batavia

A driver is accused of running a red light at the intersection of Seven Springs Road and Clinton Street Road at 5:07 p.m., Wednesday, causing a two-car accident that sent three people to the hospital.

Cited for allegedly failure to stop for the red light was Jonathan C. Pestillo, 17, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia. Pestillo was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital minor injuries.

The other driver, Bonnie M. Behage, 70, of Ellenton, Fla., and her passenger, Jenna M. Aradine, 22, were also transported to Strong with minor injuries.

Pestillo was driving a 2005 Chevy SUV and Behage was driving a 2010 Hyundai SUV.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

(Initial Report)

Press release:

The Genesee Community College Foundation has once again surpassed its $459,000 annual campaign goal. With the help of 119 local volunteers the campaign brought in $491,008 in funds to support local students as they achieve their dreams of earning a college degree.

"We've had an excellent core of volunteers that have made this campaign so successful," said Monica Hale Dawson ('72) secretary-treasurer of Shepard, Maxwell Hale Insurance Agency, and foundation board director and general chair of Genesee Foundation's 2010-2011 annual campaign.

"The diligence of our community is remarkable. Those that give to the campaign know they are investing in the human resources and the economic vitality of our region."

She added that there are nine divisions in the annual campaign. Each division chair is responsible for a portion of the overall $459,000 goal. Division chairs were:

•    Alumni Division: Robert Bennett, ('74) of Batavia, vice president, Bank of Castile, Batavia

•    Associates Division: Jane Scott, of Stafford, branch manager, Five Star Bank, Batavia

•    Faculty and Staff Division: Marirose Ethington, of Pavilion, professor of biology, GCC

•    Genesee Division: Peter Call, of Batavia, president, My-T Acres, Inc.

•    Heritage Division: Patrick Forsyth, of Batavia, CPA, and foundation board director

•    Leadership Division: Robert L. Boyce, of Le Roy, broker, Tompkins Insurance Agency and foundation board director

•    Livingston Division: co-chairs Les Cole, of Caledonia, president, Commodity Resource Corporation and foundation board director, and Robert C. Savage, of Avon, president, WYSL and foundation board director

•    Orleans Division: Wendy L. Hinkley, of Albion, branch manager, HSBC Bank, Albion office

•    Wyoming Division: Teresa Eddy, of Alexander, branch manager, Five Star Bank, Attica office

The campaign includes an Endowment Challenge Grant, a five year federal grant, from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant matches dollar for dollar funds raised for students in need up to $80,000 per year. For the second year, generous donors have met the Endowment Challenge goal.

The 2010-2011 campaign year also introduced five new named scholarship funds established by faculty, staff and caring and community-minded friends of the college:

•    Denniston K. Wood Art Scholarship, awarded to students interested in the arts.

•    Michael Stoll Scholarship, awarded to students in a health career degree program.

•    Richard J. and Maribell Scholl Reid Musical Theatre Scholarship, awarded to students with an interest in the field of musical theater.

•    Seymour Family Scholarship, awarded to second-year students demonstrating financial need.

•    William H. Collins Scholarship, awarded to students pursuing a degree in business or finance.

•    Stuart Steiner Leadership Fund, supports projects that foster leadership excellence at GCC.

Community organizations, businesses, service clubs, families and individuals are welcomed to establish named scholarship funds with the Genesee Community College Foundation. A donor can decide on basic information such as the name, purpose, criteria for making awards from the fund and when it will be established.

An agreement is then drawn up and signed, usually by the donor, club president or scholarship chair. The fund may be established with the intention to contribute $500 or more annually. Donors may also establish a fund with the intention to contribute a minimum of $10,000 to endow the fund and to use the income to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. Gifts to establish the endowment may be made over a period of one to five years.

More information on named funds can be found at http://www.genesee.edu/about/foundation/funds_special.cfm.

The Genesee Community College Foundation was formed in the mid-1980s as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing service to and support of the college. Its 30-member board of directors is comprised of business and civic leaders, and last year, the foundation's philanthropic support provided 678 scholarships to Genesee students, as well as other grants, totaling $599,779.

Contributions for support for the college programs and students may be sent to the Genesee Community College Foundation, One College Road, Batavia, NY 14020. For more information contact the foundation (585) 345-6809 or foundation@genesee.edu.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Clinton Street Road and Batavia Stafford Town Line Road. Mercy medics and Town of Batavia Fire Department are responding.

UPDATE 5:14 p.m.: A second ambulance is requested.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m.: A third ambulance is called in.

UPDATE 5:42 p.m.: All three ambulances are transporting patients to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m.: Town of Batavia fire units are back in service.

Press release:

The Batavia Board of Education will have a vacancy as of November 1, 2011, and is looking to fill that seat with an interested District resident. The vacancy is a result of the resignation of Andrew Pedro, whose term was due to expire at the end of this school year (June 30, 2012).

To fill the vacancy in the interim, the Board is asking Batavia City School District residents who would be interested in completing Mr. Pedro’s term (November 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012) to send a letter of interest, including their qualifications, by October 14, 2011, 4 p.m., to Scott Rozanski, BCSD Board Clerk, 39 Washington Avenue, Batavia, NY 14020.

Citing changes in his job responsibilities, Mr. Pedro felt he would be unable to fulfill the duties of a Board member to the degree that is needed to be effective and fair to the community that voted for him - particularly in these challenging economic times. He submitted his resignation at the Board meeting on October 3.

There is a possible electrical fire in a storage shed at 9 Osterhout Ave.

City fire's Engine 12 and Ladder 15 responding.

UPDATE 12:55 p.m.: City fire units back in service.

View Larger Map

A bit of cold and rain didn't prevent residents of the Greens of Le Roy from enjoying their annual fall festival on Sunday -- they just moved the event indoors.

From Kim Pasquale: "Many vendors brought their fall harvest along with some arts and craft vendors. The residents of The Greens truly enjoyed this special event."

Pictured above are resident Paul Emerling and his daughter Donna Mellander providing musical entertainment.

Press release:

The City of Batavia recently engaged the consulting services of CZB, a nationally recognized planning firm. CZB is assisting with the development of a Community Improvement Plan to assist the city with neighborhood and economic development revitalization efforts.

Over the summer CZB met with various stakeholders throughout the community such as volunteers, property owners, property managers, Realtors and business owners in order to better understand the challenges and demands facing Batavia. The information shared during the meetings was helpful in developing valuable strategies for promoting neighborhood revitalization, business sustainability, growth and entrepreneurship and community development.

CZB will be conducting a public meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 in the Board Room in City Hall to share and present a preliminary report on the housing market, downtown and Main Street, neighborhoods and possible future actions.

The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for the public to give feedback and ask questions. Feedback is crucial to the research and development of community / economic development strategies for the city.

Jon Nelson Roblee, 36, of Linwood Road, Le Roy, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Roblee is accused of throwing a coffee pot at a victim, cutting the victim's hand, and displaying two knives at victims and threatening to kill them. Roblee was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Trevor M. Rich, 30, of 7142 Randall Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Rich is accused of sending threatening text messages to a female he was ordered not to contact. Rich was jailed without bail.

Steven Thomas Schum, 52, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to signal and moved from lane unsafely. Schum was stopped at 2:25 a.m., Oct. 1, on Darien Alexander Townline Road, Alexander, by Deputy Jason Saile.

Charie Marie Oddo, 50, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Oddo is accused of stealing clothing items from Kmart.

Robert Edward Greene, 30, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Greene is accused of violating an order of protection by placing a phone call to a protected person.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants at about 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, in the areas of: Apollo and Treadeasy drives; Brooklyn, Roosevelt and Dewey avenues; and Industrial, River and Pearl streets.

Homes and businesses nearby may be affected. These flows may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

Michael Victor Blackcloud, 66, of Sackett Road, Bergen, is charged with forcible touching. Blackcloud is accused of touching the intimate part of a woman's body without her consent.

Cody A. Bush Jr., 25, of 7614 Oak Orchard Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Bush is accused of going to Jackson Elementary School and contacting a child he is ordered by Family Court not to contact.

Andrew A. Crimes, 39, of 649 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. In violation of a court order, Crimes allegedly sent text messages and made phone calls to a woman he is ordered not to contact.

Eric James Harter, 36, of Beaver Meadow Road, Bergen, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, failure to stop for stop sign, no seat belt and speed not reasonable or prudent. Harter was charged following an investigation into a motor-vehicle accident at 6:04 p.m., Sept. 3, at the intersection of Cockram and Transit roads. Harter's vehicle hit a tree.

Eddie Lee Miles, 39, of Ellicott Street, is charged with assault, 3rd. At 5:40 p.m., Sept. 17, Miles allegedly punched another person in the face. The alleged victim suffered cuts that required stitches. 

Press release:

The Rochester Red Wings announced today that the New York Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, will play 37 of their home games at Frontier Field in 2012 while their ballpark in Scranton (PNC Field) undergoes a $40-million renovation.

Batavia’s Dwyer Stadium, home of the New York-Penn League short-season Single-A Batavia Muckdogs, who are managed and operated by Rochester Community Baseball, Inc., will host seven games.

“We are delighted to be able to bring these additional Triple-A baseball games to the fans of the Rochester and Batavia areas," said Red Wings President/CEO/COO Naomi Silver. "This expanded schedule will provide lots more opportunities for our fans to enjoy additional games during the upcoming season. We’ve put a considerable amount of time and effort into working with the Scranton ballclub to make this a reality.

“We very much appreciate the franchises in Rochester, Batavia, Syracuse, Buffalo, Lehigh Valley and Pawtucket welcoming us into their stadiums and hosting our SWB Triple-A team’s games next season. We will establish our base of operations in Rochester with more than half our home games played right there in Rochester.

New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said: "This will be a very interesting experience for our players and we’re looking forward to having our highest-level prospects playing in front of the legions of Yankees fans all across Upstate New york and into Allentown and Pawtucket. In 2013, we will return to Scranton Wilkes-Barre to a dramatically rebuilt stadium which will be our Triple-A home for a very long time."

“We are all excited about this opportunity, but we are also aware of the challenges that are ahead of us as an organization. Without a staff like we currently have in place, we wouldn’t have been able to consider this opportunity. We feel there is no better place than Frontier Field for Scranton to play,” Silver added.

The International League has approved the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees plan to play all 72 of their 2012 home games at alternate locations while renovations to PNC Field take place this off-season.

International League President Randy Mobley said: "As the title of a current article in 'Baseball America' states 'Passion Runs Deep in Rochester.' There are many baseball-loving communities in Minor League Baseball, but there is none that has supported the game for a longer period of time or loves the game any greater than in Rochester. There may not be another community or organization in Minor League Baseball that could tackle this challenge in this manner.

"The International League is grateful to both the Red Wings and Muckdogs organizations for being the cornerstone elements in establishing a home base for the Scranton/W-B Yankees games in 2012."

For the last several weeks, SWB Yankees LLC and the International League have been working diligently on a final proposal to have Scranton/Wilkes-Barre play all their home games at alternate locations in 2012.

“From an economic development standpoint it will also be a home run for our community because it will create more jobs, fill more hotel rooms, and spur on more business in our community thanks to the Yankees and visiting teams being here for those additional 37 dates," said Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason.

"This should also be an economic boom for Batavia as well as a great opportunity for Muckdogs fans to see Triple-A baseball in their own backyard for the first time ever."

Scranton, for the most part, will make Upstate NY their home away from home in 2012. In addition to the 37 home games at Frontier Field, Scranton will play six home games in Buffalo, seven in Batavia, and 10 in Syracuse.

Scranton will also play eight games in Lehigh Valley and four games in Pawtucket.

“The International league has always prided itself in helping each other out when needed," Mason said. "The Scranton/W-B club needed a place to play and we were happy to come to their assistance along with our North Division partners in Buffalo, Syracuse, Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley. This is a shining example of the spirit of cooperation within the International League."

Two drivers from Holley, Orleans County, collided on Oak Orchard Road/Route 98 in Batavia this afternoon.

Doris Lusk, 78, was operating her Subaru Forester northbound on Route 98 when she slowed to allow another driver to make a left-hand turn into a driveway. Robert Blosenhauer, 63, was also northbound in a Jeep Wrangler and failed to stop. He rammed into the rear of Lusk's vehicle.

Both were able to exit the roadway safely. No serious injuries were reported.

Blosenhauer was charged with failure to yield following too closely.

Trooper Mark Catenzaro responded along with Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS.

Kayla M. Tyoe, 22, of Market Street, Attica, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, parking on pavement/roadway and no seat belt. Deputy Ron Meides was dispatched at 8:35 a.m., Monday, to a complaint of a car parked in the middle of Colby Road, Darien. Upon arrival, Meides reportedly found Tyoe sleeping in the driver's seat. A male was sleeping in the passenger seat, according to Meides. It was determined, Meides said, that Tyoe was "driving under the influence of some type of drug."

Benjamin Wiliam Muntz, 22, of Knowlesville Road, Alabama, is charged with attempted petit larceny and trespass. Muntz is accused of being on property in Byron without permission and attempting to steal items from the property.

Michael Abdullah Jamil, 27, of School Road, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Jamil is accused of violating an order of protection by allowing his girlfriend and son to stay at his residence. Jamil was jailed on $500 bail.

Randy K. Wilmet, 34, of 75 Franklin St., Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and obstructing governmental administration, 2nd. Wilmet is accused of damaging property inside the apartment of another person. Wilmet was arraigned in Batavia City Court, where he allegedly refused to comply with police officers' orders and had to be physically removed from the court and restrained. Wilmet was jailed on $3,000 bail.

Martin F. Jones, 40, no permanent address, is charged with four counts of petit larceny. Jones was arrested on a warrant. He is accused of stealing beer from an Ellicott Street business on four separate occasions. Each incident was reportedly recorded by surveillance cameras. Jones was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Batavia PD is looking for information on three individuals suspected of being involved in a theft and an attempted fraud locally.

The three individuals may also be suspects in similar thefts at hospitals and colleges from Geneva to Buffalo.

In the local case, a male subject wearing a white T-shirt and a necklace went into UMMC at 11:30 a.m., Sept. 11, and stole a wallet from a purse belonging to an employee.

The suspect was driven to the hospital in a maroon four-door sedan (possibly a Ford Fusion).

The male suspect and two female suspects allegedly used the victim's credit cards at a local business.

The three suspects are described as African-American and in their early 20s.

Anybody with information that may assist in the investigation can call the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

The week 3 winner was Joseph Duganier. While Duganier's pick, Carolina, had only the fourth-best defensive stats in Week 3, Carolina was #1 among the 10 teams available for picking in the contest. Duganier wins for four free large subs.

Two suspects have been taken into custody in connection with a pair overnight burglaries on Williams and Swan streets, according to Batavia PD.

Police are investigating whether the pair were involved in other recent residential burglaries.

On Tuesday, the alleged burglars entered occupied residences on Williams Street and Swan Street in the early morning hours.

Take into custody shortly after the first reported burglary, at 2:09 a.m., on Swan Street, was Kurt H. Hawkins Jr., 18, who has no permanent address. Hawkins was charged with burglary, 2nd.

Hawkins was located in the area of Williams and Ellicott streets shortly after a homeowner reportedly observed the suspect in his residence. Hawkins reportedly initially tried to flee from police and was taken into custody after a foot chase.

While police were investigating the Williams Street burglary, police received a report of a residential burglary in progress on Swan Street.

The alleged burglar fled the residence and could not be immediately located. Investigators indicate that evidence led them to Michael J. Hilton, 20, no permanent address.

Both Hawkins and Hilton were jailed without bail.

Both Hawkins and Hilton are suspected in other recent residential burglaries and additional charges may be pending.

Top photo, Hawkins; bottom photo, Hilton.

A group of about 12 parents concerned about proposed changes to elementary schools in Batavia gathered at the Richmond Memorial Library on Monday evening to start organizing an effort to offer alternatives to the school board.

The hour-long meeting ended on a message of "let's show the board we want to work with them," after some in the group expressed concern that if parents are willing to cooperate, negotiate and listen, school board members won't take them seriously.

"This is not about us versus them," said Jennifer Burke, one of the organizers of the meeting. "It's not a game. It's about our kids. If we all have that as our focus then we should be able to accomplish something."

The school district is looking for a way to save as much as $1 million in annual expenses and has publicly discussed closing the current administration building on Washington Avenue and moving the district administration into one of the current elementary schools -- such as Robert Morris -- leaving the school district with only two elementary schools.

Hardly a parent in Batavia can be found who supports the idea. Primarily, they are concerned about losing their neighborhood schools, having children in the same household attending three or four different schools and how frequent school changes will affect the chance for children to succeed in school.

The meeting on Monday included a break-out session with parents making a list of concerns and ideas.

A universally shared concern was moving fifth-grade students into the middle school.

"The age difference is just too much," said one parent.

Burke expressed optimism that board members have been willing to discuss concerns with parents. Superintendent Margaret Puzio called her earlier to provide some updates in advance of the Monday meeting, which Burke considered to be a sign of administration officials' willingness to work with parents.

Among the updates is that the decision about consolidation that was supposed to be made in November has been pushed back until March.

"That's another step in the direction that they're offering parents a voice," Burke said.

But the parents still want even more time. They're passing a petition to ask for the decision to be put off until after another school year passes, dipping into the district's reserves, if necessary, to balance the budget.

"When they do make a decision, they need to make an informed decision," Burke said. "They need to make the best decision, the best decision for the whole community."

Burke noted that in opposing consolidation, it opens up a wide array of options for the district to cut, from teachers (bigger class sizes), music and arts, teacher aides, sports and elective courses.

"If we move forward with certain recommendations, we may see ramifications on the other side," Burke said. "We do realize that we may need to sacrifice some, but our children come first."

The next group meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 13. 

The next meeting the district will host to discuss consolidation is Wednesday at Batavia HS.