batavia

Article by Zachary Lee, an aspiring journalist and contestant in Mr. Batavia.

It’s finally here: the Mr. Batavia contest will be held at 7 p.m. April 15th — be there.

Mr. Batavia this year will be the biggest we’ve ever had; the occupancy of the auditorium at Batavia High School is around 800 and we intend to fill that to the point the auditorium doors are bursting.

Mr. Batavia is a community charity event; each candidate selects a nonprofit organization to represent with the charity of the contest the top three winners receiving money raised. In Mr. Batavia there are five different categories, each scored by selected judges from throughout the community. They are lip sync, talent, questionnaire, swimsuit, and tux walk. The guys also do a group dance in the beginning to get the audience hyped up for the contest.

Last year’s Mr. Batavia was probably one of the best we’ve ever produced here at BHS. Whether it was Brandon Smart’s Micheal Jackson tribute or Dylan Beckman’s dramatic reading of "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj, these performances were borderline legendary. The 12 candidates up for Mr. Batavia 2016 believe that they can do even better.

Lisa Robinson, event director and student government advisor said, “Mr. Batavia is an event where we raise money for community nonprofits. Everywhere this event gets larger and we believe this year will be easily our largest we’ve had. ”       

Here are the candidates and the nonprofit organizations they represent in the order they’ll perform:

• Tyler Hale – Michael Napoleon Foundation
• Noah Dobbertin – 25 Neediest
• Adonis Davis – All Babies Cherished
• Zachary Lee – Anna’s Wish
• Trevor Sherwood – Batavia VA
• Alex Mott – Golisano’s Children Hospital
• Michael Hughes – Habitat for Humanity
• Alex Canty – Volunteers for Animals
• Ross Chua – Organization for Autism Research
• Jake Kasmarek – Genesee Cancer Assistance
• Josh Kurtz – Salvation Army
• Dwayne Fonda -- American Red Cross

      Laura Fletcher

A 42-year-old Batavia woman told Presiding County Court Judge Michael F. Pietruska that she's willing to risk the possibility of a 24-year prison term in exchange for one more shot at drug rehab.

Laura Fletcher, a mother of four with three still of school age, will need to stay on the straight and narrow for two years to avoid prison if she pleads guilty April 18 to a four-count grand jury indictment for allegedly dealing drugs.

She has two prior drug-dealing convictions.

"Looking at her history, that is quite a risk," Pietruska said.

Those two prior convictions are the reason, said ADA Will Zickl, that Fletcher shouldn't get another shot at drug treatment.

"There is a demonstratable objective history in this case that I think makes it a very poor argument to be made that she should be given a chance in this program," Zickl said.

In the indictment issued in November, Fletcher is accused of selling cocaine in May and June to agents of the Local Drug Task Force. She is charged with four Class B felonies, two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

She's been approved for the program by a panel in Erie County, along with a recommendation from a local counselor. 

Her attorney Lisa Kroemer argued that Fletcher is willing to assume a substantial risk, given her track record, that she's fully aware of the consequences of failure, and that she desperately wants to succeed in the program.

Fletcher could potential get a lighter prison term in a plea deal, instead of pleading guilty to all four counts of the indictment.

She tearfully told Pietruska she understood the risk, but was willing to take the chance for a new chance at a clean life.

Kroemer said Fletcher has had periods between arrests where she was able to maintain sobriety before succumbing to her addiction again.

The prior drug sales convictions were "simply to support her own addiction," Kroemer said. "It was not part of any profit-making scheme."

Press release:

Founding a college is no simple task. Establishing Genesee Community College in the mid-1960s involved more than a decade of planning with hundreds of community members working hard in support of the innovative idea that Genesee and surrounding counties would benefit from having a college. As GCC recognizes its 50th Anniversary, numerous historical dates are being celebrated, as are the pioneering efforts and vision of its founding citizens.

Friday, April 15, 2016 is Founding Day at GCC's Batavia Campus, which will celebrate the exact date 50 years prior that the State University of New York officially approved and recognized the interests of the Genesee County Board of Supervisors to establish and sponsor a two-year college in Genesee County. It is one of many important dates in the College's history, and also the first event in the coming 18 months where GCC will reflect on its unique past while planning ahead for the future.

At 11 a.m. on Founding Day, the College community including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and friends will gather in the William W. Stuart Forum for a cake-cutting ceremony. In addition, a specially prepared historical photo show will run continuously until 2 p.m., and all visitors will have the chance to be part of a pending time capsule by briefly answer the inquiry: "What I found at GCC." Edited responses to this inquiry will be added to the soon to be launched 50th Anniversary Web site.

WGCC, the College's radio station will be broadcasting live, and the GCC Cougar mascot will pose for numerous photo ops. Lastly, the College will officially release the new 50th Anniversary logo featuring a creative blue and gold flame matching the College's colors that date back to the late 1960s with the insignia "The True-Blue Past – Our Golden Future." 

"This is the 'soft opening' to the College's Anniversary program," President James Sunser, Ed.D., said at a recent planning meeting. "It gives us the opportunity to publish and promote our calendar of upcoming events and the many opportunities we are looking forward to, including the new logo with a few surprises."

The next big College event is the official Groundbreaking Ceremony on Thursday, April 28, at 4 p.m. for the new Student Success Center and the Event Center. College and community leaders will gather to recognize the start of construction for these two new facilities, collectively valued at more than $21 million and totaling 75,000 square feet. In addition, the program includes the opportunity to officially kickoff GCC's 50th Anniversary Celebration, paying homage to the community leaders 50 years ago whose vision gave rise to Genesee Community College's long term success. Final plans for Groundbreaking Ceremony are in development and details will be available soon.

Kevin C. Greene, 61, of Bloomingdale Road, Akron, is a convicted sex offender who is charged with failure to notify an address change within 10 days. He was arrested March 11 at noon for allegedly moving out of his residence in February 2015 and not filing an address change within 10 days. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Batavia City Court on April 26. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Det. Eric Hill.

Carmelina Munoz Chavez, 48, of Sunrise Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with driving while intoxicated. She was arrested at 12:40 a.m. on April 10 following a complaint of a motor-vehicle accident in the Town of Byron. The defendant's vehicle was located and upon investigation, the defendant was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated. She was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Oakfield Town Court on May 9. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong.

The person who bailed Joseph M. Platten out of Genesee County Jail wants his or her money back -- sooner rather than later. And Genesee County Acting Court Judge Michael F. Pietruszka agreed this morning to release the funds.

Platten, 32, who lives on Warren Street in Batavia, pled guilty on April 4 to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

He was one of six people arrested in January after an investigation into illicit drug sales by the Drug Enforcement Task Force. At that time, he was jailed without bail.

Originally, he was charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Platten allegedly sold a quantity of a controlled substance to an agent of the Drug Task Force while in the City of Batavia.

After accepting a plea deal on the single charge, bail was set at $1,000 and someone bailed him out.

While out on bail and awaiting sentencing, which had been set for May 31, Platten was arrested in the City of Batavia for petit larceny and he was sentenced to six months in jail.

Now he's serving that time and the person who posted bail in the drug case is requesting that the bail money be returned ASAP, said Platten's public defense attorney Lisa Kroemer. 

She also asked Judge Pietruszka to speed up sentencing on the drug charge.

"I hate to have him sitting there doing dead time on this file," she said.

"I think that can be done," replied the judge.

Platten, shackled and wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit, appeared in court with a razor-thin beard and shaved head, a tattoo visible on his neck. He is to return to court at 9:30 a.m. on May 6 for sentencing on criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

A Batavia man who pled guilty to second-degree strangulation was sentenced to one to three years in state prison today by Acting Genesee County Court Judge Michael F. Pietruszka.

Joshua M. Gaudioso was arrested following a domestic incident Dec. 6 on Galloway Road wherein he strangled a female and threatened to kill her along with several family members.

"I can clearly see the gravity of my client's previous contacts in the criminal justice system," said his public defense attorney, Lisa Kroemer, who went on to tout the progress "Josh" seemed to be making in his treatment program and how well his counselor thinks he's doing.

"Josh got a lot out of it," Kroemer said.

She recommended a plan of intensive outpatient treatment until a bed in an in-patient facility becomes available. She asked the judge to consider allowing Gaudioso to be screened for acceptance into Drug Treatment Court with clinical supervision and a probationary sentence. She asked that today's sentencing be postponed until a screening and determination could be accomplished.

But Pietruszka was not swayed to grant her requests based on her client's previous behavior. The judge noted that Gaudioso has been on probation three times in the last 10 years and probation was revoked in each case. He was also on parole once and that, too, was revoked.

The judge issued four no-contact orders of protection, with the exception of minimal contact in one case for the purposes of facilitating visitation with his children. The victim's stay-away order will be in effect until April 12, 2027; the other three until April 12, 2024.

Gaudioso, who is about 5'8" tall and has strawberry-blond hair, wore a short-sleeved plaid shirt and khaki pants, wire-rimmed glasses and had a well-trimmed beard. He looked over at his parents in the gallery several times and repeatedly pushed his glasses up on his nose. He was very soft-spoken and when the judge asked him if he had anything to say before sentencing, he mumbled something about his progress in treatment.

It took three days, but a couple of weeks ago a group of volunteers, coordinated by the city, trapped 42 cats in the McKinley Street area and had them spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped before releasing them back to the same location.

It was a big success, said Assistant City Manager Gretchen DiFante, for the city's fledgling effort to get a program up and running to deal with Batavia's community cat (commonly called feral cat) problem.

The City Council-approved effort was a bit bogged down because the city had been unable to find a volunteer to lead the all-volunteer committee to operate the program.

Recently, Ann Marie Brade, the county's animal control officer, volunteered to lead the group and has secured the permission of her employer, the Sheriff's Office, to take on the task.

There will be a meeting tomorrow of committee volunteers to organize the next steps.

The McKinley Street undertaking began with a phone call to city's animal control officer, James Sheflin, about a large colony of cats in the area.

That began a five-week effort to organize and coordinate the task.

"One of the keys to success for this was that this colony manager, which is what the industry calls them, if you will, really took responsibility for the cats," DiFante said. "That makes it a lot easier. Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of ease in attacking some of these colonies."

The animals were all treated at State Street Animal Hospital.

Because he also authorized income verification, the city was able to use available grant funds to pay for the veterinary care. 

"We were able to use that grant and we'd love to use that grant more, but that's not usually how it works," DiFante said.

The DSP Jazz Trio (Derek Reiss, Skip Taylor and Pete Mark) played a benefit concert today at City Church for Crossroads House.

It was the girls turn for a change to race pinewood derby cars at St. Joe's this afternoon. Traditionally a Boy Scouts event, the ladies held their own "Race Like a Girl" event this afternoon.

Local Boy Scout leaders, and some scouts, who have the equipment and experience hosting such events, set everything up and the girls raced away.

Photo of winners submitted by Matt Landers. Alexandrea Mann, first place, Bianca Gregory, 2nd, and Casey Tatarka, 3rd.

The vehicles filled with electronic waste were lined up and down Route 5 this morning, and by this afternoon, trailers were stuffed and bins were gorged with has-beens of the Digital Age, all destined to appropriate recycling facilities rather than a landfill.

The event outside the county's Social Services building was organized by Assemblyman Steve Hawley and his staff with a heaping trove of help from the Batavia High School Track Team.

Angelina Miconi, a Batavia High School student, was announced this morning as winner of the annual Congressional Art Contest for New York's 27th District, represented by Chris Collins.

Miconi was tops among 85 entrants (more than 30 attended today) from high schools throughout the district.

While each district in the United States has 750,000 residents, Collins said the NY-27th has one of the highest participation rates in the contest. Some districts get as few as 10 entries, he said.

The winning pictures will be displayed in the halls of Congress for the next 12 months and Miconi and a parent will be flown to Washington, D.C., for an art show opening.

The reception today was held at Genesee Community College.

Press release:

National 4-H Council has announced the launch of the spring 2016 4-H Paper Clover Campaign in partnership with Tractor Supply Company (TSC).

Stop by Batavia Tractor Supply Company Store (4974 E. Main Street Road, Batavia) April 13 – 24 and support Genesee Co. 4-H Youth Development Programming by purchasing a paper clover for a $1 at checkout.

Funds donated during the national campaign will be tracked online and recorded by state and by store. Visit www.tractorsupply.com/4-H for more information on the spring 2016 4-H Paper Clover Campaign and to view the donation tracker.

This event marks the sixth year of collaboration between the organizations on the national in-store fundraiser, benefiting state and local 4‑H programming in each of the communities where a TSC store is located.

Last year, across 49 states, the TSC 4-H Paper Clover Campaign provided more than $1.8 million to 4-H across the country. All proceeds raised directly benefit 4-H, with 70 percent of funds being returned to state and local 4-H programs.

The effort has provided direct support for local camps, after-school programs and other activities, and has granted scholarships to these events where youth can explore their interests in everything from animal science to robotics.

The Richmond Memorial Library is proud to announce Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!

The Imagination Library brings the excitement of books to every child, from birth to age 5, by mailing an age-appropriate book to directly to them, in their home, in their very own name, to keep, forever! Playing with books in the home at a very young age is the best preparation to have for a lifetime of reading and learning.

So join us for a special story time at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26. Celebrity impersonator Lucine Kauffman will read, entertain and delight children of all ages, while library staff register kids up to age 5 for the book delivery service. Refreshments will be served.

    Jerry Riley III

Press release:

The Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of police officers from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Batavia Police NET officers, and the Le Roy Village Police Department, concluded an investigation into the illegal possession and sales of narcotics from a Bank Street residence in the City of Batavia with the arrest of a man and woman from Rochester on Thursday afternoon.

Jerry Riley III, 38, of Jay Street, is charged with: two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, a Class B felony; criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, a Class A misdemeanor; and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Brianna L. Meacham, 26, of Dewey Avenue, is charged with criminally using drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

The defendants were arrested Thursday afternoon following the execution of a search warrant at a Bank Street residence. Members of the Batavia PD Emergency Response Team and the Genesee County Drug Task Force executed the warrant and allegedly uncovered a quantity of "crack" cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride, heroin, marijuana and U.S. currency.

Riley was jailed without bail. Meacham was issued appearance tickets and turned over to the Cheektowaga Police Department on an outstanding warrant.

The investigation is continuing and further charges are pending.

Task Force members were also assisted in the investigation by the Genesee County DA's Office and uniform members of Batavia PD.

City fire has responded to an automatic fire alarm in the basement of Building E at Park Site Manor Apartments, 541 E. Main St., Batavia.

On scene, a chief reports heavy smoke in a utility room.

Engine 11 and Ladder 15 have responded. No other units have been dispatched.

UPDATE 5:23 a.m.: The issue has been dealt with and the assignment is back in service.

Press release:

Due to a private problem with the water service at the Monsignor Kirby apartments off of Oak Street, the City Water Department had to shut down water service on Oak Street north of Union Street at approximately 3 p.m. today. Water service will be restored as quickly as possible once the repair is complete.

UPDATE 4:38 p.m.: Water service has been restored.

It was family night Thursday at the Clarion Hotel in Batavia for a meal, a training demo and a Q&A for the loved ones of incoming recruits.

The NCOs were dressed to the nines in their Class As loaded with ribbons and gold stripes, and the new recruits were polite and professional in their slacks and blue Marine-issued T-shirts, already well schooled in "yes, sir" and "no, sir."

It's all part of a process local Marine recruiters take their future Marines through so they will be better prepared for the rigors of basic training and life in the corps.

For most of the event, the room was quiet and calm, with Marines and family members enjoying a meal together and discussing life in military service.

Then Marine Staff Sgt. Jose F. Garcia, a drill instructor from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, entered the room with a group of five young men who have recently completed basic training. In a flurry of jumps and spins and arm waving, Garcia led the men through a fast-paced demonstration of a training drill.

Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Terry B. Hall, a recruiter instructor for Marine Corps Recruiting Station Buffalo, explained during the Q&A that the purpose of basic training is not only to teach recruits military skills and improve their physical fitness, it's also to rebuild their character and turn them into Marines.

Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Terry B. Hall. 

Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel Hendrickson, pool program specialist for Marine Corps Recruiting Station Buffalo.

Marine Capt. Michael A. Kelly, executive officer for Marine Corps Recruiting Station Buffalo. 

SSgt. Stephen Porter, a decorated Iraq combat veteran, runs the Batavia recruit station.

Below, photo and caption provided by the Marine Corps.

Parents of Marine Pfc. Maria A. Inzinca, pin on chevrons during her promotion ceremony at the conclusion of Marine Corps Recruiting Sub Station Batavia’s annual Family Night at the Clarion Hotel in Batavia. Inzinca is a native of Bergen and will serve the Marine Corps as an embarkation specialist. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher O’Quin.) 

Press release:

The GCC Literary Club will host an afternoon reading by Lytton Smith, Ph.D., and Jess Fenn, Ph.D., from 12:20 to 1:15 p.m. on Monday, April 18, in the Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery at the main campus in Batavia. All are welcome and the event is free.

Smith is the author of two books of poetry from Nightboat Books, "While You Were Approaching the Spectacle But Before You Were Transformed by It" (2013) and "The All-Purpose Magical Tent" (2009). He is also the translator of several contemporary Icelandic novels by Jón Gnarr, Bragi Ólafsson and Kristín Ómarsdóttir. He is an assistant professor of English and Creative Writing at SUNY Geneseo.

Fenn, a lecturer of English at the State University of New York at Geneseo, specialized in the literature of late medieval England while obtaining M.A., M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University. She has published scholarly work on Geoffrey Chaucer in Studies in Philology (2013) and her short fiction has appeared in such places as Versal, PANK Magazine, and Flash: The International Short-Story Magazine. Fenn was awarded the Gulf Coast Prize in Nonfiction in 2013 for her work, "Where We Went and What We Did There."

As friends of Toriseva, JoNelle wanted to bring them to campus to give students and the community the opportunity to hear these wonderful writers and translators.

"Hearing writers read their work and talk about their process inspires and broadens the perspective of students, as well as fellow faculty and colleagues," Toriseva said. "We hope students, staff, faculty and the general public will join us." 

This event is presented by The Literary Club and sponsored by GCC's Student Activities. The Literary Club has been active on campus for many years, hosting a monthly Open Mic in the Student Union, National Novel Writing Month activities in November, a Poetry Contest, and the Little Library in College Village, among other events and opportunities.

Press release:

The Batavia Cemetery Association will hold a Victorian Home Tour from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 15th. The interior home tour will feature some of Batavia's finest examples of Victorian architecture.

The tour starts at the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue at 12:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25 and may be purchased online at bataviacemetery.com, in person (after April 16th) at Pollyanna & Dot at the Hidden Door, 202 E. Main St., Batavia, or by calling (585) 343-0248. Any remaining tickets may be purchased at the cemetery the day of the tour, however advance purchase is recommended as a limited number will be sold.

No children under the age of 12, please.

All proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the Historic Batavia Cemetery, which was founded in 1823 and was listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 2002.