batavia

A porch fire extending to the second floor is reported at 216 North St., Batavia.

All occupants are reported out of the residence.

City fire on scene. The third platoon is requested to headquarters.

UPDATE 5:10 a.m.: Fire is out, checking for extension.

File photo of GO ART! Executive Director Gregory Hallock.

The executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council -- GO ART! -- is battling a rare form of cancer. There will be a raffle and fundraiser on Friday, March 27, to help Gregory Hallock and his family defray medical expenses.

The community is encouraged to help support him and his family during this difficult time.

The benefit for Hallock will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at GO ART!, located in the historic Seymour Building, 201 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

Tickets are $20 each. Only 500 will be sold.

Tickets are available at GO ART! and during business hours at Artic Refrigeration Co. of Batavia, located at 26 Cedar St. in the City of Batavia.

They are also available to buy online through the Batavia Society of Artists, here.

Baskets and an art raffle will also be held -- 10 tickets for $5.

Enter to win a Kegerator and half keg -- a $1,000 retail value. The drawing will be held at 8 o'clock; you need not be present to win.

For more information, contact Stuart McLean at (585) 729-7234 by phoning or texting; or email him at:   smclean17@yahoo.com

GO ART!'s galleries inside Seymour Place are open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Additional gallery hours and office hours are available by appointment.)

Tavern 2.o.1, located inside Seymour Place, is open from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

GO ART! was established in 1962 and is dedicated to developing the cultural life in Genesee and Orleans counties by facilitating the creation, presentation and experience of art, heritage and traditions.

For a story about how Hallock has grown the nonprofit GO ART! and raised its profile in the community since taking the helm in July 2017, click here.

A Meat Raffle to support Batavia High School varsity baseball and softball teams will be held starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6 at Ascension Parish's Slomba Hall, 17 Sumner St., Batavia.

There will be many raffles and prizes, too.

Tickets are $10 and the price includes a food buffet and beverage. Presale tickets. If any remain, they will be sold at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For groups of eight or more, contact Lori at (585) 409-0452 or email Sue Ryan at:   spryan3412@gmail.com

Any BHS player will have tickets available to sell.

Come out for a great time and support our local teams!

Information from Don Chmielowiec.

The results are in for Groundhog Day 2020, which was yesterday: Punxsutawney Phil could not find his shadow.

And as the legend goes, this means we're in for an early spring.

The Pennsylvania groundhog isn't the only weather-predicting rodent in this curious American tradition, although he's the most famous.

Groundhog Day is a good enough excuse for a wintry get-together at the Batavia home of Don and Cheryl Chmielowiec on East Avenue. This was their 11th annual event, but faux-fur Phil's first appearance there.

Mike Pullinzi debuted the rodent suit he bought off ebay several months ago. It was a big surprise for everyone who attended. Pullinzi revealed his true identity after friends and revelers took their group picture.

"We didn't know who it was for over an hour," says Don Chmielowiec, who had 60 Groundhog Day buttons made and still has two -- which means 58 people attended in 2020.

The Batavia tradition was taken over by the Chmielowiecs from their longtime friend and former city councilman, Dan Snyder.

Sunday was a cold, slushy day of lake effect snowfall and, this being Western New York, today it's 41 degrees and there are some clouds and some sunshine.

That's all the reason an optimist apparently requires to make a definitive statement on the season.

"Spring is here as evidenced by my motorcycle ride this afternoon," Don writes in a text message, ending with a toothy emoji that's laughing so hard it's crying.

UPDATE 4 p.m.: Don Chmielowiec clarified that no costumed groundhog showed up at their party until this year's, so we fixed that in the story. He also sent another picture of faux-fur Phil looking puzzled outside a City of Batavia police patrol car, noting in jest that: "We aren't sure he made it home without getting into trouble though."

Photos courtesy of Marcy Pullinzi.

Above, Marcy Pullinzi and Jacqueline Patterson.

Above, Batavia hosts of a Groundhog Day party, Don and Cheryl Chmielowiec, and their special guest.

Above, Punxsutawney Phil​ seems to ask "What the heck?" We're not sure if he was naughty or not.

Write up and photos submitted by Matt Holman.

The Batavia Ski Team competed in a double race (two runs of Giant Slalom, one run of slalom) on a chilly overcast day at Swain. Saturday was also Senior Day, honoring the skiers of the Class of 2020. 

After a week of missing members due to illness and limited because of injury, the girls' team had a bounce-back day finishing fourth in GS and third in SL. Senior Aubrey Towner (top photo) was the team's top slalom skier, finishing in seventh place with a time of 50.70, 13th in GS. Lily Whiting was the team's top GS finisher at 12th with a combined time of 1:57.13 just ahead of Towner's 1:57.67.

Junior Zach Wagner finished in 12th in GS with a combined time of 1:40.67 and 15th in slalom with a time of 45.13.

Varsity racers will compete on Wednesday at Swain in the last race of the regular season.

The modified team wrapped up their season and the team's top finishers were: Ethan Bradley in 15th in GS and 12th in SL; Elijah Abdella was 13th in SL; Abby Bestine 19th in GS; and Brody Swinehart in 22nd in SL and 21st in GS.

Lily Whiting 

Zach Wagner

The Towner family with Coach Matt Holman.

Town of Batavia Fire Department held its annual awards banquet and installation of officers at Terry Hills on Saturday night. 

Bryan Moscicki was named Firefighter of the Year (top photo).

Tim Yaeger, a past chief and current board member, received the President's Award.

Jim Bouton responded to the most calls in 2019: 284.

Paul Barrett, a past chief, received his 35-year pin.

Joseph DeMarco, cofounder of Wings Flights of Hope, was on hand to accept a $1,000 donation from the department.

The 2020 Line Officers: Daniel Coffey, chief; James Bouton, deputy chief; Thomas Garlock, first assistant chief; Christopher Strathearn, second assistant chief; Conor Wilkes, captain; Russell Borden, lieutenant; Paul Barrett, safety officer.

Corporate Officers for 2020: Scott Garlock, president; Ian Sanfratello, vice president; Steve Coburn, secretary; Donal Koziol, treasurer; and directors -- Timothy Yaeger, Robert Tripp, Paul Barrett, Gary Giegelman and Daniel Jacques.

Second video, Town of Batavia fire's 2019 in Review, produced by Clayton Gorski.

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In girls' basketball on Saturday afternoon, the Batavia Blue Devils beat South Seneca 51-27.

Brynn Wormley scored 23 points for Batavia, hitting five three-pointers. Emma Krolczyk scored 12. Mackenzie Riegle scored 10.

Greg Houseknecht wrote a song to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant after the Lakers' star, along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people died in a helicopter crash in Southern California.

On April 19, 1862 a local paper reported “Grave Robbed in Batavia -- Great Excitement.” The story begins on Feb. 20^th of that year when 20-year-old Mary Buchanan was buried in the village cemetery, having died from what is believed to been consumption (tuberculosis, or "TB").

Young Mary’s mother is reported to have had dreamt on three occasions that her daughter had been exhumed from her eternal rest. To calm her anxiety, she visited her daughter's grave to discover that her dreams were true; the grave was empty.

“The body had been taken, and from the state of the clothes in the coffin it was evident that they had been torn off of the body by sacrilegious hands.”

Sheriff's deputies arrived and evidence was soon discovered pointing, as many believed, to a medical student named Forrest Page; parts of the remains of Mary Buchanan were discovered at a location where he resided.

Page was arrested by Deputy Hull and held on substantial bail.

It was in all actuality John Harding Page from the Town of Elba who was held to account.

The charge as taken from the court records of June 23, 1862 said: [paraphrased]

“John H. Page of the Town of Elba on the Twenty Fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty two…with force and arms did enter the public burying ground…did enter the grave there of Mary Buchanan and with force and arms unlawfully, willfully and indecently did dig, open and carry the body of Mary Buchanan from the grave for the purpose of dissection.”

He was indicted and admitted to being a medical student studying under a Dr. Root, of Batavia, and later coroner.

His trial was held in Genesee County beginning in the summer of 1862.

Page’s counsel, William Bryan, said that if his client was ever in the possession of any body unlawfully it was for aiding in his medical education.

Soon after the indictment was handed down “the Surgeon General in Washington, being in great need of medical assistances in U.S. hospitals because of the Civil War, interviewed Page for a Medical Cadet [but he was found in eligible]. He did however receive an appointment as an assistant surgeon with the U.S. Volunteers and was assigned to Ft. Scott in Kansas, Department of the Borders; this was in January of 1864.

The bail I believe was $1,000, approximately $25,000 in 2020 money. It appears, and I’ve not been able to completely prove, that he may have "jumped" bail and gone west with the Army. I found no disposition of the case.

Page -- whom some dubbed "Digging Doctor Page" aka "The Body Snatcher" -- died circa 1920.

Ones Forrest Page spent considerable time and effort during his lifetime trying to restore his notorious brother's reputation.

• Here is a link to a letter written by then Genesee County Coroner Dr. John Root to the Batavia Times verifying that John Harding Page was a medical student of his.
• Here is a link to a letter by Dr. John Root vouching for the abilities and qualifications of John Harding Page to serve as a surgeon.
• Here is a link to a letter from Dr. John Root to the Surgeon General asking to appoint John Harding Page to the Medical Corps. This was at or about the time Page's trial was going on. Page was subsequently rejected.
• Here is a link to a friendly, supportive letter to John Harding Page written Aug. 11, 1862 by Dr. John Root, explaining the situation back here in Batavia. At this point Page was, or appears to be, in Kansas.
• Here is a link to a four-page letter written to John Harding Page from his brother, Forrest Page; it shows the brother petitioned the Lieutenant Govenor for John Harding Page to be a Medical Cadet.

(Historical photos courtesy of Rochelle Wyatt, who is married to Dr. Page's grandson​.)

Press release:

There will be a Sixth Ward meeting held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4^th in the Council Board Room on the second floor of City Hall.

Council Member Rose Mary Christian would like to discuss progress of the Crime Task Force and opportunities to organize a neighborhood group to design and improve residents' safety.   

Martin D. Moore, Ph.D., City Manager

Top photo, Charles Nielans gives the life-saving gift of blood this morning at Notre Dame.

By noon today, 50 blood donors had participated in the 12th annual Matthew Kota Memorial Blood Drive at Notre Dame High School in Batavia.

The event runs until 2 p.m. and includes a bake sale and donation opportunity for the Matthew Kota Scholarship Fund for students at Notre Dame High School and Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School.

Jason and Nancy Kota along with their children Sean, Sara and Tyler are the hosts. The family lost their son and brother Matthew in 2008 at the age of 17 due to complications from brain surgery.

At this point, the Kota family has now collected 675 units -- and counting -- in their 12 years of hosting the blood drive.

Major League Baseball officials are apparently spreading false information about the Batavia Muckdogs as part of a negotiating tactic to destroy professional baseball in 42 communities, including Batavia.

Daniel Halem, MLB's deputy commissioner, said in a letter to a Minor League Baseball official that the Muckdogs have been sold and are being relocated to another city.

That is not true, City Manager Marty Moore said. Moore has spoken both with the Muckdogs general manager and Ben Hayes, president of the New York Penn League. The league owns the team.

Moore said city officials and club officials are excited about the upcoming 2020 season after the team's most successful season in many, many years in 2019 when attendance averaged 1,165 per game, up from 785 the previous season.

In Halem's letter to MiLB's Pat O’Conner, he wrote:

The recent information we learned about the Batavia affiliate not only proves this point but, frankly, calls into questions whether MiLB is truly pursuing a strategy in the “best interests of our 160 community partners.” Batavia is a failing affiliate, with both facility and economic issues, that was put into receivership by the NY Penn League (which essentially owns and operates the team). New York State officials requested that MLB officials meet with Batavia community officials to discuss how to preserve baseball in Batavia. After we set up the meeting, we learned for the first time from multiple sources (but not MiLB) that the NY Penn League sold Batavia — presumably for millions of dollars — to an owner who intends to move the team to another city. While this transaction certainly benefits the NY Penn League owners who may split millions in proceeds by selling an asset with no intrinsic value, we fail to see how it is in the “best interests” of the citizens of Batavia or MLB owners, whose minor league players endure unreasonable travel burdens because MiLB permits its affiliates to hopscotch around the country for purely economic reasons.

Moore said at no point have MLB officials contacted him or anybody else in the City of Batavia.  

Contrary to Halem's letter, if the team is ever sold, its "intrinsic value" would be split between the NYPL, the Rochester Red Wings (who operated the team for 10 years in exchange for equity in the club), and the Genesee Community Baseball Club, a community organization that would return its share of the proceeds to the community.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office this morning announced additional charges against a man who was released from custody in early December because of the new cashless bail system and since at least Jan. 1 has allegedly been involved in a crime spree in Batavia.

The new charges against 24-year-old Daniel Jon Lewis include eight counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, 13 counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th, and unlawful possession of a personal identification number.

Deputies Jordan Alejandro and James Stack arrested Lewis this morning as the result of an investigation of an incident reported at 11:53 p.m., Jan. 24. On that date, Lewis was taken into custody following a foot pursuit in the Haven Lane area of the Town of Batavia and deputies received a report of a man trying to gain entry into vehicles in the area of Rollin Circle East.

When Lewis was taken into custody, he was allegedly found in possession of a number of items believed to have stolen from parked vehicles, including credit cards and a checking account number.

At the time of his arrest this morning, Lewis was being held in the Genesee County Jail on a robbery charge. Lewis is accused of using a knife to menace and take property from a person on Bank Street on New Year's Day. Lewis was charged two days ago with the robbery following an investigation. Under the bail reform law, robbery is a qualifying offense for bail, so unlike the other alleged crimes of January, authorities were able to hold Lewis.

The night before the alleged Jan. 24 incident, Lewis was charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing a vehicle on Jan. 3 in the Town of Batavia. On that charge, Lewis was released on an appearance ticket.

On Jan. 25, a person stole a Spectrum work truck and following a pursuit on Oak Street, managed to evade capture. Chief Shawn Heubusch said Lewis is a person of interest in that incident.

On Dec. 6, Lewis entered a guilty plea to criminal possession of stolen property. The charge stemmed from his arrest in Pavilion earlier in 2019 where he and another person were found sleeping in a vehicle that contained a cache of stolen property, apparently taken from unlocked vehicles. He has not yet been sentenced on that charge but because of the bail reform law, Judge Charles Zambito released Lewis from custody pending his sentencing.