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While many people went about their usual routines Monday, there were events happening across the country, including in Genesee County, to acknowledge and memorialize the date of Sept. 11 that has become so sacred to Americans.

And veteran John McCune attended one such ceremony, believing it is something to appreciate.

“There's nothing more important and special than the ceremonies that should take place across the country for each and every school child coming up so that they can remember and absolutely understand the impact that it had on our nation,” McCune said while at the Batavia VA Medical Center flagpole during a 9/11 ceremony. “How we were all, as Americans, were drawn together based on the fact that it was a need, and they followed up with that need for those heroes that lost their lives in those buildings, attempting to save those from the building fires and eventually lost their lives by the buildings toppling down on them.”

McCune was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, having served eight years. He believes that participating in such events is a “must-do” every year, “especially for our younger generation that’s up and coming so that they too will know and have the knowledge of the events that took more than 3,000 lives in New York City.”

The driveway into the VA was lined with people for the ceremony, and the front lawn was adorned with U.S. flags to represent the shape of the Twin Towers. 

Lest anyone forget, from 911memorial.org: on Sept. 11, 2001, 19 terrorists associated with al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group, hijacked four commercial airplanes scheduled to fly from the East Coast to California.

In a coordinated attack that turned the planes into weapons, the terrorists intentionally flew two of the planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, a global business complex in New York City, causing the towers to collapse. They also flew a third plane into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, in Arlington, Va.

Passengers and crew members on the fourth plane launched a counterattack, forcing the hijacker pilot—who was flying the airplane toward Washington, D.C.—to crash the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, near the town of Shanksville.

The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people. This was the single largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil. The attacks caused the deaths of 441 first responders, the greatest loss of emergency responders on a single day in American history.

McCune commended state Senator George Borrello, who represents the 57th senate district, for also being at the ceremony, and for being “genuine” with his heartfelt remarks. 

The Batavia VA federal facility was first on his to-do list for the day, Borrello said. 

“It ties everything together — the sacrifices that had been made, literally for centuries by our military, with the attack on our nation, and the sacrifices that were made that day by people who just were going to work and not realizing that they were going to be part of what would be the war on terror,” he said. 

So for him, it just seemed like the ideal opportunity to remind everyone of that sacrifice, he said, while at the VA, where veterans who served their country reside and receive services and treatment. 

Those veterans, and Sept. 11, truly changed this nation, Borrello said.

“My fear is that our children are understanding that and understanding that the threat is still there, but the diligence is still required. And I have a lot of concerns about how the narrative has been twisted against our law enforcement,  first responders and military, that they are no longer the heroes, the ones that are on the watch, guarding us, but they have somehow been, it has been twisted to them being the enemy,” he said. “And that’s what I spoke about today, because I look at someone who might be 25 - 30 years old who may have no memory of 9/11, but is now being told that somehow the police are racist, and this and that, and all these other negative things that are said about law enforcement, when the fact is, that it didn’t matter: race, creed, color, we were united, that the politics stopped at the water’s edge, that we all bleed the same color. 

And that is what makes America great, is that diversity and the unity in that diversity.”

As a representative of the City of Batavia, Councilman-at-Large Bob Bialkowski praised the VA Medical Center, staffed by a “superb group of dedicated professionals and caring volunteers.” 

The U.S. Army Aviation Reserves veteran turned to that fateful day, when a “vile act of terror was a stain on the heart to all of us.”

“Our country is hated by half of the world because we are free people. Freedom is the enemy of evil. And the evil people of the world will always be plotting against us to enslave us to their will. We are Americans, and history shows that we're the greatest protectors of freedom in the world,” Bialkowski said. “Today, let us remember all those brave and heroic Americans who lost their lives on 9/11, 2001. Service members, police, firefighters, medical and ordinary citizens. All Americans, first and foremost.

“In closing, the entrance to the main entrance going up the stairs, there's a garden, and there's figurines representing each member of each armed force. They’re all standing there saluting. They're looking down at the grass, and I'll picture 3,000 people on the lawn, where each flag is, picture a person standing there,” he said. “So on the way out, please remember this. We will never forget, and must always remain vigilant and fight evil. We are all Americans.”

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Press Release:

Join us on Friday, September 29, and Thursday, October 19 at 7 p.m. as Connie Boyd shares the spooky, sinister, and weird documented stories from the West Side of Batavia's past. Come and listen to tales of murder, ghosts, body-snatching hangings, and abandoned cemeteries. 

This presentation is the same as our Ghost Walk, perfect for those who don't want to or aren't able to go on our guided Ghost Walks. Tickets are $5/$3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727.

“This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by
GO ART!”

Please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a West Side Ghost Walk on Fridays in October. The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place on October 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 7 p.m. We will also be adding second walks beginning at 7:30 on October 6, 13, and 20.

Take a walk on the west side and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts, and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past. Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell, and other famous and infamous Batavians.

Admission is $15.00 or $10.00 for museum members and reservations are required with purchase. Tours are limited to 20 people each. The tour begins and ends at the museum and is approximately 1 1/2 to two hours in length.

For tickets or more information, please call (585) 343-4727, email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stop by at 131 W. Main St. Batavia.

Press Release:

Notre Dame will host our 2nd annual 5K Run on September 30. This will coincide with our ND’s Homecoming Football game vs. Geneseo/MM at 1 p.m. Alumni are welcome! 

There will be a kid’s fun run starting at 10 a.m., with the 5K Run/Walk following at 11 a.m. Food and ice cream trucks will be available after the run.  

Long-sleeve T-shirts are guaranteed to participants who sign up before September 22. Proceeds to benefit Notre Dame High School Athletics Department. For more information and to sign up visit https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Batavia/NotreDamesRunningwiththeIrish5KRunWalkNopay.

Press Release:

UR Medicine Imaging care is now available at UR Medicine’s Batavia Medical Campus, and a community open house will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12. The event will be held at 7995 Call Parkway. 

Services include CT scans and walk-in X-rays, and ultrasound imaging will be available beginning this winter. The practice is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. 

The new UR Medicine Medical Campus, which opened in May 2022, is also home to adult and pediatric allergy and immunology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology and audiology, oncology, urology clinics, and a primary care practice. Adding imaging services along with the specialty clinics brings comprehensive care into one convenient location for residents of Genesee, Wyoming, and Orleans counties.

Press Release:

The major fundraiser for the Batavia Rotary Club is underway, and once again a Corvette or $50,000 is the prize. 

The first winner was announced on September 5 since an early bird component has been added. Early bird prizes are $500 each and will be drawn the first Tuesday of the month now through January. Early bird winners' tickets will be placed back into the drawing for the grand prize.

"This is the major fundraiser that allows our club to make so many contributions to the community, such as $18,000 in college scholarships to area students each year," said President Susie Ott.

Rotary is also contributing $250,000 toward the Healthy Living Campus under construction on Main Street, a joint project for the YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Most recently, Rotary offered a $150,000 matching pledge for the renovation of the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, Ott said.
Rotary's motto is Service Above Self, she explained. Rotarians actively engage in projects to improve the local community. All proceeds from this fundraiser go toward community service projects.

"Fundraisers like this Corvette event are critical for helping us help others," said Lisa Ormsbee, who co-chairs the event with Laurie Mastin. 

The winner may choose between a 2024 Corvette made available through Joe Basil Chevrolet or $50,000. In addition to the grand prize, there are 10 additional prizes of $500 each, Mastin explained. The early bird winners will be drawn monthly, then five $500 winners will be selected the night of the grand prize drawing on Jan. 19, and will be live on Facebook.

"Your odds of being an early bird winner are great because fewer tickets will have been sold early on," she observed. "So we encourage folks to go online and buy early." 

Persons interested in purchasing tickets may go to www.bataviarotaryraffle.com or contact any Rotarian. Only 4,500 tickets are sold. For more information, go to www.bataviarotary.com

Press Release:

Brick Builder Club - GO ART! is running a free 4-week Brick Builders Club. The Club will take place starting Saturday, September 9, and run through September 30. This Club meets at GO ART! from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Building bricks are provided by GO ART! Brick Builders is open to ages 5 - 100+. 

Each week there will be a planned activity but it is fine if club members would like to free build. Because Club members will have to leave their creations at GO ART! each week's creations will be photographed and put up on our website (with parental permission).

Pillow Making Sewing Class - GO ART! is offering a Pillow Making Sewing Class with local quilter and sewing extraordinaire Peg Berhorn. The class will be held on Friday, September 15, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at GO ART!, 201 East Main St., Batavia. Open to participants age 12 and older, those who sign up should expect to attend both classes to complete the project. 

The cost is $20/person for non-GO ART! members and $18/per person for members, total, and all materials and tools will be provided. Contact GO ART! at 585-343-9313, email jfisher@goart.org, or sign up online at goart.org. Registration is requested by September 14. Participants will learn some of the basics of sewing if they do not already know how to sew and also complete a pillow to bring home!

Poetry and Prose Club - Starting Thursday, September 28 from 6-7 p.m. at GO ART! come and learn some of the basics of creative writing and participate in some fun creative writing activities (blackout poetry, object poetry, short stories and more) to get your creativity flowing or you can just come and network with other creative writers. There is no cost to participate in this program. Please bring a notebook with you (or a computer) to keep your work on.

Free Teen Animation Workshop - GO ART! is offering a 4-week Teen Animation Workshop for children 12-16 at the Hoag Library (134 S Main St, Albion, NY). This workshop will run on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. September 30, October 7, 21, and 28. 

This workshop is FREE but registration is required. To register your teen please contact GO ART! at 585-343-9313 or email jfisher@goart.org. Registration is requested by September 27. This workshop will be instructed by Jess Moffet, a recent graduate of RIT.

In the closing seconds of the first half, the Batavia Blue Devils scored a go-ahead TD over Wayne Central to regain a lead the team wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way, leading to a 33-14 win. 

It was the team's home opener and made the Blue Devils 2-0 under new head coach Alex Veltz.

Bronx Buchholz was 7-11 passing for 59 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also gained 130 yards on the ground on 15 carries, scoring twice.

Cole Graz snagged our receptions for 18 yards and a TD. He also had an inception on defense.

Carter Mullen had one reception for an 8-yard TD.

Mekhi Fortes, 14 carries, 85 yards, 5.5.

Zailen Griffin, nine rushes for 82 yards and a TD.

The Blue Devils take on Honeoye Falls-Lima this Friday in HFL. Game time is 7 p.m. 

Public comments about a remediation project on the city’s east side will be taken up to Sept. 21, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials say.

The project, first outlined in an April 21, 2023 article on The Batavian, is part of the Clean Water Act for Basket Place LLC, located at 34-40 Clinton St., Batavia. 

Action on the privately owned Basket Place parcel was to begin in May to address contamination, with a site-specific health and safety plan and a Community Air Monitoring Plan to be implemented during remediation activities. 

These plans were to establish procedures to protect on-site workers and residents and include required air monitoring as well as dust and odor suppression measures.

The applicant’s project description is "to remediate the soil and groundwater at the Ex-Eaton Site located in Batavia, NY. The remediation will be done by soil mixing using a zero-valent iron-based reducing agent to clean up current volatile organic compounds. Soil mixing will be done using large-diameter mixing augers and a small backhoe. No excavation is proposed. The project will impact 0.099 acres of Federal Wetlands which will be restored after remediation and proper erosion control measures will be implemented."

According to the state DEC, the State Environmental Quality Review determination found that the project is an "Unlisted Action and will not have a significant impact on the environment. A Negative Declaration is on file. A coordinated review was performed."

The state Historic Preservation Act (SHPA) Determination was that: 

"A cultural resources survey has been completed and cultural resources were identified. Based on information provided in the survey report, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) has determined that the proposed activity will have no adverse impact on registered or eligible archaeological sites or historic structures. No further review in accordance with SHPA is required."

From Coastal Management:

"This project is not located in a Coastal Management area and is not subject to the Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act."

Opportunity for Public Comment:

Comments on this project must be submitted in writing to the Contact Person no later than Sept. 21, 2023.

Contact: Courtney M Scoles, NYSDEC Region 8 Headquarters, 6274 E Avon-Lima Rd, Avon, NY, 14414, or call (585) 226-2466 or email DEP.R8@dec.ny.gov 

If you want to make sparks fly, there are some folks at Graham Manufacturing in Batavia who want to talk with you.

Graham makes big things out of big pieces of metal, and that means welding. Graham invests a lot of money in training the people it hires so they learn to become world-class welders.

"We've got a welding school now where we're training our own welders," said Don Fonda, plant supervisor at Graham. "We partnered with Arc and Flame in Rochester. We're paying for people to take classes there. They're actually Graham employees, and we pay them to go to classes. Those are 12-week classes. If they do well, they come here. If they do so-so, we send them for another 12 weeks."

Plant Operations Manager/Commercial Randy Franklin said the welding work Graham needs is specialized and requires a great deal of skill. 

"We have really high-quality standards here," Franklin said. 

He explained, "We're not just building widgets.  It's not the same every single time. We like people who can solve problems. There's a variability in the workflow. It's a good place to work. I mean, it's been around for over 80 years, so it's been a pretty decent place as a bedrock or just providing an opportunity for people in the area."

When Graham, which has always been based in Batavia, was a smaller company, BOCES provided three or four young welders a year that Graham could hire, but now, with 300 employees locally and $150 million in annual revenue, there's a bigger demand for welders, as well as other manufacturing specialties, at Graham, so hiring has become more of a challenge.

Alfred State has a solid welding program, and it is a source of new hires for Graham, but as Fonda explained, if the graduates are not already from the GLOW region, they're likely not coming to Batavia for a job.

So he and Franklin want to get the word out to more local residents looking for a rewarding career -- good pay and solid benefits -- that Graham might be a good fit.

"I think there's a perception that all of this type of equipment is being built elsewhere in the world," Franklin said. "We haven't done a really good job of broadcasting where Graham is and what we do. So we wanted to try to get some more eyeballs on the type of equipment that we build and the opportunities for people in the area."

Graham's longstanding specialty has been equipment used in the oil and gas industries, extracting and refining fuels, but in recent years, Graham has fulfilled contracts for the Department of Defense, fabricating equipment for aircraft carriers and submarines.

"Oil and gas is very cyclical -- demand follows, essentially, the value of a barrel of oil," Franklin said. "The executives, like 10 to 12 years ago, they wanted to be able to even that out because no one enjoys layoffs. They wanted to find a nice baseline, so they went after the Department of Defense."

That large load leaving Graham down Clinton Street a few weeks ago -- that was a piece of equipment for an aircraft carrier. That's all Franklin could say about it.

But the folks at Graham are clearly proud of that shipment. There's a picture of it on a wall in one of the plant buildings. It's the largest load of the year -- 225 long, 17 feet wide, with a gross vehicle weight of 486,000 pounds.

Another poster on the same wall notes that Graham has shipped 2,584 pieces of equipment with a gross weight of 5,980,587 pounds.

For all the success of Graham, and the company's reputation as a place where people work long careers, it's hard finding the right people in Batavia, Franklin acknowledged. And it's getting hard. 

"It's tough being in Batavia," Franklin said. "You know, it's in between two cities in New York State, so that makes it difficult. In those higher population areas, obviously, it's easier to pull in people, and then, to top it off, the state doesn't make it very easy to maintain a business and hire people."

The rapid growth of the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, the growth of WNY STAMP and the related business growth in Pembroke is also making the job market more competitive, Franklin agreed.  All of that growth is driven by incentives offered by GCEDC and the state's economic development packages.

"I don't know if our politicians really truly understand that the decisions that they make have ripple effects," Franklin said. "It's hard to be a competitive business when other new businesses are receiving tax breaks. We just have to try to be flexible and figure out different ways to be competitive with them."

As an example, he said this past summer, a benefit Graham offered was allowing employees to work four nine-hour shifts during the week so they get a half-day off on Friday, and hence a longer weekend to stay at home or take a brief vacation.

Franklin said Graham is looking at other creative ways to offer benefits to Graham employees.

"But regardless of where you are in the country, or even the world, hiring people is a challenge," Franklin added.  "In that way, it's not like we're unique to this area."

There are currently 35 openings at Graham in a variety of jobs -- welders, of course, but also engineers, CNC machine operators, buyers, and more -- and Fonda said Graham might be a hidden little gem for area residents who are looking for a career. 

"I don't think a lot of people would even know we're here," Fonda said. "We're kind of tucked back on a little street. You might see us a little bit from Main Street, and maybe a bit behind Miss Batavia, but for the most part, I don't think a lot of people know we're here. And I'm not sure a lot of people know we're hiring."

City and Town of Batavia officials and the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) announced the creation of the Batavia Home Fund (BHF), an incentive-styled program designed to improve and grow the area’s housing stock on Friday. 

The fund was created to address shared housing goals and establish methods to fund beneficial activities to enhance the area’s housing stock, including investments to rehabilitate vacant and blighted buildings as well as the conversion of rental properties into single-family homes.

Seed funding for the fund has been provided through a grant of $100,000 that was recently approved by the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, a GCEDC affiliate.

“Maintaining a vibrant, strong residential housing stock within the City helps to eliminate blight and encourage smart, sustainable growth,” Batavia City Council President Eugene (Geno) Jankowski Jr. said.  “The creation of such a fund furthers the City's strategic goal of enhancing our housing stock, as we have recently experienced through investments to create residential units at City View Residences and Liberty Square.

“The Batavia Home Fund compliments the Town's focus on agricultural, commercial, and industrial growth,” said Town of Batavia Supervisor Greg Post.  “It’s important that as we continue to generate investment from these sectors with our economic development and public sector partners, we will have quality housing stock for the people who are pursuing these careers.”

The Batavia Home Fund will be supported by host benefit agreements with developers and homebuilders for future multi-family housing projects in the City and Town. Projects will be considered by a committee of City, Town and GCEDC officials to determine how funds raised will be utilized.

The new program mimics the successful Batavia Pathway to Prosperity (B2P) program, which enables brownfield remediation projects with funding from projects with a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement (PILOTs) in the City of Batavia.

It was also this program philosophy that fueled the creation of the Ellicott Station development, a four-story apartment complex at 50 Ellicott St. in downtown Batavia. The project has since been stalled after the announcement that Savarino Companies closed down operations, and the construction trailer was recently spotted being removed from the premises.

The Batavian reached out to City Manager Rachael Tabelski late Friday for an update on any progress with Ellicott Station and will provide that when a response is received. The latest update was that company CEO Sam Savarino had not communicated with city officials, and they had planned to meet with the state Office of Homes and Community Renewal this month about the situation. 

As for this latest initiative, Tabelski said that “with the successful remediation of brownfield sites in the City, we believe the next step in Batavia’s growth is to provide a more robust offering of housing options.” 

“The intent of the Batavia Home Fund is to encourage and incent developers and homebuilders to view Batavia as a market opportunity and, in turn, work with community stakeholders to identify areas where housing options can be developed.”

GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde said the City and Town-led effort supports public demand for housing investments and the capacity for a growing manufacturing workforce to contribute to the economy and community. GCEDC had fully supported the Ellicott Station project as a workforce housing complex, which ended up landing as a very low to low-income complex once ready for tenant applications.

From 2015-2020, Genesee County’s private sector employment increased 4.4 percent, along with Batavia’s food and beverage sector growing to almost 1,000 employees, the press release stated. These statistics and data support the county’s need for approximately 4,800 units over the next 20 years, as determined in a housing study conducted by Labella Associates in 2018.

“Improving Batavia and Genesee County’s housing stock will only enhance manufacturing growth opportunities,” Hyde said in the release. “With our food and beverage cluster nearing 1,000 workers at the Agri-Business Park and Plug Power and Edwards Vacuum set to hire hundreds of engineers, technicians, and operators at STAMP, this fund is ideally suited to attract and retain talented professionals so they can live in close proximity to their places of employment and contribute meaningfully to our community.”

Press release:

Western Region Off-Track Betting (WROTB) and Batavia Downs President and CEO Henry Wojtaszek were joined by staff from Make-A-Wish Western New York as Batavia Downs Presented them with a check for  $10,379.  These proceeds were from this past summer’s Chair Rentals, Glow in the Dark Jewelry and Can Coolers sales at Batavia’s Rockin’ the Downs Summer Concert Series.

“We were so pleased to continue our partnership with Make-A-Wish Western New York this past summer,” Wojtaszek said.  “The volunteers who were onsite to help raise awareness and these much-needed funds were wonderful ambassadors of Make-A-Wish.  All of us here at Batavia Downs are proud that we could help them in their efforts to grant wishes for so many young Western New Yorkers.”

Throughout the 8 concerts of Batavia Downs’ Rockin’ The Downs Summer Concert Series, volunteers at the Make-A-Wish chair-rental booth rented out chairs and sold glow jewelry and Make-A-Wish branded can coolers.  The chairs were adorned with the Make-A-Wish logo and the message:  The person sitting in this chair is helping to transform lives.

“Make-A-Wish is incredibly appreciative of our ongoing partnership with Batavia Downs for the “Rockin’ the Downs” Summer Concert Series, “ said Ben Marchione, Regional Director, Make-A-Wish® Western New York.  “It provides us with an amazing opportunity to raise both crucial awareness and funds to help support children and families fighting critical illnesses not only in the Batavia community but throughout the 17-county region. Our volunteers love being a part of it, and a highlight of every season is meeting the many families touched by the organization and the incredibly generous concertgoers who support our involvement and mission wholeheartedly. Thank you to Batavia Downs for making it possible. It is only through vitally important partnerships such as this that we are able to continue to serve our essential mission, and we are thankful.”

The 2024 Concert Series lineup is expected to be announced before the year’s end.

Photos by Howard Owens

Anthony Lawrence Corsaro, 33, of Park Hill Drive, Dansville, is charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration 2nd, driving while impaired by drugs, following too close, and moving from lane unsafely. Corsaro was arrested by Deputy Zachary Hoy on Aug. 30 in connection with a traffic complaint reported at 6:50 p.m. on June 29 on Route 63 in Pavilion. Corsaro was issued traffic tickets and released.

Danny D. Williams, Sr., 34, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Williams was arrested on Aug. 24 after an investigation into a disturbance on Harvester Avenue on Aug. 21, where he allegedly violated an order of protection. Williams was arraigned in City Court and held without bail. 

Bradley R. Jordan, 30, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Jordan was initially arrested on Jan. 20 after a disturbance. He was charged with aggravated family offense, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal mischief 4th. A warrant was issued on Feb. 4 after he allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arrested on Aug. 28. He was additionally charged with bail jumping 2nd. Jordan was arraigned and remanded to the Genesee County Jail.

Bleyke Z. Culver, 27, of Batavia, is charged with aggravated family offense and criminal contempt 2nd. The arrest on Aug. 25 is the result of an investigation into an incident where Culver was found inside a residence on Walnut Street in violation of an order of protection. Culver was arraigned and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $200 cash bail, $1,500 bond, or $1,500 partially secured bond. 

Victoria L. Jacques, 53, of Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and harassment 2nd. Jacques was arrested on Aug. 27 following an investigation into a disturbance where Jacques allegedly struck another person and grabbed the person by the neck. She was arraigned and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice.

Justin M. Witherspoon, 37, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. It’s alleged that Witherspoon damaged property on Aug. 27 during a dispute with a neighbor. Witherspoon was issued an appearance ticket.

Hailee N. Callicutt, 22, of Albion, was arrested on Aug. 29 on a warrant. Callicutt was initially arrested on Jan. 1, 2022, on charges of obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, as well as numerous traffic violations. The warrant was issued on Sept. 20 after Callicutt allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned and released.

Patrick Dale Blackwell, 68, of Rochester, is charged with DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and dazzling headlights. Blackwell was stopped at 12:02 a.m. on Aug. 31, on Park Road, Batavia, by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell.

Cynthia Marie Gosler, 38, of Wakefield Avenue, Buffalo, and Rashawn Lamont Gosier, 44, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, are charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. Gosler and Gosier are accused of stealing merchandise from Target in Batavia on Aug. 25 at 11:06 a.m. Gosler was held pending arraignment. Gosier was held pending arraignment on an NYS Parole warrant.

Nicholas Joseph Breau, 31, of Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Breau allegedly through an item at another person during a disturbance reported at 12:20 p.m. on Aug. 31 at a location on Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Batavia.

Amy Meredith Gambino, 32, of French Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, criminal contempt 2nd, endangering the welfare of a child, and harassment 2nd.  Gambino is accused of striking two children under the age of 17 and an adult, causing that person alarm during a disturbance in the Town of Darien at 3 p.m. on Aug. 28.

Alana M. Diefendorf, 26, of Bergen, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration 2nd and endangering the welfare of a child. Diefendorf was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported in the Town of Bergen at 8:49 p.m. on Sept. 5. The State Police did not release a summary of what led to the charges. Diefendorf was issued an appearance ticket.

11 Linwood Ave., Batavia. OPEN HOUSE Sat. Sept.9th from 1pm - 3pm. This cherished home has been lovingly owned for 65 years and offers timeless appeal. Recent upgrades include fresh paint, updated flooring, updated electrical outlets, and updated windows enhancing its classic charm. With 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths, it's the perfect cozy haven. The main floor's inviting living spaces are bathed in natural light. A partially finished basement adds valuable space, perfect for various needs. Adjacent to the garage, a 3-season room provides extra versatility for relaxation or gatherings. Step outside to discover a deep, private backyard, a hidden oasis for gardening, play, or quiet moments. Additional features include a 1.5 garage. This ranch home, steeped in history and upgraded for modern living, invites you to continue its legacy. Don't miss this one! Offers are due on Tuesday, September 12th at 3pm.