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High school students from throughout Genesee County were at the Genesee ARC building on Woodrow Road, Batavia, this evening learning about being volunteers for the upcoming Challenge Soccer season.

The Challenger program gives youngsters with developmental disabilities an opportunity to participate in sporting events.

Organizer Shelley Falitico explained the history of the program, what volunteers do and taught the students a little bit about what it's like to deal with a disability.

As a demonstration, she placed a student in a wheelchair and told him he could use only one arm. She then required a normally talkative student to wear a mask and told him he couldn't talk and had several students wear eye covers so they couldn't see. The student in the wheelchair then had to try to distribute a brochure about Genesee ARC.

Falitico pointed out all the ways in which the students' natural reactions to having their abilities limited in this manner is much like what it is for some of the youngsters they will deal with as part of Challenger.

The students participating include a group from the Pembroke soccer team, who were there to "pay it forward."

Two seasons ago, the team was reinstated, but players were required to raise their own funds to pay for their participation. As players and parents were working on fundraising, two Pembroke borthers, Howard and Michael Oriole, came forward and for the 2011 and 2012 seasons paid all of the team's costs.

"We obviously felt blessed and honored," said one of the mothers of the players, Lynette McGiveron. "We didn't know what to say."

Since the brothers both have disabilities, reaching out to Genesee ARC for a volunteer opportunity seemed like an appropriate way for the soccer players to give back to the community.

"We were obviously very grateful and we just felt the need to pay it forward," McGiveron said.

City crews will start picking up discarded Christmas trees Jan. 7 with the pick up continuing through Jan. 18.

Residents in Batavia are asked to place their trees in the parkway without bags, stands or decorations, which can damage equipment.

Trees should be kept free of snow and ice so they are visible.

The pick up will begin on Grandview Terrace and crews will work east and west, north of Main Street and west to east, south of Main Street.

An alert neighbor spotted a potential burglary in progress on Washington Avenue on Tuesday leading to the arrest of a man police suspect may have been involved in other break-ins in the city.

Francis S. Smith, 19, of 20 S. Main St., Batavia, has been charged with burglary in the second degree and investigators are working to determine whether he may have been involved in other larcenies.

Smith is being held on bail in the Genesee County Jail.

His arrest followed a report of a burglary in progress about noon on Tuesday. Police responded, surrounded the residence and officers entered the residence and found Smith allegedly involved in a larceny of property from the residence.

A reader who was in the area at the time of the incident told The Batavian this is what he saw:

"The cops were yelling to someone inside to come out with their hands up. The man inside the house came out a second-story window on top of the porch roof. At that time the police drew their guns and ordered him to freeze and put his hands up. They brought the man back into the house and out the front door before putting him into the police car."

Brandon M. Maldonado, 24, of 24 Tracy Ave., Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, criminal possession of stolen property, 5th, and two bench warrants for alleged failure to appear as directed. Maldonado was taken into custody by Batavia PD at his residence on a felony arrest warrant as well as the bench warrants on unrelated charges. Maldonado was jailed without bail.

Daniel L. Zelazny, 50, of 6469 Swamp Road, Byron, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol. Zelazny was taken into custody by the Sheriff's Office and turned over to Batavia PD following an investigation by Officer Matt Lutey of a motor-vehicle accident on East Main Street on Aug. 12.

A water main break is reported at 9 Woodcrest Drive that is affecting customers on Woodcrest Drive between Hillside Drive and Naramore Drive, Batavia.

Residents may find water pressure is low and the water may be discolored.

Crews are on-site making repairs.

UPDATE: As of 7:30 p.m., the break was repaired and service restored.

Dominique L. Clyburn, 22, of 142 Saxton St., Rochester, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Clyburn was taken into custody by Rochester PD on an arrest warrant out of Batavia City Court and turned over to Batavia PD. Clyburn was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Elizabeth Ann Bucci, 58, of Prestige Crossing, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Bucci is accused of placing a phone call to a person she was ordered not to contact.

Casey Thomas Sutherland, 22, of Westside Drive, Churchville, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Sutherland was allegedly found in possession of a small amount of marijuana during a traffic stop by Deputy Jason Saile at 9:20 p.m. Friday on Route 262, Byron.

Jonathan Christopher Pestillo, 18, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Pestillo is accused of shoplifting from Target on Dec. 16 and Dec. 19.

Jessie Marie Miles, 49, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Miles is accused of shoplifting at Kmart.

Jason L. Perry, 18, of Pavilion, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving without a license. Perry was arrested by State Police on an alleged incident reported at 2:32 p.m. Thursday in Pavilion.

Deputy Brian Thompson was battling flu and fever today. That didn't stop him from helping a snowmobiler who was stranded in water and ice on a trail off Wilkinson Road in East Pembroke.

Genesee County dispatchers got the 9-1-1 call about 2:30 this afternoon of a snowmobiler swamped in water near a creek and Deputy Thompson was the first on scene. 

Using the GPS signal from the snowmobiler's phone, Thompson was able to position himself 575 feet south of the scene. After about 10 minutes of plowing through waist-deep snow, and a half mile later, Thompson spotted the 30 year old male rider standing on a small island next to a tree. His snowmobile was up to its windshield in water.

Deputy Thompson was able to guide him back to the trail and onto the road where an ambulance was waiting. Hypothermia was a concern after being in the cold creek water and frigid temperatures for 45 minutes. Mercy Medic ambulance crews checked the rider over and he was released at the scene.

The snowmobile had to be removed before nightfall to keep the trail safe for other riders.

Rising creek waters made the ice thin and the area swamp-like near the trail. Riders need to be aware of trail conditions each day.

Thompson says this rider was lucky. He says it's important to remember some basic snowmobiling rules that could save your life. Never drink and ride, travel in pairs, never alone, slow down, and always be aware that trails change from day to day. 

Thompson says, "This young man had just been on the trail yesterday, and again this just shows how fast conditions can change. He was confident the trail would be OK today, and it wasn't."

Two patrons of Tenney Coin Laundry at 198 Ellicott St. reportedly got into a fight over a washing machine and one of them slammed the machine's lid on the other's fingers. Police are responding.

A male patron of Sunny's Restaurant in the city mall reportedly got out of control and police have been called to respond. He is said to have started "swinging at people" once outside the eatery and was trying to regain entry through a side door.

A caller reports seeing an SUV roll over at East Main and Vine streets and then leave the area.

Another caller reports seeing a Trailblazer-type vehicle, doing 60 or 65 mph on East Main in the same area, hit a snow bank and drive off.

The first caller was headed in the opposite direction, but turned around after seeing the rollover, he said, and when he did, the SUV was gone.

A police officer on scene says there is no debris in the roadway, but there has been a lot of snow knocked into the roadway. He then reported being waved down by some people standing on the sidewalk nearby.

UPDATE 10:45 p.m.: An officer has located a tan Blazer or Jimmy. When a dispatcher asked if EMS was necessary, the officer said the driver is uncooperative at this point.

UPDATE 11:09 p.m.: Police are  interviewing witnesses and suspect(s).

Christine Crocker and the staff of YNGodess would like to wish everybody a Happy New Year and thank the more than 12,000 customers who came into the store during its first 10 months in business.

In 2013, Christine plans to continue to expand, adding more wines and spirits, and she invites customers to bring their requests of favorites to her. Many of the wines YNGodess carries now are not readily available in other stores.

Come to the YNGodess to check out the large selection of wines and for daily tastings. The friendly staff is always ready to help you find the perfect pairing for any occasion.

The YNGodess will be open New Year's Eve to help you with your party supply of wines and spirits. Toast in the New Year with YNGodess!

The store is located at 73 Main St. in the City of Batavia. Phone is 343-3170. Normal business hours are:

• Monday and Tuesday -- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday through Saturday -- 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunday -- Noon to 5 p.m.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is investigating several residential burglaries in the southwest area of the city. Entries to all residences were made in similar fashion via unsecured doors. Taken from the residences were items such as laptop computers, small electronics, gift cards and jewelry.

All incidents are similar in nature and are occurring during daylight hours.

Police will be increasing patrol activities in this area. The police department is also asking residents to be observant for, and to report, any strange activity or unknown persons in their neighborhood. Police ask that residents not attempt to intervene, but rather obtain a description of the person or persons involved, any vehicles involved as well as any direction of travel. Residents are encouraged to call 9-1-1 immediately and report the incident.

All residents are reminded of the importance of locking the doors to their homes even during the daytime hours. Residents are also reminded of the importance of documenting serial numbers or other identifying numbers of valuable items in the event they become lost or stolen. This documentation will assist the police in tracking the items if necessary.

Anyone with information regarding these burglaries, or any unsolved crime, is encouraged to contact the Batavia Police Department at 345-6350. Residents may also contact the Batavia Police Department’s Confidential Tip Line at 345-6370.

I don't remember seeing anybody sledding last winter in Centennial Park. Today, a small crowd gathered to take in some fresh powder.

To purchase prints, click the link in the upper right of the slide show below.

Batavia demonstrated this morning that it knows how to dig out pretty quickly after getting in the neighborhood of a foot of snow overnight. By midmorning, most residents had their driveways and sidewalks cleared and a few others were just finishing up.

Above, Jack Chmielowiec, Otis Street.

Eric Haile, Summit Street.

Rick Porter, Prospect Avenue. Porter also had a request for his fellow Batavians: Please shovel your sidewalks and around your hydrants.

Leon Koukides, South Jackson Street.

Gabe Abdella, South Jackson Street.

Karen Zerbe and Bill Barton, Jackson Avenue.

Press release:

The city fire department would like to ask residents and business owners to assist in making fire hydrants accessible. During the recent snowfall some hydrants have become blocked by snow, especially in parking areas. The city fire department would like to request your help to remove the snow from around hydrants so they are visible and accessible. If you have a hydrant in your front yard, clean a 3-foot circle around it.

City fire crews will be out throughout the winter clearing snow from hydrants, but with your assistance by adopting a fire hydrant, the 500+ hydrants in the city will be clear and ready for an emergency.

Also, please be sure to keep your house numbers readily visible, and for business owners the accumulation of snow may block exit doors. All doors should be checked to make sure they can open and are not blocked by snow.

The city fire department appreciates your help in keeping the community safe. Any questions, please call Chief Jim Maxwell at 585-345-6375.

Main and Oak.

Harvester Avenue.

Behind the Harvester building.

Masse Gateway.

Alberto Laboy-Bertran, 74, of North Plymouth Avenue, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and unlicensed operator. Laboy-Bertran is accused of driving at 11:40 a.m., Sunday, with 31 active driver's license suspensions and revocations dating back to 2000. Laboy-Bertran was jailed on $25,000 bail.

Aaron David Prusak, 25, of Park Street, Warsaw, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Prusak was located in a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado at 10:31 p.m., Friday, parked in the roadway of Route 19 in Bergen. Upon investigation by Sgt. Greg Walker and Deputy Joseph Graff, Prusak was allegedly found in possession of a needle and a controlled substance.

Ryan Nicholas DeSantis, 19, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. DeSantis is accused of shoplifting while working at Kmart.

Kyle David Ferguson, 20, of Maltby Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Ferguson is accused of shoplifting while working at Kmart.