batavia

A car vs. tree accident, with injuries, is reported in the area of 47 Ellicott St. City fire and Mercy medics are responding or are on scene.

UPDATE 12:19 p.m.: One person was transported to UMMC.

Write-up by Joe Teresi:

T.F. Brown's and the Mancuso Family added another year to its long tradition of serving a Traditional Christmas Day Dinner to the Genesee County region. This year 320 meals were served on a cold, snowy Christmas Day.

The day started early as Rick Mancuso and his early morning crew arrived at the Restaurant just after Santa touched down at their house to prepare the restaurant for the dinner guests and ensure the dinner would be ready on time. The Batavia Lions Club assisted with serving the meal as well as providing toys to all of the children in attendance. This year the Community had an opportunity to assist in the dinner when T.F. Brown's hosted a holiday Happy Hour where customers dropped off toys for the event. The event was well attended with both the United Way of Genesee County and the Batavia Rotary making it their December meeting. A special gift for the holiday diners, was a poinsettia courtesy of Larry Delre and Delre’s Greenhouse.

In addition to the Christmas Day crew, special thanks go out to T.F. Brown’s staff including chefs Frank Yanik and Jeff Pangrazio. Also Maud Charpin in the office who handled reservations. The dinner would not be possible without the support of T.F. Brown's vendors who assisted with the Dinner, including the breadman, Jeff Condidorio. Also, thanks to all the social service providers who assisted us in getting the message out to the community.

While Christmas maybe over, the Mancuso Family looks forward to carrying on the this tradition in 2014.

Terry Irene Luczak, 63, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with DWAI-Drugs and possession of a controlled substance outside of original container. Luczak's vehicle was observed allegedly driving erratically in the City of Batavia and was followed to Target, where the vehicle was reportedly seen striking a handicapped sign in the Target parking lot at 4:07 p.m., Monday. Luczak was arrested following an investigation by Deputy Andrew Hale.

Jenea Marie MacLeod, 29, of Sliker Road, Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. MacLeod is accused of shoplifting at Walmart.

Shannon Marie Denison, 30, of Main Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Denison is accused of shoplifting at Kmart.

Kathleen E. Gonzalez, 51, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Gonzalez is accused of shoplifting $30.12 in merchandise from Kmart.

The sixth-grade Batavia Blue Devils won the Community Youth Basketball Tournament in Rochester this past weekend.

Game summaries by Bryan Falitico:

Game 1: Starting off against the hometown team CYP in our first
game we came out sleepwalking. Strong efforts from our bigs inside on both
ends of the court we were able to fight our way back from being down 11
points. Alex Rood had six points, Andy Clark three, and Jake Humes four, with all
three having monster rebounding games we came up short in the end, losing
33-30.

Game 2 -- vs. Brighton: Building off the fire we started to play with in
the second half of the first game, we came out strong and pounded the ball
inside. Jake Humes led with 10 points, and Andy Clark had eight. The real
key to our win vs. Brighton was behind the leadership of our point guards,
who not only chipped in point wise, but also great ball protection and
finding the open man in transition. Max Rapone had four points, Bryce Reigle had six
and Luke Grammatico had four. Final score BHS 43, Brighton 34.

Game 3 -- HFL: Day 2 we were without one of our bigs inside so in order for
us to be successful other key guys needed to step up in the absence. Andy
Clark had eight points, and the White brothers, Cam and Caeden, came to play.
Cam had six points and Caeden had five, including a game-changing basket drive
that resulted in a (point) and one opportunity. He sealed the deal with the free throw.
Matt Beach and Alex Rood both came up big on the boards in Jake's absence to
help us get the win 35-30.

Game 4 -- vs. Eastside: All around contributions helped us seal the win. Big
game again from Caeden White with 11 points. Cam pitched in five points of
his own, and again Andy Clark, Alex Rood, and Matt Beach controlled the
boards, helping set up our guards to push the ball for some easy baskets. Luke
Grammatico had two points, Josh Weis had four, Bryce Reigle and Max Rapone
both had a number of great passes inside that set up our bigs for easy
baskets. Final score 37-25, tournament champions.

Light smoke is reportedly coming from the basement of a home at 11 Kingsbury Ave. in the city. Batavia Fire Department is has arrived on scene and reports nothing showing from the outside, investigating.

UPDATE 12:44 p.m.: The source of the smoke is found to be a cigarette burning inside a plastic container in the basement. It is extinguished. Ladder 15 is told to continue to the scene, non-emergency mode.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at Richmond Avenue and Union Street. City fire and Mercy medics are responding. Police are on scene.

UPDATE 1:01 p.m.: One patient was transported to UMMC.

Walnut Street/Route 98 has reopened.

A car fire is reported at 14 S. Main St., Batavia.

City fire is responding.

UPDATE 10:51 a.m.: City fire on scene. Fire appears to be out.

A woman reportedly fell in the parking lot of 226 Ellicott St., Batavia, and then a car rolled over her.

The woman has since stood up.

Batavia fire and Le Roy ambulance are responding (all Mercy EMS ambulances are tied up).

UPDATE 9:49 a.m.: The woman was not struck by the vehicle. City fire reports, "she more or less fell under the car." The responding ambulance (which may be Mercy EMS now) can come in non-emergency.

Press release:

The City of Batavia is pleased to announce the completion of its new Web site for City residents, businesses and visitors. As part of the City’s Strategic Plan to improve public communications and access to public information, the City has developed a Web site that includes interactive ways to communicate with residents, businesses and visitors. 

New features of the Web site include online service requests designed to reduce response time by encouraging users to e-mail requests directly to the managing City department and e-news subscriptions allowing users to register to receive e-mail notifications when specific information of their interest is posted to the Web site. In addition, the public can also sign up to receive text alerts when urgent alerts, such as water line breaks or emergencies, are posted on the Web site. 

The City's new Web site provides comprehensive community information and helps the user gain an appreciation for the many positive things the City of Batavia community has to offer in a user-friendly way. The newly added Business, Residents & Visitors sections provide access to an abundance of community information and resources, while the Web site calendar allows users to view community events by department, event, public meetings or notices.

Sixth Ward Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian said, “The Batavia site is more than I expected -- it’s outstanding! Residents are now able to search the site from weather to demographics to printing the STAR exemptions and reading meeting agendas and minutes. Everything anyone needs can be found on the new site, job well done.”

Councilman-at-Large Brooks Hawley added “I'm proud of being part of a City that puts out such a modern and professional looking Web site. It is easy to navigate for residents, businesses and visitors. The pictures and information on the Web site are a great way to highlight the many wonderful aspects of the City. I encourage all residents to check out the Web site and give us feedback with the online survey."

The City's Web site address is still www.batavianewyork.com. All users are encouraged to explore the site, take the Web site survey and provide feedback. Suggestions and comments will be used to continue to improve the Web experience for all users.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported in the area of 7736 Oak Orchard Road, Batavia.

There's one occupant and he's saying he's not injured.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: Responders are told to proceed with caution. Several vehicles reportedly off the road in the area.

UPDATE 5:35 p.m.: Another no-injury rollover accident reported in Batavia, at 3427 Batavia Elba Townline Road.

The Town of Batavia Planning Board will hold a public hearing Jan. 7 to consider an application for a subdivision of property in Batavia Towne Center.

The subdivision would make it possible for Kohl's Department Store to own its own property inside the shopping center, much like Target does now.

Kohl's would be purchasing the parcel from COR Development.

In June, the Genesee County Economic Development Center Board approved $1.8 million in new tax abatements for COR (on top of the $4.6 million in tax breaks COR received from GCEDC in 2006), ostensibly to attract new businesses that provide goods or services not readily available in Genesee County.

Kohl's is a department store chain that sells furniture, clothing, bed and bath items and other general merchandise.

The store will be located where Lowe's once had its garden center, just south of the new Dick's Sporting Goods.

To the north of Dick's will be a Five Below and possibly Marshall's; both are discount retailers.

In order for Kohl's to own its own parcel, the property currently owned by COR must be subdivided.

All subdivisions must go through a public hearing, which is a chance for the public to learn the facts of the project relevant to the subdivision and comment on the issue.

The same process was used to subdivide Batavia Towne Center for Target. A portion of the tax breaks secured by COR in 2006 are now applied to the Target property.

While it's possible for Kohl's to apply to transfer tax abatements received by COR to the new parcel, Rachael Tabelski, director of marketing and communications for GCEDC, said the agency has yet to receive an application for the tax abatements from Kohl's.

The hearing will be held at Batavia Town Hall, 3833 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 7. Written comments will be accepted prior to that date.

Batavia PD is investigating a possible attempted larceny inside City Centre.

A person, possibly white male wearing a hoodie, grabbed something from a stand inside City Centre. A woman yelled for somebody to call the cops.

The suspect was last seen heading toward State Street.

The property, whatever it was, was recovered.

The victim is declining prosecution, so officers are advised that if the suspect is located, he's to be advised he's no longer allowed in the business.

When the Tonawanda Creek crested at 11.94 feet at 6:30 p.m. yesterday, it wasn't anywhere near its historical high.

In March, 1942, the river overflowed at 14.5, making the resulting flood the worst in Batavia history.

It caused an estimated $500,000 damage and put many people out of their homes for days.

Greg Brockway, of Pembroke, brought in these two pictures this morning from the 1942 flood.  They were taken on the Southside in the area of the Jackson School showing Hutchings, Otis and Swan.

The last time the Tonawanda crested over 12 feet (considered the major flood level) was 1998 when it hit 12.44. It hit 11.71 in December 2008, and twice in 2009 it exceeded 10.5 feet, once in February and again in March.

The creek has crested at more than 10 feet on 24 ocassions in the more than 60 years the National Weather Service has been measuring creek levels.

Amy Lynn Showler, 38, of South Manhattan Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and trespass. Showler is accused of stealing $7.76 in merchandise from Walmart.

A 17-year-old resident of Main Street, Corfu, is charged with trespass. The youth allegedly entered a residence on Lovers Lane Road without the owner's permission.

Dimetrious Trudell Williams, 24, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawfully dealing with a child. Williams allegedly supplied alcohol to a person under age 21.

Molly Ann Kirsch, 24, of Bonnie Brea Drive, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings in a no passing zone and failure to keep right. Kirsh was stopped at 12:08 a.m. Saturday on Sumner Road, Darien, by Deputy Jason Saile.

Aaron Matthew Zastrocky, 29, of Mill Street, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI, moving from lane unsafely, speed unreasonable for conditions and no seat belt. Zastrocky was allegedly the driver involved in a motor-vehicle accident reported at 11:18 p.m. Dec. 20 on Lake Road, Le Roy. The accident was investigated by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Joshua David Quaintance, 25, of Byron Road, Bryon, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Quaintance is accused of punching the window out of a vehicle on Townline Road, Byron.

Andrei Karpovich, 42, of Ibis Club Drive, Naples, Fla., is charged with harassment, 2nd. Karpovich allegedly slamming the hand of another person in a truck door during an argument at the Flying J at 5:54 p.m. Dec. 18.

Wendy J. Nelson, 44, of Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Nelson is accused of stealing from Walmart.

Scott F. McColl, 42, of Pavilion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and unlawful possession of marijuana. McColl was stopped at 10:05 p.m. Thursday by State Police on Black Road, Pavilion.

Law Street (above, from the western end), and Route 98 (below, from the northern end) remain closed, though the floodwaters have receded significantly since last night.

City fire is assisting the occupants of a house on Law Street that is being evacuated because of high flood waters.

They're assessing whether to pull the electrical meter on the house.

The house is surrounded by two feet of water.

While on scene, the commander reports that a vehicle is now on Law Street and seems to be floating in the water.

Meanwhile, on Watson, the sewer supervisor is requested to the scene because there is apparently a sewer back-up.

UPDATE 12:18 a.m.: The residents who requested to be evacuated were. All of the other households on Law were checked by firefighters. Residents either didn't have basements and all of their utility connections were above water, or they had already shut off their utilities. A firefighter confirmed the car in the top photo did float a bit. The driver was cited and a family member picked her up.

Here are more flood pictures from this afternoon. The first three I took and the rest are from readers.

Above, the Tonawanda Creek at the bend off South Main Street. 

This is the back of Nate Fix's property, which 18 months ago the DEC carved up a bit to build new flood control.

Peaviner Road. The roadway is to the right side of the picture.

Photo submitted by Steve Ognibene. The vehicle stalled on Jackson Avenue. According to Steve, the driver was cited and the car was towed.

Ron Burroughs kayaking on Ganson Avenue. Submitted by Diane Burroughs.

Maria Casper submitted these two pictures of Philip, Kayla and Andrew kayaking in Kibbe Park.

Flooding in Pavilion submitted by Brittany Hart.