batavia

A suspected 20-year-old drug dealer from Rochester was nabbed in the Batavia Downs parking lot at 5:15 p.m. on Friday.

At the time of his arrest, Steven Anthony Bertolone, of 28 Sand Pebble Drive, Rochester, was allegedly found to possess a wide array of drugs and cash.

Bertolone was identified as a suspect in local ketamine distribution by the Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force. Bertolone allegedly sold ketamine to an undercover agent.

At the time of his arrest, Bertolone was allegedly found holding four packages of ketamine, 10 packages of dimethyltryptamine, 20 packages of LSD, as well as cocaine and marijuana, along with $1,200 in cash.

The charges against Bertolone: Criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree (misdemeanors), and unlawful possession of marijuana.

The suspected drug dealer was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Uninformed deputies as well as the District Attorney's office assisted in the investigation and arrest.

Town of Batavia Engine 24 and Mercy EMS are responding to reported vehicle accident at 5210 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia.

There are reportedly injuries, but EMS was just told to respond non-emergency.

UPDATE: Engine 24 being called back. Only Rescue 20 responding at this time.

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City Fire is being dispatched to UMMC for a reported hazardous material situation in an operating room.

Reportedly, approximately four to eight ounces of a noxious material has spilled.

The area has been evacuated and cordoned off.

Engine 12 and Ladder 15 are responding to evaluate the situation.

UPDATE 10:13 a.m.: Fire officials are saying it's a minor spill and can be cleaned up with soap and water.  I believe it is Chief Ralph Hyde who just said, "This is a minor spill that we can handle with no problem."

Robin Lee Buckman, 40, 7 Otis Street, Batavia Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Buckman is accused of shoplifting four DVDs from the TA Travel Center in Pembroke.

A one-vehicle accident has been reported in the roundabout on Oak Street.

The car apparently hit several traffic cones.

The initial call indicated there may have been an injury and City Fire and Mercy EMS were dispatched. A police officer who was first on scene reported no injuries and fire and EMS were canceled.

UPDATE: Police on scene have requested the nearest available tow. The car is stuck on the median, its front axle is damaged and the rear tire is going flat. The car is a Saturn.

Why do a small town's best and brightest young people relocate to big cities?

The common assumption is that they leave to seek better opportunities or more excitement.

Bill Kauffman has a different theory -- our teachers, civic leaders, parents and American culture try to convince rural young people that to be an achiever, you have to go elsewhere. There's little thought to the notion that you can achieve right where you're rooted.

Kauffman discusses this idea in a book review for the Wall Street Journal:

The sharpest insight in "Hollowing Out the Middle" is that "small towns play an unwitting role in their own decline" by inculcating, in school and too often at home, the belief that fulfilling one's promise means leaving for the city lights or the manicured suburbs. The purpose of education today, as Kentucky poet-farmer Wendell Berry argues, is to train young people to leave home. And so, the authors note, "the investment the community has made in them becomes a boon for someplace else."

Batavia is full of bright, young people who have decided to stay, or who have come back. I've met them. Batavia's future would be even brighter if we could convince more of them to stay and help build new businesses and invest in the community that nurtured them.

Read the whole thing.

Old Engine 24 will soon find a new home with a rural fire department in Latin America.

The Batavia Volunteer Fire Department transferred ownership of the engine, which was replaced in July by a new rig, to the 911 FUND today (warning: site has automatic audio).

"The Town of Batavia Fire Department is committed to doing its share to help rural fire departments in Latin America where such assistance could literally mean the difference between life and death for firefighters and the civilian population who they protect," said Michael Jones, president of the department in a statement.  

During the past eight years, the 911 FUND has donated dozens of fire trucks, ambulances, millions of dollars in equipment and extensive training to Latin America and other parts of the world.

UPDATE: I e-mailed Michael Jones with a couple of questions I had about the transfer of the truck. Here is his reply:

The Truck was purchased for $3k by the 911 fund.  Our board didn't feel it would be a responsible decision to give the truck free and clear without recouping some of its value when taking our communities taxpayer's into consideration.   However, the $3k was a deep discount fro the $8k that it was posted for sale as.  In addition to the vehicle we also included pike polls, ladders, hard suction lines, and various other equpiment that will greatly aide those in Argetina, which is the engine's final destination.  The 911 Fund tells us that the engine will be the only vehicle that that rural fire department will have.  Although we are sad to see the vehicle go we are equally happy knowing that our engine will help reduce the loss of life by increasing protection to those fire fighters their community.

Ryan Lee Krupp, 24, 13 Pringle Ave., Batavia (pictured), is charged with criminal possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of marijuana. These are additional charges stemming from his arrest Oct. 16, which involved an alleged escape and an alleged assault on a deputy. At the time of his arrest, Krupp was allegedly found in possession of a stolen credit card and marijuana. Krupp remains in custody without bail.

William Didir Gamble, 18, of 144 Leicestershire Road, Rochester, is charged with harassment. Gamble is accused of striking and threatening two roommates at College Village.

A 10-year-old boy in Pavilion has been charged with sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from a report filed with the State Police on Aug. 25.  The arrest was Sept. 11. It was in the State Police blotter today. The boy was released without bail. No further details are available.

Spencer T. Johns, 18, of Castile, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Johns was issued an appearance ticket by State Police after being arrested in the Town of Bethany at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. No further details are available.

I was on Ross Street yesterday ,and saw this squirrel,   eating someones smashed pumpkin.

Fire crews are responding to a report of a grain bin fire at 2947 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, between Hutton Road and South Pearl Street. Other structures are nearby the fire.

Tankers have been requested from East Pembroke and Alabama.

UPDATE: East Pembroke's tanker is asked to respond in a non-emergency capacity. Alabama has been asked to stand down.

UPDATE (2:03 p.m.): Fire is out.

Members of the Batavia City Fire Department brought Ladder 15 over to the parking lot of Richmond Library this morning where a group of pre-schoolers were able to meet firemen, get a look at all the truck's equipment  and slide onto the driver's seat.

UPDATE: We've received a couple of e-mails: This event was sponsored by the Genesee Region Insurance Professionals.

Kenardo Roshay Fields, 19, of 7 Watson St., Batavia, is charged with trespass. Fields was reportedly banned from College Village and was found there yesterday at 11:38 p.m. hiding under a bed.

Arnold D. Jock, of Hogansberg, is charged with trespass, obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct/fighting. Jock was arrested by State Police at the Holiday Inn on Park Road, Town of Batavia, at 6:12 p.m. yesterday. No further details are available.

Joshua L. Baltz, 33, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Baltz was arrested by State Police in the Town of Batavia at 10:33 a.m. on Oct. 15. No further details available.

Jesse P. Boop, 20, of Avon, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Boop was arrested by State Police yesterday at 10:15 a.m. in the Town of Bethany. No further details are available.

Gary J. Dempsey, 42, of Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt and disorderly conduct. Dempsey was arrested by State Police in Le Roy at 11:11 a.m. yesterday. No further details are available.

When people get ready to walk across a public road, they usually look both ways first to see if any motor vehicles are coming. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with animals, including certain large ones.

Too often, the result is a motorist's nightmare: a collision with a deer, moose or elk. The animal usually comes out second-best in this type of close encounter, but the toll on vehicles and their occupants can also be substantial.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 150 people die in animal-vehicle collisions each year. The Insurance Information Institute estimates some 1.5 million such collisions cause about over $1 billion in damage annually.

While animal-vehicle collisions can happen any time of year, fall is the peak season for deer-car crashes. That's mainly because autumn is both mating season and hunting season, so deer are more active and more likely to roam beyond their normal territory.

No foolproof way has been found to keep deer, moose and elk off highways and away from vehicles. Deer whistles have their advocates, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says there's no scientific evidence to support claims they work as intended. Some studies suggest roadside reflectors - designed to reflect light from vehicle headlamps and cause deer to "freeze" rather than cross the road - reducing crash frequency to some extent.

There are ways you can lessen an unplanned meeting with a deer, moose or elk. Here's how:

• Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to "deer crossing" signs. Look well down the road and far off to each side. At night, use your high beams if possible to illuminate the road's edges. Be especially watchful in areas near woods and water. If you see one deer, there may be several others nearby.
• Be particularly alert at dusk and dawn, when these animals venture out to feed.
• If you see a deer, moose or elk on or near the roadway and think you have time to avoid hitting it, reduce your speed, tap your brakes to warn other drivers and sound your horn. Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may cause the animal to move. If there's no vehicle close behind you, brake hard.
• If a collision seems inevitable, don't swerve to avoid the animal; your risk of injury may be greater if you do. Hit it, but control the vehicle. Report the crash to the police.
• Always obey the speed limit and wear safety belts.
• Being alert at all times while driving is your best defense against any type of accident.

The last suspect captured is the final defendant to plead guilty.

Matthew J. Wells, 24, of Buffalo faces five to 15 years in state prison after admitting this morning to his role in the June 18 stick up of the M&T Bank branch in Elba.

The guilty plea came on a morning when Wells was schedule to appear on a pre-trial hearing to determine if his statement following the robbery could be used against him in a trial.

Attorney Thomas Burns said after the guilty plea that his client took into account the substantial risk of going to trial, in which a conviction could mean 25 years in prison.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said the plea bargain accepted by Wells today was made back in June.

Wells didn't give up easily the morning and afternoon of the robbery, either. He led more than 100 law enforcement personnel on a five-hour manhunt through the woods and fields of Batavia and Oakfield before finally surrendering. His co-defendants, Dennis M. Abrams, Jr., 26, and Demone D. Dillon, 25, were captured within an hour of the robbery.

Both previously pled guilty to charges stemming from the hold up. Abrams, the apparent mastermind of the scheme, was looking at up to 25 years in prison, and Dillon, who apparently served as a somewhat reluctant look out, facing three-and-a-half to 10 years.

Wells was the only one of the three to make any real attempt to challenge the state's case, with his attorney filing motions to suppress his statements and for a change of venue. The latter motion was eventually denied.

The case has left many in the criminal justice community shaking their heads. None of the three suspects had any prior adult criminal record, and only Dillon had a youthful offender conviction. All three had jobs and wives or girlfriends. All three men are fathers.

Abrams reportedly sent a text message to his wife before he was captured that read simply, "I messed up."

Friedman's job, of course, isn't to get wrapped up in sympathy for three men who made a bad decision. He's spoken to the victims.

"I spent hours talking with the victims of this crime," Friedman said. "I feel the impact that it has had on these women. With almost 28 years in this office, I've been surprised by the depth of emotion expressed by these women over what they went through in the bank. It was very traumatic. I had one of these women tell me she thought she was about to die. I have no idea what that must feel like."

As for the defendant's lack of prior criminal history, Friedman said, "that's what the pre-sentencing investigation is about."

"My job is to either secure a conviction or get an appropriate plea," Friedman said. "I  think in this case, I've given the court sufficient latitude in light of these crimes and in light of the defendants."

Six Halloween decorations have been stolen from the yard of Thelma Hall, on Watson Street, and she's disheartened that somebody would take from something she and her husband do for kids' enjoyment.

Hall called us this morning hoping that we would publicize the thefts and the person or persons who took the items would return them, "no questions asked."

The Batavian ran a picture of the Hall's yard on Oct. 1.

Six items, including two headstones, were stolen, Hall said.

"Please return what was taken," Hall said. "We wouldn't want to stop (decorating the yard). It's a lot of fun, but we can't keep doing it if our stuff is going to get stolen."

The Halls moved to Batavia from Indiana five years ago and have had Halloween and Christmas displays each year since.

"There's nothing in this town for the kids to do, that's why we do it," said Hall.

"I'm just heartbroken," Hall added. "We just try to be nice."

She said she and her husband are now afraid to put up their annual Christmas display, fearing more thefts.

Anthonly J. Spearance, 24, of 107 Washington Ave., Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment. Spearance allegedly punched his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach. He was jailed on $1,500 bail.

James T. Moore, 50, of 115 Summit St., Batavia, and Patricia L. Brinkman, 48, of the same address, are both charged with assault in the third degree. Both were allegedly involved in a physical altercation during a domestic dispute. Both were jailed on $500 bail each.

Christopher C. Say, 18, of 514 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with menacing. Say allegedly brandished a large knife and threatened another person with it during a fight. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Jeremy A. Weatherbee, 40, of 65 Roosevelt Ave., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Weatherbee allegedly sent text messages to a person he was barred by court order from contacting.

Amanda L. Spring, 26, of 34 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, refusal to take breath test and unsafe turn without signal. Spring was stopped on Walnut Street at 3:03 a.m. on Sunday.

Kara M. Marquez-Davidson, 24, of Tonawanda, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Marquez-Davidson was stopped by State Police on Route 77 in Darien at 9:42 p.m. on Friday.

Mark S. Wells, 44, of Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Wells was stopped by State Police on Route 5 in Pembroke at 2 a.m. on Thursday.

A 15-year-old from Oakfield has been arrested by State Police and charged with sexual abuse of a person under 14 and endangering the welfare of a child. The alleged incident was reported Oct. 10. The teen was taken into custody at 6:04 p.m. Friday. No further details were released.

More than 400 people showed up for a party on Saturday evening at 700 Ellicott St., world headquarters of Chapin International, a growing Batavia-based manufacturer that employs 175 people and has been run by the same family since its founding in Oakfield 125 years ago.

Now that's something to celebrate.

Chapin International is a rarity in the business world. It's been family owned through four generations (and heading toward a sixth), which puts it among 2 percent of all U.S.-based businesses. Plus, it's been located in Western New York 1884, which puts it among an elite 1 percent of businesses statewide.

"I’m sure that my father, grandfather and great-grandfather would be amazed at what we have here today,"  Chairwoman of the Board Andris Chapin told the crowd to open the party.

"They would be amazed that there would be a tent and music and beverages and ice sculptures and just all of the wonderful things that have been put together for us today to help us celebrate."

The party featured dignitaries such as Congressman Chris Lee, Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Senator Mike Ranzenhofer, but more emphasis was put on the importance of Chapin employees. Lee and Hawley both noted that the company's survival is a testament to how well its employees are treated.

Hawley told a story of how he first met Andris's father, Ralph Chapin, who befriended him as a college student. Hawley described him as an intelligent, kind, caring man, and that's why so many people have stuck with the company for so long. Chapin has third-generation employees, and people who have worked for the company for 30, 35 and even 45 years.

"It’s impossible to thank the thousands of people that have gone through our doors as employees, to thank them enough, but all I can say is I speak with such joy and sincere gratitude to all those people that have worked for us over the years," Andris said during a short interview. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

In 1884, Ralph E. Chapin and his brother-in-law, Frank Harris, were selling kerosene at their hardware store in Oakfield, when Chapin noticed that the containers his customers used were not well made. They leaked. So Ralph started making his own cans in the back of the store and selling them to his customers. Soon, the cans were so popular, that Chapin sold the hardware store and opened up a factory in Batavia.

By the turn of the century, Chapin Industries was manufacturing air and hand sprayers for spraying a variety of liquids, from pesticides to cleaning solutions.

Chapin is still known best for its cans and sprayers, but CEO Jim Campell said in recent years the company has been growing by acquiring other firms, such as a company that makes bird feeders and bird-feeding supplies. That company, Campbell said, has doubled in size since Chapin bought it.

"It’s a great honor to be the person who is tending the business at this point, at 125 years," Campbell said. "I intend to leave it in better shape than when I got here."

He seems to have Chapin heading in a positive direction. Campbell, who became CEO in 2004, said the company has grown at a record pace each of the past five years.

And in an interview, when asked about what makes Batavia a good place for Chapin, he again talked about Chapin's workforce.

"Batavia is a great place to be," Campbell said. "Genesee County is still agriculturally based, and when you get people from agriculturally based communities, they come in with a really great work ethic. I’ve run businesses in very large cities and have actually been involved in manufacturing in China and Germany and the work force in Batavia is really second to none. People are extremely diligent. They show up for work, which is a big thing that you sometimes find is a problem, and they are very conscientious."

Andris Chapin said she's well aware of the pressure companies face when they stay in Western New York, but she said Chapin is committed to Batavia.

"My father and my aunts were all born here, in Batavia, and we have supported this community by providing employment for all this time and I just feel strongly that as long as it’s truly feasible we need to continue to support Batavia, Genesee County," Chapin said. "It works two ways. We have third-generation employees in the company. If we don’t take care of them, they can’t take care of us. We’re helping each other. Part of the viability of the company is just to hunker down, yes, and believe in Batavia, believe in Genesee County, believe in Western New York. If everybody went away, there would be nothing. So, so far we can do it, and that’s part of our resilience. But, yeah, it’s hard. New York State, Western New York, it’s tough."

Historic Batavia Cemetery Ghost Walk, Candlelight Tour

I volunteered at the ghost walk tonight and it was a great time.  There is going to be another one next Saturday Oct, 24th at 7:00 pm. It's located on Harvester Ave.  Tickets are $10. in advance or $15. at the gate.  It's really worth checking out.  Great fun for the whole family.

A Batavia man, who has allegedly had at least one previous confrontation with cops, is in jail tonight after reportedly pushing a Sheriff's deputy down a flight of stairs and escaping an attempt by the deputy to arrest him on a bench warrant.

Ryan L. Krupp, 24, of 13 Pringle Ave., is charged with assault in the second degree and escape in the second degree.

Krupp allegedly charged Deputy Patrick Reeves and shoved Reeves as the deputy attempted to arrest him at his residence yesterday at 10:19 p.m.. Reeves was treated and released at UMMC for an ankle injury.

Today, Krupp was spotted entering the Bank of Castile branch on East Main Street. He was apprehended inside the bank at 11:43 a.m..

Details on what led to the bench warrant issued by Judge Robert Noonan were not released, but Krupp was arrested in May 2008 for allegedly stealing prescription drugs from his girlfriend. At the time of his arrest, Krupp allegedly got "belligerent with police."

In April of this year, Krupp was arrested again, this time accused of trying to cash a forged check at a local bank.

Krupp was jailed today without bail.