batavia

Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle celebrated 100 years in business Saturday with games, prizes and $1 tacos. Proceeds benefitted Don R. Carroll Toys for Kids.

Previously: Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle celebrates a century in business

A two-car accident, unknown injuries, is reported at Lewiston and Galloway roads, Batavia.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 9 a.m.: Injuries are reported.

UPDATE 9:05 a.m.: Four patients, appears to be less-than-serious injuries. 

After receiving word in April that the Buffalo Diocese was cutting financial aid for Notre Dame High School, Principal Wade Bianco, his staff, and the board of trustees got busy figuring out a way to reduce spending by $125,000 in a way that wouldn't hurt students or the families that depend on paychecks from the school.

"It’s an opportunity to stand alone and then get it done," Bianco said in an interview with WBTA.

There will be no layoffs, no classes cut, and no sports or other extracurricular activities cut, Bianco said.

He rattled off a series of small cuts that get the school pretty close to meeting its budget for 2018-19.

• With the retirement of the guidance counselor, that position will be merged with another administrative job, which will not only save money but mean a guidance counselor is on campus five days a week rather than just three.
• One employee is voluntarily shifting off of group health care coverage to Medicare.
• One business class, with only two students, is being shifted to online learning through Genesee Community College.
• The hockey booster club will help pay for ice time.
• The receptionist hours are being cut by 2.5 hours per week.

"It all adds up," Bianco said. "We’re just about to the number we need and we have increased participation in our annual fund from alumni because we have new strategies to do that. If we add students, compete, continue to be very responsive in how we navigate the operational side to the budget we should continue to meet cash flow for a long time."

He said he strategized with Mike Rapone and Tom Rapone on a plan that would "least affect kids, least affects families that work here, and least affects the excellent reputation of the school."

The reduction from the Diocese is a part of those made at Catholic schools and other Catholic institutions because of decreased revenue.

There may be other opportunities for savings, Bianco said. For example, the school is exploring a merger of the swimming program with another school.

"The public schools are doing that all the time," Bianco said. "So we're getting creative without losing opportunities for kids because we're a small school with big school opportunities. We offer 17 sports teams, a  great music and arts program, a fantastic theater program. We're doing that for $1.4 million. That's just $9,000 per student. It costs the public almost $21,000 per student (in public schools)."

Ernest A. Smith, 36, of Penway Street, Philadelphia, is charged with forgery, 2nd, and falsifying business records, 2nd. Smith was arrested at Darien Lake at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday on charges of trespass and false personation. He was transported to the Genesee County Jail where he allegedly provided a false identity of Calvin W. Smith III and forged that name on documents. He was jailed on $25,000 bail, $50,000 bond.

Russell Ray Miles Jr., 50, East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief. Miles is accused of intentionally breaking the front grill of a vehicle that was for sale on East Main Street, Batavia, at 4:54 p.m. June 21.

John A. Stoneham, 54, of Bethany Le Roy Road, Stafford, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to keep right. Stoneham was stopped at 10:03 p.m. Thursday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Sgt. Andrew Hale.

Stacy Lynn Parks, 38, of East Avenue, Hilton, is charged with DWI, felony DWI with a passenger less than 16, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and endangering the welfare of a child. Parks was stopped at 11:14 p.m. Wednesday on Route 20, Darien, by Deputy Erik Andre. Parks allegedly had a 1-year-old child in her car.

Press release and submitted photos:

Richmond Memorial Library has seen a lot of change in the past few months in the form of three new faces on its professional staff roster. Mike Boedicker, Jennifer Potter and Samantha Stryker have recently come on board after an outside promotion and an internal retirement incentive created three librarian vacancies.

They join Media Services Librarian Rita McCormack, and all look forward to working with and serving the community!

(Photo: Mike Boedicker, Nonfiction, IT, Webmaster and Genealogy librarian)

Mike Boedicker has his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from SUNY Oswego and attended the University at Buffalo for his Master of Library Science. He was raised in Binghamton and started his library career there as a page and clerk at the Broome County Public Library.

After earning his MLS, he worked as audiovisual librarian and then assistant director at the Danville Public Library in Illinois.

Mike shares that a desire to stay in public libraries brought him to Batavia.

“After 17 years in the Midwest, my wife and I moved back to NYS for her new job (she's director of the Parma Public Library outside Rochester)," he said. "I wanted to remain in public libraries and applied to RML.”

Boedicker has several goals as he begins here at RML. He wants to learn the ropes and discover more about the community by developing a community needs assessment. He hopes to help the library address the community’s changing needs. He’s also planning a website redesign and would like to offer more technology programming.

Since he began here, Boedicker has noticed that Batavians are active users of the library and a friendly, approachable, diverse group.

“This is a special library; I could feel that from my first visit," he said. "I want to help make sure the library remains a well-used resource in the community."

Why should people visit Richmond Memorial Library? "It's a cultural hub of the community, offering great collections and services, diverse programming, and a dedicated staff that cares."

(Photo: Jennifer Potter, Youth Services librarian)

Jennifer Potter comes to Batavia from the Niagara Falls Public Library and Niagara University. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Binghamton University and received her Master of Library Science Degree at the University at Buffalo.

She has always dreamed of being a Youth Services librarian! She finds Richmond Memorial to be active and inviting. Potter says her goals are “Reaching more children, parents, and caregivers so that they know what we offer at the library and understanding what the community wants in children's and teen programs and materials.”

In her short time here, Potter has found that even though Batavia is a city, it has a warm small-town feel to it. She wants the community to know that they can start clubs and meet here. For example: homeschoolers, at-home moms, or a teen robotics group. There are guidelines to use our meeting rooms, but people can use the library for many clubs and gatherings. 

Why should people visit Richmond Memorial Library? "To get free, reliable information and to relax and read in a comfortable environment away from life's pressures -- among other reasons."

(Photo: Samantha Stryker, Community and Adult Services librarian)

A lifelong resident of Genesee County, Samantha Stryker received her Master of Library Science from the University at Buffalo and a Bachelor of Arts in English from SUNY Fredonia. She has been working at the library part-time for several years and is excited to begin a full-time position here.

Most recently she worked for Cornell Cooperative Extension Genesee County and the Leadership Genesee program as an Executive Assistant.

“My past experiences helped me create a strong network in the community and learn what our challenges and opportunities are in Genesee County,” Stryker said, noting she has “big shoes to fill” (those of her predecessor Leslie DeLooze).

She hopes to use her knowledge of the community to bring new programs to the library and seek out more partnerships.

“It’s already been such a pleasure getting to know our patrons more," Stryker said. "We truly have a wonderful community in Genesee County. I always joke that we are a ‘small big town’ but it’s true -- in the sense that everyone seems to know everyone, but also that people are very friendly and truly want to do whatever possible to help our community succeed. We have a lot to be grateful for here.”  

Why should people visit Richmond Memorial Library? "Summer is a great time to visit the library! Come for the air conditioning and stay for the many resources and summer programs. We have an awesome youth services staff planning a full summer of activities and adults can participate in our Summer Reading BINGO challenge."

We had to ask: What are you all reading?

Mike: "Reporter" -- a memoir by investigative reporter Seymour M. Hersh.

Jennifer: I'm reading a funny book called "The Fakir who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe" by Romain Puertolas, Barbara Eherenreich's "Bright Sided" and a funny Young Adult book called "My Lady Jane."

Samantha: I’m reading Ruth Hogan’s "The Keeper of Lost Things" for adult book discussion in July (shameless plug) and I’m also reading "Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History" -- a nonfiction book by Tori Telfer.

A minor injury accident is reported at Oak Street and Park Road, Batavia.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Photo: Hannah Pierson (right), Culinary Arts student from Le Roy CS, accepts the Rochester American Culinary Federation Scholarship and Chef Russell Bugbee Memorial Award from Chef Tracy Burgio, Culinary Arts instructor at the Batavia CTE Center. 

Submitted photo and press release:

Batavia, New York, June 25 – The Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center recently celebrated the achievements of 309 seniors at an awards program earlier this month at Le Roy High School. During this ceremony, 25 scholarship awards were presented.

The scholarship winners, their programs and home schools are noted below.

Student of the Year (a.m.): Casey Shaw, Pembroke CSD, Health Dimensions

Student of the Year (p.m.): Zachary Boneberg, Le Roy CSD, Criminal Justice

Blakeslee Award: Christian Bradt, Oakfield-Alabama CSD, Building Trades

Donald Abramo Jr. Memorial Award: Vanessa Horseman, Batavia CSD, Metal Trades; Garrett Sando, Byron-Bergen CSD, Metal Trades

Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship: Matthew Kurowski, Attica CSD, Metal Trades

Master Manufacturing Scholarship: Matthew Kurowski, Attica CSD, Metal Trades

James P. Donnelly Memorial Award: Bradly Arnold, Oakfield-Alabama CSD, Building Trades; Cameron Brumsted, Byron-Bergen CSD, Building Trades

Paul Levin’s Memorial Award: Ethan Conrad, Notre Dame -- Batavia, Building Trades

Batavia Rod & Gun Club Memorial Scholarship: Brandon Lewis, Byron-Bergen CSD, Building Trades

Roy H. Turnbull Memorial Scholarship Award: Kyler Chambry, Byron-Bergen CSD, Building Trades

Ignatius J. Radesi Memorial Award: Benjamin Lathan, Byron-Bergen CSD, Building Trades

Pullinzi Family Scholarship: Christopher Decker, Attica CSD, Building Trades

Building Trades Alumni Award: Joseph Aguglia, Attica CSD, Building Trades

Homeowner Award: Chandler Bow, Byron-Bergen CSD, Building Trades

Jason H. Rowcliffe Memorial Scholarship: Timothy Herter, Attica CSD, Culinary Arts

Chef Russell Bugbee Memorial Award: Hannah Pierson, Le Roy CSD, Culinary Arts

Rochester American Culinary Federation Scholarship: Hannah Pierson, Le Roy CSD, Culinary Arts

Josh Mouery Memorial Award: Danny Pernesky, Le Roy CSD, Culinary Arts

B.J. Mancuso Memorial Award: Taylor Almeter, Attica CSD, Cosmetology

Batavia Rotary Club Memorial Fund Scholarship: Rachel Tebor, Pembroke CSD, Cosmetology

Dr. Charles Holowach Memorial Scholarship: Kim Davis, Pavilion CSD, Health Careers Academy; Paige Perry, Attica CSD, Health Careers Academy; Ethan Hutchins, Notre Dame Batavia, Health Careers Academy.

###

The Batavia Career and Technical Education Center is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State. 

Press release:

Individuals with disabilities in Genesee County who seek to hone their job-hunting skills are invited to attend the free series of CAREERS training classes, sponsored by Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR).

CAREERS stands for “Committed, Ambitious Reliable, Educated, Enthusiastic, Responsible, Successful.”

This series of classes teaches the necessary skills for securing employment. Location is 113 Main St. (at Center Street), Suite 5, in Batavia. They will be held on six Tuesday mornings, starting July 17^th.

Classes begin PROMPTLY at 10 a.m. and end at 11:30. The Agency stresses that attendance at all the workshops is vital to your success in the program.

Topics to be covered in the classes include résumé preparation; communication skills; online applications; interviewing; networking and more.  Participants will receive materials and skills to increase their chance of gaining employment.

Participants MUST pre-register to attend; to RSVP or get more information, please call Dominique Johnson at 815-8501, ext. 405, email him at djohnson@wnyil.org, or call Rae Frank, at ext. 406.

ILGR is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

(Submitted photo.)

Carmelina Pellegrino, an 8-year-old who lives in Batavia, has dedicated her time this summer making colorful rubber band bracelets to sell at Picnic at the Park this year, with all the proceeds being donated to Alzheimer’s Research.

A booth will be set up outside of their house at 150 State St., across from Centennial Park during Picnic at the Park on July 4th, with purple balloons and tablecloths, which is the color of Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness.

“Hopefully she can get some donations,” Angelina said.

Carmelina is going into fourth grade at John Kennedy Intermediate School in Batavia. Her older sister, Mikalina, 13, started making the bracelets a few years ago for the annual walk to end Alzheimer’s, sold the bracelets to family members, and the proceeds were donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Angelina said the family participates in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s every year in memory of family members who passed away from the disease.

“Mikalina got busy with school and Carmelina started making the bracelets not too long ago,” Angelina said.

Carmelina said she likes making the bracelets and it’s a nice idea for a good cause.

“She suggested that the day of Picnic in the Park, to set up a booth and sell the bracelets,” Angelina said.

As of Tuesday, Carmelina has made 108 bracelets, and hopes to make even more by next Wednesday.

“She is still going,” Angelina said.

Carmelina has made many types of bracelets, including bangle bracelets, and threaded bracelets with charms.

Angelina has been helping Carmelina with the bracelets.

“It’s something fun we can do together,” Angelina said. “We pop on some music or put on the TV and listen as were making them.”

Angelina is hoping people will learn about the bracelets and donate to the cause.

“It’s just an awful disease and we’re hoping one day that there will be a cure,” Angelina said. “That’s why we try to raise awareness. When you talk about cancer and heart disease, Alzheimer’s gets put on the back burner.”

The Batavia Concert Band will perform indoors this evening, show time, 7 p.m., due to rain, at Genesee Community College. The performance will be in the Stuart Steiner Theater.

By consensus, the Batavia City Council decided Monday to take up the issue of restoration of the stone pillars on the south end of Redfield Parkway, the intersection with Main Street, during the 2019 budget process.

The idea of moving forward sooner using leftover funds from Vibrant Batavia and an assessment on Redfield Parkway residents found no apparent council member support.

If the $60,000 project is part of the 2019 budget, it would likely be a capital expenditure. 

"It makes the most sense to me, putting it before the normal budget process," said Councilman Adam Tabelski.

Councilman John Canale said he can't believe how much time the City Council is spending on the issue.

"It’s a housekeeping issue," Canale said.

He said the pillars are city owned and the city should take care of them, just like the city takes care of Lambert Park in his neighborhood. He called the idea of assessing Redfield Parkway residents "absolutely ridiculous."

"I and all my neighbors enjoy that park a lot more than any other resident in the City of Batavia," Canale said. "If something is done at Lambert Park, you certainly wouldn’t get a dollar out of me in an assessment to do something at Lambert Park.

Councilman Bob Bialkowski warned against dragging the issue on any longer, saying it tears at the fabric of the community. He compared it to the comparisons between the Northside and the Southside when he was growing up, when it seemed like the Northside had all the paved streets, curbs and sidewalks.

"We are a single community and I think we have to move forward with this as a community," Bialkowski said. "We take care of each other. I would like to see some sort of commitment that moves us forward so we don’t have the same discussion six months down the road."

Council President Eugene Jankowski instructed Interim City Manager Matt Worth to make sure it's a priority item to discuss for the 2019 budget.

The police department's pitch for a military-surplus armored personnel carrier got a favorable hearing from the Batavia City Council on Monday evening during a conference meeting.

The council will be asked to approve an application from the city for such a vehicle, an MRAP (Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected), through the military's program for releasing decommissioned equipment to civilian law enforcement.

Chief Police Shawn Heubusch opened the meeting by providing background on the Emergency Response Team and explaining how such a vehicle might be used in the county.

The ERT was formed as a city-only unit in 1997. County deputies joined the unit in 2007.

The purpose of the ERT is to respond to situations that are beyond the capability of routine patrols, such as high-risk warrants and arrests, barricaded subjects and hostage situations.

Currently, the transport vehicle for ERT is a 2010 Ford Cube Fan. It is not four-wheel drive, is not a rescue vehicle, and offers no ballistic protection.

On Dec. 1, 2016 when Kyle Johnson killed a neighbor on Selden Road, set his own house on fire, and then fired on responding emergency personnel, one factor in bringing the situation to a peaceful conclusion was a Monore County officer happened to hear the police traffic on his emergency radio that morning and took matters into his own hands to muster his county's SWAT team and their two armored vehicles to assist.

It was one of those vehicles that were able to get close enough to Johnson, as he paced near his smoldering home with a long rifle in his hands, Heubusch said, that enabled the negotiations that led to his eventual surrender.

Sgt. Chris Camp is the current ERT commander, responsible for all of the administration and training of the unit, and he researched the options for an armored vehicle.

He spec'd out a Lenco Bearcat, which is a purpose-made armored rescue vehicle for law enforcement. The base price for a new one is $195,000. Camp added in options he thought were needed for our climate and terrain and that brought the price up to $255,000.

He then researched the option of the city acquiring a surplus MRAP. The military gives away these $650,000 vehicles to law enforcement agencies once they've been decommissioned. Livingstone, Saratoga and Warren counties in New York have all received one.

Most likely, a decommissioned vehicle will come available in California, which was the case for Livingston and Saratoga, making the transportation cost about $7,000 (Warran was lucky and retrieved its vehicle from Ft. Drum).

Outfitting the vehicle for law enforcement would cost from $7,000 to $12,000.

There may also be repairs necessary -- some of these vehicles have been sitting for awhile and need new batteries and tires. Livingston had to replace the fuel system on its MRAP.

Fortunately, the chassis and engines are International, just like the city's current dump trucks, so local vehicle maintenance can handle them, but there's also a former military MRAP mechanic working for Livingston County.

The vehicle would need to be stored, by government regulation, in a secure location. That would mean it couldn't be parked behind the police station, as the current transportation van is, so it would be stored at the city's vehicle maintence yard or at the Sheriff's Office, at least until, and if, Batavia PD gets a new headquarters.

County legislators Gary Maha and Marianne Clattenburg, along with Sheriff Bill Sheron, where in the audience for the presentation.

Heubusch indicated he expects the County to split the costs of the MRAP but the Legislature would need to approve the expense.

The city has in its asset forfeiture fund a little more than $10,000. That money can only be used for law enforcement purposes and Heubusch said he would anticipate using that money for the MRAP if one were awarded to the city.