Folks in the region will have several opportunities to meet and speak with our governor in February. An article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reports this morning that Gov. David Paterson will hold a series of at least four town-hall style meetings upstate to "allow residents to ask questions and interact with the governor on the ideas he lays out in the State of the State address." Gov. Paterson will give his State of the State this Wednesday at 1:00pm.

Of those meetings that have so far been scheduled, three will be held within a short distance of Batavia: one in Buffalo on February 18, one in Rochester on February 11 and another in Geneseo on February 12. Others will likely be held in Watertown and Binghamton.

From the article:

Paterson has moved away from Spitzer's plan to split up some state duties, particularly economic development, into upstate and downstate branches. Paterson has argued that New York is one state with a united purpose.

Andrew Rudnick, president of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, said an upstate address isn't necessary so long as the governor gives the region the attention it needs.

If the symbolism of an upstate speech, "isn't followed up by definitive policy and asset allocation, what much difference does it make?" he said.

Most people would likely agree that the most pressing issue now facing the state is the budget crisis. A few weeks ago, Paterson released his budget proposal that caused quite a stir. We've put together a poll with a few topics that might come up when the governor visits upstate. Pick whichever you most want to hear about. I figure that the budget proposal will likely be a major part of the State of the State this Wednesday, so try to think what's most important to upstate other than that.

We've received yet another winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service. This one goes into effect tonight at 8:00pm through 5:00pm tomorrow.

A wintry mix will produce slippery travel tonight through Wednesday. Light snow is expected to overspread the Niagara Frontier, Genesee Valley and northern Finger Lakes this evening. The light snow will change to sleet and freezing rain from southwest to northeast after midnight. Occasional light freezing rain and freezing drizzle is expected to continue through Wednesday. The freezing rain may change to just rain later Wednesday with temperatures rising just above freezing.

Snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches are possible before the changeover. Ice accumulations of up to a tenth of an inch are possible.

Be careful out there. This doesn't sound like the worst we've had—freezing drizzle isn't all that intimidating—but even a tenth of an inch of ice can cause some hairy driving conditions.

Many thanks to Sean Feeney for sending along this remembrance:

I remember playing in what I think was the original Batavia Lions Club tournament in December 1975 while playing for Attica. We played Batavia in the opener losing by a point or two to Batavia led by now coach Buddy Brasky and Jimmy Orosco. Kevin Kellogg and Doug Miller were our leading scorers. We played Notre Dame in the consolation game. ... I do not remember who Batavia played in the final. I believe Buddy Brasky was the tournament MVP.  Myself and I think Jimmy Orosco were on the all tourney team with someone from ND and the other team in the tourney. Batavia warmed up to the Ohio players "Love Rollercoaster".

The Batavian is great. I love catching up on high school sports back in WNY!

Sean Feeney
Alpharetta, GA

I wanted to post this to the site to see if it sparked any other memories in our readers. Was this the original Lions Club tournament in 1975? Or did it start later on, in 1982, as we had believed? Do you remember? Did you play?

Rigs lined up over a dozen deep stretched along the side of East Main Street in Corfu this morning. Its riders, along with many more, crowded inside the Pembroke Community Center to pay their last respects to Norm Koch, former chief at the Corfu Fire Department and longtime firefighter who died in the line of duty assisting at the scene of a car accident in East Pembroke Tuesday. Koch served as commissioner and captain of the fire police in East Pembroke. He was 79.

Shortly before noon this morning, county dispatchers sounded the final alarm in honor of Captain Koch. This was that message:

This is the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center going on the air with a last alarm assignment for East Pembroke Fire Police Captain Norm Koch.

Captain Koch answered his last alarm December 30th at 12:34 hours at the age of 79. He served the East Pembroke Fire Department for 21 years.

The Alexander, Corfu and East Pembroke Fire Departments are thankful for the 58 years of service Past Chief, Commissioner and Fire Police Capt. Norm Koch has provided to the communities they serve.

His task completed, his duties well done. To our Comrade, his last alarm, he's going home.

Meanwhile, outside the Corfu Fire Department, the buckets from the Batavia and Le Roy ladder trucks joined some thirty feet from the ground to fly the flag in salute.

All the lights are extinguished. All the percolators are turned off, the swizzle sticks packed away and the steamers have all run out of steam. It's official... the end of an era.

Main Street Coffee is closed.

We would like to wish former proprietor Rob Credi the best of luck in his future endeavors. Credi took us in when we were still crawling, just learning how to walk, back in May. Main Street Coffee was the home base for The Batavian for several months before we procured an office of our own. We were always treated like family there. And we'll always consider it our home away from home. We hope that right now Credi is still sleeping, for once not having to get up before dawn to help us start our day with a fresh cup of coffee and a hot bagel sandwich.

All that being said, what do we do now? Where do we go now for a good cup of coffee served with class and culture and often—especially in the case of Credi—a touch of comedy? Let's take it to the polls... I'll tell you all right now that I'm voting for Hot Shots. I've always been and plan to remain a staunch supporter of locally-owned and operated cafés. So that's me. How about you? 

We've tallied the results and put together our lists of The Batavian's Top Ten Posts and Top Ten Stories of 2008. You may notice that we don't run them down neatly one through ten. There were many ties. So here you are:

Top Ten Posts of 2008:

1. Batavians choose not to live like they do in big cities...

2. Waterfowler's morning...

3. Le Roy remembers Hooks...

4. O-A stuns Pembroke in final seconds...

5. Saturday Day Trip... (Tie - 5th)

5. Chainsaw artist Rick Pratt... (Tie - 5th)

6. A truck that's got a story to tell... (Tie - 6th)

6. Contemplating Bill Kauffman's Batavia... (Tie - 6th)

7. Hillary's Seat: If We Were Speaking Locally... (Tie - 7th)

7. Telling stories that tell stories: The art of Brian Moore... (Tie - 7th)

Top Ten Stories of 2008:

1. Pontillo's in Batavia closes—owes more than $112,000 in back taxes...

2. Muckdogs win NY-Penn League Championship...

3. My T Acres barn fire...

4. High school football...

5. Six-year-old brings loaded gun onto school bus...

6. First major winter storm... (Tie - 6th)

6. Elections... (Tie - 6th)

7. House fire on Lewiston Road claims life of teenage boy...

8. Youth football...

9. The mall...

There you have it. The people have spoken! Please follow the links to view the vote count or to navigate and view any of the top posts you either missed or wish to read again. Thank you! Here's to a new year that will be even more exciting than the last.

Christopher P. Ball, 26, of 4902 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, was charged with second-degree harassment early Sunday morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Ball is accused of punching his father in the head during a domestic dispute. Ball was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $250.

Christopher Archer, 17, of Pembroke, was charged with second-degree harassment Friday, deputies said. Archer was allegedly involved in a fight following a domestic dispute.

Edward J. Roshea Jr., 40, of Corfu, was charged with driving while intoxicated Sunday, deputies said. Roshea Jr. was stopped by deputies for allegedly failing to keep right of the center line.

A potential consolidation for Batavia has caught the attention of more than just the local crowds. An editorial from the crew at the Syracuse Post Standard that went up a few days ago asks the question: One Batavia for all?

If Batavia's voters approve municipal consolidation next fall, it should make waves at least throughout the state. As Attorney General Andrew Cuomo recently noted, New York's 10,521 local government entities are excessive. Towns, villages, school districts and special assessment districts consume too many tax dollars and pit folks against each other who should join forces.

Is Batavia ready to make waves? What good or bad could come from the consolidation?

A story in the Democrat & Chronicle yesterday features Batavia Notre Dame graduate Tim Sullivan, now one of the country's best basketball shooting coaches. Sullivan, who graduated in 1978, then "walked onto the team at Canisius College in Buffalo," now puts on some 400 shooting clinics across the country each year.

This article, by John Boccacino, is a fun read, and there are more than a few great tips for any amateur basketball enthusiast looking to beef up his or her shot. It's clear that Sullivan knows his stuff.

After every shot attempt Sullivan preached that, as part of their follow through, the participants kiss the shoulder of their shooting side to guarantee a complete, accurate shot.

His wise words were met with confusion. "When he started talking about that, my friend Matt Noto and I looked at each other and said, 'OK, that won't work,'" said Steven Ciotti, 13, a seventh-grader at Greece Athena Middle School who plays for Greece Basketball Association's seventh-grade house team. "But then he started shooting and he just wasn't missing. I think he made almost 95 percent of his 200 shots and we were all amazed."

We received the following notice from the Friends of Jennifer:

    Jennifer Bobzin was in a serious accident with a tractor trailer on Monday, October 20, 2008 around 1 p.m.  She was put into a coma by the doctors to perform a Bifrontal Craniectomy (part of her skull cap was removed to make room for swelling of the brain), the surgery was finished around 730 p.m. Monday night. The injuries sustained in the accident were mainly to her face and head. She has several facial fractures and trauma to her head/brain, with bleeding.
    Jennifer was transferred to St. Mary’s Brain Injury Unit on November 13th for rehabilitation.  She is doing well and has even progressed to being able to come home for occasional day visits.
    Jennifer is a single mom, and recently purchased her first home for herself, her mother and her boys.  Due to the accident and the extent of her injuries, the financial situation is poor.
    In an effort to help with the many medical and everyday expenses, her friends have planned a benefit dinner and concert for
January 24, 2008.  The benefit will feature four live bands, dinner, a Chinese auction, door prizes, raffles and a live auction as well.  We are planning on about 400 people.  We are currently seeking donations from area businesses for items to use in the auctions and raffles.  We are also looking for donations of food items or monetary donations to offset the cost of the dinner.
    For more information you can check out the websites that have been set up for Jennifer.  www.caringbridge.org/visit/jenniferbobzin is the website that has been tracking her progress with daily updates and a guestbook that can be signed, and www.myspace.com/jamminforjen has been set up to promote the benefit.   Businesses will be promoted on the my space website as well as area radio stations and newspapers.
If you need to contact someone, please feel free to call Jennifer’s sister Shari at 585-813-7675.  Donations can be mailed to Shari Loewke at 6664 Townline Road Byron, NY 14422.

Thank you,
Friends of Jennifer

Most viewed posts on The Batavian for December:

• Christmas lights 12-13-08: DiSalvo's always best in show, by Brian Hillabush
• Batavia: My T Acres barns engulfed in flames, by Howard Owens
• Greater Rochester football selections overlook Genesee County standouts, by Brian Hillabush
• My 'T' Acres fire pictures, by Howard Owens
• No state wrestling in Rochester, by Brian Hillabush
• Thanks for the advice, But..., by Charlie Mallow
• On the Beat: More charges, jail time, for alleged abuser, by Philip Anselmo
• Governor releases budget proposal: Plans to eliminate deficit in two years, by Philip Anselmo
• Hoy's Geneseo basketball team gets ESPN's top play, by Brian Hillabush
• A month later, McCormick still touching Hornell and Section 5, by Brian Hillabush

Many people love those big box, big chain stores. Often, they have a better selection of items then smaller, locally owned stores, not to mention the potential of better prices.

But is going to Wal-Mart, Target or Home Depot first, instead of one of the many local merchants that might carry the same wares the best choice for your community or yourself?

USAToday carried an interesting piece this past week on the virtues of shopping local.

There are good reasons for buying local. It reduces the need for shipping, which reduces pollution, and it supports the local community. "A study we did found that for every $100 spent in a chain store, $14 went back into the local economy. For a locally owned business, it was $45," says Stacy Mitchell, author of "Big-Box Swindle" and researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "Locally owned businesses buy a lot of services from other local businesses. So by buying from one local business, you're not only supporting that business, you're supporting other local businesses."

The author offers examples of how she shops local. Of course, not all of those options are available in Batavia.  At times, unfortunately, the big box stores seem unavoidable.  But what are you doing to make a better effort to support your local economy?

(via Rochester Turning)

Jordan M. Hadfield of Batavia was struck by a car -- allegedly on purpose -- in Watertown yesterday.

The Watertown Daily Times reports that Eric W. Walker, 27, of Watertown, is being charged with two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and one count of falsely reporting an incident as well as leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

Allegedly, Walker struck Hadfield and then drove home, where he called police and said somebody had smashed the windshield of his car while it was parked outside.

No word on the condition of Hadfield, or even if he was taken to the hospital.

Congratulations to Justin Forrester and Malissa Moore, proud parents of the fist baby born in Batavia in 2009.

Newspapers do the "first baby" every year story, but reporter Joanne Beck does a good job with the story of little Jayden Mariah. Click on over a read it.

Roger Muehlig has a fascinating story this morning on a 40-year-old master planning document that would have aligned the land use planning for both the city and county.

When you drive around Batavia and contemplate the disorganized approach both entities took to commercial and retail development, you have to wonder: Why was the plan ignored?

The report, "A Comprehensive Master Plan for the Batavia Area," was done by Herbert H. Smith Associates of Rochester as consultant to a Batavia Area Planning Board. It is not dated, but was apparently done in the late 1960s.

Purpose of the area planning board, established in 1966, was "to provide foresight and guidance on matters of concern to both the city and town," according to the document that's on file at the Genesee County Planning Department,

The plan was commissioned in late 1967, the report said, and there are several references to a 20-year planning period up to 1990. The plan, it said, projects the area board's thinking approximately 20 years into the future, "and is therefore an effort to envision the Batavia of 1990."

Review of the 88-page plan is especially timely considering the current proposal to considate the town and city, but isn't there also an element of a little too late?  Batavia has undergone a lot of development and revedevelopment in 40 years. It might be a little hard to organize things now.

What would be more helpful, especially if consolidation goes through, is a completely new master plan -- one that builds on Batavia's historic strengths, finds solutions for catastrophic mistakes (like, the Mall), and focuses on creating a dynamic business environment to create jobs and grow revenue.

Thomas (age 7) and Alyssa (age 5) were at the Holland Land Office Museum today to build a snowman in the snowman contest sponsored by thebatavian.com.

They named their creation “Snowball the Snowman.”

The contest runs until Saturday, January 3rd at 3:00 p.m. Prize sponsors include Matty’s Pizzeria and Movies in Motion.

To enter the contest, come down to the Museum with your best snowman making materials and supplies and find a place to build it!

Call the museum at 343-4727 if you have any questions.

City police teamed up with the Genesee County sheriff's deputies in a burglary investigation that led to the arrest of two city residents. Corey A. Johnson, 21, and Brian J. Miller, 27, both of 667 Ellicott St., Apt: 4b, Batavia, were arrested on New Year's Eve, deputies said. They were both sent to Genesee County Jail without bail.

Johnson was charged with a felony count of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Miller was charged with two felony counts of second-degree burglary, one felony count of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor.

City police had been interviewing Johnson and Miller at their apartment as part of an investigation. During that interview, an officer noticed a shotgun and some other items in the apartment that resembled those that had recently been reported stolen to the sheriff's office. A pair of separate residential burglaries had been reported in the Bethany area on Christmas Day, December 25, and the day after.

"In both burglaries, the residences were forcibly entered, the houses were ransacked, and several items were stolen, including electronic equipment, jewelry, and other personal items," deputies said.

This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected.

Gregory A. Jones, 30, of 8794 Alexander Road, Batavia, was charged with two counts of first-degree rape Thursday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Jones was accused of forcing a 27-year-old female to engage in sexual intercourse on two separate occasions Thursday. Jones was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000. He will reappear in court on January 26.

Justin T. Blackwood, 22, of Amherst, was charged with driving while intoxicated Thursday, deputies said. Blackwod was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on County Line Road in Darien. He was also ticketed with driving left of the pavement markings in a no passing zone.

David M. Heschke, 42, of Oakfield, was charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle Thursday, deputies said. Heschke was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on West Main Street Road in the town of Batavia. He was also ticketed with consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, moving from the lane unsafely and driving left of pavement markings in a no passing zone.

William D. Hirsch, 21, of Pavilion, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief Thursday, deputies said. Hirsch is accused of using his crutch to break the driver's side window of his ex-girlfriend's truck.

Coty Brawdy, 19, of Angola, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana Thursday, deputies said. Brawdy was stopped for alleged traffic violations in the city of Batavia. Brawdy was also ticketed with operating a motor vehicle with obstructed vision and an equipment violation.

Michael Coffta, 16, of Medina, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana Wednesday, deputies said. Coffta was found to be in possession of marijuana following a traffic stop in Darien.

Brent D. Scoins, 33, of 108 Woodstock Gardens, Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated today, city police said. Scoins was allegedly found asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle on Summit Street in Batavia. He was also ticketed with failure to keep right.

Joseph M. Sanders, 25, of South Carolina, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. Sanders is accused of possessing a forged New York State prescription that he allegedly altered. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $25,000.

Quick thinking and the amazing athleticism of a 72-year-old resident of a Bank Street townhouse  may have saved the lives of him and his wife as he single-handily battled a fire, according to a Democrat & Chronicle story.

Something awoke the couple at about 3:40 a.,m. this morning, and the man -- who is not identified -- jumped from his second floor window, grabbed a shovel, smashed a window and extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived using water and a five-gallon bucket.

The couple was treated and released for smoke inhalation at United Memorial Medical Center. The man also sustain some cuts on his feet from broken glass.

The apartment, at 337 Bank Street, suffered enough damage to make it unlivable. It did not have a working smoke detector, according to Chief Tom Dillon.

I have found in the past few weeks during our snowfall chaos, many things frustrating.  During our snowstorm we had not too long ago, we cannot really deny that the plows at that time did the best that they could do, and they did just that.  And at a time like that you might not expect that our sidewalks in the city get taken care of the day of the storm, or even the day after, as there was just too much snow to handle all at one time.  But just last night (New Year's Eve) I was out at 11:00 PM and there were people walking down Oak Street and Mix Place and Main Street in sections, because the sidewalks were not cleared.  There wasn't even anything close to as much snow as we had 2 weeks back.  I understand that sometimes those little Kubota type tractors aren't able to get out there right away, but you'd think by midnight they'd have sidewalks cleared.  Yes, the priorities to clear are the streets, but it is also not safe for people to be walking in the roads especially when the streets are slippery and icy.  Imagine if a car were switching lanes and lost control.  I myself spun my tires a few times and swerved to the side while trying to get through a green light.  I just think that for the pedestrians who travel throughout the city, they should be able to walk down the sidewalks where they are safer.  Simple.