Please be advised that construction on the Jackson Street Water project will resume on Monday, April 1, with the installation of interconnections on Ellicott Street.
Loss of water should be expected from Main Street to Liberty Street and possible surrounding areas, depending on valve closures needed.
If discolored water occurs when water pressure is regained, please avoid doing laundry or cooking until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience, and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
In a brisk sub-30 wind, about 30 volunteers gathered in the St. Anthony’s parking lot Wednesday morning taking care of business as usual for those folks in need lined up ready andwaiting along Liberty Street.
Despite the city’s request to find an alternate location for its twice-monthly food distribution, City Church instead cautiously continued on, but with more emphatic reminders for participants to be mindful of where they parked as the line slowly moved its way toward the distribution center in the parking lot. A city vehicle was spotted leaving the scene, and Pastor Ryan Macdonald confirmed that a city official had visited the lot.
“I’m just thankful that they’re allowing us to continue,” he said.
A week prior, City Manager Rachael Tabelski confirmed that the city requested that City Church find another location for its distribution due to neighborhood and school complaints about traffic issues as a result of participants that line up on the street for the distribution early in the morning.
Macdonald objected to the request for reasons including Becca Albrecht and Mattie Cooper. The women have no vehicles and have walked to get their food rations ever since the distribution began during COVID, they said. Both agreed they don’t know what they would do without the extra help.
“Me and my husband are on disability and have nine grandkids that we help out. One nine-year-old stays with me,” she said. “I get juices and vegetables. And sometimes we have cleaning products that they gave out this weekend. And it's just a big help in the community. We’re seniors, and we don't get enough for Social Security, you know. Even though we have two incomes coming in, it's so hard, because with all the medication and all, so you figure this here is a big help from the grocery store because the price of groceries is just outrageous.
“And I just love this church, the stuff they do. So I rent from the church,” she said. “So it’s really nice, it would be a blessing if they leave this here. Oh, we need it. We walk here every week.”
Albrecht’s husband works 40 hours a week, and they can still use all the help they can get, she said, to offset rising food costs for their family, which includes two little ones.
“Ryan, he’s great, he does so much for this community. And, you know, to take it away, it would be heartbreaking, because us families need it in this time, it’s everything. It definitely helps with the food costs,” she said.
She could understand that for residents on the street, there may be some issues with traffic congestion, but added another viewpoint.
“I mean, I'm sure for some people that live on Liberty, it’s a hassle. But, you know, if you think about it, we need to help one another and just be kind to each other, especially those, you know, Ryan and Pastor Marty are trying to help the community to get through to the needy families that need it,” she said.
They each had a small child’s wagon to haul the food back to their apartments, as did others who walked to the pick-up. Megan Little doesn’t have a vehicle either, and she walks everywhere, including to her job at a nearby restaurant.
“I’ve come to the food distribution twice, but I've been coming to City Church, the service at 10 o'clock down at City Church, for about a year now. And because my stepson’s grandma is big in the City Church, andworks with Ryan and stuff, and I got sober last year, and so I’m just trying to do this new way of life,” she said. “This is amazing how many people they help every every week. Like hundreds, if not thousands. It means a lot because right now my husband is not with us right now. He's gonna be away for a year, and so this is gonna help me a lot, especially around the holidays, and you get all kinds of stuff. They have fresh fruit, canned stuff. It's amazing.”
Some 100 vehicles had lined up along Liberty Street by 9 a.m. Most of them appeared to be parked in between driveways as instructed.A woman who was parked toward the front of the line couldn’t understand the city’s reaction to the distribution.
“I’m really shocked that they said that,” she said, asking that her name not be used. “I go to the church. I like it here, I don’t see why they would have to move; it seems like it’s organized to me.”
A big part of the organization system can be attributed to the volunteers that show up to stack the food in a long row, bag the loose items and prepare everything so that people can simply drive up and get their allotment and go so as not to create a disruption in the flow.
Volunteer Sandy Wojtasczyk walked the line to get names and mark how many adults and children were in each.
“And reminding them not to be parked in driveways or crosswalks,” she said. “And I help to give food out.”
Some vehicles had two families, and some participants will also distribute the food to the Little Free Pantry at First Presbyterian Church and to other organizations and neighbors in need, she said.
Fellow volunteer Jennifer Reed has been helping out for about a year and a half and has been attending the church for 18 years.
“I’ve observed all types of things: I've seen people crying, I've seen people overjoyed that they're getting assistance, with help getting food. I mean, it's just been a blessing to me as well as the people that come through the line,” Reed said. “I’ve never seen an issue with traffic, I mean, I've done everything from walking the streets, taking people's names that are going through the line, just observing, that nobody has been blocking driveways or blocking streets.
“And with the rise of food costs, this has been a blessing to the community. I mean, I have friends myself that come from Le Roy, and Wyoming. I've had people come as far as Attica. So people are coming from all over the region to get help with food.”
Former City Councilwoman Rosemary Christian, who represented that neighborhood’s Ward Six, reached out to The Batavian to voice her dismay about the city’s request to move the distribution. She has suffered somehealth issues and could not attend a council meeting in person, but wanted to urge others to consider doing so.
“The city streets belong to everyone who pays taxes, and those people all pay taxes too. The problem is, they can’t give up two and a half hours to help give people food?” Christian said. “It’s ridiculous, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves. I hope people will be there to protest this council so people will be able to get food.”
The Batavian has contacted Tabelski for an update on the city’s request and will add that to this article once received.
The food for the distribution is funded by “the City Church family, USDA, Foodlink and other financial partners,” Macdonald said.
Photos by Howard Owens
City Church pastors Ryan Macdonald and Marty Macdonald during a morning prayer at the start of Wednesday's food distribution at St. Anthony's on Liberty Street, Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens.
Ryan Macdonald and Mattie Cooper. Photo by Howard Owens
In a concerted effort to enhance our local first responders' preparedness and response capabilities, Genesee County Emergency Management Services is collaborating with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES) for an Active Threat Integrated Response program.
Event Details:
Program Duration: Dec. 5 - 7, 24 total hours of training Simulated Active Threat Exercise: Dec. 7, 8 am to 3 pm, 114 Liberty St, Batavia
Participating Agencies:
Genesee County Sheriff's Office
Genesee County 911 Center
City of Batavia Police Department
Le Roy Police Department
Genesee County Community College Security
Mercy Emergency Medical Services
Leroy Emergency Medical Services
Town of Batavia Fire Department
City of Batavia Fire Department
Please be aware of the upcoming simulated exercise scheduled at 114 Liberty St., Batavia, on Dec. 7, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The exercise will involve a simulated emergency scenario, and as a part of this training, police and EMS vehicles will be present in the vicinity. Please be aware that this activity is not a real emergency but a carefully planned simulation designed to enhance the preparedness and coordination of emergency response teams.
Special appreciation is extended to Genesee Community College staff and Ryan McDonald for their invaluable support in delivering this comprehensive program for our local first responders.
A building at 245 Liberty Street was demolished today.
According to county tax records, the 2,590-square-foot commercial structure was built in 1950 and was acquired by Batavia City Schools in 2017.
School officials were not available today to answer questions about the property.
UPDATE: See previous coverage about this building HERE. The property was donated to the school district and the land will provide additional parking for Jackson School.
Top photo by Howard Owens.
County tax records photo of the structure.
Most recent Google Streetview photo of the building.
The City Water Department is making repairs to a water line on the corner of Liberty and Ellicott Street today.
Expect the water to be turned off from on Liberty from Main to Ellicott Streets. Due to the uncertainty of the repair water may also be turned off or experience low pressure in adjacent areas.
Traffic will not be allowed through the southern side of the intersection of Ellicott and Liberty, while repairs are being made.
We do not have a time frame for this work at this time.
We appreciate the public's patience during this repair.
The water department is continuing efforts to repair a water main on Liberty Street today. Expect the water to be shut off on Liberty Street from Cherry Street to Main Street today. Also expect water to be shut on Swan from the area of School to Ellicott Street, and School from Swan to Liberty.
The water may be off on Ellicott from Jackson to Liberty.
The length of time the water will be off is not known.
Traffic will not be able to pass through the south side of the intersection of Ellicott and Liberty while repairs are ongoing.
As always when water is restored it may be discolored, please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
The water department is continuing efforts to repair a water main on Liberty Street today. Expect the water to be shut off on Liberty Street from Cherry Street to Main Street today. Water may be shut on Central Avenue as well as Liberty Street south of Cherry to South Jackson.
Traffic will not be able to pass through the south side of the intersection of Ellicott and Liberty while repairs are ongoing.
As always when water is restored it may be discolored, please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
The water department will have to shut the water off on Liberty Street from Main Street to Cherry Street to make repairs to a water main break. At this time there is no time frame on how long the water will be off. All efforts are being made to keep this time to a minimum.
As always when water is restored it may be discolored, please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
A Rochester man swept up in a drug bust on Liberty Street in March that led to the arrest of himself and four other people, along with the seizure of 56 bags of crack cocaine, avoided further jail time in his sentencing today in Genesee County Court.
Marquise Lee, 36, had been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance third, a drug-dealing charge.
After his guilty plea over the summer, he was placed on interim probation. His success in that program, along with ongoing employment in his father's construction business, and his care for his children during their in-home studies during the coronavirus pandemic helped nudge Judge Charles Zambito toward a probationary sentence.
First Assistant District Attorney Kevin Finnell asked the judge to follow the Probation Department's recommendation and give Lee six months in the Genesee County jail.
The ongoing pandemic also seemed to factor into Zambito's decision.
"Quite honestly, I have to be careful about who I put in jail here these days," Zambito said. "It shouldn't sway the decision. It shouldn't be that way but I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and give you a chance to prove you deserve probation.
"I remember you told me before that you didn't sell drugs, that you were just there and you didn't know what was going on," Zambito added. "That doesn't make sense to me. You admitted it (when Lee pled guilty). I hope you are helping out with your wife and kids and doing whatever you can to lead a law-abiding life. You don't need to be in jail but we don't need you selling drugs."
Lee was adjudicated a second felony-offender because of a 2017 DWI conviction.
As part of his plea deal, Lee agreed to forfeit $659 in cash recovered at the crime scene. The money will go to the Sheriff's asset forfeiture fund.
On his five-probation sentence, Lee was given credit for the seven months he served on interim probation. He also previously served 31 days in jail on the charge.
He was also ordered to have no communication with his codefendants, Angela R. Bateman, Nikki L. Stonebraker, Joseph T. Burr, Derek E. Wilcox.
"You're not to be around them," Zambito said. "They will only get you into trouble."
At the end of the sentencing, Zambito transferred Lee's case to the Monroe County Probation Department.
Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski has reached out to David Zanghi and his sister and advocate, Mary Ellen Wilber, in an attempt to get them in touch with emergency relief agencies after Zanghi’s life was disrupted earlier in the week.
Jankowski said today that he has met with Zanghi and talked on the phone to Wilber, and pledged the City’s support in finding the assistance Zanghi needs as a result of the 20-hour standoff at his Liberty Street residence on Monday and Tuesday.
“I’ve spoken to the City (management) and to Mr. Zanghi and they definitely want to put him in touch with agencies that can provide assistance,” Jankowski said. “It’s the same as with a major fire … we need to provide that connection.”
On Thursday, Zanghi informed The Batavian that his downstairs apartment at 209 Liberty St. and his personal belongings were extensively damaged from tear gas canisters fired by police. Subsequently, he has been displaced from his apartment and currently is staying with a relative.
A dialysis patient, Zanghi also said his medications were compromised during the ordeal, which saw Daniel Wolfe hold police at bay throughout the night as he barricaded himself inside his upstairs apartment with a pellet (BB) gun and a sword.
The situation ended around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when Wolfe surrendered to City Police.
Jankowski noted that Zanghi is “obviously in poor health and needs some help.”
“Let’s help him get the help he needs and help Mary Ellen navigate the system,” he said. “She is coming into town this weekend and we’ve set up an appointment for her to meet with the City Manager (Martin Moore) and Assistant City Manager (Rachael Tabelski)."
Jankowski said that Wilber was “very receptive” to his call.
“She is a longtime civil servant and is acquainted with the system,” he said. “We will give her all the help we can as we would do anybody else in this situation.”
The council president said that agencies such as Genesee Justice, Veterans Services and Social Services are out there to assist victims of incidents such as this, and noted that law enforcement could provide the names of other organizations that could help out.
He also said that City Police did provide Zanghi with some phone numbers of agencies that could provide assistance, but said communication broke down after that.
“It was confusing to us since he never contacted us directly,” he said. “We were taken back a bit by the published report (in The Batavian).
Earlier today, Council Member Rose Mary Christian, who represents the Sixth Ward (which includes Liberty Street), weighed in on the matter – saying that she sympathized with Zanghi’s plight while also opining that contemporary society has made it difficult for the police.
“It’s very unfortunate what happened to him – he is a good person for that area -- but it could happen to anybody,” she said. “Any place, any time. That’s why it’s extremely important to have renter’s insurance.”
Christian went on to say that today’s “politically correct” climate has tied law enforcement’s hands.
“Our society has done this. In years past, maybe even 10 years ago, if there was a problem like that, (police) would knock down that door, grab him and have him arrested,” she said. “Today, the liberals would just question what happened here and (say), ‘Oh, the poor guy.’ ”
“That’s nonsense. The legal system doesn’t have a shot in hell.”
As far as 45-year-old Wolfe is concerned, he currently is in Genesee County Jail without bail, facing five charges, including three felonies. His case has been adjourned until Dec. 12.
Daniel Wolfe, the man accused of hitting his girlfriend before barricading himself in his apartment on Liberty Street, made a routine follow-up appearance in Batavia City Court this morning.
Wolfe had previously pled not guilty at his initial appearance to charges of first-degree criminal contempt, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, menacing, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd.
Today he was represented by public defender Jerry Ader.
Ader preserved his client's right to a felony hearing at a later date, and said his office is still investigating the case so he has no motions to make at this time. He asked that the case be continued in City Court until Dec. 12.
Judge Robert Balbick granted all of Ader's requests.
Wolfe, shackled and in an orange jail jumpsuit, said nothing while standing before Balbick.
At 8:42 a.m., after barricading himself in his apartment for 20 hours while SWAT teams swarmed around his residence, a Batavia man was finally coaxed out of his dwelling by a detective who managed to gain his trust over the course of the ordeal.
The resident, whose name has not yet been released, was gently escorted by Det. Kevin Czora and a plainclothes state trooper to a waiting ambulance five houses down the block, just north of Cherry Street.
Assistant Chief Todd Crossett said the man is facing criminal charges and his name and the exact nature of the charges will be released later today.
The Batavian captured exclusive video of the subject being escorted from the house and down Liberty Street.
Work crews are getting busy with infrastructure projects in Batavia, starting with a new sidewalk on Liberty Street from East Main Street to Cherry Street.
New sidewalks will also be replaced on Washington Avenue from Ross Street to Bank Street, and on Tracy Avenue from Washington Avenue to North Street.
The sidewalk replacement is part of the state's "Healthy Schools Corridor" project and is funded by 75-percent state and federal grants and 25 percent by the city under the Transportation Alternatives Program.
The width of the sidewalks is increasing to five feet.
Roman Construction, from Tonawanda, won the sidewalk contract with a bid of $721,566.
Other city projects planned this year include milling/paving on South Liberty, Liberty, East Avenue, Vine Street, Swan Street, and Clinton Street, paid for by federal, state, and city funding. The council is expected to award a bid for this contract on at its next business meeting.
City crews will handling paving of Trumbull Parkway, Lehigh Avenue, Eleanor Place and Margaret Place.
Two days ago when workers for National Grid went to a residence on Liberty Street to turn off the electricity, they found themselves locked in the basement.
They reportedly heard the resident outside the basement making threatening statements, but no charges were filed.
Today, National Grid returned to the same apartment, the same basement, to reconnect electric service, but not wishing to take any chances, they requested a police presence while they were on scene.
A thief threw a rock through a window door at the Sherwin-Williams store on Liberty Street, Batavia, some time overnight and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash from a safe in the office.
The store is open today.
Batavia PD is not releasing any further information at this time.
