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Town of Batavia Fire Department held its annual awards banquet and installation of officers at Terry Hills on Saturday night. 

Bryan Moscicki was named Firefighter of the Year (top photo).

Tim Yaeger, a past chief and current board member, received the President's Award.

Jim Bouton responded to the most calls in 2019: 284.

Paul Barrett, a past chief, received his 35-year pin.

Joseph DeMarco, cofounder of Wings Flights of Hope, was on hand to accept a $1,000 donation from the department.

The 2020 Line Officers: Daniel Coffey, chief; James Bouton, deputy chief; Thomas Garlock, first assistant chief; Christopher Strathearn, second assistant chief; Conor Wilkes, captain; Russell Borden, lieutenant; Paul Barrett, safety officer.

Corporate Officers for 2020: Scott Garlock, president; Ian Sanfratello, vice president; Steve Coburn, secretary; Donal Koziol, treasurer; and directors -- Timothy Yaeger, Robert Tripp, Paul Barrett, Gary Giegelman and Daniel Jacques.

 

 

Second video, Town of Batavia fire's 2019 in Review, produced by Clayton Gorski.

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In girls' basketball on Saturday afternoon, the Batavia Blue Devils beat South Seneca 51-27.

Brynn Wormley scored 23 points for Batavia, hitting five three-pointers. Emma Krolczyk scored 12. Mackenzie Riegle scored 10.

Greg Houseknecht wrote a song to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant after the Lakers' star, along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people died in a helicopter crash in Southern California.

On April 19, 1862 a local paper reported “Grave Robbed in Batavia -- Great Excitement.” The story begins on Feb. 20^th of that year when 20-year-old Mary Buchanan was buried in the village cemetery, having died from what is believed to been consumption (tuberculosis, or "TB").

Young Mary’s mother is reported to have had dreamt on three occasions that her daughter had been exhumed from her eternal rest. To calm her anxiety, she visited her daughter's grave to discover that her dreams were true; the grave was empty.

“The body had been taken, and from the state of the clothes in the coffin it was evident that they had been torn off of the body by sacrilegious hands.”

Sheriff's deputies arrived and evidence was soon discovered pointing, as many believed, to a medical student named Forrest Page; parts of the remains of Mary Buchanan were discovered at a location where he resided.

Page was arrested by Deputy Hull and held on substantial bail.

It was in all actuality John Harding Page from the Town of Elba who was held to account.

The charge as taken from the court records of June 23, 1862 said: [paraphrased]

“John H. Page of the Town of Elba on the Twenty Fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty two…with force and arms did enter the public burying ground…did enter the grave there of Mary Buchanan and with force and arms unlawfully, willfully and indecently did dig, open and carry the body of Mary Buchanan from the grave for the purpose of dissection.”

He was indicted and admitted to being a medical student studying under a Dr. Root, of Batavia, and later coroner.

His trial was held in Genesee County beginning in the summer of 1862.

Page’s counsel, William Bryan, said that if his client was ever in the possession of any body unlawfully it was for aiding in his medical education.

Soon after the indictment was handed down “the Surgeon General in Washington, being in great need of medical assistances in U.S. hospitals because of the Civil War, interviewed Page for a Medical Cadet [but he was found in eligible]. He did however receive an appointment as an assistant surgeon with the U.S. Volunteers and was assigned to Ft. Scott in Kansas, Department of the Borders; this was in January of 1864.

The bail I believe was $1,000, approximately $25,000 in 2020 money. It appears, and I’ve not been able to completely prove, that he may have "jumped" bail and gone west with the Army. I found no disposition of the case.

Page -- whom some dubbed "Digging Doctor Page" aka "The Body Snatcher" -- died circa 1920.

Ones Forrest Page spent considerable time and effort during his lifetime trying to restore his notorious brother's reputation.

• Here is a link to a letter written by then Genesee County Coroner Dr. John Root to the Batavia Times verifying that John Harding Page was a medical student of his.
• Here is a link to a letter by Dr. John Root vouching for the abilities and qualifications of John Harding Page to serve as a surgeon.
• Here is a link to a letter from Dr. John Root to the Surgeon General asking to appoint John Harding Page to the Medical Corps. This was at or about the time Page's trial was going on. Page was subsequently rejected.
• Here is a link to a friendly, supportive letter to John Harding Page written Aug. 11, 1862 by Dr. John Root, explaining the situation back here in Batavia. At this point Page was, or appears to be, in Kansas.
• Here is a link to a four-page letter written to John Harding Page from his brother, Forrest Page; it shows the brother petitioned the Lieutenant Govenor for John Harding Page to be a Medical Cadet.

(Historical photos courtesy of Rochelle Wyatt, who is married to Dr. Page's grandson​.)

Press release:

There will be a Sixth Ward meeting held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4^th in the Council Board Room on the second floor of City Hall.

Council Member Rose Mary Christian would like to discuss progress of the Crime Task Force and opportunities to organize a neighborhood group to design and improve residents' safety.   

Martin D. Moore, Ph.D., City Manager

Top photo, Charles Nielans gives the life-saving gift of blood this morning at Notre Dame.

By noon today, 50 blood donors had participated in the 12th annual Matthew Kota Memorial Blood Drive at Notre Dame High School in Batavia.

The event runs until 2 p.m. and includes a bake sale and donation opportunity for the Matthew Kota Scholarship Fund for students at Notre Dame High School and Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School.

Jason and Nancy Kota along with their children Sean, Sara and Tyler are the hosts. The family lost their son and brother Matthew in 2008 at the age of 17 due to complications from brain surgery.

At this point, the Kota family has now collected 675 units -- and counting -- in their 12 years of hosting the blood drive.

Major League Baseball officials are apparently spreading false information about the Batavia Muckdogs as part of a negotiating tactic to destroy professional baseball in 42 communities, including Batavia.

Daniel Halem, MLB's deputy commissioner, said in a letter to a Minor League Baseball official that the Muckdogs have been sold and are being relocated to another city.

That is not true, City Manager Marty Moore said. Moore has spoken both with the Muckdogs general manager and Ben Hayes, president of the New York Penn League. The league owns the team.

Moore said city officials and club officials are excited about the upcoming 2020 season after the team's most successful season in many, many years in 2019 when attendance averaged 1,165 per game, up from 785 the previous season.

In Halem's letter to MiLB's Pat O’Conner, he wrote:

The recent information we learned about the Batavia affiliate not only proves this point but, frankly, calls into questions whether MiLB is truly pursuing a strategy in the “best interests of our 160 community partners.” Batavia is a failing affiliate, with both facility and economic issues, that was put into receivership by the NY Penn League (which essentially owns and operates the team). New York State officials requested that MLB officials meet with Batavia community officials to discuss how to preserve baseball in Batavia. After we set up the meeting, we learned for the first time from multiple sources (but not MiLB) that the NY Penn League sold Batavia — presumably for millions of dollars — to an owner who intends to move the team to another city. While this transaction certainly benefits the NY Penn League owners who may split millions in proceeds by selling an asset with no intrinsic value, we fail to see how it is in the “best interests” of the citizens of Batavia or MLB owners, whose minor league players endure unreasonable travel burdens because MiLB permits its affiliates to hopscotch around the country for purely economic reasons.

Moore said at no point have MLB officials contacted him or anybody else in the City of Batavia.  

Contrary to Halem's letter, if the team is ever sold, its "intrinsic value" would be split between the NYPL, the Rochester Red Wings (who operated the team for 10 years in exchange for equity in the club), and the Genesee Community Baseball Club, a community organization that would return its share of the proceeds to the community.

        Daniel Lewis

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office this morning announced additional charges against a man who was released from custody in early December because of the new cashless bail system and since at least Jan. 1 has allegedly been involved in a crime spree in Batavia.

The new charges against 24-year-old Daniel Jon Lewis include eight counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, 13 counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th, and unlawful possession of a personal identification number.

Deputies Jordan Alejandro and James Stack arrested Lewis this morning as the result of an investigation of an incident reported at 11:53 p.m., Jan. 24. On that date, Lewis was taken into custody following a foot pursuit in the Haven Lane area of the Town of Batavia and deputies received a report of a man trying to gain entry into vehicles in the area of Rollin Circle East.

When Lewis was taken into custody, he was allegedly found in possession of a number of items believed to have stolen from parked vehicles, including credit cards and a checking account number.

At the time of his arrest this morning, Lewis was being held in the Genesee County Jail on a robbery charge. Lewis is accused of using a knife to menace and take property from a person on Bank Street on New Year's Day. Lewis was charged two days ago with the robbery following an investigation. Under the bail reform law, robbery is a qualifying offense for bail, so unlike the other alleged crimes of January, authorities were able to hold Lewis.

The night before the alleged Jan. 24 incident, Lewis was charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing a vehicle on Jan. 3 in the Town of Batavia. On that charge, Lewis was released on an appearance ticket.

On Jan. 25, a person stole a Spectrum work truck and following a pursuit on Oak Street, managed to evade capture. Chief Shawn Heubusch said Lewis is a person of interest in that incident.

On Dec. 6, Lewis entered a guilty plea to criminal possession of stolen property. The charge stemmed from his arrest in Pavilion earlier in 2019 where he and another person were found sleeping in a vehicle that contained a cache of stolen property, apparently taken from unlocked vehicles. He has not yet been sentenced on that charge but because of the bail reform law, Judge Charles Zambito released Lewis from custody pending his sentencing.

Todd Crossett spent 22 years with the Batavia Police Department, most recently as assistant Chief of Police. He's retiring and taking a job at the VA Center. We spoke with him briefly at his retirement party today.

Local Democrats were pleased, elated, really, with the turnout Thursday night at Moon Java for a Meet the Candidates event.

Nate McMurray, running for the NY-27 in the anticipated April 29 special election, and three candidates vying for the nomination for the 61st State Senate District in the June Democratic primary were on hand for the event.

Moon Java was filled to capacity to hear from the candidates.

Micheal Plitt, chairman of the Genesee County Democratic Committee, said local Democrats have a record number of volunteers signed up for this campaign season.

"I think the blue wave will continue," Plitt said.

Police are in pursuit of a vehicle on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, heading into the City.

The vehicle left the roadway in the area of Terry Hills. Several mailboxes were knocked down, according to the dispatcher.

An officer reported that it stopped near East Main but then it apparently took off again.

UPDATE 6:46 p.m.: An officer reports the driver is passed out behind the wheel at Clinton Street Road and Terry Hills Drive. Mercy EMS is dispatched for a possible overdose.

       Daniel Lewis

Daniel Jon Lewis got his get-out-of-jail-free card on Dec. 6 after pleading guilty to criminal possession of stolen property.

Judge Charles Zambito reasoned that Lewis would be eligible for release Jan. 1 under terms of New York's bail reform law and that Lewis apparently could live with his father in North Chili while awaiting sentencing on his felony conviction, that Lewis should be released from custody that day.

Today, Lewis was arrested on a charge of robbery in the first degree and menacing for allegedly using a knife to steal property from a person on Bank Street, Batavia, on New Year's Day.

Lewis was arrested Jan. 23 and charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing a vehicle Jan. 3 in the Town of Batavia.  

Following that arrest, he was released on appearance ticket in accordance with New York's new law.

Chief of Police Shawn Heubusch confirmed this evening that Lewis is also a person of interest in the theft of a Spectrum work truck. The suspect in that case fled after being spotted in the truck.

When Lewis was arrested Jan. 23, his listed address was on Genesee Street in Lima. In the arrest announced today, he is listed as having "no permanent address."

He is currently being held in the Genesee County Jail on the robbery charge. Robbery is a qualifying offense, under the new state rules, for bail.

The Jan. 1 robbery was investigated by Officer Stephen Cronmiller and Det. Jason Ivison.

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The Attica/Batavia Varsity Wrestling Team defeated Canandaigua last evening 43-36 on Senior Night at Batavia High School.

Attica/Batavia jumped ahead 29-0 to start the evening. Canandaigua battled back later to take the lead by one point 36-35. Batavia closed the gap on a win at the end by Gabe Yonkin (pictured above). The team lost a point in the 99-point class by a strap down on the mat.

Individual wins were, pins by Wyatt and Travis Kauffman, Zeshan Armstrong, Josh Barber and Gabe Yonkin. 

Casper Stewart received a forfeit at 113 pounds. Owen Strzelec won by decision. Overall it was a very tough match. 

To view or purchase photos click here.

     Denzell Johnson      Shafatiah Miller

Two Monroe County residents who fled from police after an attempted traffic stop Thursday night, who are now facing multiple felonies, including a weapons charge, were released on an appearance ticket per New York's bail reform law shortly after they were apprehended.

Denzell A. Johnson, 27, of Orange Street, Rochester, and Shafatiah H. Miller, 26, of Lake Avenue, Rochester, were reportedly in a vehicle on Ellicott Street when Deputy Ryan DeLong and Investigator Pete Welker, working as part of a coordinated enforcement detail, tried to initiate a traffic stop for an alleged traffic violation at 8:16 p.m.

The vehicle reportedly turned south onto Otis Street in an attempt to evade police and drove through a yard in the area of 255 S. Swan St. where the occupants jumped from the moving vehicle and ran. The suspects ran in different directions and officers engaged in a foot chase, with one of the suspects running across Jackson School property. Both suspects were located and taken into custody. The vehicle came to rest without incident.

Johnson allegedly had a handgun and a quantity of a controlled substance on him at the time of his capture.

He is charged with:

• Criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, a Class E felony;
• Criminal possession of a firearm, a Class E felony;
• Obstruction of governmental administration 2nd;
• Unlawful fleeing a police officer;
• Two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th;
• Displaying a forged certification of inspection;
• Inadequate lights;
• Unlicensed operation;
• Two counts of failure to stop at a stop sign; and,
• Insufficient turn signal.

Miller is charged with:

• Criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, a Class B felony;
• Two counts of promoting prison contraband, 1st, a Class D felony;
• Promoting prison contraband, 2nd; and
• Unlawful possession of marijuana, 2nd.

Both suspects are expected in City Court at 1 p.m., Feb. 18.

Additional charges are pending further investigation.

Participating in the coordinated enforcement effort on Thursday were the Local Drug Task Force, Sheriff's Office, Batavia PD, Le Roy PD, the Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Probation, NYS Parole.

Patrick Mandia grew up in a family of restaurateurs -- the Pok-A-Dot, Sunny's, the Red Carpet, Pontillo's -- and after 15 years of working as a DJ at the former Billy Goat's he thought it might be time for him to own his own tavern.

At first, his wife, Carrie Mandia, thought it a rather risky idea. But as they talked, she realized she trusted her husband and trusted her own business background.

"You only live once," she said.

The couple has completely revamped the former Billy Goat's location and turned it into a county-themed bar, Copperhead Creek.