batavia

Could your home use some TLC in the form of much-needed repairs?

The city wants to submit for a Community Development Block Grant to assist income-eligible, single-family homeowners with essential home improvements, and input is a crucial part of the process.

Assistant City Manager Erik Fix wants to hear from homeowners during a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday in Council Chambers, second floor, City Hall.

“This grant, if we were awarded it, would coincide with our comprehensive housing strategy that we are in the process of developing.  It goes hand in hand with the Batavia Home Fund that the City, GCEDC and Town of Batavia signed an inter-municipal agreement to fund this past fall,” Fix said to The Batavian.  “The CDBG will provide funding for rehabilitation projects on owner-occupied, single-family home rehab projects throughout the city.  The hope is that when one neighbor makes improvements, others will as well, and the City can help foster rehabilitation throughout our communities.”

The Federal assistance Community Development Block Grant funds would enable homeowners to make home repairs with grant and deferred loan funding. Any single-family homeowner is encouraged to apply. The goal of the program would be to provide vibrancy to communities similar to recent improvements made to Summit Street to create vibrant transformations throughout the city.

This program will tie in with the city’s housing improvement plan and the recently created Batavia Home Fund. The process for CDBG applications involves one public hearing prior to the submission of any CDBG grant applications to provide residents with information about the CDBG program and to discuss community development needs and priorities.

In addition to the public hearing, Batavia city officials will be conducting a survey for city residents to understand the needs in the city. Surveys will be available on the city website, at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., and at the City Manager’s office at City Hall. Surveys must be returned to the manager’s office by July 7.

The City will be partnering with LaBella Associates to complete the grant application, which is due August 7.

The hearing is part of a City Council conference session at City Hall. 

Daniel J Bakowski, 42, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant. Bakowski was arrested on June 12 on a bench warrant from  City Court. The warrant was issued on Feb. 14, after Bakowski allegedly failed to appear in court. Bakowski was originally arrested on Jan. 18 on charges of assault 3rd, criminal obstruction of breathing, criminal mischief 4th, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Bakowski was also charged with an additional count of bail jumping 3rd. He was arraigned in City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $2,000 cash bail. The arrest was handled by Officer Peter Post.

(name redacted upon request), 53, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with sexual abuse 1st, sexual abuse 3rd, and forcible touching. The Sheriff's Office released little information about the case, which was reported on June 1 and investigated by Stephen Smith and Deputy Kevin McCarthy. xxx was released on his own recognizance. (NOTE: The charges were dismissed. A grand jury found there was insufficient evidence to sustain the charges and returned a "no bill.")

Tommy L. Crawford, 34, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny.  Crawford was also arrested on a warrant from Pennsylvania as a fugitive from justice. He is accused of stealing from a business on East Main Street. In Pennsylvania, Crawford is accused of making terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, harassment, and solicitation of a ride. Crawford was jailed pending extradition. He was issued an appearance ticket on the local charge.

Christopher M. Waide, 31, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Waide is accused of playing loud, amplified music and banging on his apartment walls with the intent to annoy and alarm a neighbor on June 14. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Lee Allen Baxter, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Baxter is accused of stealing an electric bicycle from a residence on West Main Street Road, Town of Batavia, on June 12. Baxter was issued an appearance ticket.

Joshua Allen Grosskopf, 32, of Beaver Street, Albion, is charged with assault 2nd. Grosskopf was arrested in connection with an incident -- no details released -- reported at 12:50 p.m. on June 20 at a location on Bloomingdale Road, Alabama. He was arraigned and ordered held without bail.

Jeffrey A. Hewitt, 44, of North Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, and failure to yield the right of way at a stop sign.  Hewitt was reportedly involved in an accident at Clinton Street and East Avenue at 9:25 p.m. on June 2. Officer Joseph Weglarski conducted an investigation and arrested Hewitt. Hewitt was held overnight in the Genesee County Jail pending arraignment. At arraignment, he was ordered held until his next court appearance.

Kevin M. McCoy, 56, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, criminal tampering 3rd, and burglary 2nd. Officers Richard Messmer and Adam Rissinger responded to a report of a disturbance on Ross Street at 6:37 p.m. on May 31. The complainant accused McCoy of entering her home while she was away, tearing down her curtains as well as dumping her garbage on the kitchen floor. McCoy allegedly violated a stay-away order. He was located a short time later and taken into custody. McCoy was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court. His release status is unknown.

Zoro Somano Reisman, 19, of Roosevelt Avenue, Batavia, is charged with robbery 3rd, two counts of grand larceny 4th, criminal possession of stolen property, and petit larceny. Reisman is accused of grabbing a wallet from a person's hands and running on June 17 at 10:45 p.m. at a location on Park Road, Batavia.  Reisman was held pending arraignment.

Lyndsay T. Young, 40, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and aggravated family offense. Young is accused of violating an order of protection on June 10. Young was issued an appearance ticket. 

Frank R. Cratsenberg, 62, no known address, is charged with petit larceny. Cratsenberg is accused of stealing beer from the Kwik Fill on Jackson Street, Batavia, on June 7. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kody A. Wenzel, 30, of Brooklyn Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Wenzel is accused of stealing medication from a family member on June 8. Wenzel was issued an appearance ticket.

Susan M. Jordan, 60, of Prospect Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Jordan is accused of pushing another person during an argument on June 15 on State Street. Jordan was issued an appearance ticket.

Diana F. Curcio-Abou, 43, of Pittsford, is charged with DWI and speeding. On June 14, at an undisclosed time and location, Curcio-Abou was stopped by officers Sam Freeman and Felicia Martinez. Curcio-Abou is accused of driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Curcio-Abou was issued an appearance ticket.

Sarah A. Malone, 41, of Graham Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant. Malone was arrested on June 14 on a bench warrantd out of City Court. The warrant was issued on May 19 after Malone allegedly failed to appear on charges of theft of services and criminal impersonation 2nd. Malone was arraigned and released. 

Jennifer J. Hogan, 32, of Rochester, was arrested on three bench warrants. Hogan was arrested on June 15 on three bench warrants out of City Court. All three warrants were issued on Aug. 18, 2020, after Hogan allegedly failed to appear in court. The first warrant is the result of an investigation into a robbery on Hutchins Street on Oct. 2, 2019, where Hogan was charged with robbery 2nd. The other two warrants stem from an incident on Oct. 18, 2019, where Hogan was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, after a traffic stop on North Spruce Street in Batavia. Hogan was arraigned and remanded to the Genesee County Jail. The arrest was handled by Officer Austin Davis and Officer Felicia Martinez.

Latoya D. Jackson, 37, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on three bench warrants.  Jackson was arrested on June 7 on three warrants out of City Court. The first warrant stems from an incident in June of 2022, on State Street, Batavia, where Jackson was charged with harassment 2nd. The second warrant stems from another incident in June of 2022 at an address on East Main Street, Batavia, where Jackson allegedly violated an order of protection and was charged with criminal contempt 2nd. The final warrant is the result of an incident in February of 2023, where Jackson was located, during a traffic stop, having several active warrants. Jackson allegedly fought with officers as they attempted to take her into custody. She was charged with resisting arrest. Jackson was arraigned in  City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail. The arrest was handled by Officer Stephen Quider and Officer Peter Post.

Mark John Kaszubski, 42, of Buffalo, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and moving from lane unsafely. Kaszubski was stopped at 11:23 p.m. on June 9 on Route 20 in Alexander by Deputy Austin Heberein. Patrols were dispatched to Route 20 in Alexander after a caller reported observing a vehicle on Route 20 driving on a flat tire. Kaszubski was released on an appearance ticket.

Katherine Ann Goff, 34, of Byron Road, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Goff is accused of violating an order of protection at 1:45 a.m. on June 4. Goff was issued an appearance ticket.

Kelly P. Jones, 43, of 80th Street, Niagara Falls, is charged with harassment 2nd. Jones is accused of punching a Live Nation security guard at the Dave Matthews Concert at Darien Lake on June 14. Jones was issued an appearance ticket.

Drew Evan Lord, 27, of County Road 33, Campbell, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, failure to obey a traffic control device, unsafe passing on left, and speeding. Lord was stopped at 7:25 p.m. on June 17 on Pearl Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz.

Matthew Eric Price, of Longs Lane, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to dim lights, drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle. Price was stopped at 1:33 a.m. on May 6 on Stroh Road, Alexander, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Price agreed to be transported to UMMC for a voluntary blood draw.  He was later arrested and issued an appearance ticket.

Gary Leigh Dewind, 53, of West Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with assault 3rd. Dewind was allegedly involved in a disturbance at midnight on June 18 at a location on Indian Falls Road, Pembroke. He was held pending arraignment.

Elizabeth Autumn Ceiotto, 24, of Groveland Street, Buffalo, is charged with petit larceny. Ceiotto is accused of stealing at Darien Lake Theme Park at 9 p.m., June 18. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Devante M. Wells, 27, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 3rd and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and Jalen I. Brown, 22, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 3rd and criminal possession of stolen property. Wells and Brown were arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 12:37 p.m. on June 24, in the City of Batavia. Wells was ordered held and Brown was released on an appearance ticket. No further details released.

Thomas A. Biaselli, 23, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Biaselli was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 1:53 p.m. on June 22 in the Town of Batavia. Biaselli was released on an appearance ticket. No further details released.

Aidan D. Cooney, 20, of Bataiva, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd. Cooney was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 12:30 p.m. on June 22 in the City of Batavia. Cooney was released on an appearance ticket. No further information was released.

Brittanee J. Hooten, 34, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Hooten was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 2:54 p.m. on June 22 in the Town of Oakfield. She was issued an appearance ticket. No further information was released.

The Batavia Muckdogs picked up their fourth straight win at home on Saturday, beating Elmira 9-2.

At 12-7, the Muckdogs are tied for first place in the Western Division, percentage points behind Niagara Power, 9-4.  Amsterdam leads the Eastern Division at 17-1.

Jack Keeler (2-0, 3.21) got the win, going five innings, giving up three hits and two runs (neither were earned), while walking two and striking out two.

Ben Weber picked up his first save, going two innings and striking out four.

Matt DeStefano (Avg. .347) reached base in all four plate appearances, going  2-2 with two Walks, an RBI and a run scored. Victor Alongi went 2-4 with three RBIs. Anthony Calabro scored two runs.

The Muckdogs host Geneva today (Sunday) at 4:05 p.m.

The Batavia Muckdogs picked up a 3-2 win in Newark on Friday, 3-2, over the Pilots.

Preston Prince went five innings and whiffed five, giving up only one hit and one run to notch the win.

Adam Agresti and Matt DeStefano duplicated each other's stat line, each going 2-4 with an RBI and a double.  

At 11-7, the Muckdogs are tied for first in the Western Division with Niagara and Elmira.

The Elmira Pioneers will be at Dwyer Stadium tonight (Saturday). Game time is 6:35 p.m.

Friday night skate nights came to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena at the right time for new Batavia resident Deborah Deegan. 

And she likes it better than the open skate options she had in Rochester.

"There's not that many places, even in Rochester," Deegan said. "There's only Horizon, and there is a place called Skate Lovers. It's very similar to what you guys are doing here, but it's not an actual rink. It's like a warehouse. And I think they built the flooring, so it's not quite as good as the floor in here. And I don't like the music that much. It's not my music. I like the music here."

And at The McCarthy, she said, you can't beat the price.

"Five dollars is like a quarter of the costs of going to Horizon in Rochester and half the cost of going to Skate Lovers," she said.

The 32-year-old Deegan said she is pretty new to Batavia and is working at Copperhead Creek.  She loves to skate and is happy the operators of The McCarthy have started Friday night skate nights. She said she loves figure skating and enjoys getting the extra practice time.  She is also involved in roller derby.

She started ice skating when she was little but could never do much except go forward. Roller skating, she said, has improved her ice skating.

"Two years ago, when the rinks opened back up after COVID, I found myself sitting there going, 'Why, when have I been skating since I was four years old, I can't do anything cool?' From there, I decided I was going to teach myself how to go backward. And here we are, two years later, and skating at the skate park on these (roller rinks), is what has gotten me so much progress. When I got back on the ice rink, I could do jumps and all types of stuff that I could never do before."

Deegan said Batavia residents who haven't been to skate night yet should come out on a Friday night. The floor is good, the price is right, the music makes it fun, and it's also a great workout. She said too many people spend way too much time on their phones. They need to be more active.

"I also do this to get fit," she said. "I read that professional skaters burn up to 800 calories an hour, which is, like, unheard of. So it's a great way to get physical activity and a workout in without actually working out."

The McCarthy now has shelves of new skates available for kids and adults. See our previous story: GC Youth Bureau bets on fun for youth with purchase of skates at The McCarthy.

The regular Friday night skate is from 7 to 9 p.m., with the exception of July 7, when there will be an 80s and 90s skate night party from 8 to 11 p.m.  The entry fee for that event is $10 with $5 rentals and includes a DJ. It's a 21-and-over event with beer and cider served. 

Photos by Howard Owens.

The skies may have been overcast, but the local talent shone through in Jackson Square on Friday night with the first of two Homegrown Concerts, hosted by Bill and Kay McDonald.

A second featuring young local talent, and some mature folks, is scheduled for Friday, June 30. The showtime is 6 p.m.

On the bill for the next show: William Franz (bagpipes), Leah Ford (guitar), Nolen Wright (guitar), Ayralynn Thompson (ukelele), and Quinn Karcher (accordion), along with Deanna Spiotta and Don Thomas and Steve Kruppner.

The evening's entertainment is rounded out with the Ghostriders and the Old Hippies.

Previously: Homegrown talent starting young in concerts hosted by The Old Hippies

No matter what you may think about online sports betting venues, they are being put to good use locally by funding youth development initiatives, Genesee County Youth Bureau Director Daniel Calkins says.

The Youth Sports Education Fund, garnered from portions of online sports betting proceeds, has so far meant $16,787 for youth-related activities, with about $5,000 of that going for the purchase of 71 pairs of funky 80s-themed rollerskates, Calkins said.

“I was talking to (ice rink operator) Matt Gray and he said they were having trouble getting skates for the ice rink,” Calkins said Friday. “So we set up a program that if a youth goes there, they pay the $5 admission and can use the skates for free.”

The neon-colored skates, meant to be low-maintenance and long-lasting, were purchased from RC Sports out of Kansas, in a range of children’s and adult sizes. They will be available for rent or free for youth at the David M. McCarthy Ice Arena on Evans Street in Batavia.

“We promote that to give kids greater access to recreational activities,” Calkins said. “We will be having events throughout the summer. And during ice season, it will be the same. If a kid comes in to ice skate, they’ll get to use the ice skates for free. The ice rink has been wonderful, our family game night was the kick-off to the skates being there.

“It’s about making Genesee County more accessible to having fun things to do,” he said. “We want to be an active part in the change here.”

That total funding also went toward kayaks to be used at DeWitt Recreational Area on Cedar Street and to help restore the financial loss suffered by the Athletic Youth Soccer Organization in Oakfield during the pandemic, Calkins said.

Genesee County receives a nine-month allocation, and “hopefully, we get the same funding next year,” Calkins said.

The Youth Sports Education Fund goes to the county’s general fund and is then disbursed to the Youth Bureau, County Manager Matt Landers said.

“The intent is definitely to be as impactful to county youth and families as possible,” Landers said  “Daniel is continually looking for positive activities for families in Genesee County.” 

Answering The Batavian about whether he has tried out the new skates. “I have not tried them because I don't want to embarrass my kids!”

If you’re interested in trying them out, the McCarthy has an open family skate night from 7 to 9 p.m. every Friday.

A two-year-old reportedly ingested chocolate containing marijuana on Thursday and was taken unconscious to the UMMC Emergency Room, according to the Sheriff's Office.

James Zackary Gray, 32, of Park Road, Batavia, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly leaving an edible within the reach of a child.

According to the arrest report, the child was found unconscious multiple hours after the edible was ingested.

Gray was released on an appearance ticket by Deputy Morgan Ewert.

The current condition of the child was not included in the arrest report.

The Batavia Muckdogs beat the Jamestown Tarp Skunks 8-7 on Thursday at Dwyer Stadium on a walk-off wild pitch.

Reliever Trey Bacon picked up the win after tossing two scoreless innings. 

Henry Daniels went 2-4 with a run scored and a double. Giuseppe Arcuri went 2-4 with a double and two RBIs. Anthony Calabro was 2-4 with a run scored, an RBI, a walk and two stolen bases.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Jeremy Ives is going to have 15 years, in the words of Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini, to contemplate the kind of person he is.

Is he the kind, intelligent, and articulate person of his letters to the court and his appearances in County Court, or is he the man a jury of Genesee County residents said committed a horrible act on Aug. 12, 2022? 

Ives was convicted on May 12 at the end of a jury trial of two counts of attempted assault in the first degree and menacing. The jury found that Ives had threatened two people with a shotgun.  

In the incident, one person was reportedly injured as a result of Ives firing one shot in the area of 2 Elm St., Batavia.

Since his arrest, through the trial, and into Friday's court appearance, Ives has maintained his innocence. 

Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl, who prosecuted Ives, said that one reason Ives deserved the maximum possible sentence on his conviction was his failure to express remorse for his actions on Aug. 12, 2022.

"He's demonstrated he's a danger to the community," Zickl said. "He's expressed no remorse. He's taken no responsibility for his frankly brutal actions."

Zickl said Ives has only spoken in general terms about his conduct, saying he's sorry -- primarily expressed to his family -- in a letter to the court for his behavior.

Joseph Lobosco, the defense attorney, said it wasn't exactly fair to expect Ives to say he is sorry while he is planning an appeal on what he believes is a wrongful conviction.

"He shouldn't be put in a position of needing to express remorse for something he believes he didn't do," Lobosco said.

Zickl said the maximum sentence available, 15 years, wasn't enough. Lobosco asked for the minimum term for his client.

Then Lobosco read a letter from Ives to the court dated June 6.  

He expressed his "absolute love" for his family, and said his family extended beyond his blood relations to anybody who had ever helped him in life.

"My family are the people that hold the strongest pieces of my heart that help me focus on my relationship with the gods and the other members of my bloodline and family. My honor is loyalty, and that is my oath, and that is my pride. Concentrating on my family and my faith is what helps me daily in my strive to find inner peace," Ives wrote.

He mentioned his mental health issues, struggles with addiction, and a traumatic brain injury and said he thought he had been doing well with the help of his doctors and medication. 

"The issues that I have written about have affected some of the people in my life in negative ways, in different degrees," he wrote. "I have to write these words to these people instead of speaking the words to them and looking into their eyes because of self-inflected situations, but I want each and every one of you to know and believe in your hearths that I am sorry. I apologize for the wrongs I have done."

"I'm a good man, and I love you all with all of my heart," he added.

He promised to return from prison with a greater determination to be good to his family.

"I pray to Odin and all the gods above us to help make me the best man I can be, the best father I can be, the best son I can be, the best brother I can be, and hopefully, the best husband I can be," he wrote. "Over the years, and in the past, I have fallen short of being those things.

"To all the people involved in my life, I swear on my honor I will not allow my addictions or my afflictions to negatively affect my life or my decisions ever again. I will return to my life after this situation more focused than ever before."

After Lobosco finished reading the letter, Ives spoke up for himself.  He wanted to address something he saw as a bit of misinformation from Zickl. Zickl criticized Ives for claiming to love his children when, during the pre-sentence investigation, he told an interviewer he didn't know where two of his children currently live.

Ives said he has children aged two to age 25.  His two oldest children graduated from college while he has been in custody and he hasn't been able to stay in regular contact with them. That's the only reason, he said, he doesn't know where they are living at the moment. 

During the discussion about long-term orders of protection, Ives asked that he be allowed to contact a woman who has children that he considers to also be his children, though he is not the biological father. Cianfrini said if the woman wants to contact the court to modify the order of protection, she could, but Cianfrini said she was issuing a full stay-away order of protection. 

Ives also asked for no order of protection for a friend who has helped him during the legal process, but Zickl spoke with the victim's advocate, who was in court for sentencing, and that person reportedly asked for a temporary order of protection to become long-term.

Cianfrini did modify one order of protection to allow Ives' parents to contact a person in order for them to retrieve Ives' personal belongings.

The order of protection will be in place for the length of the sentence imposed by Cianfrini plus eight years. The sentence is for 15 years plus five years post-release supervision.

Cianfrini told Ives his was a perplexing case.  He's obviously well-spoken and intelligent, able to advocate for himself, and he has a reputation, which came out at trial, for doing unbidden kind acts for others, such as installing handrails on a stairway that had no handrails.

And though he is mindful that he maintains his innocence and is planning an appeal, he was convicted of a horrific act.  He also has five prior DWI convictions and a weapons conviction in Florida.

Those two versions of Jeremy Ives don't fit together, she said.

"You're going to have to reconcile which Jeremy Ives you are going to be when you get out of prison," Cianfrini said. "It's completely up to you as to who you are going to be. You can be the person who does good deeds or you can be the person who commits these kinds of crimes. Only you can make that decision."

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) slammed the Majority’s recently passed legislation that would make it illegal to organize, sponsor, conduct, promote, or participate in any contest, competition, or derby where the objective is to take wildlife (A.2917). This would include bans on hunting competitions for coyotes, rabbits, and other animals. 

The legislation, which passed the state Assembly this (Wednesday) afternoon, had a Senate sponsor from Buffalo and an Assembly sponsor from Manhattan, which provided a further example of legislators from city regions exercising power over New Yorkers in rural areas such as Western New York. 

Hawley is frustrated that rural communities are once again having their voices silenced.

“This anti-hunting bill is yet another example of out-of-touch, big city legislators imposing their will on our constituents,” said Hawley. “This is the same tactic that was used by big city lawmakers on the mandate of overtime pay on our farm workers. This proposal would not only be damaging to our rights as New Yorkers, but its effects on our local agriculture and animal population control will have negative consequences. The Majority needs to start considering the needs of ALL New Yorkers, not just those in the cities.”

Press Release:

A Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) on the Extended End of Session:

“Albany Democrats have once again shown their inability to address New York state’s most pressing issues. Not only did they needlessly extend this year's legislative session, forcing us to spend more time away from our home districts, but they also did nothing to address the current migrant crisis in our state, the growing unaffordability we see all around us, and the increased public safety risks in our communities. The Majority instead focused on passing extreme bills such as the pro-criminal Clean Slate Act and making it easier for hardened criminals to overturn their convictions. The Majority's agenda has done little to help our state and shows just how out of touch they are with the needs of New Yorkers.”

A mail carrier whose route includes South Main Street in Batavia is "the hero of our office right now," said a local manager of the Post Office in Batavia.

The name of the carrier has not yet been released by the U.S. Postal Service, but the manager said this isn't the first time the carrier has stepped up in an emergency. This winter, she called 9-1-1 after a man on her route stuck his hand in a running snowblower.

At about 2:45 p.m., the carrier was outside 152 South  Main St., Batavia, when she heard a woman inside screaming, according to a witness. The carrier entered the house where a pitbull mix was attacking a home health care aide and its owner.  The carrier deployed her pepper spray and stopped the attack.

A female occupant of the house was not injured.

The dog was secured in a bedroom of the residence, and 9-1-1 was called.

Both the health care worker and the male occupant of the home were seriously injured, but Sgt. Mitch Cowen, Batavia PD, said the injuries are not considered life-threatening. One patient was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment, and the other to Erie County Medical Center.

The dog, Steve, was removed from the home by animal control officers while being restrained by poles and taken to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Cowen said the fate of the dog depends on the outcome of a police investigation. They will check records to determine if there have been prior reports of the dog acting in a vicious manner. Officers will also conduct interviews to determine if the dog has exhibited vicious behavior previously. 

An area resident who passes the house frequently said he's often heard a dog inside barking.

Nearby neighbors said they've seen the dog outside but have never seen it act in a vicious manner.  They said they've seen other visitors to the house, including health aide workers, and they weren't aware of any issue with the dog on prior visits.

A woman was reportedly attacked by a dog on South Main Street, Batavia, and sustained multiple injuries.

The dog is secured at this time.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 2:50 p.m.: A second person may also have been bitten.

UPDATE 3:48 p.m. by Joanne Beck: Two people were bitten. A home health care aide had entered 152 South Main St., Batavia and was attacked by a pit bull mix. A male resident attempted to intervene and was also bitten. A mail carrier heard screams, according to a witness, and entered the residence and maced the dog to stop the attack.

One patient was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital and another patient taken to Erie County Medical Center. They had serious but non life-threatening injuries.

6 West Avenue, Batavia. Super adorable and affordable, 2 bedroom ranch home in great city location! This home has everything you need right at your fingertips and nothing to do but enjoy! This home will surprise you with it's well laid out floor plan, giving you more room than square footage reflects! Cute and bright – enclosed front porch to enjoy quiet street, large open living dining combination, 2 bedrooms and bath with new Bathfitter tub and shower. All new interior windows helps with the inexpensive utility bills! Basement has been professionally waterproofed and comes with a transferable warranty -making great extra space for laundry and plenty of extra storage space! Besides being on great neighborhood Street this home sits on a great lot, with a deep private back yard! There is also a large shed with new roof for all your extras! This home offers a lot of bang for the buck and you truly could own this home for less than what most people pay in rent! This is definitely a home not to overlook!! Delayed negotiations until June 24th at 3:00 please allow 24 hours for life of offer. Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today.

For a time tonight, Kibbe Park was the site of a medieval battle on Wednesday evening.

Members of a Combat Historia, a group of medieval reenactors who stage non-historical battles, met for the first time in Batavia.

The four men came from Batavia, Rochester, and Buffalo.

Eddie Grosskopf got both groups going after moving to Batavia from Florida. 

"I started doing this back when I was 13, Grosskopf said. "Originally, I came out to a park and saw a bunch of kids hitting each other with foam weapons. I was gonna make fun of them at first, and then they offered for me to come out, and I've been doing it since then. When I moved up here, I was like, 'Wow, there's not a lot of this up here. I'm gonna sucker these people into doing this.' 

Joining him at Kibbe Park on Wednesday evening were Darnell Johnson, from Rochester, Brandon Winchell, from Buffalo, and Andrew Stangl, from Wales.

The Rochester group currently has 12 members, and with some recruiting, Johnson expects it soon to have 20 members. The Buffalo group is about a month old and has 15 members.

While only four members turned out for the first Kibbe Park meeting, Grosskopf said the goal is to use the park as a place for members of both the Buffalo and Rochester groups to meet each Wednesday, and he expects participation to grow.

The focus of the two groups is on the medieval Mongol Empire -- the time of Genghis Khan, the conquest of China, the conquest of the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

Stangl said Grosskopf kept after him to join after he came across the group at a ComicCon, and since he's been practicing martial arts since he was six, it seemed like a good fit for his interests.

Johnson said it's about more than just reenacting battles. There is a historical aspect, too, that is fascinating. 

"You see the clothing that we wear," Johnson said. "It is representative of Mongol clothing. This is typical Asiatic steps armor. So I had to go through the process of learning what type of armor they use, the different lanyard patterns and how to actually make it and then source the material and then build this whole thing myself."

Grosskopf said Combat Historia offers a fun activity, a chance to learn and a community. Since the local groups are affiliated with the national non-profit Combat Historia, the group also does charitable community work. 

To join, he can be reached at 585-664-4461, or the group can be found on Facebook.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The lineup for this year's Batavia Ramble and Art Fest has been released, with 28 acts set to perform on two stages in Downtown Batavia.

The music starts on Saturday, July 1, at 11 a.m., with each band playing a 30-minute set and 10 minutes between acts.

The annual memorial will be held at 5 p.m. in Jackson Square.

The final two bands of the Ramble, The Royal Halls and The Bluesway Band, play at 8:10 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. in Jackson Square.

Jackson Street will again be filled with vendors and booths for local artists.

Jackson Street Stage

• Dave Knaudt
• Sky Hinrich
• Steven Sprauge
• Steve Kruppner
• Don Thomas
• David Holnbeck
• Kissin' Whisky
• Tom Ryan & Friends
• Perception
• Zackstreet Boys
• Indigo Flow
• The Cowboy Vampires

Jackson Square Stage

• Ghost Riders
• The Rock-A-Bully's
• Gumshoe
• DriVen
• Bad Sign
• The Bluesway Band
• Shotgun Pauly
• Old Hippies
• Remedy Three
• Beethovens Dream
• Sierra
• High Pines
• Sons Of Luther
• Noah's Reign
• The Royal Halls
• The Bluesway Band

Valerian Ruminski’s talent has been appreciated for decades, and even as a young boy at St. Andrews in Buffalo, if there was any time left toward the end of the day, his biggest fans would make a request.

“The nuns would say, ‘Marty, sing us something.’ Marty was my real name, Valerian was my father’s name so I took that as my stage name, so they’d say, 'Marty, oh, sing us something,' I was always singing at the drop of a hat when I was a kid. I never thought that it was gonna be a career,” the veteran singing basso contante said during an interview with The Batavian. “But as I got a little older, I went to Canisius High School and was in the choir, and then when I was a senior, my teacher took me aside and said, you know, he says, out of the hundreds of students that I have, every couple of years one comes along that I have to tell them that they should pursue a career in music. And you're the one … he was strongly advising me that I had, you know, ample talents in that area.”

And, although Ruminski didn’t exactly follow the path to classical fame he’s now known for decades later (he was waylaid by an Alaskan fishing boat adventure), he has several accolades under his belt, including performances at Carnegie Hall, Orlando Opera, Danish National Opera, Geneva Light Opera, New York Symphonic Ensemble, Lincoln Center, Calgary Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria and Pasadena Opera, to name a few.

Soon the artistic director and founder of Nickel City Opera can add one more venue to his repertoire. He will be bringing — and playing the lead — in “The Barber of Seville” at 7 p.m. Monday at Stuart Steiner Theatre, 1 College Road, Batavia.

When the truck rolls up to deliver, this show promises a 21-piece orchestra, veteran actors, polished sets — doors, walls, props, costumes, makeup, wigs — and a completely professional set-up for the most famous comic opera in the world in the last 200 years, Ruminski said.

Before jumping straight into the show, The Batavian asked Ruminski about his detour to Alaska when he was supposed to be attending college back in the day.

“Yeah, I lived on a boat. I worked at a fishing cannery for about a year when I was 19 - 20 years old. I wanted to get away from it all, I wanted to have a band. You know, I had a techno band, like Depeche Mode. And I wanted to buy equipment for that, and my friend said we could work on a fishing boat, and we could make a lot of money in that summer,” he said. “So we didn't make lots of money. We made some money. And I bought a 63 VW microbus, and I drove down to Los Angeles, and I lived on the beach. And sort of had a wandering night and 20-year-old-adventure, and then eventually came back to Buffalo, because my teacher from high school said you should come back to Buffalo and get a free education at Buffalo Opera Chorus… and you can start singing, so that's what did it, so I came back.”

He took voice at the University at Buffalo and was put into Buffalo Opera Chorus, taught by the director of the company, and then was accepted into Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts, where “you’re like one of the few hundred people that gets chosen every year to go there,” he said.

“And I made my Met debut the year after I graduated from the academy,” he said.

At 29, he was an apprentice for the Santa Fe Opera and was hired to do a show in New York City. While there, a woman from the Met was there with a man scoping out Placido Domingo. They were later asked what they thought of Domingo’s performance. They liked him, Ruminski said, but wanted to know, “who’s the Russian bass?”

“They like that,” Ruminski said with a smile in his voice. “And I've constantly gotten jobs singing in Russian because my name is Valerian Ruminski. And they think that I'm Polish or Russian, but I'm as American as can be. But they hire me for these jobs because the marquee looks good … they put me on the top of the marquee, and they said they didn't want a guy named Johnny Smith on the top of the marquee because all the other singers were from Russia.”

He doesn’t argue that misperception, as it “gets me jobs,” he said. Of course, if the name was an empty vessel, there wouldn’t be the resume that exists for Ruminski. His performances have met with many favorable reviews, including from critic Oliver Munar:

"As Prince Germin in the final act, bass Valerian Ruminski turns in a standout performance. Ruminski’s vibrant voice filled the auditorium with a warmth and sensitivity that underscored his character’s love for Tatyana. On this night, Ruminski offered a truly endearing portrayal that elicited one of the warmest responses for the performance."                                                                                         

And from Kenneth Delong:

"In vocal terms, an excellent moment came in Valerian Ruminski’s great final act bass aria, which was delivered to excellent effect and with a commanding voice. It was an outstanding moment in the production."

For “The Barber of Seville,” Ruminski is to play Bartolo, whose house is set in a public square surrounded by a band of musicians and a poor student named Lindoro, serenading through the window of Rosina to no avail. Lindoro is really the young Count Almaviva in disguise, hoping to make the beautiful Rosina love him for himself and not his money. Rosina is the young ward of the grumpy, elderly Bartolo, and she is allowed very little freedom because Bartolo plans to marry her once she is of age and thus appropriate her considerable dowry. 

Described as a plot of bribery, deception and disguise in which Figaro needs all of his wiles to help the Count outwit Bartolo and ensure true love wins the day, this opera is “a feast of frivolous fun.”

A portion of it was even featured in a Bugs Bunny cartoon because of its popularity and being a cultural classic, Ruminski said. Oh, and it’s a hoot as well.     

“They were made in the late 50s, early 60s. And that's back when there was actually culture in people's lives, and people knew what the Barber of Seville was and that it was a common thing. Even children knew what the Barber of Seville was about, and that disappeared. It doesn't exist anymore. But back then, you know, they even made cartoons with Bugs Bunny and Elmer, but with the music from Bach,” he said. “I mean, they made a couple of those opera cartoons, and people remember them. They became very famous because they're so smart and funny, and striking. And artistically, you know, the animation was fantastic. So that's why I mean, it made a lasting impression. I think the last generation, you know, they remember those things."                        

“That’s why there’s a bunny on the poster so that people know it’s a comedy,” he said. “When they hear opera, they think someone is going to die.”

What percentage of your roles would you prefer to do something more comedic than serious?
“It's really a difficult question because it's fun to do. Obviously, the comedic role, it's harder to do, the comedy is always harder, and you have to plan comedy. You have to have everything as precise, as precision is involved, and there's repetition and all that was much harder to do most of the comic roles than it is to do a serious role where you just run in and stand there and sing something. And there's just a dramatic moment, and you don't have to worry about doing the job or getting the bit across. I prefer to sing. I am a basso contante. That's my voice category, I'm not a goofball,” he said. There are some basses who only sing comedy because their voices are not pretty … I do have a pretty voice. And I can sing, I can sing things very beautiful. So I liked singing these more dramatic roles, where it calls for beautiful lines like a lot of the French repertoire calls for beautiful singing. So the problem is that it's harder to find a comic bass, there's not so many of them around. But I do have a flair for the comic, and I enjoyed doing the comic, I'm giving you a very nuanced answer I know. But yes, I enjoy singing the comic roles. When I get them, of course, I attack them, just with the same amount of intensity as I would any other role. And I do my job. And the Barber of Seville is a very difficult role with one of the primary buffo comic bass roles.

“This started the French Revolution, it stuck a pin in the aristocracy,” Ruminski said. “There’s a chain of silly situations, multi-layers of not just comedy, but a work of art.”

Performers are flying in from Guadalajara, Mexico, San Diego, and New York City, directors from New Jersey and one from Bulgaria. Musicians are being culled from Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. And 300 lucky patrons will have the opportunity to see this special production unfold for two hours on a Monday evening.

Of all the audiences Ruminski had performed before, he had a particularly special one more recently after he met his biological mother for the first time. It was at Our Lady of Victory Basilica Church in Buffalo with a crowd of some 1,400 people. It was “bittersweet,” he said because he wished she could have seen him at the top of his career at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the like.

He has also reconnected with his biological father, and both connections have given him a whole new family when he was otherwise left with no one in the Buffalo area.

He originally planned to leave Erie County and live more permanently in Palm Springs, Calif., where he now stays part-time during the year.

“So now, for the past three years, I've been getting to know my parents. They're both in Buffalo,” he said. “And so my plan to abandon Buffalo was abandoned. I abandoned my abandonment plan.”

And as far as opera is concerned, he has made singing debuts all over the world for 25 years and has gotten into producing more lately, including more contemporary works such as operas based on Stephen King, It’s a Wonderful Life, Sunset Boulevard, Casa Blanca, something “contemporary and relevant to our modern sensibilities,” he said.

He has been recording pop CDs under the label Impresario to feed that other part of his soul hungry for the Depeche Mode era. The pandemic allowed for more time to work on that project, which evolved from writing his own compositions, playing on piano and later singing with a virtual drummer.

For his birthday recently, his wish was to record in a studio.

“Because I want to lay down vocals, and I’m working on one of my songs. That’s my treat,” he said. “That’s my secret passion, that I enjoy doing it and making songs, and I put them on YouTube and all that.”