batavia

Ask Vianiliz Vee Echevarria Rivera what surprised her most about opening her own culinary business, and her answer is not about the long hours, tough customers or hard work.

It’s much more humble.

“Not expecting to be sold out four days in a row,” she said Monday after her debut opening week of Linda Borinqueña. “We were giving out little samples, and people were falling in love with our food. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We’re taking it day by day.”

The Puerto Rican takeout restaurant had some delays due to typical project snags and is now fully up and running, with a five-day weekly schedule. 

She’s hopeful about offering hours that go until 7 p.m., and that she, her mom Elizabeth and brother Adrian are working diligently to prep enough food to last them each of Tuesday through Saturday for local patrons’ obvious appetites.

Her take-out restaurant, under the roof of The Crapshoot Kitchen & Commissary, owned by Rob Credi, will begin with white rice, two types of yellow rice, roasted pork and roasted chicken, empanadas, beans and a dessert of vanilla flan, an egg custard with a caramel glaze. 

“A lot of people were not expecting it to be such a flavorful food,” she said. “Everybody’s liking everything. We want to make sure that what we have is something they enjoy. We’re making the flan every morning, so it’s very fresh.”

She took two weeks off from her regular job to make sure the restaurant took off smoothly and plans to work in the early morning and after work once she returns, she said. 

Her mom enjoys the challenge so far, though “you go through so many emotions,” Vee said. 

“She’s trying to make it as fast as she can,” Vee said. “I feel we’re giving good portions too. This is our first week, so we’ll see where it leads.”

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. To view the menu and order, go HERE or call (716) 220-2880.

Entrepreneur and cooking enthusiast Rob Credi got involved in the ramen business as a hobby with his wife Karie, as they would each create different varieties of ramen for dinner. 

And then the prospect of The Crapshoot Kitchen & Commissary came to life, and Credi began to envision some space for his very own culinary dream come true, he said. 

And Xavmen Ramen was born.

“It's kind of like a fun concept that's new for Batavia. And it's not traditional ramen, which might scare people. It's more Americanized, like Thai with peanuts is probably going to be the more traditional one. The other ones are mimicked after, like a Big Mac. We have a garbage plate style, one of my favorites of these is the everything bagel. It's incredible,” he said. There’s the Tabouleh, a Middle Eastern salad. And a play off of Buffalo chicken, oh, fun things that people are familiar with around here.”

The Thai ramen has a Thai peanut sauce that “packs a little heat” and is garnished with chopped peanuts and green onion, whereas the tabouleh is a parsley salad of lemon juice, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, diced tomatoes, and green onion served cold. 

There’s a Buffalo ramen with a buttery hot sauce with baked chicken, crumbly blue cheese and diced celery, and several other versions to choose from.

The storage-turned-culinary space has taken quite a turn since, as Credi puts it: “it wasn’t retail friendly. It wasn’t really human-friendly, to say the least.”

“So just to get everything cleaned up and kosher with the health department in the city, you know, codes and all that was an undertaking, so I think we started just over a year ago this March of 2022,” he said. “The process, obviously, took much longer than I thought it would take to do, but we've reached it here and so far so good. They've been doing great. Linda Borinqueña has been doing great, they sold out the past two nights since they opened. Windy Brew is cranking now that they have their full menu and they use our kitchen. Of course, they are all doing good things. Hopefully, people appreciate it. 

"We all think it's a great idea," he said. "It's just a matter of, you know, will the general public agree with our vision.”

Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. 

To view the menu or place an order, go to https://www.xavmen.com

Windy Brew opened its second location — it's first in Batavia — in August and has now added several varieties of pizza to its menu, such as a supremely loaded with cheese, pepperoni, bacon, onion, peppers and black olives. 

Patrons may order whole pizzas to go or to eat on-site. They also offer quesadillas, nachos, pretzels and other appetizers, plus many craft beers.

Hours are 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. 

For more information, go to https://windybrews.com

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. This month's topic the infamous gangster Al Capone. The event will be held at GO ART! at 201 E. Main St. in Batavia. Their Tavern 2.0 will also be open for anyone interested in a beverage. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its concert series on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. The museum welcomes local rock duo Strummerz, you may also know them as No Blarney!, as they play all your favorite classic rock hits. Admission is $5 or $4 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend. “This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”

Join us for the next edition of our Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. Our Curator Tyler Angora will be sharing his presentation to go along with the end of our Historic Batavia Cemetery exhibit, "Victorian Era Mourning." From Black dresses to black veils which made women sick, mourning has become a fascination of the past. Admission is free and coffee and donuts will be served. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. The museum welcomes Amy Truesdell, writer and consultant from Maine, who has fulfilled a lifelong goal to bring the over 100 letters of her great-great-grandfather to light of his time in the Civil War. Rollin Truesdell enlisted in the Union Army at Binghamton as part of the 27th NY Volunteers and fought in many pivotal battles, writing letters documenting his time in the Civil War. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

“This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”

Akeem R. Gibson is indicted on counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree, a Class D felony, fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, a Class A misdemeanor, speeding, a traffic infraction, criminal trespass in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor, and obstructing governmental administration, a Class A misdemeanor. Gibson is accused of driving a vehicle into oncoming traffic on July 30 on Walkers Corners Road, Town of Byron, showing depraved indifference to human left, creating a grave risk of death to another person. He is accused of fleeing a patrol car at speeds that exceeded 25 mph over the posted speed limit. He is accused of entering an apartment at 335 Bank St., Batavia, and remaining unlawfully in the dwelling. He is accused of trying to prevent a police officer from lawfully placing him under arrest. 

Nahzaire N. Murray and Dezirae J. Martin are indicted on counts of grand larceny in the third degree, a Class D felony and of conspiracy in the fifth degree. Murray and Martin are accused of working together is steal property from Ulta Beauty in Batavia that was valued at more than $3,000.

Cody A. Bush is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony and menacing in the second degree. Bush is accused of using a knife to cause another person to be in reasonable fear of serious physical injury or death on April 22 in the City of Batavia. 

Brianna N. Greene is indicted on a count of grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony. Greene is accused of stealing property from Dick's Sporting Goods on Jan. 8 that was valued in excess of $1,000. In a separate indictment, Greene is also charged with one count of bail jumping in the second degree for alleged failure to appear in Town of Batavia Court on Dec. 20 on a felony charge.

Jamie L. Broadbent is indicted on five counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony, and one count of petit larceny,  a Class A misdemeanor. Broadbent is accused of stealing a wallet containing five credit cards that were issued in the name of another person.

Russell R. Lawrence is indicted on counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a Class E felony, reckless endangerment in the first degree, a Class D felony, and unlawful fleeting from police,  a Class A misdemeanor. Lawrence is accused of possessing a stolen 2005 Chevrolet Silverado with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of the property on June 3, and of demonstrating depraved indifference to human life by recklessly driving a motor vehicle through an intersection in Le Roy, nearly colliding with another vehicle that was lawfully in the intersection, and of fleeing a patrol vehicle at speeds that exceeded by the speed limit by at least 25 mph.

Christopher S. Usselman is indicted on counts of criminal mischief in the third degree, a Class E felony and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor.  Usselman is accused of intentionally damaging a table worth more than $250 that belonged to another person on April 18 and while at the Genesee County Jail on April 18 of trying to prevent government officials from performing their duties.

Robert D. Griffen is indicted on counts of DWI, a Class E felony and criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Griffen is accused of driving drunk in a 2006 Ford on Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, on July 19, and of intentionally damaging a wall in an interview room at the Batavia Police Department headquarters.

Caroline R. Salemi, 87, of Ellicott Avenue, and Timothy A. Burch, 61, of Ellicott Avenue, are charged with unlawful eviction and petit larceny. Salemi and Burch are accused of removing a tenant's property from an apartment and moving in another tenant without properly evicting the tenant. They also allegedly disposed of some of the tenant's property. 

Warren Thomas Cotton, 46, no permanent address, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Cotton was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine after deputies and troopers located a disabled vehicle on Route 33 in Stafford at 10:31 on Sept. 24. Cotton was a passenger in the vehicle and was allegedly found to have a warrant for his arrest. He was held in the Genesee County Jail pending arraignment.

Marcelis Arroyo, no age or residence provided, and Eliezer Morales, no age or residence provided, are both charged with petit larceny. Arroyo and Morales are accused of stealing something at Darien Lake Theme Park on Sept. 23.  Both were issued appearance tickets.

Tony Robert Graber, 44, of East Avenue, Marilla, is charged with burglary 2nd and criminal contempt 1st. Graber is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection at 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 6. He was ordered held without bail.

Joel D. Prouty, 37, of Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Prouty is accused of contacting a person in violation of a stay-away order of protection via phone calls while in the Genesee County Jail. Prouty was arraigned in City Court and returned to the jail.

Gregory Gatson, Jr., 33, of Magee Avenue, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding.  Gatson was stopped at 12:55 a.m. on Sept. 30 on Route 33 in Stafford by Deputy Ryan Mullen. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Johnny Burton Koonce, 33, of Conlon Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Koonce is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection at 2:38 a.m. on Oct. 3 at a location on Conlon Road, Le Roy. He was helped pending arraignment.

Joseph Frank Kosnik, 54, of Maple Road, Corfu, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle 3rd. Kosnik is accused of operating a truck without the owner's permission at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 on Treadeasy Drive in Batavia. He was ordered to appear in court at a later date.

Jason M. Knobloch, 53, of Pembroke, is charged with DWI/alcohol or drugs. Knobloch was stopped by State Police in the Town of Pembroke at 11:14 p.m. on Oct. 3. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Ronald T. Bliss, 45, of Cheektowaga, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Bliss was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 10:51 p.m. on Oct. 2 in the Town of Pavilion. he was issued an appearance ticket. The State Police withheld further information about the case.

A suspect who fled from a Batavia police patrol attempting to make a traffic stop at Ellicott Street and Liberty Street was not located following an early Sunday morning search in the area of Washington Avenue and Summit Street.

At 12:25 a.m., an officer observed a Ford Edge that was facing south in the northbound lane, according to Det. Eric Hill, in his role as public information officer for Batavia PD. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, it ran a red light and sped away.

There was a short pursuit when the driver apparently lost control trying to negotiate a turn from East Main Street onto Summit Street, stopping in the driveway of 5 Summit St. 

The suspect exited the vehicle and fled on foot, running north through backyards, and was last seen by an officer heading west on Washington Avenue in the area of 221 Washington Ave.

The suspect was described as black, approximately 30 years old, wearing a plaid jacket.

A perimeter was established with patrols stationed at Washington and Summit, Bank and Washington, Bank and North, and North and Summit.  A K-9 was deployed for the search.

At 2:18 a.m., the search was halted without officers locating the suspect.

Hill said the vehicle is valid and has not been reported stolen.

Anyone with information or in the area of the perimeter is asked to check their cameras and contact Batavia PD at 585-345-6350. 

(Initial Report)

UPDATE: The Sheriff's Office reports that it has identified the person in the photo.  No further information was released.

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is looking to identify a person of interest in a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident that occurred on Oct. 4 at around 6:20 p.m. in the parking lot of Batavia Downs and Gaming. 

The operator of the vehicle was driving a dark-colored pickup truck.

Any information can be forwarded to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office attention Deputy Jenna Ferrando at jenna.ferrando@co.genesee.ny.us or by contacting the non-emergency dispatch line at (585) 343-5000

Press Release:

A sewer force main will be installed starting next Tuesday, Oct. 10 with work lasting for approximately two weeks. 

The sewer will cross River Street just north of South Main and will run south on River Street along the eastern sidewalk and grass area where it will connect to an existing sewer on South Main Street at the River Street intersection. 

The road will be open-cut and plated until the work is complete, then the asphalt will be patched, and the sidewalks restored. Work will take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. during weekdays.

All efforts will be made to maintain access to and from the properties. Properties and drivers will experience delays during the road crossing and the road restoration work. The sidewalk along the east side of River Street will be closed.

Motorists will experience changing traffic patterns to include temporary one-way movements, temporary stoppages, and flagging operations as the work progresses. 

All efforts will be made to get motorists to and from their destination with minimum delay. The work is weather dependent and poor weather could extend the timeframe.

Press Release:

Every year the City of Batavia Fire Department spreads the word in town, and throughout our schools and community about fire prevention. 

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871. This horrific fire killed more than 250 people and destroyed more than 17,400 structures leaving more than 100,000 people homeless.

This year the City of Batavia Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — The official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Cooking Safety Starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention” as the theme for Fire Prevention Week™, Oct. 8-14. 

This year’s focus on cooking safety works to educate the public about simple but important steps they can take to help reduce the risk of fire when cooking at home, keeping themselves and those around them safe.
Did you know that cooking fires are the leading cause of home fire and home fire injuries?

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of a home fire, with nearly half (49 percent) of all home fires involving cooking equipment, cooking is also the leading cause of home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires and related deaths.

These numbers tell us that more public awareness is needed around when and where cooking hazards exist, along with ways to prevent them. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign “Cooking Safety Starts with You! Pay attention to fire prevention”, the City of Batavia Fire Department will work to promote tips, guidelines, and recommendations that can help significantly reduce the risk of having a cooking fire.

The City of Batavia Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“Cooking Safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention”.

The City of Batavia Fire Department wants to share the following cooking safety messages that support this year’s theme.

• Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. For foods with longer cooking times, such as those simmering or baking, set a timer to help monitor them carefully.
• Clear the cooking area of combustible items and keep anything that can burn, such as dish towels, oven mitts, food packaging, and paper towels away from the cooking area.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• Create a “kid and pet-free zone” of at least three feet around the cooking area and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

As the biggest annual campaign at NFPA, Fire Prevention Week works to educate people about the leading risks to home fires and ways they can better protect themselves and their loved ones. Local fire departments play a key role in bringing Fire Prevention Week to life in their communities each year and spreading basic but critical fire safety messages.

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, its 100th anniversary, and this year’s theme, “Cooking Safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention.” visit www.nfpa.org/fpw.

The City of Batavia Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week; including stops at Batavia schools, housing units, and the library.

Now in their 12th year, the Batavia Bulldawgs’ “family ties” are as strong as ever.

The youth football and cheerleading program has grown substantially since its start in 2011 thanks to a one-for-all and all-for-one philosophy that values each and every member of the organization, said Commissioner John Reigle on Saturday afternoon as he watched his players take on Tri-Town and Akron at the new Genesee Community College field.

“What makes the Bulldawgs truly special is the athletes, volunteer board members, coaches and families that take part in it,” said Reigle, who is one of the founding fathers of the program (along with Matt Della Penna, Paul Grazioplene, Tyrone Woods and Ken Proefrock). “I play a small part in this wonderful organization, and it’s been an honor.”

The Bulldawgs are comprised of four teams – Beginners (ages 6-7), Mini (ages 8-9), Jayvee (ages 10-11) and Varsity (ages 12-13) – with 25-35 players on each squad. They are supported by the cheerleading squads, which currently list 72 girls.

“We’ve come a long way,” Reigle said. “The first year, we had 52 players, and we didn’t start the cheerleading until the second year.”

Reigle mentioned that he coached his oldest son, Bryce, during that initial season. Bryce continued through every level and now is one of the Bulldawgs’ assistant coaches.

“Right now, we have two junior coaches who came through the program – Bronx Buchholz and Karvel Martino – and are standout players for the Batavia High varsity team,” Reigle said.

The Bulldawgs aren’t officially affiliated with the Batavia City School District (of which Reigle is a Board of Education member), but they have forged a tight relationship over the years.

“We definitely see ourselves as a feeder system for Batavia High football,” he said. “(Former) Coach (Brennan) Briggs promoted it that way, and Coach (Alex) Veltz has continued that. He sees us as one big family – the Bulldawgs and the Blue Devils. Our goal is to have the kids with us for eight years and then see them move into the school football program.”

Reigle said Veltz conducted coaching seminars for the Bulldawgs, and the Mini division team enjoyed a Blue Devil Experience Night where they took on the pad-less BHS varsity squad in a fun-filled exhibition game.

The head coaches are Scott Perry (Beginners). Gary Good (Mini), Reigle (Jayvee) and Matt Beach (Varsity). Kate Smith is the cheerleader director.

The Bulldawgs compete in the Niagara Orleans Football Association, which also includes Tri-Town, an Alexander-based organization with a rich history in its own right; Akron, Attica, Albion, Newfane, Roy-Hart, Pembroke, Le Roy and Holley.

The players and cheerleaders’ membership dues enable them to participate over nine weeks, with each member receiving uniforms and equipment.

Reigle said playoffs are scheduled for Oct. 21 at Van Detta Stadium for the Mini, Jayvee and Varsity divisions, and the championship round is set for Oct. 28, also at Van Detta Stadium, for all divisions. The cheerleading “playoffs” will take place on Nov. 4 in Lyndonville.

Later in November, each Bulldawg team is treated to a season-ending party at the Polish Falcons on Swan Street in Batavia, Reigle noted.

“Every participant receives a plaque at their banquet,” Reigle said. “It’s our way of letting them know that ‘once a Bulldawg, always a Bulldawg.’”

For the record, all four Bulldawg squads were victorious on Saturday. The Beginners beat Tri-Town, 26-7; the Minis defeated Tri-Town, 20-13; the Jayvees blanked Tri-Town, 32-0, and the Varsity downed Akron, 26-0.

The Batavia Blue Devils and Le Roy Oatkan Knights capped Soccer Saturday with a Girls Soccer game that ended with a 3-2 OT win for Batavia.

The boys lost their OT game to Wilson/Early College 3-2.

"It was a wonderful night for our boys and girls senior soccer players," said Roger Hume, head coach for Batavia. "Le Roy didn’t make it an easy win."

In the nightcap, Batavia started the scoring early in the first half with a breakaway run and finish by Ella Shamp, with an assist from Jaimin MacDonals.  

Le Roy scored the next two goals, leaving it senior Ella Radley to tie up the game with two minutes left.  

Batavia came out strong in OT, and senior Anna Varland finished the game with a goal five minutes into the first OT.  

"Batavia did a fantastic job coming back from two goals to one to make this its 12th win of the season," Hume said.  

The Blue Devils remain undefeated.

The Batavian did not receive scoring stats from Le Roy.  Le Roy is  9-4-1 on the year.

The girls' next game is Monday away at Livonia.

In the boys' game, goals were scored by Quintin Cummings, assisted by Troy Hawley, and Troy Hawley, assisted by Rylan Bohn.

 Batavia’s record is now 8 wins and 5 losses on the season.

To view more photos or purchase prints, click here.

It was much more than a clown show in a circus-theme Downtown Batavia Wine Walk on Saturday evening.  It was a party with a varied cast of characters.

Photos by Jim Burns for The Batavian.

Liliana Perl and her family drove to Batavia just to try out a signature Everybody Eats dish at City Centre on Saturday evening. After all, the Elba resident had heard about the new takeout restaurant and wanted to give it a try, she said.

She and the family filled the tables and seats that were just outside the kitchen and enjoyed their meal even though most dishes were to-go orders. They had the Western New York Plate: a derivative of the garbage plate, but with a chef Zeke Lynn touch of pan-fried hash browns, macaroni salad, a hotdog, meat sauce, mustard and ketchup.

Was it worth the drive?

“That was amazing,” Perl said. “It was very, very good, the best in town. We are garbage plate fiends. We love a good garbage plate.”

Lynn first announced in August that he would be moving into the space at 29 Batavia City Centre after cleaning up the space and setting up the kitchen. 

Now, with a new stove and griddle installed, he had a couple of test days earlier this week selling sandwiches and a minestrone soup, despite the very unseasonably hot temperature (that became the joke about serving hot soup in 86-degree weather).

The restaurant had a soft opening on Saturday, featuring bolognese, a dish of homemade beef and pork ragu that’s slow simmered and served over fettuccine pasta, and his WNY Plate loaded with potatoes, mac salad, meat sauce and a choice of hotdog, burger or cheeseburger.  

They will be there again from 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday, with the pickup entrance opposite Wendy’s. To order, call or text (585) 813-7969.

Lynn and his partner, Sam Lang, have worked in restaurants “our whole lives,” and look forward to catering to the appetites of their local customers, Lang said.

“Every week, we’ll focus on specials and then bring in some new stuff. We really feed off of feedback, good or bad. We really want to know what people want,” he said. “We’ll have a steak night coming up soon. The hardest part is we don’t really want to lock down one thing. And we’ll be offering cooking classes; they’ll be coming in the future.”

He and Lynn felt that the Bolognese and WNY Plate are two of their best dishes, so that’s what they began with. They will be adding other menu items as they go along, according to customer requests and input. 

They plan to serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and add a dinner menu from Thursdays through the weekend. 

To find out the weekly menu, go to Everybody Eats. 

A pursuit that started on the Southside of Batavia is now a foot chase in the area of Summit Street.

The vehicle may have struck a building on Jackson Street, and the suspect continued to Jackson, South Jackson, Maple, East Main, and now Summit.

The suspect, described as a black male with a ball cap is now west on Washington Avenue.

UPDATE 12:36 p.m.: The subject is also said to be wearing a plaid-style jacket.

UPDATE 1:43 a.m.: The search is ongoing, involving patrols from Batavia PD and the Sheriff's Office. There is nobody available on scene who can provide an update about the case. Communication has been moved to a secure channel.  So, it will be unlikely we can provide any further updates tonight. The search is generally in the area of Summit and Washington. 

The Batavia Blue Devils improved to 4-2 on the season with a 36-0 win on Friday over Geneva at Geneva.

Stats: 

• Bronx Buchholz: 8-18 passing for 136 yards, two TDs, one interception, and he rushed for 76 yards on 12 carries
• Mekhi Fortes: five carries, 111 yards, one TD
• Zailen Griffin: five carries, 64 yards, one TD
• Lakoda Mruczek: six carries, 36 yards, one TD
• Brock Warren: two carries, 11 yards, one TD
• Maggio Buchholz: 6.5 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one TD reception
• Joey Marranco: six tackles
• Justin Smith: three tackles, two interceptions
• Tym Murrell: three tackles, one interception
• Greyson Fix: one interception
• Will Stevens: one interception

In other football action:

• Attica/Alexander beat Livonia 42-0
• Le Roy beat Bishop-Kearney 48-0
• OAE Aggies shut out Geneseo
• Dragons beat Section VI team 68-22 to improve to 6-0
• York/Pavilion beats Notre Dame 25-18

In a pursuit that reportedly started with the theft of merchandise from Ulta Beauty, a Batavia PD patrol car was struck and damaged on Holland Avenue at around 5 p.m. on Friday.

The suspect vehicle was later spotted on Park Road and was headed toward the Thruway.

Police communications are on a secure channel, and Batavia PD has yet to release further information.

After spending 40 years in a career involved with people dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, John Bennett believes he has come to know those people fairly well. And after all is said and done, no matter their struggles and perceived defects, “they’re just people,” he says.

Bennett, the chief executive officer for UConnectCare, formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, or GCASA, is taking some time to collect his thoughts and plans for the agency after his request for funding was turned down Wednesday by four Genesee County legislators. 

The Batavian needs to clarify two points that may have gotten lost in the fray of comments involved in the potential deal. One is that the $100,000 request was not directly from the county’s coffers or taxpayers. The money would have come from settlement funds that were the result of an opioid-related lawsuit that Genesee County was part of, along with several other counties. 

There is some $463,000 available, and a portion of the money has a restricted use that must go toward opioid-related purposes. For example, some of the opioid funding went for monitoring of wastewater to track what types of drugs are being used in Genesee County.

The second point is that while the assessed value of the motel has been cited as $293,000, the property has also been listed as for sale on LoopNet. That listing does not include an asking price; however, Realtor.com gives the estimated market value of the property as $970,343. That is how the purchase price landed at $800,000.

Aside from those two financial considerations, the legislators did not want the deal for other reasons, and those comments are what hit the hardest for Bennett, he said. 

The idea was to have a place for transitional housing to serve people in need of safe temporary housing, and it was discussed by a committee of representatives from the county, GCASA, and mental health that all seemed to agree it was a good idea, he said.

“I will say that the legislators, this group, sent a message about how they feel about people with addiction and recovery. And it's disappointing to me because I've worked 25 years in this community. And, you know, part of my mission is to help reduce the stigma of people with addiction, and I feel that maybe I haven't done such a good job,” Bennett said. “If that's the way some people in the legislature still feel about having us in the community and the people we serve … I'm trying to take a look at all that right now.”

He invites the legislators, and anyone who is interested, to take a tour of the facilities at the newly named UConnectCare, and talk to people there to learn more about what they do. 

Bennett is concerned about how people with addictions are portrayed just because they may struggle and relapse — even if it’s multiple times. Many people have such a story in their own families, including Bennett, he said. His grandfather, whom he was named after, “drank himself to death,” dying the year Bennett was born as a young man in his 50s. 

“And my mother always told me stories about what a kind man he was, that he’d give you the shirt off his back, but he had a drinking problem, and then in her infinite wisdom named me after him,” Bennett said. "I grew up going to Al-Anon meetings. And then my uncle, who was a prominent regional director for Mutual of Omaha, was also an alcoholic.”

The point being that, yes, good people can struggle with substances, he said. 

He also takes issue with any insinuation that his agency is a drain on the county. GCASA has gotten $35,000 from Genesee County in its yearly allotment. 

“We’re very appreciative of that, but that’s all we get in a $12 million budget,” he said. “So we’re not a drain on this county at all. In fact, we bring a lot of business. And the building that I sit in, we bought the building at auction. It was abandoned and dilapidated. It was empty for like 10 years. And nobody was paying taxes on it. That’s why we ended up buying it at auction,” he said.

The agency helps to boost the local economy by hiring local contractors for that work, and the 76 percent of its 200-person staff that lives and works in Genesee and Orleans counties, he said. 

“You can come come down to visit us. If you really serve in the community, come down and take a tour of our buildings, meet my staff, and meet some of the people that we service. They'll be willing to talk to you. But don't step up in public and say things that you don't really know anything about. That's my message,” he said. “Some people are there at the worst. They're down and out, and they're at the worst point of their life, and they need help. And, you know, you have to be willing to work for those people, too. So, yeah, I'm disappointed. I'm okay with making a decision not to give the money. I mean, that's not really the issue. The issue was how it was managed, the things that were said.”

Prior coverage:

• UConnect still needs to connect the dots
• In rare move county legislators vote no