Submitted photos and press release:

The students at St. Joseph Catholic School took part in one of the largest learning events in history! More than 100 million students in 180 countries participated in the Hour of Code during Computer Science Education week which was Dec. 4^th – 10^th.

The kindergarten through fifth-grade classes spent their time in the computer lab with their technology teacher, Mrs. Paserk, directing robots, “Switch and Glitch,” through different scenarios to save their captain.

The middle school students worked on the “Robot Rattle” activity, programming a robot to make different movements to complete tasks.

Although these activities may seem fun to these students, what many don’t realize is that they are gaining problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. Mrs. Paserk will continue to work with her students on coding throughout the school year.

Press release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI Coordinator Matt Landers announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

While we spend this Holiday Season celebrating with friends and family and looking forward to the blessings of a New Year the law enforcement community across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on Dec. 15 and will end on Jan. 1. New York State Police, County Sheriffs and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force.

Sheriff Sheron says, “our patrols will be extra vigilant for impaired drivers this Holiday Season. Make sure you don’t attract their attention by drinking and driving.”

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers.

So much for Happy Holidays -- in December 2016 impaired driving crashes resulted in 781 deaths. Over a 5-year period that total is almost 4,000 unnecessary and tragic deaths! So this holiday season Have a SOBER Plan. Even one alcoholic drink is too many for you to drive. There are many alternatives – Designate a SOBER driver, use public transportation, stay where you are but absolutely, DON’T DRIVE. GET A RIDE!

The STOP-DWI Holiday Season Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation. In addition, the Foundation has created a Mobile App – “Have A Plan” that is available as a free download for smart phones to help find safe rides home no matter where you may be celebrating. Many thanks to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee for their support of this new technology.

Go to www.stopdwi.org/mobileapp or visit your app store.

We wish you and your family and friends a very safe and Happy Holiday season!

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he will be hosting a free Yellow Dot program on Thursday in Corfu. It will be held at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Corfu United Presbyterian Church, 63 Alleghany Road, Corfu.

It will be conducted by the Genesee County Sheriff's Department and Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron Jr. and Undersheriff Gregory Walker are expected to attend.

Yellow Dot is designed to help first responders provide life-saving medical attention during that first “golden hour” after a car crash or emergency. A Yellow Dot Kit, like those available at Thursday's event, contains two cards for your personal information and and two Yellow Dot stickers (decals), one for your car and one for your home.

FOR YOUR VEHICLE: A Yellow Dot placed in the driver's-side rear window of your vehicle will alert first responders that vital medical information is stored in the glove compartment. One card should be completed for each person who regularly occupies the vehicle. The card(s) should be updated annually yourself or bring it to your medical check-up. (If you sell your car, remove the Yellow Dot sticker.)

AT HOME: A Yellow Dot kit can be used to alert those who respond to an emergency in your home. Simply place a Yellow Dot decal on or beside your front door and place a completed card for each occupant in a clear freezer bag and place in a visible location in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator.

The Sheriff's Association has distributed more than 2 million free Yellow Dot kits to New Yorkers to date. 

“Yellow Dot is truly a life-saving program,” Hawley said. “This is a free program that is especially important as road conditions become more dangerous during the winter months.

"Participating in the Yellow Dot Program is as easy as filling out a brief medical card and placing the Yellow Dot sticker on your car window. I encourage all who are available to stop by and pick up your free Yellow Dot Kit ... or contact your local sheriff’s department.”

Kevin Dart would like to announce that Bingo at the Elba Fire Rec Hall is canceled tonight. 

Press release:

In his ongoing efforts to preserve our Second Amendment rights, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today reminded pistol permit holders to recertify their permits by Jan. 31 in order to prevent them from becoming invalid.

If your pistol permit was issued before Jan.15, 2013, you must recertify your permit before Jan. 31. If your permit was issued on or prior Jan. 15, 2013, the deadline is five years after the date the permit was issued.

“Unfortunately, this is a new mandate on pistol permit holders in New York and the first year that owners have to recertify,” Hawley said. “The deadline is coming up and many New Yorkers may be unaware of these new requirements.

"As much as we may disagree with the unconstitutional Safe Act, if we come out in droves to recertify it will send the message to state leadership that we cherish our Second Amendment right to bear arms, and will not be silenced by any big government policies, as frustrating as they might seem.”

If you are a New York state pistol permit holder and need to recertify your license or would like more information, please visit the New York State Trooper Website here. Additionally, feel free to contact my office with questions at (585) 589-5780, or email me at hawleys@nyassembly.gov.

The public is invited to a City of Batavia Downtown Revitaliation Initiative Public Workshop from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday (Dec. 14). It will be held at City Hall, One Batavia City Centre.

The question is "What Brings You Downtown?" and your input is sought on the future of Downtown Batavia, which has been awarded $10 million from the state for this initiative. The initiative's Local Planning Committee would like to know what you love about downtown and what amenities would bring you there more often.

Residents, businesses, property owners and anyone with an interest in revitalizing Downtown Batavia is encouraged to attend the workshop. 

A tractor fire, near the maintenance building, is reported at the Stafford Country Club.

Stafford fire responding.

A 17-year-old Basom resident admitted in County Court today to threatening to shoot troopers and deputies during an incident on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation on Sept. 30, and of trying to seriously hurt or kill a person with a motor vehicle in the City of Batavia on Aug. 28.

Isaac Abrams entered guilty pleas to making a terrorist threat, a Class D felony, and reckless endangerment in the first degree, also a Class D felony.

There is no sentencing cap on his possible prison term, which is a maximum of seven years, but the sentences on both charges would run concurrently, according to the plea agreement.

Abrams was being held in Genesee County Jail on $25,000 bail, but after listening to both attorneys on his bail status, County Court Judge Charles Zambito agreed to release Abrams under the supervision of Genesee Justice with a curfew of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. He must continue to reside at his mother's residence on Skye Road during the term of his release or get permission from the court to move.

First Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini argued that Abrams has demonstrated a poor record of obeying the lawful commands of police officers, first in the Aug. 28 incident in the city and then during his confrontation with troopers and deputies Sept. 30.

His attorney, Vanessa Guite, said that Abrams has been successfully participating in Alcoholics Anonymous, completed his high school education while confined, and she added that that her client's second arrest was a real wake-up call for him.

"You can see from his demeanor in court that he is taking this deadly serious," Guite said.

In October, Abrams became a father. He has yet to see his baby, Guite said.

While out of jail, Guite said, "He will be fully engaged in taking care of his baby."

Details of the incident that led to Abrams' arrest in the City of Batavia on Aug. 28 are not available. There was no press release at the time of his arrest and today the Batavia PD computer system is down so the information isn't available. (Correction: There was a press release, but Abrams' name was redacted from the initial release by Batavia PD, so we couldn't find the prior publication.)

Abrams was originally charged with three counts of attempted assault in the first degree, along with the reckless endangerment charge, obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd.

UPDATE: At 5:46 p.m., Aug. 29, Batavia PD responded to a disturbance at Burger King at 230 West Main St., Batavia, where a person was reportedly struck by a vehicle. Abrams reportedly fled the scene and was apprehended on West Main Street.

His plea satisfies all six charges along with any pending traffic tickets.

As for the Oct. 30 incident, Deputy Andrew Hale handled the case and Hale said today that the arrest was the culmination of about a week of deputies dealing with Abrams.

He said there was an incident at a gas station on the reservation where Abrams allegedly got into a fight with a patron and the owner of the gas station asked Hale to arrest Abrams, whom he said was previously barred from the property, for trespass.

There was another incident, Hale said, where Abrams allegedly hit an employee at a smoke shop. The State Police handled that incident.

Hale sought an arrest warrant for Abrams and received it Oct. 30.

That day, there was a traffic accident on Route 77 and traffic was redirected down Meadville Road. According to Hale, Abrams and his friends, whom Hale said had all been drinking, decided to set up a roadblock and charge a toll for motorists coming onto the reservation. 

Troopers responded and Abrams and his friends challenged the troopers to a fight. Hale was notified and he responded because he had the warrant for Abrams.

Upon his arrival, Abrams was positioned behind cars, near a house and a tree line.

According to Hale, Abrams yelled, "You want to play with guns. I'll play with guns."

He also threatened to shoot Hale and Deputy Lonnie Nati.

He then started to reach into a vehicle and Hale said he warned Abrams not to reach for a gun. At that point, Abrams went into the residence and Hale and Nati circled around to the back of the house. When Abrams came out, there was a brief confrontation and then Hale and Nati managed to take Abrams into custody.

No weapons were recovered at the scene, but the house was not searched because the deputies did not have a search warrant for the residence.

UPDATED 12:40 p.m.

A candle may have sparked a structure fire at 2210 Judge Road shortly after 8 a.m. that caused smoke inhalation and burns for one resident of the apartment building.

Alabama Chief Gary Patnode said the cause is under investigation but the resident mentioned a candle before being transported to ECMC by Mercy EMS for treatment.

A dog in an upstairs apartment succumbed to the smoke and two cats were rescued, including one that required emergency medical assistance from volunteer personnel at the scene.

The apartment complex is a former store that contains four units, but only two were occupied.

When Alabama fire was first dispatched, there was an upstairs resident who was unaccounted for and firefighters immediately searched the upstairs unit. The man is a former Alabama volunteer and his wife is a current volunteer. After some phone calls, Patnode said, the man was located at another location and was safe.

Another person was evaluated at the scene by Mercy personnel.

A quick response helped get the fire knocked down quickly, Patnode said, but he credited the resident, primarily, for closing the door behind her when left the structure.

"The homeowner did the right thing," Patnode said. "She closed the door upon exiting the apartment, which primarily kept (the fire) confined to their apartment. The fire was oxygen deprived upon our going in there. Pretty much, it burned itself out."

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

Initial reports below:

A house fire is reported at 2180 2210 Judge Road, Alabama. Alabama Fire Department is responding along with mutual aid from Pembroke, Oakfield, East Pembroke, Elba, Darien, Shelby and the city's Fast Team. No people are entrapped, but there may be animals inside. The third platoon is requested to stand by in city fire headquarters.

UPDATE 8:48 a.m.: Two people have minor burns on their hands. One is at the house next door and the other is at the church on the corner. Mercy medics are responding. Law enforcement is responding. Traffic will be shut down by fire police at Route 63 and Gorton Road, and Route 63 and Macomber Road.

UPDATE 9:02 a.m.: Code enforcement and National Grid requested to the scene.

UPDATE 9:05 a.m.: Indian Falls was also called and now Akron is asked to stand by in the Indian Falls' station. 

UPDATE 9:14 a.m.: Alabama command reports the fire is under control.

UPDATE 9:17 a.m.: Any tanker called but not yet deployed is returned to service. A fill-in from Town of Batavia is requested to Oakfield Fire Hall.

UPDATE 9:18 a.m.: Corfu is called to stand by in its own quarters.

UPDATE 9:26 a.m.: Fire is out; doing overhaul and ventilating.

UPDATE 9:33 a.m.: One person was transported to ECMC with minor burns and suffering from smoke inhalation. Another person is being evaluated by medics at the scene.

UPDATE 9:38 a.m.: The pet dog died in the fire and was just removed by firefighters. Responders are trying to resuscitate one pet cat and another one made it out safely.

UPDATE 9:48 a.m.: The ailing cat was successfully resuscitated and is fine now.

UPDATE 10:13 a.m.: Town of Batavia fire and Sheldon fire requested to return to scene. 

UPDATE 10:14 a.m.: Elba requested to stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: Crews are picking up.

Batavia City Council passed seven resolutions at its Monday night meeting, including one that appropriates $264,050 toward preliminary engineering and design costs for a six-street preventive maintenance project.

That figure represents the non-federal funds share of the project that, in agreement with the state Department of Transportation, will result in work being done on the following streets:

-- Clinton Street from Routes 5 and 33 to the city line;
-- East Avenue from Clinton Street to Ross Street;
-- Liberty Street from Route 63 to routes 5 and 33;
-- South Liberty Street from South Jackson Street to Route 63;
-- Swan Street from Route 63 to routes 5 and 33;
-- Vine Street from routes 5 and 33 to Bank Street.

Eighty percent of the costs will be paid using federal funds, 15 percent will come from New York State and 5 percent will be contributed by the City.

Of the $264,050 that is being fronted by the City via this resolution, $224,450 is federal money and $39,600 is state money.

Public Works Director Matt Worth said the City will be reimbursed for 95 percent of the design and construction costs that it appropriates in advance, as long as the project proceeds as planned.

Worth said bids will be solicited in April with construction expected to start next summer, adding that the work primarily will consist of milling and paving the targeted streets.

In other action, Council:

-- Authorized acceptance of a Stop-DWI grant for $18,981 for the police department to conduct specialized patrols and training, and purchase equipment, and for $2,400 from the state Traffic Safety Committee for the fire department to participate in the car seat safety program.

-- Approved a contract with EnergyMark for the purchase of natural gas from 2018-2020 for $3.36 per dekatherm, the lowest bid received.

Worth said that the cost is 12 percent less than what would have been obtained through an aggregate seller, and that the City has worked with EnergyMark for the past six years.

-- Voted to continue a contract for City Court prosecutorial services with Genesee County for two years, beginning Jan. 1, 2018.

-- Appointed Robert Gerace to the Board of Assessment Review committee through Sept. 30, 2022, Connie Boyd to the Historic Preservation Committee through Dec. 31, 2020, and RaeEnn Engler to the Community Garden Committee through Dec. 31, 2021.

Operation Keep Our Homes, a program designed to identify and reduce the number of vacant and abandoned homes in the City of Batavia, is making some positive strides, according to the administrative intern who has been working on the program for several months.

Speaking at tonight’s City Council meeting at City Hall, Lindsey Luft, a graduate assistant at Brockport State College who has been serving the City since May, said the initiative has just about reached its goal of connecting with 10 families facing foreclosure.

“We have been working with nine families – one kept their home, one the case was closed and seven others are still open,” said Luft, who is on track to earn her master’s degree in Public Administration in the spring.

Luft said there are about 89 zombie properties in the city – “and we’re really focused on getting them up and rehabilitated.”

“It (vacant homes) affects the City at all levels and at every census tract, and it’s not targeted at any kind of income level,” she said.

Operation Keep Our Homes utilizes a database called Opportunity Space, Luft said.

“We load all kinds of information (gathered from county, town, city, police and fire data) to narrow down our search for zombie properties,” she said. “And from there, with the targeted list, we go out to site visits and we confirm vacancy.”

Luft gave City Council members a demonstration of the software, starting with 5,453 parcels in the City, and using various filters -- such as floodplain property, whether there is a structure on the site, water usage and residential homes – to reduce the list of targeted properties to a manageable number.

Filtering allows officials to come to the conclusion that “there is reasonable cause to think they can be vacant properties and to go to them, instead of aimlessly wandering around,” she said.

Luft said currently the database is updated quarterly, but the plan is to be able to access the information in a “real-time situation.”

During her presentation, she outlined the Zombie Property Remediation Act’s four components – requiring lenders to maintain mortgage-delinquent properties, requiring mortgagees to register vacant properties with the NYS Department of Financial Services registry, allowing mortgagees to complete expedited mortgage foreclosure for abandoned property, and enhancement of consumer protections.

When the DFS determines that a property is vacant, municipalities working with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation can act to remediate the property with the goal of getting it back on the tax rolls. Luft said that Batavia is one of 77 municipalities that have received grants from the LISC to achieve their goals. The City reportedly received a $66,500 grant. 

She said that Batavia’s strategy includes educating individual property owners, using the Internet and local media to reach at-risk persons privately and reaching out to entities such as the Housing Council at PathStone, Genesee County Bar Association, banks, realtors, local pastors and Habitat for Humanity.

City Manager Jason Molino said that Habitat for Humanity has rehabilitated one single family home per year in the City over the past eight years, “producing a 38-percent average increase in assessed value after rehabilitation.”

Batavia also has a property tax exemption in place for residential redeveloped property, and is in the process of partnering with a local bank to develop a mortgage package aimed at redeveloping a zombie home by utilizing the exemption.

The Operation Keep Our Homes program also seeks to revise the City code in the areas of grass, weeds and debris; solid waste (cars) and graffiti.

Toward the end of her talk, Luft was met with a question from Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian, who wondered why some properties with paid-up mortgages were vacant.

“What’s the reason for that?" Christian asked.

To which Luft replied, “That’s something that we can work on together.”

Photo -- Administrative intern Lindsey Luft speaking at tonight's City Council meeting.

Submitted photo and press release:

On Dec. 7, the Genesee County Master Gardener Volunteers hosted a “How to Make A Holiday Centerpiece” workshop for more than a dozen local 4-H members from across the county.

The youth learned about various types of evergreens that can be used to make festive holiday arrangements, many of which can be found in their own backyards. The kids then used the greens to make their very own holiday centerpiece to take home and enjoy.

To learn more about the Genesee County Master Gardener or 4-H Programs, visit our website: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/

Photo of Jim Compton and horse Michael Scores, courtesy of Tim Bojarski.

By Tim Bojarski, for the Upstate New York Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association:

Jim Compton has been a respected western New York horseman for over 35 years. He trained, drove and bred many horses that are still remembered at his home tracks for their competitive nature and success.

For his years of dedication to the sport, the Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) will present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 16) during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” awards ceremony.

Compton’s full time job was working for General Motors in Rochester, but his passion was for harness racing. So in 1978 he started moonlighting at the farm of local driving legend Fred Haslip to learn the ins and outs of the business. After a few years he got his trainer's license and in 1983 he drove his first race.

Compton and his wife Sandra always ran a small but successful stable, racing horses like Sly Hi, No Parking Zone, Splurging Rita, Gasper Again and Held For Ransom, who won multiple Opens at Batavia Down, Vernon Downs and Buffalo Raceway en route to amassing 51 lifetime wins.

When Held For Ransom’s career was over, Compton bred him to one of his race mares named Suspicious Burns and the result of that breeding was a horse named Michael Scores.

Michael Scores was a New York Sires Stake star and rock-solid overnight campaigner for 11 years. He won 86 races and earned $668,079 lifetime without ever seeing the Grand Circuit. He set track records at Tioga Downs (1:50.4) and at Batavia Downs (1:52.1) when he won the 2006 Kane Memorial Pace. And he will always be remembered for his “intentionally parked out” style of racing.

Compton’s numbers were not gaudy, however they were efficient. On the training side he had 578 wins out of 2,892 starts with $1.9 million in purses and a UTR of .337. As a driver he won 522 races out of 2,725 starts and made $1.13 million in purses and a UDR of .330. And all the horses he either trained or drove were 50 percent in the money over his entire career.

Post time for Saturday night’s card is 6 o'clock.

Batavia got its first real snow accumulation of the season yesterday and last night but the birds still showed up this morning in our backyard feeders for their morning meal.

There's more snow on the way. A winter storm watch is in effect for tonight starting at 7 p.m. and lasting until Wednesday afternoon. Heavy, blowing snow is possible. The National Weather Service warns that travel may be difficult with more than 10 inches of snowfall possible.

Winds could gust up to 45 mph.

The forecast is for little precipitation today but a low-pressure system crosses the region bringing periods of widespread accumulation. Several weak systems cross the area in the following days with an additional chance of snow.

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