batavia

A working structure fire is reported at Hanson Aggregates off Cedar Street in the City of Batavia. City fire is responding.

There are workers who were working on the silo and some material fell onto the roof and started a fire, which they thought they extinguished, but it reignited, according to the initial caller to the dispatch center.

UPDATE 11:42 a.m.: City command calls the third platoon to headquarters to stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 11:43 a.m.: The fire is out; working now on overhaul and accessing the damaged area of the building. Command says city police can reopen Cedar Street.

UPDATE 11:52 a.m.: Workers were using a blowtorch to cut some metal and slag fell onto the roof, starting the conflagration.

Joseph Jonathan Kuzma, 37, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with petit larceny. Kuzma is accused of stealing $780 worth of steel from a location in Byron in order to sell it in Monroe County.

Nancy Louise Mordenga, 47, of Huffer Road, Hilton, is charged with bailing jumping, 3rd. Mordenga is accused of not appearing in court following an arrest. She was jailed on $500 bail.

Nefetiria Lialeshia Turner, 35, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping, 3rd. Turner is accused of failure to appear in court following an arrest. Turner was jailed on $250 bail.

Kendra Quinette Thomas, 30, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping, 3rd. Thomas is accused of failure to appear in court following an arrest. Thomas was released under supervision by Genesee Justice.

Press release:

Ready to begin your college experience? Not sure where to start? GCC is truly the place to be! At Genesee Community College, our admissions team and student success coaches, know how daunting it can be to begin a degree or certificate program. So, we're here to help!

To get started, attend a Spring Open House! The first will be on Wednesday, March 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. If evenings are difficult for you, then join us on Saturday, April 14, from 9  to 11 a.m.

Representatives from GCC's student services offices will be on hand to answer questions about admissions, career and transfer services, student activities, athletics and you can even attend a financial aid session. Tours of the campus will be available, including the new Student Success Center, Richard C. Call Arena and College Village -- GCC's apartment-style residential housing.

To register for either Open House visit www.genesee.edu/openhouse or call 1-866-CALL-GCC!

Can't make it to either session? Consider attending a Friday Visit Day! You can learn about GCC's simple application and admissions processes, financial aid opportunities, take a campus tour, and even sit in on a college class! Friday Visit Days begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon on the following dates:

• March 2
• March 23
• April 20
• May 4

You can also visit www.genesee.edu/VT for a virtual campus tour!

GCC offers a comprehensive selection of over 70 degree and certificate programs! Dedicated to student success and accessibility, GCC offers a totally FREE application process, FREE career counseling, FREE tutoring and FREE parking! With more than 100 courses available online every semester and 15 degrees that can be earned completely online, GCC is more convenient than ever.

GCC's Campus Centers located in Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw provide additional options to attend class close to home.

For more information about the Open House, contact GCC's Admissions Office at 585-345-6800 or email Admissions@genesee.edu. For online, door-to-door driving directions go to: http://www.genesee.edu/about/visit/maps/.

Escape the wintery winds to a place where the temperature is always 85 degrees, the water is always warm and hot dogs are always on the menu. At Palm Island Indoor Waterpark, summer never ends! Located within the Batavia Quality Inn and Suites, kids and kids-at-heart are sure to have a splashing good time.

Within the park’s 10,000 square feet are water features for all ages. Smaller kids love the Monsoon Lagoon, which includes a beach entry, children’s pools and a play area with a slide, rope-pull shower and five-way tipping buckets. Older kids (and adults!) will have a blast in Paradise Plunge and the Crazy Cobra. These two fully enclosed waterslides loop around the outside of the building before splashing back inside. And everyone finds fun in Paradise Bay with a basketball hoop play area, and huge hot tub.

There’s plenty to do out of the water, too. Two full arcades (one in the waterpark and one in the hotel) are sure to bring hours of fun for all ages. With new games like Buck Hunter and Doodle Jump, and classics like air hockey and Candy Crane, parents and kids alike will have a blast.

Stay for an afternoon, the night or a weekend. Packages start at just $145/night for your hotel, breakfast, admission to the park, arcade tokens and free play at Batavia Downs! You don’t have to go far to have a great time – a night at the Batavia Quality Inn and a day at the waterpark will definitely be a staycation to remember. Also available is special pricing for groups of eight or more. 

Have a special event, like a birthday coming up? Palm Island is the perfect destination to celebrate. Guests can choose from a pizza or hot dog party, and special pricing applies for a Monday or Friday event. Each party comes with ice cream and 20 arcade tokens, too!

Check out the Palm Island website for photos, hours and ongoing packages and their Facebook for deals, and updates. Palm Island Indoor Waterpark is located at 8250 Park Road in Batavia. 

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more about Genesee County's unique attractions and local offerings. 

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported on the eastbound Thruway at mile marker 387.2. One car crashed into a guardrail with at least one person unconscious.

"We spoke with the driver. We think it's a one-vehicle accident; however, he's unsure if he hit any other vehicles."

Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 7:57 p.m.: Medics are on scene. They advise the vehicle is off the roadway; Town of Batavia fire can go back in service if they choose. No word on injuries.

UPDATE 8:12 a.m.: All units are back in service.

Photo credit: Jim Burns.

NOTE: This was originally posted at 1:15 p.m. We've updated the time stamp to move it back up to the top of the home page. The suspect is in custody.

Minutes ago about a dozen State Police cars swarmed onto the Thruway at the Batavia exit after a vehicle stopped there briefly following a high-speed chase that began in Canandaigua for unknown reasons. Now the pursuit has begun anew.

The suspect vehicle is traversing the median of the Thruway, going eastbound and westbound intermittently.

Troopers were told to be on the lookout for the vehicle driven by a possibly suicidal male.

Spike strips were set up at the Batavia exit, but it is unclear if they were deployed.

There are currently three police cars parked near the Batavia Thruway exit 48; the male subject's latest location is near the Le Roy exit.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m.: The suspect vehicle is stopped at the Le Roy exit Stafford overpass.

UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: The vehicle is stopped on I-90 eastbound about one mile from the Route 237 overpass. A trooper is blocking westbound I-90; and eastbound a number of emergency vehicles are on scene and a helicopter is hovering overhead.

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: The subject is alert in the vehicle but not responding to officers' commands. The Thruway is closed westbound at the Le Roy exit and eastbound at the Batavia exit.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: Now the eastbound Thruway is closed at the Pembroke exit. The continuing standoff has resulted in heavy traffic congestion on Route 98 (Oak Street) in Batavia. The subject is reportedly armed.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: Jim Burns, reporting for us with a position that has a good view of the scene, says the subject is in custody. We have no information yet on when the Thruway might reopen.

UPDATE 6:26 p.m.: The Thruway has been reopened in both directions.

Madalyn R. Muntz, 32, of Evans Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and unlawful possession of marijuana. While conducting an investigation on Liberty Street, members of the Local Drug Task Force located Muntz. She was taken into custody on a City Court warrant and at the time of her arrest allegedly found in possession of cocaine, a needle, drug paraphernalia, and a device for smoking marijuana. She was also arrested by Batavia PD on the warrant alleged failure to meet requirements of sentencing on a prior conviction. Muntz was released after posting bail.

Jonathan Edward Stanton, 35, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged petit larceny, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Police received a report of a suspicious male at the Rite Aid on West Main Street, Batavia. Upon investigation, Deputy Ryan DeLong and Deputy Brad Mazur determined Stanton allegedly stole $119.97 in merchandise from the store and was in possession of drug paraphernalia, a needle and marijuana.

Daniel E. Gubnitsky, 23, of Sheron Road, Greece, and Jennifer A. Schreiber, 18, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Gubnitsky and Schreiber were charged after police were called to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked at the VFW Hall at 25 Edwards St., Batavia, at 9:22 a.m. Thursday. 

Joseph M. Tornabene, 26, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Tornabene allegedly struck another person in the face during an argument reported at 2:30 p.m. Friday at a location on Dellinger Avenue, Batavia. Tornabene left the scene. The victim signed a complaint and Tornabene later turned himself in at Batavia PD headquarters. 

Cale Daniel Rice, 41, of Drake Street Road, Elba, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and failure to notify DMV of a change of address. Rice was stopped at 1:06 a.m. Saturday on Route 98 in Elba by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Shamique D. Hubbard, 28, of Hamlet, North Carolina, is charged with DWI, driving while impaired by drugs, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Hubbard was stopped at 10:51 p.m. Sunday in the Town of Batavia by State Police.

Matthew J. Gaudio, 29, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation. Gaudio was stopped by State Police in Darien at 10:14 a.m. Thursday. Following arraignment, Gaudio was ordered held on bail.

Ervin Finkley, 50, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and fleeing from an officer in a motor vehicle. Desiree Ghee, 31, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Norman C. Ghee, 53, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. The trio was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 1:27 p.m. Thursday in the City of Batavia. All three were ordered held on bail. No further details released.

A vehicle reportedly struck a tree and rolled over in the area of 1677 Main Road, East Pembroke.

There is heavy damage to the vehicle, according to a first responder, but the occupant is reported out and walking around.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS responding.

The #3 seed in Class A2, the Batavia Blue Devils, was up Saturday in a Section V playoff game played in Batavia, by the #6 seed, Honeoye Falls-Lima, 48-41.

While Batavia jumped out to a 17-7 first quarter lead, behind the hot hand of Tee Sean Ayala, who scored 13 of his 20 points in the first eight minutes, HFL seemed to have figured out how to slow Ayala down. HFL held Ayala to seven points the rest of the way.

Worse, the Blue Devils didn't score at all in the second quarter and were held to 10 points in the fourth quarter -- a quarter in which HFL seemed to find it impossible to miss a shot, scoring 17 points.

Naz Pratt scored nine points for the Blue Devils and Antwan Odom scored six.

Top scorer for HFL was Garret Ruff with 13.

The Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation is doing a St. Joseph's Table at Sunny’s Restaurant at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15. A traditional meatless meal will be served. Profits will go to the foundation's high school senior Scholarship Fund. 

Cost is adults $20, children $5.

Tickets are available at Sunny's Restaurant in the Centre City mall, or from Paolo Busti board members.

According to Buffalo Folklore Etc., the St. Joseph's Table is a ritual meal done by Sicilians and Sicilian-Americans in fulfillment of a promise made to St. Joseph for his assistance in a time of family or personal crises. The Table is held on or as close to his feast day of March 19th as possible.

It is a very compelling and complex celebration with meaning for the people as a whole and even more specific meaning for the particular group or family celebrating the day.

The Table includes the altar with an image of Saint Joseph, flowers, candles, fruit and bread as well as the special meal of meatless dishes served at what is traditionally an open house at the home of the person/family giving the Table. The St. Joseph's Table tradition was brought to the United States by the late 19th and early 20th century Sicilian immigrants into Louisiana, Texas, California, Colorado and New York.

For more information about St. Joseph's Table, click here.

In 1992, the executive committee of the Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation published a 240-page book titled "The Legacy of Italian-Americans in Genesee County New York" (Heart of Lakes Publishing). Common terms, names and phrases are searchable online here, plus you can read this Google Book and download its contents (directions on how to do so are online), which publishers provide via Google's Library Project.

Agreeing with the prosecution that Shawn M. Twardowski, 35, formerly of Bank Street, Batavia, is a threat to society, Judge Charles Zambito sentenced him to two-and-a-half to five years in prison.

Zambito expressed the hope that while in prison, Twardowski will take advantage of programs available to him to help him with his mental health issues and substance abuse problems.

"Until you address those issues, you need to be removed from society," Zambito said.

A year ago, Twardowski was arrested for strangling and punching a beagle, attacking a woman at that location, stealing and attempting to disable her mobile phone and then, upon police arrival, barricading himself in a bedroom. 

He previously pled guilty to a burglary charge after first undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

Zambito expressed dismay that Twardowski thought it appropriate to attack the beagle and the woman merely because the woman allowed the dog to lick a bowl.

The judge said Twardowski's record goes back to 2005 and is filled with charges related to violence, resisting arrest and violating court orders.

His attorney, Michael Locicero, said he wasn't not making excuses for his client's behavior but offered up as mitigating circumstances for his behavior, years of untreated mental health issues, his substance abuse, and a recent diagnosis of Huntington's Disease.

Twardowski told Zambito he didn't wish to make a statement in court.

The sentence was the middle range between the minimum available to Zambito and the maximum possible sentence in the case.

If parents notice an increased police presence at Batavia City Schools, it's not in response to any specific threat, Superintendent Chris Dailey said today in a letter sent home with students after school.

"This is meant to be a positive and proactive step as our police department continues to look for ways to engage with our students in prevention and support," Dailey wrote.

The letter addresses heightened concern in the community about school safety after last week's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and reports of a student last week who officials believed made verbal threats at the BOCES campus.

The letter may be in response to numerous social media posts asking questions about more police officers on and around local campuses and unconfirmed rumors of threats made on social media specific to local schools.

"Our country is recovering from the tragedy in Parkland, Florida," Daily wrote. "It is only natural to have questions about the safety and security of our students and staff in BCSD.

"There are stories from time to time of students potentially threatening to do violent acts at our schools," Dailey continued. "We, along with the Batavia City Police Department, always look into any allegations of this sort and have found no credible threats against our district."

Dailey said the district is actively involved in emergency response and planning with local law enforcement.

The events in Florida, he said, provide an opportunity to review procedures and plans and make adjustments as necessary.

To read the full letter, click here.

Superbly maintained 3 bedroom bath and a half home with not one ounce of anything to do! This home is no flip...completely gutted and remodeled within the last 5 years, beautifully done and tastefully decorated.

Roof full tear off 4 years ago and furnace 5 years ago. Beautiful cherry cabinetry with granite countertops, all stainless appliances to stay, plus washer/dryer! Nice formal dining with extra large living room area with cozy gas fireplace-great for entertaining. Upstairs bath fully gutted with super convenient upstairs laundry area and three large bedrooms.

All new carpeting throughout as well! Outside features extra wide drive and double lot and nice back deck...Inexpensive utilities and no flood insurance, what more do you want?

Check it out today. Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate 585-344-HOME or click here for more information on this listing.

Submitted photo: Matt Landers, president of Batavia Kiwanis, with a dessert tray commemorating the club's 95 anniversary.

Press release:

Today, the Kiwanis Club of Batavia celebrated its 95th Anniversary. The club’s rich history of performing community service projects for the children of the Batavia community has left its mark in a variety of ways.

The club received its charter from Kiwanis International on Feb. 22, 1923, with 56 original members, including the former Batavia Mayor, Ashton W. Caney, and many other community businessmen and professionals.

The mission of Kiwanis is to serve the children of the world, and as one of their first projects, the Kiwanis Club of Batavia started a fresh air program where they sponsored bringing children from the cities into the country for a week. The club began recognizing the top 10 students from Batavia and Notre Dame High Schools in 1944 and continues to do so today.

The club’s largest project during their first half-century included raising over $42,000 to assist in building the city pool at MacArthur Park, which was dedicated in 1962. Following the pool project, the club sponsored the development of Kiwanis Park in the Town of Batavia. The park was dedicated in 1977, and most recently the club helped to convert the park to one that offers specialized equipment for children with developmental disabilities.

During the second half-century of the club’s existence, a most significant impact was realized through the Bidding on a Brighter Future Gala event that raised a combined total of nearly $200,000 over five years to assist the Justice for Children Advocacy Center in securing a permanent home. These funds are presently being utilized to renovate a building that will meet the service needs related to assisting children who have been physically or sexually abused.

Other projects started by the Kiwanis Club include a Soap Box Derby, an ice carnival, Farm City Days, a ski tow in Attica, and the Golden Olympics for seniors.

The club continues to work tirelessly for the community in a variety of ways. Monies raised through their Pancake Day, Spaghetti Dinner and 5K for Autism Awareness are distributed to local children-centric organizations. Money from those projects also funds several annual community events: Easter Egg Hunt, Thanksgiving Morning Skate, Holiday Tote Project and AMBA Blood Analysis. The club supports Meals on Wheels by delivering meals on a weekly basis, as it has done for nearly 20 years.

Most recently in partnership with Genesee County, club members volunteered to maintain the outdoor ice rink at DeWitt Recreation Area on Friday nights so the community would have the opportunity to skate under the lights on a weekly basis. The club also partners with the Genesee County Bar Association to recognize outstanding law enforcement professionals from the Batavia Police Department, Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, State Police Troop A and the Le Roy Police Department at their Annual Law Day Dinner.

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia currently has 43 members and is proud of the long-term membership of Kiwanis Past Lieutenant Governor Richard Rung since 1973, as well as that of local Past President Donald Lewis since 1965.

       Ann Capuano

A 32-year-old Montclair Avenue resident had a litany of excuses this morning for Judge Charles Zambito for why she missed drug treatment appointments, including transportation issues, before breaking down in tears.

Zambito sentenced Ann Marie Capuano to shock probation, which means six months in jail followed by five years on probation.

In June, Capuano agreed to a guilty plea to a Class E felony of attempted burglary.

Three months earlier she had broken into a State Street Road business and brandished a knife. She then tried to escape on a bicycle.

Later, she admitted to being on drugs at the time.

She was released from custody under Supervision of Genesee Justice and was scheduled to participate in drug treatment.

In treatment, she was accused of stealing medication from another patient.

Zambito told Capuano this was her last chance and the next step would be state prison.

Via our news partner, WBTA.