batavia

Several city police units are responding to Holland Avenue for a reported fight outside involving several people. The call was then switched to a secure communications channel.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: There was Taser deployment.

UPDATE 4:47 pm.: Mercy medics are en route to 1 Holland Ave.

UPDATE 4:48 p.m.; A male subject suffered a BB shot to the chest.

UPDATE 4:53 p.m.: An ambulance from Alexander is called to respond to the city's incident involving "several victims of assault."

UPDATE 5:16 p.m.: City fire is responding to a reported cooking fire on the stove at 23 Holland Ave., which is also one of the places involving people in the police incident.

UPDATE 5:22 p.m.: The fire appears to be out, according to a dispatcher.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: Medics are transporting to UMMC a 45-year-old male who was pepper sprayed in the face and a 16 50-year-old male who was shot in the chest with a BB gun. 

UPDATE 6:44 p.m.: Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch at the scene said the call that came in was for a fight involving about 30 people, including the possible use of weapons. Police responded and the incident involved a number of mostly juveniles. Some adults, possibly parents, were also at the scene. At least one adult male was Tazed and another adult male -- or possibly even the same one -- was pepper sprayed by police. A witness said initially, before officers arrived, there was shouting, some individuals took their shirts off, then fighting ensued. Police arrived shortly thereafter, along with medics, and the city fire department responded to a cooking incident -- stove fire that spread to a wall -- that occurred during the ruckus. Heubusch said a press release is being prepared and will be released later.

Joseph B. James is indicted for the crime of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony. It is alleged that on May 7 in the City of Batavia that James, with intent to prevent a police officer from performing a lawful duty, caused physical injury to a police officer. In count two, James is accused of the crime of third-degree criminal mischeif, a Class E felony. It is alleged in count two that James damaged another person's property in an amount exceeding $250 -- a surveillance camera and housing in the holding room at the BPD on West Main Street in the City of Batavia.

Shawn M. Twardowski is indicted for the crime of third-degree robbery, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on Jan. 26 in the City of Batavia that the defendant forcibly stole property -- a cell phone. In count, Twardowski is accused of the crime of cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor, according to the state Agriculture and Markets Law Section 353, and it is alleged that he cruelly beat and strangled a dog belonging to a female.

Darrell Smith is indicted for the crime of first-degree coercion, a Class D felony, for allegedly threatening to kill three people on May 6 in the City of Batavia. Smith is accused of compelling or inducing a male to abstain from engaging in conduct in which he had a legal right to engage. Smith allegedly held a knife in his hand and a glass bottle in another as a means of instilling fear in the victim that, if his demand was not complied with, the defendant would cause him physical injury. Smith allegedly threatened the victim with physical injury if the victim were to try and leave the residence before "he produced property demanded by the defendant." In counts two and three, Smith is accused of the same crime on the same day involving another male victim and a female victim, respectively. In count four, Smith is accused of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, a Class A misdemeanor, by applying pressure on the throat or neck of a male victim. In count five, Smith is accused of fourth-degree criminal mischief, also a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly intentionally damaging another person's property -- a shelving/stereo unit and items displayed or stored on the unit. In count six, Smith is accused of second-degree menacing, another Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly intentionally placing or attempting to place a male victim in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death by displaying a deadly weapon -- a knife.

YMCA Summer Camp 2017 registration is underway! Register today for YMCA Kinder Camp or traditional Day Camp. Spaces are limited and programs fill up fast. This summer's dates are from June 26th – Aug. 25th. You can register for a week or as many as you’d like.

•  Kinder Camp is for children ages 3 to 5 and is ideal for families looking for safe, structured play this summer. Kinder Camp fosters social development, problem solving, team building and self-esteem. With two options to choose from, 5 day or 3 day, we have something to fit the needs of all parents.
•  Traditional Day Camp is for ages 6 – 12 and is the perfect place for children to have a fun and safe summer. Day Camp allows children to grow and thrive while working with peer groups and enjoying a variety of both indoor and outdoor games and activities. Each week is based around a special theme and we offer age-appropriate activities like sports and games, arts and crafts, weekly field trips, swimming and more.

Our caring and nurturing staff are carefully selected based on their previous experience and schooling. This ensures that our staff is the perfect fit for making your family's summer experience one you will never forget.

YMCA Day Camp is certified by the New York State Health Department and we adhere to strict safety regulations. Register for one week or join us for all nine. The YMCA offers flexible enrollment and payment plans to fit the needs of any family. The Y also provides scholarships to those who qualify which makes YMCA summer camp one of the most affordable options around. For more information on the YMCA’s summer camp programs or to register, contact the YMCA at 585-344-1664 today.

The financing of the Ellicott Station project by Buffalo-Based Savarino Companies is complicated, but it's moving along at a swift pace and CEO Sam Savarino doesn't expect any delays in financing that would prevent construction from the starting this summer.

Savarino Companies will have a direct investment of about $3.5 million and will borrow approximately another $10 million or more and local, state, and federal programs will cover another $5 million or so of the more than $18 million in project expenses (a bit of an increase over prior project estimates).

Assistance programs to make the project viable come in three forms: tax abatements from the Genesee County Economic Development Center, grants from the State of New York, and a federal New Market Tax Credit program.

"We knew going in we had a hole in this budget of about $5 million," Savarino said. "The state came in, Empire State Development, and filled part of the hole with the grants that they have, but it's still left us out there and that's why we went out we said we need enough allocation to fill that hole."

That hole is being filled by the New Market Tax Credit program, created about two decades ago in part to replace grants that financed many failed urban renewal programs. Tax credits on the project that can be sold as assets help create a market-driven way to encourage development in economically distressed neighborhoods. It's a way for the market to help decide which projects are worthy of assistance rather than the federal government making the decision.

The tax credits are administered by Community Development Entities (these can be for-profit companies or nonprofit agencies). The CDEs decide which projects to back. The tax credits are then sold to investors, who can use the tax credits or sell them on the open market.

"An area like this particular area is a distressed area," Savarino said. "It's got way more unemployment than other areas in the county. It's got way more incidents of poverty of people living there, more than any other part of the county. It's also a brownfield site. So it's got all those things going against it. That's just the type of site -- and by the way that has prevented its redevelopment --  it makes it too expensive to really redevelop. It's not really marketable. That's exactly the type of project that the New Market Tax Credit program is meant to address. But there are federal tax credits and they're meant to bring life into sites and generally in cities that don't have that much of a chance."

Julie Pacatte, economic development coordinator for the Batavia Development Corp., said Ellicott Station is unique in the county because the total investment exceeds $5 million to $10 million, which is necessary to even attract New Market Tax Credits.

"That's what makes it difficult for rural communities to access the program because projects generally don't project to that kind of scale to access the program," Pacatte said.

Savarino said the Ellicott Station project will use about $7.5 million in tax credits, which will translate into about $2.5 million in direct investment into the project.

Without the assistance programs, traditional lenders wouldn't even consider a project with the liabilities of the former Della Penna property, which needs extensive environmental remediation and is in a neighborhood with higher than average unemployment and lower than average incomes.

"There's no way it would even be financeable," Savarino said. "It's not just a developer like ourselves coming in and so everybody can gainsay your efforts over there because of you and you are out there trying to -- you're not going to do this to lose money. We're judged more harshly by the people who come and provide the financing for something like this.

"So we take a risk for going out and risking that we're going to lease up these units. We're risking that will lease up the commercial space. We're taking the risk that we've got a cap on the cost, and we have all the normal risk that you have (in a development)."

Some of the risk is mitigated by the fact that Savarino has already secured an anchor tenant for the project, Resurgence Brewery, out of Buffalo, which will open a restaurant, beer garden and sour beer brewery at the location. That business is expected to create at least 15 full-time jobs.

Savarino said the Resurgence owners are eager to get going and would move in today if they could.

The complicated financing isn't anything new for Savarino Companies, which has been involved in redeveloping several properties in Buffalo that were also highly distressed and needed to make variety a variety of financing and investment options to make them viable. 

The New Market Tax Credit is limited to the commercial side of the project. For that, Savarino must secure the tax credits, attract the investors, find additional financing, get the proper approvals from local and state officials, and then the company must still also secure financing for the apartment complex.

Over the course of planning, the apartment complex has gone from 30 units to 42, to 47, and now the plans call for 54 units.

"When we started laying it out and we actually got the building down, we got to our unit mix and it turned out that we could fit 54 units in there," Savarino said.

That's one reason the costs have gone up a bit, but a recent environmental examination of the property also uncovered a surprise -- a previously unknown storm water drainage canal running under the entire length property.

The canal -- they're calling it the "Grand Canal" -- shows up on no maps, no site drawings, no infrastructure maps. It was built of brick long, long ago and forgotten about.

There's also evidence of contamination in the canal.

The best-case scenario is the canal can be declared as abandoned and filled in (as a matter of engineering, the buildings can't just be built on top of it), but if it needs to be rerouted, it can either be mitigated by connecting it to existing drainage lines under Ellicott Street or put under the easement for the new Ellicott Trail, which will run behind Ellicott Station. Savarino isn't expecting the canal to blow up the budget.

"Some of that is just the nature of the brownfield redevelopment and the remediation program of the state's is intended to offset those costs," Savarino said. "So to the extent that you find something that's a little worse than what you knew about, your site-prep costs will go up, and hopefully it works out such that you get the tax credits to offset that cost."

Savarino and Pacatte were at the Genesee County Planning Board meeting last night as part of the process of getting land-use approvals for the project.

The planning committee recommended approval of the site plan.

The project moves forward next with a GCEDC public hearing June 20 on the $1.5 million tax incentive package, which includes breaks on sales and mortgage tax, and a payment in lieu of taxes plan on the new tax liabilities generated by the increase in assessed value of the property. That same day, the city's Planning Committee will review the site plan and on June 22, the Zoning Board will review the plan.

This morning, the County Legislature held a special meeting to approve a $225,000 grant to assist construction of the brewery and restaurant for Resurgence Brewery. The grant is a pass-through of federal Community Development Block Grant money administered by the state's Office of Community Renewal. The special meeting was necessary because today was the deadline for completing the application.

Savarino said he doesn't anticipate any delays in financing, that financing should close in July and construction will begin in August.

This afternoon, a reader named Tracy Gaus submitted this photo of a lost dog and sent us this email:

"This very friendly dog was found wandering around our back yard (at) 3701 Pearl Street Road, Batavia. The dog does have a choke collar with a rabies tag. But no other ID. Can anyone help us find his home? I can be reached at (585) 409-0826."

UPDATE Friday, June 9, 2:37 p.m.: We are happy to report that shortly before 9 a.m. this morning, Tracy Gaus emailed us and told us the dog has been reunited with its family.

Press release:

The marketing efforts of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) were recognized during the New York State Economic Development Council’s (NYSEDC) annual meeting in Cooperstown on May 24^th and 25^th.

The GCEDC received Certificates in Excellence in the categories of Multimedia Advertising and Printed & Electronic Newsletter and Honorable Mention in the Brochure and Annual Report categories.

The Multimedia Advertising Award is shared between the City of Batavia, the Batavia Development Corporation and the GCEDC. That award recognized the “Bet on Batavia” video produced in 2016 for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative competition

“We were very proud of the collaboration to produce the ‘Bet on Batavia’ video,” said Jason Molino, Batavia city manager. “We will once again utilize the video, and other social media platforms and strategies as we pursue funding from New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative."

“Collaboration is an extremely important component of economic development especially in presenting a unified vision for a community and region,” said Pierluigi Cipollone, president of the Batavia Development Corporation. “In this instance, the video told a powerful story about the uniqueness and pride we have in our city.”

The NYSEDC annually recognizes the economic development marketing efforts of its member organizations.

“These awards demonstrate creativity, impact, and visual appeal by our members who are effectively marketing their communities for economic development purposes,” said Brian McMahon, executive director of the New York State Economic Development Council.

“Economic development is extremely competitive with regions, states and countries competing against each other, so it is imperative that our marketing materials stand out among those making investment decisions in Batavia and Genesee County,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO, GCEDC.

“Our marketing team under Rachel Tabelski and the marketing professionals at our economic development partners do a tremendous job in distinguishing our region through the materials they collaborate on to produce.”

NYSEDC has been the state’s principle organization representing economic development professionals, businesses, and colleges and universities for more than 40 years.

Saying it's a reality of business these days, Foxprowl Collectibles announced on Facebook that it is closing its downtown store, though the business will continue as an online-only business.

"This is by no means the business ending," Bill Hume said in the statement. "It is simply changing and adapting with the current state of retail (over 50 percent of U.S. retail sales now occur online)."

Hume, who operated the business with his wife, Joy, started Foxprowl as an online-only business and opened a store on Ellicott Street in 2010. They moved the store to Main and Jackson streets less than a year ago, in September 2016.

Foxprowl won the Chamber's "Entrepreneurial Business of the Year" award for 2016.

The store also operates an annual local comic and collectibles convention, Foxprowl Con. Hume said the convention will be on hiatus this year because of the business transition but will return in 2018.

The physical store location closing is effective July 1.

Photo: File photo of Joy and Bill Hume.

At the end of May, the Genesee County History Department received a collection of $10,000 worth of Emory Upton documents from a donor from Georgia.

Michael Eula, Ph.D., the county historian, said the donation is a type that is usually received by large university libraries.

“We have a number of his papers here already,” Eula said. “These are all originals.”

Salvatore Cilella, of Atlanta, donated the documents.

The collection consist of 28 documents dating between 1862 and 1892. These include special orders, military passes and letters to friends and family.

Also included is a Western Union telegram from 1864. Upton wrote to his brother, Parley, about the wound he suffered at the Battle of Winchester.

Eula said there is no plan for the Upton documents to be put on display at this time.

“This is the sort of thing that UB would get,” Eula said. “I am proud to say that we have it here.”

Eula said Upton is one of Genesee County’s most famous people.

According to a history compiled by Eula, Upton was born on Aug. 27, 1839 on a farm near what is now in Batavia. He was the 10th child born to Electra and Daniel Upton.

Upton attended Oberlin College, transferring to the U.S. Military Academy, graduating shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, in 1861.

Being in his mid-20s, Upton rose to the rank of Major General by the end of the war.

“He had displayed his bravery and leadership skills at such noteworthy Civil War battles as Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg,” Eula wrote.

In 1868, Emily Martin married Upton in Auburn. She died from tuberculosis a little more than two years later in 1870.

After the Civil War, Upton became an educator and policy maker through his tenure as Commandant of Cadets at West Point and through his research and writing.

Upton published “A New System of Infantry Tactics” in 1867. His other famous work, “The Military Policy of the United States,” was published in 1904. It analyzed American military practices and examined the nation’s military history.

“Upton was more than a West Point graduate and a Civil War hero,” Eula wrote. “He was more than an accomplished scholar who met a sad end. He was instead a clear product of his historical moment.”

In 1881, Upton committed suicide while serving as the Commanding Officer of the 4th U.S. Artillery at the Presidio in San Francisco.

“Why had he taken his own life?” Eula wrote. “For some, it was believed that he never fully came to term with Emily’s passing. For others, it was the result of severe headaches which had become so overwhelming that the only recourse was this ultimate physical escape.”

Batavia is sending eight athletes to the New York State Championships this weekend at Union-Endicott High School near Binghamton. 

Junior Anthony Ray Qualified for States in the Shot Put by winning at the State Qualifier meet last Friday night. His best throw of the season is a 54' 3 1/2" which is the school record. He is seeded third heading into the meet and is looking to improve upon his fifth-place finish at States from last year.

The girls 4x400 relay team (right to left) consisting of sophomore Caitlin Kingston, junior Claire Zickl, sophomore Regan Henrici and junior Kiaya Franklin will compete on Friday and is also seeded third. Their best time is a 4:00.70, which was from the State Qualifier Meet. Alternates pictured from right to left is sophmore Elizabeth Cohen and freshman Camryn Buck

Kiaya Franklin will also compete in the 400m and the 200m for the second year in a row. She heads to the State Meet seeded fifth in the 400m and 6th in the 200m. 

Finally, Junior Eric Davis will run in the 110 Hurdles after running a 14.78 at State Qualifiers which was the winning performance. This will be his first time competing at the New York State Championships and he is seeded second.

All of the Batavia track athletes have an excellent opportunity to medal this weekend and have continued to improve all spring. Good luck Blue Devils representing Batavia at the New York State Championships.

Senior Brad Misiak from Notre Dame will compete in the 200-meter dash this weekend. He broke the school record this year at the Class D Section V championships last Friday with a time of 22.84, which he took first place in. This is his first time competing at the New York State championships.

Information submitted by Batavia Head Coach Nick Burk and Notre Dame Head Coach Eric Geitner.

Press release:

Empire Access, which has an office in Batavia, has received a $3.2 million grant award from the New NY Broadband Program. The New York Broadband Program was developed to help fund the expansion of high-speed broadband Internet service in New York State, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that all New Yorkers have high-speed broadband access by the end of 2018.

Empire Access is based in Prattsburgh and operates a fast-growing telecommunications company, offering high-speed Internet, digital television, phone and security services to homes and businesses – all enabled by Fiber Optic technology – to more than 25 communities in Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania.

“The NYS Broadband program has enabled Empire Access to build a fiber optic network and provide gigabit internet services in rural areas where it would be economically prohibitive. This program is a game changer for rural New York,” said Jim Baase, chief operating officer, Empire Access.

The New NY Broadband Program grant provides Empire Access with significant funding for the expansion of high-speed broadband services to more than 1,600 homes and businesses in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions of New York, including Burdett, Lodi, Odessa, Prattsburgh and Pulteney. These specific areas were identified by the New York State Broadband Program Office as underserved or unserved in Phase II of a multiphase grant process.

Empire will offer residents in the awarded areas super-fast Internet service with standard speeds of 100 Mbps download x 20 Mbps upload, along with an even faster 1 Gigabit per second option. High definition digital television, digital phone, security and smart home services will also be available. All services will utilize a state-of-the-art 100-percent Fiber Optic dedicated connection.

“Empire Access is excited to be part of the state’s broadband initiative to expand high-speed broadband services throughout New York,” Baase said. “We’re grateful to Governor Cuomo and the legislature for their support and we look forward to working with the state of New York to accomplish this goal.”

This deployment of broadband service is supported by a grant awarded to Empire Access by New York State through the New NY Broadband Program.

To check current coverage and future expansion for this New NY Broadband Program grant, visit http://www.empireaccess.com/where-we-are/check-location.

About the New NY Broadband Program

Recognizing the importance of broadband infrastructure and building on prior State investments in broadband deployment, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in 2015, with legislative support, established the $500 million New NY Broadband Program. The Program provides New York State grant funding to support projects that deliver high-speed Internet access to Unserved and Underserved areas of the State, with priority to unserved areas, libraries, and Educational Opportunity Centers.

An “unserved” area is defined as an area where the fastest available advertised Internet download speed offered by a wireline-based provider is less than 25 Mbps. An “underserved” area is defined as an area where broadband service is only available from a wireline-based provider at advertised Internet download speeds between 25 Mbps and 99 Mbps. The program is the largest and most ambitious state investment in broadband in the nation, with a goal of achieving statewide broadband access in New York by the end of 2018.

About Empire Access
After starting in 1896 with one telephone line in Prattsburgh, Empire Access has grown significantly as a family‐owned, locally based communications provider serving large areas of Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania.

Today’s Empire offers a wide range of products and services from basic phone service to digital phone, scalable high‐speed Fiber Optic Internet, basic to enhanced digital TV service to advanced security solutions. Responding to a variety of business and residential needs, Empire continues to expand into new areas while retaining a strong focus on local, personalized customer service.

Empire Access offers Fiber Optic service in Arkport, Batavia, Bath, Big Flats, Canisteo, Corning, Elmira, Hammondsport, Hornell, Montour Falls, Naples, North Hornell, Penn Yan, Watkins Glen, and Waverly in New York and Sayre, Athens, South Waverly and Troy in Pennsylvania. The company’s website can be found at www.empireaccess.com.

Fourth-graders from John Kennedy School were at Van Detta Stadium today for the annual Fourth Grade Track Meet. A total of 180 students competed in seven events.

This elegant home boasts amazing space with over 3,000 square feet, which does not include finished walk out basement, but still manages to convey a very homey and comforting space. First floor has everything you need with double living rooms and formal dining area to eat in kitchen, first-floor laundry, small den and the most serene enclosed porch area overlooking an amazing private back yard!

Upstairs has five bedrooms if needed with two full baths and access to fenced walkout upper porch for bird's eye views! The home has been maintained well and has new tear off roof with transferable warranty! There is much to see here with amazing opportunities for those who love decorating! Schedule your showing today!!

Press release:

In celebration of the NYSP 100 Year Centennial, Troop A in Batavia we will be holding an Open House for the public from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 10.

The location is Troop A Headquarters, SP Batavia, at 4525 W. Saile Drive, Town of Batavia.

Troop A Commander, Major Steven Nigrelli, said “As one of the original four Troops (A,D,G,K), this celebration is extra special here in Western New York and our 100-year history is source of great pride and tradition.

"Our Open House Committee have put together a day full of activities and demonstrations that will surely entertain and educate you and your families about our proud history.”

This is a family-oriented event with K-9 demonstrations, Aviation and Special Operations Response Team shows at starting at 2 p.m. Free refreshments will be provided, including hotdogs from Connors from 1 – 2 p.m.

Throughout the day we will have:

• Historical Display
• Robot Demonstrations
• Defensive Tactics Demonstrations
• Interactive DWI goggles with pedal cars
• NYSP Horse Mounted Detail
• Classic State Police vehicles
• Current NYSP patrol vehicles
• NYSP Motorcycles Unit and motorcycle safety education
• Firearms Safety Display, and much more!

An accident with possible injuries is reported at East Main Street and Harvester Avenue, Batavia. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 1:17 p.m.: An officer at the scene said the driver of the red Corvair rear-ended a charcoal gray Dodge sedan. A female passenger in the Dodge sedan was able to walk to the ambulance, which took her to UMMC for evaluation.

Press release:

Members of the Batavia Rotary Club are just about ready for the Club’s annual Fly-In Breakfast. It's at the Genesee County Airport, 4701 Saile Drive, Batavia, Sunday, June 18, from 7 a.m. to noon.

Co-Chair Edmund Leising said that the event has become a Father’s Day tradition for many local families. Fly-In Breakfast patrons enjoy a home-cooked breakfast and catch a rare glimpse of aircraft up-close. 

The event is expected to attract more than 1,500 guests from across Western New York, as well as dozens of pilots of small aircraft from across the state and beyond.

Residents throughout Western New York are invited to enjoy breakfast, meet the pilots, and view their aircraft. If the morning is clear, more than 50 pilots are expected to fly their airplanes in.

The Fly-In Breakfast menu will feature sausage, eggs and omelets, pancakes, and beverages. Adult tickets are $8. Tickets for children ages 4 through 12 are $5. Children under the age of 4 are admitted free. Tickets for the event may be obtained from any member of the Batavia Rotary Club or at the door.

Saile Drive is located just north of the City of Batavia and the Batavia exit of the New York State Thruway, off Route 98.

Carol Grasso, a Batavia resident, purchased two large hanging baskets with petunia flowers for her mother’s grave in Grandview Cemetery. She bought two large heavy duty shepherd hooks to hold the heavy baskets and secured the baskets on the hooks with duct tape.

When she returned to the cemetery shortly after, the baskets and the hooks were gone.

“Everyone gets flowers and we make the cemetery look nice,” Grasso said. “I don’t know how someone could steal from the dead.”

This year, she spent around $100 for the hanging baskets and hooks.

“It’s a shame,” Grasso said. “You work so hard for your money and then it’s just gone.”

Russell Joy can sympathize.

He buys flowers every year for his wife’s grave, but they always disappear. Last year, the hanging baskets disappeared two times. This summer, the baskets have disappeared once. Joy replaced the flowers, spending around $40 each time. 

Joy said he has been putting plants at the grave for a long time but has never had trouble before last summer. This year, the plants disappeared closer to Memorial Day, whereas in 2016, they disappeared a month before Memorial Day. 

Last summer, hoping to find out who was stealing the plants, Joy put a hunting camera in a nearby tree, but was unable to determine the perpetrator.

Grasso said the only rule the cemetery has on flowers, is that the hanging baskets need to be high enough off the ground so they can mow the grass. 

Joy and Grasso reported the thefts to the police, who said they would increase the frequency of patrols through the cemetery.

“This type of crime is difficult to investigate,” Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble said. “There’s no DNA, no fingerprints, there’s a shortage of witnesses. It’s not a crime that is easily solved."

Dibble said it is an aggravating crime.

“The frustration is that it’s a thoughtless crime,” Dibble said. “What kind of person would steal flowers from a grave?”

At her mother's tombstone, Grasso replaces the hanging baskets and hooks with smaller, less expensive ones. 

A person is reportedly riding a lawn mower southbound on Harvester Avenue in the city while drinking a beer. Batavia police are responding.

Nicholas Michael Lotemplo, 18, of Chicory Lane, East Amherst, is charged with assault, 2nd. Lotemplo is accused of punching another person causing severe injury at Darien Lake the night of the Chance the Rapper concert. He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Frederick Beniamino Ellis, 50, of West Main Street, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding, failure to dim headlights and driver's view obstructed. Ellis was stopped at 2:22 this morning on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Jeremy Clifford John Newton, 28, of Greenfield Road, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, more than 25 grams, and failure to stop at stop sign. Newton was stopped at 8:53 p.m. Sunday on South Lake Avenue, Bergen, by Deputy Michael Lute.

Andrew Charles Maier, 30, of Main Road, Corfu, is charged with felony DWI and felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and speeding. Maier was stopped at 8:12 p.m. Saturday on Colby Road, Pembroke, by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Christina June Morabito, 35, of Chili Center Road, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to dim headlights. Morabito was stopped at 2:54 a.m. Sunday on Route 33, Bergen, by Deputy Mathew Clor.

Press release:

The Genesee County Libertarian Party is pleased and excited to announce three candidates for three Batavia City Council at-large positions. Lisa Whitehead, James Rosenbeck and Mark Potwora.

All three are longtime Batavia City residents who care deeply about their city and want to continue and improve its great quality of life while being fiscally responsible to future generations.

We envision Lisa, Jim, and Mark as a team who will take on this challenge as a team. The GCLP endorses and will support them fully.