A two-car accident is reported in the area of 364 W. Main St., Batavia.
A person has a complaint of chest pain from the shoulder harness of the seat belt.
The vehicles are blocking traffic.
City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
UPDATE 11:38 a.m.: Vehicles have been removed. The street is clear. City fire back in service.
A shrub is on fire in the area of South Swan Street and Ellicott Street, according to a caller to dispatch. A red Chevy Impala is nearby. The shrub is near a structure. City fire just arrived and reports the location is at the rear of 400 Ellicott. Light smoke is showing.
UPDATE 6:35 a.m.: "Porch on fire. Water on the fire. Overhauling. Will be investigating," says command.
UPDATE 6:39 a.m.: Fire command asks for the owner of the residence at 400 Ellicott St. to be contacted to come to the scene.
UPDATE 6:43 a.m.: The owner says he will try and locate the tenant to respond or he, the owner, will respond. Command says the owner might want to respond regardless of the tenant's availability because "quite a bit of this porch" is damaged from the blaze.
UPDATE 6:53 a.m.: Ladder #15 is back in service.
UPDATE 6:58 a.m.: Command at the scene awaits the owner, with a five- to 10-minute ETA.
UPDATE 7:19 a.m.: The owner arrived and contacted the tenant. Fire command is back in service.
Learning to get along has always been one of the toughest challenges for schoolchildren and when children fight, it's disruptive to a school's instructional environment.
Educators in the City School District think they've found a better way to help children avoid angry resentments and reduce lost class time because of conflicts.
Administrators and teachers have been trained in the practices of peace circles and restorative conversations. The practices are being used in all four of the district's schools.
"It aligns with our districtwide model on promoting social-emotional learning," said Kia Evans, principal at Jackson Elementary. "At our level, with 5-year-olds, social-emotional learning for us means helping kids learn to process very, very big emotions, helping them deal with different situations; helping them come up with the words to articulate it instead of some of the negative behaviors that are attached to it."
Currently, the district has a pretty young crop of principals. Ashley John Grillo is entering his third year at Batavia Middle School; Paul Kesler was principal at John Kennedy but is entering his first full year at Batavia High School; Evans is entering her second year at Jackson; and Amanda Cook took over at John Kennedy Intermediate in the second half of last year.
But a test of whether an innovative program is really working is whether its proponents would carry it with them if they changed employers and all four principals said, about peace circles and restorative conversations, yes, they would, absolutely.
"What’s nice about those things is you get kids talking about those things and then they start writing about them and it just flows nicely," Grillo said.
Grillo said the practices of the peace circle aren't just used in conflict situations. Students also get a chance to use them and learn from them in academic situations.
"In the science lab, you have hypothesis and conclusion, and as you go around the circle, they're all going to have different results in some cases," Grillo said. "Then they can come up with a consensus in class and decide, what is the main takeaway from doing this activity. We call those academic circles but those fall on the same protocols as doing peace circles or a restorative circle."
A peace circle usually involves an entire class and at least one adult facilitator (though at the higher grades students can become their own facilitators). An object, such as a ball, is used -- the peace object -- and only the person holding it is allowed to speak. The students are encouraged to talk about what's bothering them in respectful ways and what concerns them about a particular situation. There are guidelines to follow but the students respond well, even at the younger grade levels, the principals said.
"It forces you to listen and process and a lot of times if you’re still upset and you're passed the ball, you might say pass," Evans said. "But the next time it comes around, you’ve heard and you’ve had an opportunity to process things, you can go further. Sometimes the person who was upset never contributes but it still feels like a healing process."
Grillo said a peace circle is a safe setting with rules of engagement and the students respect the protocols.
“I’ve seen it work beautifully," Grillo said.
Peace circles are also a way of building a sense of community among students.
"Teachers are using it to set values," Cook said. "This is a classroom community. We are all learners. How are we going to best take care of our classroom?"
Restorative conversations more often take place at the high school level, Kesler said. They usually involve a student who has been the subject of disciplinary action but the conversations are a chance to resolve conflicts once the disciplined student returns to class.
"It really does allow both parties to share how they feel they've been harmed what express what they would like to see as the intended outcome," Kesler said.
Kesler said not all of the BCSD teachers have been trained in peace circles. Many have taken the one-day seminar, several others have been through the full, three-day training session during a summer break.
As evidence students respond to it, Evans recalled the time a student saw a friend being mistreated in a hallway before class and he came to the teacher and requested a peace circle.
"He was in first grade," she said.
It might seem like peace circles take away from precious classroom academic time, but all four principals said the time spent on peace circles is a good investment.
"Your return on that time you’ve invested in a peace circle is going to pay back 10, 20 fold because you’ve already laid that groundwork," Cook said.
If small conflicts fester, other kids start picking sides and egging on the main antagonists. That's what administrators and teachers are trying to avoid.
"That 15 minutes is well spent," Evans said, "because later on the teacher has to address the behavior or address situation that could have been mitigated with a peace circle. That will cost more time academically."
The main data point the principals have to know protocols are working is the number of referrals to the principal's office. At his school, Grillo said referrals are down 50 percent.
"I really feel a big part of that, I’m not saying it’s the only answer but a big part of that is the restorative practices that the two assistant principles, the counselors, myself, and the teachers are all using," Grillo said. "We try to really get control of student issues and be proactive instead of reactive. I always feel that secondary education is reactive when it comes to discipline and I feel like we’ve turned that tide at the middle school."
Country Line Electric Supply is a true family business, said Sarah Rosenbeck, who with her brother William “Billy” Massett III has been involved in the company since they were young.
“Billy and I grew up spending time at the shop,” Rosenbeck said. “When we were old enough, we worked there weekends, after school and during summer vacations.”
In April, the company reached its 40th anniversary and they are spending the rest of the year celebrating.
Rosenbeck, who works in the Batavia location with her husband, Justin, handles the office managerial duties, while Billy, who works in the Silver Springs shop, takes care of product line and knowledge. His wife, Jen, is office manager there.
The Rosenbecks have three children and the Massetts have two.
“It is our hope the tradition of us growing up in the business will be passed on to our children,” Rosenbeck said. “If they choose to join the business, it would be wonderful.”
Country Line Electric was founded to fill a void in the business community, Rosenbeck said. Her father grew up in West Seneca, where he worked installing elevators. While doing side jobs with his grandfather, many of them in the Genesee/Wyoming County area, William realized there was no electrical supply company nearby.
William was familiar with Silver Springs, having visited Silver Lake growing up. He first opened his business in Silver Springs, which remains the main headquarters. He purchased the old Silver Springs school when it merged with Letchworth Central, and 30 years ago moved into Batavia, opening a business just west of their current location at 5059 E. Main.
Rosenbeck and her brother took over in 2015, but their father remains on the board, she said.
Country Line Electric sells commercial products for the heating, plumbing, ventilation, cooling and waste industries, as well as serving residential customers. Agriculture is a large part of their business, also, Rosenbeck said.
The company continues to grow and currently has several job openings at its Silver Lake location.
They are currently near the end of a two-year process to become certified as a “woman-owned business” in New York State.
“This certification will open more doors for us, and allow us to work more on the municipal level,” Rosenbeck explained.
They are also looking to put on another addition, she said.
The company has been celebrating since April by offering free hot dogs to customers on “Hot Dog Wednesday," handing out free tee shirts and sponsoring several contest giveaways on Facebook.
“I asked Dad when he started this business, did he ever imagine to see 40 years,” Rosenbeck. “He said this has been a dream come true for him.”
Top photo: Sarah Rosenbeck and her husband, Justin, stand in front of Country Line Electric Supply on East Main Street, Batavia, the company founded 40 years ago in Silver Springs by her father, William Massett.
Sarah Rosenbeck is the daughter of William Massett, who started Country Line Electric Supply in 1978 in Silver Springs. She and her brother William Massett III “Billy” now run the company, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Rosenbeck works in the Batavia location with her husband, Justin, while Billy mans the Silver Springs store with his wife, Jen. Photos by Virginia Kropf.
Submitted photo and press release:
“The Traveling Ghost” -- a photographic exhibit featuring abandoned buildings found in Western New York -- opens at GO ART! in Downtown Batavia on Thursday, Sept. 20.
The exhibit by Ryan Gustman runs through Nov. 3.
There will be an artist reception the same day from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20. Also, Tavern 2.o.1 will be open.
Gallery Hours: Thursdays & Fridays 11-7; Saturdays 11-4.
GO ART! is located at 201 E. Main St.
Phone is 343-9313.
From the city's Department of Public Works:
Paving operations will begin tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 31, on East Avenue in Batavia.
The final / top course will be installed on East Avenue from Clinton Street on the east to approximately Elm Street on the west. Time frame for road closure and work is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This work is subject to weather delays.
Please do not park on the street during the paving operation. Please avoid this area during paving; traffic delays are to be expected, so plan accordingly.
Traffic will be redirected around the paving work using flaggers.
Residents within the road closure should expect delays, but all efforts will be made to get you to your residence as is practical. ALL THRU TRAFFIC should seek out alternate routing (i.e. North Street and East Main Street)
The City of Batavia Department of Public Works (585) 345-6400, option 1.
Erdman Anthony (Project Engineers) Field Office is located at 216 Main St., Suite 27 Batavia.
The contractor for the project is: D&H Excavating. Phone (716) 492-4956.
Tops Markets today announced it plans to close 10 stores but the neither the Batavia store nor the Le Roy store is on the list.
Tops is in the midst of a financial restructuring and a judge overseeing their bankruptcy proceedings will need to approve the closures.
The chain's other 159 stores are all expected to remain open but as many as 600 of the company's 14,000 employees are likely to lose their jobs.
The company said the 10 stores selected for closure are "underperforming."
The stores scheduled for closure:
Photo from yesterday evening by Jim Schmitt.
Submitted photo and press release:
In 2010, Erinn Diaz founded Letters From Home in Winston-Salem, NC, with a mission to tour the country honoring our nation’s veterans, active military heroes and their families, by reviving patriotism through music. Since that time it has become one of the fastest-growing musical movements in the nation, touring over 40 states.
The show is coming to Batavia at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5, for the residents and families of the New York Veterans’ Home, 220 Richmond Ave.
Letters From Home is a group that travels the country on a mission to revive patriotism (not politics)...through MUSIC! The performers present high-energy singing and dancing reminiscent of the USO shows of years ago, all in support of veterans, active military and families. This show is PERFECT for your veteran neighbor, friend, or relative.
The incredible singing harmonies, charming personalities and phenomenally energized tap dancing will have you rolling in the aisles with laughter and reviving your patriotic passion!
Diaz produced the show at the suggestion of her late father, Pat Dearth, a Coast Guard veteran. She is currently touring several versions of Letters From Home, and is also the founding artistic director of Spring Theatre in Winston-Salem, a published author, a national tap dance champion and has been seen in more than 200 productions and movies.
The show will not only feature Diaz, but also Dan Beckmann, of Minneapolis, who has performed in six of seven continents. Dan currently resides in New York City, and will be joining Diaz as her duo show partner in the charming tribute, “Voices of Victory.”
Nicholas Ronald Schramm, 18, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Schramm is accused of damaging property of another person while at a residence, not his own, on Byron Holley Road, Byron, on Monday. He was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.
Connor D. Gardner, 18, of Kemp Drive, Macedon, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Justin Daniel Pursel, 28, of North Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Pursel was allegedly involved in an accident on Batavia Elba Townline Road at 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The accident was investigated by Deputy Mathew Clor and Deputy Andrew Mullen.
Kyle J. Stack, 32, of Medina, is charged with DWI, unlawful possession of marijuana, and obstruction of governmental administration. Stack is accused of driving drunk in the Town of Bergen at 11:11 p.m. Tuesday though he was arrested by State Police in the Village of Medina. He was ordered held on cash bail. No further details released.
Quinton V. Holmes, 27, of Churchville, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, failure to keep right, and speeding. Holmes was stopped by State Police on Buffalo Road, Bergen, at 3:43 p.m. Saturday.
Jennifer L. Blake, 44, of Elba, and Christopher W. Blake, 44, of Byron, are charged with trespass. The two people were arrested by State Police for allegedly trespassing on property in Byron at 7:45 p.m. Thursday. No further details released.
Jay R. Howcraft, 58, of Rochester, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Howcraft was stopped by State Police at 8:21 p.m. Friday on Pratt Road, Town of Batavia.
L&M Speciality Fabrication is moving from Albion to a new, bigger location on East Saile Drive, Batavia, and today, company owners and local officials officially broke ground on the site of the new 23,000-square-foot facility.
The company specializes in onion harvesting equipment, custom farm machinery and repairs of farm equipment.
The company is investing $2.2 million in the project. The new facility will include a production area and retail space for farm equipment parts.
Co-owner Lee Schuknecht said the new location was attractive because it's central to three rural counties (Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming), Batavia is already a central location for businesses that support farmers, and West Saile Drive has easy Thruway access.
While the company might be known for its onion harvesting equipment, L&M works with farmers to meet a variety of needs. They've built harvesters for other crops as well as custom conveyors and wagons for a variety of produce.
"With most farmers, we try to figure out their needs for different growing areas and try to meet those needs," Schuknecht said. "A lot times people come to us with something they need or a problem they have and we try to engineer a solution for their problem, so a lot of things we do, we may only build one or a couple."
Genesee County Economic Development Center assisted the project with a sales tax worth $84,000 for building materials and supplies, and property tax abatement valued at $158,656. The company currently has seven employees and plans to hire two more once they are in their new building.
Photo: Chris Suozzi, VP of business development for GCEDC, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Lee Schuknecht, Matt Geissler, Sarah Geissler, Robin Schuknecht, and Dale Schuknecht. Lee, Matt, and Sarah own the business. Dale and Robin, parents of Lee and Sarah, assist in the business.
The Visual Truth Theatre Ensemble will present "A Killer, A Victim, A Mourner" -- an original absurdist physical theater performance -- on Wednesday, Aug. 29, at Moonjava Cafe in Batavia.
The ensemble includes actors Emily Crawford, Richard Ferris, Lucine Kauffman.
The play, written by Eric Zwieg, incorporates dialogue, music, puppetry, masking, physical theatre, and absurdist elements that tell an existential story of greed, tragedy and loss.
A $5 donation is suggested.
Doors open at 6:30; the performance begins at 7 p.m.
The cafe is located at 56 Harvester Ave. in the City of Batavia.
The purpose of the Visual Truth Theatre Ensemble is to create, exhibit, and educate, employing theater in all its glorious incantations. Its mission is to push theatrical boundaries .
This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!
UPDATED Aug. 30 at 2:53 p.m.: There is also a performance scehduled at Moonjava Cafe for Thursday night at 7; doors open at 6:30 p.m. (This information was not included in the original information provided.)
Press release:
Sleep Insights, a local sleep medicine practice, is now offering testing at their Batavia sleep center.
The sleep center provides board-certified sleep physician appointments (ages 5+), home sleep apnea testing, overnight/daytime sleep testing and CPAP services. They are the only sleep medicine practice in Batavia and the surrounding area to comprehensively offer all these services all at one location. Sleep Insights is neither owned by nor affiliated with a hospital system.
In January, Sleep Insights moved into 47A Batavia City Centre and has been remodeling ever since: new interior paint, exterior lit signs, and the creative use of space for patient appointments and sleep testing offers a welcoming environment. The bedrooms resemble upscale hotel rooms with cable TV, WiFi, and sinks.
A small snack and beverage area is available, as is curbside parking for testing patients.
“We want people to feel relaxed and comfortable at our practice, particularly our overnight/daytime testing patients,” said Dr. Jacob Dominik, Sleep Insights’ medical director.
In addition, Dr. Kenneth Murray, a board-certified sleep specialist and neurologist, joined Sleep Insights and began seeing patients at the Batavia location in response to patient demand.
“We’ve seen a steady increase of new patients since we opened here, so that tells there was an unmet need,” noted Dr. Dominik, “People come to us for all types of sleep issues and questions. Testing isn’t always needed, so that definitely shouldn’t deter people from seeking help.”
People go to a sleep specialist when they aren’t regularly waking up and feeling refreshed or when they suspect they have a sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea, shift work disorder, insomnia or parasomnias such as sleep walking, nightmares or sleep paralysis. Many patients are referred by their healthcare provider or dentist, but patients can self-refer to Sleep Insights for a physician appointment.
Their new location provides a soothing, upscale environment with expanded room for CPAP supplies and support from a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Their phone number is 585.219.4330. New patient appointments are available and no healthcare provider referral is needed.
About Sleep Insights
Founded in 2005, Sleep Insights is a regional, comprehensive sleep medicine practice offering consultative, diagnostic testing and sleep therapy services. Sleep Insights is an independent sleep center, not owned by or affiliated with a hospital. The company’s main site is in Rochester, with 10 locations throughout Central and Western New York.
From the city's Bureau of Maintenance:
On Thursday, Aug. 30th, Tracy Avenue in the City of Batavia will be closed to all through traffic. The closure will be between Washington Avenue and North Street from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in order to pave Tracy Avenue.
All motorists that regularly use Tracy Avenue are asked to seek alternative routes while the closure is in place. Residents within the area of the closure cannot park on the street while the paving operation is ongoing. Please plan on parking on adjacent streets until the street is reopened.
This work is weather dependent and subject to rescheduling if it rains. If we are rain delayed the work will be rescheduled after Labor Day.
Contact the Bureau of Maintenance and ask to speak to the Streets Supervisor or Superintendent at 345-6400, opt. 1, if you have any questions.
Thank you for your cooperation in advance.
The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department during the G-Eazy Concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Friday.
Terrance L. Falk, 19, of Watson Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, 2nd, and resisting arrest after allegedly yelling several obscenities around other individuals while being ejected from the concert venue causing a disturbance; head-butting a Live Nation employee in the face; and fighting with law enforcement while being placed under arrest. Falk was arraigned in Darien Town Court and jailed in lieu of $500 bail.
A 16-year-old of Audubon Drive, Amherst, is charged with false personation, obstructing governmental administration, and resisting arrest after allegedly being refused entry into the concert venue, running into a restricted area, fighting with law enforcement while being placed under arrest, and then giving a false name to law enforcement. The youth was arraigned in Darien Town Court and jailed in lieu of $2,000 bail.
Kaitlyn M. Kist, 19, South Creek Road, Derby, is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd, after allegedly reentering the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return. Kist was arraigned in Darien Town Court and jailed in lieu of $200 bail.
Brittany J. McGruther, 22, of Lower Mountain Road, Lockport, is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd, after allegedly reentering the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return. Brittany was arraigned in Darien Town Court and jailed in lieu of $200 bail.
Michaela R. Bohn, 18, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, after allegedly being found in possession of a small quantity of cocaine and heroin.
A 17-year-old of South Main Street, of Angola, is charged with trespass after allegedly climbing on top of a concession stand and entering a restricted area.
Adam L. Vargas, 20, of Coleman Street, Barker, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.
A 17-year-old of South Union Road, of Williamsville, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.
John J. Rozmus, 23, of Laird Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling several obscenities around other individuals trying to enter the concert venue, causing a disturbance.
Kaylin M. Carlson, 19, of Route 64, Bloomfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly punching another individual in the face.
Timothy D, Trask, 19, of Wilkinson Road, Erin, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly pushing and shoving law enforcement while being ejected from the concert venue.
Ashley R. Jolliff, 22, of Lowell Road, Tonawanda, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly shoving a law enforcement officer while another individual was being arrested.
Able Nazareem Supreme Jones, 18, of Falls Street, Seneca Falls, is charged with unlawful possession of marihuana after allegedly being found in possession of a small quantity of marijuana.
(Name redacted upon request), 19, of Woodmore Court, Lockport, is charged with unlawful possession of marihuana after allegedly being found in possession of a small quantity of marihuana.
Cornelius Lawson III, 21, of Middle Street, Geneva, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana after allegedly being found in possession of a small quantity of marijuana.
Press release from the city's Bureau of Maintenance:
To the residents and property owners of the following streets:
The properties in the above listed areas will undergo a sidewalk replacement project in the month of September. The work will involve sidewalk replacements as needed, curb ramp installation and sidewalk passing zones (where there are four foot walks).
If the sidewalk replacements go through a driveway, the contractor (Master’s Edge) will provide the residents notice that the will not have driveway access for up to a week. This is so the sidewalks can set up and cure to provide strength for vehicular traffic.
During that time period, if you have lost driveway access, those residents are asked to park legally on the street. We have requested the Police Department to suspend the overnight parking ban for the impacted properties while this work is ongoing.
Work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 4, in the area of Eleanor Place/ Trumbull Parkway/ Margaret Place. Work will then move to the area of Lehigh Avenue and Clifton Avenue. Work will conclude on Verona Avenue and New York Place.
This is weather dependent work, so some delays can be expected, but it is intent to be complete with this project by late September or early October.
Contact the Bureau of Maintenance and ask to speak to the Superintendent at 345-6400, opt. 1, if you have any questions.
From the city's Bureau of Maintenance:
To all residents -- please be aware that the Spray Pad at Austin Park will be closing for the end of the summer season on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Spray Pad is scheduled open again next Memorial Day.
Thank you for a wonderful year.
An odor of natural gas is reported at Arby's in Batavia.
At least one person reports feeling ill.
City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.
UPDATE 1:47 p.m.: National Fuel on location.
UPDATE 2 p.m.: City Fire is turning the scene over to National Fuel and is going back in service. Mercy EMS has five sign-offs.
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