Press release:
Call for craft artisans and vendors for the annual Picnic in the Park on July 4 at Centennial Park, Batavia. Sponsored by GO ART!
For details and application please visit GOART.ORG : Programs/ Events, Picnic in the Park applications, Art and Craft Vendors.
Batavia City school administrators and teachers presented art awards Friday evening to students at the Richmond Memorial Library in the district's annual art show. The student art will be on display at the library for the remainder of the month.
On Friday night at John Kennedy School Pack 6112 ran its pinewood derby on the city’s longest and fastest track. With nearly 50 feet of racetrack the Lions, Tigers, Bobcats and Wolfs ran the cars they made themselves in a night of racing.
The scouts were more than a little excited about the event. After the official round of racing, the scouts had fun races even running the cars backwards.
Otto, a German Shorthair Pointer, doesn't like the cold, but he may be out there somewhere or holed up in a nice cozy home if somebody had taken him in, but his owner, Katie Grant, is devastated that he's missing.
He was last seen in the area of Genesee Street near Ellenwood Road in Corfu.
He has an orange collar.
Katie can be reached at 585 297 0721 or 716 939 0330
She said he will seek out people and try to get inside homes to escape the cold.
"Bring my baby home," she said. "He's never been lost before."
UPDATE March 19: Reader Rick Hensel informs all that the dog is home safe and sound.
After looking over the final $15 million in grant-request projects Batavia will submit to the state for its Downtown Revitalization Initiative prize, Councilman Al McGinnis said he was pleased and excited about the prospect for the future of the city.
"I think we’re lucky enough to be around here in five or six years, it will be a revitalized Batavia that we won’t recognize and we will wish we had it earlier," McGinnis said. "It’s only going to impact us in a positive way. It’s just too bad it didn’t happen 20 years ago."
Looking specifically at the public market and at Batavia Players' plans for a downtown location for what is now Theater 56, McGinnis said that one project is just a single example of how all of these ideas have a chance at making downtown a better place for residents and businesses.
"This is great stuff," McGinnis said. "I mean, we don’t have the money for this. If the state can give us this money and we can do most of these things, there’s no downside to this. There is none. It’s all positive. I just wish the State could give us $5 million more."
The state's prize is to award $10 million worth of local projects. A local committee of community members made the first cut -- $15 million worth of projects -- from the batch of applicants, but the state gets the final say in whittling down the choices to $10 million in grants.
The local committee's final choices were presented to the public Thursday night during an open house at City Hall.
Interim City Manager Matt Worth said he liked what he saw.
"Some of the discussions have been about downtown being a real neighborhood and I think some of the projects lend themselves to that," Worth said. "It’s really encouraging seeing some of the momentum the City has. There’s more interest in what’s going on downtown than I’ve seen in an awfully long time, so that’s very positive."
Victor Gautieri has the dual perspective of a longtime downtown leader as president of the Business Improvement District and as an applicant for a grant for his project on Ellicott Street (the Save-A-Lot building).
He's hoping the state will prioritize projects that might not otherwise be viable without the assistance.
"There are a lot of very nice projects that are here," he said. "I think some are more appropriate than others. I am a believer that the grant money should be going to those that really need it in the private sector.
"We’re very hopeful we’re going to be able to get our grant because that is what is going to make the project," he added. "That’s the only way we will ever able to do what we want to do with that property."
Looking at the projects as a whole, Gautieri thinks we won't even recognize Batavia in a few years.
"If several of these projects get the green light and are awarded a grant, it’s going to transform downtown," Gautieri said. "It’s going to look like it never has before, especially on the Southside, the Ellicott Street side. That is where we need, I think, the most help."
Here's a summary of the projects being submitted to the State:
Information provided by the Western New York Maple Producers Association.
This weekend and next weekend (March 17-18 & 24-25) is Maple Weekend as the sweet tradition continues. Two of the many maple producers in the region are in Genesee County and will be participating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. They are:
According to the Maple Producers Association, maple syrup has become a powerhouse crop for New York State farmers. In the last decade, production of syrup has tripled, while the crop value has quadrupled.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NY Maple Producers manufactured 760,000 gallons of maple syrup last year, the highest production rate ever. It's an increase of 7.5 percent from the previous year.
The 2016 crop in New York was valued at $31.3 million, with an estimated economic impact of almost $141 million. The value for the 2017 crop will be released in June.
There's plenty of room to expand production because the U.S. Forestry Service data shows that more tappable maple trees are in New York than any other state in America.
The 22nd annual Maple Weekend is family friendly and free to the public. Take a tour and learn about tree tapping and boiling, see displays and best of all -- taste some of America's greatest maple syrup.
A complete list of participating sugarhouses, site maps and more information about Maple Weekend can be found here.
How Sap Becomes Syrup
Syrup is produced as the sugar maple holds starches in storage during the winter, which change to sugars as spring approaches. These sugars are released into the tree sap.
When a tree is tapped, a clear liquid runs out. When that liquid is boiled down, approximately 44 gallons of the sap produces a gallon of maple syrup.
Techniques vary from producer to producer -- some use state-of-the-art methods while others are traditionalists.
During Maple Weekend, many maple producers also offer additional activities including horse and wagon rides, snowshoeing, guided walks in the woods and kids' corners. And across Western New York, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts will abound over the next two consecutive weekends.
Did You Know?
Also, there's more to maple syrup than its delicious taste. University of Rhode Island researchers recently found 20 compounds in maple syrup that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to help fight cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses. Other established health benefits of pure maple syrup include its calcium and potassium content -- a quarter cup of maple syrup has more calcium that the same amount of milk and more potassium than a banana.
New York is the second-largest maple producing state in the nation, with 2.65 million taps, producing 760,000 gallons of syrup, and accounting for 18 percent of the maple syrup in the United States in 2017.
Besides pure maple syrup, products that contain maple syrup include: maple cream, maple sugar, maple candy, maple jelly, maple mustard, maple tea, maple coffee, maple cotton candy, maple oatmeal bread, maple apple butter, maple walnut fudge, maple suckers and maple butter.
Submitted photo and press release:
The American Legion Auxiliary Botts Fiorito Post 576 in Le Roy announces Empire Girls State program representatives. The auxiliary is honored to have Ava Horgan, pictured left, representing Unit 576 and Samantha Call representing Genesee County.
American Legion Auxiliary Empire Girls State program will be held July 1- 7 at The College of Brockport in Brockport.
Empire Girls State is a hands-on weeklong educational workshop, focusing on Americanism and the political process, sponsored by the New York State American Legion Auxiliary. The goal of the program is to help students to better understand democratic ideals and the part individuals play in carrying out these ideals.
Ava is a member of Botts Fiorito Post 576 and a junior at Le Roy High School. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council vice president, also an attorney for the Mock Trial Team. She is the daughter of Dan and Sarah Horgan, of Le Roy.
Samantha is also a junior at Le Roy High School. She is a member of the Honor Society, French Club and enjoys playing hockey, dance, and musicials. "Sam" is the daughter of Stephanie and James Call, of Stafford.
A car versus tree accident with two people injured is reported at 6742 Lewiston Road in Oakfield. Oakfield Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.
UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: Traffic control is called to Macomber Road to stop traffic at Lewiston Road. A second ambulance is called to the scene. The accident location is between Macomber and Bliss roads.
Press release from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:
At about 6:24 a.m. today the Genesee County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a head-on motor-vehicle accident with serious physical injury in the area of Route 5 and Clipnock Road in the Town of Stafford. Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2007 Chevrolet pickup truck being driven by Thomas J. Manzella, 24, of Batavia, was traveling westbound on Route 5 when he lost control of the vehicle on snow-covered roads.
The pickup truck spun counterclockwise, sliding sideways as it crossed into the eastbound lane and into the path of a 2006 Mack roll-off container truck being operated by Curtiss L. Mallory, 32, of Buffalo.
Following the impact, both vehicles traveled off of the south shoulder of Route 5 where they came to rest. Mallory immediately called 9-1-1 prompting the response of Sheriff's Office patrols along with ambulances from Mercy Emergency Medical Services and responders from the Stafford Fire Department.
Manzella was extricated from the vehicle and transported via ambulance to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, where he succumbed to his injuries sustained in the crash.
Weather conditions including blowing snow and poor road conditions are believed to have been contributing factors in the crash.
A minor fuel spill from the Mack container truck was addressed at the scene by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Route 5 in the area of the accident remained closed for several hours while the accident was being investigated.
The accident investigation is being conducted by deputies Nati, Andre, Wilson, Erion, and investigators Diehl and Parker, and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office Crash Management Unit.
Assisting at the scene were Mercy EMS, the Stafford Fire Department, NY State DEC, and the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management.
GO ART! hosted the opening of its annual juried art show Thursday night at Seymore Place in Batavia.
Top prize this year was awarded to Alex Sergovia for his painting (top photo) Celestial Blues. Sergovia could not be present at the opening last night.
The work displayed was selected from numerous entries by the jury, which also selected the winning entry.
Above sits Artist David Burke. His three paintings are the tree on the left, and the two paintings above him on the right.
Batavia City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey reads to students at Jackson Primary School on Thursday night during the school's reading night, part of its annual Parents as Reading Partners Program.
This year's theme is "Wild About Reading at the Jackson Primary Zoo."
Molly Corey reading.
Linda Conway reading.
Students and parents playing Zoo Bingo.
Students from St. Joe's Elementary School joined members of Batavia Kiwanis Club yesterday to help announce this Sunday's annual Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner.
The dinner will be held at St. Joe's starting noon. Dinner will be served until 3 p.m.
Tickets are $6 per person and takeouts are available.
Proceeds benefit the charitable efforts of the Batavia Kiwanis Club.
A serious injury accident is reported at the intersection of Main and Clipnock roads, Stafford. It was a head-on collision. There is entrapment. "One driver is OK, the other driver is not."
The male driver of a pickup truck is confirmed to be unresponsive; first responders will need assistance in getting the door open to get the victim out.
Diesel fuel is spilled in the field. The pickup is located just west of Clipnock. Stafford fire is responding along with Mercy EMS. Deputies are on scene. Mercy Flight was contacted but unable to fly due to weather.
UPDATE 6:46 a.m.: Traffic control will be set up at Sanders Road and Route 5; no traffic will be allowed through.
UPDATE 7:09 a.m.: The driver of the pickup is being transported to UMMC. The other driver is being evaluated by medics and is probably going to be a sign-off.
UPDATE 7:13 a.m.: The driver evaluated at the scene by medics declined medical treatment and Mercy medics are back in service.
UPDATE 9:22 a.m.: We'll post more photos from the scene and information, probably in a separate story, once the Sheriff's Office releases more information later today.
UPDATE 11:26 a.m.: The Sheriff's Department has confirmed that this was a fatal accident. The driver of the pickup truck succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
As I walked out of Batavia City Hall tonight, the snow had just started falling.
The forecast is for periods of snow tonight and tomorrow. The total accumulation tonight is expected to be less than an inch.
Jonathan C. Hoges, 35, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.
Hoges is accused of selling crack cocaine to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force on two occasions.
He was arrested on Jackson Street on Tuesday by members of the Task Force with assistance from Batavia PD.
Following arraignment, he was jailed without bail.
Lisa Marie Sinclair, 43, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with forgery, 2nd, and grand larceny, 3rd. Sinclair, employed by a company in Stafford, allegedly falsified checks on her employer's bank account, enabling her to steal more than $23,000. She was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.
Philip David Amedio, 18, of Hartland Road, Gasport, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Amedio was charged following an investigation by Deputy Matthew Bailey of an accident on Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, at 3:18 a.m. Wednesday.
Among the 11 people arrested on drug sales charges over the past few weeks in Wyoming County were two Genesee County residents, according to arrest reports released today by the Wyoming County Drug Task Force.
Mitchell Freeman, 29, of Quinlan Road, Le Roy, was arrested Feb. 17, and charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Freeman is accused of selling buprenorphine in the Village of Attica in the fall. He was ordered held in the Wyoming County Jail.
Lance Mercado, 27, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Mercado is accused of selling buprenorphine on two occasions in the fall in the Village of Attica. He was arrested Feb. 1 and jailed on $25,000 bail.
Wyoming County Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph said the task for continues to seek several other suspects on drug indictment warrants and that his office will continue to do its part to help fight the current drug epidemic.
“The Wyoming County Drug Task Force continues to diligently investigate in the enforcement piece of this drug epidemic," Rudolph said in a press release. "Enforcement will not combat addictions and intense treatment is needed to tackle that difficulty, however, we as a law enforcement community are all committed to investigating and arresting drug dealers who prey and profit from those addictions.
"It is also our hope that taking drug dealers off the street contributes to the prevention piece of this epidemic, particularly with our youth. Stemming the opioid crisis is a multi-prong approach and the Wyoming County Drug Task Force is resolved in doing our part.”
Copyright © 2008-2022 The Batavian. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
