batavia

An accident with injuries, possibly involving up to five vehicles, is reported at Batavia Elba Townline Road and Route 98. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding, along with Mercy medics #4 and #1.

UPDATE 2:18 p.m.: A first responder on scene confirms five vehicles involved and they are heavily damaged.

UPDATE 2:38 p.m.: This was two separate accidents in close proximity. The first accident, at the top of this post, involved a pickup truck which allegedly failed to yield the right-of-way and was struck by a Jeep. They are still trying to determine how a third vehicle got mixed up in this. One person with minor injuries is likely to be transported to UMMC; two others are sign-offs. North of the first accident another accident occurred involving two vehicles -- on Route 98 near Edgerton Road, Elba. No injuries reported.

Merry Christmas from all of us at The Batavian.

Here are some pictures from yesterday evening of local Christmas lights, starting with the DiSalvos on Fargo Road, Stafford, followed by the Calls' place on Main Road, Stafford, a house on Naramore Drive, Batavia, Joe Gerace's place on Vine Street, Batavia, a house on Washington Avenue, two on Richmond Avenue, South Main Street, Batavia, then Elba, and finally, the window display for Charles Men's Shop, which won the BID window display contest.

(Submitted photo and story from Chapin Manufacturing, Inc.)

We do not often these days hear about lifelong employment and people who spend their entire career at one company. But, that very thing has happened here in Batavia at Chapin Manufacturing. Batavia native Ron Odessa joined Chapin in September 1965 and just celebrated his 50^th anniversary with the company.

Mr. Odessa’s anniversary celebration was capped off by a presentation of a solid gold “Chapin Chip” presented to him at the annual shareholders’ luncheon by Andris Chapin, chairman of the Board of Directors. He accepted the gift graciously, saying with a sly grin, “Things are going well here, I’m thinking about making a career of it.”

Upon close inspection, a visitor might notice the name Ronald Odessa on many of the patents hanging in the hallway at Chapin. These innovations were made possible by Ron’s imagination, creativity and pragmatism developed during a lifetime spent in Manufacturing, Engineering and Quality.   

In his spare time, Mr. Odessa, an eighth degree Black Belt, teaches martial arts at Borell’s Karate Academy in Batavia, and was once considered somewhat of a rock star having played in a well-known Batavia-based band in the 1950s.                  

Chapin International, Inc., is a manufacturer of compressed air sprayers and broadcast spreaders. Homeowners and commercial customers know the familiar red Chapin logo means quality, innovative engineering and quality.

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia, with the support of the Salvation Army, along with supporting volunteers handed out nearly 100 gift baskets to local families at the YWCA on Wednesday evening.

This is the first year local Kiwanians organized the holiday gift program for families identified through schools and social service agencies.

The holiday totes contained food, candy, toys, games and vouchers for a free turkey along with all the other fixings that go with a traditional Christmas Day dinner. The families also received a ready-made piecrust and the fillings for baking a pie. Children received winter gloves and a book donated by the Richmond Memorial Library. 

Santa visited and children could share their wishes for Christmas and the family will receive a free 8x10 print of the children with Santa.

Financial support game from numerous local businesses.

Pictured are some of the people who helped with the project. From left, front row, Jeanne Walton, Jacob Lewis, Pete Guppenberger, Patti Pacino, Mark Lewis; Middle row, Patricia Kurtz, Katie Landers, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Kristi Tretter, Jim Pacino, Mike Rimmer; Back row: Matt Landers, Cindy Baldwin, Jonathan Tretter.

Debra M. McKnight, 56, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. McKnight allegedly stole a wallet at Batavia Downs. McKnight was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail.

Matthew Williams, 27, no residence provided, is charged with petit larceny. Williams is accused of stealing an ATV from a location on South Main Street, Elba. State Police say Williams noticed an ATV on private property and pushed it down a trail, where he filled it with gas and drove it away.

Maria L. Martinez, 20, no residence provided, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, unlawful possession of marijuana and controlled substance not in original container. Martinez was stopped by State Police on Route 237, Stafford, for allegedly speeding. Troopers say she was in possession of 32 diazepam pills in a plastic bag and nine grams of marijuana.

Michelle Blanche Alberico, 51, of Mapledale Acres, Barneveld, is charged with possession of 10,000 or more untaxed cigarettes, possession or transportation of untaxed cigarettes for sale, operator's view obstructed, and aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Alberico was stopped at 1:47 a.m. on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Andrew Hale. Alberico was allegedly in possession of 450 cartons of untaxed cigarettes.

Earle D. Webb Jr., 29, of Joseph Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and criminal trespas,s 2nd. Webb allegedly broke the door and entered the residence of an acquaintance at 12:30 p.m. Friday at a location on Central Avenue, Batavia.

Mael L. Tomlin, 23, of Chase Parkway, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Tomlin is accused of pulling a woman's hair during an argument.

Joseph Matthew Mika, 18, of Pine Hollow Drive, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Mika is accused of sending harassing text messages to a female victim.

File under "Christmas Spirit Fail." A complainant at Top's Market told a dispatcher she was the victim of a road rage incident. The male driver of a blue Dodge Magnum (which reportedly has a broken or inoperable tail light) exchanged words with her, then he spit in her face before driving off in an unknown direction. Law enforcement is responding to the harassment complaint.

T.J Woodward, owner, with Matt Meyer and Timothy D. Woodward of Gilmartin Funeral Home & Cremation Company, Inc., load up not even two-thirds of the boxes containing donations for Stockings for Soldiers.

Eaton-Watson Funeral Home, LLC, of Perry, and Marley Funeral Home, LLC, of Attica, also participated in the second annual Stockings for Soldiers.  

This year's contributions well surpassed last year’s contributions, with enough donations for more than 600 stockings, along with donations toward the cost of the shipment coming into the company's three locations.  

Stockings will be shipped to three different locations where U.S. troops are currently stationed.

Woodward would like to give a special thanks to Mr & Mrs. Tim Landers and Mr & Mrs. Jim Palermo for their donations toward shipping.

Photo and info submitted by T.J. Woodward.

A motor-vehicle accident with minor head injuries is reported on the Thruway, in the westbound lane at mile marker 395.7.

That's about a mile east of the Slusser Road overpass.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Press release:

City Manager Jason Molino today announced the immediate appointment of Capt. Dan Herberger to the position of Interim Fire Chief.

“Captain Herberger is well respected at all levels within our fire department and also in the local emergency services community,” Molino said. “I am grateful that Dan has accepted this important transitional responsibility and look forward to working with him.”

Capt. Herberger has served as a member of the City of Batavia Fire Department since 2002 and was appointed to his current position of Fourth Platoon Captain in September 2013.

“I am honored and humbled to serve the people of the City of Batavia in this capacity,” Herberger said. “I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated men and women of this department and appreciate the expressions of support and confidence as we move forward through this transition.”

Capt. Herberger will serve as Interim Chief until a permanent Chief is appointed, which Molino estimates will be sometime mid-Spring. 

The Batavian broke the news of Jim Maxwell's sudden retirement on Saturday.

Driving around this time of year you can always find some wonderful displays of Christmas lights and figurines. Since the inception in 2011, Dean Brooks pictured above (family dog "Princess," daughter Mickayla, wife Jennifer and son Spencer) have made this a family activity that has grown over time.

The display at his home at starts getting assembled right after Thanksgiving and usually takes about a week or so depending on weather and family schedules.

"I first started with about 3,000 bulbs, a couple figurines but it has grown to over 7,000 lights and we have been transitioning to a LED display only," Dean said. "The LED lights are brighter, more brilliant of a color, more energy efficient and I can differentiate between those and the incandescent lights.

"The possibilities are huge because the LEDs can be changed to multiple colors."

A new item this year is “talking Rudolph” in the front of the house. The show runs on over an hour then loops back to the beginning through a computer-generated software program and FM transmitter that you can tune into 91.7 when you are in front of his home that the lights and music are synced to.

The plan next year is to expand the megatron tree to have words flashing across it plus much more. The viewing schedule can be found at his Web site http://www.brooksfamilylights.com/

The family's address is 5671 E. Main Street Road, Batavia

Also a Facebook page here: Brooks Family Lights

A 62-year-old Batavia woman who served on a grand jury in a murder case has been charged with unlawful grand jury disclosure, a Class E felony.

She is accused of disclosing to an acquaintance the decision of the grand jury to indict a person in a homicide case before the indictment was officially filed and became a matter of public record.

Janice L. Mortellaro, of Buell Street, was on a grand jury that was seated Dec. 8.

The Sheriff's Office, which handled the arrest of Mortellaro, is not disclosing which case she allegedly shared information about.

The District Attorney's Office is currently handling two homicide cases, the Dec. 1 death of Norman D. "Don" Bell in Le Roy and the discovery of a dead infant in a home on Liberty Street in August.

In the death of Bell, a neighbor, Kyle G. Johnson was arraigned on a second-degree murder indictment Dec. 15. In the case of the infant's death, the baby's mother, Christina M. Colantonio, was originally arrested on a murder charge, but she was released from jail after an autopsy could not prove a live birth. A second autopsy was ordered and no indictment has been announced in that case. It's uncertain if that case has even been presented to a grand jury at this point.

Mortellaro was arraigned in City Court and issued an appearance ticket for 9 a.m., Jan. 5, to answer to the charge.

A 17-year-old resident of Porter Avenue, North Tonawanda, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unlawful possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under age 21 and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. The youth is accused of being the driver of a vehicle that struck a building in Elba. The youth allegedly fled the scene of the accident on foot and was located a short time later by a deputy. The incident, reported at 11:04 p.m., Friday, was investigated by Deputy Joseph Corona along with Deputy Howard Carlson and Sgt. Eric Seppala.

Jacklyn M. Ganzhorn, 28, of Central Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Ganzhorn allegedly failed to appear in City Court on a charge of unlicensed operation, 3rd. After posting $500 bail, Ganzhorn was turned over to Attica PD on a warrant.

Earle D. Webb, 29, of Joseph Avenue, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Webb was arrrested by Batavia police as the result of an alleged incident reported at 11:42 a.m., Friday. 

Jordan J. Hardy, 26, of Sunset Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with two counts of sex offender failure to report change of, or changes to, Internet accounts. Hardy allegedly failed to report to Batavia two changes to his Internet accounts within 10 days of the change. He has a prior conviction and was arrested Oct. 26 on the same charge. He was jailed without bail.

Robert W. Blankenberg Jr., 31, of Union Street, Batavia. Blankenberg was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, charge. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Johnny L. Shannon, 57, of Creek Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. Shannon was arrested following complaint of erratic operation at 7:47 a.m. Dec. 12 on East Main Street, Batavia, and an investigation by officers Kevin DeFelice and Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Justin Gabriel Sepi, 28, of Columbia Avenue, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Sepi was charged following a traffic stop at 10:25 p.m. Saturday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Dylan James Perry, 24, of Kingsbury Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Perry was allegedly found in possession of metal knuckles and marijuana during roadside contact with law enforcement at 2:31 a.m. Friday on Main Road, Pembroke. He was arrested by Deputy Joseph Corona and jailed without bail.

Press release:

Major Steven A. Nigrelli is the new Troop A commander. He is a 25-year-veteran of the New York State Police, starting his career in 1990, serving as a uniform Trooper in Troop D in Central New York until he was assigned to the Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) in 1994.

Nigrelli was assigned to CNET in both Western and Central New York (CNET). Nigrelli worked undercover for more than five years in the State Police’s CNET. Nigrelli then was promoted to sergeant and investigator in 1999, and was assigned to Troop A Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

In 2003 while in Troop A, he received his promotion to lieutenant and was assigned to supervise Troop A's BCI.

In March of 2007, Nigrelli was promoted to captain, accepting an assignment as the Troop A Zone III Commander at SP Jamestown. In 2008, he was reassigned as the Troop A Zone II Commander at SP Clarence. As a Zone Commander, Nigrelli was responsible for overseeing all Uniform operations in his zone.

In 2012, Nigrelli was promoted to BCI Captain for Troop A at Troop A Headquarters in Batavia.

Throughout his career, Captain Nigrelli has had the opportunity to work on several high-profile cases, including numerous homicides, Ralph “Bucky” Phillips manhunt, Bike Path Rapist/Killer Task Force, and he served as the scene commander for the investigation of the crash of Continental Flight #3407.

As the Troop A Commander, Nigrelli will oversee the State Police operations in the eight counties of Western New York. Under his command will be more than 400 civilian and sworn personnel.

Major Nigrelli has been committed to community service and volunteerism throughout his State Police career. He has dedicated his time and energy to volunteering for Special Olympics and currently sits as both the New York State Torch Run director and International Executive Council Board of Directors for Special Olympics. These organizations are dedicated to raising both funds and awareness for Special Olympics, which is comprised of children and adults with individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Prior to joining the State Police, Major Nigrelli briefly served as member of the Buffalo Housing Police and earned a bachelor's degree from Buffalo State College.

A house fire is reported at 5 Thomas Ave. 

City firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 1:49 a.m.: No smoke or flames showing, although there was a fire at this apartment building, which has been evacuated. Firefighters are dismantling a portion of the front porch looking for any extention.

UPDATE 2:05 a.m.: There were flames showing when firefighters arrived on scene. Ten residents were evacuated by firefighters, including an infant who was carried from an apartment by a firefighter. Some of the residents were taken in by neighbors, others were still outside watching. The cause is under investigation. It will be up to a city building inspector to determine whether the residents can return to their apartments tonight.