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Photo submitted by Mike Pettinella

Kim Mills, a frequent winner of local 5Ks in recent years, once again had the best women's time in the GLOW Corporate cup, crossing the finish line at 19:31.

Perry MacKinnon, an intern with Farm Credit East, and from Canada, bested the men's field by two minutes with a time of 15:23.  Zakariah Jantzi, Bontrager Real Estate & Auction, came in second at 17:24.

Bontrager won the team competition with Zakariah, John Bruggman (17:41 and third overall), and Abby Jantz (19:56, second among women).

In the 50-59 age group, Brian Fraser, 52, came in first at 18:50, and Nathan Balduf, 52, second at 22:14.

For full race results, click here.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m.:  Coordinator Steve Tufts reports that there were 760 registered participants and 599 completed the 5K race.

"Yellowjacket Racing – our race management company – tell me that they’ve been seeing 20-25% no-shows since the pandemic," Tufts said. "They added that our 6% increase over last year was good because most races in the northeast this year are down from last year."

There were 50 teams.  There was no cost to have a team but each registration was $25.  Some employers covered all or some of this expense for their team.

The winner of the team T-shirt contest was U.S. Gypsum Co.  They actually repeated from last year.  The Merrill Lynch office will donate $500 to their charity of choice in the near future.

There were 8 Gold sponsors at $1,000, 13 Silver sponsors at $500, and 10 Bronze sponsors at $250.

There were 38 corporate tents of various sizes mapped around a stage and numerous more 10x10s were thrown up on the perimeter.

There was a first-time winner this year of the GLOW Corporate Cup:  Bontrager Real Estate & Auction.  This team competition combines the fastest 3 local employee times of a team and compares that to other teams.  The perennial favorite team from Batavia City Schools was second and Intergrow Greenhouse was third.

Early estimates on the net money raised for the GLOW YMCA is around $25,000, Tufts said.

"There was a route change this year in case Richmond Avenue was impassible due to road construction," Tufts said. "We probably could have run the original course, but a lot of work went into designing a different way to safely get runners and walkers around this city at the tail end of rush hour on a hot August night.  Starting at the south side of Centennial Park allowed us to close off traffic to the section of Park Avenue nearest State Street.  It was fun running down State, turning left onto Washington Avenue, and left again onto Bank Street.  Two huge water stations were necessary this year along with a misting tent at the finish line."

We will update this post with more information from the organizers when it is available.

Perry MacKinnon

Zakariah Jantzi

Team WBTA

Grillin' in the Upstate Toyota tent.

Liberty Pumps tent.

The Blueways Band provided the soundtrack for the race afterparty.

UPDATE: 

Here are a couple of additional shots of one of the water stations by Jim Burns.

Sunset from Maltby Road, Oakfield, on Thursday evening.  

Photo by Joanne Meiser.

Ronald Washburn

Ronald M. Washburn, 62, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with sexual abuse 1st/child less than 11 years old. Washburn is accused of touching a child's sexual or intimate parts to gratify his sexual desire. According to police, Washburn was the child's babysitter at the time of the incident, which was reported on April 17, 2018. Washburn was a registered Level 1 sex offender, according to police, at the time of the alleged offense but his registration has since expired.  The investigation has been ongoing since 2018 by Det. Thad Mart, Child Protective Services, and Justice for Children. Washburn was jailed on $5,000 bail, $10,000 bond, or $20,000 partially secured bond.

Kevin Weber and Christine Wyder, no ages nor residences provided by police, are charged with public lewdness. Weber and Wyder are accused of engaging in sexual intercourse in the front yard of a residence on Walnut Street at 6:39 p.m. July 23. Both were issued appearance tickets.

Linda L. Snyder, 39, of Batavia, abandonment of an animal and torturing or injuring an animal. Snyder is accused of striking a dog with a broom multiple times and leaving the animal outside at 3:30 a.m. March 11, at a residence on Highland Park.  Snyder was issued an appearance ticket.

John J. Saddler, 34, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, criminal contempt 1st, burglary 2nd, identity theft 3rd, and grand larceny 4th. Saddler is accused of stealing property from a residence on State Street at 2:33 p.m. July 10, and in the process violating an order of protection.  He was arraigned in City Court and jailed without bail.

Taiya J. Rolle, 18, of Batavia, is charged with attempted assault 2nd, reckless endangerment 2nd, and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. Rolle was charged following an incident reported on Liberty Street, Batavia at noon July 4.  He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.

Adriana M. Ayala, 18 of Batavia, is charged with assault 3rd and criminal mischief. Ayala is accused of hitting another person in the face during a fight at a gas station on East Main Street at 8:58 p.m. on July 22. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Jacob J. Camerera, 31, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 4th, unlawful possession of personal ID 3rd, and petit larceny. Camerera is accused of stealing and attempting to use another person's credit cards on June 4. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Ashley I. Hightower, 29, of Batavia is charged with unlawful fleeing a police officer in motor vehicle 3rd, failure to stop at a stop sign, illegal signal/less than 100 feet, speeding, and failure to obey traffic control device. Hightower is accused of multiple traffic infractions and when police attempted a traffic stop at 9:20 a.m. July 16, Hightower allegedly accelerated and refused to pull over.  She is accused of fleeing from police from West Main Street, Batavia, to East Main Street, Batavia, before pulling over at Eastown Plaza. She was taken into custody and issued multiple traffic tickets and an appearance.

Brandon C. Dodd, 35, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, DWAI/drugs and insufficient tail lamps. Dodd was stopped at 10:41 p.m. April 26, by a Batavia patrol officer on East Main Street, Batavia. Dodd was arrested on July 14 and issued an appearance ticket.

Nathan W. Campbell, 41 of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Campbell is accused of stealing beer from a business on Jackson Street at 4:17 p.m. July 24. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Megan A. Gregg, 28, of Batavia, is accused of failure to appear on an appearance ticket issued at 4:27 p.m., May 13 on Ellsworth Avenue. Gregg was arrested on a warrant. Gregg is accused of leaving drugs and paraphernalia in an area accessible to young children.  She was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Christian P. Pierre-Louis, 24, of Batavia, is charged with dog running at large. A dog reportedly owned by Pierre-Louis went onto another person's property and became aggressive with another dog.  Pierre-Louis was issued an appearance ticket.

Sidney C. Underhill, 72, of Elba, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt 2nd, stalking 3rd, and trespassing. Underhill is accused of violating a stay-away protection order at 9 p.m., July 17, at a location on Vernon Avenue, Batavia, and on June 25 at 11:30 a.m., and of being on a property on Vernon Avenue without permission on Aug. 6 at 11 p.m. Underhill was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $5,000 bail, $10,000 bond, or $20,000 partially secured bond.

Mattew R. Taylor, 39, of Batavia, is charged with trespass.  Taylor is accused of being on a business party on East Main Street, Batavia, he was told not to enter at 8:50 p.m. July 24.  Taylor was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $100 bail.

Mattew R. Taylor, 39, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 3rd and petit larceny. Taylor allegedly stole merchandise from a gas station on East Main Street at 2:01 p.m. July 23, and had been previously barred from the property. He was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Mattew R. Taylor, 39, of Batavia, is charged with trespass.  At 2:20 p.m. July 23, Taylor was allegedly found on a property on East Main Street he was not allowed to enter. He was arraigned and released.

Mattew R. Taylor, 39, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. At 6:02 p.m. July 16, Taylor was allegedly found on a property on East Main Street he was not allowed to enter. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Alicia M. Lyons, 42, of Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Lyons is accused of failing to appear in City Court on a trespassing charge.  She was arraigned in City Court and ordered to appear at 1:30 p.m. July 28.

Alicia M. Lyons, 42, of Batavia, is charged with trespass.  Lyons is accused of trespassing at a business on Jackson Street at 11:55 a.m. July 24. She was arraigned in City Court and ordered to appear at 1:30 p.m. July 28.

Alicia M. Lyons, 42, of Batavia, is charged with two counts of trespassing. Lyons is accused of trespassing at 3:45 p.m. July 15, at a convenience store on Jackson Street, where she bought a pack of black and mild cigars and left.  She is accused of trespassing at a business at 6:38 p.m. July 18 and from being previously barred from shopping at that establishment.  She was issued appearance tickets.

Michael R. Ostrander, 57, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Ostrander is accused of violating an order of protection at 1:40 p.m. July 25 by making a phone call to the protected person. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Christine M. Page, 32, of East Rochester, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Page was reportedly babysitting a child less than 17 years old at 2:20 p.m. July 20 at a location on Bank Street, when the child consumed a candy bar containing THC causing an adverse reaction.  Page was issued an appearance ticket.

Jacqueline R. Garrett, 43, of Albion is accused of inhalation of toxic vapors or fumes. Garrett is accused of being under the influence of toxic vapors she inhaled during an incident reported at 5:38 p.m. July 21.  She is also accused of failure to appear in City Court for an incident in 2020.  She was arraigned in City Court and released.

Jason E. Carpenter, 43, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Carpenter is accused of threatening another person at a location on West Main Street, Batavia at 7:57 p.m. July 17. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Tracy M. Fickes, 41, of Batavia. is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving without an interlock device, and improper left turn. Fickes was charged following a motor vehicle accident at 12:28 a.m. July 10 on Clinton Street.  The vehicle struck a utility pole. Fickes was issued traffic tickets.

Latoya D. Jackson, 36, of Batavia, is charged with trespassing. On July 8, Jackson was advised by the management of a property on East Main Street to leave the location, which she did "reluctantly," police said. According to police, she returned a short time later and was arrested.  She was issued an appearance ticket.

George J. Budzinack, Jr., 42, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Budzinack is accused of throwing a punch through a door and hitting a female victim in the face at 2:26 a.m. July 11 at a residence on Walnut Street, Batavia. Budzinack was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Roger M. Hofmeier, 21, of Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment. Hofmeier is accused of having a disagreement with another person at 5:46 p.m. July 5 at a location on Ellicott Street, Batavia.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Daniel H. Mooney, 35, of Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd.  Mooney is accused of entering a property on Cone Street at 4:19 p.m. July 19 without permission and remaining unlawfully. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Paul Duke Ehrmentraut, 53, of East Bethany Le Roy Road, Pavilion, is charged with grand larceny 3rd and offering a false instrument for filing. Ehrmentraut was arrested by Investigator Chad Cummings based on an investigation by Genesee County Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. Ehrmentraut is accused of failing to report an adult offspring residing at his residence who was earning wages, which resulted in $7,290 in SNAP benefits Ehrmentraut was not qualified to receive.  He was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Katlyn Ann Cook, 27, of Williams Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 3rd.  Cook was arrested based on an investigation by Genesee County Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. She is accused of failing to report income, which resulted in her receiving $6,427 in SNAP benefits she was not qualified to receive. She was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.

Shannon Lisa Lopez, 45, of Columbia Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Lopez is accused of failing to pay for merchandise from Walmart. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Dustin Allan Loveland, 35, of April Way, Geneseo, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. He is accused of violating an order of protection at 7:30 p.m. July 29, by failing to stay away from the place of employment of the protected party. Loveland was arraigned in Town of Darien Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Latoya Y. Stanley, 34, of Independence Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 4th, aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd, obstructed view, and using cannabis in a vehicle on a public highway.  Stanley was stopped by Deputy Nicholas Charmon at 5 p.m. July 30 on Clinton Street Road, Batavia. Stanley was allegedly found in possession of metal knuckles. Stanley was released on an appearance ticket.

(name redacted upon request), 39, of East State Street, Albion, is charged with DWI, failure to stop at red light, driving left of pavement markings, open alcohol container, and aggravated unlicensed operation 1st. xxxx was stopped at 3:58 a.m. July 31 on Route 237 in Stafford by Sgt. Mathew Clor.  She was issued traffic tickets.

Anthony S. Bosse, 30, of Indian Falls Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI and following too closely. Bosse was stopped at 9:15 p.m. July 27 on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Kyle Tower. Bosse was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on appearance tickets.

Sonya Marie Charache, 41, of Basom, is charged with petit larceny. Charache allegedly skipped-scanned multiple items at Walmart valued at $34.08. Charache was processed at the Genesee County Jail by Deputy Carlos Ortiz Speed and released.

Beth E. Jerome, 41, of Albion, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Jerome was stopped by State Police at 2:26 a.m. July 30 in the Town of Elba. She was released on an appearance ticket.  No further details released. 

Anna Fenton, a City of Batavia resident, took these photos of a winged creature in her garden and muses, "Moth or butterfly? Pretty either way."

For 12 years, Anne Marie Starowitiz has brought history alive for area children as coordinator for the History Heroes program at the Holland Land Office Museum.

Saturday, with the end of this summer session, was her last day in the role.

Starowitz said even though she's stepping away from the program, "I'm sure it will continue."

This summer the children learned all about living in the 50s.  

On Saturday, they delivered a program for their parents. They shared important historical dates and ended the program by singing a song from the 50s.  

During the week they created a lemonade stand and made more than $160 for the Genesee County Animal Shelter.  

Starowitz thanked Tompkins Financial, Adam Miller, WBTA, Photos by Sue Meier, Ficarella’s, T-Shirts Etc, and The Batavian for support of the program. 

Submitted photos. 

Nolan Sparks put in 6 1/3 strong innings in the Muckdog's first-round playoff game against Elmira on Sunday, and the offense brought the lumber, leading to a 12-3 victory for the hometown team.

Sparks (top and second photos), a U of R junior, K'd six, surrendered only one earned run and only four hits to pick up his sixth win of 2022 and lower his ERA to 0.38.

Daniel Burroway and Alex Torres each had two RBIs.

The Muckdogs entered post-season play atop the Western Division over Utica by 3.5 games with a 30-15 record.

Manager Joey Martinez attributes the team's success both to player recruitment and the maturity of his players.

"They are a bunch of professionals," Martinez said. "Though they are not professionals yet, I think these guys are. They go about their business every day. They don't get too high, don't get too low. They are very steady-eddy. That's the way we've been playing all year. They have been pretty much very consistent. That's how these guys are, they're super consistent in everything they do -- their work ethic, the way they approach the game."

And they all get along.

"They're a tighter team than last year. These guys really love each other. Every time you have a culture like that, it breeds success."

The Muckdogs play for the Western Division championship against Utica at Dwyer tonight at 7 p.m. 

Photos by Howard Owens To view more photos or purchase prints, click here.

Manager Joey Martinez.

A semi-truck and passenger vehicle collision is reported in the area of 9652 Alleghany Road, Darien, with minor injuries.

Darien Fire, Corfu Fire, and Mercy EMS dispatched.

About 30 people turned out Saturday afternoon at Batavia City Hall for a short protest against the ReAwaken America Tour coming to Batavia on Aug. 12 and 13.

Cornerstone Church, on Bank Street Road, will host the event.

Rev. Roula Alkhouri of First Presbyterian Church of Batavia, told the assembled group she objected to the event coming to Batavia because it mispresents the community, which she described as peaceful and neighborly, and misrepresents Christianity, replacing the gospel of love with a message of hate and violence.

"We're not accusing anybody of being hateful," Alkhouri said. "We’re just listening to their words. Listening to how they're speaking, how they’re expressing themselves."

She quoted one of the scheduled speakers, Scott Mckay, who reportedly told an interviewer: 

"This is war. It’s gonna get bloody, and I’m going to get ugly too; no less ugly than any 1776 preacher that dropped his Bible on the lectern, grabbed his muzzleloader or musket, and went out and put balls and bullets inside people and watched blood flow on a battlefield. That’s what they had to do. That’s the name of Christ ... 

"Any of the minions, including the doctors and nurses who were part of it—knowingly or unknowingly, that’s not for me to sort out—but they need to know what is coming next."

 

 

Alkhouri added, "this is not American. They do not stand for Christianity, but they are using the guise of religion, which really hurts us, people of faith who believe that faith is about expanding our horizons to love, and they’re using it to become more exclusive, using it to divide Americans."

Previously:

• Cornerstone to host Reawaken America Tour next month
• ReAwaken America? Not here, say local Christian leaders planning protest
• Protest at Cornerstone delivers peaceful appeal to love not hate
• Genesee County officials weigh in about ReAwaken tour: traffic biggest concern

It was a perfect day for 18 holes of golf yesterday at Terry Hills, which hosted the 27th Annual Genesee Cancer Assistance Golf Tournament.

Director Sue Underwood said the tournament last year raised $28,000 and this year they hoped to raise more than $30,000.

"We're hopeful we will be over 30, but we're thankful for whatever we make," she said.

The tournament is the non-profit's main fundraiser for the year. The funds are used to provide assistance to cancer patients.

This year 36 teams participated, and sponsorships increased from 52 a year ago to 62 this year.  There were more than 200 prizes, either door prizes or auction items, available to participants. 

Top photo: Ron Puccio stripes his ball down the middle of the fairway to get his tournament, and his team, off to a good start.  His team (next three photos) included Dan Voltura, Fred Hamilton, and Ed Priestley.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Bill Utter, in orange shirt, last year's 50-50 drawing winner, gets ready to draw the 2022 winner, while Sue Underwood and Chris Rumfola look on.

"I've got a firecracker feeling," sings Jocelyn Arndt, lead vocalist in the brother and sister duo, Jocelyn & Chris, headliners Saturday night at Jam at the Ridge, and she certainly does.

Jocelyn lit up the stage while Chris laid down some tight groves and slinky guitar riffs during a high-energy set on a clear summer evening.

The Arndts have been writing songs together since they were in middle school in their hometown of Fort Plain, about 30 minutes west of Albany.  Since then, they've built a solid career based on hook-laden pop-rock songs highlighting Jocelyn's high-energy dynamics and her Janice Joplin-like powerful, blues-inflected vocals.  They've appeared on Paste Studio, Jam in the Van, and The Today Show.

Jam at the Ridge co-owner David Luetticke-Archbell is certainly impressed with Jocelyn & Chris, and said he intends to bring them back in future concert seasons to help them build a local following.

Previously: Brother-sister duo from Upstate to headline Jam at the Ridge on Saturday

Photos by Howard Owens.

Le Roy Police Officer Emmalee Stawicki saved a life in the early morning hours of July 22 after responding to a report of a disturbance on Gilbert Street in the village.

Stawicki secured the scene and then observed an adult male with a severe cut on his arm.  His bleeding was uncontrolled, and he had significant blood loss.  Based on her training, she suspected the victim had sustained an arterial cut, which is potentially life-threatening.

Stawicki applied her department-issued tourniquet on the victim's arm, which controlled the bleeding. EMS also arrived to assist at the scene. The victim was transported by medics to the hospital for further treatment.

Based on an investigation, it was determined that the victim put his arm through a window during the disturbance which resulted in the arm laceration, according to a statement issued by Le Roy Police Chief Gregory Kellogg.

Kellogg said, "LeRoy Police Officers are trained to use a variety of life-saving measures such as the application of tourniquets, Automatic External Defibrillators (AED), administration of Narcan for opioid overdoses, First Aid and CPR."

Photos by Philip Casper.

The History Heroes summer program hosted by Holland Land Office Museum and led by Anne Marie Starowitz visited Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle and WBTA today, fitting into this year's theme of "History Rockin’ Around the Clock in the 1950s."

The theme gives the participating children a chance to glimpse into what it was like to live in 1950s America.

Photos by Howard Owens

Photo submitted by Jeff Maniace.

The Genesee County and Batavia youth bureaus hosted their annual Safe Summer Children’s Carnival at David M. McCarthy Ice Arena on Thursday.

The event featured entertainment and games that helped introduce the children to safety concepts.  Officers from Batavia PD along with City firefighters were on hand.  Multiple other local agencies also participated.

Photos by Howard Owens

Local artist Michelle Cryer is painting new murals on the fence at the south end of Oliver's Candies' parking lot.

Each mural is a reinterpretation of a classic work of art. 

"The idea is to take famous works of art and change the focus of the piece to be products from Oliver's," Cryer said. "So 'Jelly Belly Night' -- that's Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night." This is Picasso's "Child with a Dog" and I'm painting "Child with a Sundae."

Among the other artists to be featured are Banksy, Frida Kahlo, and Keith Haring.

"This next one is going to be Palmer Hayden's "Dreamer," Cryer said. "He's an African American artist. Instead of 'Dreamer' it's gonna be 'Sweet Dreamer,' and it's going to have candy in the stream bubble."

The murals will also be educational, Cryer said.  She's going to add QR codes so people can pull up links to the original works of art and learn more about the painting and the artist.

More than 75 volunteers from City Church were on Watson Street in Batavia on Tuesday morning cleaning up the street and the yards of residents -- doing whatever they could to improve the upkeep of the yards, the street, and the sidewalk.

The visit was part of a ministry called Eight Days of Hope.

A lot of times, noted Ryan Macdonald, a pastor at City Church, people who don't make a lot of money find it a lot harder to do the simple things to maintain their property, and Eight Days of Hope offers assistance without any judgment.

"As an example of what we're speaking about -- trash bags," Macdonald said. "Trash bags aren't cheap any more. And so if you can't afford to buy a pack of trash bags that puts you in a tough spot with trash, and so what we've been working on today is some cleanup, some pickup, and not pointing a finger. Just helping."

Eight Days of Hope just finished a project in Buffalo, where the organization, which works nationally, helped more than 1,000 people.

"Their mission is to help people, to love on people, to bless people," Macdonald said. "They care for people. They care for the nation. They care for neighborhoods that need a little extra help, and they just want to bless people." 

Top photo: Ryan Macdonald. Photos by Howard Owens. 

Steven C. Sharpe, director of emergency communications for the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, has resigned his position effective Sept. 3, according to a memo Sheriff William Sheron sent to department personnel today.

In an email to The Batavian, Sheron confirmed Sharpe's resignation but did not address a question about why he resigned.

"Search for his replacement will begin shortly," Sheron said. "There will be no interruption to dispatch services."

The Batavian did not attempt to contact Sharpe until after hours.  This post will be updated with any response we receive.

Sharpe was instrumental in migrating the Emergency Dispatch Center to the Phase II P-25 TDMA system radio system installed by Harris RF in 2013.

In 2016, Sharpe, an Air Force veteran, was named PSAP (Public Safety Access Point) Finest Director of the Year award. The award was sponsored by emergency communications company NICE.