An accident with possible minor injuries is reported in the area of 7793 Townline Road, Bergen.
Bergen fire and ambulance responding.
UPDATE 7:50 a.m.: Confirmed injuries. Extrication for at least one person required.
Here's a different take on a snowstorm picture. Matthew Bailey and Heather Lewis got engaged recently but hadn't yet gotten their engagement portraits taken, so today, in the midst of a snowstorm on Tracy Avenue, they thought it would be the perfect time to have their official engagement pictures taken. They will be married May 12. Bailey was recently hired as a corrections officer in the Genesee County Jail.
Photo submitted by Melissa Barone.
Firefighter Christine Marinaccio was part of a team of Batavia Local 896 firefighters who participated this past weekend in the American Lung Association Fight for Air Climb at the Main Place Tower in Buffalo.
Marinaccio won the trophy for Fastest Female Firefighter, beating out the other women in the climb up the 24-floor staircase. Her time was seven minutes and 27 seconds. The five-member team raised $2,100 for the ALA.
Lilah Guarino, 7, (top photo) and Quintin Hoca, 4, (below) couldn't wait to get to Centennial Park today to sled in the snow. The sun came out late this afternoon and they were there. It's the first time this winter there has really been enough snow for good sledding. Lilah's father said she's been bugging him all winter about sledding so she was eager to hit the slopes today.
A person is reportedly stuck in a vehicle, but uninjured, after a rollover accident on Route 77, just south of Ham Road, in Alabama.
Alabama fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
The Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble will hold its Spring Concert in the auditorium of Elba Central School at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 30.
Philip J. Briatico is the conductor.
It will feature these works:
Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors age 55 and up, and veterans; $5 for students with I.D.; children ages 5 and under are free. Get a Family Deal for $25 for mom and dad and up to four children.
Also, there will be a Meal Deal printed on the back of the tickets, offering a deal at Chap's Elba Diner, which can only be used immediately following the concert for 10 percent off the dining bill.
This program is made possible, in part, by the Reach Grant program administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
The purpose of the Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble is to serve and to provide the Greater Genesee Valley audience with new and familiar live music, to serve its membership with the opportunity to perform challenging wind ensemble literature and to create the opportunity for the conductor and musicians to grow their collective musical talents.
To contact the ensemble, email geneseevalleywindensemble@gmail.com
Press release:
City Manager Jason Molino announced today that Stefano (Steve) Napolitano has accepted the position of the City’s new fire chief.
Chief Napolitano will be leaving his current position as Deputy Fire Chief for the Village of Herkimer and begin his Batavia post on April 17.
“It has been a long and thorough search to fill this important position with the City’s fire department,” Molino said. “Steve brings with him a great breadth and depth of experience in the fire service and has the proven skills and passion for leadership that we’ve been looking for. I look forward to introducing him to our community.”
In addition to his 25 years with Herkimer’s fire department, Chief Napolitano has served as a New York State Fire Instructor since 2006. He continues to conduct training at the State Academy of Fire Sciences in Montour Falls.
Napolitano also worked as Deputy Director of the Herkimer County Office of Emergency Services from 2008 through 2015 where he assisted in development, revision and implementation of local disaster and emergency management plans, along with assisting in the county 9-1-1 dispatch communication center and the administration of the county’s mutual aid plan, mutual aid radio system and state fire training.
Chief Napolitano, who has two adult children; a daughter, Alyssa and a son, Steven, will relocate to Batavia.
“I anticipate becoming an integral member of the community and immersing myself in various civic organizations,” Napolitano said. “In addition, the City is experiencing many quality of life enhancements, and along with being able to work with an outstanding group of men and women in providing critical services to the citizens of Batavia, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of all the community has to offer.”
Molino also thanked Interim Chief Dan Herberger who has served in the temporary capacity for a little more than a year, saying “Chief Herberger has proven himself to be an outstanding senior leader and integral member of our management team.”
Molino added that Herberger contributed immensely not only to the fire department but to the entire City through his wisdom, work ethic and incredible sense of commitment.
The Genesee County Job Development Bureau will hold a Youth Job Fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, March 23. It will take place at the Genesee County Career Center, located at 587 E. Main St., Batavia.
Eleven employers and 13 vendors are scheduled to attend. They will assist youth graduating from high school secure employment on a short-term or long-term basis, and vendors such as Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, Genesee Community College, and Empire State College will have representatives there to talk to the youth about vocational or educational goals.
In addition, representatives from the Department of Labor will be on hand to review students' resumes.
For questions or to participate in this event, contact Jay Lazarony, senior employment & training counselor, Genesee County Career Center, 587 E. Main St., Batavia. Phone 344-2042, ext. 4212, or email jlazarony@co.genesee.ny.us
Press release:
St. Joseph School inducted new members into its Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) last week.
With help from the school's current NJHS members, new inductees were welcomed into the NJHS at a ceremony held at St. Joseph Church. The NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. For 10 years, the students in the NJHS at St. Joe’s have been helping the Batavia community by holding fundraisers and providing services for many different organizations.
To be considered for a nomination into this Society, seventh-grade students had to maintain an average of 94 or above and eighth-grade students had to maintain an average of 90 or above. These students then had to apply for membership showcasing their accomplishments and service over the past few years. After careful review and consideration, the St. Joe’s NJHS faculty council selected this year’s inductees.
Congratulations to seventh-grade students Nathanael Brew, Colin McCulley, Aiden Sisson, Lucia Sprague, Steven Zocco, and to eighth-grade students Donato Fiorentino, Colin Kratz, Ava Reinhart and Maxwell Tenney.
Helping People in Need -- DePaul Batavia Square Apartments
DePaul, a not-for-profit organization established in 1958, is seeking to rezone two East Main Street properties in order to allow construction of 80 units of housing for income-eligible tenants. The affordable apartments would be fully handicap accessible, provide workforce housing and would serve vulnerable populations including veterans, elderly individuals and persons with special needs who would be linked with supportive services. A spring 2018 construction date is targeted.
DePaul committed last fall to build new facilities in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties as part of a $2.6 billion statewide plan to develop supportive housing units for vulnerable populations such as the working poor, seniors and veterans.
Working with SWBR Architects, DePaul has plans for six buildings — two multistory apartment buildings and four sets of town homes placed in half-circles around a central green space. The newest developments in solar technology would be used and vegetated “green roofs” would be located over both the two- and three-story, 24-unit buildings with shared laundry facilities in each townhome. According to DePaul President Mark Fuller, DePaul is staying on trend with varied design and less density, providing mixed-use, diverse options to populations in need.
Having access to affordable, quality housing in a neighborhood that is connected to jobs and other amenities makes life better for people. Research demonstrates there is a positive relationship between stable, affordable housing and improved health, increased academic performance, and greater economic self-sufficiency.
Construction of new affordable housing creates a host of jobs, while vacant or underused parcels are transformed, increasing the value of the property and neighboring areas. Communities truly benefit from the revitalization of neighborhoods and promotion of economic and social integration. DePaul is committed to investing in Batavia and the many people in need who benefit from quality housing. For more information; please visit us online at: www.depaul.org
A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) on Sunshine Week, which is dedicated to increased openness, accountability and transparency in government:
“Sunshine Week is a tremendous opportunity we have as public officials to inject trust and integrity back into Albany politics. Unfortunately, year after year, Albany’s budget process seems to be the opposite.
"The governor and house leaders have routinely kept many rank-and-file legislators completely in the dark on budget negotiations, only to thrust a series of very long bills on our desks in the middle of the night for a rushed vote, and that is unacceptable.
“Let’s not forget it was New York City special interests who voted against 12 reforms put on the table by my upstate Assembly colleagues and I, which would have set term limits for legislative leaders, put restrictions on messages of necessity and required a three-day input process before legislation could be voted upon.
"The best way to cut through the dark cloud of secrecy and backroom dealings is sunshine, and I will be working to pull back the curtains as we move forward.”
Rachel Ann Baehr, 30, of Linwood Road, Le Roy, is charged with third-degree assault. On March 15, at 1:25 a.m., Baehr was arrested following an investigation of a domestic incident that occurred at 9101 Linwood Road in the Town of Le Roy. She allegedly bit another person's face, causing them to bleed. Baehr was arraigned, then released under supervision of Genesee Justice. She is due back in Le Roy Town Court on April 20. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.
Richard Dean McKague Jr., 26, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. On March 14, at about 11:16 a.m., McKague was arrested for allegedly possessing a Kung Fu Star during a probation home check. He was issued an appearance ticker for April 11 in Batavia Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Chad Cummings.
A Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) on the Assembly’s One-House Budget Resolution:
“It comes as no surprise that the Assembly’s One-House Budget Resolution, crafted in secret by New York City politicians, increases taxes and spending and shifts our state’s resources in a way that seemingly benefits illegal aliens and criminals as much as taxpaying citizens.
"This is a 3-percent spending increase over last year and it is disingenuous to force our municipalities to stay within the 2 percent tax cap when the legislature is not required to do so. We should lead by example and walk the walk.
"I will not stand for free college giveaways like the DREAM Act, Raise the Age, which protects violent felony offenders or the Essential Plan, which gives high-end healthcare plans to illegals on our dime.
"Despite these misplaced priorities, billions to fund clean water infrastructure upgrades, an increase in school aid, an increase in local agriculture assistance and a $500 million proposed investment in the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) will go a long way toward improving and strengthening our community if they make it into the final enacted state budget. Expect me to remain vigilant and fight for these initiatives in the coming weeks.
"Furthermore, I am encouraged by the proposed $4 million restoration in Library Aid that the governor planned on cutting. I have worked diligently over the last few months to restore this funding and even wrote a letter to Speaker Heastie with signatures of 62 legislators from both sides of the aisle.”
City officials are wondering what's up with the settlement they reached with attorneys for the City Centre Mall Merchants Association. They thought the matter would be resolved by now, but apparently, the attorneys for the merchants haven't even shown the membership the final draft of the settlement agreement.
While City Manager Jason Molino said he has no reason to believe the settlement won't eventually be presented to the merchants and the settlement will be approved, the delay just means the city can't work on structural deficiencies in the concourse.
"I would like to think that there is nothing that suggests the deal is going to fall apart," Molino said. "The issue is how do we get to the finishing line and get to the finishing line as expeditiously as possible, which is in the best interest of everyone in the community, the best interest of the property owners in here in the mall, and then we can start to talk about what we can do to trigger new growth and new investment in this concourse and in this mall. That's the most important thing to keep our eye on."
Mall Manager Madeline Bialkowski, who scheduled her retirement for April 1 to coincide with the settlement of the mall merchant's lawsuit being in place, said that merchants are waiting for a final draft of the settlement agreement from the attorneys.
Hugh Carlin is the attorney representing the City Centre Mall Merchants Association.
Yesterday, we asked Carlin when the merchants would approve the settlement.
"I can't say yet," Carlin said. "Hopefully in the near future. There are a few more details we're working on."
Asked what those details might be since his side had already agreed to a settlement, Carlin said, "I can't comment." Pushed for clarification, he repeated, "I can't comment."
According to documents obtained by The Batavian through a Freedom of Information Law request, the merchants have paid their attorneys $212,056 since starting the litigation against the city in 2009.
In February of 2015, The Batavian reported that the association had spent $103,317 on the lawsuit. The tab has gone up another $108,738 according to documents obtained through the FOIL request.
The city, through the same period, has spent $168,070 on attorney fees, with $63,872 being added since February 2015.
"The city has done everything it can prior to the lawsuit (to reach an agreement), during the lawsuit and now, having entered into terms we've agreed to to end the lawsuit in a way that is expedient and in the best interest of everyone," Molino said. "Now, we're still having challenges with the mall's legal counsel."
The lack of an agreement is delaying Bialkowski's retirement. She's agreed to stay on until the settlement is finalized, but she and her friends are still going ahead with a retirement party at Ken's Pits on March 30 because she anticipates she will be retired not long after that, she said.
The association and the city had a long-simmering dispute over who is responsible for repair and maintenance of the mall concourse. According to a 1987 settlement, the merchants' association was supposed to take control of the city-owned concourse on April 1, 2000.
The settlement agreement the city and the attorneys for merchants agreed to during the first week of February puts the burden back on the city to repair and maintain the concourse. That's a task Molino said the city is eager to take on because that's the only way all of the necessary repairs will take place so the mall becomes once again a viable business investment.
The City Council approved the settlement Feb. 27. Each owner of properties in the mall must individually sign off on the agreement or submit a motion to the court to show cause for not agreeing to the settlement.
The city is ready to get started, he said, as soon as the merchants approve the agreement.
"The city is in position and we're ready to move," Molino said. "We're ready to take this 17-acre area and take on the responsibility to move it into a better position so that in the future it triggers investment."
There's a lot of work to be done but that doesn't apparently include mitigating mold.
Contrary to reports in other media outlets, there is no evidence of mold in the mall, Molino said.
The speculation for mold in the mall apparently comes from an interview Ron Viele, a local contractor, gave to a reporter. We placed calls yesterday afternoon and early this afternoon seeking clarification but Viele has not returned our calls.
We did speak to Paul Viele, Ron's son and a member of the City Council. He said he didn't participate in the interview with his father but did say "it's possible" there is mold in the mall, especially given the leaks and moisture in the mall.
He said the city should hire a professional to evaluate whether there is mold.
"We don't do that kind of work," Viele said. "We're contractors."
Until the merchants' attorneys move forward with the settlement, it would be up to the mall association to hire a contractor to deal with any potential mold, Molino said.
However, he said, as part of the settlement process, a third-party consultant was brought in to evaluate the mall concourse. Molino said he can't release that report, even as part of a FOIL request, because it's part of the technically ongoing litigation, but that consultant found no evidence of mold, he said.
As for whether it's possible, of course, it's possible, Molino said. It's also possible, he said, that if you have forced-air heating in your home that you have mold in your home. In fact, if you haven't had your ducts cleaned in a long time, it's likely. That doesn't mean the mold is harmful. It depends on the type of mold and a person's sensitivity to it. It would take a professional, not just somebody looking up at the ceiling, to determine if mold is present. (Here's what the CDC says about the health risks of mold.)
The person in the photo is wanted by Batavia PD for questioning in the theft of merchandise from the CVS store on West Main Street, Batavia.
Several items were stolen at approximately 10:15 a.m., Monday.
The person of interest is described as 5' 10" and wearing a baseball cap, dark boots, dark blue jeans, and a black Carhartt-style jacket.
Tips: Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350 or the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.
About a dozen people rallied in support of Dolores Bustamante this morning outside of the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia.
Bustamante, who lives in Sodus, was scheduled for a deportation hearing and supporters were concerned she was being targeted because of her work with the Workers Center of CNY following President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration.
In a short statement before her hearing, Bustamante said she was hopeful that President Trump is serious about only going after immigrants who are criminals because, she said, she is not a criminal. She came to this country to get away from an abusive spouse and provide a better life for her daughter.
At the hearing today, Bustamante was allowed to stay in the country but ordered back to the immigration court in two months.
Another worker activist with the Workers' Center, Jose Coyote Perez, is currently being detained, according to Rebecca Fuentes.
Fuentes said Perez was administratively cleared to stay in the country in September and obtained a work permit and a Social Security number and was in the process of getting a driver's license when he was detained.
She said Perez was assaulted by a coworker at the dairy farm in Livingston County where he's employed and as a result, Perez contacted local law enforcement. Officers responded but made no arrests and left it to the parties to work it out amongst themselves.
The next day, she said, Perez was ordered by ICE to report to Batavia to fill out paperwork. She said officials told him it was just routine and he had nothing to worry about. He was detained the day he turned up, Feb. 24, and has been in custody since then.
He has a hearing at the end of the month, she said, and there will likely be another rally at the facility to support his cause.
In 2014, Bustamante was stopped by a trooper for a traffic violation and as a result was turned over to immigration authorities. Bustamante and members of the Workers' Center participated in a campaign that led to an executive memo that prohibits troopers from asking citizenship status during routine contacts.
There's plenty of snow on the ground, it's cold and a winter storm warning remains in effect until 8 p.m., but the county's travel advisory has been lifted and conditions aren't too bad for a snowy, winter day.
Photo: 500 block of East Main Street, Batavia.
NOTE: The travel advisory has been lifted.
The Sheriff's Office has issued a travel advisory for Genesee County. Current and forecasted weather conditions consisting of steady and strong winds have caused whiteout conditions. These conditions are expected to continue for 24 hours. Motorists are strongly encouraged to avoid any unnecessary travel.
Cancellations and closures for Wednesday:
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