batavia

An open burn is reported in the area of 139 Oak St., Batavia.

City fire and Batavia PD being dispatched.

UPDATE 7:28 p.m.: The fire is behind 131 Oak St. and firefighters will be putting it out with a canister.

An alleged assault at an apartment on Jackson Street, Batavia, prompted responding Mercy medics to inquire about the availability of Mercy Flight. The intended destination would be Strong Memorial Hospital. City police and fire on scene.

UPDATE 5:46 p.m.: City Engine 16 back in service. Mercy medic #1 is taking the victim via ambulance to the Mercy Flight hangar for transport to Strong.

UPDATE 5:53 p.m. (by Howard): At this point, police can't even say for sure it was an assault. Officer Chad Richards said the patient showed up at the apartment and was unresponsive by the time police arrived, so he couldn't be interviewed. "We don't even know how he got here," Richards said. He suffered some sort of apparent head trauma. Police will be interviewing people to try and determine what happened. No further information available at this time.

UPDATE 10:15 p.m.: Sgt. Chris Camp says the victim was not injured as seriously as it initially appeared. He's at Strong Memorial Hospital and has been interviewed.  However, he's not yet able to provide much information. Camp said police are leaning toward a possible assault but haven't ruled out other explanations. The victim's name is being withheld pending further investigation.

Among the headstones knocked over in the Elmwood Cemetery this weekend, according to Superintendent Steve Davis, was one marking the grave of a toddler.

In all, some 25 headstones were knocked over sometime over the weekend.

"I've been here almost 20 years and every year we get some form of vandalism," Davis said.

It's not always headstones getting knocked over, Davis said. Makers have been spray-painted; glass bottles have been broken on graves; and flower pots have been stolen. One time, somebody even vandalized the veterans memorial at Elmwood.

"I don't know, maybe it's just a bad neighborhood," Davis said.

In 2009, five 12-year-olds were identified as the youths who knocked over 75 headstones, but usually, the vandals are never caught.

Davis has already put the smaller headstones, including the 2-year-old's, back in place, but other will need the base leveled and the headstones epoxyed back in place.

That will cost some $500 to $600, Davis said.

With every internment in New York, there's a $5 fee paid to the State of New York for a vandalism fund. The cemetery board will have the option of applying for reimbursement from that fund, but payment could take up to a year, Davis said.

In 2009, Elmwood received about $1,000 for the damage caused by the 12-year-olds.

Davis did file a police report. Anybody with information about the vandalism can contact BPD at (585) 345-6350.

Marianne B. Molaro, 53, of 2224 Ham Road, Oakfield, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Molaro allegedly removed business records from her place of employment containing data of a scientific or technical process.

Meaghan L. Schiavi, 21, of 43 N. Main St., Perry, is charged with identity theft. Schiavi allegedly used credit card information from a friend and made a purchase in the Village of Le Roy.

Bernard Lee Evans, 43, of Cato Street, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Evans allegedly contacted his ex-girlfriend 16 times by mobile phone in an alleged violation of a court order of protection.

Bryon Gilbert Keller, 19, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Keller allegedly violated an order of protection.

Justin L. Pyatt, 26, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of harassment, 2nd, criminal mischief, 3rd, and petit larceny. During an incident reported at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, Pyatt allegedly made threats to harm another person, took property that belonged to that person, shoved that person and hit a refrigerator causing damage to the person's property.

Paul Dennis Barth Jr., 23, of Cohocton Road, Corfu, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Barth allegedly approached a person while in Tops Market whom he has been ordered by a judge to not contact at all. Barth then allegedly followed the person to the Sheriff's Office on Park Road. The alleged incident was reported at 3:15 p.m.. Barth was arrested by Officer James DeFreze and jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Christopher R. Hoover, 27, of North Drive, Rochester, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Hoover was turned over to Batavia on a warrant after he was taken into custody by Greece PD. He was jailed without bail.

Early this afternoon workers with Turnbull Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration hoisted a new air-conditioning unit onto the rooftop of a building on Liberty Street, Batavia.

Centennial Blog -- eighth in a series

Batavia officially became a city on Jan. 1, 1915 after having been an incorporated village since 1823. The transition involved a progression through several steps during 1914. During 2014, I will be acknowledging each of these events 100 years after their occurrence.

On April 15, 100 years ago, the governor of New York, Martin H. Glynn, had before him a bill proposed by the Village of Batavia Aldermen and passed by the State legislature. It was a bill that would make Batavia the 54^th city in the state. However, there was a question as to whether the governor would sign the bill. His predecessor, William Sulzer had vetoed a highly similar bill a year earlier because of opposition from Batavia’s Charter Revision Commission.

On the surface, the situation hadn’t changed much. Members of the Commission still favored a city government run by a city manager and five nonpartisan councilmen elected at large. The Aldermen’s bill, approved by the State legislature and now on the governor’s desk, provided for a mayor, six councilmen each elected from a city ward, and all seven affiliated with a political party.

However, there were two differences this year. One was that the Aldermen’s bill had been amended to require a referendum vote by the residents of Batavia. If a majority voted against the Aldermen’s bill, its provisions would not go into effect. A second difference was the existence of another bill moving through the legislature, the so-called Murtaugh Bill. Under this bill, residents of a city could petition for a change in the form of their city government; and if a majority of voters favored that change, it would go into effect.

Among the options under the Murtaugh Bill was one that matched the form of government favored by Batavia’s Charter Revision Commission. So, even if the Aldermen’s bill was approved in the referendum, Batavians could later vote to change the form of Batavia’s government to the one proposed by the Commission.

Under this new set of circumstances, the members of the Charter Revision Commission chose not to seek the governor’s veto of the Aldermen’s bill. And so, on April 15^th, Governor Glynn signed it into law as Chapter 354 of the Laws of 1914. The next step would be the required referendum vote to be held on June 8^th.

How did Batavians vote in the referendum? In seven weeks, I will let you know.

Press release:

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC) has been approved for a grant up to $130,000 from National Grid that will be used to continue the development of the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park (GVAB). The Agri-Business Park is home to Alpina Foods, LLC, and Muller Quaker Dairy, LLC.

The GGLDC, the real estate affiliate of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), recently acquired 37 acres of land adjacent to the Agri-Business Park. The grant from National Grid will be used to extend the current electrical distribution line along the newly constructed access road, as well as the engineering and design of the extension of the road, water and sewer lines.

The approximate $600,000 project is being funded by the GGLDC and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Agency and is expected to create approximately 100 construction jobs.

“National Grid continues to be a phenomenal partner in our economic development efforts in Genesee County and you have to look no further than to the continued growth of Agri-Park to see the return on investment of the various grants the company has provided through the years,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO, GCEDC.

“Genesee County continues to be a model for how to do economic development in New York State,” said National Grid Regional Executive Dennis Elsenbeck. “We are confident that the job creation and capital investment made to date in the Agri-Business Park will continue to occur as Steve and his team expand its footprint.”

The approved grant will be paid out upon project completion and comes from National Grid’s Shovel-Ready Incentive Program, which was created to help make high-potential sites more marketable for the expansion of job-creating companies. Information about National Grid’s suite of economic programs is available at www.shovelready.com.

Rhonda L. Reisman, 41, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with restrictions on running at large, prohibited nuisances (harboring a vicious dog) and harboring an unlicensed dog. Reisman is accused of owning a dog that was loose at 2 a.m. Monday and attacked a woman and her dog while on a walk. The woman and the dog both suffered injuries. Police believe this is not the first time this same dog has attacked the same woman. The dog was seized and is currently under the supervision and care of the Animal Shelter.

Robert M. Freeman, 22, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment. Freeman is accused of driving the wheel of a vehicle being driven by another person at 10:38 p.m. Monday while on East Avenue, Batavia, causing the vehicle to strike the curb. There was allegedly a small child passenger in the car at the time. Freeman was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Ramel Joshua Askew, 20, of Rosedale Avenue, Bronx, is charged with disorderly conduct. Askew was allegedly using obscene and abusive language at 3:56 p.m. Tuesday while in front of the entrance of 14 W. Main St., Batavia.

Paul Dennis Barth Jr., 23, of Cohocton Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Barth is accused of violating a Family Court order by contacting the protected person through a text message.

It was all fun and games in the children's section of the Richmond Memorial Library this afternoon as staff threw a birthday party for the library.

Batavia's library, founded with a gift from the widow of Dean Richmond, is 125 years old this month.

Today, the children participating in the party made birthday hats and played games.

SAVE THE DATE! Our Spring Fashion Eyewear Event will be held Thursday, April 24th from 3-7 p.m. Featuring the new Prada and Dolce & Gabanna 2014 collections. Come and browse all their newest Italian-made designer frames, offered at substantial savings!!

A Batavia man who admitted in February that he stole a debit card to make purchases over the Internet told Judge Robert C. Noonan today that he's turned his life over to Jesus.

Bruce J. Brade, 33, of Galloway Road, read from a long, typed-written statement that ended with his request for leniency. 

Within terms of his plea deal, Noonan sentenced him to six months intermittant jail time and five years probation.

That settles a case from January in which Brade was arrested on charges of identify theft, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th.

He still faces future prosecution for allegedly stealing checks from his grandmother over the course of several months in 2013 while he was living with her. The value of the checks allegedly totaled $3,680.

Brade told Noonan that he knows he's done wrong and that he's hurt people. He said he's sold many personal items in order to make restitution to his victims and intends to pay back every dime he stole. He said he relies on his relationship with God to move forward and three men in his church who mentor him and hold him accountable. He said he's enrolled full time in a four-year college and has applied to a nursing school.

He's also receiving guidance and a counseling through the Veterans Court and is involved with the VA. He's receiving tuition assistance through his G.I. Bill of Rights.

"I take full responsibility for my stupid choices," Brade said.

He said he hates jail and never wants to go back. He said he doesn't understand why some people who have been in jail get themselves in trouble again.

Noonan said he found the Probation Department's pre-sentence report on Brade "rather interesting." The report says Brade is disingenuous about some of his statements, according to Noonan.

Probation, the judge said, "is probably a good way to ensure you're supervised."

It's supposed to be spring, right? Well, it snowed today and it should be in the low 20s overnight.

That might seem unseasonably cold, but according to the Farmer's Almanac, the average last day of frost in Batavia -- with a 50 percent probability -- is May 4.

Plan your spring planting accordingly.

Above, snow dusting cars at Falleti Motors.

A woman with a snow-speckled blue umbrella on East Main Street.

The Tonawanda Creek along West Main Street.

An accident involving a truck and another vehicle is reported in front of the Community Action Center, 5073 Clinton Street Road. The driver of the truck is pregnant and law enforcement on scene has requested a medic to evaluate her. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding and Mercy medics are on scene.

UPDATE 10:51 a.m.: The town assignment went back in service about five minutes ago.

Skyler Hampton works intently on his animated character "The Boxer" during an animation workshop this morning at GO ART!

Youngsters 9 to 12 years old are being shown the foundations of animation by Dave Puls, creative director for Animatus Studios in Rochester over the course of a three-day workshop.

Dave Puls.

Cole Ashley and Skyler Hampton.

The Boxer.

Lily Whiting at work on her project.

Melissa R. Piazza, 25, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass, harassment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Piazza allegedly told another woman that she was going to kill her, broke a screen window and was trespassing on residential property. The alleged incident was reported at 7:47 a.m. Sunday. Piazza was jailed on $1,000 bail.

A 17-year-old resident of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving with no headlights and failure to keep right. The teen was stopped at 10:20 p.m. Saturday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Matthew Lutey.

Jeremy A. Preston, 23, of Prospect Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Preston was stopped at 10:35 a.m. Thursday on Prospect Avenue by Officer Devon Pahuta.

Michael L. Williams, 34, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Williams allegedly slapped a child during a domestic incident. He also allegedly grabbed and punched a woman while a child was watching. Williams was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Bobby L. Mobley Sr., 55, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, refusal to take breath test and driving with inadequate stop lamps. Mobley was stopped at 11:37 p.m. Saturday on Central Avenue, Batavia, by Officer Jason Ivison.

Krisopher A. Anderson, 22, of North Lyon Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Anderson was charged following a call for an alleged domestic incident at 2:40 a.m., Saturday.

Sara T. Cupler, 21, of Church Street, Alabama, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Cupler was arrested by Officer Devon Pahuta following a call to assist another agency at a residence on West Main Street, Batavia.

Bernard Lee Evans, 43, of Cato Street, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Evans was arrested while incarcerated at the Genesee County Jail on new charges stemming from an alleged incident on March 26 on Starr Road, Pavilion. No further details released.

Christopher Edmond Nanni, 18, of Fox Road, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession marijuana and speeding. Nanni was stopped on Drake Street Road, Oakfield, at 12:07 a.m. Sunday, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Michael A. Michalow, 56, of Baitz Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with felony DWI, felony aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, driving without an ignitiation interlock, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, no stopping/standing on public highway, refusal to take breath test and unlicensed operation. Deputy James Diehl was dispatched at 9:11 p.m. April 4 to a report of a disabled vehicle blocking the roadway on Ledge Road, Alabama. Following an investigation, Michalow was arrested and jailed on $15,000 bail.

Megan Theresa Gill, 20, of Church Street, Le Roy, is  charged with harassment, 2nd. Gill allegedly grabbed a victim's arms and held them behind his back during a fight, which was reported at 3:32 p.m. April 5 at a location on Perry Road, Pavilion.

Gregory A. Dejesus, 23, of Perry Road, Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Dejesus is accused of striking a victim in her the face with a closed fist during an argument, which was reported at 3:32 p.m. April 5 at a location on Perry Road, Pavilion.

Aaron M. Hatt, 18, of Alexander, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and harassment, 2nd. Hatt was arrested by State Police following a report of an alleged incident at 11:03 a.m. Friday in the Town of Pembroke. No further details released.

A caller to dispatch complains of loud music and profanity coming from a place in the first block of Harvester Avenue in the city. Batavia police are responding.

A man who reportedly threw a ham at another customer inside of Sav-A-Lot is on the lam on Ellicott Street, according to dispatchers.

Police are responding after a manager complained that the man on the lam threw a ham at another customer.

The victim of the ham-throwing incident is in the parking lot.

Law enforcment is on scene at Radio Shack on Veterans Memorial Drive investigating a theft of items from the store.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male wearing "sparkly jeans." He's also missing a front tooth, is skinny and was wearing a baseball cap.

It's unknown if he fled on foot or got into a vehicle.

There's been a rash recently, according to Batavia PD, of counterfeit $20 bills being passed at local businesses.

The counterfeits are being discovered at banks after local businesses make their deposits.

Officer Eric Hill said it should be pretty easy to spot the fakes. They are photocopies of actual $20s. Hills recommends businesses use a counterfeit pen on all $20s coming into their shops.

"They will not pass the pen test," Hill said.

Here's more information on how to spot fake currency.

Batavia PD is looking to talk with anybody who might have information about the bills.

BPD can be reached through dispatch at (585) 345-6350 or leave a message on the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.