batavia

Ron Burroughs was out on Ellicott Street yesterday evening in one of his custom-made bicycles. In this case, a two-seater made to look like a UPS delivery truck.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Thursday Sept. 14 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area west of Bank Street and north of West Main Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants Monday –Wednesday, Sept. 18 – 20 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area west of Jackson Street and south of West Main Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear.

Press release:

Tracy Avenue in the City of Batavia will be temporarily closed to traffic from Washington Avenue to North Street, Wednesday, Sept. 13th, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for sewer repair. Motorists are asked to seek alternate routes.

Genesee Community College holds a special place in the heart of Charles Zambito, the Genesee County Court judge said today during the 50th-anniversary convocation in the Stuart Steiner Theatre.

It's not that Zambito, who also served on the county legislature and as county attorney, graduated from the two-year college. He didn't even attend a class there. It was the role his father, Anthony Zambito, played in the development and success of the campus that makes the place special to him.

Anthony Zambito, a scientist who worked on the Manhatten Project, a farmer, and a community leader, served on the Board of Trustees for nearly 40 years, one of the longest such tenures in the nation. The college's gym is named after him.

"He believed deeply in the value of education and service to others," Charles Zambito said.

Charles Zambito, who was a teenager when his father became involved with the community college effort, witnessed firsthand the college's growth, and said during his keynote address today that the examples set by those early leaders offer lessons to new generations of leaders, which they can learn from, and they demonstrate values which are still deeply embedded in the spirit of GCC.

"Another factor that contributed to the early success of the college was the strong dedicated leadership beginning with the first board of trustees," Zambito said. "They deserve much credit for not only getting the college started on its early and rapid growth, but more importantly, helping instill a philosophy and culture of success and excellence as well as a special sense of loyalty and belonging. It was present on the very first day of classes and has remained a constant part of the college since."

The college almost didn't get off the ground, Zambito recalled. When Mike Ryan and the Batavia Area Jaycees first brought forth the idea of starting a community college in Batavia, the Board of Supervisors (the county's governing body then) rejected the idea. They weren't even willing to support a study of the proposal. Ryan and the other Jaycees had to convince the board that the study would cost them nothing and not commit them to supporting it once the study was completed.

Eventually, Ryan and his team produced a 75-page study recommending the creation of a community college.

By state law, all the board had to do was pass a resolution to create a community college, but a motion to take that step failed on a 9-10 vote. One of the opponents of the college idea then proposed a public referendum on the collage idea. That motion passed 14-6, with all of the opponents of the college voting yes and the six no votes coming from supporters of the college.

"It was everyone's belief that the chances of passage of this referendum were slim," Zambito said. "Defeat at the polls would effectively close the matter for the foreseeable future."

Opponents said there weren't more than 50 people in the whole county who would want to attend college and the county would be better off creating a vocational school, which would help put people to work and keep them off public assistance.

The referendum was scheduled for November 1965 and for more than a year prior to the vote, the college issue became the most widely debated and discussed issue in the history of the county, Zambito said. He said you couldn't walk down the street without somebody stopping you and asking you what you thought of the college proposal.

When the vote came, the referendum passed 7,730 to 6,670.

Two supervisors, the board president, and its treasurer, who opposed the college prior to the vote, made a crucial decision in the fate of the college at that point.

"They publicly announced that if the county was going to sponsor a community college, they wanted it to be the best in the state," Zambito said.

Among the values and principles embodied in GCC that were important to his father, Zambito said, were that the school be a place where concern for the welfare of students goes beyond what happens in the classroom. That tradition continues, he said.

"Going forward, I think if my father were here, he would be comforted by the fact that the GCC Board of Trustees and this administration and faculty and staff continues to be guided by the same principles and ideals to move forward, reaching new heights," Zambito said.

Press release:

Kimberly Brodsky, 26, of Bank Street in Batavia, was granted a one-year conditional discharge by Batavia Town Justice Michael Cleveland on Monday, Sept. 11, as a result of her guilty plea to one count of petit larceny.

She had originally been charged in Batavia Town Court in June with one count of fourth-degree grand larceny and one count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. She agreed to plead guilty to petit larceny as part of a plea deal.

The original charges were filed after a Social Services investigation revealed Brodsky failed to list wages she was receiving on applications she submitted to the Genesee County Department of Social Services. By submitting the falsified documents to the Department of Social Services, Brodsky received $2,423.50 in benefits to which she was not entitled.

In addition to the conditional discharge Brodsky made restitution of $2,423.50 and received a lifetime disqualification from SNAP -- the Food Stamp program.

Anyone wishing to report suspected cases of welfare fraud in Genesee County can contact the Genesee County Department of Social Services Fraud Investigation Unit at (585) 344-2580, ext. 6417, or 6416. All calls are confidential.

Martin Jones is indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and two counts of offering a false instrument for filing. Jones is accused of presenting a document, a forged Medical Examination for Employability report, to officials at the Department of Social Services on Feb. 23 for the purpose of fraudulently claiming benefits. He also allegedly presented a forged Medical Qualifications/Work Status report.

Daniel J. Difrancesco is indicted on a count of felony DWI and of refusing a breath test. Difrancesco is accused of driving drunk April 18 in the Town of Batavia on Route 5. It's alleged he has a prior DWI conviction within the past 10 years, in May 2007.

Gail M. Williams is indicted on a count of third-degree grand larceny. Williams is accused of stealing property with a value in excess of $3,000 from a location in the Town of Le Roy, between late 2014 and early 2017.

Friday, Sept. 22 is National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. This year’s theme, "10 Years Standing Together to Prevent Falls in 2017," seeks to raise awareness about falls prevention and unite professionals, older adults, caregivers, and family members to play their part in preventing falls.

The Genesee County Office for the Aging will be hosting a Falls Prevention Workshop from 11:30 to 1 p.m. on that day at the Senior Center at 2 Bank St., Batavia. We will have fall prevention tools and tips, balance testing, and blood-pressure screening.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injury among older New Yorkers. Falls threaten seniors’ safety and independence and generate enormous economic and personal costs. Falling is not an inevitable result of aging. Through awareness, evidence-based interventions, clinical fall risk assessment and referral, home modifications, and community partnerships, we can reduce falls and fall injuries among older adults.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department has received several stolen vehicle complaints within the past few weeks. Those vehicles have been located and investigations are still ongoing.

We would like to remind citizens to secure their vehicles at all times and to NEVER leave the keys in the car for any reason.

We at the Batavia Police Department are dedicated to protecting all persons and property and are continuing to partner with citizens to ensure Batavia remains a safe, enjoyable place to live.

Russell Leonard Penepent, 54, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with second-degree menacing and endangering the welfare of a child. Penepent allegedly menaced a neighbor and his 5-year-old child with a firearm at 3:19 p.m. Sunday. He was jailed on $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond.

Lawrence A. Guy, 41, of Roosevelt Avenue, Batavia, is charged with torturing or injuring an animal, endangering the welfare of a child, and coercion, 2nd. Police alleged that during a domestic incident Guy punched the family dog several times and threw it down several stairs in the presence of children. He was ordered held on $10,000 bail.

Jacob J. Russell, 21, of Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Russell was arrested on a warrant by members of the Local Drug Task Force. During the arrest, Russell was allegedly found in possession of heroin. He is also accused of giving a quantity of heroin to another person. He was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Daniel James Maus, 56, of Johnson Road, Bergen, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Maus was allegedly found in possession of marijuana during a traffic stop at 12:54 a.m. Saturday on Perry Road, Pavilion, by Deputy Mathew Clor.

Ryan Paul Isham, 26, of 66th Street, Niagara Falls, is charged with felony DWI, failure to yield right of way on left turn, and failure to yield right of way at a yield sign. Isham was arrested following an investigation into an accident reported at 12:55 a.m. Sunday on Route 98 in Elba by Deputy Ryan Young. Deputies responded to the accident and located a Dodge Ram pickup truck on its roof. Occupants of both vehicles were out of the vehicles. Isham was determined to be the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado. Isham was transported to UMMC for evaluation and released. All other occupants were treated and released at the scene. Additional charges are pending.

Miguel E. Alvarez, 22, of Maple Avenue, Batavian, and a 16-year-old resident of Trumbull Parkway are charged with petit larceny. At 10:20 p.m. Saturday, Batavia PD officers Arick Perkins and Christopher Lindsay attempted to speak with two suspicious males on West Main Street, Batavia. When approached, the subjects ran. They were later taken into custody and one of the subjects was allegedly found trying to conceal a 30-pack of beer and pizza in his pants that had been stolen from Tops.

Molly M. Smith, 45, of MacArthur Drive, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving while impaired by drugs. Smith was arrested following an investigation into a minor injury motor-vehicle accident at 5:12 p.m. Friday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Ronald P. Dixon, 38, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, is charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument. City PD responded to a report of a burglary in progress at 1:10 a.m. Friday on East Main Street, and located Dixon, who was wanted on a warrant. At the time of his arrest, he was allegedly found in possession of a needle and other drug paraphernalia. He was jailed on $2,000 bail on the warrant.

Michael J. Difalco, 29, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th. Difalco allegedly sold property he knew to be stolen at Pawn King in the Town of Batavia. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Julio C. Morales Jr., 32, of Upton Road, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant. Morales was arrested on a theft of services charge in 2015 and allegedly never appeared in City Court on that charge. He was jailed on $250 bail.

Henry L. Banks, 47, of Ross Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a traffic charge.

A 17-year-old resident of Skye Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with attempted assault, 1st, harassment, 2nd, and obstructing governmental administration. Batavia PD responded to Burger King at 5:46 p.m. Aug. 28 for a reported disturbance. A person reportedly struck a vehicle. When police arrived, the suspect fled and was later apprehended.

Anthony A. Leone, 49, of Jackson Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for a trespass charge stemming from an incident on Ellicott Street reported at 4:25 p.m. Aug. 15.

Khala Linn Ray, 18, of Ridge Road, Gasport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and no headlamps. Ray was stopped after Officer Arick Perkins observed at 2003 Pontiac Vibe on Ross Street being driven without headlights at 1:55 a.m., Aug. 26. Ray's vehicle was stopped on Washington Avenue.

Tyler M. Hughson, 22, of Hawthorn Drive, Albion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding. Hughson was stopped at 9:32 p.m. Sept. 1 on East Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Rachell O. Soggs, 29, of South Swan Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear.

Christopher Steven Bump, 22, of Briarwood Terrace, Batavia, is charged with false personation. At 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, Officer Arick Perkins responded to Pearl Street, Batavia, for a report of a suspicious vehicle. When contacted, Bump allegedly provided the officer with a false name.

John R. Delara, 19, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd, petit larceny and unlawful possession of marijuana. Delara is accused of entering unsecured vehicles in a downtown parking lot at 10:15 a.m. Aug. 31 and attempting to steal items from the vehicles.

Tatiana C. Lugo, 22, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. He was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Taylor K. Hicks, 25, of Pembroke, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Hicks was stopped by State Police at 8:05 p.m. Sept. 7 on Genesee Street, Pembroke.

As part of the lighting upgrades for Batavia City Schools included in the capital improvement project was a new exterior LED lighting system for Batavia Middle School. The LED lights are more energy efficient, but they also let school officials decorate the school in colored lights. Last night, the school was bathed in blue.

Photo courtesy Principal Ashley John Grillo.

Kimberly Argenta and friends were out Saturday morning spreading a little kindness with a project she created that involves people painting rocks and spreading them around the community.

Photos by Diane Cox.

The eighth annual Dash in the Dark at Oakfield-Alabama High School, where high school cross-country runners run their races at night under the lights, took place last night (Sept. 8).

Thirty-five schools, more than 1,000 competitors from Section V and VI, and one from Pennsylvania, attended this year's event.

Cross-country participants call this the “Super Bowl” of races which runners start and finish under the football stadium lights along with construction towers to help guide them on the course.

Teams consist of three runners and will be split up into two divisions depending on school size. Each school can enter three teams in the Gold Race (fastest race) and unlimited teams in the Blue Race.

The course is a fast, flat, grassy, 1,600-meter loop around the school grounds. Each leg will run two loops, starting and ending inside the football stadium.

Medals are awarded to the top 10 fastest individual times, both girls and boys, for both divisions.

Team trophies are given to the top three teams in both divisions in the Gold Race.

Team awards go to the top three teams in the Blue Race, for both divisions and genders.

For final results go to: http://yellowjacketracing.com/results

A two-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported on West Main Street, Batavia, near Taco Bell.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Richard C. Call epitomized community, speakers noted yesterday at the dedication of two new facilities at Genesee Community College, and he was an avid supporter of agriculture, so it's only appropriate, they said, that the new athletic and community center on the college campus be named after him.

"This is a great day," said Peter Call, son of Dick Call, a member of the board of trustees for five years (top photo). "It just doesn’t get any better than this and this building exceeds all of our wildest expectations. It seems like two minutes ago we were having the campaign, trying to raise a few bucks and now it’s all done and it’s ready for students."

It was Dick Call, said College President Jim Sunser, who recognized the need for an event center that could serve both community and student athletic needs. When the plan was drafted for the building and the Student Success Center, it was Call who had the vision to turn to the community, especially fellow farmers, to raise $5 million to help fund the project. And it was Call who recognized Craig Yunker was just the person to lead the fundraising campaign.

"I’m grateful to have been mentored by Dick Call," Yunker said. "He convinced me to be involved with this effort and I’m grateful. It’s been a great honor."

From Dick Call's original vision to planning for the facility, the need to recognize agriculture's central role in the community was a big part of the effort, speakers said.

"Early on in the campaign," said Peter Call, "during one of our campaign meetings, Jim Vincent made a very strong, encouraging comment that the college needs to have some kind of permanent agriculture exhibit on display so that all of our students and all of our visitors can understand what the history of agriculture is in Western New York, what agriculture is today and the future of agriculture. I think you can see the message got through and the college put together just an amazing exhibit."

Dick Call didn't live to see his vision become reality. He died in 2014.

"When I think of community life, I’m reminded of Dick Call and the values he lived by each day," Sunser said. "It is most fitting that this structure bears his name."

The central role of agriculture in the region is on display in the front hallway of the new arena.

"Those visitors will immediately grasp the values and traditions that define our community and make it so special," Sunser said. "Our community has thrived in a large part because of the agriculture. We all know that agriculture is the driving economic engine and force in our GLOW county region and agriculture is the driving force behind the values that we cherish in our community."

Peter Call said the dedication was a proud day for his family and the community and he thanked the community members who turned out for the event.

"I’ve traveled around and been to many community colleges and certainly our campus and now, with these two new buildings, we are above everyone, any community college anywhere as far as facilities," Peter Call said. "It’s very easy to say but it’s just a fact. It’s wonderful."

Laura J. Bohm, chair, board of trustees

GCC President Jim Sunser

Craig Yunker

Batavia Middle School was packed Thursday night for a first-day-of-school open house, giving parents a chance to visit their children's classes, meet teachers, find out what students would be studying, what homework expectations were and other information about the school year.

Above, teacher Sarah Gahagan points to where homework assignments are written on a whiteboard.

For the past three years, Gahagan has led a group called Girls on the Run. This year, she will continue Girls on the Run, but will also lead a new group, B Squad Running Club.

Like Girls on the Run, B Squad will be a running group, but with a focus on building community ties and relationships, with visits to role models, successful businesses. The participating boys will run or walk to the local location.

Students at Batavia Middle School interested in participating should visit Mrs. Gahagan's room (A116) at 2:45 p.m., Sept. 11. 

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