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Byron firefighters are responding to a reported controlled burn at 7068 Swamp Road. The location is between Hessenthaler and Pocock roads.

Today, firefighters from the City of Batavia Fire Department hosted a luncheon for the winners of this year's Fire Prevention Coloring Contest and their families at the fire headquarters on Evans Street.

The contest theme for 2019's Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6-12) was: “Not every hero wears a cape. Plan and Practice your Escape.”

The seventh annual coloring competition was open to Batavia schoolchildren in kindergarten through fifth grade.

At a date to be determined, the first-place winners will get a ride to school in a city fire engine.

The winners, announced and posted on The Batavian Wednesday, are:

Honorable Mention: Harmony Warner – John Kennedy School, Miss Carpenter, Fourth Grade

Honorable Mention: Azaria Burnett – Batavia Middle School, Mrs. Korzelius, Fifth Grade

(Photos courtesy of the City of Batavia Fire Department.)

A one-vehicle rollover with entrapment and injuries is reported in Alabama on Bloomingdale Road. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

Submitted photo and press release:

The 37^th annual Health and Humanitarian Award of Genesee County will be presented to Tom and Lynn Houseknecht (photo above), of Batavia, at noon on Friday, Dec. 6 at a luncheon at Terry Hills Restaurant.

The award presented by The Jerome Foundation recognizes volunteer men and women of Genesee County who have helped promote emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the area’s residents.

Nominations reflected “ordinary people who reach far beyond themselves to the lives of those in need, bringing hope, care, and friendship, and helping build a stronger, healthier community.”

In naming the Houseknechts for this year’s award, The Jerome Foundation will recognize more than 25 years of volunteer service and community involvement by the Houseknechts. They have been supporters of multiple charitable causes in our community including: ARC of Genesee Orleans, UMMC (and previous Genesee Memorial Hospital), Notre Dame High School, St. Joseph School, YMCA, CASA, Batavia Rotary Club, and Resurrection Parish among others.

Shelley Falitico, ARC director of Development and Community relations, nominated the couple, saying “Tom and Lynn have always been involved in volunteering in our community, whether working behind the scenes, or being out front leading Capital Campaigns.

"As the co-chairs of our agency’s capital campaign, their dedication and compassion for the people we serve is evident. Individuals with disabilities and their families served at the ARC of Genesee and Orleans have received love, support, education and acceptance from Tom and Lynn.

"Their approachable demeanor is admired and respected. Tom and Lynn Houseknecht have helped build a stronger, healthier community and provided friendship and care to those in need."

The Houseknechts were also nominated by Dan Ireland, president of United Memorial Medical Center.

Ireland said “Tom and Lynn have been an integral part of shaping healthcare in our community for many years. Lynn has championed many supportive events through her involvement with United Memorial Hospital League, serving in many impactful roles. Tom has served over 15 years as a board member on the United Memorial Board as well as the last five years on the Rochester Regional Health Board and has been a key liaison between the Boards through the merger process.

"One of the most notable things about Tom and Lynn is that they are always looking out for what is best for healthcare in our community.”

CASA, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that advocates for the best interest of abused and neglected children in Genesee County is one of many charities the Houseknechts have been involved with. In support of their nomination, CASA Board Chair Barb Hale writes “I am truly impressed with all that Tom and Lynn have been able to accomplish as true community leaders. They are able to recognize vulnerable populations in need of help and take the initiative to provide leadership to establish and perpetuate this very help. They are inspirational role models. They show us all how to make positive things happen.”

Karen Green, principal of St. Joseph’s School noted, “Tom and Lynn are outstanding members of our local community, always giving back and striving to make things better. They never hesitate to lend a hand wherever it is needed and always do so with a positive and caring attitude.”

And community member Amanda Malloy said, “Lynn has made selfless contributions to myself and my family in our time of need by restoring our faith in humanity. She understands that sometimes a person may need support and friendship in order to overcome a difficult time. Lynn has been a support for me and my family but most importantly, she has given us hope.”

Family friend Kerry Landfried also nominated the Houseknechts and wrote, “Tom and Lynn Houseknecht are compassionate, always acting in the spirit of helping others. With enthusiasm, they have welcomed so many community members in their home to work on capital campaigns or committees. I believe Tom and Lynn Houseknecht have largely helped all of us lead a better, healthier life.”

The cost to attend the Dec. 6 luncheon at Terry Hills honoring the Houseknechts is $25 per person.

The event is open to the public and reservations can be made by sending a check to: The Jerome Foundation, P.O. Box 249, Batavia, NY 14021.

Seating will be limited so early reservations are encouraged.

From the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

On Thursday afternoon (Oct. 24) two Rochester men were arrested following an investigation by the Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force into the transportation and possession of crack cocaine in and around the City of Batavia.

• Walter H. Bennett (AKA "Black"), 29, of Van Auker Street, Rochester, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a Class C felony; and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor.
• Rayqaun K. Balkum, 19, of Atkinson Street, Rochester, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a Class C felony; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor; promoting prison contraband, a Class E felony; tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony; and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor.

Genesee County Sheriff's Sgt. James Diehl conducted a traffic stop of the car that Bennett and Balkum were traveling in on Ellicott Avenue in the city Thursday afternoon. An investigation ensued.

It is alleged that Bennett and Balkum were found to possess 64 bags of crack cocaine. Both were arraigned in city court this morning (Oct. 25) and put in Genesee County Jail.

Bennett's bail was set at $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond; Balkum's bail was set at $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond.

The task force is comprised of police officers from the county Sheriff's Office, Batavia PD and Le Roy Village police.

Task force members in this case were assisted by BPD, county Sheriff's deputies and the District Attorney's Office.

Notice of Public Hearing

Notice is hereby given that the Genesee County Legislature will meet at the Genesee County Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing on the Tentative Genesee County Budget for 2020.

A copy of the Tentative Budget will be available in the Office of the Clerk of the Legislature, 7 Main St., Batavia, where it may be inspected by any interested person.

Pursuant to Section 359 of the County Law, the maximum salaries that may be fixed and payable during said fiscal year to members of the Genesee County Legislature and to the Chair thereof are as follows:

• Members of the Legislature -- $12,606 each
• Chair of the Legislature -- $16,587

Press release: 

The City of Batavia is looking for residents of the City of Batavia to fill seats on various boards and committees. There are several openings on boards and committees within the City of Batavia, and the city manager is seeking interested candidates to join these decision-making and advisory bodies.

“If you are interested in our community and want to be a part of the future of Batavia, we encourage you to sign up and volunteer for a committee or board,” said Martin Moore, Ph.D., City of Batavia manager. “The work our committees and boards perform help our City to be a better place to live, work and play.”

Signing up for boards and committees is a great way to help the community and to develop your personal leadership skills. Volunteering will also build your personal self-confidence and skill set in team building.

“City Council is asking for help shaping the future of our City,” said Eugene Jankowski, City of Batavia Council president. “A way to do that is to volunteer to serve on one of our committees. We know your time is valuable and your input is always appreciated.”

Current openings include:

Board of Assessment Review

Positions with the BAR are available for volunteers. These members will preside over grievance day and hear formal grievance complaints from businesses and residents of the city regarding their assessments.

Community Garden

Members of the Community Garden meet to plan activities related to the upkeep and maintenance of the community garden.

Historic Preservation Commission

The Historic Preservation Commission is responsible for the protection, enhancement and perpetuation of landmarks and historic districts.

Youth Board

The Youth Board provides leadership development programs for youth, increases youth outcomes by providing a variety of programs, services and activities.

Zoning Board of Appeals

Hear appeals when a person believes a variance should be made for their property.

Applicants must be residents of the City of Batavia. Applications are available at the City Clerk’s Office or online here.

Press release:

Genesee Community College is pleased to announce the return of "FAFSA and Fries" -- the popular Free Application for Federal Student Aid workshops. They are designed to assist current or potential new students from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties planning to attend any college.

The first session is from 12 to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4.

"FAFSA and Fries" sessions will be held on the first Monday of every month from 12 - 7 p.m. at the McDonald's restaurant, located at 573 E. Main St. in Batavia. Participants will also enjoy French fries, complements of McDonald's!

Sessions are scheduled through January; the calendar of Adult Educational Opportunity Center support workshops and financial aid events, and more, is available at www.genesee.edu/aeoc/.

At these sessions, the AEOC from the college will help students and their families complete the FAFSA and TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) and GED (General Education Development (or some call it diploma)) enrollment forms, conduct scholarship searches, college or trade school searches and so much more.

Participants are encouraged to contact AEOC@genesee.edu to reserve a seat in any session and to learn what information and materials should be brought to the session. Walk-ins are also welcome. 

The AEOC serves students of all ages and provides its services free of charge for college and trade school students, veterans, GED students, those seeking career counseling and more. All of the AEOC services are available to anyone, not just students of Genesee Community College.

Parents, guardians and students are also encouraged to check out the totally free FAFSA and NYS TAP grant workshops being held at the Richmond Memorial Library, located at 19 Ross St. in Batavia, on:

• Thursday, Nov. 14 from 4 - 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 16 from 12 - 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 4 - 8 p.m.

Individuals interested in any of these opportunities are encouraged to contact the AEOC office at 1-888-394-2362 or via email at AEOC@genesee.edu.

Press release:

On Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Genesee County law enforcement agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. 

Accepted this year will be pills; other solids such as patches; needles or other sharps; and vape pens and cartridges (no lithium batteries). If lithium batteries cannot be removed, the DEA advises people to find places that recycle lithium ion batteries. Liquids are also not accepted.

These can all be brought to the collection sites below for disposal:  

• Pembroke Town Hall, routes 5 at 77, Pembroke -- items to be received by Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies;
• Batavia Police Department Headquarters, 10 W. Main St. (rear parking lot), Batavia -- items to be received by Batavia police officers
• Le Roy Police Department Headquarters, 3 W. Main St., Le Roy -- items to be received by Village of Le Roy police officers

The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked.

(The Batavia Police Department would also like to remind citizens of the drug and sharps drop boxes that are available 24/7 in the rear vestibule at BPD HQ.)

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety, health and environmental hazards.

Press release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), which works to improve the quality of life of people with any disabilities in the Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming County (GOW) area, has support from the Homeless Alliance of Western New York (HAWNY), the lead Continuum of Care (CoC) agency for most of Western New York, via a grant to The Housing Council at PathStone in Rochester, to offer the federal Rapid Rehousing Program (RRP).

This is an exciting new resource for individuals and families which have faced long-term homelessness, particularly that due to disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has designed Rapid Rehousing as a "best-practice model" for alleviating homelessness by helping families and individuals quickly exit homelessness with both housing identification and financial assistance, and to help them achieve long-term housing stability.

In addition to housing identification, other core components of RRP are move-in and rental assistance, and case management and services. In particular, the program is focused on assisting the homeless who are currently staying at shelters.

Its intent is to secure permanent, stable housing as the foundation for addressing other challenges they face. RRP can serve families, individuals, or be used as a bridge for the chronically homeless while they are waiting for Permanent Supportive Housing.

Rae Frank, the director of ILGR, notes that program eligibility will be determined based on a number of criteria, including the results of a housing assessment and the need to accommodate participants' disabilities.

More information is available from Dominique Johnson at djohnson@wnyil.org and (585) 815-8501, ext. 405.

The program for GOW builds on the lessons learned in the initial 2014 demonstration project, the Buffalo Rapid Rehousing Program (BRAP), which resulted in the Rapid Rehousing Performance Benchmarks and Program Standards.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

This black kitty with a bell collar that was found Tuesday morning by reader Marcy Ewell at Suicide Corners (Route 20 and East Road) in Bethany was not claimed by its owner.

This afternoon Ewell told The Batavian the cat, which was "very cuddly and very hungry" when found, was turned over to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

The Volunteers for Animals have posted about the lost pet and hope to find its owner. But if no one comes forward soon, it will be placed for adoption.

Andrew J. Rock, 33, of Judge Road, Oakfield, is charged with first-degree criminal contempt -- with prior convictions, and second-degree aggravated harassment. Rock was arrested at 6:45 a.m. on Oct. 22 on North Spruce Street in Batavia. He is accused of violating a complete stay away order of protection by entering the protected party's residence. He has previously been convicted of violating orders of protection. Rock is in Genesee County Jail without bail and was due in Batavia City Court this morning (Oct. 24). The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Joshua Girvin, assisted by Officer Jason Ivison. 

Andrew J. Rock, 33, of Judge Road, Oakfield, is charged with: driving while ability impaired by alcohol; reckless driving; failure to stop at stop sign; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; and speed not reasonable and prudent. Rock was arrested at 8:01 a.m. Oct. 22 on Evergreen Drive in Batavia. He allegedly left the scene of an unrelated incident and was subsequently involved in a single-vehicle accident at the intersection of Evergreen Drive and Vine Street in the City of Batavia. He was allegedly found to be operating his vehicle while impaired by alcohol. Rock was processed, arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail. He was due back in city court this morning (Oct. 24). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Officer Wesley Rissinger.

Janet M. Parris, 38, address not provided, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. She was arrested at 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 19 at an apartment on MacArthur Drive, Batavia, after a disturbance complaint. It is alleged that Parris encouraged two juveniles to engage in a physical fight. Parris was released on an appearance ticket for Oct. 29 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Officer Wesley Rissinger.

Kevin T. Kaminski, 31, of Shanks Road, Basom, is charged with third-degree bail jumping. He was arrested after turning himself in at Batavia City Court on an arrest warrant issued April 16. Kaminski was processed at Batavia Police Headquarters and arraigned in city court on Oct. 21. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in city court on Nov. 6. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

(Photo courtesy of St. John Fisher College, which displayed the exhibit earlier this year.)

Press release:

On Thursday, Nov. 7, Genesee Community College will host a special event on the Batavia Campus featuring a powerful sexual assault survivor art installation called "What Were They Wearing?"

The installation in the William W. Stuart Forum will showcase multiple outfits recreated from the stories of actual assault survivors to challenge the myth that rape or any act of sexual assault has a correlation to what someone was, or was not, wearing.

The free event will be open to the public from 12 - 2 p.m. and 5 - 7 p.m.

Guests will also get to meet with members from a variety of campus clubs, resources and community agencies, enjoy games and activities, and enter for a chance to win a raffle prize.

The Batavia Campus is located at 1 College Road, Batavia.