batavia

Sources of Strength is a suicide prevention program at Batavia High School that trains volunteer students to provide peer-to-peer assistance or help guide students who might otherwise be unwilling to talk with an adult to guide them to the right adult.

Currently, at Batavia HS, there are 10 adult advisers and 43 peer leaders.

Five of those peer leaders made a presentation about the program to the Board of Trustees Tuesday night.

The program also brings in campus speakers from Mental Health, GCASA, the Youth Bureau, and the YMCA.

Last month, peer leaders volunteered at the NYS Veterans Home, making Christmas cards with residents for armed service members overseas.

Training was provided by founders of the organization from Denver.

Students participating in the presentation Tuesday were Lily Whiting, AT Thatcher, Gavin Tucker, Stephanie Dibble, and Ben Best, with adult advisers Kelly Deneka and Heidi Meides.

People really should attend the City School District's annual art show in March at the Richmond Memorial Library, Superintendent Chris Dailey said after art teacher Amanda Antonucci provided a department review Tuesday night at the Board of Trustees meeting.

"It's amazing what our kids produce," Dailey said.

This year the art show will feature a districtwide project: art students are drawing portraits of just their eyes. The pair of eyes will be displayed side-by-side on one long wall.

The opening night reception will be held March 15.

Antonucci went through several projects students are working on at schools in the district, including the fourth-annual monster swap project, where elementary students draw a monster and high school students make a sculpture of those monsters.

"It's my favorite project," Antonucci said.

Teachers at Jackson, John Kennedy, and the Middle School are all integrating STEM into their art instruction.

This includes learning about nature through art, using perspective to learn math and geometry, and science with Lego-related projects.

Dom Grazioplene is the most recent student selected for a solo art show at GO ART!, with an opening reception Thursday night.

There are art appreciation nights planned in May for Jackson and the high school and in May the middle school will host its annual human rights activists project.

A 17-year-old male who lives on Cherry Street in Batavia is charged with second-degree harassment. At 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 14, Batavia police investigated an incident at Batavia High School involving a student who allegedly had unwanted physical contact against a staff member. The youth was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court and is due there Jan. 22. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Davis, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Shadow Star Jonathan, 24, of Meadville Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with second-degree assault. He was arrested at 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 10 for allegedly assaulting another person at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 14 on Sandhill Road, Alabama. He was arraigned in Alabama Town Court and jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail. He is to return to Alabama Town Court on Feb. 7. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Diehl, assisted by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

James Arthur Daggar, 64, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, is charged with: DWI; aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree; operating without a driver's license; refusal to take a breath test; and failure to yield the right of way at a stop sign. At 4:02 p.m. on Jan. 15, Daggar was arrested following a motor-vehicle accident investigation. The accident on Alleghany Road (Route 77) resulted in minor injuries and only Dagger was transported to UMMC, where he was treated. Traffic tickets were issued and the defendant is to appear in Alabama Town Court on Feb. 13. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Ronnie Joe Flinchum, 59, Mill Street, Le Roy, is charged with failure to appear. Flinchum was arrested at 11:39 a.m. on Jan. 14 on a bench warrant for failure to appear on a prior charge of third-degree assault. The defendant was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond. Flinchum is to reappear in city court on Jan. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Davis, assisted by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Mehmet Kahraman Dilek, 43, of Meadowbrook Drive, Rochester, was arrested on Jan. 15 on a warrant out of Batavia City Court for failure to appear. Dilek was arraigned at 7:30 p.m. at jailed with inspecified bail. The defendant is due back in city court this afternoon (Jan. 16). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

When there were no immediate takers for an empty storefront Derek Geib owned on Jackson Street, he started to think about what he could do with the space and what Downtown Batavia needed.

Geib, who now qualifies as a serial entrepreneur, having been an owner in Matty's Pizza, Main Street Coffee, Bourbon & Burger Co. (currently), and Casa del Taco, decided he should bring back what downtown has missed for a few years -- a community coffee shop.

"I fixed up all the apartments upstairs and I had this space for rent but there were no bites, so I figured I might as well try to make the most of it," Geib said. "I figured it seemed like something we're missing and what we needed."

Since buying the building at 13 Jackson St., Geib said he has put his own money into renovations -- no subsidies, he points out -- and he used his own money to turn what was most recently a Mexican restaurant, an Indian restaurant, and a frozen yogurt shop into a cozy coffee shop with a place-for-community vibe.

The newspaper theme is also locally inspired. Longtime residents remember Marshall's newsstand, which occupied a couple of storefront locations on Jackson from 1921 to 1999. Geib said the name of the coffee shop and the decor is an homage to years two men named Arthur H. Marshall, father and son, who sold newspapers, magazines, and paperback books on Jackson, including at 11 Jackson, where Bourbon & Burger is now.

Barely open a week, the word has already gotten out and The Coffee Press is attracting a crowd.

"Yes, it's amazing, the support we've had from friends and family," Geib said. "And you know, now I don't know half the people coming in. I's just people spreading the word. It's really nice. I'd like this to be known in Batavia as the hometown coffee shop."

Joseph Marranco, no age provided, of Batavia, was arrested and charged with petit larceny on Jan. 6. That day SP Batavia troopers were dispatched to a local motel in the Town of Batavia for a larceny complaint. While en route to the complaint, troopers allegedly observed Marranco riding his bicycle on Main Street in the City of Batavia carrying a flat-screen television that was tucked underneath his arm. Further investigation revealed that Marranco was recently at the same motel and claimed that a motel guest stated he could borrow the motel's television. After his arrest he was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and put in jail on $1,000 cash bail.

Cody J. Wenner, 28, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree menacing and third-degree attempted assault. Wenner was arrested after a disturbance that occured at almost 1 a.m. on Jan. 1 on Walnut Street. He was arraigned in city court and held on $2,500 cash or bond. He is due back in city court on Jan. 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

William T. Hughes, 62, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. On Jan. 13, troopers out of SP Batavia were dispatched to a domestic dispute in the Town of Batavia. Upon arrival troopers determined the victim was grabbed and threatened with physical harm by Hughes. They also observed property damage at the residence. Hughes was arrested then arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $500 cash bail. An order of protection was issued for the victim.

Jennifer Sue Davis, 39, of Webber Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with: DWI -- with a previous offense; aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; following too closely; and refusal to take a breath test. On Jan. 11, following an investigation into a two-car accident at 6 p.m. on Route 63 in the Village of Oakfield, Davis was arrested. It is alleged that Davis was driving while intoxicated and while possessing a conditional driver's license and that she rear-ended another vehicle. Davis was arraigned in Oakfield Town Court on Jan. 11 and is due to return there at a later date. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Matthew Clor.

Joseph William Freeman, 34, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with: aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree; unlicensed operator; uninsured motor vehicle; failure to use designated lane; and criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree. He was arrested at 4:18 p.m. on Jan. 8 on Jackson Street in the city. The charges all stem from a traffic stop wherein it is alleged that Freeman was operating a motor vehicle on Ellicott Street at the intersection with Jackson Street and made an illegal right-hand turn onto Jackson Street. During a lawful search, several items of drug paraphernalia were allegedly discovered. He was released on bail and transported to Orleans County Jail on an active warrant out of that county. Freeman is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 22. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer James DeFreze.

Quamane J. Santiago, 20, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of second-degree harassment. He was arrested (date not specified) for allegedly having physical contact with two separate female victims during a disturbance that occurred at 6:05 a.m. on Dec. 1 on Walnut Street. Santiago was processed and issued an appearance ticket for this afternoon (Jan. 15) in city court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Frank Klimjack, assisted by Officer Arick Perkins.

Brian Keith Dyer, 52, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal tampering in the third degree. Dyer was arrested following a landlord-tenant dispute which occurred on North Street at 2 a.m. Jan. 5. Dyer was processed at Batavia Police Department and released on an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia City Court this afternoon (Jan. 15). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

The East Pembroke Fire Department held its annual installation and awards banquet at Batavia Downs on Saturday night and Kenny Marble was named Firefighter of the Year.

Top photo: Don Newton Sr., president; Chuck Chatley, assistant chief; Steve Smelski, assistant chief; Kenny Marble, vice president; Paul Fenton, owner of Fenton's Produce, commissioner, and Service Person of the Year after serving on the board for 27 years; Don Newton, Jr., chief; Bill Lawrence, commissioner; Tom Dix, commissioner; and Rick Groff, incoming commissioner, replacing Fenton.

Paul Fenton, Service Person of the Year.

Kenny Marble, Firefighter of the Year.

Officers taking the oath of office.

The fire department members and district commissioners.

Press release:

The Genesee County & City of Batavia Youth Boards are looking for nominations for their annual Youth Recognition Banquet. There are three awards presented at the Youth Recognition Banquet:

• Youth Recognition Award — This award recognizes young people who have performed exceptional service to the community and/or have assumed extraordinary roles in their families. Typically, the best candidates for this award are high school students, but we also know there are 12-, 13-, and 14-year-olds who exemplify distinctive qualities of service. Several youth will be recognized; however the Youth Boards reserve the right to limit the number of recipients.
• Adult Volunteer — This award recognizes an adult who provides service as a volunteer to youth in Genesee County.
• Adult Youth Worker — This award recognizes a youth service professional whose work surpasses normal expectations.

Recipients will be honored at the Youth Recognition Banquet on March 28. Nominations are due by Friday, Feb. 15th.

For more information or to receive nomination forms, please call the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960 or youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us. The forms are also on the Youth Bureau page of the Genesee County website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

Press release:

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, the traffic pattern on Thorpe Street between Maple Street and Watson Street will change from two-way to one-way southbound, in accordance with City Council Resolution #95-2018 and Traffic Order 1 of the year 2019.

On this date all motorist are to obey the new traffic law and signage once posted. Motorists shall enter Thorpe Street (portion between Watson Street and Maple Street from Watson Street and exit onto Maple Street. On-street parking shall be permitted as signed on the westside on the roadway.

Thank you for your cooperation in advance.

The Women’s March which took place in Washington, D.C., in 2017 has created interest among women in Genesee County.

On Saturday, Erica O’Donnell, of Batavia, Kristie Miller of Darien and Dorothy Avery, of Bergen, have organized an event called “Women March,” featuring a march, speakers and informational booths by various nonprofit groups. The march will begin at 10 a.m. in Jackson Square, where music will be provided by the Women’s Resistance Choir from the GLOW region. 

The march is a family friendly event, Miller said, designed after the original march in Washington, D.C., and then was copied in cities like New York City, Seneca Falls, Buffalo and Rochester.

“A lot of people from the Batavia area traveled to the march in Seneca Falls,” Miller said.

“Last year, a mutual friend, Dorothy Avery, got a school bus to take women to Seneca Falls, and we said, ‘We can do this here,’ ” O’Donnell said. “You hear in the media about these events geared to the big cities, and we wanted to make one available for rural women.”

“We wanted an event which dealt with issues facing women in our community,” Miller said.

“Typically, if you live in the GLOW region, you have to travel to Buffalo or Rochester for a lot of things,” O’Donnell said. “But the experiences of people who live in those cities are different from the people who live in the GLOW region.”

After organizing in Jackson Square, the women will march down Center Street to Ellicott, then Liberty to Main and the City Centre, where speeches will continue and nonprofit organizations will have information available.

Participants will include Diana Kastenbaum; Members of Woke GCC; Lauren Jimerson of Fairport, project manager of Iroquois White Corn Project; Tamara Leigh with Out Alliance of Rochester; Carly Fox with Worker Justice Center of New York; Debora McDell-Hernandez with Planned Parenthood of Batavia; Michelle Schoneman of East Aurora, founder of Citizens Against Collins; ChaRon Sattler-Leblanc with Moms Demand Action from Rochester and the Genesee region; and Vanessa Glushefski, deputy comptroller for the City of Buffalo.

O’Donnell said she thinks the event will be good for the city. Other marches across the country have been huge, she said. When she went to the march in Seneca Falls, hotels were all booked and stores sold out of everything.

“This is going to be a year-round effort to empower and support women,” O’Donnell said. “We are an organization, not just a march.”

Sisters, daughters, mothers and friends are invited to join the march.

Photo: Erica O’Donnell, left, and Kristie Miller are co-leaders of a Women’s March on Saturday morning. The march will begin at 10 a.m. in Jackson Square and feature speakers, a march to the City Centre, and information from nonprofit groups.

A fire was reported at 4080 Pearl Street Road, Batavia, the location of Summit Lubricants.

Town of Batavia fire dispatched and a chief on scene reported smoke but said that the sprinkler system appears to have put the fire out.

The building was evacuated.

UPDATE 10:28 a.m.: Fire is out. Starting overhaul.

Photos and article submitted by Coach Matt Holman.

It was a good day for ski racing on Saturday, cold with an overcast sky and no wind. A packed-powder race course turned slippery in the afternoon slalom and tested each racer's ability and the sharpness of their skis.

It was a good day for the Batavia Varsity skiers as they turned in some of the best runs of their season and careers. Led by Junior Aubrey Towner, who finished 13th, followed by Sophomore Lily Whiting, who finished 18th in the morning single-run Giant Slalom race. The afternoon brought a two-run slalom race in which Towner finished 12th and Whiting finished 14th, both career bests. The first time Batavia has had a pair of girls in the top 15 finishers in many years.

Zach Wagner also finished 12th in the slalom on the boys' side, a career best for the sophomore, 26th place finish in GS.

The Modified Team continues to improve with Lily Wagner taking the top team spot in GS. Ethan Bradley was Batavia's top slalom skier with Ben Stone finishing one spot behind.

The teams will next compete on Wednesday at Swain in a two-run GS race.

Team Picture: L to R: Ben Stone, Aubrey Towner, Lily Whiting, Lily Wagner, Ethan Bradley, Zach Wagner, Coach Matt Holman, Assistant Coach Bill Bradley

Zach Wagner

Aubrey Towner

Lily Whiting

Press release:

The Centers for Independent Living in Buffalo, in Niagara Falls and in Batavia will join our sister Centers for Independent Living (CILs) nationwide, the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), and chapters of the grassroots disability rights advocate ADAPT to participate in a national conference from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday Jan. 15.

The occasion is the reintroduction of the Disability Integration Act (DIA, S.910, H.R. 2471) in Washington, D.C. This bill would make more enforceable the right of people with disabilities, who require long-term care, to live in the least restrictive and most integrated setting, (usually outside of institutions), a principle from the Americans with Disabilities Act asserted by the U.S. Supreme Court's "Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W." decision.

So that the nationwide public can tune in, as well, NCIL and ADAPT will be making a video and audio of the introductory event available to stream online. An American Sign Language for the Deaf Interpreter and live open captions will be visible on the streaming video, and a live Spanish translation will be available by phone on a conference call line.

It was thanks to the ongoing efforts of ADAPT that Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) set Jan. 15^th as the date to reintroduce the DIA in the new 116th Congress. It is the hope of disability rights advocates that the enthusiasm generated by this early introduction will help build momentum for the DIA in this new Congress.

Local friends of disability rights are invited to observe potential history in the making: at Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL), 3108 Main St., Buffalo; at Independent Living of Niagara County (ILNC) at 746 Portage Road in Niagara Falls; and at Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR)'s brand new office at 319 W. Main St. in Batavia.

Refreshments will be served, and participants will be urged to contact their elected federal legislators to encourage them to support the DIA.

For more information, call Marykate Waringa at (716) 836-0822, ext. 146. 

The Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

From Volunteers For Animals:

Tomorrow will be your first opportunity to check out dogs who have been participating in a new behavorial training program developed by Volunteers For Animals and the Orleans Correctional Facility.

All the dogs from The Path to Home Program will be at the Genesee County Animal Shelter during adoption hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow, Jan. 12th. The shelter is located at 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

There will be someone from Orleans Correctional Facility who is familiar with the dogs on hand to answer questions about the canines. The volunteers are excited about this opportunity for the public to meet the dogs and check out their progress.

The existing foster program for dogs could only handle approximately four to six dogs, with fostering done in private homes. No formal dog obedience training was easily available in these private homes.

So Volunteers For Animals applied for and received a grant from Maddie's Fund in order to start this unique prison-based program. The grant has helped pay for supplies, food and medical care for the dogs. In addition, each dog will get a crate, bedding, leash, collar, training treats, and food provided by Volunteers For Animals.

Volunteers For Animals will be pulling dogs from high-kill shelters and locally who may be in need of behavioral support to become more adoptable. More at-risk dogs will now be able to go to Orleans Correctional Facility for the fostering and basic obedience training to help their socialization.

At the prison, dogs will live with selected inmates who will care for them 24 hours per day for approximately 12 weeks. 

A certified dog trainer will also provide 1.5-hour formal weekly training class for the dogs, with extra sessions if needed, and the inmates will work daily to reinforce the formal training.

At the end of the training period the dogs will have an opportunity to take the test for "Canine Good Citizen." All dogs in The Path to Home Program will be crate trained, have basic obedience skills, and good house manners.

These dogs would love to meet you tomorrow!

• "Max" (right)

• Retriever Mix

• 2 year old/ Neutered Male

• Estimated graduation date: 1/23/2019

  Max is very bright, learns quickly and is good with most dogs but enjoys rough play. He would do best in a home with no small children. Max is crate trained.

• 

• "Shannon" (left)

• Pit Bull Terrier Mix

• Adult/ Spayed Female

• Estimated graduation date: 1/23/2019

  Shannon is a calm dog who is good with most other dogs. She is housebroken and crate trained.

• Adult/ Neutered Male

• Estimated graduation date: 1/23/2019

  Moses is a calm dog who would probably do best in a single dog home. He is crate trained and housebroken.

• 

• "Valerie" (above)

• Mountain Cur Mix

• 4 year old/ Spayed Female

• Estimated graduation date: 1/23/2019

  Valerie is very playful and good with other dogs. She would do best in a home with a fenced in yard since she is a fast runner!

   
• "Chewbacca" (right)

• Anatolian Shepherd Mix

• 5-6 years old/ Spayed Female

• Estimated graduation date: 1/23/2019

  Chewy is calm and quiet. She is good with most other dogs and is crate trained.

Pre-need funeral accounts in New York State are considered assets of the individual, not the funeral home. Each year, those that have prepaid their funerals with a funeral home receive a tax document for the interest earned in the previous year.

If you have an account with any of our funeral homes, and did not receive your statement, please call us. We'd be happy to assist you.

A woman is reportedly walking backward on West Main Street Road, Batavia, in the area of Mancuso Limousine. 

The caller is concerned she might walk out into traffic.

A deputy is responding.