batavia

Ten months ago, the Civil War-era cannons that have sat as sentinels outside the Holland Land Office Museum since at least 1905, were sent to Altoona, Pa., for restoration by Seed Artillery and today, they returned to Batavia looking almost certainly much like they did when they were shipped to Batavia in the 1860s.

Residents on Trumbull Parkway has not only created a Little Free Library they also installed a bench, a planter, and a solar-powered light.

A four-vehicle accident, unknown injuries, is reported at West Main Street and River Street in the City of Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 7:11 p.m.: A car heading east on West Main Street slowed to make a left-hand turn onto Bogue Avenue, according to Sgt. Mitch Cowen, and while the next two cars in line came to a stop behind the turning a vehicle, a fourth vehicle did not stop, causing a chain-reaction accident. One vehicle was not damaged and left the scene after police arrived. One person sustained a minor injury and was transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC for evaluation. The driver of the fourth vehicle will likely be cited for following too closely, Cowen said.

Donna Lyn Hartman, 57, of Marlowe Road, Blasdell, is charged with second-degree identity theft. It is alleged that Hartman used a person's identity during a traffic stop in Livingston County. She was transported to Noyes Hospital in Dansville where she allegedly continued to use that identity. As a result, the Genesee County resident whose identity Hartman allegedly stole incurred more than $1,500 in medical expenses. Hartman was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. An order of protection was issued for the victim, who lives in Stafford. Hartman is due to appear in Town of Stafford Court on Oct. 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Minuto, assisted by Kevin Forsyth.

Willie Lee Williams, 34, of Laser Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, with a previous conviction. Williams was arrested July 17 following an investigation into an incident that occurred on June 29 on Hutchins Street in Batavia. He is accused of pointing a handgun, or what appeared to be a handgun, at another person's head and threatening to shoot him. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in Genesee County Jail (bail status not provided). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

David P. Grossman Sr., 37, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. He was arrested after a domestic incident at 7:73 p.m. on Aug. 6 on West Main Street, Batavia, during which he allegedly contacted a person with a stay away order of protection against him. Grossman was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on Nov. 10. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jordan McGinnis.

Jordan R. Rose, 19, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with: second-degree criminal contempt -- disobeying a mandate of the court; and aggravated family offense -- more than one offense within five years. He was arrested at 9:05 a.m. on July 31 after he allegedly violated a court order by calling the protected party numerous times over the phone. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on an appearance ticket. He is due to return to court Aug. 25. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Nicole McGinnis, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Rae Charlene Cook, 31, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. At 6:01 p.m. on Aug. 9, police allegedly observed Cook in the presence of an individual against whom she has an order of protection. Following her arrest, she was released with an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on Nov. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Adam Tucker, assisted by Officer Wesley Rissinger.

Daniel Robert Smythe, 32, of Main Street, Caledonia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. At 5:44 p.m. on Aug. 22 on South Street Road in Pavilion, Smythe was arrested following a complaint of a domestic incident. Smythe was arrested, issued an appearance ticket and is due in Pavilion Town Court on Oct. 10. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Sgt. Michael Lute.

Herbert B. Gennis, 26, of Raymond Avenue, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear in Batavia City Court July 23 on a charge of endangering the welfare of a child. He was arrested on Aug. 17 and arraigned in city court via Skype. Gennis was released and is due back in court on Sept. 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer John Gombos, assisted by Felicia DeGroot.

Mark Theodore Helm, 39, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with: possession of a hypodermic instrument; operating a motor vehicle without insurance; operating an unregistered motor vehicle; operating a motor vehicle with improper plates; failure to use turn signal. Helm was arrested at 6:03 p.m. on Aug. 15 following a traffic stop on West Main Street in Batavia. He was processed, issued an appearance ticket and released. He is due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Sean Wilson.

Jamar Andrew Malana, 23, of Culver Road, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. At 1:25 a.m. on Aug. 22, Malana was arrested on Clinton Street Road in Stafford after Genesee County Sheriff's deputies investigated a vehicle parked on Route 33 in Stafford. The defendant and a male passenger were allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance. Malana was also allegedly operating the vehicle without a valid NYS driver's license. Malana was released with an appearance ticket to be in Town of Stafford Court on Oct. 6. The case was handled by Deputy Jordan Alejandro, assisted by Deputy James Stack.

Mark Davonne Edwards, 23, of Ontario Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. At 1:25 a.m. on Aug. 22, Edwards was arrested after Genesee County Sheriff's deputies investigated a vehicle parked on Route 33 in Stafford. He was released on appearance tickets and is due in Town of Stafford Court on Oct. 6. The case was handled by Deputy Jordan Alejandro, assisted by Deputy James Stack.

Justin M. Ferrin, 43, of Albro Road, Bliss, is charged with issuing a bad check. Ferrin was arrested on a Batavia City Court warrant after turning himself in on Aug. 18. He was arraigned in city court and released on his own recognizance. He is due to return to city court on Aug. 10. The  case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Phillip D. Byford, 29, of Brockport Spencerport Road, Brockport, was arrested Aug. 16 on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court (charge(s) against him unspecified). He was arraigned in city court at 9:35 p.m. and released on his own recognizance. He is due to return to court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Adam Tucker.

More than 2,300 National Grid customers are without power in the City and the Town of Batavia.

The outage area is north of East Main Street to about Clinton Street and goes as far north as Starowitz Road.

A crew has been assigned but there is no ETA for power restoration.

The trouble may have started at about 10 p.m. with a utility pole on State Street Road.

Demolition on a group of homes and businesses on East Main Street in Batavia began on this way to make a 55-unit, four-story apartment building to be known as Liberty Square.

The construction is being led by Home Leasing LLC, of Rochester, which specializes in providing low-income housing in the Finger Lakes region.

Twenty-eight of the apartments will be set aside for homeless veterans with the remainder designated as affordable for lower-income residents.

The properties are at 552, 554 and 556 E. Main St.

The total cost of the development is expected to exceed $12 million.

There will be 39 one-bedroom apartments, eight two-bedrooms targeting people with a household income of 60 percent of the area's median income.

Eagle Star Homes, a group serving veterans, is partnering with Home Leasing. 

Amenities include a community room, fitness center, on-site laundry, raised garden beds, laptops for residents' use, and private outdoor space with every apartment. Rent will include all utilities. There will be an on-site "community leader" 24/7.

NYS Homes and Community Renewal is assisting with the project but attempts this afternoon to find out from various sources the amount of that assistance were unsuccessful. We were told there would be a press release with more information about the project next week.

Rendering of what the complex is expected to look like when completed.

A pair of large fields of sunflowers are in full bloom off of Wortendyke Road, at South Pearl Street Road, in the Town of Batavia.

A sign on a driveway between the two fields says that stems can be purchased for $1 each and payment can be made at a business at 9 Apollo Drive. The other side of the sign provides information for making an online payment. 

We stopped by the business on Apollo Drive late today to try and find out more about the sunflower fields but nobody was in.

After some sprucing up and a few upgrades, the legendary Pok-A-Dot is ready to reopen after its long coronavirus-induced hibernation.

There are new tables inside that are more socially distanced, no seating at the counter, a dining counter outside, and soon, a walk-up window for takeout orders.

But the biggest upgrade, perhaps, isn't visible inside the favorite eatery of famous authors, visiting dignitaries, and TV show producers: you can now order your beef-on-weck or eggs-and-peppers-on-toast online.

The new website is pokadotbatavia.com.

The famously cash-only diner will now also take credit cards. There's fancy new computer equipment to handle all of these modern transactions.

The Pok-A-Dot has come a long way since friends Joe Marone and Phil Pastore decided 67 years ago to open a hot-dog stand hard against Route 63.

You can once again meet at the Dot starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Friday).

For all of our previous Pok-A-Dot coverage, click here.

Owners Phyllis Pastore-Beers and Leona Pastore.

Online ordering and curbside pickup are strongly encouraged.

Tim Beers

A car vs. bicycle accident is reported in the city at Oak Street and Raymond Avenue. The cyclist is conscious and alert and has a leg injury. City fire and Mercy medics responding.

A caller to dispatch complains that a controlled burn in a back yard near Thorpe and Watson streets in the city is creating lots of smoke and some of it is going into the caller's residence. City police and fire responding.

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: The burn has been extinguished; city fire is back in service.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Lewiston and Galloway roads, Town of Batavia. It is blocking traffic. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 2:13 p.m.: A second ambulance is called to the scene. A male driver complains of arm pain; a female driver complains of back pain.

UPDATE 2:17 p.m.: Command reports one lane of traffic is partially blocking traffic.

UPDATE 2:18 p.m.: Two flatbed tows are requested.

UPDATE 2:44 p.m.: One patient is being transported to UMMC. The town assignment is back in service.

It's turned out to take more than four years but restoration work on the Thomas Rocket Car is nearly complete. To finish the restoration work, the volunteers handling the project -- with Dick McClurg of Old World Collision leading restoration -- need to raise another $4,000.

They're asking the community to pitch in. Here is a link to a GoFundMe page where you can make a contribution.

The Thomas Rocket Car was designed by former Batavia resident Charles D. Thomas. He and Norman Richardson, a talented welder and body man just out of high school, built the car in a rented garage near Main Street and Ellicott Avenue in 1938.

The design, and several innovations in the car, such as a rearview periscope and independent suspension, were dreamed up by Thomas while working on his 1935 thesis for the General Motors Institute of Technology in Flint, Mich.

Once the car was built, Thomas tried to interest any one of the Big Three in Detroit to move the car into production. But whether the automakers felt threatened, or because of the prospect of the World War, or it would have been too expensive to retool, all three companies took a pass. One Detroit executive reportedly told Thomas that his car was 10 years ahead of its time.

Thomas went onto a successful career in Buffalo with the maker of the Playboy automobile, and he apparently kept the Thomas car and drove it for some time. He eventually sold it. Local car buffs searched for it a few years ago and found it stored in a barn in Lockport.

They bought the car and returned it to it's rightful home, Batavia, with the intention it become a display piece of history in the city.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce that on Monday, Aug. 24^th, the official Cannon Welcoming Home Celebration will be taking place at 10 a.m.

We are welcoming our two cannons back to their familiar spot on the front porch of the museum after a long absence due to being restored. Seed Artillery out of Altoona, Pa., spent many months carefully restoring our guns to their former glory as they would have looked in the early 19^th century.

The work included rebuilding of the carriage with all new metalwork and refurbishing the cannon barrels.

The cannons will be welcomed home in style with the help of a gunnery crew of the Genesee County Militia reenactor group.

We would also like to thank everyone who contributed to our Cannon Restoration Fund.

All are welcome to attend, while observing social distancing protocols and wearing facial coverings. 

For more information please call the museum at (585) 343-4727 or email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

A vehicle vs. bicyclist accident is reported at 3670 S. Main St., Batavia. There are injuries. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics.

The location is between Lovers Lane and Fairway Drive.

UPDATE 5:39 p.m.: Patient is denying EMS; assignment is back in service.

A caller reports there's a dog that's been locked inside a blue SUV for 30 to 40 minutes at BJ's Wholesale Club. The vehicle is in a handicap parking space in front. An animal control officer is responding. It's about 70 degrees outside.

UPDATE: The officer has driven through the parking lot three times and is unable to locate the vehicle; back in service.

Submitted photos and press release:

Seven members of the Genesee Community College team have been recognized by the State University of New York for outstanding contributions to their profession, the campus and the community.

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence is given in recognition of consistently superior professional achievement and encourages the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

The following faculty and staff members earned SUNY Chancellor's Awards for 2019-2020.

GCC is proud to announce Carolyn Caccamise and Kari Heidemann have received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes consistently superior teaching at the graduate, undergraduate or professional level of the highest quality. To say that Caccamise has been an integral part of GCC's veterinary program would be an understatement. Director and Associate Professor of the College's Veterinary Technology program, Caccamise played an integral role in building the program to what it is since she started as an adjunct instructor in 2011.

Armed with a bachelor's from Eisenhower College and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and extensive ongoing learning, Caccamise maintains veterinary practices which helps ensure her students are at the cutting edge of practical learning and application. Caccamise resides in Alexander.

Heidemann has been an instructor of Human Services at GCC since 2006 and began teaching full-time in 2016 when she also began coordinating the program's internships, advisory board, scholarship opportunities and advising the Human Services Student Club. Heidemann graduated Summa Cum Laude from Niagara University with a bachelor's degree, earned a master's from SUNY Brockport and received a NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development for community and technical colleges) Award. Heidemann resides in Barker.

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching recognizes consistently superior teaching at the graduate, undergraduate or professional level of the highest quality. This honor was earned by Adjunct Instructor Ruth Rigerman. Rigerman has taught math courses at GCC for nearly 40 years. She received the NISOD Award for Excellence in Teaching to Adjunct Faculty in 1993, 1998 and 2017. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Education, Mathematics from SUNY Brockport and later earned her MS in Education there as well. Today, Rigerman resides in Batavia.

For Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, Director of Fine and Performing Arts Maryanne Arena received a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence. An award-winning educator, director, entertainer, public speaker, and police officer, Arena was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary Club and received three Medals of Valor -- including one for capturing one of the New York Police Department's "Ten Most Wanted" criminals.

Since she joined GCC in 2004, Arena established GCC's Children's Theatre tour, Black History Month/ Social Justice productions and produced numerous performances. Arena also received a YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Racial Justice in 2015, a citation from Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties for producing, directing, and acting in " 'Night, Mother" in 2012, and SUNY Chancellor's Award recipient for Excellence in Professional Service in 2009.

Arena became a Licensed Police Officer in NYC, a PD Officer Certified in East Stroudsburg, earned a bachelor's degree from East Stroudsburg University and then a master's degree in Acting & Theatre from Brooklyn College. She currently resides in Le Roy.

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, which recognizes consistently superior service contributions of teaching faculty over multiple years, was awarded to Professor of Business Lauren Paisley. Paisley first began her relationship with GCC in 2002 as an adjunct faculty member and a part-time trainer in The BEST (Business & Employee Skills Training) Center -- a role she still plays.

However, in 2006, Paisley added full-time professor of Business at GCC to her resume. Since then, Paisley has served on the College's Global Education Committee, International Student Organization (advisor), Academic Senate, accreditation work groups and committees for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, multiple scholarship committees and numerous search committees to fill vacant positions within GCC.

Her work with student organizations has resulted in thousands of dollars to local animal shelters, food pantries, and programming designed to encourage humanity and kindness. Paisley earned her bachelor's degree from D'Youville College and a master's degree from SUNY Buffalo in Business Administration. Paisley resides in Middleport.

Human Communications and Behavior Department Secretary Michelle Forster received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Classified Service. This award is a system-level award established to give recognition for superior performance and extraordinary achievement by employees in the Classified Service. These awards demonstrate SUNY's commitment to individuals who provide superior service to its students and the community at large.

Forster has served as a secretary in GCC's Human Communications and Behavior department for 11 years. She has trained other secretaries on many operational processes, covered for other staff positions during absences, and provided superior customer service to students, faculty and staff in all circumstances. She regularly volunteers to participate on College committees and fully embraces GCC's passion to go "beyond expectations." Forster resides in Oakfield.

Recognizing consistently superior professional achievement, the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service was awarded to Kathryn Meloon. Meloon joined the Business Office at GCC in 2000 as a staff accountant, became assistant director of Finance in 2002 and in June of 2007 she was promoted to her current role of bursar where her primary focus is leading the Student Accounts Office.

However, Meloon consistently goes above and "beyond expectations" for GCC and its students. For the past three years (2016-2019) she wrote and was awarded the President's Innovation Award which allowed GCC to create its New York City Extended Student Visit initiative. The NYC Extended Student Visit brings approximately 20 already accepted NYC residents with limited financial means, on an overnight visit to experience GCC and Batavia firsthand. The visit allows these NYC students to envision themselves at GCC in an attempt to positively influence their decision to enroll.

Meloon earned a bachelor's degree at Houghton College and a master's degree at Keuka College. She currently resides in Batavia.

Regarding the car-into-house accident yesterday shortly before 8 p.m., City of Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch says:

"We have received several inquiries regarding an update from the car/house accident last evening at 20 East Ave. At this time the incident is still under investigation and no further info will be released.

"We are asking that if any member of the public has any information to contact our dispatch center at 345-6350, and ask to speak with a supervisor, or call the confidential tip line at 345-6370."

Previous report: Car strikes house, East Ave closed

 A car vs. pedestrian accident is reported at 21 Walnut St. The victim is breathing and alert, complaining of leg pain, according to a first responder on scene. City fire and Mercy medics are responding. The location is between South Main Street and Walnut Place.