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Laura J. Reed, 27, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Reed was arrested at 10:22 p.m. on March 25 after a disturbance at 160 Bank St. She was processed and is due to be arraigned in Batavia City Court on April 2. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Valentin Brito III, 21, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with trespass. It is alleged that after being issued a written trespass warning, Brito returned to College Village at 4:05 p.m. on March 31, in violation of the written warning. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on April 8. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Joshua Brabon.

Andrew Michael Pridmore, 34, of Mechanic Street, Elba, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more; and speed not reasonable and prudent. On March 30, following a complaint of a property damage accident at 2:13 a.m. on Byron Road in the Town of Byron, Pridmore was arrested. He was issued appearance tickets for Town of Byron Court and is due there on April 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon.

Tyler Michael Powers, 21, of Frederica Street, North Tonawanda, is charged with second-degree contempt. He was arrested after an investigation into an incident in the City of Batavia. He allegedly disobeyed a court mandate. Powers was arraigned in City of Batavia Court and jailed in lieu of $500 cash or $1,000 bond. He was due to return to court on March 29. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute.

Kevin Wayne Howard, 19, of Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband in the first degree. Howard was arrested while being processed at the GC Jail on March 21 after he was allegedly found in possession of a dangerous drug upon entering the facility. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court on March 28 then jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute, assisted by Deputy  Matthew Burgett.

Joseph J. Kuzma, 39, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument. During a home visit at 10:32 a.m. on March 29 by GC Probation, Kuzma was allegedly found in possession of nine hypodermic instruments. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Frank Klimjack.

Jacob J. Sponaugle, 20, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. At 10:40 a.m. on March 30, Sponaugle was arrested at his residence on Liberty Street in Batavia after a search by GC Probation. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on April 9 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post, assisted by Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Hannah Kujawski, education and outreach coordinator for Restore Sexual Assault Services, places a small flag in the ground outside the County Courthouse at Main Street and Ellicott Street, Batavia.

Kujawski and two other people from Restore planted 720 flags in the grass, one each to represent the 720 victims of sexual assault daily in the United States.

Restore, which provides a number of programs to assist the victims of sexual assault, is a service of Planned Parenthood.

File photos from 2018 and press release:

It’s Off to the Races as the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation, prepares for its Derby Day Gala 2019, a fundraising event held in conjunction with the running of the 145th Kentucky Derby.

The event raises monies to support the mission of the Foundation, namely to assist families struggling with the diagnosis of pediatric cancers, support research efforts in the area of childhood cancers, and provide assistance to youth activities and programs.

Win, Place and Show your support for the Foundation’s annual fundraising event to be held at Terry Hills Golf Course & Banquet Facility in Batavia from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 4th.

The Foundation, a 501(C) 3, was founded by Mark Napoleone and Laurie (Pero) in 2007 after the loss of their 8-year-old son to Burkitt’s Lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer.

To date, the foundation has assisted 382 families with $378,000 worth of support during their child’s illness, contributed $75,000 to support research, gave $52,000 to assist youth organizations, donated $50,000 to building the new Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, and most recently pledged $25,000 to UMMC for a pediatric room.

 The evening features Kentucky Derby theme, food, drinks, live music, silent and live auctions, and a professional photo in your best Derby attire. There will be prizes for the best woman’s hat, Dapper Derby Award for the men and a best dressed couple’s award. Tickets are $75/each and Win, Place and Show sponsorships are available.

There are sponsorship opportunities and many ways for you to support this event -- auction donations (gift certificates, electronics, sports memorabilia, spa packages, and weekend getaways). Monetary donations are also accepted. All donations are tax deductible. Your assistance will make our Derby Day Gala 2019 a winning success and help us Lend a Hand for Hope.

For those who are interested in attending the gala, tickets can be purchased by calling 585-861-0550, or Venmo us @MNMF8. For more information, gallop onto our website: www.michaelshope.org.

Terelle Spinks, winner of Mr. Batavia 2019, presents a check for $2,776.50 to Stacy Squire, a volunteer with Volunteers for Animals, Spinks's charity for the annual event at Batavia High School.

This year, the Mr. Batavia competition brought in $5,553, bringing the seven-year total of funds raised for local charities to $25,743.

The event is student organized and run.

Sam Rigerman, first runner-up, presents a check for $1,388.25 to Jaylene Smith-Kilner, Habitat for Humanity.

Griffin DellaPenna, second runner up, presents a check for $1,388.25 to Laurie Napoleon, for the Michael Napoleon Memorial Foundation.

A view of the Assembly Chamber at 1 a.m. this morning as the Legislature still has five budget bills to pass.

Submitted photo and statement by Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

“As usual, the state budget was passed in the middle of the night, rushed through the Legislature with little time for public input or discussion and ridden with contentious policy proposals that should be debated separate from a spending plan.

“I am concerned that the Gov. can now close up to three state prisons within 90 days and state leaders are content with ending bail for some felonies, putting the public at risk and sending the message that those who have broken the law should be given more and more leeway.

“While we did secure funding for key bridge repair and infrastructure projects I am concerned at the growing disparity between Upstate and Downstate infrastructure spending with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) consuming billions of tax dollars per year with little oversight or accountability.

“I have been a champion of easing the burden on local governments for years and tonight our conference offered a budget amendment to fully restore Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) funding – this was shamelessly defeated by the Assembly Majority. Gov. Cuomo has drastically changed the AIM formula, forcing counties to fend for themselves instead of offering state help to bolster local services.

“I am pleased to see our direct-care professionals receive funding for retention and salary increases but more needs to be done to protect those who protect our most vulnerable New Yorkers. Our conference has advocated for a living wage for these dedicated men and women for years and will continue championing their cause until a true living wage is achieved.

“As session continues I will keep banging the drum for tax relief, an end to mandated Albany spending passed down to homeowners, reforming our charitable gaming laws and fighting the pro-criminal, anti-Second Amendment policies pushed by Gov. Cuomo.”

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer (R-C-I, Amherst) voted against the newly enacted 2019-2020 New York State Budget. Senator Ranzenhofer has issued the following statement:

“The new fiscal plan makes New York State even more expensive. The new budget raises taxes by $1.4 billion this year and another $4.6 billion next year. It imposes new taxes on almost everything and anything, including internet purchases, shopping bags, prescription drugs, rental cars, real estate transactions and energy bills. All of these taxes will make it more expensive to live, work and retire in our state.

“The new plan also fails to invest in Western New York’s highways, roads and bridges. In fact, it cuts tens of millions of dollars in state funding for infrastructure improvements. Now, local highway crews will have even fewer resources to repair our crumbling roads and bridges.

“Simply put, this is a bad budget for hardworking Western New Yorkers. Under this misguided budget, New York State will continue to experience the steepest population loss in the United States. This irresponsible plan will exacerbate Upstate’s economic challenges and force even more Upstate residents to leave for more affordable states.”
 

If you grew up in the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s, or to put it another way, if you're old, the term “communist” had a very negative connotation and the color red was probably not your favorite. To be called a “commie” or a “red” was an unpatriotic insult to most people during that time.

Following World War II, the Soviet Union and China, both communist countries with their respective leaders Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong became political enemies of the United States. When the USSR obtained nuclear weapons and China supported North Korea against South Korea and the United States in the Korean War in the early 1950s, it was the beginning of the so called “Cold War.”

The world was in fear that nuclear war would break out and the spread of propaganda by both sides became rampant. Spying increased dramatically to try to gain an advantage. The ideologies of Democracy vs. Communism were in a power struggle for world domination.

So, what did all this mean to a kid in Batavia growing up in this era? As you were trying to navigate through your kid life of going to school and watching the news in between the "The Howdy Doody Show" and "I Love Lucy" on your black and white TV, how did the Cold War affect you?

Bomb Drills at School Were Routine

In school (I went to St. Mary's Elementary), one thing I remember vividly is having bomb drills. In the event of nuclear attack, we practiced getting under our desks and putting our heads down.

Later on in life this jokingly became known as the “kiss your butt goodbye” drill. Also, I recall getting together as a school and praying for the new Pope when Pius XII died in 1958 and for the defeat of “godless communism.”

On TV, we went through the news cycle of the Korean War, the arrest, trial, and execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg for selling nuclear secrets to the Russians, and the Congressional hearings concerning Senator Joseph McCarthy and his investigations of Americans he suspected of being communists.

There was the “blackballing” of actors, producers, writers and artists suspected of having communist leanings, the forceful Soviet put down of an uprising against the communist government in Hungary in 1956, and Secretary of the Communist Party and Premier Nikita Khruschev's strident denunciation of “American imperialism” at the United Nations General Assembly in 1960.

So how we were affected by all this was that I think almost every kid in Batavia would have considered themselves anti-communist. That's how our parents felt, that's how our teachers felt and that's how our government felt.

In 1959 and 1960 the communist scare came closer to the United States with Fidel Castro's rise to power in Cuba. Originally acclaimed for his overthrow of the longtime Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, it soon became clear that Castro was aligning his government with the Soviet Union and that Cuba would be a communist regime only 90 miles from Florida.

Looking Askance at 'Beatnik' Types

Furthering Americans' dislike of the cigar-chomping Castro was his wearing of military fatigues and sporting a bushy beard; 1950's Americans, including the kids, tended to be pretty conservative and looked skeptically on any “beatnik” looking type of people.

So, with all this anti-communism coursing through our American school kid brains, my friend Charlie and I decided to make a political statement.

Looking back on it now, we were probably more highly motivated by trying to get some attention rather than any sincere “down-with-the-commies” convictions.

Charlie and I (I'm pretty sure he went along with it just to humor me) went to work in my basement on North Spruce Street constructing an effigy of Fidel Castro. I can't remember exactly what we used to build it, but I'm positive an old fur “ear-flapper' hat was cut up and glued on the face for the beard. My mom helped, but she was mostly amused at the project. Kids will be kids was probably how she viewed it.

(Actually, adults during that era were known to put up effigies of Castro, too, as this link from 1961 shows.)

Old-school Truly Fake News

The most important aspect of our plan was to find a credible place to “hang” Fidel where the media (i.e. the local newspaper) would be alerted to it. We hoped they would send a photographer and a reporter and, even though we had to remain unknown, once the “Big News” was revealed we would be famous in our own minds.

We could picture the photo of Fidel's faux body hanging from a pole with an attached “Down with Castro” sign in the middle of the paper's front page. Under it would be a headline like: “Batavia Patriots Stand Up to Commie Castro” -- fellow Batavians would see our brazen display and we would be the talk of the town for our anti-communist bravery.

Since I lived on North Spruce Street and we were about 12 years old with no way to transport “Fidel,” we picked the nearest public place with a flagpole -- John Kennedy School on Vine Street.

Of course in lieu of how things turned out with President Kennedy and the Cuban Missle Crisis of a couple years later, in October of 1962, the symbolism would have been extra sweet.

But, as all good Batavians know, the school was named for a former superitendant not the president.

At any rate, Charlie's dad was a car dealer and he “borrowed” some of those colorful triangular flags which used to be hung on poles around the car lots to help draw attention. Carrying these, fake Fidel, and our sign, we headed down North Street in the dark (probably about 8 p.m.) toward the back entrance to the school at the end of Elm Street.

In those days, North Street ended at North Spruce, so there was little traffic at that hour. Nonetheless, about halfway there, we heard a car coming. Thinking on our feet (literally) we carried Fidel between us much the same way many of us later helped our inebriated college friends back to the dorm after a night of drinking.

Holding our breath we tried to appear normal until the car went past and then let out a sigh of relief like somehow we were on a secret mission to Cuba itself.

Hoisting Fidel and Scurrying Away

The school flagpole was on the south side of the building by the empty parking lot. We quickly looped the rope around the effigy with sign attached and tied on the multicolored flags. We hoisted it to the top of the pole and stood back briefly to admire our patriotic handiwork.

Then we scurried away through the darkness like commandos returning to base, or in reality to probably go do our homework.

Our plan was to return on our bikes the next morning like we were just casually riding by. We hoped that there would be all sorts of commotion going on and that we would pretend to be as shocked but pleased as everyone else to see the heinous dictator swinging in the breeze.

Our pro-American hearts must have been thumping as we approached the school in the sunny morning. We turned onto the gravel path and emerged onto the school grounds to see “Fidel” and the flags on the pole and … nothing.

No photographers, no reporters, no police cars, nothing. Cars of school staff were parked in the lot and there was a custodian nearby cutting some grass. 

Completely taken aback, we sat on our bikes and stared. Didn't anyone see “Fidel”? Maybe that was it. Perhaps we needed to stir things up.

We pedaled over to the flagpole and began pointing and talking in exaggerated voices.

No One Pays Attention

“Wow! Look at that! It's a dummy of Fidel Castro up there! That's really something! Who could have done that?” 

The custodian kept mowing, cars kept driving by on Vine Street, a couple people left the school, got in their cars and drove away. No one paid “Fidel” a single bit of attention.

We were crushed, or at least I was. All that patriotic work and surreptitious sneaking around in the dark and no one even cared. Plus, it was too embarrassing to even tell anyone about. I'm not sure what I told my mom, but in retrospect she probably knew how it was going to turn out anyway.

The saddest (or funniest depending on how you look at it) part of the whole episode was that on our way home, Charlie said he'd really like to get those flags back so he wouldn't get in trouble with his father. 

That evening we rode back to John Kennedy and the effigy and the flags were gone from the pole. Nearby was a dumpster and we looked in to see “Fidel” forlornly staring up at us, albeit from one eye as the other has apparently been knocked loose.

Charlie retrieved his flags and as we rode away we made a pact to keep the fiasco between ourselves. Communism and Fidel Castro unfortunately would continue to plague the good old U. S. of A. for many years to come, despite our heroic attempts to raise the ire of the apparently apathetic citizens of Batavia.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.69, up 6 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.66. The New York State average is $2.73 – up 3 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.77. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.65 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.61 (up 2 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.71 (no change since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.69 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.70 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.67 (no change since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.73 (up 2 cents since last week)

Decreasing gasoline stocks and peak refinery maintenance season have helped to push pump prices higher as the spring driving season moves into full swing. In its latest weekly petroleum status report, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released new data that shows total domestic stocks of gasoline are down.

EIA’s data revealed that refineries across the nation are operating at lower capacity. The lower rate means that as refineries continue to switch operations to make increased levels of summer blend gasoline, gas prices will likely continue to increase as gasoline production stabilizes to meet demand.  

Update: March 31, 10 p.m. -- Unofficial standings and projected prize list of the 13th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament can be found on the Genesee Region USBC website -- www.bowlgr.com.

The tournament concluded today at Oak Orchard Bowl (Team event) and Medina Lanes (Doubles & Singles).

-----------------

Andrew Fowler of Batavia flirted with an 800 series in the Mancuso Realty/No Finer Diner doubles league at Mancuso Bowling Center on Monday night to lead the list of high rollers for the week ending March 31.

The 28-year-old left-hander rolled 252-277-266 for a sparkling 795 series.

On Thursday night, Rich Wagner completed a remarkable season in the Toyota of Batavia league, registering yet another 700 series to finish with a Genesee Region USBC-record 246.7 average.

For more high scores in league play around the Genesee Region, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Mike Pettinella's next Pin Points column is scheduled to appear this Thursday.

       Lorie Litolff

Lorie A. Litolff, 57, of Craigie Street, Le Roy, has been accused of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident following an incident on Lake Street, Village of Le Roy, at 5:05 p.m. Saturday where a man exited a moving vehicle and suffered a head injury.

The charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident is a felony.

She is also charged with DWI, failure to report an accident with injuries, driving without an ignition interlock device, and failure to submit to a breath test.

Litolff was jailed on $10,000 bail.

The name of the victim has not been released and there's no current information available on his condition.

The investigation is being led by Sgt. Emily McNamara, who reports that police have yet to determine why the victim exited the vehicle while it was moving but believe he did so voluntarily. 

Several witnesses were interviewed and police believe Litolff and the victim were engaged in a verbal argument prior to the man exiting the vehicle.

When he exited, according to McNamara, he lost his balance and fell, striking the pavement, which is the cause of at least some of the victim's injuries.

After the victim exited the vehicle, witnesses said the dark-colored, small SUV continued northbound on Lake Street.

Witness descriptions helped police identify and locate the vehicle. Litolff is accused of driving the SUV at the time of the incident, which occurred in the area of 78 Lake St.

Multiple witnesses attempted to render first aid to the victim. He was transported to an area hospital by Mercy Flight.  

Le Roy ambulance and Le Roy fire assisted at the scene.

Previously: Man reported to fall out of vehicle on Lake Street, Le Roy

Dispatchers have received a report of people fighting outside a residence on Thorpe Street, Batavia.

Batavia PD responding.

UPDATE 1:17 a.m.: A police officer reports nobody on scene on Thorpe Street. The officer suspects the caller heard firefighters shouting back and forth at the 109 Evans St. fire rekindle and mistook the commotion for a fight.

City fire is on scene of 109 Evans St., Batavia, the location of a fatal fire Saturday morning, after smoke was spotted coming from the building.

A commander on scene reports that there is some smoke coming from the second-floor eave.

The fourth platoon is requested to the Fire Hall.

Engine 11 and Ladder 15 are on scene.

A  caller reports a large number of people fighting in the area of Brooklyn Avenue and Pearl Street in the city. Batavia PD is responding.

UPDATE (by Howard): When patrols arrived, most of the people in the area had dispersed, several by vehicle.

Top photo: Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post #576 Honor Guard members, from left, Don Schafer, Mike Saulsbury, Pat Mooney and Dick Feneran.

For the second year, Le Roy's Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post #576 held a ceremony to honor Le Roy's three Vietnam War dead on Friday, March 29, which was also the nation's second Vietnam Veterans Day since President Trump authorized the designation in 2017.

As with all official events at an American Legion post, a ceremony in remembrance and awareness of prisoners of war and those missing in action (POWs-MIAs) was held first. It is marked by a small table covered with a white tablecloth and on it sits a single rose in a vase, a white candle and a Bible; behind it is an empty chair with a POW-MIA covering.

The ceremony started at 5 p.m. and next the post's Auxiliary President Marlene McCumskey read remarks in commemoration of the service of three LeRoyans who died in the Vietnam War.

She said: "National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29 honors the men and women who served and sacrificed during the longest conflict in United States history (up to that time). Generations later, veterans of this time period are gaining the respect that was not so freely given upon their return.

"Involving five U.S. presidents, crossing nearly two decades and 500,000 U.S. military personnel, it left an indelible mark on the American psyche.

"In memory of the three area servicemen who gave the ultimate sacrifice in this effort, we place this wreath in memory of their service to this community, state and nation -- 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends...' In Memorium -- Gary Scott, Harry Van Alst, George Fry.

Then, outside, the Honor Guard performed a gun salute and the bugler, Tim Sheflin, played Taps.

"We put this together at the last minute," said Botts-Fiorito Post Adjutant Jerry Diskin. "We are hoping more people come out for it next year; we plan to keep having it. But it is controversial."

Diskin noted that Le Roy High School's Class of 1963 stands today as having the largest number of armed service members of any class there since World War II.

Photos courtesy of Joan Fernaays.

Below, Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post #576 First Vice Commander David Rumsey and Auxiliary President Marlene McCumskey.

Below, the POWs-MIAs ceremony with Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post #576 First Vice Commander David Rumsey, Adjutant Jerry Diskin, and Legionnaire John Rohl.

A man has reportedly fallen out of a moving vehicle in the area of 78 Lake St., Le Roy, and may have suffered a head injury.

The vehicle he was believed to be in continued northbound on Route 19.

It's a maroon Jeep Liberty.

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance dispatched.

Mercy Flight being put on ground standby.

UPDATE(S)(By Billie) 5:41 p.m.: Mercy Flight is at a field near the crash site preparing to transport the victim to a hospital.

UPDATE 6:03 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne; destination not known. The patient suffered severe head trauma and was in and out of consciousness at the time of transport.

UPDATE 6:29 p.m.: Le Roy Police Sgt. Emily McNamara said it is not known at this "very, very early stage of the investigation" how or why the victim exited a moving vehicle, or what speed the vehicle was going at the time. The speed limit on Route 19 in the village is 35 mph. The vehicle continued on without stopping. It is thought to a smaller, dark-colored SUV; the previous description of a maroon Jeep Liberty is not certain, nor is it ruled out. In fact, any witnesses of this incident are asked to call the Emergency Dispatch Center directly with information that might help the investigation at 343-5000. Although the victim's identity has been established, police are not yet releasing the name until they have contacted family members.

Above photo: Commemorative marker in the International Peace Garden at No Gun Ri Peace Park and flanked by Paula Savage, South Korean officials and, on the right, one of only two known survivors of the July 1950 No Gun Ri massacre.

 

When Paula Savage, of Batavia, founded the first International Peace Garden in 1990, little did she know her efforts would result in a trail which would stretch around the world.

Savage was working in Washington, D.C., for Canadian tourism at the time and was asked to create a project signifying the special relationship between Canada and the United Sates, since the two countries have shared the longest undefended border in the world since 1812.

The first Peace Garden was dedicated in 1991 in Washington, D.C., starting a tradition which continues today, spanning five continents as Peace Gardens are passed from country to country. There are now 23 in the world, Savage said. 

When Western New York was getting ready to celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812, the Bicentennial Committee knew of the International Peace Gardens and asked Savage to create a Peace Garden Trail along the border to commemorate this important anniversary.

Creating a Peace Garden Trail

The first Peace Garden in this trail sprang up in 2012 at a historic battle site along the Niagara River, followed by 13 others in New York State, one of the most elaborate being in Batavia. 

The United States had chosen Poland in 1991 as the next country to receive a Peace Garden, because it was the first country in Eastern Europe to achieve democracy, Savage said. 

For some reason, however, Poland never received its stone marker for its Peace Garden, something which is finally scheduled to occur in late June in Warsaw, Poland.

“It has always been my intention to deliver the official stone to those countries that were honored,” Savage said. “Details of the ceremony have not yet been released, but I plan to bring the stone to Warsaw, ceremony or not, at the end of June.”

The most recent commemorative International Peace Garden stone was dedicated in late 2018 in South Korea and, keeping with her custom with every new Peace Garden, Savage attended the dedication, an experience she said was exceptional.

“When does a native of Batavia get to stand with costumed children and top officials of a country like South Korean on a historic site, having brought them all together to celebrate world peace?” Savage asked.

“One thing which was very profound was that the committee which organized our tour said we were visiting a site which would be an honorary Peace Garden.”

Making Peace at a Massacre Site

Savage and her group was taken to a village 100 miles southeast of Seoul where the No Gun Ri massacre occurred July 26-29, 1950, when soldiers from the 2^nd Battalion, 7^th U.S. Calvary and a U.S. air attack killed an estimated 250-300 South Korean civilian refugees, mostly women and children.

“We were out in a rural area in a huge parking lot,” Savage said. “There was a theater and they showed us a movie. During the Korean War, the United States occupied this part of the country and the U.S. was planning a big battle in this area. Refugees fleeing the village got stuck here under the bridge.

“An American general on the phone with the unit said to shoot them. It was a massacre by our own government. They were devastated. The country has been waiting for the U.S. to apologize, but they never did.

"I’m glad there’s going to be a Peace Garden there. I’m sorry this tragedy had to happen, but if there’s a way through our Peace Garden to help Korea heal, then we have done our part.”

Savage had previously made a certificate and gave it to the executive director of their Memorial Day observance and they had enlarged it and encased it in a stone monument at the site.

Savage said she will never forget standing there with one of only two survivors of the No Gun Ri massacre. 

Currently, Savage said the landmines are being removed from along the DMZ -- demilitarized zone -- and it has been suggested they be replaced with Peace Gardens.

Paying It Forward

“Every time I go to a different country, I see the significance of the Peace Garden to that area,” Savage said. “They have made amazing differences to so many around the world, such as the garden Poland gave to Germany after what Germany did to Poland in World War II.”

As is tradition, each country who dedicates a Peace Garden then chooses the country to have one the next year. Savage has attended the openings of every one around the world.

The original International Peace Garden was a tulip garden, celebrating a tradition started 75 years ago, when the Netherlands gave the first gift of tulips to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

This year 2019 will mark the 75^th anniversary of that gift, which came about when Princess Julianna of the Netherlands was expecting. They knew the Germans were coming and the family fled to Ottawa, where the city allowed the Dutch flag to be flown over Parliament for one day, so the child, named Princess Marguerite, could be born a Dutch citizen.

Savage has had the privilege of meeting Princess Marguerite, she said. 

Thus, when Canada gave the first garden to the United States, it had to be tulips, Savage said. 

In 1992, Savage found a way to expand on the International Peace Garden when she founded the International Peace Garden Foundation.

“I had met a composer in Las Vegas and told him about how the gardens were developing,” Savage said. “He wrote a symphony for tulips, but said you can’t have music with no strings attached. He told me I must establish a scholarship for the underprivileged in the arts.”

The composer was Thomas Deering, whose parents couldn’t afford to send him to college. He became self-taught. 

“I thought about how much more we could do than a music scholarship,” Savage said. 

The Foundation has been blessed with monetary donations and gifts in kind. A student in Washington, D.C., has received financial assistance; an instrument has been purchased for a child in Poland; money has been sent to help a school in Slovania.

One of the most heartwarming cases is the 14-year-old boy from our nation's capital whom Savage met and set up a concert gala for him at the Polish embassy.

“I asked him what his dream was and he said it was to perform at Carnegie Hall,” Savage said. “I told him I didn’t have powerful contacts, but whatever I could do to make that happen, I would.”

A month later, Savage was in New York City on a business trip and went to Carnegie Hall. She told them her story and they were all moved. Three months later, the young boy, named Henry, was in full concert with Thomas Deering at Carnegie Hall, wearing a tuxedo Savage had bought him.

“The Canadian government paid for a huge reception for him after,” Savage said. “At that point, I knew we were onto something spectacular. The last I heard, Henry had gone back to New York City and was performing on Broadway.”

Accolades for the Peace Lady

The experience has not been without its rewards for Savage, she said. In 2000, she was presented with the “Merits of Two Worlds” award, which recognizes contributions made by individuals who help unite the countries of Europe. In 2012, Savage was honored with the “World Harmony Torch Bearer Medal” during a ceremony at the United Nations. 

In 2018, Savage launched the International Peace Garden Registry. Through the Internet, the registry gives individuals and communities the opportunity to share their stories and images of the world. Details are available here. 

The International Peace Garden Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit and tax-dedictible donations may be made online here or by calling Savage at (585) 300-9252.

Although Savage is very proud of what she has accomplished throughout the world, she is also passionate about her roots in Batavia.

As a graduate of Genesee Community College, she said the college considers her one of their success stories and sends out releases promoting her endeavors every chance they get. She has just completed a release on her recent visit to Korea and will be sending it to GCC.

“For the college, it is a way for them to take a bit of credit for my success, and hopefully attract new enrollments,” Savage said.

Photos courtesy of Paula Savage.

Below, Paula Savage meets mayor Seok Huh in Suncheon City, South Korea, which is the site of the International Peace Garden dedicated in late 2018.

A deadly fire at 109 Evans St., Batavia, this morning, claimed the life of 41-year-old John Sherman Sr., said City Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano this afternoon while supervising the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire.

He said it's too soon yet to even speculate on how the fire started.

There were at least six or seven other people in the residence when the fire started, Napolitano said, and some of them owe their lives to smoke detectors and the fact that they were sleeping with the doors of their bedrooms closed.

"A room that has a door closed is a safe haven," Napolitano said. "They were alerted by a smoke detector and they were able to safely exit the house. That is why it's so critical when you have young children or yourself in a home. You need to sleep with the door closed. It stops the fire from entering. It gives you a shelter so you can shelter in place, a safe haven, or whatever you want to call it. But it gives you an opportunity to escape."

Sherman was the owner of the 1,528-square-foot house, which was built in 1890 and has an accessed value of $69,000.

Evans Street remains closed during the ongoing investigation but Napolitano said the investigation is nearing completion. 

Joining city fire investigators in the house is a Batavia PD detective and two investigators from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

It's city fire policy to call in state investigators when there is a fatal fire.

Napolitano described the investigation process as meticulous.

"They're methodically going through layer by layer, removing debris, removing furniture, trying to put a puzzle together, if you will," Napolitano said. "You know when you open up that box with all the puzzle pieces and you have to find the outside edge first, and then you build. That's what they're doing. They're building a puzzle."

It's a bit like reverse engineering the fire, he said.

"We're trying to figure out, OK, from the patterns and the indicators that were left, how and where that fire started, and how it traveled, where it migrated to, what could be a cause, what could be the origin."

The chief said the results of the investigation will be released as soon as some conclusions are reached about the findings.

Previously:

• One person dead in house fire on Evans Street, Batavia
• Working house fire reported on Evans Street in the city

One person died in a house fire this morning at 109 Evans St., Batavia.

The fire was reported at about 7:15 a.m.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they found heavy smoke and flames at the rear of the house from the ground floor to the roof line.

Capt. Bob Fix described the situation as "untenable" and it wasn't possible for firefighters to enter the house until the fire was knocked back.

"We were dispatched to report of a building on fire just down the street from the fire station," Fix said. "As we pulled out of the station we could see heavy smoke in the sky so we knew we had a fire."

There were at least seven people in the residence at the time the fire was reported, including four adults who lived in the house. Residents told firefighters that one person was still in the house and provided firefighters with the person's location in the residence.

"We found heavy smoke and flames coming from the back side of the building as well as several people telling us the there was a victim inside a window," Fix said. "We attempted to make entry. Conditions were untenable at the time. We got some water on the fire there and tried to make entry again a short time later."

Once firefighters were able to make entry, they located the victim on the second floor and carried him out a window and down a ladder. He was placed on a stretcher and Mercy EMS personnel immediately began performing CPR.

While CPR was in progress, he was transferred to a nearby ambulance and transported to UMMC where he was later pronounced dead.

The victim's name has not yet been released.

"As it happened, the call came in right shift change and we had quite a bit more people available than we normally would have," Fix said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and Chief Stefano Napolitano said it's too early in the investigation to even speculate about the cause. The origin appears to be on the first floor.

State Fire, as is standard operating procedure, assist City Fire with the fire investigation.

The house is uninhabitable and The Salvation Army was contacted to assist the four adults who lived at 109 Evans.

Three pets, two dogs and a cat, were rescued from the fire.

Assisting City of Batavia was Town of Batavia fire, Alexander fire, and Darien fire.

Also assisting at the scene was Batavia PD.

Heavy smoke and fire are reportedly coming from a residence at 109 Evans St. in the city. City Engine #11 is on scene, reporting a working structure fire at a two and a half story building. Smoke and flames showing. One person is still said to be inside.

All city platoons are called to respond. Mercy medics are on scene. Alexander's Fast Team is called for mutual aid; Town of Batavia is to report to its quarters; and Darien's rescue unit is called to the scene.

UPDATE 7:20 a.m.: An engine from Town of Batavia fire is called to the scene; one other from the town is to report to its headquarters for standby. Firefighters are working to extricate a person from the house on Evans Street.

UPDATE 7:28 a.m.: "Fire's been knocked down; looking for any hidden fire," fire command resports, and the person inside has been extricated and is being seen by medics. Utilities have been notified.

UPDATE 7:31 a.m.: "Looking for hot spots in the ceiling -- C side," reports command, "no fire below you (on the first floor)." A crew is called to the second floor to pull open the ceiling to check for extensions.

UPDATE 7:36 a.m.: Working to ventilate the structure now.

UPDATE 7:41 a.m.: Stairs to the second floor are bad. Firefighters are to enter and exit from the C side ladder. Water and electricity have been secured -- cut -- to the building.

UPDATE 7:45 a.m.: "We're hitting some fire from the Bravo-Charlie (C-D) corner." The male resident, who was pulled from the second floor, which was fully charged with smoke, is being transported to UMMC in emergency mode.

UPDATER 8:32 a.m. (by Howard): Alexander and Town of Batavia going back in service. Salvation Army requested to the scene to assist four adults. Code enforcement also requested to the scene.