery package for delivery as he walked to the ambulance. One of the owners said his dogs are normally big puppies but they make have felt more anxious after being locked up inside the house so frequently during the COVID crisis. A trooper confirmed that since the dogs were on the owner's property, there will be no citation.

Submitted photos and press release:

Oak Orchard Health is pleased to announce that Pembroke Family Medicine will be joining them on July 1. Their common mission, shared values and dedication to patients make this unification easy to understand.

Both healthcare organizations provide services to everyone regardless of medical insurance status.

All Pembroke locations will remain the same and their patients will retain the same primary care provider. The only change they’ll see are the signs for Oak Orchard Health on the Pembroke locations in Batavia, Alexander, and Corfu.

“Oak Orchard Health aligns perfectly with our current model of practicing high-quality, patient centered care," said Dr. Mary Obear, of Pembroke Family Medicine (inset photo, right).

"Joining Oak Orchard allows us to offer more services to our patients including vision, dental, behavioral health and patient engagement services. We can now truly offer a comprehensive patient experience."

Both organizations were recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as Patient Centered Medical Homes which focuses on improvements in quality of the patient experience, growing staff satisfaction, and reducing health care costs.

“We’re excited to welcome Pembroke Family Medicine patients and providers into our organization," said Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO, Oak Orchard Health (inset photo, left)

"It’s a natural collaboration since we share so much in common. And we are pleased that their patients will now have access to a full spectrum of care. We look forward to working together."

You’re invited to an outdoor ribbon cutting on Wednesday, July 1 at 9 a.m. at the Pembroke Corfu location. The address is 860 Main Road, Corfu. We will be wearing face masks and practicing social distance.

Oak Orchard Health 

Originally founded in 1966, Oak Orchard has grown from a migrant health project into an integrated health center with multiple locations providing health care services for everyone located in the communities we serve.

Currently serving more than 22,000 patients at six locations, Oak Orchard Health is a recognized patient-centered medical home and 501(c) nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with locations in the towns of Brockport, Albion, Lyndonville, Hornell and Warsaw.

It would be "very, very sad" way for baseball to end in Batavia and 41 other minor league cities if the baseball season were canceled and a new agreement between Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball eliminated those small franchises, said Ben Hayes, president of the New York Penn League.

Professional baseball in Batavia was under threat of extinction before a pandemic hit, and news reports have indicated Minor League Baseball has conceded to the MLB's request to consolidate leagues across the nation. Still, Hayes said today that negotiations continue and nothing has been finalized.

Even better news, he isn't giving up on playing NYPL baseball in 2020. The season is indefinitely postponed, but Hayes said he and league owners and officials want players in parks and fans in seats this season if at all possible, including in Batavia.  

The NYPL operates in eight states, and there are only two stadiums so far that are in regions where COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted enough to allow fans and ballplayers into ballparks.

"There's nobody at the Major League level or the Minor League level that has said this season is over and done," Hayes said. "Nothing has been canceled at either the full-season or short-season level."

If a decision was made to play ball, the MLB has suggested it would take players two or three weeks to get ready for the rigors of professional baseball.  

Hayes is currently traveling around the league, including a planned stop in Batavia, and league owners have been holding regular conference calls so they can be ready for the day when there can be baseball again.

Every team is developing plans to ensure social distancing is maintained; there is plenty of personal protective equipment for personnel; there are plans for thorough and regular cleaning and sanitizing in place, and to ensure that hotels and busses are safe and clean. 

"Everybody has a plan right now," Hayes said. "We're following the guidelines to make sure our players are safe but also our fans and stadium staff or safe. Right now, it's just a waiting game."

If the season is washed out, Hayes said he has already communicated with the Minor League's negotiating committee to request that any new agreement that could potentially eliminate teams would be delayed at least a year so that fans in those cities losing their franchises could get a farewell season before shutting down.

"That's my hope," Hayes said. "We voiced that to our representatives on the negotiating committee," Hayes said. "There are 42 clubs out there that if that plan were to go through, they would have never gotten a chance to have a last season, and that would be very, very sad."

As for the current operations of the Muckdogs, if you call the office, the phone is disconnected. It's not possible to get in touch with General Manager Brendan Kelly.  

Hayes said shutting down operations was purely a cost-saving measure and not an indication of the status of the ballclub.

"We're just trying to save money," Hayes said. "We're trying not to accrue costs simply because of the financial situation of the Muckdogs."

Meanwhile, except for the city mowing the infield and outfield grass, the playing surface is not being maintained. Weeds are sprouting up all over the diamond that Cooper Thomas has beautifully manicured over the past couple of seasons. 

None of that is a worry, Hayes said. 

"We can get that back in shape in two or three weeks once we get a grounds crew in there," Hayes said. 

The weeds maybe a little bigger but the situation now isn't much different than it would be in a typical year when crews start preparing the field for high school players in the spring.

"It's amazing what an edger and a lawnmower and a little bit of fertilizer and weed killer can do," Hayes said. "It makes a huge difference and you can really turn a field around quickly."

Whether Thomas will return in 2020 to lead that effort -- assuming the NYPL gets to play baseball -- is up in the air, Hayes said. He would love to have Thomson back and Thomas wants to come back, he said, but President Trump's current moratorium on worker immigration because of COVID-19 could prevent Thomas from making the trip from Australia to Batavia.

Top Photo: Weeds growing in the Dwyer Stadium infield.

Yesterday, the Dwyer Stadium scoreboard was lit up with "Reds 0 / Pirates 0 / PPD."

Chuck Martin was born and raised in the eastern part of North Carolina, where he not only learned to BBQ but fell in love with the art and craft.

As a New York resident for more than 10 years, he's been making BBQ for friends and since he loves it so much, he decided to make it his profession.

He promises authentic Carolina-style BBQ with pulled pork, ribs, beans, and coleslaw along with his how "Angry Charlie Burger."

Martin said his BBQ trailer, parked at 355 W. Main St., Batavia, will be open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Press release:

Batavia City School District’s Summer Meals Program, or “Grab and Go” meal distribution for the summer months, will begin on Monday, June 29.

Distribution will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9-11 a.m. at Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate Schools.

The Jackson distribution site will be at the school’s Hutchins Street entrance; JK's will be in the main loop on Vine Street as it has been this spring.

Each M-W-F distribution will include two days of breakfasts and two days of lunches for each child, age 18 and under.

No enrollment is necessary, and there is no-cost for families.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Meals Program is a federally funded, state-administered program that was established to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.

From the City of Batavia Police Department:

On June 18 at approximately 11 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Hutchins Place and Lewis Place for a large disturbance.

Upon arrival, patrols found several individuals fighting, with numerous different fights taking place. Some of the suspects had weapons such as knives, tasers, and bats and were allegedly threatening individuals with those items. Other suspects were allegedly throwing rocks at people and vehicles in the area.

After several minutes, officers were able to get the situation under control. No injuries were reported but two vehicles were damaged.

A thorough investigation was conducted and concluded that the incident began over fireworks being thrown at one of the damaged vehicles and a residence. The parties involved have had previous issues with one another.

The Batavia Police Department arrested the following individuals:

• Eric McGill, 37, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, one count (PL 265.02-1) – criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree (a Class D felony);
• Delonta Curry, 19, of Warner Street, Rochester, one count (PL 265.01-2) – criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (a Class A misdemeanor); one count (PL 240.05) – riot in the second degree (Class A misdemeanor);
• Hezekiah Burch, 18, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, one count (PL 145.00-1) – criminal mischief in the fourth degree (Class A misdemeanor); one count (PL 240.05) -- riot in the second degree (Class A misdemeanor);
• Louis Mercado, 32, Lewis Place, Batavia, one count (PL 145.05-2) – criminal mischief in the third degree (a Class E felony); one count (PL 240.05) – riot in the second degree (Class A misdemeanor);
• Jasmine Ryder, 34, Lewis Place, Batavia, one count (PL 240.05) – riot in the second degree (Class A misdemeanor);
• Lance Mercado Sr., 30, Lewis Place, Batavia, one count (PL 240.05) riot in the second degree (Class A misdemeanor).

Update 1:30 p.m.
The time for the media session on Thursday for K-9 Hank wlll be 3:30 p.m. at the rear of the City of Batavia police station.

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Community residents have stepped up in thousands of ways to support the City of Batavia Police Department's K-9 program.

Actually, the number is $11,228.53, which is the total amount of the donations sent into the City after the program was established last August, with the stipulation that donatons would be accepted.

At Monday night's City Council meeting, lawmakers voted to place the contributions into a committed fund just to be used for K-9-related expenses.

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch told The Batavian that a press conference is being arranged for this Thursday at police headquarters to introduce Hank, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois (pronounced MAL-in-wah), and his handler, Officer Stephen Quider, and to provide details about the program.

The Belgian Malinois is known as a hard-working, protective and smart breed with an ability to detect explosives, accelerants and narcotics. The name is derived from Malines, the French name for the breed's Flemish city of origin, Mechelen.

The male Malinois, which can weigh up to 75 pounds, is sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd.

Hank and Officer Stephen Quider attended last weekend's Juneteenth event at the YWCA of Genesee County.

“I jumped at the chance (to partner with the dog),” Quider said.

So, it looks as though the department's newest trainee is almost ready to em-“bark” on his journey to serve and protect.

In other action, Council:

-- Moved the bid process and determination for the Franklin Street-Richmond Avenue sewer rehabilitation project to its July 13^th Business Meeting.

According to Public Works Director Matt Worth, the City will see significant cost savings by changing the focus from a complete sewer line replacement on Franklin Street to an excavated repair of one section and relining of the rest of the line, and then to include relining of the Richmond Avenue sewer ahead of its rehabilitation project in 2022.

“The original budget for this project was $1,048,596, including engineering costs,” Worth said, “but with the changes, the cost will be significantly lower even with the addition of the Richmond Avenue lining.”

Worth said engineering fees will drop from around $240,000 to $57,800 “due to the reduced effort required to design and inspect a lining project compared to full open construction with new sewer.”

He also said he expects the construction cost to be “well under” the original estimate of $806,000 when the bids are opened on July 2.

-- Voted to authorize Council President Eugene Jankowski to facilitate the acceptance of $16,000 from the Genesee County Youth Bureau to support the Liberty Center for Youth and City Summer Recreation Program.

-- Voted to appoint three City residents – Nicholas Harris, Marc Staley and David Leone – and two Council members – Robert Bialkowski and Jeremy Karas – to the Audit Advisory Board for a term ending Dec. 31.

CORRECTION: We previously published a picture taken June 6 of Officer Stephen Quider with a K9. It turns out that dog was returned and "Hank" is a different dog so we've removed the photo.

After a heavy downpour this afternoon, the area under the train bridge on Cedar Street flooded for a short time.

Town of Batavia fire is on scene for an accident involving two vehicles and a semi-truck in the area of 9331 Lewiston Road.

Traffic is blocked.

Unknown injuries.