Stories from

The owner of Carter's Restaurant, Brenden Mullen, said this morning he isn't sure when or if he will again open the restaurant on Main Street in Downtown Batavia.

The doors were locked and shades drawn a few days ago.

On Jan. 11, Mullen posted on Facebook that he was going to change the style of the restaurant from fine dining to something more casual along with "the best specialty drinks in Batavia."

Reached this morning and asked to clarify the status of the restaurant, he said he was taking time off to assess his options and said he isn't sure if he will reopen with a new concept. He said remaining closed is an option.

NOTE: If you purchased a Deal of the Day for Carter's within the past 30 days, return the unused gift certificate to The Batavian for a refund. Mail it to The Batavian, 200 E. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020.

An Akron resident is accused of selling fentanyl and of selling heroin on two separate occasions to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force in the Town of Alabama.

Jeremy R. Leising, 21, was a passenger of a vehicle stopped by the Erie County Sheriff's Office and when deputies learned of a warrant for Leising's arrest on a warrant out of Genesee County they took him into custody.

He was turned over the Local Drug Task Force on the warrant on charges of two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of controlled substance, 3rd.

He was jailed awaiting arraignment in Genesee County Court.

With the transition in leadership of the Business Improvement District, there was no announcement of the annual window decorating contest for Christmas and Beth Kemp, the new director, stopped by my office yesterday to note that the winner was The Hidden Door/Pollyanna and Dot, 202 E. Main St., Batavia.

Medics are requested to the scene of a car vs. pole accident in the area of 2081 Main Road, East Pembroke, to evaluate a patient with a possible head injury.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS responding.

The pole is broken. It has primary wires on it. It will need to be replaced. National Grid has been notified.

A car vs. pedestrian accident has been reported in the area of 8703 Lake Street Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy Fire and Le Roy Ambulance dispatched.

UPDATE 9:14 p.m.: A first responder reports the patient is still in the roadway.

UPDATE Midnight: The Sheriff's Office has released the accident report. The pedestrian is identified as Judith Nye, 68, of Lake Street Road, Le Roy. The driver is identified as Michael J. Merica, 33, of Telephone Road, Pavilion. According to the report, Merica stated he was southbound on Route 19 when he saw a pedestrian in his lane of travel. He swerved to avoid the pedestrian. The pedestrian, the report says, "stepped into vehicle #1." She was struck by the front passenger side of the vehicle, a 1999 four-door Lincoln Sedan. Nye was taken by Le Roy Ambulance to Strong.

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer (R-C-I, Amherst) has issued the following statement:

“For the past six years, 78 different tax cuts have provided $11.3 billion in savings for New Yorkers. Now, the Governor is attempting to reverse these efforts by proposing higher taxes and new fees, for a total of $4.5 billion per year if fully implemented.

"With a second-to-last-place finish for overall business tax climate last year, our goal should be to reduce the tax burden for families, seniors and small businesses. This tax-hike plan would move New York’s economy and cost of living in the wrong direction.”

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) released the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“Americans across the country are witnessing President Trump deliver on his promise to put America first and take back our stolen jobs,” said Congressman Collins. “Western New Yorkers know all too well the failures of poorly negotiated free trade agreements.

"Our shuttered factories and decimated population are daily reminders that there is a vast difference between free trade and fair trade. Western New York’s middle class is rejoicing that we now have a president who backs up his rhetoric with actions to protect American jobs.”

Press release:

The Genesee County & City of Batavia Youth Boards are looking for nominations for their annual Youth Recognition Banquet. There are three awards presented at the Youth Recognition Banquet:

· Youth Recognition Award — This award recognizes young people who have performed exceptional service to the community and/or have assumed extraordinary roles in their families. Typically, the best candidates for this award are high school students, but we also know there are 12-, 13-, 14-year-olds who exemplify distinctive qualities of service. Several youth will be recognized; however the Youth Boards reserve the right to limit the number of recipients.

· Adult Volunteer — This award recognizes an adult who provides service as a volunteer to youth in Genesee County.

· Adult Youth Worker — This award recognizes a youth service professional whose work surpasses normal expectations.

Recipients will be honored at the Youth Recognition Banquet on March 30. Nominations are due by Wednesday, Feb. 15. For more information or to receive nomination forms, please call the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960 or youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us. The forms are also on the Youth Bureau page of the Genesee County website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

Here's Trevor's write-up of his experience in our nation's capital.

This past week I had the chance to participate in the experience of a lifetime. The 2017 Envision Presidential Inaugural Leadership Summit was attended by nearly 2,500 students from the United States and other countries from around the world. Carpe Futurum…Seize YOUR Future, was the theme of the summit. We learned that we can all be agents of change if we work and apply ourselves. My target group reviewed the topics of Drones, Clones, and Genomes. Technology is moving faster than ever and as a society we need to remain aware of the advantages and potential consequences with this progress.

The Summit also included well-known speakers like General Colin Powell, Spike Lee, Tucker Carlson, Gov. Martin O’Malley, Carly Fiorina and Abby Wambach. Each speaker gave an inspiring talk. They all discussed the importance of education.

But by far, my favorite part of the conference was attending the presidential inauguration. The security checkpoints required the group to arrive before sunrise. As we passed from one section to another it was apparent that every measure was being taken to keep this event safe. The wait didn’t seem to take as long as I thought. The inauguration was an extraordinary experience. The National Mall was filled with thousands of people and there was excitement in the crowd. Everyone cheered as the 45^th President, Donald J. Trump, was being sworn in. My favorite speech of the summit was the inaugural speech given by President Trump. It was inspiring and hopeful, and being able to hear it in person is something I will remember forever.

I am very happy that I was able to attend such a historic event. As an American, I would recommend everyone go see the inauguration in person at least one time. It is something you will never forget.

Up to six inches of snow could be headed our way starting late this afternoon, and with winds of five to 15 mph, the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Genesee County.

It takes effect at 4 p.m. and runs through 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Rain will change to snow in the late afternoon and from three to six inches of accumulation is expected.

The temperature will drop to around 30 degrees.

The weather service warns that snow will result in slick travel conditions. The worst conditions are expected tonight into Tuesday morning.

Brian Schollard, right, is sworn in as the new chief of the Corfu Volunteer Fire Department, along with rest of the officers of the department during its annual installation dinner at the Pembroke Town Hall on Saturday night.

Schollard replaces Dean Eck, who stepped down as chief after leading the department for six years. Eck, pictured below, was named Firefighter of the Year.

The department also debuted its new Class A uniforms.

Executive Officers: Steve Rodland, president; Ben Trapani, vice president; Paula Trapani, secretary; Jen Eck, treasurer; Allan Starkweather, sergeant at arms; Brad Lang, chaplain; and trustees, Bernie Fix, Justin Rodland and Ed Fauth.

Firematic Officers: Brian Scholard, chief; Greg Lang, deputy chief; Brian McMartin, 2nd assistant chief; Dean Eck, senior captain; Ben Trapani, captain; Brad Lang, captain; Mitch Bates, captain; Bernie Fix, fire police captain; Rob McNally, fire police lieutenant; Kristin Gaik, lieutenant EMS; Glenn Eck, lieutenant; Steve Rodland, lieutenant; Dan Smith, lieutenant; and Dean Eck, safety officer.

EMTs: Kristen Gaik, Cathy Skeet and Karen Lang.

Corfu Fire District Officers: Bruce Fauth, chairman; Jim Mallory, deputy chairman; Jenny McMartin-Eck, commissioner; Jim Hale, commissioner; Jim Hale, commissioner; Mark Zimmerman, secretary; and Michelle Sformo, treasurer.

Eck, Greg Lang, Schollard, Brian McMartin

Rob McNalley received the Fire Service of the Year award.

Ed Fauth responded to the most calls in 2016.

Dean Eck and his wife Jen.

Oakfield beat Albion 56-47 in girls basketball Saturday night.

Brianna Smith led the Lady Hornets with 20 points and eight rebounds. Kylie Schlagenhauf added 13 points and six assists. Tori Mandel had 10 points, five steals.

Photos by Destin Danser. To view more photos and purchase prints, click here.

We have heavy fog throughout the county today and it's continuing this evening and into tomorrow morning.

There's a winter storm watch in place for Monroe County from Monday night into Tuesday, but so far it looks like this storm will miss Genesee County.

A small plane on the runway of Howell-Livingston County Airport in Michigan waiting to take off confirmed for Pete Zeliff what his instruments and in-flight communications were telling him: it was safe to land.

As soon as his wheels touched down, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. He immediately took the speed brakes up, put the flaps out and brought the power up to try and take off again, but before his wheels left the runway, his Cessna 525C Citation turned 90 degrees and he began sliding sideways. He managed to get the plane pointed straight again, but by then he was nearly out of runway.

"I thought, well, I'm just along for the ride now," Zeliff said in an interview with The Batavian this morning.

He said he remembers hitting a fence and a ditch but doesn't remember anything else until he found himself hanging upside down in his harness in the plane. He managed to get himself out and was walking around the plane when emergency responders arrived.

Federal Aviation Administration officials told him he walked to the ambulance himself, but he said the next thing he remembers is coming to in the ambulance and being told they were about 10 or 15 minutes from the hospital.

"I thought when I got to hospital I felt pretty good," Zeliff said. "I didn’t think I had any of the injuries I have. I thought I would be checked out, they would sign me off and send me home."

He suffered a fractured spine in two places, two broken ribs, and a cracked sternum. His doctors told him he's got about 10 weeks of recovery ahead of him, but then he should be fine with no lasting issues.

Zeliff, owner of p.w. minor, along with other local business interests, returned to Batavia two days ago and actually went into the office yesterday for a couple of hours, but said he will be on a light work schedule for the next few weeks.

As for the landing, he said his radar, "next rad" and the weather reports for the airport were rain with a ceiling of 6,000 feet and good visibility. He said he canceled his IRF (instrument flight rules) about five miles out from the airport. 

"There's an airplane at the end of the runway waiting to take off," Zeliff said. "I assumed there was ice, OK, but I didn't think it would be bad because of that little plane."

He's been interviewed by an investigator with the FAA and was informed yesterday there would be no FAA action in response to the accident.

"They said I did everything right," Zeliff said. "They actually said they wish more pilots would fly like I do."

The plane is a total loss. Its wings were sheared off, catching on fire at that point, well away from the upside-down fuselage. 

News video from the accident scene made the crash look pretty scary.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't have time to get scared," Zeliff said. "The whole episode probably took only 10 or 15 seconds. It's hard to tell right now, but I know I didn't have a lot of time to make decisions."

Previously: Local businessman Pete Zeliff OK after plane crash in Michigan

The owners of The Ridge NY (aka Frostridge Campground) enter the 2017 outdoor music season for the first time in a couple of years knowing there are no obstacles that might inhibit concert nights.

The renewed freedom allows David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell to aim high for some of the stars they might book and this week they were able to announce a big one: Clint Black.

One of the most accomplished recording artists and songwriters in Nashville, Black will take The Ridge stage Aug. 12.

"We've been in negotiations since November," David said. "It was kind of a back and forth but one we had hoped for a long time, so this is really great to finally have someone with the kind of history that Clint does. We can bring that classic country sound to Western New York."

Black emerged top of his class among wave of new-traditionalist country singers to come out with chart-topping hits in 1989. He went triple-platinum with his debut album, "Killin' Time," and repeated the feat with his follow-up, "Put Yourself in My Shoes." 

Killin' Time contained five #1 songs, all of which Black wrote or co-wrote. He's written or cowrote every one of his dozens of #1 singles over the years.

It's apparently been a long time since Black came to WNY, so David said they were excited to sign him for a show early in their process of lining up acts for this summer.

There will likely be other big names announced before winter ends, David said. 

There will also be some up-and-coming acts added to the calendar, such as the Swon Brothers, scheduled to appear at The Ridge on July 22.

David and Greg are also putting together a blowout two-day event as a fundraiser for veterans June 2 and 3 called the American Warrior Concert. Nearly two dozen musical acts from throughout the region will perform over the two days.

This summer will also include the annual fundraiser for the Le Roy Volunteer Fire Department (probably Aug. 5), and in July, David and Greg will put the frost back in Frostridge with ice skating -- yes, ice skating in July -- as well as snowman building.

It's great to be able to run a business again, David said, without the cloud of litigation hanging over all their plans. 

"Now we're working with folks knowing that we don’t have to try to figure out a plan B or plan C in case something comes up," David said. "We know what we have and we know how to make it work and it just flows."

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced an expansion of the “Move Over” Law designed to protect our police, tow trucks, emergency vehicles and now volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.

The law, which has already been in effect for a number of years, requires drivers to move over one lane to give room and provide safety for first responders attending to a car accident, law enforcement stop or disabled vehicle.

“Anytime we can provide a safer environment for our selfless and dedicated first responders to do their job it is a good thing,” Hawley said. “Volunteer firefighters and emergency responders dedicate an extraordinary amount of time to protect and save the lives of residents in their community, many of whom are usually strangers.”

“Highways and high-speed roads are all dangerous places for police and emergency vehicles to operate with little room on the shoulder, so providing this extra space minimizes risk and will provide them the peace of mind that other drivers are a safe distance away,” Hawley said. “I applaud this expansion of the law and, as always, hope our men and women in blue and all first responders are safe while out there making Western New York a better place.”

Trevor Maier, a 10th-grader at Oakfield-Alabama High School was in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of our 45th president as a part of Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit.

In addition to being present to see Donald John Trump take the oath of office, Trevor took part in other academic activities. 

This evening, he will attend a black-tie-optional inaugural gala with speakers such as Colin Powell, Spike Lee and Tucker Carlson. Other speakers during the five-day event include Abby Wambach and Carly Fiorina.

The participating students were provided with matching "Envision" scarves.

We anticipate receiving a written account of his experience from Trevor next week.

Press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs, the Single-A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins, have announced their manager and coaching staff for the 2017 season. This year’s squad will be led by Manager Mike Jacobs, Pitching Coach Jason Erickson, Hitting Coach Rigoberto Silverio, Coach TJ Gamba, and Athletic Trainer Eric Reigelsberger.

Mike Jacobs, a former Marlins first baseman from 2006-08, returns to the Marlins organization for his first stint as a professional coach and manager of Batavia. Jacobs was drafted in the 28th round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft by the New York Mets. He made his MLB debut with the Mets on Aug. 21, 2005, hitting a three-run pinch-hit home run against Washington in his first MLB at-bat. He was then acquired by the Marlins on Nov. 23, 2005, along with Yusmeiro Petit in exchange for Carlos Delgado. Jacobs enjoyed a seven-year MLB career and an 18-year professional career. Jacobs resides in Chula Vista, Calif., with his wife, Vanessa, and four daughters: Havana, Isabella, Sophia and Juliana.

Jason Erickson begins his first season with the Marlins organization as pitching coach of Batavia, following nearly four years in the Player Development department with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Erickson was selected by Pittsburgh in the 24th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Washington and went to play three seasons in the Pirates’ Minor League system. He finished with a 15-10 record and 3.94 ERA in 81 games (31 starts) over the three-year span.

Rigoberto Silverio returns to Batavia, following a one-year stint as hitting coach for the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Silverio served as Batavia’s hitting coach from 2014-15. The 2017 campaign marks his ninth year in the Marlins organization. Prior to his time with the Muckdogs, Silverio spent two seasons as a coach for Jupiter (2012-13). He spent his first three seasons with the organization as a coach for the Jamestown Jammers. In five seasons in the Marlins farm system, the former infielder was a career .243 hitter in 225 games.

TJ Gamba will return for his second season as a coach for Batavia. He also played for Batavia during the 1986 season. Gamba grew up in Auburn and went onto to play baseball at Ithaca College. He was drafted in the 22nd round of the 1986 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Cleveland Indians and played in the Indians organization for three seasons. He later coached Auburn High School and led the Maroons to the 2010 Section III, Class AA championship.

Eric Reigelsberger returns for his third season as athletic trainer for Batavia. He joined the Marlins organization after two years at Wichita State University, where he served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the baseball and cross-country teams. He also completed athletic training internships with the New York Mets and the St. Louis Rams. Reigelsberger received his Master of Education in Sport Management at Wichita State University and his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Central Methodist University. He resides in Wichita, Kan.

Byron, South Byron and a tanker from Elba are requested to 5583 Cook Road, Byron, for a brush fire.

The entrance is off Transit Road.

Even with a couple of key players out because of colds, the Alexander Lady Trojans gave Notre Dame a fight for four quarters, falling short at the end when Callie McCulley sunk a pair of free throws to give the Irish a 34-33 victory.

The home team ended the first and second quarters with leads, but Notre Dame's defense helped keep the game within reach.

McCulley finished with 10 points to go with 10 from Margaret Sutherland and five from Natalie Thornton.

For Alexander, Marissa Scharlau, Jordan George, seven, Maci Riggs and Caylin Walton each had six.