batavia

On Saturday afternoon, Doug Palmer, owner of Major Stash Cigar, cut the red ribbon in front of his cigar lounge at Liberty and Ellicott (behind the Pok-A-Dot) to celebrate the grand opening of his business.

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A 23-year-old man who was released from custody in December after entering a guilty plea to stolen property charges and went on an apparent crime spree starting New Year's Day is facing new charges.

Daniel Jon Lewis, sometimes of Lima, sometimes of North Chili, also listed in arrest reports with no permanent address, has been charged with five counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th.

The property was allegedly stolen from vehicles in Stafford prior to Jan. 28 when the Sheriff's Office received complaints about items being stolen.

Lewis was arrested in Pavilion on Memorial Day after he and another person were found sleeping in a car that was filled with stolen property. In December, Lewis entered a guilty plea to criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree as a second felony offender and as a result, he faces a minimum prison sentence of one and a half to three years and a maximum sentence of two to four years.

However, citing the bail reform law that would be implemented in New York before sentencing, Judge Charles Zambito released Lewis from custody. Lewis would have been released from custody on Jan. 1 under terms of the bail reform law.

New accusations against Lewis for alleged crimes that took place in January:

• Stealing a vehicle on Jan. 23.
• Possession of stolen property charges from Jan. 24.
• He faces an additional 13 counts of criminal possession of stolen property from a Jan. 24 incident.
• He is being held in jail now as a suspect in a Jan. 1 robbery on Bank Street. He is also a person of interest in the theft of a Spectrum Truck and subsequent chase and foot pursuit on Jan. 25.

The Stafford crimes were investigated by Investigator Chad Minuto, Deputy Austin Heberlein, Deputy Ryan DeLong, Deputy Brook Cummins, Deputy James Stack, Deputy Chris Erion, and Trooper Hersee (first name not provided).

Press release:

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC) Board of Directors approved the sale of 28 acres of land parcels in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park at its Feb. 6 board meeting.

HP Hood is purchasing 22 acres and Upstate Niagara Cooperative is purchasing six acres. Both companies have plans to grow and expand their businesses in the Ag Park over the next several years. 

HP Hood and Upstate Niagara Cooperative are part of a food and beverage manufacturing hub that has invested more than $500 million into a food and beverage manufacturing hub that including the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park has more than 1 million square feet of facilities and more than 700 workers.

With the sale of the 28 acres, there are approximately 80 acres remaining in the Ag Park, including a 30-acre site with direct railroad access and a retail-friendly parcel at the park’s entrance on Route 5.

Donald Eugene Missel, 69, of Mill Road, West Seneca, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. At 4:48 p.m. on Feb. 6, Missel allegedly kicked a door and caused damage to a person's property in the 10000 block of Tinkham Road in Darien. Missel was arraigned in Darien Town Court at 10:25 that evening and released on his own recognizance. He is due back in Darien Town Court on Feb. 11. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Dimmig, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.

Travis George Hawley, 28, of Willow Street, Rochester, is charged with: operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or more; driving while intoxicated; being an unlicensed driver; and moving from lane unsafely. At 7:51 a.m. on Feb. 1, the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center received a report of a car vs. pole accident on Bloomingdale Road in the Town of Alabama. An investigation at the scene allegedly determined that Hawley was driving while intoxicated. He was issued appearance tickets returnable to Town of Alabama Court on Feb. 26. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin McCarthy, assisted by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Tonya Weber Jackson, 35, of Liberty Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court on Feb. 2. She was located at a residence on East Avenue in Batavia and arraigned in city court on Feb. 6. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.

Orin Ardell Dinkins, 47, of Glenville Drive, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration. Dinkins was arrested following a traffic stop at 1:41 p.m. Feb. 5 on Oak Street in Batavia. He was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on Feb. 25. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Andre.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors approved various applications for assistance at the agency’s Feb. 6 board meeting. If the applications for incentives are approved, the projects would generate approximately $49 million in capital investment in Genesee County.

The Ellicott Station project, a $22 million mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project in Downtown Batavia, would receive $3.6 million in economic incentives, including a $2,105,792 property tax exemption, a $790,512 sales tax exemption, and a $180,792 mortgage tax exemption.

The developer, Savarino Companies, plans to construct 55 workforce apartments as part of an adaptive reuse of a former manufacturing facility on a brownfield site that would transform a major gateway to the city. The project is also seeking support from the New York State Office of Community Renewal.

Ellicott Place is a $3.1 million redevelopment of 45-47 Ellicott St. by V.J. Gautieri Constructors. The project includes the construction of 10 second-floor apartments at the existing facility, along with the development of first-floor storefronts and building-wide façade improvements. Ellicott Place would receive approximately $130,000 in economic incentives, including a $110,400 sales tax exemption and a $20,000 mortgage tax exemption.

Both projects support Genesee County’s EDGE economic development strategy for housing to support the growth of local businesses and were recognized as strategic projects in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) announced by Governor Cuomo in 2018.

Mega Properties is proposing to invest approximately $3 million to build a 60,000-square-foot warehouse in the Town of Batavia at the Gateway II Corporate Park. It is the first phase for a project where the developer plans to triple the size of the facility in future phases.

Mega Properties would receive a PILOT -- Payment In Lieu Of Taxes -- valued at $400,497 as well as sales tax exemptions of $128,000 and a mortgage tax exemption of $30,000 for a total savings of $558,497.

Borrego Solar would receive incentives totaling $2.5 million for the construction of five community solar projects. Borrego Solar is investing approximately $21.6 million.

The five projects would generate a total of 26 megawatts* and approximately $2.4 million to local taxing jurisdictions, including the Elba, Pembroke, and Akron central school districts. Each project would also contribute $25,000 toward a community benefits agreement to support STEM* education and economic development initiatives.

Borrego’s projects are proposed at 3104 W. Main Street Road, 3232 W. Main Street Road and 5230 Batavia-Stafford Townline Road in the Town of Batavia and at 241 Knapp Road East and 241 Knapp Road West in the Town of Pembroke.

* A megawatt is a unit for measuring power that is equivalent to one million watts. One megawatt is equivalent to the energy produced by 10 automobile engines.

* STEM is an acronym for: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathmatics.

Write-up and photos submitted by Matt Holman.

It was a cold and clear night for the Batavia High School Ski Team as they wrapped up their regular season on Wednesday, with a two-run slalom race on Wheels Run at Swain Resort.

Junior Zach Wagner was the team's top skier with a combined time of 1:45.39, which put him in 14th place for the boys.

After a spectacular first run, putting her in sixth place, Aubrey Towner fell at the top of the course, but got up, hiked and finished her season and career at Swain with a two-run finish in 21st. Eighth-grader Lily Wagner was 23rd and Junior Lily Whiting missed a gate on the first run, but her second was good enough for 14th.

The season ends with the girls with a fourth-place team finish in the Southern Tier Race League.

Aubrey Towner finished in ninth, earning a spot on the league's all-star team. The first time in many years that Batavia has had a girl in the top 10. Lily Whiting also had a very successful season finishing in 14th, Lily Wagner finished 24th and Zach Wagner finished in 13th on the boy's side.

The Alpine Ski Team will next compete at the sectionals on Feb. 11th and 12th at Bristol Mountain.

Top photo: Zach Wagner

Lily Whiting

Aubrey Towner

Le Roy on its match in the Scholastic Bowl at GCC on Thursday night, beating Elba 260-120.

On Wednesday, Notre Dame won with 330 points to 290 for Batavia and 140 for Akron.

Also on Wednesday, Attica scored 310 for a victory over Alexander, 290, and Alden, 170.

Town of Batavia fire is responding to a reported motor vehicle accident in the eastbound lane of the Thruway in the area of mile marker 393.

A car is reportedly on its roof.

Unknown injuries.

Mercy EMS also dispatched.

Press release:

The Forum Players, Genesee Community College's theater arts students, and members of the local theater community are excited to open the 2020 spring season with "Doubt: A Parable," written by John Patrick Shanley, which won both a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award in 2005.

This performance is a brilliant and powerful drama which tells the story of Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal who takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with a male student.

Shanley not only wrote the play, but he also wrote the screenplay and directed it as a film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

GCC's talented Forum Players bring this parable to life with four live performances, directed by Maryanne Arena and Jaime Arena, which are intended for mature audiences (age 16 and up). Performances are in the Stuart Steiner Theatre, 1 College Road, Batavia.

• Thursday, Feb. 20, at 12:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22, both at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m.

The cast includes:

• Lucine Kauffman, of Elba, as Sister Aloysius
• Sam Rigerman, of Batavia, as Father Flynn
• Nevaeh Vindigni-Kretchmer, of Rochester, as Sister James (alternating the role)
• Alyssa Young, of Holley, as Sister James (alternating the role)
• Francesca Pieter, of Willemstad, Curacao as Mrs. Muller (alternating the role)
• Caitlynne Tape, of Syracuse, as Mrs. Muller (alternating the role)

The crew includes:

• Brodie McPherson, of Rochester, as technical director and production designer
• Emily Grierson, of Perry, as stage manager
• Tiago Ortega, of Sao Paulo, Brazil as a backstage assistant
• Leah Plummer, of Bradford, Pa., as a backstage assistant

Tickets for these shows are available online here. The cost is $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors (55+) and students (16+) and GCC faculty/ staff. GCC students with ID are $3, and GCC alumni with ID will receive a $2 discount on an adult ticket.

To reserve seats, you may also contact the GCC box office at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814. 

Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian hosted a Ward 6 public meeting at City Hall on Tuesday evening.

Citizens spoke out on topics ranging from: a registered sex offender living next to a park where children play to the status of the GCASA-owned building on South Swan; the recent robbery by Pizza Hut; sidewalks; and the proposal for a new skate park in the city.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski, Assistant Police Chief Chris Camp, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch, and Probation Officer Michele Tucci, were on hand to discuss issues with residents.

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Press release:

At 4:56 a.m. today, Feb. 5, the City of Batavia Fire Department was dispatched to a reported residential fire at located at 216 North St. First arriving fire units were on-scene at 5 a.m.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire involving the front porch of the home extending to the exterior siding. Responding crews made an aggressive attack and were able to confine and contain the fire to the exterior of the home and the situation was called under control by command at 5:07 am.

While the fire was contained to the exterior of the residence, two vehicles located in the driveway along the home received significant damage due to the intensity of the fire.

At this time the City of Batavia’s Fire Investigation team is investigating the fire to determine the origin and cause. Presently, the fire does not appear to be incendiary in nature.

Once a determination has been made, we will be providing an additional media release with further information.

City fire was assisted at the scene by the City of Batavia Police with additional support provided by the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch.

(Initial Post)

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider accepting an application for assistance from Mega Properties at the GCEDC’s Feb. 6 board meeting.

Mega Properties is investing approximately $3 million to build a 60,000-square-foot distribution warehouse in the Town of Batavia at the Gateway II Corporate Park.

The project is the first phase of development on a 22.2-acre site purchased by Mega Properties in 2019. The site could accommodate approximately 120,000 square feet of additional facilities.

Mega Properties has long-standing ties to Batavia, having launched in Batavia’s Harvester Business Incubation Center more than 30 years ago. The business is currently based at the Gateway I Corporate Park in the Town of Batavia.

Mega Properties is seeking approximately $558,497 in assistance, including a property tax exemption of $400,497, a sales tax exemption of $128,000, and a mortgage tax exemption of $30,000.

Since the project is requesting more than $100,000 in incentives, public hearings will be scheduled for comment and feedback to the requests.

The Gateway II Corporate Park is located less than a mile from Interstate 90 Exit 48 in the Town of Batavia and is home to Ashley Furniture HomeStore’s regional distribution facility.

The Gateway II Corporate Park is also the site of Gallina Development’s manufacturing/distribution flex building -- the Gateway GS campus, which has immediate availability for lease tenants seeking 4,500- to 27,000-square-feet of space.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider accepting applications for assistance from two Batavia Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) strategic projects at the GCEDC’s Feb. 6 board meeting.

Together, the Ellicott Station and Ellicott Place projects are proposing 65 new apartments that support Genesee County’s EDGE economic development strategy for housing to support the growth of Genesee County’s businesses and communities.

Ellicott Station is a $22.5 million mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project by Savarino Companies that includes adaptive reuse and new construction on Ellicott Street in the City of Batavia. This blighted property is a key gateway entrance to Downtown Batavia, and the project would create 20 additional jobs to Downtown Batavia’s business community.

Considerable brownfield remediation, site improvements, and construction are proposed, including a five-story apartment building with 55 new modern workforce housing units, along with a brewery, restaurant/beer garden, and preparation for additional development at the 3.31-acre site.

Ellicott Station is requesting approximately $3.6 million in economic incentives, with a $2,105,792 property tax exemption, a $790,512 sales tax exemption, and a $180,792 mortgage tax exemption. Revenues from the project will also contribute to the Batavia Pathway to Prosperity brownfield redevelopment fund.

Ellicott Place is a $3.1 million redevelopment of 45-47 Ellicott St. by V.J. Gautieri Constructors that includes the creation of and access to residential and commercial spaces in Downtown Batavia.

The project will construct 10 second-floor apartments at the existing facility, along with the development of first-floor storefronts and building-wide façade improvements. The redevelopment of Ellicott Place is estimated to create nine additional jobs to Downtown Batavia’s business community.

Ellicott Place is requesting approximately $130,000 in economic incentives, with a $110,400 sales tax exemption and a $20,000 mortgage tax exemption.

Ellicott Station and Ellicott Place were among eight transformational investments announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as enabling the Batavia DRI’s strategy to drive new, mixed-use development, improved access to local healthcare, and transform public spaces for community use.

Since both the projects are requesting more than $100,000 in incentives, public hearings will be scheduled for comment and feedback to the requests.

Press release from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A physician from Batavia, Matthew Landfried, is returning home from Washington, D.C., after providing medical support during the 2020 State of the Union Address by President Donald J. Trump on Feb. 4.

Landfried is a surgeon who serves as a member of the National Disaster Medical System’s (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistance Team. During events such as the State of the Union, NDMS personnel along with U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers stand ready to provide advanced life support and basic medical care to everyone attending the event.

NDMS is a federally administered program that can support communities with medical care, veterinarian care, and mortuary assistance during disasters or public health emergencies.

NDMS is among the resources made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). They also work behind the scenes at some of our nation’s biggest events, often at the request of the Congressional Office of the Attending Physician, the U.S. Capitol Police, or the U.S. Secret Service.

“Typically at events like this we see people who have minor cuts or sprains or other non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses,” explains Dr. Helga Scharf-Bell, NDMS acting director. “However, we also can provide initial life-saving care for more serious injuries or illnesses and stabilize patients for transportation by DC Fire/EMS to a local hospital.”

NDMS comprises approximately 5,000 physicians, nurses, veterinary staff, paramedics, fatality management professionals, and experienced command and control staff, organized into several different response teams, including, but not limited to: Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams, National Veterinary Response Teams, and Trauma Critical Care Teams. Providing medical care during emergencies and special events, such as the State of the Union Address, can overwhelm local and state resources. ASPR looks to the expertise within NDMS from across the country to assist in the response.

During the State of the Union Address, the Vice President, First Lady, Cabinet Secretaries, both Houses of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior level government officials come together in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol. The State of the Union Address gives the President the opportunity to report on the condition of our nation and outline his legislative agenda and priorities to Congress and the American people.

As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ASPR’s mission is to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health security threats. ASPR leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies. During special security events like the State of the Union Address, ASPR stands ready to serve in case of an emergency. For more information about federal medical response and NDMS, visit www.phe.gov.

File photo of Dr. Matthew Landfried taken Nov. 30, 2018 at Terry Hills in Batavia when he received the Jerome Foundation's Health and Humanitarian Award. (A month prior to that, in October 2018, he was honored by Batavia's Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation during National Italian-American Heritage Month.)

Information from Blue Pearl Yoga:

Blue Pearl Yoga in Downtown Batavia is very excited to have Sonam Targee of Ancient Universal Medicine of Rochester join us again for a Healing Sound Bath on Saturday, Feb. 15.

A Healing Sound Bath is a relaxation technique and meditative experience. Participants “bathe” in the sound waves produced by chimes, gongs, drums, singing bowls, voice and more. It is a healing meditation through the use of sound and vibration.

"It is like a purifying shower of love through sound," according to proponents.

Targee brings more than 30 years of expertise in sacred music and sound healing. His expertise in sacred music, sound healing and the spiritual arts gives him a diverse palate of healing modalities from which to choose and to impart.

Targee performs regularly as a musician and leads groups in Kirtan (sacred chanting).

“Music can open your heart and create a profound sense of inner peace, a place where healing can occur,” Targee says.

The Healing Sound Bath will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 15 at the yoga studio, located on the third floor of the historic Masonic Temple building located at 200 E. Main St.

Presale tickets are $35. If any remain, tickets will be $40 at the door.

A fire was reported at a residence in the Westside Mobile Home Park, 4016 W. Main Street Road, lot #6, Batavia. The occupant is still inside. But a Sheriff's deputy on scene reports the occupant says smoke filling the mobile home is due to burnt food and is refusing to go outside. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding.