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Photo: Chief Randy Baker honored for 30 years of service to the city

By Howard B. Owens

For 30 years Randy Baker has served the people of Batavia as a police officer, K-9 officer, youth officer, detective youth officer, sergeant, and for the past four years as chief of police.

Friday, Baker will serve his last day with the Batavia PD.

With his wife present -- the first council meeting he's convinced her to attend -- Baker was honored Monday night by the Batavia City Council with a proclamation recognizing his 30 years of service.

Councilwoman Kathy Briggs presented the proclamation on behalf of the council.

City Manager Jason Molino said interviews are taking place now to hire a replacement for Baker and a new chief should be appointed within two weeks. He said the candidates come from within and without the department.

Power outage in Bethany, Stafford

By Howard B. Owens

Some 231 National Grid customers in Bethany and Stafford are without power.

The cause is not known at this time.

National Grid estimates power will be restored at 11:15 p.m.

Power went out at 7:59 p.m.

The location is from Ellicott Street Road, including Little Canada, spreading northeast toward Route 5, across Transit Road.

Yankees, Tides game at Dwyer snowed out

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

BATAVIA, NY – Today’s game between the Empire State Yankees and Norfolk Tides has been postponed due to snow. This game will not be made up in Batavia. The Yankees and Tides will make up the game as part of a doubleheader in Norfolk later in the season. Any person with tickets to today’s game can exchange their tickets for any other Yankees game or any Muckdogs regular season game, subject to availability.

Photos: Snow in Batavia on April 23, 2012

By Howard B. Owens

Snow continues to fall on Batavia. We've had two or three inches so far. It's slushy and wet and is barely sticking to paved surfaces at this point.

Former Tyler's to reopen soon as the Le Roy Town Diner

By Howard B. Owens

Stanley Styliades says he's very particular about the food he makes, and he's promising the best breakfasts around in his new eatery, the Le Roy Town Diner on Main Street, Le Roy.

The location was Tyler's and then Katie's.

"My breakfasts are the best, no two ways," Styliades said. "My plates are picture perfect. The home fries are the best. Homemade pancakes, blueberry, blueberry walnut, raspberry walnut, chocolate chip."

Styliades has 30 years experience owning and operating diners in Rochester, always breakfast and lunch establishments. The Le Roy Town Diner will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday evenings for fish fry (and perhaps Thursday and Saturday evenings as well).

The diner will have a little Mediterranean flare, Styliades said. He will serve humus, falafel, and pita with chicken and eggplant.

He's working hard to get the diner open as soon as possible, hopefully within the week.

He said he has steam cleaned the entire kitchen and repainted the ceiling and is working to get everything in place before opening.

Accident with possible injuries on Byron-Holley Road

By Howard B. Owens

Motor-vehicle accident with possible injuries is reported at Byron-Holley and Town Line roads, Byron.

Byron Fire Department along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 8:40 a.m.: Sounds like minor injuries.

Law and Order: Woman charged with DWAI after being found allegedly sleeping in car

By Howard B. Owens

Brianna Rae Burlingame, 20, of Palmer Road, Churchville, is charged with driving under the influence of drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana. Burlingame was arrested after deputies Chad Minuto and Jason Saile responded to the parking lot of Petco at 2:14 p.m., Saturday for the report of a woman asleep behind the wheel of her vehicle while it was running. Burlingame was issued an appearance ticket.

Sean Allen Kota, 18, of Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driver view obstructed. Kota's vehicle was stopped following complaints of the occupants throwing beer bottles out of the window of the car. His vehicle was stopped at 2:47 p.m., Thursday, on Oatka Trail in Le Roy by Deputy Matthew Butler.

Joshua Webster, 25, of York Road, Pavilion, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and criminal possession of stolen property. Webster is accused of stealing a purse and credit cards from a location on Commerce Drive, Batavia, and of possessing stolen property from another incident at the time of his arrest on an unrelated incident. (Previously)

Gregory J. Battaglia, 30, of Pavilion Center Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. Battaglia is accused of stealing gasoline from a station in Le Roy.

A 17-year-old resident of Bacon Street, Le Roy, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The youth is accused of failing to provide appropriate supervision to a child left in his care.

One injured in Bergen accident on Friday

By Howard B. Owens

A Batavia resident suffered a minor injury in an accident Friday on Route 33 in Bergen after another car reportedly pulled in front of her car.

Hurt was Kelly J. Poole-Davis, 39, of North Lyon Street, Batavia. She was taken by ground ambulance to UMMC.

The other driver, Loretta E. Miller, 71, of Buffalo Street, Bergen, was uninjured, but was issued a traffic citation.

According to Deputy John L. Baiocco, Miller said she was exiting the Sugar Creek parking lot and never saw Poole-Davis's car. Miller was attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Route 33.

Storm-related reports for Monday, April 23

By Howard B. Owens

There's been one cable line down this morning and reports so far of two cars sliding off of roadways.

In Pembroke / Indian Falls, just west of Route 77 and north of Akron Road, 33 National Grid customers are without power.

UPDATE 7:14 a.m.; A winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 7 a.m., Tuesday. From 6 to 9 inches of snow possible. Heaviest snowfall expected this morning and early afternoon with up to an inch an hour possible. Winds from the northwest at 10 to 20 mph. Visibility will drop at times to a quarter mile.

Photos: Triple A baseball at Dwyer Stadium on a very cold April Sunday

By Howard B. Owens

The official attendance at Dwyer Stadium on Sunday was 866, but there's little doubt that there were fewer than 200 people left by the time the Empire State Yankees secured a 6-5 victory over the Norfolk Tides.

Bitter cold -- 38 degrees at game time, plus a 10 mph wind -- seems to have kept many fans home, and drove many away even though it was a closely fought game.

Norfolk jumped to an early lead with three runs in the second inning, but the Yankees scrambled back, mounting a three-run lead in the seventh and then pushing across the winning run in the eighth.

Cold weather and the possibility of precipitation led to the cancellation of a planned second game.

If you have trouble viewing the slide show below, click here.

Altercation reported at Center and Main streets in the city

By Billie Owens

An altercation is reported in the city at Main and Center streets. Batavia PD is en route. Two vehicles are said to have "emptied their occupants" who then clashed. A car eastbound on Route 5 may have been involved. Cops on scene say nothing's showing.

UPDATE 4:11 p.m.: There have been several calls to dispatch about this. The cars may be on Swan Street now. One vehicle is purportedly white and the other is "dark."

UPDATE 4:17 p.m.: A witness told dispatch one of the vehicles has a partial license plate of FRA. It's a 1999 green Mercedes-Benz registered to someone in Rochester.

Wrong-way driver heading eastward on westbound I-490

By Billie Owens

A vehicle is reportedly barreling down the westbound I-490 traveling in the wrong direction -- that would be eastbound. Law enforcement is trying to track down the driver.

UPDATE 2:44 p.m.: Monroe County reports the driver was last spotted near the Bergen exit.

UPDATE 2:48 p.m.: Genesee County officers traveled to the Churchville exit without spotting the vehicle and then turned around. The ball's in Monroe County's court now, so to speak.

Possible fire reported on Tountas Avenue, Le Roy

By Billie Owens

A possible strucutre fire is reported at 3 Tountas Ave. in Le Roy. There is said to be the odor of something electrical burning. Yet an emergency responder who was just at that address said he could smell nothing unusual there, only the smell of food cooking.

Le Roy and Bergen fire departments are responding. One unit on scene reports nothing showing. They are going to scan the building with a thermal camera.

UPDATE 1:10 p.m.: Bergen is told to return to service. No other Le Roy units will be needed. The location is the family care clinic. An interior crew is leaving the inside after finding nothing with the imaging camera.

UPDATE 1:14 p.m.: The firefighters are going to use ladders and look into the attic.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m.: Nothing hazardous found. Le Roy is back in service.

Friends of family who lost apartment in Maple Street fire set up donation drop off

By Howard B. Owens

Virginia Martinez and her four children lost nearly everything Friday in the apartment fire at 26 Maple St., Batavia.

Though fire crews were able to pull out just about all of their belongings from their first-floor apartment, clothing, household and other items were so heavily smoke and water damaged, they're not of much use.

"They need to start over," said Tammy Scheidweiler (on the outside right), so she's organized a donation collection with her husband John (left) in the parking lot of Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union this afternoon. 

Four bags of clothing have been dropped off. 

Virginia's four children are ages 7, 5, 3 and almost 2.

Tammy said she's known Virginia since she was just a baby, "and they're like family to me," explaining why she organized the donation effort.

The children also lost most of their toys.

Up to a foot of snow predicted for most of Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

Much of Genesee County could see from 8 to 12 inches of snow from a storm expected to hit the region by Monday morning, according to WIVB meteorologist Bryan Shaw (who created the weather map above).

Shaw reports that areas closer to the lakes are more likely to see rain as the air will stay warmer at lower elevations. Further inland and at higher elevations, snow fall will be heavier.

It will take only a few inches of heavy, wet snow to cause damage and possible power outages, Shaw said, because the warm spring has many trees already growing foilage.

A winter storm watch is in effect through Monday evening.

Two people killed in Sunday morning accident

By Howard B. Owens

UPDATED 12:03 p.m.

The drivers of both cars that collided head on at 6:44 a.m. on Lewiston Road, just south of Galloway Road, Batavia, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said the cars appeared to hit squarely, though the speeds of either vehicle have not yet been determined.

It's unknown what caused a northbound white sedan to cross the double-yellow line.

The sedan hit a minivan.

The sedan, a 1997 Buick, was driven by Quayeshawn D. Smith, 25, of 4590 Mill St., Medina.

The minivan, a 2002 Mazda, was driven by Rosemary Calla, 74, of 34 S. Main St., Oakfield.

Sgt. James Meier said he doesn't believe weather conditions, light wind and a light drizzle, contributed to the accident.

No other passengers were in either vehicle.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy EMS responded to the scene, though Mercy medics went back in service shortly after arriving at the accident.

Lewiston Road was closed in both directions between Galloway Road and Veterans Memorial Drive from shortly after 7 a.m. until 9:36 a.m.

Oakfield Fire provided traffic control at Galloway and Route 63.

The accident is being investigated by the Crash Management Team of the Sheriff's Office, which includes Sgt. Meier, Sgt. Bill Scott, Deputy Brad Mazur and Investigator William Ferrando.

Top Items on Batavia's List

City of Batavia, New York (Pop. 15,600) seeks an experienced professional to join the management team in the capacity of Assistant City Manager/ Director of Administrative Services. Salary: $98,642-$119,642 DOQ. Reporting to the City Manager, the Assistant City Manager/ (ACM) will oversee the functions of Assessment, City Clerk/Treasurer, and IT. This position assists in the implementation of the City’s strategic plan; annual operating budget and capital improvement program; will participate in labor negotiations; and present information to the public, advisory committees and commission, City Council, and outside agencies. In addition, as the ACM, this individual shall assist multiple committees as well as serve as a liaison to various major projects and neighborhood groups. Must have the ability to exercise considerable independent judgment in planning, implementing, overseeing, and reviewing major projects; and the ability to develop and recommend policies and projects. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from high school or possession of an appropriate equivalency diploma recognized by the New York State Department of Education, AND EITHER: A. Graduation from a regionally accredited or NYS Registered College with a Master's Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field and two (2) years of full-time paid experience in a responsible governmental administrative position; OR: B. Graduation from a regionally accredited or NYS Registered College with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field and four (4) years of full-time paid experience in a responsible governmental administrative position; OR: C. Graduation from a regionally accredited or NYS Registered College with an Associate's Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field and four (6) years of full-time paid experience in a responsible governmental administrative position; OR: D. Eight (8) years full-time paid experience in the private sector, non-profit, and/or government management sector with progressively more responsibility. OR: E. Satisfactory equivalent combination of the foregoing training and experience. To be considered, submit your cover letter, resume, and contact information, including email addresses for five work-related references to Gabrielle Kolo, Human Resources Director, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, New York 14020 or gkolo@batavianewyork.com. First review of candidates to begin 7/3/25. Background check, personality assessment, and drug testing required. City residency is required within one year of appointment. EEO A full description and list of duties can be found at www.batavianewyork.com under the Human Resources tab.
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