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Information and photos provided by Greg Ireland.

City firefighters hosted a lunch today for winners of the first fire safety poster contest sponsored by IAFF Local 896.

Above, Ian Keberle, with Chief Jim Maxwell and Local 896 President Greg Ireland.

Emma Bigsby with Maxwell and Ireland.

Children who participated today.

Here are the winners of the contest:

• First Place: Andrew Beal -- “Turn off the Stove”; John Kennedy School, Mrs. Grammatico, Room 20, second grade.
• Second Place: Sophie Fryer -- “Call 9-1-1”; John Kennedy School, Mrs. Grammatico, Room 20, second grade.
• Third Place: Emma Bigsby -- “Blow out Candles”; John Kennedy School, Mrs. Grammatico, Room 20, second grade.

• First Place: Amelia McCulley -- “Turn off the Oven”; St. Joseph School, Mrs. Clattenburg, third grade.
• Second Place, Maylee Green -- “Don’t Leave Candles Lit”; St. Joseph School, Mrs. Clattenburg, third grade.
• Third Place, Ian Keberle -- “Keep an Eye on what you Fry”; St. Paul Lutheran School, Mrs. Porter, Art Room, third grade.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Firefighters, IAFF Local 896, will provide new winter coats to warm the hearts, minds, and bodies, of the students at Agri-Business Child Development (ABCD) School on Brooklyn Avenue in Batavia. This campaign is led by the City of Batavia Firefighters to provide at-risk children that attend school in Batavia with brand-new, American-made coats for the winter. 

This is the first year the City of Batavia Fire Department has joined forces with national non-profit Operation Warm to launch the program, “Firefighters Coats for Kids,” a movement led by firefighters across the United States to combat the effects of childhood poverty while saving American jobs.

This distribution event is the culmination of the firefighters' fundraising efforts since August. 

The City of Batavia firefighters are raising funds to provide coats to 30 children at ABCD, which utilizes a system of points, in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards, to ensure that the neediest of the eligible families receive services. The coats, manufactured especially by Operation Warm, have been ordered in just the right size and in a variety of colors so that the children may enjoy a unique coat that fits properly. “Keeping them warm and safe throughout the winter is the least we can do,” firefighter Adam Palumbo stated. 

City firefighters will surprise the students with their new coats, personally fitting each child, and help them to write their names in the interior tag, which reads, “Made Just for You.”  “This is a program that strengthens communities and the overall well-being of children,” said Carey Palmquist, executive director of Operation Warm. “A new coat boosts a child’s self-esteem and allows families to stretch limited financial resources to other basic necessities, such as food and shelter.”

Operation Warm is dedicated to providing new winter coats to U.S. children in need and has reached more than 1.2 million children since 1998. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) represents more than 300,000 professional firefighters who are dedicated to serving their communities beyond the traditional call of duty. In 2012, Operation Warm joined together with the IAFF to form a widespread, high-impact program called Firefighters Coats for Kids.

The collaboration of these two organizations deepens the reach and support of our efforts, as firefighters protecting communities across the USA has become the face of this mission and the catalyst for a multidimensional program that not only provides coats to impoverished children but also helps Americans get back to work and out of poverty.

Through this unprecedented partnership firefighters are distributing coats made and sourced 100 percent in the USA. This collaboration provides relief for families who struggle to meet basic needs and to children who will now experience the joy and pride of owning something brand new – a gift of warmth from their local firefighters.

To learn more and donate, please visit: www.operationwarm.org/batavia

Residents of 6568 N. Lake Road have evacuated the structure after reporting smoke in the house from a possible electrical problem.

The call came in through Monroe County dispatch.

Bergen fire is being dispatched. Brockport ladder and a Churchville engine are in route.

A chief on scene reports nothing showing from the single-story ranch home.

UPDATE 6:04 p.m.: First Bergen crew arriving on scene, will be deployed to the basement with a thermal camera.

UPDATE 6:06 p.m.: A chief reports "a basement charged with smoke." Also, Mercy EMS responding from Batavia.

UPDATE 6:10 p.m.: Mercy's response cancelled. A firefighter reports, "basement's been checked. Everything's cool down there." Proceeding to check ground floor.

UPDATE 6:18 p.m.: Fans are being brought in to air out the structure. No cause found at this time.

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The lines just seem to get longer and longer each month Pastor John Gariboldi and a group of volunteers host a free food pantry in the parking lot off Mill Street Park in Le Roy.

People come from throughout the region to gather up as much food as they can carry, all provided by Foodlink at no cost.

And it's good food, too. Fresh apples, bread, Greek yogurt along with sweet baked goods and cases of water.

"You get everything you can fit in your arms," Gariboldi said. "There are no requirements. Even if last week you went to another pantry, it doesn't matter."

The pantry is a Godsend, said Mary, from Geneseo, who adopted her granddaughter when she was 3 months old.

Mary is raising her granddaughter with only her Social Security check to cover household expenses.

"I got complete custody of her because her mother broke her back," Mary said. "I'll be 80 in November. I'm raising her. She's 14 now and I would love to see her graduate and I'm sure the Lord is going to let me."

Gariboldi said he's had a lifelong passion for helping the poor, the homeless and people in need. He became pastor of Penuel Christian Fellowship, 10 Main St., Le Roy, 10 years ago and started praying for the opportunity to feed the poor.

He got involved with Paul Ohlson and Care-a-Van Ministries in Le Roy.

"I met the Foodlink representative there and she said there was a high need in Genesee County and I thought, 'wow, this is a God thing,' " Gariboldi said. "I said 'would you be willing to do it in Le Roy?' and she said, 'yeah.' "

The pantry started slowly this summer, but by August, the line stretched from the parking lot up to the post office on Mill Street.

Last month, more than 100 people showed up even though it was pouring rain the entire morning.

"A long line shows that it kind of sucks," said Ashley, the mother of two children, a third on the way and a husband who can't work because of disabilities. "It shows that this place is so bad that people have to come out to get free food when there's no jobs."

Government assistance just isn't enough in this economy, Ashley said.

"I get food stamps, but sometimes food stamps isn't enough when you have growing kids," Ashley said. "They eat you out of house and home. I know it's not much, but at least I've got food on the table for my kids. They're not going to go hungry."

When people have a hard time getting food, social service experts call it "food insecurity." An estimated 14.7 percent of New York's residents live in food-insecure situations and 21.3 percent of children don't necessarily know where their next meal is coming from.

According to its Web site, Rochester-based Foodlink "rescues and redistributes more than 16 million pounds of food annually to a network of 450 member agencies in a 10-county service area: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties."

In the past four years, Foodlink has seen a 30-percent increase in the number of people it serves.

Cheryl Maxwell, a Le Roy resident who teaches nutrition for Cornell Cooperative Extension, has been coming out to the Le Roy pantry almost from the start, and she said she's seen it grow and she thinks it's an economic issue.

"The last time out, it was pouring rain and they all came out and it was just amazing, the need that I saw," Maxwell said. "Some people might have bills to pay and if they can just get this little bit of extra food it might help them pay an electric bill or something throughout the month. With the economy the way it is, that little bit of food might help them get by and pay an extra bill."

Tracy, friends with Ashley, and a Batavia resident, said she has "a houseful of children" and a grandchild with cystic fibrosis. The food bank is a big help, she said, and not just because of the free food. It's also nice to know there are still people who help others.

"Even if it's just one bag of food, that bag of food is maybe a day or two worth of meals for a family that's having a rough time right now, so it really benefits them," Tracy said. "People need it nowadays to see that there are people out there who really do care."

Pastor Gariboldi delivers a mini-sermon for volunteers followed by a short prayer minutes before the food pantry line opens.

While Pastor Gariboldi hands out donuts, his son fills cups with cider for people waiting in line.

Sarah, from York, said with she and her husband and their child on a limited income, the free food from the pantry is a big help.

Mary brings her own cart to the pantry to gather food for her and her 14-year-old granddaughter, whom she's raising on just her Social Security benefits.

Tracy, left, and Ashley.

Town of Batavia's newest fire truck, Ladder 25, saw its first live firefighting Thursday at the large factory fire in Albion. Photo by John Spaulding, a Livingston County-based fire services photographer. For complete coverage of the fire and its aftermath, visit Orleans Hub and scroll down.

 

CORECTION: First structure fire. The truck was used in Ed Arnold Scrap fire. 

Friday night, under the bright lights of Hamilton Field, a clash of two historic rivals, the Oatka Knights of Le Roy and the Red Raiders of Caledonia-Mumford, was once again its own kind of Fall Classic.

The game was a back-and-forth battle between two well-stocked teams already guaranteed slots in sectional play. It was a fight to the end with the outcome uncertain until the Knights final drive stalled with 30 seconds left on the clock.

Only then, were the Raiders (6-1) assured their six-point lead would hold for a 34-29 victory over Le Roy (6-1).

"I thought it was a great atmosphere for high school football," said Brian Moran, in his 25th season as head coach for Le Roy. "It's just great for both communities. Obviously, we hate to come out on the down side of this, but you know what, it's great for the kids, it's great for the communities and I just thought it was a great atmosphere for high school football and this is what it's about."

The player of the game was Cal-Mum senior QB Kurtis Haut, who rushed for 248 yards and three TDs on 24 carries.

Play after play, it seemed at times, Cal-Mum called QB keepers and Haut would find a hole and exploit it.

Arm tackles couldn't stop Haut who ran through defenders like they were turnstiles in a packed subway station.

Asked for the key to the game and Moran said that was it: Haut.

"Hey that five is pretty good, isn't he?" Moran said. "That's the game right there. The whole story line is him. He's a great athlete and he played a great football game tonight. They made a few more playes than we did and they deserve the win."

Le Roy played well, but not quite good enough. Moran acknowledged the Knights needed to execute a little better, make a few more plays, play better defense, make better tackles and finish off the game offensively.

"We've got to finish it that's the main thing," Moran said. "In a game like today, you've got to be able to make those plays and you've got to be able to go to the last second. I thought we had a chance late but we just didn't make the play when we needed to."

Junior QB Mike McMullen showed a lot of poise with the game on the line, getting the ball with two minutes left and bringing his team deep into Raider territory, but with a minute left on the clock, one last completed pass to advance the ball eluded the Knights' offense.

McMullen finished 18 for 33 for 192 yards and four TDs.

The knights opened the scoring with 3:56 left in the first quarter on a nine-yard pass from McMullen to Jon Pierce, who had six receptions for 86 yards and two TDs on the night.

Cal-Mum answered near the end of the quarter on a 16-yard run by Haut, and so the game went until the fourth quarter, with both sides trading scores.

In the fourth quarter, the Raiders put together the only back-to-back, unanswered scoring drives of the game and that proved pivotal in this match.

A 30-yard field goal by Pierce with 3:09 left in the 4th brought the Knights within six points and a chance for a win those final minutes.

Tom Kelso helped carry the offense with 13 carries for 102 yards. Peter Privitera had 11 carries for 27 yards and Nick Egeling gained 17 yards on five touches. Egeling also had five receptions for 48 yards.

Ryan McQuillen scored twice on four receptions for 43 yards.

On defense, Zack Fitzsimmons had seven tackles, Anthony Paladino, five, Egeling, four, Kelso, four, Lamkin, four, and Steve Cappotelli, four, and a fumble recovery.

Also on Friday night:

Alexander (6-1) beat Pembroke 41-0. Dylan Scharlau, 17 carries for 141 yards and one TD. Will Burke seven carries for 52 yeards. Tristan Alding nine touches for 75 yards. Tyler Laird scored a TD and had 25 yards on four rushes. Burke was 5 for 8 passing for 105 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Sam Browne, 2 catches for 61 yards and a TD.  He also had a 65 yard punt return for a score. Zach Laird had an 11-yard TD reception and Jacob Riggs had a 15-yard TD reception. Pembroke had only 49 yards total offense. Tyler Laird had seven tackles and one sack and one fumble recovery. With a share of the GR league title, it's the first time Alexander has come out on top in the division since 1977.

Elba/Byron-Bergen plays at Finney today. Oakfield-Alabama is at Holley. Batavia is at Olympia.

Lamkin forces a Joe Cappotelli fumble in the second quarter.

Haut scores on a 50-yard TD run late in the second quarter.

Pierce hauls in 52-yard TD pass from McCullen early in the third quarter.

McQuillen looks for and gets a pass interference call during the Knights' final possession in the closing minutes fo the game.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

A felony warrant has been issued for a suspect in the State Street shots-fired incident Sept. 27 as police continue their investigation of that matter as well as the report of shots fired on Jackson Street on Oct. 8.

Police are looking for information on the whereabouts of Batavia resident Dashawn Allen Butler, who is described as a black male, 34 years old, 6' 2" and 183 lbs.

Butler, who has prior arrests in the city, has resided at 101 Summit St.

According to a law enforcement source, Butler was questioned in connection with a shots-fired incident at Walmart on Jan. 22. The following month, the mechanic for a resident who had been at Walmart that evening discovered a bullet had hit the radiator of the car driven by the resident.

Batavia PD can be reached at (585) 345-6350, or the confidential tip line is (585) 345-6370.

Residents are cautioned not to try to apprehend or detain Butler. If seen, witnesses are asked to call 9-1-1 immediately.

According to a release from Batavia PD, investigators are continuing to follow and develop leads in the two recent incidents.

Physical evidence was recovered at the Jackson Street scene and was sent to the NYS Police Forensic Investigation Center in Albany for DNA and fingerprint analysis.

Investigators believe three people were involved in the Jackson Street incident. Two people were identified and questioned and one has been detained on an alleged parole violation and is being questioned further by Batavia PD.

The department is working with members of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force (the local major crimes unit) and NYS Parole.

“Batavia is not going to tolerant this type of violence,” said Chief Shawn Heubusch in a statement. “We are committed to providing safe neighborhoods for our residents and Police Department and citizen collaboration is vital to maintaining a safe City.”    

Photo and information provided by Tracy Norway.

The seventh- and eighth-grade soccer team from Pavilion went undefeated in 2013, finishing with a record of 11-0-2.

From left, Josh O'Neill, Timmy Zipfel, Joe O'Neill, Zach Weidrich, Cody Penders, Ryan Moffatt, Brandon Wilson, Matt Bernard, Jason Normandin, Coach Hollinger.

Information and photo provided by John Borrelli.

The JV football squad for Notre Dame beat Alexander yesterday to finish out the season with a 7-0 record.

If the varsity beats Attica tonight, it will be the first time in school history that both JV and varsity went undefeated in the same year.

The team is comprised of the following players and coaches:  Peter Daversa, James Farmer, Larry Infantino, Connor Logsdon, Casey Midwick, Chris Morris, Michael Muehlig, Ethan Osborn, Charlie Stevens, Jack Sutherland, Robin Zhang, David Bohn, Freddie Cunningham, Carson Decarlo, Isaiah Flow, Jordan Lyons, Brad Misiak, Tyler Reese, Jake Weatherwax, Jordan Weatehrwax, Caleb Wolcott, Jimmy Zickl, Nico Zambito, Head Coach John Borrelli, Assitant Coaches Chuck Tomaszewski, Bill Sutherland, Bob Zickl, Otis Thomas and Mikey Rapone.

In effort to keep pace with increased expense demands, the County Legislature may need to pass a budget resolution overriding the state's cap of a 2-percent increase on the tax levy, according to County Manager Jay Gsell.

Gsell is recommending an increase to $10.11 per thousand of assessed value, up from the current $9.89 and increasing the total levy by $527,000.

A property tax increase that keeps levy below the cap level would add only $353,000 in revenue.

The total county spending plan, including local and mandated expenses is $149,100,167.

Even though all county departments turned in discretionary budgets that hold the line on local spending, state mandates expenses continue to test the county's ability to generate sufficient revenue to balance the budget.

The big budget issues are the Genesee County Jail, with a state-mandated increase in corrections officers, and the County Nursing Home, with $18.5 million in "heavily mandated" expenses that continue to drain the county's general fund.

Since the state refuses to provide mandate relief or pay the expense of its mandates, a full 71 percent of the county's tax levy goes to these mandated programs.

One of the largest expenses is the $9.96 million in local share of Medicaid.

The county's revenue projections for 2014 includes an anticipated 9-percent increase in sales tax revenue.

To read the full budget message, click here.

Michael Dawson Keith Brantley Eric Strong

Shoplifting at Walmart usually results in a petit larceny charge, but three men from Rochester yesterday allegedly tried to make off with so much loot they were arrested on felony grand larceny charges.

All three were arraigned in Batavia Town Court and ordered held without bail.

Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster said store security informed the Sheriff's Office some time before noon that the three men had entered the store and had been identified as possible thieves at other Walmart locations.

Patrol cars pulled into the Walmart parking lot and waited.

"We waited to see if they were going to pay, or walk out without paying," Brewster said. "They decided they were going to walk out without paying."

The men allegedly pushed out a single shopping cart filled with totes that were filled with merchandise. The men were also accused of having stolen merchandise on them.

The total value of the merchandise was placed at $1,900.

Charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony, were Keith Lamar Brantley, 43, of Adams Street, Rochester; Michael Joseph Dawson, 49, of Forbes Street Rochester; and Eric Lee Strong, 53, of Wellington Avenue, Rochester.

As brazen as the alleged theft attempt seems to be, Brewster said he believes this sort of crime is common. We just never hear about it.

"I believe this type of retail theft activity is pretty much going on all the time," Brewster said. "The amount of inventory going out of these stores without being paid for is unbelievable."

Robert Daniel Nowakowski, 38, of Bonnie Brae Drive, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Nowakowski was arrested following an investigation into a traffic accident on Route 20, Darien, at 6:39 p.m., Thursday. Nowakowski stated he swerved to avoid a deer and reportedly overcompensated. His car struck a National Grid utility pole, shearing the pole near ground level. The accident was investigated by Deputy Patrick Reeves. (Initial Report)

Richard Matthew Godlove, 35, of Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or higher, failure to obey traffic control device, moving from lane unsafely and failure to notify DMV of address change. Godlove was involved in a motor vehicle accident at 7:03 a.m., Sept. 14 on Route 237, Byron. Godlove reportedly drove his vehicle on a closed portion of Route 237 and struck a concrete barrier. Godlove was arrested following completion of a toxicology test.

Ellen Marie Martinez, 26, of Main Street, Batavia, is charged with falsifying business records, 1st, and grand larceny, 3rd. Martinez is accused of falsifying Section 8 records while receiving benefits through Pathstone, resulting in $10,054 in wrongfuly obtained benefits.

This afternoon, Batavia Downs hosted a ribbon-cutting and grand reopening of its casino room expansion on the first floor of the historic facility.

The new gaming area has been open for a week and that first week of revenue exceeded by 20 percent the previous record week for Batavia Downs, said Ryan Hasenauer, marketing director for Batavia Downs.

The expanded casino area also includes a new sports bar called Rush 34, officially hosted by former Bills great Thurman Thomas.

Ribbon cutton: Assemblyman Steve Hawley, State Sen. Patrick Gallivan, State Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer and Maurice Gardner, representing the City of Buffalo.

Speaking is State Sen. Patrick Patrick Gallivan, who represents Erie and Wyoming counties, which are counties that also benefit from revenue generated by Batavia Downs.

Speaking, Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Among the amenities in the expansion is a water fountain that drops water in sculpted form, be it letters spelling out Batavia Downs, symbols from slot machines or geometic patterns. Here's a video of the fountain:

A driver's alleged attempt to avoid a traffic control device at Route 33 and Batavia Stafford Townline Road drew the attention of a trooper this morning and led to a short pursuit that ended when the car struck a mobile home.

The driver of the car and her passenger where both arrested.

Cailee A. Neiss, 19, of Byron, was charged with several traffic violations including reckless driving and avoiding a traffic control device.

Nickolas Sutherland, 23, of Byron, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Neiss allegedly drove through the Arrowmart parking lot in an effort to avoid the stoplight at the intersection.

According to State Police, "the operator, upon seeing the flashing lights of the patrol car, attempted to avoid being stopped, drove recklessly turned onto Gaslite Lane and subsequently struck a mobile home causing minor damage."

Nobody was home at the time and there were no injuries reported in the accident.

Neiss was issued a summons; Sutherland was issued an appearance ticket.

With the basketball season only six weeks out, some of the regions top hoops players have been heading over to the Batavia High School gym two days a week to drill on the game's fundamentals -- shooting and ball handling.

"It's a lot of skill work and a chance to get a ball in their hands," said Buddy Brasky, Batavia's boys varsity head coach and leader of the mini-camp, which he's been running for about six years.

Jeff Redband, a junior with Batavia, has been coming to the camp for five years, said his participation has definitely improved his game.

"This camp is based on the basics, so you don't learn new stuff, but it makes you better at the things you really need to know," Redband said.

Each session includes ball-handling exercises and shooting drills, but Brasky noted drilling just two days a week isn't going to cut it. The 45 players participating -- which range in age from eighth grade to high school seniors -- need to practice and play every day if they're going to improve.

"We tell them you can only do so much here," Brasky said. "You've got to take what we do here -- we're only here two days a week -- and go home and do it on your own at home."

One of the drills involves shooting 100 baskets from at least 12 feet out, but that's just a drop in the bucket for the amount of practice necessary to become a competent shooter.

"The games give them the opportunity transfer what they're learning in skills in a game situation," Brasky said.

"You've got to get a couple hundred shots in a day," Brasky said.

Following drills, the players break off into four-on-four games, which give the kids a chance to play against players from all over the region, not just Genesee County and not just their own schools.

All that drilling on fundamentals has really paid off for Elba's Haley Brown.

"It helps a lot," Brown said. "It's made me a lot better shooter and ball handler and it shows during the season."

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

Press release:

 

A vehicle has reportedly hit a trial in a trailer park on Gaslite Lane, Batavia.

Two people were in the vehicle and both have been detained.

No injuries are reported.

UPDATE 10:43 a.m.: Reporter Alecia Kaus is on scene and reports that a State Trooper was attempting to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle and the vehicle didn't stop and the driver allegedly attempted to ditch the vehicle in the trailer park. Two people are being taken into custody. A trooper told dispatchers that at least one person faces a possible criminal possession of a controlled substance charge.

UPDATE 11:05 a.m.: The car struck the trailer in Lot #11. Nobody was home at the time.

Heather E. Schramm, 33, of 110 Bank St., Batavia, is charged with failure to pay fine imposed by court. Schramm is accused of not paying a fine related to a second-degree harassment charge. Batavia PD Officer James DeFreze observed Schramm walking near Save-A-Lot and took her into custody on a City Court warrant.

Alicia M. Lyons, 33, of 120 State St., lower, was arrested on a bench warrant. Lyons is accused of not appearing on an alleged theft of services charge. Lyons is accused of not paying for food at a local restaurant.

Donna M. Kroft, 60, of 120 State St., lower, was arrested on a bench warrant. Kroft is accused of not appearing on a alleged theft of services charge. Kroft is accused of not paying for food at a local restaurant.

Travis L. Bartz, 18, of 11 Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant. Bartz is accused of failure to appear on a criminal mischief, 4th, charge. Bartz was located by Batavia PD Officer James DeFreze at Batavia HS and taken into custody. Bartz was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Nathan David Martina, 18, of Lisa Lane, East Amherst, and Christopher Mario Ossa, 18, of Harris Hill Road, Williamsville, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Martina and Ossa were found at 9:47 p.m., Wednesday, in a parked vehicle on Batavia Stafford Townline Road allegedly in possession of marijuana.

Clarence W. Odell, 45, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Odell was arrested on a warrant out of Town of Pembroke Court. Odell allegedly damaged the wall of an office building in the Town of Pembroke on July 17.