batavia

A woman walked into the Perry Animal Hospital on June 21, crying and with her dog Oddey, according to veterinarian Dr. Laura Westfall.

The dog was showing signs of drug intoxication, Westfall said in a statement to police that helped lead to the arrest of Cassandra Elmore, 30, a resident of River Street, Batavia.

Elmore, according to Westfall, said that Oddey had gotten into a white powder that had fallen to the floor of her residence. 

"Our blood work ruled out any other cause, and the dog itself looked healthy," Westfall wrote in her statement, which is on file at Batavia City Court. Westfall did not state whether the bloodwork positively identified a narcotic in Oddey's system.

Westfall noted that she became aware that Oddey had been treated twice before for the same condition.

On May 15, Elmore took Oddey to Dr. Jacqueline Miller at the Greater Buffalo Veterinarian Emergency Clinic and again on May 25 to the same clinic where Oddey was treated by Dr. Tribetta Spires.

There is no statement from either doctor in Elmore's court file.

Oddey is believed to be a French Bulldog.

According to Assistant Chief Christopher Camp of Batavia Police Department, Elmore took Oddey to veterinarians after finding the dog unresponsive.

According to police reports, Elmore is accused of allowing Oddey to consume cocaine on two occasions and an unidentified narcotic on another occasion.

Elmore faces three counts of injuring an animal under New York Ag and Markets Law Section 353, which states:

A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any animal, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to himself or to another, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglects or refuses to furnish it such sustenance or drink, or causes, procures or permits any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed, or to be deprived of necessary food or drink, or who wilfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

Camp said no drug charges were filed against Elmore because there was no evidence at the time police interacted with her that she was in possession of a narcotic.

Oddey is currently at the Genesee County Animal Shelter and in good health.

Press release:

The Richmond Memorial Library Tweens & Teens Staff will be sponsoring a Book Drive for Children’s and Young Adult books starting this month. The book drive begins July 27th and runs through August 13th, 2022. The books can be for children or teens of all ages, must be in new or good condition, and can be dropped off and put in the purple crates in the RML Foyer anytime the library is open. 

“Books are the way into a world of imagination for young children and teens alike,” shared Teen Librarian Felicia Cecere. “We are so thrilled to be doing the book drive again this year, as it was such a success last year!” 

The Library G.I.F.T. Program (Generate Imagination in Families Today) is dedicated to making new or gently used books available to children and their families in our area, and to raising awareness of the lifelong benefits of early childhood literacy. Bright boxes and shelves of G.I.F.T. books are located at agencies and businesses in Batavia. Children can take a book from the shelf to bring home, read, and keep! Having as few as 20 books in the home has a significant impact on propelling a child to higher lifelong education levels and earnings, potentially breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty  -- and the more books you add, the greater the benefit.

“Batavia is known for being a welcoming community and the donations will truly enhance the G.I.F.T program,” said Children’s Room Assistant Ellen Brokaw. “This program extends out into the community and helps the kids have access to books at specific agencies and businesses in Batavia.”  

For information on the book drive and other library programs, visit the library website at www.batavialibrary.org, or check out our Facebook and Instagram pages!  

Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St in the City of Batavia. The library is open 9 am - 9 pm Monday-Thursday and 9 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday.

Press release:

The Genesee County and Batavia Youth Bureaus are planning the annual Safe Summer Children’s Carnival open to the public to take place on Thursday, July 28 from 10:15 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at David M. McCarthy Ice Arena, 22 Evans Street in Batavia.  One dollar buys a ticket to play 10 games, and children can win “funny money” to redeem for prizes.

Entertainment by “Magic and Illusions of Patrick” is scheduled from 10:15-11:00 a.m. and the games will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break. Folks from the community should plan to bring a bagged lunch or plan to leave for lunch. 

There will also be several community agency booths that the children can visit for a chance to win one of our grand prizes.  For more information on the carnival, please contact Chelsea at the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960.

Photo: File photo from 2018 of the carnival. Photo by Howard Owens.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Water Department will be shutting down the 12-inch water main on Richmond Avenue, from Oak Street to Buxton Avenue, for emergency repairs due to construction on Richmond Avenue.

The length of time the water will be off is unknown.

As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored.  Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.

We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.

Johnny Gene Jenison, 51, of Federal Drive, Batavia, is charged with sexual abuse 1st and forcible touching. Jenison is accused of sexual offenses at the Fairbridge Inn on Federal Drive at 2 p.m., Aug. 10, 2021. He was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court on July 12 and ordered held on $5,000 bail. An order of protection was issued.

Benjamin Donald Seekins, 33, of 37 Woodrow Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI and speeding. Seekins was stopped at 1:45 a.m., July 12, on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Morgan Ewert. He was released on appearance tickets.

Stacy Lynn Patterson, 35, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Patterson is accused of stealing groceries from Walmart in Batavia at 8:23 p.m., July 17.  She was issued an appearance ticket.

Andres Artega, 24, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation. Artega was stopped by Le Roy Patrol Officer Zachary Klafehn at 2:35 a.m., July 17, on Bank Street, Le Roy.  He was issued appearance tickets and released to a third party.

Just before the pandemic hit, Daniel Sprague decided to take his craft to the streets.

You could say that he went with a twist on the pop-up shop: his product was music and he plays wherever he can.

Two years later, Sprague, of Batavia, is still at it. He can be seen wearing white face paint with black circles drawn around his eyes and black lines across his lips from his nose to his chin. Black nail polish and black pin-striped pants with thick silver chains dangling off his pants, long black fingerless gloves, and no shirt finish off his look. No longer Sprague, this musician with a hint of goth is Danny Christ, his stage name.

“I’m just happy to play anywhere,” he said. “I’m happy to be putting my music out here. I play my own material and some covers; a whole lot of genres … mostly pop, punk, and (heavy) metal.”

His soft-spoken manner and air of courtesy belie the hard-core rock star image. In other words, he seems like a nice guy separate from his persona.

The 33-year-old grew up in Bergen and picked up a guitar when he was around 17, he said. He plays in a few bands, including Natives A.D., and the music shifts over to “strictly folk rock” for another group he’s in.

Once COVID swept in and everything closed down, that meant no more open mic nights or live performances in bars, he said. He is open to playing parties and pretty much “any street corners,” just to express himself and share his music with others.

Not only is he passionate about music, but he is willing to — literally — walk the walk. He has no vehicle and walks to his performance spots while carrying a duffle bag, his guitar and a rechargeable amp, which powers up his sound.

Sprague — or if you prefer Christ — takes the bus to destinations farther away, such as Buffalo or Rochester. He means it when he says he will play anywhere. As for his stage name, it’s not meant to be an anti-Christ message or anything like that, he said.

While standing on the corner of North and Bank streets Sunday, it was obvious he was no stranger to locals. Some people beeped, yelled his name, asked how it was going, and one woman stopped to pass him a few dollars.

“Keep spreading the joy Dan,” she said as she drove away.

Those supportive messages are important to Sprague, he said.

“It always makes my day. I’m always happy when people enjoy it,” he said. “I get this reaction everywhere I play.”

The Batavian asked him what he wants people to know as they drive or walk past him and wonder what this dude in black is doing on a street corner?

“I don’t want them to be afraid. I hope to inspire them to do what they want,” he said. “I want to set an example to always follow your dreams.”

Check out a snippet of his song, "Apocalypse."

For more information about Danny Christ, go to stevil.bandcamp.com

Daniel Sprague, aka Danny Christ, performs his tunes Sunday at a street corner in Batavia. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Previously:

Press release:

Power and Construction Group crews are scheduled to begin work on the night of July 18, 2022 for the NYPA-City of Batavia LED Street Light Project.

The tentative schedule is as follows:

• Monday & Tuesday – start/finish Main Street and then start Oak Street.
• Tuesday & Wednesday – finish Oak Street and then start Ellicott Street/Route 63.
• Wednesday through Friday - finish Ellicott Street/Route 63 and all other cobra head street light locations.

Traffic delays should be expected; however, no street closures are anticipated at this time.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank the public for their patience.

Morgan Griffin, with a blue and white design on her face and while clutching several plastic animal figures, was happy that she made a trip from Rochester to Batavia Saturday.

The 11-year-old  came with some family members to EverPresent Church’s Fun in the Son carnival. The event greeted visitors with a balloon arch at the entrance, and had several tents set up with games, food and drink, colorful bounce houses and a petting zoo with goats.

“I loved it,” Morgan said. “All the excitement and how nice the people are. They did a good job.”

Her family knows someone in the church and heard about the event, so they took a drive to check it out. Morgan visited every tent and won the toy animals as game prizes.

Much closer to the scene was April Allison. She lives nearby and happened to spot the activity in the City Centre parking lot.

“I was dropping my boyfriend off at work when I saw the balloons,” she said. “So we walked over here.”

Her daughter Adara, who’s going into the fourth grade at John Kennedy Intermediate, liked the bounce houses best. They were checking out the petting zoo after spending a couple of hours there.

Jill Turner of Batavia had seen an online post about the Nortons seeking vendors who might want to help out, so she responded. She has four miniature goats and offered a small petting zoo. They were enclosed in a mobile fence that opened for visiting children to pet and feed them.

“I thought it would be good to bring my goats and do a good deed,” she said.

The zoo was a popular spot. Several children and their parents stopped by, including Adara and her mom. They had seen most of the exhibits, but weren’t quite finished, Adara said just before suggesting the next booth to visit.

“Snowcones,” she said, as the sun beamed down in 80-degree weather.

Pastors Jason and Michelle Norton, leaders of the church, wanted the event to “be a blessing” for the community, and they felt it was a mission accomplished.

Jason worked the refreshment stand while Michelle made announcements from behind tables full of raffle gift baskets. It had been going very well, she said, and Jason had sold more than 150 hotdogs with about an hour remaining before closing time.

From the moment the official beginning hit — 11 a.m. — “we were a steady busy flow of families all the way ’til 3 p.m.,” Michelle said.

“From what we gathered, the children were super blessed; they were so excited and delighted with all the prizes they won, and I know the church family was thrilled to be able to serve our community,” she said. “People were asking us about our church, almost everyone that came had a chance to go through the church and we had well over 100 kids get their faces painted, along with hundreds winning multiple prizes.”

While one goal was to offer some fun entertainment for kids and families, the Nortons also wanted to introduce the church to the community, and vice versa. Jason estimated that "well over 500" people attended, and considered it a huge success.

Mary Hecht sat in the middle of all of the action as she sold tickets for the games and other activities. She’s been going to the church for several years, she said.

Everyone involved has been very pleased, she said.

“We’ve really been very busy; God really blessed us,” she said. “ We were all praying this morning before it started. This has been really nice for the community, it’s been really nice.”

The event was a success on so many levels, Michelle Norton said, including to serve as a fundraiser.

“We raised half the funds for a much-needed heating and air conditioning unit that we need to install, and we made some great connections and some more networking,” she said.  “Our plan is to do this annually. We are playing around with the idea of taking the Fourth of July the day that we have our festival, as long as GO ART! is not doing it anymore.”

The plan is to expand upon what they offered this year, she said, by adding carnival rides, vendors and possibly food trucks.

"We want to turn that parking lot into a full-fledged carnival with some live music, and I think it will happen by next year,” she said.

For previous coverage about the church, go to EverPresent

Top photo: The entrance to Fun in the Son at the City Centre parking lot next to event host EverPresent Church; Morgan Griffin, 11, of Rochester; Visitors at the petting zoo, provided by Jill Turner, center, and Pastor Michelle Norton making announcements during the event Saturday in Batavia.

Genesee County Chamber of Commerce helped the new Fairfield Inn by Marriott celebrate its opening Thursday with a ribbon-cutting outside of the new hotel.

The project was pursued by the Chase Hotel Group with assistance from local investors and project managers. Planning started four years ago but was often delayed by issues related to the pandemic. 

The hotel, at 4333 Federal Drive, Batavia, is designed to offer slightly more upscale accommodations to travelers.

The four-story hotel contains sixty-four rooms, including king and queen suites and double rooms for families. Amenities include an indoor pool, breakfast area, and fitness room.

Photos and information courtesy of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

If necessity is the mother of invention, then what is a mother with a dilemma?

She’s an entrepreneur like Alisa Pastecki who opens up shop to help her and fellow moms out.

And Thoughtful Kids Consignment Shop was born.

“I have a one-year-old and a four-year-old, and this was out of an abundance of need for myself because living here in Batavia we didn't have any consignment options. And when I was living in Buffalo previously, one consignment shop that I did like to frequent was on Hertel Avenue, and there was just, there's no parking. It would not be easy to bring two kids in tow with, you know, boxes of clothes to sell,” she said during her shop’s ribbon-cutting grand opening Friday at Harvester Center. “So this was just out of an abundance of need for myself, and I think for the community and other moms like myself.”

While raising her children, Pastecki began to notice the collection of things that she didn’t want to throw out yet also didn’t have many options of where to put them to good use, she said. A consignment shop is a clearinghouse for such gently used goods in which the donor receives a portion of the sales for those items directly given to the store. Pastecki will buy them outright or offer a percentage of the total once sold. 

She chose a street-level spot that’s tucked between a children’s bounce facility and a coffee shop. With help from her husband Douglas and other family members — the grandparents babysat Gloria, 4, and one-year-old Walter — they worked to paint the walls and floor and add custom displays “so that we could get open as soon as possible,” her husband Douglas said.

“It started with a small idea of what are we going to do with all these clothes, we’ve got other parents who are the same as us, who just have all these clothes that need to find a home. And she came up with the idea of doing a pop-up shop or some way an outlet to help people, you know, basically make money and save these clothes from ending up in landfills,” he said. “It's very exciting to go through the process because this is our first time going through starting up the business. So it's been very exciting to see it come to this day of the grand opening. We had so many consignment partners … mothers and families had clothes and needed a place to go.”

They carved out a 600-square-foot niche of assorted children’s clothing, footwear, dolls and other items for newborns up to large kids’ sizes.

Once Alisa had the idea last fall, she just kept inching toward her goal.

“This idea started off probably back in November of last year. And so this started as a pop-up business and grew to be something that I needed a lot more space for. And so that's where the storefront came in,” she said. “And the Harvester, I thought, was the perfect spot to do it, being a business incubator and all. I would say that Thoughtful Kids is quality, savings and community. All three good reasons to shop.”

Pastecki is a native of Tonawanda and moved to Batavia about nine years ago. She met her husband here — he works at Oliver’s Candies — and was familiar with some consignment options in the Buffalo area. But once having her first child she wanted something that would be closer and more convenient for kids’ items.

In addition to her brick-and-mortar store, the 38-year-old plans to offer some pop-up shops in the Western New York area to provide opportunities for fellow moms to buy and sell items as well. It’s a simple concept: “you take stuff and sell it,” she said. People can either drop off their goods or she will pick them up for busy parents, she said.

“So I will drive to their homes. I’ve done Orchard Park and Hamburg in a day. I’ve done Batavia any time, obviously, since I’m local. And then I can really go anywhere, from Rochester to Buffalo,” she said. “The plan is to be permanent here and see where this takes us. Being a business incubator, I don’t know if I’ll ever grow out of the space. But I’m really happy to be at the Harvester right now.”

She is a first-time business owner with a background as a sales executive with a network engineering company. She worked with consignment contracts for telecom equipment.

“So this is kind of a lot of the paperwork and a lot of the things I do for my consigners, it is very similar to what I was doing on a much larger scale for telecom companies all over the world,” she said. “So it kind of fit perfectly when  I was home with my kids during the pandemic.”

Benefits of shopping at her place include saving money — an estimated 50 to 70 percent off retail; buying quality, brand name fashions; positively impacting the environment; experiencing an easy consignment process; and the best reason of all, she said, is to support “a small, local, female-owned business."

Hours listed for the next two weeks are 2 to 6 p.m. Monday, 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 23, 2 to 6 p.m. July 25 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 29 at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. For more information, call (716) 984-0515 or go to Thoughtful Kids 

Top photo: Alisa Pastecki shows some of the children's clothing at her new shop on Harvester Avenue, Batavia. Family members help Alisa and husband Douglas, behind her to the left, with the ceremonial ribbon-cutting for Thoughtful Kids Consignment at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. The couple's children, Gloria, front near mom, and Walter, being carried, in back row, enjoy the celebration Friday.  Photos by Joanne Beck.

Gilberto N. Natal, 34, of Batavia, the motorcyclist involved in an accident on West Main Street Road, Batavia, on Thursday, has died as a result of his injuries, the Sheriff's Office announced this evening.

He was pronounced dead at Strong Memorial Hospital today.

Previously: 

• Motorcyclist seriously injured in accident Thursday identified
• Motorcycle accident reported on West Main Street Road, Batavia

Press release:

VA Western New York Healthcare System is seeking qualified professionals and staff for our Batavia VA Medical Center facility location. We highly encourage applicants to send an updated resume prior to July 13th to our email group VISN2HRSBUWesternNY@va.gov to schedule an interview time slot. Walk-ins are welcome!

Positions targeted for hire:

• Cook
• Food Service Worker
• Housekeeping Aide
• Registered Nurse (various shifts)
• Clinical Nurse Managers
• Licensed Practical Nurse
• Nursing Assistants

Our VA Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Building 3, Ground Floor, Batavia VA Medical Center Campus, 222 Richmond Avenue, Batavia, New York.

Benefits of working for Veterans Health Administration include:

• 13 to 26 days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 sick days annually with no limit on accumulation
• 11 paid Federal holidays
• A Federal Pension
• Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits that can be carried into retirement
• A thrift savings plan (similar to the private sector’s 401K); up to 5% matching contributions
• Flexible Savings Accounts
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and The Family Friendly Leave Act allow employees to take reasonable amounts of leave for medical reasons
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave (for employees covered by FMLA) for the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child
• Military leave is authorized up to 15 days a year for our active reservists and National Guard members 

With a doubleheader sweep on Thursday -- and a loss by Utica -- the Batavia Muckdogs tightened their hold on first place in the Western Division of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

The 22-10 Muckdogs are now 1.5 games ahead of Utica (22-13).

Batavia beat Geneva 8-1 and 7-4 while Utica lost to Watertown 6-4.

In the first game, Nolan Sparks, a junior at the University of Rochester, picked up his fifth win of the season, becoming the first Muckdog with that distinction. His .027 ERA leads the league.

Brian Fry, of Medina, continued his torrid hitting (.394 on the season) going 2-3 and scoring twice. Daniel Burroway also had two hits and scored a run and knocked in a run. Trey Bacon matched that stat line and Kyle Corso smacked a triple, driving in three runs.

In the nightcap, Batavia's Tyler Prospero improved to 4-1 with an ERA of 3.85 giving up only two runs over six innings of work. 

Josh Leadem picked up three hits and scored twice.  Fry once again got two hits. Bacon and Corso each had two hits.

A motorcycle operator sustained life-threatening injuries, according to Genesee County Sheriff's Office, when his bike collided with a van making a left-hand turn Thursday evening on West Main Street Road, Batavia.

The rider has been identified as Gilberto N. Natal, 34, of Batavia.

He was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Bruce P. Chilson, 80, the driver of the van, and his passenger, Mary Chilson, 80, both of Spring Hill, Florida, were treated at the scene by Mercy medics and transported to UMMC for evaluation of minor injuries.

The force of collision between the van and the motorcycle caused the 2019 Ford Transit to overturn and come to rest on its side.

Speed is believed to be a factor in the accident.

The location was 3872 West Main Street Road, Batavia, in front of Dave's Ice Cream. Chilson was making a left-hand turn into the ice cream shop's parking lot when it collided with the motorcycle.

The accident is being investigated by Deputy Mason Schultz, Deputy Nicholas Chamound, Deputy Alex Hadsall, Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, Investigator Chad Minuto, and Crash Management Deputy Richard Schildwaster. State Police assisted at the scene, along with Town of Batavia Fire, East Pembroke Fire, Mercy EMS and Mercy Flight.

Previously: Motorcycle accident reported on West Main Street Road, Batavia

Photos by Howard Owens

Press release:

The Batavia Blue Devil Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is proud to announce the recently selected 19^th Hall of Fame class. The 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees will be introduced at halftime of the Batavia vs Pal-Mac homecoming football game on Friday, Sept. 30.  Game time is 7 p.m.

On Saturday, Oct. 1, the committee will host the Hall of Fame Dinner at the Batavia Downs Banquet Facility. A social hour will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner served at 6 p.m. and the ceremony immediately following dinner.

The 2022 Inductees:

• Benjamin Martino, 1959 --Football, Wrestling
• Paul Blossom, 1968 -- Football, Swimming, Track & Field
• Richard Saunders, 1971 -- Athlete: Swimming, Football, Baseball, Bowling; Coach: Swimming, Wrestling, Baseball
• Sandy (Samiec) Reeg, 1979 -- Tennis
• Kristie (DuRei) DeFreze, 2005 -- Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Track & Field
• Michael Chmielowiec, 2005 -- Basketball
• Boys Basketball Team, 2005 -- State Semi-Finalist
• Jermaine Henderson, 2006 -- Football, Track & Field

If community members would like to attend the event, they can purchase Hall of Fame tickets in the Athletic Office at Batavia High School or send a check payable to The Batavia Coaches Association at the address above. The cost of the Hall of Fame tickets is $40.00 per adult and $20.00 for children under 10. Tickets must be purchased by Friday, September 23rd.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Athletic Director’s office, at (585) 343-2480 x: 2003.

 

Press release:

The City of Batavia Police Department today announced that O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc. will be a Diamond Sponsor for the annual Batavia Police Community Night.

“We are extremely grateful to O-AT-KA for its continued demonstration of commitment to our local community,” said City of Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch.  “For that matter, we are humbled by the support of all the sponsors no matter what their level of sponsorship for an event that brings together our community.”

Community Night Out is part of a community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make safer neighborhoods.

Various organizations and groups once again will be participating in the annual event which will include free food and a bounce house and games for kids and more.

“O-AT-KA recognizes the importance of being engaged in the local community through these types of events that brings so many people together for a positive impact,” said Joseph Steinocher from O-AT-KA.  “We are delighted to be part of Community Night Out.”

The 2022 Batavia Police Community Night is in partnership with The City Church.  The event will be held Tuesday, August 9th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at City Church at St. Anthony’s, 114 Liberty St., Batavia.

For more information and for those interested in a sponsorship opportunity, should contact Batavia Police Department Detective Matthew Wojtaszczyk at (585) 345-6357 or at mwojtaszczyk@batavianewyork.com.

Photo: City Manager Rachael Tabelski, Stephen Quider and K-9 "Batu," Assistant Chief Chris Camp, O-AT-KA Plant Director Joseph Steinocher, Cindy Johnston, with O-AT-KA, Detective Matthew Wojtaszczyk.  Photo by Howard Owens.

A car and motorcycle accident is reported in the area of 3872 West Main Street Road, Batavia, with possible serious injuries.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Mercy Flight #6 out of Olean is available if needed. Town of Batavia's chief has requested an in-air standby.

There are multiple calls.

UPDATE 5:26 p.m.: A first responder reports one vehicle on its side.  East Pembroke Fire asked to close eastbound traffic at Kelsey Road. Mercy Flight requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:10 p.m.: The preliminary investigation indicates, said Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, that a motorcyclist was eastbound on West Main Street Road, possibly exceeding the speed limit, and struck the side of a van that had been westbound and was turning left into the parking lot of Dave's Ice Cream.  The motorcycle driver was ejected from the bike and into the van through a window. He sustained very serious injuries and was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital. The force of the impact caused the van to flip on its side. The van was occupied by a husband and wife from Florida, both 80 years old. Neither sustained serious injuries.  Sanfratello said that while the investigation is early, it's possible both drivers will be cited, one for failing to yield and the other for speeding.

Photos by Howard Owens (we will have more photos from the scene once the names of those involved are released by the Sheriff's Office).

William R. Humphrey, 38, of Le Roy, and Maxwell J. Reigelsperger, 20, of Atlanta, NY, are charged with criminal mischief 2nd, grand larceny 4th, and conspiracy 5th. Humphrey and Reigelsperger are accused of removing a catalytic converter from a vehicle without the owner's permission. They were arraigned in Pavilion Town Court and released on their own recognizance.  Deputy Nicholas Chamoun and Investigator Kevin Forsyth investigated the incident.

Aaron J. Gaylord, 44, of Hart Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Gaylord is accused of switching price tag stickers from C-clamps to two sets of Husky tools and then using self-checkout to scan the items with the incorrect bar codes before leaving the store. Gaylord was arrested by Deputy Blankenbert, processed at the Genesee County Jail, and released on an appearance ticket.

John Mark Stevens, 61, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with disorderly conduct.  Stevens is accused of creating a hazard or offensive condition at 10:58 p.m., July 8, at a location on Lake Street, Le Roy. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Mathew W. Ianiro, 27, of Elm Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd and criminal mischief. Ianiro was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 4 p.m., July 8. on Elm Street, Le Roy. Ianiro was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and an order of protection was issued.

Jessy Lynn Miller, 35, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with menacing 3rd and harassment 2nd.  Miller was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 10 p.m., July 11, at a location Mill Street, Le Roy. Miller was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and an order of protection was issued.

Press release:

Councilmember at Large Bob Bialkowski, who serves as an Aircraft Commander in the USCG Auxiliary, completed an extensive course on aviation survival.

This two-day course was conducted at the FAA’s Mike Mulroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 27 and 28.

CG Auxiliary pilots from the United States convened on Sunday, June 26 in preparation for the course which began the next morning.

The course was an intense two days and covered many aspects of emergency egress from aircraft and survival.

• The topics covered and practiced included:
• Flight Physiology, Spatial Disorientation, and Flight Simulator.
• Emergency egress which was taught in a smoke-filled airliner fuselage
• Water survival skills (significant time in pool) including emergency raft, rescue hoist, survival and emergency equipment training.
• Cold room, Cold weather survival skills.
• High altitude chamber with reduced oxygen levels to teach the debilitating effects of hypoxia which leads to unconsciousness.

Many classroom hours were spent with FAA instructors teaching the above subjects.

All the attendees successfully completed the training and returned home on Tuesday evening.