Dale A. Swiatowy Jr., 36, of 16 Wood St., Batavia, is charged with two counts of falsely reporting an incident, 3rd. Swiatowy allegedly claimed on Dec. 20 that a man attempted to rob him near Evans Street, cutting him with a knife. On Dec. 23, Swiatowy allegedly reported being stabbed while being robbed on Liberty Street. An investigation by Batavia PD and Investigator Chris Erion of the Sheriff's Office revealed that both reports were allegedly untrue and that the wounds were self-inflicted. (Dec. 20 report; Dec 23 report)

James Russell Hughes, 52, of Oatka Trail, Le Roy, is charged with assault, 3rd. Hughes is accused of head-butting a woman during a domestic incident Jan. 2. An order of protection was issued for the woman at Hughes's arraignment.

Donna L. Richardson, 59, of 43 Main St., Le Roy, is charged with DWI and driving on a suspended registration. Richardson was stopped Thursday evening in the Village of Le Roy by Le Roy Police.

A driver reportedly failed to yield the right of way leading to an accident in the Village of Elba on Wednesday morning that sent one man to the hospital via Mercy Flight.

Injured was Lester R. Gillard, 87, of Elba. He reportedly suffered a head and leg injury.

According to a Sheriff's Office release, Gillard was westbound on Chapel Street when his vehicle entered the intersection of Main Street.

Southbound on Main, with the right of way, was a Byrne Dairy milk truck operated by Marc T. Smith, 28, of Brockport.

Smith was not injured. Charges may be pending.

Elba Fire Department and Mercy EMS responded.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Dana Richardson.

(Initial report)

Tony R. Smith is indicted on a count of grand larceny, 3rd. Smith is accused of stealing property valued at about $31,000 from a business on Gilbert Street in Le Roy, including boxes containing brass draw lead nuts, copper draw lead terminals and aluminum blocks, between May and July 2011.

Roy K. Way is indicted on counts of felony DWI and and felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Way is accused of driving while drunk on South Pearl Street and Brooklyn Avenue in Batavia on Sept. 12.

Sara K. McCabe is indicted on a count of felony DWI, three counts of aggravated DWI (driving drunk with a child 15 or under in the car) and one count of operating a motor vehicle without a required interlock device. McCabe is accused of driving drunk with children in the car in the parking lot of McDonald's in Le Roy on Aug. 25.

Once again, they're telling us snow is coming.

A winter weather advisory has been issued for Genesee County and all of Western New York.

The predicted storm could dump an inch of snow over night and up to four inches Friday.

Heavy snowfall has been reported in parts of the Northeast that haven't seen much snow so far this season.

The advisory is in place until 7 p.m., Friday, though the National Weather Service predicts the heaviest snowfall for Friday morning.

Blowing snow will reduce visibility to near zero, according to the weather service.

Winds will blow at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

Driving conditions are expected to be hazardous.

The possible "yogurt cluster" in Batavia is part of a statewide trend in the manufacture and distribution of Greek yogurt, according to a story just published by the The New York Times.

Alpina Foods, the United States arm of a major South American dairy company, is building a $20 million plant in Batavia to make Greek yogurt topped with granola. And state economic development officials are negotiating with another major food maker to set up a dairy products plant in the same area, creating the possibility for what one executive called a “yogurt cluster.”

Of course, readers of The Batavian (and no other local source in this case) know the "major food maker" is PepsiCo.

However, I spoke to some dairy product insiders recently who don't believe yogurt is what PepsiCo is planning. They said they expect Pepsi to announce a dairy-based nutrition drink.

More from the Times:

National retail sales of the thicker style of yogurt more than doubled last year, jumping to $821 million for a 52-week period ending in October ...

New York’s dairy farmers are among the biggest beneficiaries of the public’s love affair with Greek yogurt, since it typically takes three times as much milk to make a pound of Greek yogurt as it does for regular yogurt. “This is a ‘once every two or three generations’ situation,” said Bruce Krupke, executive vice president of the Northeast Dairy Foods Association. “All of the right forces have come together to make it very attractive to build in New York state.”

Data compiled by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets shows that the state produced 368 million pounds of yogurt in 2010, nearly 40 percent more than the previous year. Over five years, production rose almost 60 percent. Much of that increase is for Greek yogurt production. ...

The Greek yogurt boom has translated into jobs in rural areas of New York that badly need them. Chobani (a brand of Greek yogurt) said it currently employed about 900 people in New York and expected to add about 100 more. Fage said it had about 240 full-time employees and expected to add about 150. The new Alpina plant in Batavia will employ about 50 people.

We're still in a wait-and-see mode about Pepsi and how the rest of the ag park will fill out, but this was some interesting information from the NYT.

Read the whole article here.

It would be tempting to look at Kala Stein's "Convivium" as just a table with a bunch of cups on it, but approach the sculpture and take a moment with it, and you discover it encourages a contemplative review of its subtle beauty.

Convivium is on display at the Roz Steiner Gallery on the Genesee Community College campus from Jan. 17 through 27.

The sculpture was installed over the past two days.

Stein has written this about it:

Convivium describes a coming together, a celebratory congregation, a banquet of minds. This type of gathering is a venue for exchange, a place to spark new relationships, and to cultivate what presently exists. It is about the constructive potentials of the collective.

The cup is a vernacular object; I use the goblet as a tool to symbolize human interaction within the convivium and the idea of convivium itself. Repetition and expansion, physical derivatives of time and space, distort the vessel beyond iconic function and shifts its singularity into a dizzying display of geometric patterns. The goblet is no longer a goblet; it is a unit within the whole. The area beyond the strict limits of the objects accommodates surprise and discovery. Function becomes irrational and form becomes pattern.

Ceramic, wood and glass are used for their aesthetic qualities and structural abilities. The materials are processed out of necessity – beyond raw but short of finished. An unpolished state is absolute structure and illustrates a depth of purity and the truth of the material.

Stein has a master's degree in fine arts from Alfred University, where she currently teaches and works as a studio artist.

A possible chimney fire is reported at 2991 Pike Road, Alexander.

Fire units dispatched from Alexander, Town of Batavia and East Pembroke.

UPDATE 6:07 p.m.: I wasn't able to follow the conclusion of this call, but units went back in service shortly after the alarm went out.

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Emphasizing all GCC has accomplished but noting there is work to be done in order to maintain a focus on excellence, President Jim Sunser delivered his first "state of the college" speech in the Stuart Steiner Auditorium on Thursday morning.

"You've heard me say I believe that all of us together are smarter than any one of us alone, and we have to talk with each other and work together if we are going to continue to be a great college," Sunser  said. "I encourage you all to bring your thoughts and ideas to those you are with with every day and help us make GCC an even greater place in 2012 and beyond."

Sunser said the college will continue working on a strategic plan, using data gathered from a strategic assessment to help inform planning and "support solid decision making" about the future.

He said the new executive VP of planning and institutional effectiveness will work with senior leadership to review practices and procedures to ensure they support access to learning.

The college will continuing to develop online opportunities.

A new student code of conduct is also being developed.

"This standardized code will serve students by providing clearer understanding of the expectations we have for them as members of this academic community," Sunser said.

A committee is also working on a complete facilities master plan that will set the course for the next five years and beyond for capital fund raising, facilities upgrades and environmental sustainability projects.

Alli's Cones & Dogs, 7063 Lewiston Road, Oakfield, NY: Full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu; all-you-can-eat salad bar; ice cream served year-round; eat-in or take-out. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Bohn's Restaurant, 5256 Clinton St., Batavia, NY: Fine dining in an atmosphere of casual elegance. Lunch and dinner, steak, prime rib and seafood. Ask about Bohn's catering services and banquet facility. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Clor's Meat Market, 4169 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: For the best, most flavorful, juiciest chicken or hamburger in town, hands down, stop by Clor's. Oh, and the steaks are great, too. And the sausage. Clor's also serves lunch and dinners from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.

Greg'ry's Bakery, 13 North Lake Road, Bergen, NY: The bakery offers a variety of the finest cakes, cookies, pies, cupcakes, breads, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and so much more. Each treat is made the same as it has been for decades and baked right here. Come in and sample some for yourself! We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Ficarella's Pizzeria, 21 Liberty St., Batavia, NY: Dine-in, drive-thru or delivery. Featuring fresh, hearth-baked pizza since 1985, plus wings, pasta and more. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10. (Good only at the Batavia location.)

Present Tense Books and Gifts, 101 Washington Ave., Batavia, NY: Whether your taste runs to local authors, the finest in fiction or nonfiction or you're looking for a unique and special gift, this charming store in a cozy Victorian house on the edge of downtown is a great place to stop and shop. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Salsa & Curry, 13 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: An authentic Mexican restaurant, offering all of your favorite dishes from enchiladas and burritos to tacos and fajitas, as well as daily Indian food specials. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Spirits, 78 Lake St., Le Roy, NY. Le Roy's favorite sports bar, where fun and good food are always on tap. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

The Mane Attraction Salon and Spa, 99 Main St., Batavia, NY: offers "Affordable Luxury" in downtown Batavia. We pride ourselves in the great customer service we give to the entire family. Men, women and children are all welcome either by appointment or walk-in. We offer all hair care services including cuts, color, highlights, lowlights, perms, styling/updos, facial, leg and back waxing, Shellac Polish System, manicures and pedicures. We are the only salon in Batavia that has an airplane chair for kids' cuts! Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. We have $20 gift certificates for $10.

Viking Valhalla Restaurant & Rose Garden Bowl, 21 Buffalo Road, Bergen, NY: Open for lunch Monday through Sunday, and dinner Friday and Saturday evenings. Dinner favorites are our succulent prime rib and Friday fish fries! We are always happy to help plan your special occasion -- wedding, shower, rehearsal dinner, stag party, graduation, company function, banquet, family or class reunion. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

SOLD OUT

Note: if you've never purchased Deal of the Day before, or are otherwise unfamiliar with the rules and process, click here.

In a community meeting Wednesday night to discuss an unusual outbreak of tics among female students at Le Roy High School, a state health official steadfastly refused to reveal the cause of the outbreak.

Citing not just HIPPA as a reason for keeping the diagnosis of 11 girls private, Dr. Gregory Young said that as a matter of principle he didn't want to see the girls "labeled" by what their doctor has found.

Young, from the NYS Department of Health, said the cause (or causes) isn't related to the environment; it isn't anything a person "catches"; it doesn't come from exposure to something, or from anything ingested. Nor does the cause stem from prescribed drugs or illicit drugs.

State health officials know what is behind the outbreak, but Young would not disclose it. Yet he tried to reassure parents that it's safe to send their children to school.

In all, according to Young -- though some in the audience disputed the number -- at least 11 girls have come down with the "tic manifestations" (Young cautioned against calling it a syndrome). 

The doctor's explanation, and a stone barrier he put up regarding the cause, didn't go over well with parents or students.

James Dupont Jr. spoke passionately about the need for officials to be more forthcoming about what physicians have found. Dupont complained that although Young said the cause has been diagnosed, nobody's told him what caused his daughter to develop tics.

After he spoke, he went into hallway and was mobbed by reporters.

"We all have to respect that (keeping medical information private), but I tell you what, if my daughter had a diagnosis and I knew that, as a parent, I would tell you -- because I’m not a doctor and I don’t care about HIPPA," Dupont said. "I care about getting these kids better or finding what’s causing it so it doesn’t get any worse."

Later, from the back of the auditorium, Dupont called out Young on his repeated insistance that a diagnosis has been completed for the 11 students. 

Dupont asked parents in attendance whose daughters had developed tics to raise their hands. More than a half dozen adults raised their hands. Then Dupont asked how many had been told by their daughters' doctors what caused the tics. Several said they had not been given a diagnosis.

One parent spoke up and said he was told the cause was "conversion disorder."

Young said he couldn't respond to that comment.

Conversion disorder is a neurosis usually brought on difficulties in a person's life, according to Wikipedia. It is marked by numbness, blindness, paralysis or fits. Britannica.com lists tics as a manifestation of conversion disorder.

After more questioning about conversion disorder, Thomas Wallace, from the state's mental health office, said it isn't really a diagnosis. He said it can be a symptom of other issues and that it can be found in clusters of patients.

The number of patients is not out of line with national statistics for tic manifestations among a group of 500 youngsters (in fact, in a group of 500, there should be at least 20 children with tics, based on national statistics).

What is unusual, he said, is that all of the patients are girls (boys develop tics at a 4-1 ratio over girls, according to national statics, Young said) and that they all developed the manifestations at about the same time.

Several students got up to ask questions or speak out, including a girl who said her name was Jessica.

"You think it's unethical for you not to give us the cause," Jessica said. "I think it's wrong for you not to tell us."

"If you were one of the individuals involved, you might feel differently," Young shot back.

"We're friends with these people," Jessica said. "Half of them haven't even been diagnosed yet. You're not telling us the truth because you don't really know what's going on."

Young repeated that he feels uncomfortable sharing private medical information. Later, he spoke about how he's always hated bureaucrats and he realized he was being one, but he said he simply couldn't share private medical information.

The one commonality Young said he could share was that all of the girls showed a greater manifestation during times of stress.

It's not unusual, he said, for people to manifest tics in time of stress, and there are a lot of stress factors in a young person's life. All people deal with stress differently, but it's well documented that stress can cause a number of physical reactions.

One big stresser for kids today is social media.

"There's a lot that goes on in social media today that parents don't know about, that schools don't know about," said Young, noting that the community meeting coincides with the start of the school session, and the students susceptible to tics will be under a new round of stress.

Just announcing the meeting created stress for the students involved, he said, and parents should be prepared for an increase of tic activity as reports about the meeting hit the media.

Dupont and other parents afterward said they don't believe it all boils down to stress especially since, for some of the students, the tics don't seem to become less frequent when school is out (though one mother who spoke said her daughter didn't have tics over Christmas vacation).

Among Dupont's suggestions is that a parent support group be formed. Then, perhaps, parents could share more information and find commonalities among their daughters (not all of the girls know each other or necessarily had contact with each other prior to the tic manifestations arising).

Young agreed this would be a good idea and also said that in a closed group of just the parents involved, he could speak more freely about what physicians have found.

UPDATE AND CLARIFICATION: The mention of types of drugs above wasn't meant to exclude from the meaning, as it does, that designer drugs weren't investigated as a cause. They were and subsequently ruled out as a cause. PANDAS has been ruled out as a cause. HPV vaccine has also been ruled out as a cause, according to Dr. Young. ODD or ADHD can make a child more susceptible to tics, but that isn't a cause. One thing Young intimated is that there is no one cause for all the girls.

Power is out in the area of a semi-truck vs. power pole accident earlier today.

National Grid is not reporting the power outage on its website at this time.

Tonight, crews have been working on replacing the damaged pole.

About an hour ago, Batavia PD officers were discussing a power outage at Main and Ellicott streets.

The power around Maple and Evans streets went out about 11:25 p.m.

UPDATE 11:58  p.m.: Power has been restored. Batavia PD officers conducting traffic control on Main and Ellicott are back in service.

Christopher Dailey, then the principal of Batavia High School, remembers the first time school officials came across a student with a lip balm-like container of K2.

"He handed it over to me and said, 'It's OK, it's legal,' " Daily recalled. "I turned it over and read the back label. I said, 'Did you read this?'  He said he hadn't. He didn't know what it said. It read, 'NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.' "

While synthetic marijuana is a fairly recent issue for school officials to deal with in Batavia, Dailey emphasized it has not become a widespread problem. He characterized it as a "fad," but he also called it, "scary."

Scary is the same word used by local law enforcement and others familiar with a variety of chemicals and compounds being marketed most often as "incense" with clear instructions saying "not for human consumption."

Some of the compounds are available in Batavia retail stores, though Dailey said students interviewed by school officials indicate the chemicals are being purchased most often on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.

The compounds fall under the general description of synthetic marijuana, synthetic cocaine and synthetic meth. Commercially, the chemical agents are known as Spice and K2 for synthetic marijuana and Ivory Wave, Vanilla Sky and Bliss for synthetic cocaine and meth.

All of the compounds are currently legal and unregulated in New York. You must be 18 years old to buy a pack of cigarettes, but there is no age restriction on Spice or K2.

Synthetic cocaine and meth are more commonly referred to as "bath salts."

While the chemicals are meant to simulate the highs of marijuana or cocaine, they have been known to cause sever reactions, from seizures, rapid heart rates, paranoia, hallucinations, chest pain, suicidal tendencies and psychosis.

There's some speculation locally that synthetic marijuana or "bath salts" are related to the outbreak of tics among teenage girls in Le Roy. When The Batavian asked Dr. Jonathan Mink about a possible connection Tuesday, he immediately shifted to a discussion of stimulants such as cocaine and said the dosage of cocaine needed to cause tics would be significant and manifest other symptoms.

Wednesday, we asked Dr. Mink to clarify whether synthetic drugs could cause tics and he said it's not a subject he has studied and lacked sufficient expertise to offer an opinion on it.

Jeremy Almeter, owner of Glass Roots on Center Street, said he gets people coming into his shop two or three times a day asking for Spice or K2. They leave disappointed.

"I won't sell it," Almeter said.

Walk into Glass Roots and it's like stepping into a time machine, back into 1960's Haight-Ashbury counterculture, but Almeter said he's seen too many problems caused by fake drugs and doesn't want his business associated with the chemicals at all.

"It just blows my mind that people would use that stuff," Almeter said. "It says right on the label, 'not for human consumption.' A lot of kids seem to think, 'it's legal so it's OK,' but actually the things that are legal are more harmful that what's illegal, specifically marijuana."

Almeter believes the spread of synthetic drugs bolsters the case for legalizing marijuana, a natural substance with effects that are known and generally not harmful. Marijuana could also more easily be controlled, whereas with synthetic drugs, they get re-engineered every time a substance gets outlawed.

In Rochester, a couple of hookah shops have opened where anybody can go in and smoke K2 or bath salts, but Almeter said he wants to offer an alternative.

Recently, he opened his own hookah room, but only offers tobacco-free, all-natural aromatics. Nothing he offers will get a person high. The idea is to sit around and enjoy some pleasant aromas and pleasant conversation.

The Laughing Buddha on Ellicott Street in Batavia advertises on its Facebook page that it sells "incense."

Premium Blend Spice & Incense, We wholesale it as well, Guaranteed best prices around on your favorite kinds such as Hammer Head, White Rhino & Grim Reefer.

Displayed in the store today were dozens of packages of White Rhino behind a glass counter.

The owner of the shop is Jay Lang, who also owns Batavia Cab Co., and at one time, Lang mentioned on Facebook that customers could have products from Laughing Buddha delivered right to their door by a cab driver. 

Today, Lang said he discontinued the practice after considering the legal implications.

"What we carry is legal and we sell it as incense," Lang said. "It's lab tested and DEA compliant. Every package comes with a warning label."

Lang said that if a customer indicates they are using the substances for anything other than incense, they are "cut off." He said he won't knowingly sell the substances to anybody he believes is consuming it.

The synthetic drugs have also been displayed on the counters of other Batavia retailers in recent months.

The use of synthetic weed in area high schools is more prevalent than school officials believe, Almeter suggested.

Dailey, who is now assistant superintendent for the Batavia City School District, said there have been times when kids came to school under the influence of fake marijuana. When it happens, he said, parents are contacted and generally the parents take the student straight to a doctor.

Because it's legal, "there's a limit on how much we can do," Dailey said. "We're as proactive as we possibly can be and we work closely with police on monitoring it and we discuss the dangers in our health classes."

For local law enforcement, the main time synthetic drugs become a legal issue is when people drive under the influence of the drugs, which is a crime.

A volunteer firefighter was recently arrested. He originally offered himself as an interview subject for this story, but later didn't show up for his interview appointment. In a pre-interview conversation, he said the arrest didn't go over well with his superiors and it opened his eyes to the dangers of fake marijuana.

While sources in law enforcement said they haven't seen a lot of those kinds of arrests, driving under the influence of anything is dangerous.

"People have to understand that while legal, much like alcohol if you’re over 21, it can still be abused and misused and effect your ability to make decisions and operate a vehicle," said Sgt. Steve Mullen, head of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Mullen said that he and his agents are focused on investigating the sale of controlled substances such as crack cocaine and heroin, so it's hard for him to confirm that the use of synthetic drugs locally is on the rise.

But he also doesn't get why people use these substances.

"It just doesn't make a lot of sense to me," Mullen said. "It says right on the packages, 'not for human consumption,' so not from a law enforcement perspective, just personally, from a commonsense perspective, if it says 'don't consume,' then why would you consume it?"

UPDATE 10:57 p.m.: On Facebook, Jay Lang is complaining the article makes it sound like his shop sells bath salts. The article states what he's advertised as products in his store and the one product I observed in his store. Those products are not known as bath salts. While law enforcement officials have told me bath salts have been known to show up in the community, there is no specific retail outlet mentioned in this article that is believed to sell bath salts.

Residents in the area of Evans and Maple streets in Batavia experienced a brief power outage after a big rig struck a utility pole. The pole was shapped in half and is hanging partially over the roadway.

Power was automatically rerouted. There are no wires down.

"Definitely needs the power company," said a responder. City fire and police are on scene.

UPDATE 4 p.m. (By Howard): Power went out in the neighborhood again at about 3:45 p.m. At the same time, The Batavian's office downtown lost its Internet connection (it was interrupted during the first power outage as well). The semi driver reportedly was trying to get around another car on Evans when he hit the pole. There is no damage to the truck. No injuries reported. City fire is going back in service. National Grid is on scene and a worker told city fire that it will take two hours to restore power.

UPDATE 4:12 p.m.: National Grid is going to try to reroute some power so that the north side of the accident scene gets power back within 45 minutes. This will restore power to the intersection of Main and Ellicott streets.

UPDATE 4:20 p.m.: A teller alarm went off at a downtown bank and a Batavia PD officer reported, "the power just came back on, so it could be related." The Batavian's phone service and Internet connection came back on at the same time. National Grid is reporting power is restored. It's unknown if this is a temporary or permanent fix. About 1,300 customers were affected by the outage.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: National Grid reports about 30 customers without power in the city with an estimated time for restoration of 5:15 p.m.

Batavia residents, particularly on Summit Street, are invited to a public meeting from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, to provide input on reconstruction plans for the street.

The redesign and construction is a locally administered federal aid project scheduled for completion in 2015.

Erdman Anthony has been retained by the city to provide survey, field mapping and engineering services for the project.

Engineering studies are in progress.

According to a city press release, during the design process, comment and input from affected residents and businesses are "valuable and necessary elements for achieving a successful project."

The meeting will begin with a brief overview of the project and discussion will proceed in an open house format, allowing interaction with consultants from Erdman Anthony and city staff.

UPDATE: The meeting is being held at city hall.

David L. Andrews, 24, and Tyshawn T. Ferguson, 21, both of Holland Avenue, Batavia, along with Deylon A. Bovell, 20, of East Main Street, Batavia, are charged with trespass. Andrews, Ferguson and Bovell were allegedly found at College Village after being banned from the property.

Donald Eugene Cameron, 52, of York Road, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Cameron is accused of slapping another person in the head.

An injury accident requiring extrication has been reported at North Main and Chapel streets in the Village of Elba.

Elba Fire Department on scene. Mercy EMS dispatched. Fire police called to deal with traffic.

A tractor-trailer is apparently involved.

UPDATE  7:29 a.m.: Mercy Flight requested to the scene. Landing zone at the recreation hall.

UPDATE 7:38 a.m.: Mercy Flight 5 has a three-minute ETA.

UPDATE 7:40 a.m.: Mercy Flight on the ground.

UPDATE 8:03 a.m.: Mercy Flight in the air, headed to Strong Memorial Hospital.

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The local YWCA will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day next Monday by opening up day care at Robert Morris School (correction: YWCA, 301 North Street, Batavia, on Monday).

Typically, day care is closed on holidays, but YWCA Director Jeanne Walton said the Y is going to start changing that, and Monday's daycare will be a "very affordable" $20, she said, and will include 12 hours of care, breakfast, lunch and a snack.

Children not currently enrolled in day care are welcome to attend Monday, Walton said.

John Canale, center of the photo, will conduct a drum circle for the children, teaching them about the history of African hand drumming.

A second drum circle session will be held in the evening that anybody in the community can attend.

Walton said the Y wants the day to reflect unity, community spirit and good will.

“It’s all about fostering the ideals of Martin Luther King Jr.," Walton said. "We’re doing it in a slightly different fashion, but we feel this is something that is important for us to do.”

April Marie Ground, 22, of Meadville Road, Alabama, is charged with falsely reporting an incident, 3rd. Ground allegedly reported to Deputy Eric Seppala at 2 a.m. Nov. 30, that she was stabbed in the face about an hour earlier by a black female in the parking lot of a Batavia retailer. On Dec. 8, Ground allegedly admitted to Investigator William Ferrando that the stabbing did not occur.

Jason Andrew Barnhart, 24, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 4th (value more than $1,000), burglary, 3rd, grand larceny (more than $1,000) and falsifying business documents. Barnhart was arrested following an investigation into a burglary and grand larceny reported at 3 p.m. Jan. 4 at a location on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia. Barnhart was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Kevin Bruce Martin, 28, of Route 98, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Martin is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.