Drivers who illegally park in handicapped spaces, be warned: James Sheflin is on the job.

Sheflin started three weeks ago with Batavia PD as the city's new parking enforcement and dog control officer.

The part-time position was vacant for a few months before Sheflin's hire.

The 22-year-old Sheflin is from Le Roy, the son of a former Le Roy Fire Department chief, and is a part-time dispatcher for the Sheriff's Office.

Chief Shawn Heubusch said among the things he likes about Sheflin is that he will take on the job enthusiastically, but not over zealously.

Parking enforcement downtown is important, Heubusch said, but parking 30 minutes in a 15-minute zone is not the same as parking in a handicapped spot.

And Sheflin said that illegal parking in handicapped spots is one of his personal pet peeves.

"To me I think it’s just complete laziness when somebody who is not handicapped parks in one," Sheflin said. "That’s not acceptable to me. Those spots are there for a reason and you need a permit for a reason."

The job is a uniformed, civilian position in the department. Parking enforcement officers are responsible for patrolling the entire city limits and enforcing all parking regulations.

Part of the dog control officer's job is to ensure dogs in the city are licensed and to protect animals from inhumane treatment. The dog control officer enforces state, county and city ordinances.

Sheflin said he's a dog lover and isn't concerned about dealing with vicious dogs and wants to protect animals against mistreatment.

His ultimate goal is to become a police officer, ideally in the City of Batavia.

"It's good to get my foot in the door and prove to Chief Heubusch I can be a good employee," Sheflin said. "I figured if I come here, do a good job, it looks good on the resume, at least.”

Press release:

Sheriff Gary T. Maha announces that effective Saturday, Nov. 24, Sergeant Gregory Walker, a 25-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, will be assigned as Criminal Investigation Sergeant and will oversee the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Sergeant Walker started his career with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office in October 1987 as a deputy sheriff. He was promoted to investigator in 1994 and gained experience in drug enforcement. In 1997, he was promoted to sergeant and was assigned as a road patrol supervisor. Sergeant Walker is a 2006 graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy. 

Sheriff Maha also announces the promotion of Deputy Ronald Meides to sergeant, effective Nov. 24. Sergeant Meides will be assigned as a road patrol supervisor.

Deputy Meides started his career with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office in March 1991 as a correction officer. In 1993, he was appointed a deputy sheriff and assigned to road patrol. Deputy Meides was the Sheriff’s Office “Officer of the Year” in 2009 and was recognized by the Kiwanis Club of Batavia in 2011 for his law enforcement service. Deputy Meides has vast experience in road patrol operations and D.W.I. enforcement.

Last week's winner was Matt Scott, who was selected in a random drawing from among the 10 people who correctly named Arian Foster as the running back most likely to rack up the most rushing yards (from among the 10 choices in the contest).

To play this week's contest, click here.

Press release:

As we all know, the East Coast was recently struck by Hurricane Sandy and has much devastation. Members of our community have decided to start a donation drive at the Pembroke High School (routes 5 and 77 in Corfu) on Friday, Nov. 16, from 3 to 7 p.m. with the help of students of the high school.

The students are really coming together to all participate in making this happen. We have been in direct contact with the location where we are making our drop and the following are their specific needs.

We will be accepting: bottled water, toiletries, non-perishable food items and bulk food items for the location because they are making daily hot meals for those who continue to have no electricity. Also needed are: blankets, gently used coats, hats and gloves, and new or gently used toys and Home Depot gift cards, but please no money.

But money can be given to the American Red Cross <www.redcross.org> and checks made out to the American Red Cross can be accepted during the charity drive at the high school.

After, we will be joining with Alden Presbyterian Church to move the goods to another church in New Jersey. Thank you for your time and generosity!

Also, an update on the Rotary drive, from Samantha Vagg, who said specific items are needed:

• Heavy duty garbage bags
• New blankets, pillows, bedding, towels and cots
• Cleaning supplies of all types -- mops, brooms, pails, disinfectant, bleach, detergent
• Flash lights and batteries, especially D batteries
• Work gloves
• Disposable diapers for babies of all sizes and Depends for senior citizens
• Non-perishable food items, especially chunky soups, protein items; canned tuna fish or salmon, sardines, peanut butter, bread, stews, canned ravioli, and juices. We need foods that don’t have to be heated. There is a tremendous need for food right now.
• Baby food of all types
• Pet food of all types
• Paper plates and cups

The drop-off location for the Rotary drive is the American Legion post in Le Roy, 53 W. Main St. Donated goods will be accepted until 6 p.m. today.

Press release:

The seasonal Yard Waste Station hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.  The Yard Waste Station will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 22. The seasonal hours will resume on Friday, Nov. 23. The station will remain open through Dec. 8, weather permitting.

Residents are encouraged to bring yard waste debris to the Yard Waste Station.

Curbside leaf pickup will continue as weather permits or through Wednesday, Nov. 21.

Press release:

As part of MVP Health Care’s fall brand campaign, MVP asked the community “Who Inspires You?” and received more than 150 nominations and 40,000 votes in its quest to find the Ultimate Game Changer.

The contest — which was looking for people who make a significant difference in their communities by making them better, healthier places to live — concluded with an event on Saturday, Nov. 10, honoring the top 10 finalists and naming the Ultimate Game Changer.

Donald Carroll, of Batavia, NY, is the grand prize winner in the Ultimate Game Changer contest. Don, who is battling inoperable cancer of the stomach and esophagus, was not able to travel to Clifton Park for the event, but was there in spirit.

Don, who was orphaned at the age of 5, said that the kindness of family, friends and strangers deeply moved him as a child and young adult. It motivated him to “pay it forward” by sending local kids to summer camp, raising money to buy underprivileged kids toys and clothing at Christmas and funding college scholarships at Genesee Community College.

“I strongly believe all of us become who we are because of life experiences and the way we react to those experiences,” Don said in a statement read by a friend at the event. “We can pick up the ball and run with it, or we can fumble our way through life. I chose to run.”

Don and his former sixth-grade teacher, Jerry Foster, who nominated him, have each won $1,000. Jerry plans to donate his prize money to the cancer support fund established to help Don with his medical and other financial obligations.

“I nominated Don because I’ve had the opportunity to see him grow from a quiet, shy sixth-grader to a humble, compassionate man,” said Jerry, who taught Don at Oakfield-Alabama Central School in Oakfield, NY. “I know of no one who believes more in ‘paying it forward’ than Don. I have always believed in Santa. His nickname is Don.”

“All of the game changer finalists are examples of the kinds of everyday heroes MVP wanted to celebrate,” said Denise Gonick, MVP’s president of Operations. “Don’s story, especially, is wonderfully inspiring. Despite all the hardship in his life and, now, his illness, Don has never stopped giving back and paying it forward. It’s a reminder that wherever you are, whoever you are, you can make a difference.”

The Ultimate Game Changer Contest invited kids age 13 and older and adults in New York and Vermont to nominate someone they felt is making a significant contribution to their local community.

Timothy E. R. Backes, 31, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 3rd. Backes is accused of hitting another man in the face, fracturing facial bones. The incident was originally reported at 2:30 a.m., Oct. 21, to Batavia PD. Investigation revealed the alleged incident occurred at an address on West Main Street Road, Town of Batavia.

Emily R. Diamond, 34, of Lyndonville, is charged with petit larceny. Diamond is accused of stealing from Kmart. The alleged incident was reported to State Police at 4:05 p.m., Wednesday. Diamond was held in jail, no bail amount, if any, released. No further details released.

For 35 years Bob Zehler has enjoyed his work and his coworkers, but the time has come to hang up his badge, he said.

"I'm not quite ready, but now is the time to get out while I still like the place," Zahler said.

Today, in the basement of the jail, coworkers, colleagues and friends gathered for lunch and cake to celebrate Zahler's career.

Many years ago, the Sheriff's Office switched from hiring deputies to work in the jail to hiring corrections officers. Zahler, a supervisor, is the last deputy sheriff to work in the jail.

As for retirement, the Bethany native said he'll spend more time with his 87-year-old mother, complete remodeling his home -- a project he started 20 years ago -- and take care of some neglected work around the family farm.

With Zahler, left in the photo, is the current director of the jail, Ed Minardo.

A brown out, or partial power outage, is reported in Northwest Genesee County. The cause is unknown at this point but we are seeking more information. National Grid was notified by the Emergency Dispatch Center about 20 minutes ago, and now a power company rep(s) is heading into the area to check it out.

Most of the Village of Oakfield is affected, a "good portion" of the Town of Oakfield, and half of south Alabama.

This has prompted numerous calls about the power outage and, in some cases, smoke alarms and CO detectors have gone off and there have been reports of the smell of smoke at some locations.

Fire crews in both communities are responding.

UPDATE 8:17 p.m.: We just received this e-mail from Stephen F. Brady,  media relations manager for National Grid:

"The cause isn't known yet, but we have a crew at the substation and they're working to restore and close in the breakers. I was told 30-45 minutes to restoration. Number of customers affected is around 500. Our Web page is likely showing more than that, but that too is being corrected. It could be morning before the exact cause (is known)."

UPDATE 9:24 p.m.: According to National Grid's Web site, power has been restored.

Safety is every hunter's responsibility, Capt. Christopher Cummings, commander of Troop A, Batavia, told the press today, asking that the media help spread the message of hunter safety at the start of a new hunting season.

Since the 1960s, the number of hunting-related accidents in New York has decreased steadily, but that's no reason not to be as careful this year as any other year. That was the message of today's press conference.

"The important thing is that every individual hunter must realize that they have to make safety priority one when they go out into the field," Cummings said. "Every individual hunter is responsible for the integrity and reputation of hunting. They need to take the responsibility on themselves that they do carry that weight when they enter the woods with a firearm.

"It should be simple for the safety of hunters," Cummings added. "It should be simple. Every hunting incident that we investigate is preventable."

Capt. Frank Lauricella, Department of Environmental Conservation, offered several safety tips for hunters:

• Always assume a firearm is loaded;
• Make sure the muzzle is always pointed in a safe direction;
• Keep the safety on and your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire;
• Wear hunter orange.

It's been proven, he said, that hunters wearing orange are seven times safer than those who do not.

He said it's also important to see your target clearly and what's beyond your target.

"It's very important to remember that once you discharge you cannot call back that projectile," Lauricella said.

We tend to think of playgrounds as just places for children, right?

Well, there's something starting in New York City and Buffalo to change that -- the cities are building playgrounds designed to attract adults in a social environment focused on physical fitness.

As a writer for Buffalo Rising put it, "The concept is so simple that I can't believe that it hasn't surfaced all across America."

There are no known plans to build an adult playground in Batavia, but one local woman has discovered an existing playground that goes a long way in filling the void, and she thinks other adults should join her in putting it to good use.

Batavia resident Nancy Gilmartin-Marchitte said she's been using the playground at the former Robert Morris School for several months for her own exercise routine and having a blast.

She and her husband like to run on the track at Woodward Field, and one day she spotted the rings at the playground and, with her love of gymnastics, she thought it would be fun to try them out.

From that initial experiment, she discovered the playground offered her several different fun and useful exercises.

"After coming here and doing my routines, I came to realize there are adult playgrounds all over now," said the 36-year-old Gilmartin-Marchitte.

In June 2011, Robert Morris opened the new playground paid for by a grant won from Pepsi.

Now, Robert Morris is no longer a school, and though the playground is still owned by the school district, it is open to the community, Business Administrator Scott Rozanski confirmed today.

"We made the decision to leave the playground for community use," Rozanski said.

While adult use hasn't yet been contemplated by district officials, he sees no reason adults couldn't exercise there so long as they didn't prevent children from playing and helped keep the equipment in good working order.

"I would expect an adult to use wisdom and not do anything that would damage the equipment," Rozanski said.

Gilmartin-Marchitte said she's worked up a whole routine for herself that, by making it a rigorous workout, not only exercises her arms, legs and torso, it also provides cardiovascular benefits.

Her routine includes, among other things, chin-ups, exercises on the rings (her favorite), balance walks, using the swing for her abs and the parallel bars.

"Going to the playground a few times a week and exercising on the rings and chin-up bar is not only a good exercise, but brings out the little girl in me," Gilmartin-Marchitte said.

A pet sitter has been arrested by the Sheriff's Office and accused of stealing antiques from a residence in Batavia and selling them to a collectibles store in Cheektowaga.

Jodi Coe, 36, of Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield, is charged with burglary, 2nd, and grand larceny, 3rd.

Investigator William Ferrando arrested Coe for allegedly stealing antique items from a home where she was taking care of pets in September.

Some of the items allegedly stolen have been recovered.

Coe was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.

A working car fire is reported, with flames showing underneath it, on the westbound 490. Le Roy and Bergen fire crews are responding. It's at mile marker 2.

UPDATE 5:15 p.m.: Foam will be used to douse the fire. Bergen is continuing to the scene. Le Roy is put back in service.

UPDATE 5:16 p.m.: The fire is out.

Press release:

The Le Roy Main Street Committee will sponsor a presentation by architect Rick Hauser on a proposal to purchase the Wiss Hotel from the village. The plans include several commercial facilities and five residential apartments at the site.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Village Hall. The public is invited. The Village Hall is located at 3 W. Main St.

Press release:

The Genesee County Legislature is accepting applications for the position of Genesee County Community Services/Mental Health Board Member. Of special interest is an open position for a Clergy Member.

Applications for board members are available on the Genesee County Web site by visiting www.co.genesee.ny.us under the Legislature Department. You may also contact your legislator or the Genesee County Legislature Office for additional details.

The Web site contains an Advisory Board Booklet listing all our board opportunities. You are encouraged to visit the Web site and let us know of your interests, 344-2550, ext. 2202.

A motor-vehicle accident has been reported in front of the East Pembroke Fire Hall, 2623 E. Main Road, East Pembroke.

At the same time, the fire station's fire alarm has gone off.

The car has apparently gone through the door of the fire hall and struck a fire truck.

There is a report of one injury.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 3:53 p.m.: The vehicle struck a center post on the building causing structural damage. Code enforcement requested to the scene.

UPDATE 3:56 p.m.: Both engines and the tanker are blocked in the building. The chief orders that as soon as the patient is extricated -- and the patient has been extricated -- that some pictures be taken and the trucks moved to another location as soon as possible.

UPDATE 4:02 p.m.: The fire chiefs will be notified in Oakfield, Indian Falls, Pembroke and Town of Batavia and crews will be assembled as they deem necessary to stand by in their quarters. One engine from the East Pembroke hall is out and available in case of fire, but that's it. Any other equipment needed to fight a fire would need to come from elsewhere.

UPDATE 4:15 p.m.: All the trucks from the East Pembroke Fire Station have been safely removed from the damaged building. But crews in other halls will remain on standby duty for the time being.

UPDATE 5:24 p.m.: The driver was eastbound on Route 5 and either fell asleep or blacked out due to a medical condition, according to Trooper Mark Catanzaro. Her car entered the west driveway, went airborne after cutting between a utility pole and the fire department sign and over an embankment, striking the post between two doors. No fire engines were damaged. The trucks are being relocated, according to Chief Don Newton, to Ron and Newt's. East Pembroke fire will be able to respond to calls from that location, but neighboring districts will also be called on mutual aid for most emergency calls. The trucks will be returned to the hall after repairs are completed, which will take one or two weeks.

Kenneth W. Cook III, 19, of 108 Oak St., Batavia, is charged with sexual misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child. Cook is accused of having sexual relations with a girl under the age of 17.

Timothy J. Petrie, 41, of Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Petrie was arrested by State Police in relation to an incident reported Aug. 19. No further details released.

Press release:

Batavia and Le Roy Rotary Clubs are collecting relief items for the areas of New York and New Jersey devastated by Superstorm Sandy.

The Batavia club is subsidizing transportation of items to the hard-hit areas on Saturday. A team of Le Roy Rotarians led by President Samantha Vagg will take the items to an area established by Rotary clubs in the devastated area.

Donations are being coordinated through the Rotary districts in that region.

In addition, the Batavia club is donating $1,500 for relief efforts. If others wish to donate, they can -- either needed items or money. The check will be given to Samantha to take with her when the relief items are delivered on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Checks may be made out to the following:

The Walter D. Head Foundation of Rotary District 7490

c/o Calisto Bertin

Bertin Engineering

66 Glen Ave., Glen Rock, NJ 07452

This is a 501(c)3 foundation and is coordinating the cash donations to the devastated districts. Our donation will be divided among the six Rotary districts that were hardest hit in New York and New Jersey.