Press release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region will be holding a series of FREE Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops for the community beginning June 20^th.

Those who attend will be shown practical steps to gain control of their daily health concerns. Participants will learn about healthy eating, problem-solving, action plans, medications, weight management, physical activity, sleep, and relationship communication skills.

The workshop information is relevant for those experiencing chronic conditions such as: Arthritis, Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes, and Eating Disorders. The workshops are taking place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Independent Living of the Genesee Region, 113 Main St., Suite 5, Batavia, over six Mondays, but skipping the Independence Day holiday. 

The actual dates are June 20^th and 27^th; July 11^th, 18^th and 25^th; and Aug. 1^st.

Registration priority is given to Medicaid recipients, but Medicaid eligibility is NOT required for attendance. Pre-registration IS required. You can receive more information, and sign up for the workshops by contacting Patricia McAllister at pmcallister@wnyil.org or (585) 815-8501, ext. 402. Again, please be sure to RSVP if you are interested!

From left: Counselor Mrs. Feeney, seniors Nick Dubois and Aaron Holley, Dr. Moscicki, and Principal McGee at a new marker and flower bed leading into the Tamra Troke Memorial Trail.

Submitted photo and press release:

Byron-Bergen Central School seniors, Nick Dubois and Aaron Holley, rebuilt wellness trails on the Byron-Bergen school grounds as part of their work-based learning hours associated with the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Commencement Credential.

Nick and Aaron completed an 11-day work experience on the Tamra Troke Memorial Trail. They cleaned out all the fitness stations, cut and lined all of the hiking trails, made benches and a new flower bed, and constructed a campfire area.

Vocational Coordinator Roxanne Noeth, CSE Chairperson Dr. Donna Moscicki, Jr./Sr. High School Principal Patrick McGee, and School Counselor Andrea Feeney were all thrilled with the hard work and effort the two students put into this project. It was wonderful to see them take such pride in their work.

The Career Development and Occupational Studies Commencement Credential is part of the four Regents exams and one project-based program to graduation.

The project-based program requires: students complete a career plan; demonstrate attainment of commencement level learning standards in the areas of career exploration and development, integrated learning, and universal foundation skills; satisfactorily complete two units of study (216 hours) in Career and Technical Education coursework and work-based learning; and have one completed employability profile or have met the criteria for the national work readiness credential.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Audit Advisory Committee was established to provide oversight to the financial and compliance reporting process, external audit process and control environment. 

If you are interested in serving on the Audit Advisory Committee, please submit your application (which can be obtained from the Clerk’s Office or found on our website, www.batavianewyork.com) to the City Clerk’s Office by June 30^th.

The Committee aids in the communication between the City Manager and the independent auditor in areas including integrity of the City’s financial statement, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the performance, qualifications and independence of the auditors.

The Committee will be responsible for meeting with the auditor’s prior to the audit, reviewing risk assessment, reviewing the draft financial statements and making a recommendation on acceptance of the external audit reports to the City Manager. Additional responsibilities include reviewing the management letter and establishing internal controls. The Committee is made up of three City residents and two Council members.

Thank you for your interest!

Press release:

The City Council is seeking interested individuals to take part in a Deer Management Committee. The committee will be comprised of both citizens and city staff members and will seek to identify and quantify the deer problem within the city and explore all deer management techniques.

The outcome will be a definition of the problem, an outline of all techniques utilized by other communities and identified as best practices to deal with the problem, and a comprehensive list of resources including costs associated with each management practice.  From there, City Council will decide which, if any, deer management practice to initiate for the City of Batavia.

Council is seeking individuals from a diverse background and who are interested in this subject matter. Individuals should reside within the City of Batavia. All interested individuals should submit their application, which can be obtained from the City Clerk’s office or online at www.batavianewyork.com, by June 30th.  Thank you for your interest in this committee!

The National Warplane Museum's C-47 W7 was using the Genesee County Airport this evening for flight operations. W7 served in World War II forn 1943 to 1945. It was a lead plane on one of the first waves of attack starting the D-Day invasion. 

Submitted photo.

Press release:

Genesee County Undersheriff William A. Sheron Jr. (center), along with 40 undersheriffs from across New York State, attended a training conference at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs last week. Sponsored and organized by the New York State Sheriffs' Association and the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute, the program provides the Undersheriffs with training in the latest advances in law enforcement and correctional practices.

During the three‐day program: Oneida County Undersheriff Rob Swenszkowski presented the International Association of Chiefs of Police leadership training program; Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley and Associate Counsel Alex Wilson reviewed legislative issues including “Raise the Age” proposals; Niagara County Undersheriff Michael Filicetti discussed a Niagara County officer involved shooting and recruiting for law enforcement officers; Madison County Lieutenant Jeff Franceschelli, assistant jail administrator, presented the benefits and continuing hurdles of PREA compliance; Chautauqua County Undersheriff Chuck Holder discussed their Pistol Permit Program; and Lt. Robert Richards, Niagara County Stop DWI coordinator, and Michelle James, St. Lawrence County, discussed collection of DWI fines and fees.

The Undersheriff is appointed by the County Sheriff and often functions as the chief administrative officer, reviewing all operations of the Sheriff’s Office, including the road patrol and investigative divisions, the county jail, the civil law enforcement division, court security, and the 911/communications and dispatch division.

NYSSA is a not‐for‐profit corporation formed in 1934 to assist New York’s Sheriffs in the effective delivery of services to the public. It’s comprised of all 58 Sheriffs in New York State. The Sheriffs’ Institute was established in 1979 to advance criminal justice education, prevent juvenile delinquency, and support victims of crime and their families.

Leroy Hannah Jr., 43, of Bradfield Street, Rochester, is charged with improper left turn, unlicensed operator and aggravated unlicensed operator for allegedly having 36 active suspensions on an ID card (not a driver's license). The subject was stopped at 1 p.m. on June 11 on Alleghany Road in Darien for making an illegal left turn. He was jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail and is due in Darien Town Court on Tuesday. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Lonnie Nati.

Eli Matthew Aaron Smoke, 27, of Meadville Road, Alabama, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He was arrested at 6:13 p.m. on June 11 on Meadville Road following a domestic incident wherein he allegedly struck a child several times leaving bruising and welts on the child's body. He was arraigned, then released and a stay away order of protection put in place. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute.

Amy R. Doxtater was arrested on June 11 following a traffic stop on Route 20 in Darien. She is charged with: driving while intoxicated; aggravated DWI with a BAC of .18 percent or higher; aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd; moving from lane unsafely; driving left of pavement markings in a no-passing zone; and refusal of breath-screening test. She was issued tickets and is to appear in Darien Town Court on July 12. The case was handled by Sgt. Jason Saile, assisted by Deputy Howard Carlson and Deputy Robert Henning.

Megan Ann Burns, 23, of 5668 Leete Road, Lockport, is charged with criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. During a traffic stop on Feeder Road in Alabama at 1:40 p.m. on June 8, Burns was allegedly found to possess several hypodermic needles loaded with suspected narcotics. She was issued appearance tickets and released. She is to be in Town of Alabama Court on July 12. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Lonnie Nati.

Jeremy Charles Kaufman, 24, of 2868 Maple Road, Wilson, is charged with criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. During a traffic stop on Feeder Road in Alabama at 1:40 p.m. on June 8, Kaufman was allegedly found to possess several hypodermic needles loaded with suspected narcotics. He was issued appearance tickets and released. He is to be in Town of Alabama Court on July 12. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Lonnie Nati.

Tyler Michael Confer, 23, of Walk Road, North Tonawanda, is charged with driving while intoxicated with a BAC of .08 percent or higher, first offense, and driving while intoxicated, first offense. The defendant was arrested at 4:57 a.m. on June 12 after he was allegedly found doing donuts on Lewiston Road. He was released on appearance tickets for Pembroke Town Court on July 17. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Young.

Alizet Krysthalia Espinosa, 18, of Glendale Park, Rochester, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. She was arrested at midnight on June 12 following the investigation into a property damage complaint at Darien Lake Theme Park. She was arrested for allegedly damaging an entry door and a touch screen monitor. She was jailed in lieu of $250 bail and is due in Darien Town Court on July 21. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Eric Meyer.

There are an estimated 350 nesting pairs of bald eagles in NYS this year and about seven pairs are here in Genesee County. The birds pictured in this post live just outside of Le Roy. Other nesting pairs have been reported in Attica, around Silver Lake, and a few pair in the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. The oldest recorded banded bald eagle in the country lived close by in Henrietta to the age of 38.

This nesting pair was first reported to The Batavian in March of this year. (Original story.) From what is reported by local residents, this is the first year for this nest in this location. Most bald eagle clutches consist of one to three eggs. From what was observed in this nest, there may have been only one egg. There was only one chick ever spotted in the nest.

It is common for the chick that hatches first to eat the small chick once it hatches. This is normal and the parents pay no attention if this happens. In this bald eagle family, the father was banded and the mother was not.

Mom and Dad trade places sitting on the incubating egg(s).

Father sits in nest on eggs as mom flies by.

After about 35 days of incubation, a chick was hatched. At the time this picture was taken, the chick was about two to three weeks old.

The chick has fresh fish flown in for lunch by Dad.

Mom and chick snuggle up in nest as the weather turns cold again in April.

Growing very quickly...the chick, about six to seven weeks old, is still fed by Mom.

Even though the chick now looks like a big bird, there is a lot of learning and practice that needs to be done before the chick can leave the nest.

About the second week in June, the chick fledged the nest. While looking strong and graceful in flight, this eaglet is still not very graceful at landing. Mom will still hunt for the eaglet for about another five weeks. After that, the eaglet will be on its own until it mates in maturity in about five years. After about four years, the eaglet will have the white feathers on its head, yellow beek and solid brown body that we are familar with as our national bird. 

Below the eaglet practices life skills, in this case, using its talons to pick up a stick.

If you haven’t already seen some of the local eagles, keep an eye to the sky and look for them, thanks to a managed recovery program we are blessed with quite a few in this area.

For more information about bald eagles visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/74052.html 

If you would like to learn more about photography visit: Batavia Photography Club

Eagle pictures

Many readers probably remember that about three months ago I had surgery for a detached retina. I was unable to work for three weeks.

That surgery went well and I seem to have healed fine. Now it's time to have the silicon oil put in my eye to hold the retina in place while it healed removed. That surgery is this morning.

This time, the doctor says I can't work for a week.

At least, if all goes well, when it's over, my vision should be back to where it was.

We have our great freelancers to help with coverage, and Billie, of course, and our news partnerships with WBTA and 13WHAM to help out, so we should be fine, but that's why I won't be doing much over the next week.

An accident with minor injuries is reported at Route 63 and Clapsaddle Road, Bethany. It's a sedan vs. semi-truck. There is entrapment. Two occupants are in the sedan and one door won't open, says the dispatcher. Two Mercy medic units and Bethany Fire Department are responding.

UPDATE 8 a.m.: A law enforcement officer on scene reports the driver claims he is OK, but has some knee pain. His female passenger says she's just shaken up but will need evaluating. Traffic control in the vicinity will be needed.

UPDATE 8:02 a.m.: The sedan has heavy front-end damage; it is leaking fluids and will need to be hosed down, says a responder.

UPDATE 8:25 a.m.: Mercy medic #1 is transporting two patients to UMMC. The second Mercy rig is back in service.

UPDATE 9:05 a.m. (by Howard): Spoke with a trooper at the scene. The sedan was turning right off of Clapsaddle and apparently swung too wide in its turn and veered into the oncoming lane. 

Michael Mazutta, an Afghanistan and Iraq war veteran, was the keynote speaker at a Flag Day ceremony this afternoon at the VA hospital in Batavia.

Included in the ceremony were certificates of appreciation to Vernon Rowe and Joe Gerace. After Rowe received his certificate from Mazutta, he volunteered to present Gerace with his certificate.

Students from Batavia Middle School presented handmade gifts to the veterans who are residents at the hospital.

The St. Joe's band performed after the ceremony.

Prior to his invocation, Chaplain Robert Chambers called for a moment of silence to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando and then prayed for them and their grieving families.

Three guys in Oakfield think they've hit the nail on the head when it comes to their new business.

They've put a new twist on an old German game. They introduced the concept at a tournament yesterday held at the Caryville Inn.

The game is MöbileSchlägen, a portable version of hammerschlägen.

In schlägen, you get a cross-peen hammer and a nail and you get one whack at the nail per turn, hitting it with the wedge (or peen) end. The starting position is with the hammer on the table outside the wood block, making it harder to aim. The nail is tapped in to a depth equal to a line on the hammer, so everybody starts at an equal distance.

The first person with the head of the nail flush with the wood wins.

"Being first is pretty cool, but the last thing you want to do is be last," said Marc Johnson, one of the co-inventors of the mobile version of the game.

Last means ridicule from your buddies, at the least, and if alcohol is involved, it might mean buying a round of drinks.

Teasing and harassing is part of the fun of the game, because if you can goad a competitor into talking while he or she holds the hammer, (the rule is, "no hammer talk") that person loses a turn.

Johnson said for years, every time he hosts a party at his house, he and the guests play hammerschlägen, but hauling around the giant tree stumps needed for the game made it impractical for tailgate parties or picnics.

A few years ago, he brought two logs to a family gathering in Vermont and that's when he started to think there had to be a better way.

"Everybody loved it, but it killed my back," Johnson said. "It was a bad idea. You’re on a mountain and you’re rolling those stumps around."

When he got home, he and his friend James Betters started imagining a mobile version of the game, but lacked the engineering background to make it a reality, so Dan Mangus joined the team.

They formed a company, drew up their plans and filed for a patent, which was issued in March.

The end-grain wood plate, which can be laser etched with any possible logo, fits snuggly in a hard plastic base, which rests on sturdy, but foldable, legs.

"Basically, it fits in a bag that looks like a big banjo and you can throw it over your shoulder and carry it a lot easier than a 300-pound stump," Mangus said.

It took a few prototypes to get the right design and then a long search to find the right end-grain wood with the right density to take in a pounded nail easily, but not too easily. 

And lest would-be competitors might think they can make their own log inserts (the inserts need to be replaced after they fill up with nails), the design requires a properly cut and fitted log into the reverse-cupped holder. This design not only improves safety and durability, but with the patent, it also prevents copycat manufacturers from making replacement parts.

Some 40 or 50 people showed up for the game's public debut at the Caryville Inn yesterday to compete in the first official MöbileSchlägen tournament.  

There seemed to be no shortage of fun nor frustration during the tournament.

The next big step for the entrepreneurs is a Kickstarter campaign to fund the manufacturing of games for consumers. If that does well, they hope to ship the first games to customers by Spring.

A tree reportedly fell on a house at 3 Madison Ave. in the city. Wires are down, too, and it is blocking the roadway. City fire is responding.

UPDATE 5:18 p.m.: National Grid, Verizon and Time Warner are contacted. The tree has been removed from the roadway.

An argument between the clerk at the Yellow Goose in Oakfield and some customers is reported. The customers are said to be throwing things inside the store at the clerk. Law enforcement is responding. The store is located at 33 S. Main St.

City police are dispatched to a pending complaint at West Main and North Lyon streets. The caller, who is no longer in the area, told dispatchers a male goes from the sidewalk out into the middle of the roadway and dances approximately one minute, then returns to the sidewalk, and "he's done done this a few times now."

A man is lying roadside with unknown injuries following what is believed to be a motorcycle accident on the westbound Thruway at mile marker 386. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medic #2 are responding.

Returning from Le Roy last night, I stopped for a few scenic shots.

Above, a tractor in a field off Randall Road, Stafford.

A barn off Randall Road.

One of my favorite trees (we had a picture just last week) off Route 33 in Stafford.

Collin Raye, who is celebrating 25 years as a recording artist this year, opened the 2016 concert season at Frostridge last night with a set that highlighted his #1 hits and other fan favorites.

Before the show, he met with fans who had purchased VIP passes, including one who presented him with a handmade guitar strap. He also posed for a picture with Frostridge owners David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell.

Among the opening acts were the Morgan Twins.

City fire is dispatched to Maple Street near Thorpe for a tree stump on fire in a yard.