batavia

A tractor-trailer has hit a pole in the aera of 29 Liberty St., Batavia.

No injuries are reported.

City fIre and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:03 p.m.: National Grid notified. No ETA.

Pictured Lisa Ann Scott with her children, Jack (13) and Riley (10)

It all started with a conversation with a 5-year-old.

Lisa Ann Scott, of Batavia, had just lost her job as a news anchor for Channel 4. Understandably, she was very upset.

With a determined look on her face, Scott's daughter, Riley, came into her bedroom to talk to her.  The conversation went something like this:

"Mom," she softly said, "you need to stop being so upset. This is just a job."

"Yes, but it was a job I really loved," Scott said.  "I kind of feel like I was in a party bus, and they kicked me off without food, water or a map."

"I'll be your map."

"All right, 'map,' what do we do?"

"Go chase the bus."

"Honey, they don't want me on the bus."

Riley had to think about that one for a minute, but then she shrugged and said:

"Wait for the next bus."

Then she patted her mom on the head and said:

"Put that in your imagination and dream about it tonight."

Today, Scott describes these as "just the right words at the right time."

"She made realize, 'Of course this is not the end of my life. Something else that's great is going to come along.' "

That "something else great" turned out to be writing fiction. HarperCollins recently published Scott's "School of Charm," a novel for middle-grade readers.

"School of Charm" follows Brenda "Chip" Anderson, an 11-year-old girl who has recently lost her father, as she adjusts to a new life in Mt. Airy, N.C., after relocating from Upstate New York with her mother and two sisters. As an outdoorsy, nature-loving, tomboy explorer "in a family full of beauty queens" (quoted from the book's front flap), she is struggling to find a sense of belonging. 

Her fortune changes when she stumbles across Miss Vernie's "School of Charm," an unconventional beauty school, in the middle of the woods.

Scott answered questions about the book at her home:

Tell us about your protagonist, Chip.

She's an 11-year-old girl, and she's always been daddy's girl. She and her father always went on adventures together and played in the woods, whereas her two sisters are more girly-girl types who hang out with their mother. 

Chip is definitely the odd one out; she's not certain how she fits into the family. In fact, she trains in secret to enter a beauty pageant because her family is so convinced that she's not a pageant girl.  That's why she goes to this unusual school she finds. And the lessons she learns aren't quite what she thought they were going to be.

Can you talk a bit about the book's setting?

I picked Mt. Airy because it's where the Andy Griffith Show was filmed, and it's supposed to be the best little town in America. Chip is super unhappy about being there, because she doesn't want to move. So it's sort of ironic that she's moving to the "best little town in America." Plus I have a writer friend who lives there. After reading some of her work set in that area, I fell in love with it vicariously. I just loved her description of the area.

I also wanted Chip to have to face a big change, you know, a totally different setting, where they have Southern accents...something very different and unsettling from where she had lived.

Tell us about your first inspiration for the story.

I woke up from a very vivid dream of this elderly woman, with a knowing look on her face, in this woodland setting where she was holding class with these girls. I think that if you're a writer, when something intrigues you, you can't stop thinking about it -- what it means, what these people are doing there, etc. And so I just kept thinking about it and thinking about it, and it grew into "School of Charm."

Nature and the outdoors play a huge role in Chip's life -- how realistic do you think that will seem in a time in which children do not play outside as much?

That's why I chose to set "School of Charm" in the 1970s. I did a lot of exploring when I was a kid.  I grew up in Marilla, NY, which is in Erie County, and I was in the woods a lot of the time. When I imagined this girl out exploring and finding this school, I just couldn't conceive of it...kids really don't play outside too much, and they certainly don't get to disappear for the whole day like we did when we were kids. So I knew I needed to set this story in a different time and place. And I picked 1977 because there are a lot of unique things about that year...one of them is that Chip is expecting something magical to happen on July 7, or "7/7/77."

But the outdoors are really big in Chip's life. She looks for signs in nature -- she's looking for a "sign" from her father that everything is going to be all right. Plus a lot of the School of Charm's lessons are held outside in the woods.

Your first children’s story was turned down. What did you learn from that experience?

I only sent that one out a little bit. It didn't get any interest. When I took another look at it, I knew it had a lot of plot problems that I just wasn't sure how to fix. The next shiny idea is always more interesting than trying to fix what you've written that isn't working.

I've been to a lot of writer's conferences and groups, and I've read a lot of books, so with time I've understood more about plot, how a character needs to change over the course of the story, and how the story really needs to be propelled by the characters' choices rather than by the things happening to them.

Did you borrow either from yourself or from anyone you have known for the character of Chip?

I guess there's a little bit of me in her. I used to catch turtles all the time and run around in the woods. 

When I'm writing a book, I go on really long walks. I think about the story and who the characters are, and they slowly reveal themselves. As a writer, you start to understand why your characters are a certain way and what they want. 

What are you hoping readers will carry away from this story?

I would hope that after reading this and seeing Chip's strength, they will think, "Do I have this strength too?" Also, throughout the book I've tried to leave little wisps of magic to sort of make you look at the world differently, (to see that) magic is all around us if you're looking for it. I like to think that it's a book filled with hope and heart, and I just hope that when somebody closes the cover on the book their heart will feel full and happy.

Scott plans to hold book signings and appearances, but the details of those are still being worked out. People can keep up to date on this by visiting Scott's Web site, www.lisaannscott.com.

"School of Charm" is Scott's first children's book. She is the author of a self-published romance novel and a number of romantic short stories for different magazines. She also works as a voice actor.

It's gotta be some sort of sign that spring is near when Dave's starts selling ice cream.

Owner Debra Webster would have opened a week ago, but she couldn't even get the ice off the parking lot. Finally, the parking lot is clear and the doors are open.

Webster has been in the ice cream business for 28 years, starting at the location that is now Dave's when she was 16. Six months later, she was the manager (it was Brenden's then) and working full time even while attending high school.

In 1995, she bought her first ice cream shop, an Abbott's Frozen Custard franchise in Brockport, which she still owns. Eight years ago, she bought Brenden's and changed the name to Dave's.

It might not be quite spring cleaning, but with snow melting and the sun out, two city workers patrolled Main Street Downtown this afternoon looking for any litter that may have become visible. They are Shawn Easton and Shawn McAlister.

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) approved applications for two projects at its March 6, 2014, board meeting. 

The Bank of Castile/Tompkins Trust Company is purchasing a building located at 113-119 Main St. in the City of Batavia and plans to renovate the second floor (10,000 square feet) into a call center for its expanding operations because of limited space in its current location in the City of Batavia. The company also plans to maintain the first floor and continue renting space to current lessors. 

The company was approved for a sales tax exemption of approximately $53,600 and a property tax exemption of approximately $27,800 to expand its existing facility. The planned capital investment will total an estimated $1.5 million dollars and is projected to create two new jobs.

Tompkins Trust Company built a new 18,000-square-foot headquarters in the City of Batavia in 2004, investing more than $2.9 million dollars. The company had pledged to create 63 new jobs; as of 2012, it had created 74 jobs.

Liberty Pumps is planning a 100,000-square-foot expansion of its existing facility at Apple Tree Acres in Bergen, NY. The renovation will include new spaces for production, warehouse, research and development, as well as an office, auditorium and training center. An initial resolution for Liberty Pumps was approved to set a public hearing as the total amount of incentives exceeds $100,000. The capital investment for the expansion project is $9.8 million and will create 27 new jobs while retaining 124 employees at the facility.

In 2000 Liberty Pumps invested $3.7 million for the acquisition of the land and construction of a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. It underwent another expansion project in 2008 which entailed the investment of an additional $4 million for the construction of a 64,000-square-foot addition to the existing facility.

“It’s great to see companies that our agency has assisted with in past, come back to us with plans to expand their operations and create even more jobs in our region,” said Wally Hinchey, GCEDC board chairman.

A car just rammed into the back of a school bus at East Main and Vine streets. Unknown injuries, but no children are on the bus. Batavia fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 4:28 p.m.: The assignment is back in service. There were no injuries.

At 7 a.m., when Officer Kevin DeFelice came on duty, it was about 20 degrees, but the forecast was for sun, so DeFelice, the officer in Batavia PD assigned to bike patrol, decided it was a good day to hop on two wheels rather than toil behind one.

DeFelice spent his shift on the bike on a day where the high eventually hit 35 degrees.

With the sun out and the snow melting, it did feel like spring, even though the forecast makes tomorrow look more like a temporary reprieve rather than an end to winter. There's a chance of snow the following six days in the forecast, but no anticipation of the unrelenting, bitter cold that has been such a part of this winter.

DeFelice can get around the city pretty quickly on his bike. After the shot above, he rode out to East Avenue near Clinton to assist with a traffic stop on a vehicle that matched the description of a warrant suspect (turned out to not be the person police were looking for). 

Press release:

Batavia Youth Football is pleased to announce that it has affiliated with the Greater Rochester Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. In doing so BYF has been granted the opportunity to field a youth football team, with participants from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

This new team will reach out to all players from all four counties with no stipulations.

Teams associated with the GRPWLSI are the Chili Lions, Fairport Jr. Red Raiders, Greece Chargers, Hamlin Hornets, Irondequoit Scream’n Eagles, Monroe County Redskins, Ogden Bears, Webster Wildcats.

The season consists of seven games, all of which are played on Sundays. The games are refereed by certified NYS Section V referees according to NYS Section V rules. Each quarter is 10 minutes in length, including special teams.

The primary function of the GLOW Pop Warner youth football team and cheerleading squads will be to teach the fundamentals of the game of football and cheerleading as well as respect for education, and to develop strong, smart, responsible, healthy young men and women.

We want to develop our player’s appreciation for, and understanding of, leadership, teamwork and discipline.

Pop Warner football was founded in 1929 near Philadelphia. Since then, the participation has increased. Pop Warner football has had more than 250,000 participants, steadily increasing each year.

GLOW Pop Warner is looking to field three teams, Mitey Mite, Jr. Pee Wee, and Pee Wee with age ranges from 7 to 12 years old. It does not matter if the town where the child comes from has a NOFA or CYFL team, they will still be eligible to participate. 

GLOW Pop Warner youth football team and cheerleading squads are revamping their long accustomed uniforms to a more modern styling, similar to that of the Oregon Ducks.

Season long rate for both football players and cheerleaders is $50. Registration with be held at T.F. Brown’s in the side room of the main entrance on Saturday and Sunday, March 22 & 23, and March 29 & 30. Registration forms may be completed prior to registration dates and brought with the registrar. These registrations can be located on the Pop Warner Web site, at the top of the page under “Forms & Admin” – 2014 Player/Participant Contract.

REGISTRATION:

    Saturday    March 22, 2014    (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
    Sunday     March 23, 2014    (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.)
    Saturday    March 29, 2014    (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
    Sunday    March 30, 2014    (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

SAFETY FIRST:
Our athletes will compete with kids similar in age and weight. According to Pop Warner National Football, football is safer than soccer. Pop Warner has 12 percent fewer injuries per capita among 5-15 year olds than organized soccer in the same age range (**U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, NEISS).

NO PERSONAL STATISTICS:
The GLOW Fighting Ducks will only recognize the athletic accomplishments of the team, not the individual. Unlike other leagues where the main focus is on the competitiveness of winning and molding the next superstar, we will not track personal tallies of touchdowns, or yards rushing per game. We won’t count sacks or blocked kicks. We applaud the athletic efforts of the team to reinforce the importance of team work, with each member. Our goal is to show that each young person is an integral part of our team, and always will be.

If you have questions, contact Marc Lawrence, GLOWFightingDucks@gmail.com, or (585) 300-8213.

Akeem Simmons Nathaniel Davis

The duo accused of breaking into a house on Park Avenue in the city on Jan. 14 were indicted yesterday afternoon by the Grand Jury on three counts in connection with the alleged crime.

Nathaniel R. Davis, 18, and Akeem M. Simmons, 23, are accused of first-degree burglary for allegedly entering a house at 28 Park Ave. illegally with the intent to commit a crime, and one of the participants, Davis, was armed with a handgun. Both defendants are also accused of criminal use of a firearm, 1st, for allegedly possessing a loaded weapon during the commission of the crime.

No weapon was found on Simmons.

These are Class B violent felonies.

In count three, the men are accused of fourth-degree conspiracy, a Class E felony, for allegedly agreeing with one another to commit the crime.

The defendants were taken into custody in less than an hour after the burglary was first reported at 11:28 a.m.. Davis, who was allegedly armed, was caputured about 100 yards from the residence. Simmons was captured after a manhunt which lasted about 45 minutes.

According to Batavia PD Det. Rich Schauf, it didn't appear that anything was stolen.

Previously:

• Quick response to burglary in progress leads to arrest of two suspects
• Manhunt under way for Park Avenue burglar

Nikkia M. Phillips, 27, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a bench warrant issued by Batavia City Court for alleged failure to appear at a previous court date on a charge of second-degree aggrevated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. She was jailed on $500 bail or $1,000 bond and is to appear in city court on March 12.

Christopher Lee Taylor, 25, of Frost Avenue, Rochester, was arrested today on a warrant out of Town of Elba Court for aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, 3rd, and no/inadequate headlights. The violations allegedly occurred on Maple Avenue in Elba on Feb. 11. He was jailed with bail set at $250.

Justine Denae McWethy, 27, of Richmond Avenue, Batavia, was arrested Tuesday night for petit larceny for allegedly stealing $73.85 in merchandise from Walmart. She was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Batavia Town Court on March 27.

Ronald Louis MacGregor Jr., 45, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, was arrested Monday afternoon for petit larceny for allegedly stealing $29.88 in merchandise from Walmart. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Town of Batavia Court on March 27.

A garage fire was quickly knocked down within the last half hour at 2999 Batavia Oakfield Town Line Road. Oakfield fire responded, along with mutual aid from Town of Batavia and East Pembroke, and Alabama had a crew stand by in Oakfield's quarters. A portion of the roadway for eastbound traffic was also closed.

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: All responders are back in service.

This protest sign appeared for a time today in front of the Upton Monument at Main and Ellicott streets.

It's gone now.

The City Manager's office has the sign. If the person who placed it at the intersection wants it back and can prove ownership, it will be returned, County Manager Jay Gsell said.

"There's so many things that are not appropriate about that sign," Gsell said.

Such as: It was placed without permission; permission would need to be granted by the city, state and county; the veterans consider the location hallowed ground; nobody knows who placed the sign.

(The person in the picture is just a pedestrian who happened to be in the area at the time the picture was taken.)

The Salvation Army's Mobile Pantry Program begins in April. It will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on the first Wednesday of every month through December at the Salvation Army headquarters, 529 E. Main St., Batavia. You are welcome to come early at 9:15 a.m. for coffee and conversation.

The dates of the Mobile Pantry Program are:

• April 2
• May 7
• June 4
• July 2
• Aug. 6
• Sept. 3
• Oct. 1
• Nov. 5
• Dec. 3

Press release:

There are currently two water main breaks on Union Street near Robert Morris School and near the Notre Dame athletic field. Crews are on site to begin repairs.

You could call it a springboard for spring rolls.

Paul Berardini is providing his cousin, Josh Gaylord, kitchen space at Big Pauly's Pizza, to launch his sushi business, Yume Sushi.

Gaylord had tried to secure financing to open a restaurant at the former Delavan's location on Evans Street, but that fell through, so Berardini stepped in to provide a launching pad for the aspiring entrepreneur and sushi chef.

"I can't thank him enough because obviously I tried doing it myself and it wasn't in the books for right now," Gaylord said. "I think starting out small is the best idea."

Space is cramped and the production needs of the pizza and wing cooks in Pauly's sometimes means Gaylord gets shifted from one table to another, but he has a place to start (rent free), his own phone line, a business name and checking account. He's in business.

And it's already quite a business. With more than 500 followers on Facebook, Gaylord is already fielding about as many orders as he can handle by himself.

"It's best to order ahead," Gaylord said.

Gaylord and a buddy started going to sushi restaurants in Buffalo and Rochester about eight years ago and decided they would learn to make sushi themselves with the hope of eventually opening a restaurant in Batavia.

"We just thought Batavia needed something like this," Gaylord said, but admits he wasn't very good at creating sushi dishes at first.

His friend eventually fell away from making sushi and moved to Flordia to escape New York's winters, but Gaylord stayed and kept learning.

He's entirely self-taught, but with recent special dinners at Sweet Ecstasy Bakery and just making sushi for friends in Batavia, he's developed quite a following. He hopes with the help of Pauly he can get his business rolling and eventually secure enough financing to open his own location.

"It's a passion of mine," Gaylord said. "I really like doing it. I like introducing new foods to Batavia. A lot of people think sushi is just raw fish. It's nothing to do with raw fish. Sushi means rice that's been vinegared with some sort of meat. It can be steak or chicken or even a vegetible."

Yume Sushi is open from lunchtime through 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Order ahead by calling (585) 297-9656.

Jason Lang, 30, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, reckless endangerment, unlawful fleeing a police officer and reckless driving. Lang was arrested in Ontario County for an incident reported at 1 p.m. Monday at Pearl Vision in Eastview Mall. Lang allegedly stole two pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses valued at $358. He allegedly fled from police. He later turned himself in to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. He was arraigned in Victor Town Court and jailed on $5,000 bail, $10,000 bond. (Source: Finger Lakes Daily News / Click here for previous coverage of Jason Lang).

Aaron Michael Bove, 23, of East Buffalo Street, Churchville, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Bove allegedly stole $1,000 in cash from a business in Bethany while there cleaning the establishment.

A 16-year-old resident of North Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with harassment, 2nd. The youth allegedly struck another student in the head during a class at Byron-Bergen High School.

Daniel Paul Hinca, 18, of Railroad Avenue, Alexander, John M. Francis, 20, of Vernon Avenue, Batavia, and a 17-year-old resident of Vernon Avenue, Batavia, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The trio were allegedly found in the rear parking lot of 80 Vernon Ave., Batavia, following a complaint about people in a vehicle who appeared to be smoking marijuana. The three defendants were allegedly found in possession of a bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Roger L. Lashure Jr. is indicted for first-degree criminal contempt, a Class E felony. He is accused of violating an order of protection. It is alleged that on Oct. 8 in the City of Batavia Lashure slapped a woman in violation of the court order not to have contact with her.

The Grand Jury returned no bill against Steven A. Desmore, who was accused of two counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd, for incidents which allegedly occurred Oct. 15 in the Town of Le Roy.

Press release:

Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation today reacted to media reports of the Seneca Nation of Indians’ purchase of 32 acres in the Town of Henrietta as a potential site for a gaming casino.

“Today’s announcement by the Seneca Nation of a significant land purchase in Henrietta for a casino gaming facility should not come as a shock to anyone,” said Michael P. Nolan, executive vice president/COO of WROTB. “Despite the fact that the casino compact of 2002 specifically allows them to operate only three casinos in the region, the Senecas never had any intention of abiding by the terms of that agreement. This land purchase only reinforces that point. The compact also provides that they will not use any of the Seneca Settlement Act funds for another casino. The use of these funds for another casino shows another potential breach of the compact by the Senecas.”

In 2002, the Seneca Nation signed a gaming compact with the State of New York, under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which allowed the Seneca Nation to operate three “class III gaming” casino facilities. The Seneca Nation currently operates casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Salamanca. 

With the land purchase by the Seneca Nation, Nolan believes that community opposition will grow exponentially.

“There is already significant opposition to the casino from residents of Henrietta, the business community, church and civic organizations, and a multitude of town boards and county legislative bodies throughout the region,” Nolan said. “Now that the Senecas’ intentions have taken a much more serious turn with the land purchase, I fully expect opposition to grow in terms of both numbers and intensity.”

Nolan vowed to work with local communities and opposition groups to stop casino gaming in Henrietta.

“This region is oversaturated with casino gaming, and another facility will cause irreparable harm to thousands of businesses, families, and municipalities throughout the region,” Nolan said.

Owned and operated by 15 Western New York counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo, Western Regional OTB is a public benefit corporation with headquarters in Batavia, NY. WROTB owns and operates 31 branches, as well as Batavia Downs Gaming, a standard bred racetrack and gaming facility.