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Notre Dame defeats Elba to take Section V crown

By Howard B. Owens

For the third time in three meetings in 2012, Notre Dame beat Elba in boys basketball, but this time the game determined the Class D1 Section V champion.

It's the first sectional win for Notre Dame since 2001.

"They all laugh at me because I always say, 'you gotta dance with the girl you brought,' " said Coach Mike Rapone. "That's an old-timers saying, but we're not going to change anything. We're going to do what got us here."

After two previous meetings, both teams had to make adjustments, Rapone said.

"I give Elba a lot of credit," Rapone said. "They knew what we wanted to do and took a lot away from us."

Notre Dame (20-1) took a lead early, and though Elba (18-3) was often nipping at their lead, it wasn't until 3:42 left in the game that the Lancers held a 40-39 lead.

But after Doane McCulley hit a lay up and Zach Hotze sunk a three-pointer, Notre Dame didn't look back, holding on for a 50-45 point victory.

Zach Hotze and Tim McCulley had 16 points each for the Fighting Irish. Jared Thornton added 12 points.

"We're fortunate we hit our big shots when we had to," Rapone said.

One of the goals of the Irish, Rapone said, was to take the three-point play away from Dan Ramsey, whom Rapone said is one of the most consistent three-point shooters in the section.

Dan Ramsey was held to eight points for the game.

For the Lancers, Matt Ramsey had 14 points, Mike Ramsey nine. Mike Ramsey added nine rebounds.

The historic back-to-back championship match-ups between Elba and Notre Dame, with the Elba girls defeating the Notre Dame girls Friday night, was big for both schools.

"I don’t think it gets any better in small-school basketball than Notre Dame and Elba," Rapone said.

It's been a fun season at Notre Dame, according to Rapone, between the two basketball teams and the hockey team winning its Section V championship last week (the Irish skaters lost a regional playoff game Saturday night).

"We have a lot of school spirit and it’s been the most amazing winter ever," Rapone said. "I mean, the girls play for a championship, the boys make that miraculous run in hockey, everybody’s on cloud nine."

The Irish will face DeSales in a regional playoff game on Tuesday night.

If you have trouble viewing the slide show, click here.

To purchase prints of the photos, click here.

Care-A-Van Ministries to Hold Weekly Community Cookouts at Austin Park

By Robin Walters

 

Care-A-Van Ministries is pleased to announce that the City of Batavia has approved a permit to allow Care-A-Van to hold weekly Community Cookouts at Austin Park for the summer season of 2012.

For the past 10 years, Care-A-Van Ministries and their team of volunteeers have been going into the local neighborhoods to provide street church and cookouts. Paul Ohlson, Founder of Care-A-Van Ministries wanted to try something different this year. His vision is to bring the community together on a weekly basis for great food, music, sharing of the gospel and fellowship.

The weekly cookouts will be held on Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM beginning May 17th and will run through September 20th.

The cookouts will include hotdogs, hamburgs, salads, chips and a beverage. The Care-A-Van band will be providing music and local pastors will be giving a short sermon message. 

If any individuals, churches, businesses, or local agencies would like to get involved in the community cookouts, please give Paul a call at 585-343-0328

Also Doc Kavanaugh, director or Care-A-Van Band has put out this notice:
 
Care-A-Van  band is looking for musicians , singers and techs to join our dynamic , God centered , evangelistic music team .
 
We are a caring , sharing , praying team that is focused on encouraging and supporting each other while spreading the Gospel in the Batavia area through music .
 
We are looking for servants who will willingly help others on the team to grow in their talent and faith.
 
If you earnestly seek to share God’s Word through music to those who otherwise might never hear it , if you truly have a heart to serve the Lord and others , please consider joining our team .
Call or text  Doc at 585 749 8028 or write golfdoc@rochester.rr.com
 
Care-A-Van looks forward to an exciting fun summer!
 

Photos: Elba and Notre Dame girls Section V title game

By Howard B. Owens

As we reported last night, Elba girls beat Notre Dame on Friday night, 44-33, to take the Section V title.

Photos in this post submitted by Bare Antolos.

Tonight, Notre Dame beat Elba for the boys Section V title. We'll have pictures and a story in the morning.

In hockey, Notre Dame lost their regional game tonight.

Pole fire reported behind Chapin building

By Howard B. Owens

A utility pole is reportedly on fire with wires arcing behind the Chapin Manufacturing building on Ellicott Street.

City Fire Department responding.

UPDATE  8:08 p.m.: City fire on scene. Confirms burning and arcing. National Grid notified.

UPDATE 8:30 p.m.: National Grid supervisor on location.

Photos: Batavia Area Jaycees new business expo

By Howard B. Owens

The first regional home and business expo sponsored by the Batavia Area Jaycees kicked off this morning in Batavia City Centre.

The Genesee Region Expo replaces the home show run by the Jaycees for 60 years.

More than two dozen vendors are ready to explain to visitors this weekend how they can make their homes more attractive and more comfortable.

The event includes food and a kids zone for children to hang out while parents visit vendor booths.

The show runs today through 7 p.m. and tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Photos: Muckdogs annual Hot Stove Dinner

By Howard B. Owens

The Batavia Muckdogs Booster Club held its annual Hot Stove Dinner and auction at Terry Hills on Friday night.

Above Todd Jantzi, of Bontrager's, auctions off a painting being held by Joe Gerace. Below, Gerace receives a donation for Genesee Cancer Assistance from Brian Paris, president of Genesee County Baseball Club, Inc. And in the bottom photo, the Board of Directors of the Genesee County Baseball Club.

Elba beats Notre Dame for girls Section V basketball title

By Howard B. Owens

Intra-county rivals Elba and Notre Dame met in Letchworth tonight for a Section V title clash and the Lancers came out on top 44-33.

On Saturday, at 3 p.m., the Elba and Notre Dame boys teams will meet for the Section V title in Rochester.

As far as anybody knows, according to WBTA, it's the first time two schools from the same county clashed for a Section V title in both boys and girls basketball.

The Batavian will cover Saturday's game.

We expect some picture's from Friday's game later.

Car accident with injuries at Oak Street and Park Road in the city

By Billie Owens

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Oak Street and Park Road in Batavia. It is blocking traffic.

City firefighters and Mercy EMS are responding. Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE 5:22 p.m.: Extrication is needed. A second ambulance from Oakfield is requested.

UPDATE 5:33 p.m.: The ambulance out of Oakfield is cancelled. A power pole is damaged.

UPDATE 5:35 p.m.: Law enforcement is shutting down traffic at Park Road and Veterans Memorial Drive.

UPDATE 5:54 p.m.: A 45-year-old female driver is being transported to UMMC with complaints of ankle pain.

UPDATE 5:57 p.m.: City fire is back in service.

Photos: Workers remove loose bricks from facade of building on Swan Street

By Howard B. Owens

Workers were on Swan Street in Batavia today knocking away loose bricks from the facade of the old Wiard Plow factory office building. Property co-owner Todd Audsley said the goal was to remove loose bricks before high winds hit the area tonight.

Long-term, the owners are working on a restoration project for the building. The facade will eventually be restored to look as much like the original as possible.

There is a high-wind warning in place starting at midnight through 10 p.m., Saturday.

Winds of 35 to 40 mph are expected with gusts up to 70 mph.

Sponsored Post: Bonarigo & McCutcheon Introduces a New Attorney.

By Lisa Ace

 

The Batavia Law Firm of Bonarigo & McCutcheon is pleased to announce that Kristie L. DuRei has joined the practice as an associate attorney.
 
Ms. DuRei graduated from Batavia High School, holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Juris Doctor degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School. She is a member of the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Genesee and Wyoming County Bar Associations.
 
Bonarigo & McCutcheon is a full-service firm serving the area’s legal needs for over 25 years in matters of personal injury, matrimonial, family, business and corporate, estate planning and probate, criminal, DWI, and real estate law.
 
The office is located at 18 Ellicott St., Batavia, NY. For a consultation with Ms. DuRei please call (585) 344-1994 or visit their website at BonarigoMcCutcheon.com.

Woolly Book Worms discuss "The Capture" at Richmond library

By Billie Owens

The Woolly Book Worms -- a book discussion group for students in grades three through five and their favorite adult -- will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Richmond Memorial Library in the Children's Room.

The discuss will be about "The Capture" by Kathryn Lasky. Feel free to bring a knitting, crocheting or another project to work on while we discuss this month's book. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please register online, in-person or over the phone. Discussion titles are available at the Children’s Room desk.

Event Date and Time
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GCC's Civil War happenings: lectures continue, high-school essay contest, two new blogs

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Genesee Community College's four-part lecture series commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War continues from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in room T102 at the Batavia campus.

Kevin Levin, a noted Civil War expert and author, will carefully recount the Battle of Crater, which is the topic of his latest book.

The Battle of the Crater was a botched attempt by the Union Army to punch a hole in the Confederate line outside of Petersburg, Va. After tunneling under the Confederate position, Union soldiers packed the tunnel with TNT and then ignited the fuse. While the explosion was spectacular, the Union attack was poorly orchestrated and resulted in more than 5,000 casualties – many of them African-American soldiers who led the charge.

Levin is an instructor and the chair of the History Department at St. Anne's Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va. His book entitled "Remembering The Battle of the Crater: War as Murder" will be available in June.

GCC's Civil War Lecture Series is free and open to the public. To register for any of the Civil War lectures, contact GCC's BEST Center at 345-6868 or email bestcenter@genesee.edu.

Other upcoming lectures include:

Tuesday, April 3

"From Bondage to Freedom" by Kevin Cottrell, founder of Motherland Connextions, will discuss the Underground Railroad as it pertains to Western New York and Southern Ontario. Motherland Connextions is one of the first multicultural humanitarian efforts helping to spotlight the many effects diversity had in sustaining freedom, and instilling courage and hope in our communities nationwide.

Tuesday, May 1

"The Longstreet Family in War and Peace" by Terrianne Schulte, Ph.D., of D'Youville College. This talk explores the impact of the war and its aftermath with the well-known and controversial southern family, the Longstreets. Schulte will focus on Confederate General James Longstreet, his second wife, Helen Dortch Longstreet, and his uncle, Judge Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, the author of "Georgia Scenes."

Also featured this spring is a Civil War Essay Contest open to all students between grades nine and 12 with the topic, "War Takes a Nasty Turn: The Changing Nature of the War of 1862."

The first-place essay winner will receive a color Nook electronic reader. The essay should be a minimum of three pages formatted in 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spaced. All citations must be in written in Chicago Style (www.chicagomanualofstyle.org). All essays must be received electronically by Friday April 13 to ddmaxfield@genesee.edu. Winners will be announced before the final Civil War lecture at 7 p.m. on May 1.

"It is a real honor to be hosting a lecture by Kevin Levin, who is a well-known authority on the Civil War," Derek Maxfield, GCC's resident Civil War historian and history instructor said. "We are also very excited to share the developing details about GCC's Civil War Encampment that is scheduled in late April at our Lima Campus Center."

Genesee Community College has also developed two blogs -- the GCC GLOW Region History Co-Op Blog – which seeks to help promote partnerships with GLOW region historical organizations -- and the Civil War Blog, which is a part of the Civil War initiative. The war blog promotes upcoming events at the college and will feature posts about history instructor Maxfield's work.

The blogs can be found at www.glowhistory.wordpress.com and www.civilwaratgcc.wordpress.com.

Law and Order: Trio of youths accused of burglary in Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

Shane Scott, 17, of Forestville, Pa., William Gorton, 17, of 92 Lake St., Le Roy and a 15-year-old boy are accused of participating in a burglary. Shane and William are charged with burglary, 3rd, and attempted burglary, 2nd. They are accused of entering an apartment building Thursday on Bacon Street, Le Roy, and attempting to steal property from the apartment. The 15-year-old will be referred to Family Court. They were arraigned and released under supervision of the probation department. William was also charged with burglary, 2nd, in connection with an alleged break-in Feb. 19 on Myrtle Street. Additional arrests in the case are pending.

Katie L. Orlando, 19, of 24 Craigie St., Le Roy, is charged with coercion, 1st. Orlando is accused of going into the apartment of a person and threatening that person. Orlando allegedly later called that person on the phone and issued a threat. The alleged threats came after the victim reportedly called 9-1-1 the night before and were allegedly intended to intimidate the victim from calling 9-1-1 in the future. Orlando was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Steven Carnell McKnight, 18, of 14th Street, Buffalo, is charged with burglary, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 2nd. McKnight allegedly forced his way into a residence on Gabbey Road in Pembroke on Feb. 14 in order to steal property from the residence.

Willie F. Irvin II, 29, 12 Elm St., Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and reckless endangerment of property, and Randy Johnson, 24, of 110 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with reckless endangerment of property. Irvin and Johnson are accused of fighting in a bar in Batavia and in the process damaging a video game and glass display case.

Casey Willowbear, 52, of Sanford Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Willowbear was stopped for allegedly speeding at 9:12 p.m., Wednesday, on West Main Street Road by Deputy Matthew Fleming. She was allegedly found in possession of a glass pipe containing burnt marijuana inside her vehicle.

A 17-year-old of Judge Road, Alabama, is charged with petit larceny. An employee at Wilson Farms, 25 Main St., Oakfield, observed the youth allegedly trying to leave the store with merchandise concealed under her shirt.

GCEDC approves assistance for expansion projects for two local companies

By Howard B. Owens

The Genesee County Economic Development Center Board approved the following two projects for tax-abatement assistance:

University Eye/Lassiter Properties, 217 Summit St., Batavia. Planned 1,961-square-foot expansion, six new jobs, total capital investment of $755,000. Sales tax exemption on building materials and supplies of $26,000 and a PILOT tax exemption on the increased value of the property of $52,500 over 10 years.

R & D Electronics, 5272 Clinton St. Road, Stafford. Planned 10,800-square-foot expansion, six new jobs. The company will construct a warehouse facility and move its current electronics repair business into the new space. The company will use its existing space to expand its Ebay sales business selling refurbished and factory returned products. Total capital investment of $312,000. Sales tax exemption on building materials and supplies of $10,800, mortgage tax exemption of $2,500, PILOT tax exemption based on $76,700 of increased property value.

BID and Shop Batavia partner to promote downtown businesses

By Howard B. Owens

The Batavia Business Improvement District and Shop Batavia are now working together to help promote downtown businesses.

In a special arrangement for BID members, extra features and discounts are now available through Shop Batavia and participating BID members will be part of an association page, helping customers more easily find downtown businesses on the site.

BID members will be able to more effectively use Shop Batavia to promote their businesses and sell merchandise online with the enhanced features.

Details available in this PDF.

Sex offender and recent buglary suspect facing up to six years in prison after guilty plea

By Howard B. Owens

A registered sex offender who was also recently arrested on a burglary charge in Oakfield entered a guilty plea in Genesee County Court today and faces up to six years in prison.

Steven Mullen admitted to failure to register as a sex offender and burglary, 3rd.

He waived indictment on both charges and also waived his right to appeal.

The plea deal would mean one-and-a-third to four years in state prison on the failure to register charge and the burglary charge has a penalty of three to six years.

The sentences would be served concurrently.

In 2004, Mullen was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree and served two-and-a-half years in prison.

Mullen remains in Genesee County Jail on $100,000 bail.

Rochester man accused of dealing drugs pleads guilty, given shot at probation

By Howard B. Owens

A Rochester man accused of dealing cocaine in Batavia has a chance at avoiding prision if he can just stay out of trouble while awaiting his sentence.

In Genesee County Court today, Edward J. Fuller (aka "Taz"), 21, of 1906 Parsells St., Rochester, entered a guilty plea to attempted possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

The plea arrangement will mean what's known as "shock probation" (an intermittent jail sentence and five years probation) if he can do things such as obey his 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and stay in contact with Genesee Justice between now and his sentencing.

Fuller was arrested in Batavia on July 12 following an investigation by the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force. He was accused of possessing more than an ounce of cocaine and $3,000 in cash.

All other pending charges against Fuller were dropped as part of the plea deal.

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