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Benjamin G. Evans, 34, of Batavia, is charged with trespass and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th degree following an investigation by patrol and the Genesee County Probation Department. Evans and another individual were found to be inside a vacant building on Swan Street without permission on Sept. 19. Evans was issued appearance tickets and released. Jessica M . Horton, 33, of Batavia, was also charged with trespass. Horton was issued an appearance ticket and turned over to the probation department.

Angelo P. Mana, 49, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny following a shoplifting complaint at Tops Market on Sept,. 17. Mana was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Brandon C. Pinzon, 49, of Roselle, N.J., is charged with harassment following a complaint that he made threats towards an individual at UMMC on Sept. 17. Pinzon was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Michael J. Holler, 37, of Rochester, is charged with petit larceny following an investigation into a theft at 7-Eleven on Sept. 18. Holler was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Scott M. Hinckley, 37, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child following an investigation by members of the detective bureau and patrol officers. Hinckley was arrested on Sept. 6 and issued an appearance ticket. The summary of the alleged incident and when and where it took place were not released by Batavia PD.

Tonya M. Weber, 39, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant on Sept. 6 after allegedly failing to appear in County Court on charges of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of controlled substance 3rd, and criminal possession of a controlled Substance 7th. Weber was arraigned in County Court and held on bail.

Misty R. Scutt, 34, of Attica, was arrested on a bench warrant on Sept. 6 after allegedly failing to appear in City Court on a charge of driving while ability impaired. Scutt was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Deanna L. Smith, 39, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and open container. Smith was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 6 on Ellicott Street at an undisclosed time. Smith was issued a traffic ticket and released.

Robert L. Drennen, 41. of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired and open container following a complaint on Sept. 6 of a person passed out in a vehicle at MacArthur Park in Batavia. Drennen was issued traffic tickets and released.

Debrorah M. Cross, 51, of Batavia, was charged with multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching following a lengthy investigation by the detective bureau, assisted by patrol officers. It is alleged that Cross did act in a manner that endangered the welfare of an individual with disabilities. Cross was issued appearance tickets.

Thomas J. Domion, 29, of Richfield Springs, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Domion was stopped on Oak Street by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 11 for an alleged equipment violation. Domion was issued traffic tickets and released.

Paul Lee, 51, of Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a stolen credit card, two counts of petit larceny, and two counts of identity theft. Lee is accused of using a stolen debit card at businesses in Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.

Joshua J. Dalle, 30, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Dalle is accused of striking another person during a disturbance on Maple Street, Batavia, on Sept. 11. Dalle was arraigned in City Court and released.

Tatyanna M. White, 20, of Batavia, White is charged with criminal mischief and criminal possession of a weapon 4th. White is accused of damaging the property of another person while on Dellinger Avenue on Sept. 14. No further details about the incident were released. White was arraigned and released.

Ashton L. Mohney, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, criminal contempt 2nd and aggravated harassment. Mohney is accused of violating an order of protection on Sept. 14 and again on Sept. 15 at a location on Ross Street, Batavia. Mohney was arraigned and jailed.

Denise M. Roberts, 62, of Rochester, with burglary 2nd, petit larceny, and criminal mischief. Roberts is accused of forcibly entering an apartment on North Spruce Street, Batavia, on Sept. 15, causing damage in the process and stealing items. Roberts was arraigned and ordered held on cash bail.

George J. Budzinack, 43, of Batavia, was arrested on an arrest warrant out of City Court after allegedly failing to appear on an appearance ticket on the charge of criminal possession of stolen property. Budzinack was arraigned and released.

Lexia Andreana Davis, 19, of South Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Davis is accused of subjecting a fellow employee to physical contact causing pain during an incident on Park Road at 10 a.m. on Sept. 22. Davis was released on an appearance ticket.

A car has reportedly hit a pole in front of the Batavia Police Department at 10 West Main St., Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched

The Le Roy Central School District is considering a $12.5 million capital improvement project that would provide upgrades to buildings and facilities in the school district and not result in additional taxes levied on properties in the district.

The superintendent shared details of the plan with district parents in a letter last week, and the Board of Education will hear details of the plan at tonight's (Tuesday) meeting at the Jr./Sr. High School.

The board will be asked to vote on the package at its October meeting.

At the Wolcott Street School, 

• Rooftop replacement on the Lapp Building, which houses the cafeteria kindergarten, nursing office and main elementary school office.
• Window replacements
• New generator and enclosure
• Roof ladder access to the small gym
• Ductwork

Total: $5,147,930

At the Jr./Sr. High School, Hartwood Park, and transportation building:

• New soccer stadium field lights
• Multipurpose turf field at soccer field
• Two 250-seat bleachers at the soccer field
• New press box at soccer field
• Bus garage access drive
• Conduit for future EV chargers

Total: $7,368,943

The new multipurpose field is possible as a project covered by state aid because of the structure of state rules regarding the timing and scope of the work for a multipurpose field. This "reopened the door" for the district to consider a new multipurpose field, Holly said in his letter to parents. 

"The multipurpose field would be used for physical education classes, sports practices (fall and spring), soccer games, and youth sports," Holly said. "Outdoor fall sports in Section V, specifically soccer and football, end with their sectional semifinals and finals playing on multipurpose turf fields. This would also be the case for regionals and states. Our district families have expressed a need to bring this proposition back to the voters."

There would be no change to the grass football field at Hartwood Park, Holly said. Modified, JV, and varsity football teams would continue to play games on the grass field unless it was deemed unplayable.  The multipurpose field would be equipped with goalposts and lined for both soccer and football.

The entire project would be eligible for 91.1 percent in state aid with the balance paid for by the district's capital reserve fund, which would mean there would be no need to raise taxes specifically to pay for the project, Holly said.

If the board approves the plan at its October meeting, the community would be asked to vote on the proposal in December -- time and date to be determined. Voters must approve expenditures from the capital reserve fund.

Holly said the work is required because every five years, public school districts are required to pay for a complete a Building Conditions Survey, conducted by a certified architect. The report determines what work must be done on school buildings.

The Board of Education meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Jr./Sr. High School.

Brandan Smith shared this photo by his uncle Danny of sunrise in Bergen.

The Batavian has a limited number of Genesee County Barn Dance tickets available at half-price as a special Deal of the Day sale.

The tickets are available for $17.50 each with no shipping charge. No purchase limit.

Your ticket will be your PayPal payment receipt.

The Second Annual Barn Dance is sponsored by the Town of Batavia Republican Committee.  It is this Friday, Sept. 29, from 6 to 10 p.m. The location is 7411 Oak Orchard Road, Elba.

Use the PayPal button below to make your purchase

Elba crowned its 2023 Onion Queen and her court on Saturday.

The Elba Onion Queen is Adison Norton. 

Her court:

• 1st Runner Up is Emma Pangrazio 
• 2nd Runner Up is Halie Scouten 
• 3rd Runner Up is Madison Thompson

From the previous press release:

Adison Norton is the daughter of Chirs and Sarah Norton and has a younger brother and sister. She is involved in volleyball, basketball, and softball. Adison participates in Multicultural Club, Yearbook Club, Student Athletic Association, and Pageturners at school. She has been the Treasurer of her class since Freshman year. She has also participated in the 4H Dairy Club for nine years. Adison enjoys reading and spending time with her family and friends. After graduation, Adison plans to attend a four-year school to study journalism and communications and pursue a career in sports journalism.

Previously: 2023 Elba Onion Queen candidates announced

Photos by Laura Luft.

Notre Dame (1-3) picked up its first win of 2023 with a 21-7 victory over Oakfield-Alabama/Elba (2-2) on Friday.

It was the second straight loss for the Aggies, who are without QB Brodie Hyde.

OAE Statistics:

• Junior RB Avery Watterson - 21 Carries, 103 Yards, one touchdown
• Junior QB Gavin Armbrewster - 4-9 Passing, 30 Yards, seven Carries, 51 Yards
• Senior LB Ashton Bezon - 16 Tackles, 4 TFLs

"We've got a young team still trying to find their way," said OAE Head Coach Tyler Winter. "A lot of guys are playing competitive minutes of football, and it's a new experience.  The loss hurts, but the goal remains the same.  If we can persevere and build upon the positives, our best football is still in front of us."

UPDATE with Notre Dame's stats:

• Jay Antinore, 8-12 passing for 80 yards, seven carries for 51 yards and a TD.
• George Woodruff, 62 yards rushing on 23 carries, one TD. On defense, he had 8 1/2 tackles.
• Gabe Castro scored a TD on three carries for two yards. On defense, he had eight tackles.
• Jaden Sherwood had two receptions for 25 yards and a TD.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

A car has reportedly hit a utility pole in the area of 5025 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

A motorcycle and car are involved in an accident at Route 238 and Darien Alexander Townline Road, Darien.

Darien Fire and Alexander ambulance responding.

An injury is reported and medics on scene are starting treatment.

A 22-year-old Rochester man is accused of possessing an illegal "ghost gun" following an incident at West Main Street and Ellicott Avenue that precipitated a chase and foot pursuit by Batavia PD.

Taken into custody was Ezequiel Serrano.

Serrano is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (ghost gun), criminal Possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal use of a firearm in the second degree, menacing in the second degree, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, along with multiple vehicle and traffic violations.

The incident at 12:14 p.m. on Thursday caused BOCES and Batavia High School to go into a "lockout" safety precaution.

It began with a report that a person outside Dunkin' Donuts had displayed a handgun in a way that was threatening to another person.  Upon arriving, officers learned the suspect and the victim were known to each other and that the suspect was still in the area.

When officers attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, the driver allegedly ignored officers' commands and fled. 

There was a vehicle pursuit on Batavia side streets until the driver abandoned the vehicle on a dead-end street and fled on foot.

With the assistance of K-9 Batu, the suspect was taken into custody several blocks away without further incident by members of the Batavia PD Detective Bureau. 

Assisting Batavia PD were Genesee County emergency dispatchers, the Sheriff's Office, and State Police.

The handgun was recovered. 

Serrano was arraigned in City Court, and held on $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond pending his next court appearance.

"The quick and efficient work of all officers involved ensured the safety of our community and led to the successful apprehension of a fleeing felon," said Chief Shawn Heubusch.

Christopher S. Usselman is indicted on counts of assault on a police officer, a Class C violent felony, obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor. Usselman is accused of causing serious injury to an NYSP trooper during an attempted arrest on April 17 in the Town of Batavia while the trooper was performing his official duties.

Jason W. Whitehead, Jr., is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Whitehead is accused of possession of 500 milligrams or more of cocaine on Dec. 1 in the Town of Batavia with the intent to sell it. He is also accused of unlawfully possessing amphetamine. He is also accused of possessing a metal knuckle knife.

Cordero L. Royes is indicted on counts of burglary in the second degree, a Class C violent felony, criminal contempt in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, DWI, a misdemeanor, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony, and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, a Class D felony.  Royes is accused of entering a residence on Maple Street, Batavia, on Feb. 8 with the intent to commit a crime in the dwelling. He is accused of violating an order of protection on that date. He is accused of driving drunk on Dec. 31 on Pringle Avenue in the City of Batavia. He is accused of possessing a lighter in the Genesee County Jail on Jan. 3.

Leonard A. Johnson, III, is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, a Class B felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony. Johnson is accused of possession of 500 milligrams or more of cocaine on Jan. 13 in the Town of Batavia with the intent to sell it. While in custody, he is accused of trying to conceal narcotics in the seat of a patrol vehicle.

Jennifer Lynn Bobzin, 53, of West Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, attempted assault 2nd, and menacing 3rd. Bobzin is accused of attempting to grab a weapon and using it to cause injury to another person during an argument reported at 6:40 p.m. on Sept. 20 at a location on West Bergen Road, Bergen.

Michael Steven Dranichak, 61, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with failure to register a change of address. Dranichak is accused of failure to register a change of address within ten days.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jacob William Patterson, 27, of Kilian Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. During an arrest on a separate matter, Patterson was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance by Deputy Richard Schildwaster at a location on East Main Street, Corfu, at 2:01 p.m. on Feb. 2. Patterson was issued an appearance ticket.

John James Gronowski, 46, of Cheektowaga, is charged with trespass. Gronowski is accused of entering Batavia Downs after previously being advised he was not allowed on the property. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Larry Dominic Delre, 65, of Alleghany Road, Pembroke, is charged with grand larceny 4th and issuing a bad check. Delre is accused of writing a bad check for the purchase of mulch. He was reportedly given multiple opportunities to pay for the mulch but refused. Delre was issued an appearance ticket.

The Oakfield-Alabama Central School District is considering a new $23 million capital improvement project that would modernize and reconfigure classrooms, replace outdated heating and air units, upgrade locker rooms, replace and upgrade athletic fields, and add new parking.

The district would need to issue $20 million in bonds to finance the project at a cost of $7.2 million in interest.

If approved, the district would use $3 million from the capital reserve fund as a "down payment" on the expenditure.

State aid would cover 93.4 percent of the $20 million, which would be reimbursed to the district over the life of the 15-year bond.  If the project is approved by the board, voters in the district will get a chance to vote yes or no in December.

Consultants from SEI Design Group, who have been working with the district's facilities committee, presented an outline of the proposal plan to the Board of Education on Tuesday.

A big reason the district can cover the local share of the school building project without a tax increase is that when the district bonded (borrowed money), the annual payment on principal was $350,000 less than budgeted, said Christine Griffin, district business manager.

That $350,000 in the 2023-24 budget was used to finance a playground.  Going forward, it could help offset the cost of the new capital improvement project, negating the need for a higher tax rate to cover the local share of the project.

Existing capital reserve funds would also help cover the local share costs.

Board members wanted to know what portion of the project is critical, that it must be completed soon, and the answer is pretty much all of the school building work.

The critical portions of the project include replacing the high school and middle school HVAC rooftop units, which are 30 to 40 years old.

"The biggest thing is going to be mechanical, electrical plumbing impacts," said Richard Little, business development with SEI. "These were items that were identified during the (committee). The HVAC rooftop units are either being worked on excessively or reached the end of their usefulness. We can't get parts, so we need to replace them. Those were flagged not only by the engineers but also by (the committee)."

Then in the science classroom, the concrete slabs have settled in areas creating uneven floors.

"We're going to have to tear the rooms out just to fix the slab settlement issue," Little said.

There is also work that needs to be done on the pool and on an auditorium wall, Little said.  There is also carpet that is worn out and needs to be replaced with new flooring (it won't be carpet, Little said).

"Once you go into a room and start working on it, once you've touched it, you are not going to be able to go back to that room for 15 years without being penalized or questioned," Little said, addressing state aid rules about school renovation projects. "So once we're in there, we're taking advantage of it and renovating more spaces. You can vary that if you want to. You can make different types of modifications, but it's just a good opportunity to get that funding from the state."

The school building proposal, if broken out into a separate ballot initiative, would cost $15.6 million.  The athletic field portion would be $7.3 million.  It would include a new oval track, new shotput and jump pits, as well as new softball and baseball fields.

The board will decide at its October meeting whether to ask the voters to approve the two aspects of the project separately or together.  

Trustee Matt Lamb expressed concern that there are people in the community who are hearing rumors that the district is considering a new football stadium, which isn't the case.

"I got a phone call from somebody who wasn't able to attend the meeting tonight and described the project as the football stadium project, so we just need to be careful that this isn't seen as the football stadium capital project," Lamb said.

Trustee Jeff Hyde noted that since Batavia High built a new stadium, Van Detta is in steady use for various events, not just school events. And though this isn't a stadium project, he said he thinks an upgrade to the track and ball fields help bring more visitors into Oakfield.

"I mean, if I'm a business owner, if I'm smart, if I'm somebody who wants more people in this town, this is something that may give it to us," Hyde said.

For a PDF of the SEI presentation, click here.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley's annual fall trip for veterans to Washington, D.C., the Patriot Trip, rolled out of the Batavia Downs parking lot early this morning.

Photos courtesy Steve Hawley.

A car has gone into the woods in the area of 3953 Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba.

Mercy Flight is requested to the scene.

Elba Fire dispatched along with Mercy EMS and mutual aid from Town of Batavia.

Russ Fitzgibbon knew he needed more space.  His flower shop, Beverly's, in an old house on West Main Street in Batavia, left staff tripping over each other and made it hard for him to maintain private conversations with customers.

"We were out of space, just dead out of space," Fitzgibbon said.

When the former Roxy's Music Store building at 228 West Main St., Batavia, came up for sale, he initially passed on the idea of buying the building and moving into it.

It's 14,000 square feet. That doesn't include the basement.

All that space means his five employees are no longer tripping over each other.

"I didn't want it originally," Fitzgibbon said. "It's just massive. But it just worked out. The numbers worked out. I figured, do it now or don't do it at all."

Beverly's is using only about 4,500 square feet of the building -- with a large portion of the downstairs (where music lesson rooms where located) sitting vacant, and a second floor that is completely clear and empty.

"We'll figure out what to do with the rest," Fitzgibbon said.

Fitzgibbon did the remodeling of the store himself, with a whole new decor in the space the shop is using.  There's a larger retail counter, more display space, tables for meeting with clients, and a side room for meetings with larger groups of customers.

"I like to talk to my customers, but in the old place, if somebody walked in, you had to shut up because there was no room," Fitzgibbon said. "There was only one three-foot counter.  This one is a little bigger, so I get to talk more."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Toni M. Drake, 42, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Drake is accused of striking another person in the face on Aug. 28 during an argument in the parking lot of the Mobile gas station on East Main Street, Batavia. Drake was issued an appearance ticket.

Rodrigo G. Vasquez, 26, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Vasquez was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 2 at an undisclosed location following several citizen complaints of an erratic driver. Vasquez was issued traffic citations and released.

Danvor E. Hodgson-Aguilar, 34, of Silver Springs, Maryland, is charged with petit larceny. Hodgson-Aguilar was arrested after an investigation into a theft at Tops on Sept. 2. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Robbie C. Scheib, 21, of Rochester, was arrested on a warrant containing a charge of harassment 2nd. Scheib is accused of being involved in a disturbance on Aug. 30 in which he allegedly subjected another person to unwanted physical contact. Scheib was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Jon H. Bush, Jr., 40, of Batavia, was arrested on Sept. 1 on two arrest warrants. The first warrant is the result of a traffic stop on Washington Avenue on June 5, where Bush was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 2nd. The warrant was issued after he allegedly failed to appear in court. The second warrant stems from an incident on Aug. 3, where police attempted to stop Bush for a traffic violation while he was riding a bicycle. Bush allegedly refused to stop and fled on the bike. Bush was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Bradley Robert Jordan, 30, of Silver Road, Bethany, is charged with petit larceny. Jordan is accused of a left from a store on Lewiston Road, Batavia (the Sheriff's Office withheld this public information). Jordan was issued an appearance ticket.

Yovani Hernandez, 28, of Melvin Hill Road, Geneva, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, obstructed view, and dirty or covered plate.  A passerby reportedly found Hernandez asleep and slumped over the wheel at a location on South Lake Road in Pavilion at 6:12 p.m. on Sept. 3. Hernandez was arrested by Deputy Jacob Kipler, issued traffic tickets, and released.

Alexis Joy Dugan, 22, of Miller Road, Albion, is charged with DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, inadequate headlamps, and moving from lane unsafely. Dugan was stopped on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia at 8:20 p.m. on Sept. 9 by Deputy James Stack. Dugan was issued appearance tickets are leased.

Stephen Hunter Heil, 21, of Million Dollar Highway, Medina, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right, and moving from lane unsafely. Heil was stopped at 6:55 p.m. on Aug. 29, on Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, by Deputy Alexander Hadsall.

Kevin Allan Knickerbocker, 52, of Mill Pond Road, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Knickerbocker is accused of violating a stay away order of protection at 6:50 p.m. on Sept. 12 at a location on West Main Street, Byron.

Jeremiah William Krupp, 45, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt 1st. Krupp is accused of placing phone calls to a protected person in violation of an order of protection on Aug. 29. He was held pending arraignment.

George J. Budzinack, 43, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Budzinack is accused of a theft at 10:02 a.m. on Sept. 16 at an undisclosed location in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket. The NYSP did not release more information.

Robert G. Reiner, 37, of Akron, is charged with criminal mischief 4th, criminal tampering 3rd, and resisting arrest. Reiner was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 3 p.m. on Sept. 16. His release status is unknown. The NYSP did not release more information.

There's been a bit more color and visual appeal that connects the Batavia Peace Garden with a second garden along the Tonawanda Creek behind the Genesee County Court House.

Artist Michelle Cryer has painted a mural, commissioned by the Friends of the Peace Garden and paid for by a state grant administered by GO Art!, on a concrete water tank next to the creek.

The mural features the butterfly bench that once graced the garden and an overflow of water simulating a breach in the side of the tank.

Sherwin Williams donated the paint.  The city approved the project.

"Without our community, as usual, we wouldn't have this here today," said Barb Toal, who came to Cryer with the idea of paint a mural on the tank. Then they came up with the concept together.

"I wanted to bring more nature in, to cover up a cement eyesore with some nature," Cryer said. 

Oakfield resident Brandon Rebert got off to another fast start in the GLOW Arc Friends and Family 5K, but was a few steps off the pace to break his own record of 18:09 set in 2021.

He won the race in 18:15 for his fourth straight win in the race, starting with a win in 2019 (there was no race in 2020).

Kim Mills of Oakfield, who has also won multiple Elba races, was again the top women's finisher with a time of 20:27, two-tenths of a second faster than her 2022 time.

She finished fifth overall.

Rebert is creeping up on the consecutive winning streak, six, held by Michael Richenberg of Pembroke, who finished fourth on Saturday with a time of 20:24.

Reuben Rivers of Albion, finished second with a time of 19:57, and Rodney Egli of Newark, was third, at 20:10.

Photos by Howard Owens.

There was a big crowd, frothy beers on tap, and plenty of "zicke zacke hoi hoi hoi" to go around in Jackson Square on Saturday as Eli Fish Brewing Co. hosted its now annual Oktoberfest.

Photos by Nick Serrata.