The Board of Elections Web site has a complete list of polling locations in Genesee County.
The polls are open from noon to 9 p.m.
Today, there are GOP primary races for the 27th Congressional District and for senator from New York.
A concerned Genesee County mother has helped put a child pornographer -- an Irish national living in New Jersey -- in federal prison, according to John Dehm, juvenile officer for the Sheriff's Office.
The mother contacted Dehm more than two years ago, upset because her daughter had been coerced into sending nude pictures of herself to a 14-year-old boy she met on Facebook.
Dehm decided to try and confirm the boy's identity.
The investigator was able to contact one of the 14-year-old's Facebook friends in Colorado and question him about his knowledge of the boy.
The Colorado teen was certain, he said, that the 14-year-old boy attended his school.
When Dehm checked with school officials, no children by that name were registered there.
Through his investigation, Dehm was able to determine that the suspect was an adult male posing as a teenager who'd built up clusters of online contacts on Facebook and other sites throughout the United States.
Seeing where the case was headed, Dehm contacted the FBI.
Federal investigators identified the suspect as Farrell Corrway, now 29, and began monitoring his online activity.
When Corrway announced on Facebook his intention to return to Ireland, the FBI contacted ICE and agents placed him on a watch list.
On Sept. 7, 2010 Corrway checked in for his flight in Newark and border agents pulled him aside and asked him if there was anything in his bags he would be concerned about letting them look at.
Corrway became visibly nervous, Dehm said.
Agents conducted a search of Corrway's belongings and detected several images of child pornography on an external hard drive in his possession.
An eventual forensic examination of the hard drive would reveal more than 600 images, some of them quite disturbing, according to one report.
Corrway entered a guilty plea in federal court May 31 to one count of transportation of child pornography. He faces from five to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for Sept. 11.
Corrway was in the U.S. on a travel visa. It was his second trip to America, with the first as part of a 24-month cultural exchange with Ireland known as the "Walsh Visa Program."
Dehm said the case points out the need for parents to be vigilant about their children's online activity.
There are people out there, he said, who will pose as a cool, 14-year-old kid to compromise the safety of children.
Photo: Courtesy of colleague and fellow indie online publisher Jerry DeMarco, of the Cliffview Pilot.
Batavia, the heartland of the redrawn 27th Congressional District, became a hotbed of political activity today as the two candidates in the GOP primary engaged in some last minute campaigning with Buffalo TV news crews in tow.
Chris Collins stopped for lunch and handshakes at the Pok-A-Dot and David Bellavia stopped at GOP households along Naramore Drive, Batavia.
Collins and Bellavia both predicted victory and took a couple final swings at each other.
Collins on why Genesee County Republicans should vote for him rather than Bellavia:
"You need look no further than this campaign. We're spot on with the issues. We have a professional campaign, 100-percent positive, 100-percent focused and he’s taken a page out of the Barack Obama playbook -- divide and conqueror, vote against Chris Collins because he’s from Erie County. He’s insulted every resident in the county of Erie. He’s divided us just like Barack Obama, the haves, have nots, the ones, the 99s, we’re running on the issues. He’s running a negative campaign. People don’t like that."
Bellavia on Collins saying he's run a divisive campaign:
"It’s very funny, because I’m not campaigning against Erie County. I’m campaigning against him and the handful of individuals who make up the Erie County GOP machine who embarrassed the Erie County Republic Party, who have almost ruined the party in Erie County and have done nothing but embarrass us and fail us. He should have beat Mark Poloncarz handily. He didn’t. He talks about the 64 percent of Erie County in the district that voted for him, but there’s never been a menu option and now there’s another entree on the menu and he’s going to find out that a lot of people held their nose last time. It’s not about Erie County at all. It’s about Chris Collins."
At the Pok-A-Dot, after I turned off my tape recorder, Chris Collins and I discussed the likely voter turnout tomorrow. I said it would be low. Collins said that he had a deal with Genesee County GOP Chairman Richard Seibert that he wouldn't do robo calls in Genesee County if Seibert promised to get out the vote.
Collins said he had the same deal with Livingston County.
Collins repeated the statement, no robo calls if Seibert got out the vote.
This sounded like a deal between Collins and Seibert, who is officially neutral in the race (and the county GOP did not endorse a candidate).
Reached at his office, Seibert said there was no such deal.
Seibert said he had a conversation with Collins about robo calls during the Jane Corwin campaign, that people were getting as many as 16 calls a day and it didn't go over well with Genesee County voters.
"I told him that robo calls were killing us," Seibert said. "That's not what our people want or like."
Collins said he wouldn't do robo calls in Genesee County, but Seibert said there was no promise to get out votes for Collins.
The county GOP is not doing any specific get-out-the-vote effort, Seibert said. Individuals are free to support and work on behalf of either candidate and are doing so, Seibert said, but he hasn't asked any Republicans to work for either campaign.
Reached later, Collin's campaign spokesman Michael Kracker said Collins did not mean to leave the impression that Seibert promised to deliver votes for his campaign.
"Dick Seibert has been very good at remaining neutral in this race," Kracker said.
As for the predicted turn out, Seibert said he doesn't think it's going to be has big as he had hoped.
With David Bellavia being from Genesee County, he thought the Bellavia campaign would work hard to get out the vote in Genesee County, and that to counter that move, the Collins campaign would match the effort. Neither candidate, Seibert said, has put any extra emphasis on Genesee County and he's not hearing many people around the county talking about the election.
Seibert ordered enough ballots to handle a 40-percent turnout among Republican voters.
"I've got a bad feeling I ordered too many ballots," Seibert said.
State Police in Wyoming Country received a tip Friday that a woman was allegedly driving drunk with a 4-year-old in the car.
After checking the Town of Covington area, Troopers were informed the woman was heading to Top's Market in Le Roy.
Angela R. Kruse, 40, of Pavilion, was stopped at Tops and subsequently arrested.
State Police alleged Kruse was driving with a BAC of .14 and had a 4-year-old in the vehicle.
Kruse was transported to the Warsaw station for processing and the young girl was turned over to a childcare provider at the scene.
Following arraignment in Le Roy, Kruse was jailed on $1,000 bail.
The Wyoming County Sheriff's Office assisted in the initial investigation.
Timothy P. Brown, 37, of 10 Hutchins Place, rear, is charged with stalking, 4th. Brown is accused of repeatedly contacting a former friend after being told to stop contacting that person. Brown was allegedly texting the former friend after the former friend asked him to stop and after he was warned by police to have no further contact.
Maxwell Raymond Pfendler, 20, of South Lake Road, Pavilion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and unlawful possession of marijuana. Pfendler was stopped at 7:55 p.m. Saturday on Route 63, Batavia, for allegedly speeding by Deputy Matthew Butler.
Wayne H. Austin, 37, of Ivison Road, Byron, is charged with reckless endangerment, 2nd. Austin is accused of purposefully swerving his vehicle in the roadway at another vehicle.
Linda K. Garrettson, 55, of Wynanskill, is charged with possession or sale of unstamped cigarettes and possession and transport of 10,000 or more unstamped cigarettes; James A. Lapi, 60, of Palatine Bridge, is charged with possession and transport of 10,000 or more unstamped cigarettes. Garrettson and Lapi were arrested by State Police. Garrettson was taken into custody at the State Police Barracks in Batavia at 1:21 p.m. Friday, and Lapi was arrested on Bloomingdale Road at 10:15 a.m., Friday. Lapi was jailed on $700 bail.
David Bellavia wants to be your congressional representative because he has old-fashioned values -- honor, integrity and service.
He's a conservative Republican, but not the hardline hawk some might expect from a decorated Iraq War veteran whose book on his experiences is about to be made into a Hollywood movie.
In the GOP primary for the NY-27 congressional district, all he wants is a chance to debate his opponent, former Erie County Executive Chris Collins, because he thinks he can beat Collins on the issues.
"I want to be able to look him in the eye and say he’s not a true conservative," Bellavia said. "He can’t express these values. He doesn’t know these federal issues. And the only job he was probably most qualified for, he got voted out of office on."
Bellavia grew up in Orleans County and lives in Batavia with his wife and three children.
His top issues are jobs, agriculture, taxes and health care.
On jobs, he wants to reduce burdensome regulations, especially Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, which he said makes it harder for smaller companies to raise funding and go public.
"No medium-sized business can compete if you have to pay for all of these compliance tasks," Bellavia said.
He would also like to end inheritance tax (aka, legacy tax or death tax) because, he said, it forces families to sell businesses.
"What better way to build a community than to have a business in the family for generation after generation." Bellavia said.
He also believes multinational corporations that are keeping a large portion of their profits overseas in order to avoid taxes should be granted amnesty if they bring the billions and billions of dollars back to the United States and use it to fund research and development and create jobs.
On taxes, he considers the capital gains tax unconstitutional because it taxes a person's money twice (once as earned income, second as investment income), and the corporate tax rate should be lowered from 37 percent to 25 percent.
Taxpayers should be able to choose, he said, between paying a graduated tax with deductions -- much like our current system -- or a flat tax with no deductions.
The first $20,000 a person earns should be tax free, he said.
Related to taxes is the need to reduce spending.
"We've got to aggressively slash entitlements in this country," Bellavia said. "If we continue to use the same principles as Europe, we're gong to wind up like France, Italy, Cyprus or Greece, the list goes on."
Bellavia supports the Ryan Budget Plan, at least the part that would block-grant Medicaid to the states. He said federal education funds should be handled the same way.
"Why is federal government holding the strings on education?" Bellavia said. "Let teachers teach and give powers back to the communities to control their own destiny."
On agriculture, the first order of business is to fix the worker visa program so that dairy farmers, in particular, can hire and retain workers.
"People in the city think crops grow at waist level," Bellavia said. "Farm work is hard work and we need to help workers come here from other countries. They don't want to be citizens. They don't consider themselves workers. They think of themselves as professional farmers who want to make a living, do their jobs and take care of their families back home."
The Environmental Protection Agency, Bellavia said, is "out of control." The regulations it puts on dairy farmers add high overhead and makes it harder for dairies to grow to meet new demand.
On health care, Bellavia believes that the Supreme Court will find Obama's health plan -- the mandate for health insurance -- unconstitutional.
But, he said, there's an easy fix: competition. Allow health insurance to be sold across state lines, with people -- not employers -- choosing where they purchase insurance, and creating a system of community-based healthcare cooperatives.
He also said tort reform would help bring down healthcare costs.
On foreign policy, Bellavia fears the United States will be dealing with problems in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan for another generation or more.
"It breaks my heart," Bellavia said. "I don’t want my babies to have to experience anything like I went through."
Afghanistan, he acknowledged, is looking a lot like Vietnam, an endless drain on American resources.
The U.S. has no strategy in Afghanistan, he said, and while the news media tends to portray the enemy as the Taliban, the groups that engage the U.S. military are more diverse than that, from tribal war lords to drug runners.
"We're not there to die and sacrifice and look good for the world," Bellavia said. "The mission is not worth it if we can't defend our brothers and protect them and do what we need to to bring them home.
"Right now, these men and women do not have rules of engagement they can follow. All this administration does and all Congress does is say, 'Oh, we've dropped another bomb and killed X number of people.' "
On trade, Bellavia says, "China is our enemy," and believes China needs to be confronted over currency manipulation.
He also believes foreign goods that compete with U.S.-made goods should be taxed.
Every component needs to be made in the U.S., he said, in order to avoid extra fees.
"If every one of those boxes isn't checked, another and another VAT," Bellavia said. "You can't call it a tariff. That's a bad word. Call it a value added tax, add it on. I'd like to see a Hyundai Elantra become a $70,000 car."
If Bellavia makes it to the general election, he knows there will be huge sums of money spent on his behalf trying to defeat Kathy Hochul. While Bellavia said he will have no control over these independent expenditures, he won't stand, he said, for ads that are nothing more than mud slinging.
"I have standards and honor is important to me," Bellavia said. "I’m a father. I'm an example to my children. I’m a husband. If I have an ad where an organization is showing representative Hochul throwing an elderly woman off a cliff, you better believe the next day after that commercial airs, I will stand up and say this is completely repugnant and unnecessary.
"I can beat her," he added. "I will beat her, but I’m going to beat her the old-fashioned way. With issues. We’re going to talk to the people. I don't need to smear Mr. Collins or Mrs. Hochul. I think their records stand for themselves."
America is in a terrible mess and Chris Collins thinks he's just the man to go to Washington and try to help fix it.
He wants to put people to work, correct the trade imbalance with China and see the United States become energy independent.
"The country is at a tipping point," Collins said. "I think we’re headed in the wrong direction. Simply stated, I want to do my part to help restore the promise of the American Dream for our children and grandchildren."
Collins, who served as Erie County executive from 2008 to 2011, is being challenged in Tuesday's GOP primary for the NY-27 congressional district against David Bellavia, an Iraq War veteran and Batavia resident.
The self-made millionaire is also on the Conservative line for November's general election and limits most discussion about the race to incumbent Kathy Hochul and President Barack Obama.
Collin's vows to run the race through November, even if he loses the GOP primary.
For Collins, the main issues in the race are jobs, less spending in Washington, energy indepdence and repealing Obamacare.
On jobs, Collins says small business owners have lost confidence in the American government and until confidence is restored, they won't invest in research and development, expansion or making capital improvements.
"A lack of confidence is the wet blanket today on job creation," Collins said.
To restore confidence, Washington needs to stop spending so much money.
"We need to send the message that we will balance the budget in the next 10 years," Collins said. "I think 10 years is something we have to insist on. The idea that we can wait 30 or 40 years is complete nonsense."
On taxes, Collins said the corporate tax rate is too high. He wants it reduced to 25 percent.
"It’s currently 35," Collins said. "We certainly can’t increase it, as Obama and Hochul want to do. We have to cut the tax rate to be the same as it is around the world. We are the highest-taxed nation in the world and we wonder why jobs are going overseas? We are disincentivizing them from investing in the United States."
What Collins wants to see is a "fairer flatter" tax, with fewer deductions and no more than 25 percent on any individual or business.
On trade, Collions wants the U.S. to stand up to China.
"The key words there are China cheats," Collins said. "They cheat by manipulating their currency, which gives them, I believe, a 30-percent cost advantage over the American manufacturer. They steal our intellectual property. And they don’t open their own markets to our manufacturers."
The response, Collins said, is tarriffs until China capitulates and trades as an equal partner with the U.S.
"I believe China needs us more than we need them," Collins said. "They need our consumers. Quite frankly, we don’t need them."
When it comes to trading with other countries, however, Collins is open to any trade that is fair and free.
"We do live in a world economy and we can’t erect barriers and say the United States is not going trade with the rest of the world," Collins said. "That’s just nonsense. We can not only compete, we can win."
On energy, Collins said the U.S. needs to stop relying on the Middle East for its oil.
"We drill more off shore," Collins said. "We drill more on federal lands. We use safe nuclear. We go after our shale gas. We can be energy independent in 10 years."
On foreign affairs, Collins said except in dealing directly with Al-Qaeda, he doesn't believe the U.S. should go it alone. While during the trade discussion, Collins said he was against interfering in another country's affairs, when it comes to military intervention, he said the U.S. should only participate if it's part of an organization such as NATO.
"When it comes to us being the world’s policeman, the world’s this, the world’s that, guess what -- our cupboards are bare," Collins said. "If the civilized world has a problem with Syria, if we have a problem with other countries, then that should be a joint effort, it should not be the U.S. going alone."
Asked whether the military budget should be trimmed, Collins said, it's up to the generals.
"It’s not my call," Collins said. "I would say you look to your military commanders, you say what is our mission and you look to the experts on how to achieve that mission in in the most cost-effective way, making sure they’ve got the tools they need to accomplish their mission.
"Whereas our current president has tried to micromanage the military. He’s replaced commanders in Afghanistan because they don’t agree with his policies. I think you need to look to your experts."
Clearly, Collins dislikes Obamacare.
He said Obama wants to cut $500 billion from Medicare, which, he said, would decimate Medicare Advantage.
Also, he said, Obama would trim $350 million from reimbursements to doctors, which Collins believes will encourage doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients.
"They don’t have to take Medicare patients. So in the supply-and-demand world, if you’re busy what do you do? You usually elminate your least profitable customer," Collins said. "So the thought that the federal government can set the reimbursement rates for doctors and cut 30 percent out their income and nothing’s going to change is just nonsense. Right there and then you’ve got to get rid of Obamacare."
The healthcare reforms Collins said he would push would be tort reform and open up competition in insurance by allowing policies across state lines.
Collins also argued that modern healthcare is expensive for a reason.
"People now don’t die from prostate cancer, breast cancer and some of the other things," Collins said. "The fact of the matter is, our healthcare today is so much better, we’re living so much longer, because of innovations in drug development, surgical procedures, stents, implantable cardiac defibrillators, neural stimulators -- they didn’t exist 10 years ago. The increase in cost is not because doctors are making a lot more money. It’s what you can get for healthcare, extending your life and curing diseases."
On Medicaid, Collins said he favors block-granting enough federal Medicaid funds to ensure poor people have basic medical care, but beyond that, it's a state issue and each state should decide what kind of Medicaid program it wants.
The problem in New York, with the state taking a bigger and bigger share of local tax dollars to support Medicaid, is a New Tork state problem, not a federal problem, Collins said.
New York, Collins said, spends three times more on Medicaid than California and Texas combined, which together have 60 million residents compared to New York's 19 million.
Previously, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos told The Batavian that the high cost of Medicaid for counties in New York was the fault of the federal government, but, Collins said, New York offers Medicaid patients every conceivable option for care, which significantly drives up the cost.
"I’m not surprised Albany would try to blame it on Washington," Collins said. "The blame belongs right where it is, in Albany."
One of his big objections to Obamacare, Collins said, is that he doesn't think the government should dictate how people live their lives.
"The thought that government should be making decisions for us is against every grain in my body," Collins said.
Asked, then, "Are you a libertarian?"
Collins said, "I have a libertarian bent, yes."
Asked, then, if he favored legalizing marijuana, Collins said, no.
"I just don’t think we should legalize drugs," Collns said.
Well, that's not letting people make decisions for themselves.
"On that piece, I suppose," Collins said. "We have to outlaw murder, too.
"The government's role is to create laws," Collins added. "If I believe in a smaller limited government, that doesn’t mean I believe in a lawless state. Government does have a role to play in passing laws."
Collins had also previously said he believes in state's rights, so we asked him if the federal government should interfer in a state like California, which has legalized medical marijuana.
"Whether it's seat belt or motorcycle helmet laws, I do believe in what the Constitution would say on the importance of states rights. The people who live in that state should be able to decide what laws they want. The federal government has over stepped its bounds over and over again relative to state rights."
PHOTO: Submitted by the Collins campaign.
A gas line has been struck and is leaking in the back yard of 35 N. Main St., Elba.
Elba fire dispatched.
UPDATE 4:55 p.m.: Elba fire still on scene, awaiting arrival of National Fuel.
UPDATE 5:43 p.m.: Elba back in service.
A driver involved in a rollover accident on Route 77, Alabama, on Friday said he fell asleep at the wheel.
Matthew R. Killburn, 22, of 1379 Bray Road, Arcade, was not seriously injured in the crash and did not require ambulance transport.
According to Deputy Tim Wescott's report, Killburn was northbound on Route 77 near Ledge Road at 6:15 p.m. when he fell asleep and his car traveled off the east shoulder and overturned.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Killburn was driving a 2005 Chevy sedan.
No citations were issued.
A 32-year-old Monroe County resident is accused of robbing a gas station on Lake Street on Saturday morning, and then leading police on a pursuit. He may also face drunken driving charges under Leandra's Law.
Robert Lee Hizer, who police believe has been staying temporarily at a residence in Le Roy, allegedly walked into the convenience store of the gas station and handed the clerk a note demanding cash and cigarettes.
While Hizer initially fled on foot, police believe he got into a car, which a witness quickly identified and responding units -- which included Le Roy PD, Sheriff's deputies and State troopers -- were provided the description.
A short time after the 9:27 a.m. robbery report, a police officer attempted to stop the suspect's vehicle, but the driver allegedly sped to School Street, stopped the car and fled on foot.
Officers pursued the suspect on foot on School Street, Mill Street and into the Oatka Creek.
Hizer was apprehended as he came out of the creek on the east side, at which time officers identified him as the suspect in the robbery.
Hizer is charged with one count of robbery, 3rd, and may face drunken driving charges under Leandra's Law for allegedly driving drunk with a child under age 16 in his car. He may also be charged with endangering the welfare of child.
Following arraignment, Hizer was jailed on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.
In a statement, Le Roy PD said, "The Le Roy Police wish to acknowledge the cooperation of nearby citizens, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, the Genesee County District Attorney’s Office, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department and the New York State Police for assisting in the incident in which the suspect was identified and arrested within two hours."
A shed fire is reported behind a residence at 38 Munson St. Le Roy firefighters are responding.
UPDATE 4:33: The shed is small and there's not much in it. They are holding the assignment to Engine 63.
UPDATE 4:35: Le Roy police are also on scene.
UPDATE 4:39 p.m.: Le Roy ambulance also responded, but is now back in service. UPDATE 4:44 p.m.: The fire is out. Le Roy firefighters are back in service.
It's a beautiful day, I'm at Dewitt (for the fishing derby), and I have my camera -- naturally, I'm going to take pictures of whatever seems interesting.
BTW: I highly recommend a visit to Dewitt. Paul Osborn, the county's parks supervisor, is doing a great job of creating trails, lookouts and rest stops around the lake. Dewitt is becoming one of Batavia's great assets.
More than 50 kids turned out to the Dewitt Recreational Area this morning for a perfect day of fishing in the first ever "Fishers of Men" fishing derby.
The event was organized by Kevin Lawson, a retired officer of the Department of Environmental Conservation, who said he wanted to do something to get children into the outdoors.
"One thing I knew on the job is kids are getting out doors less and less," Lawson said, adding that Dewitt is a great resource in the county that a lot of people don’t even know about.
Participants competed for prizes based on their age group for longest fish and first fish caught.
The event was sponsored by Batavia Assembly of God Church, Royal Rangers, Care-A-Van Ministries, New York Conservation Officers Association, Batavia Marine, Walmart, Kmart, Paul Osborn, Genesee County, Joe Reisdorf and Hunter's Landing.
I didn't get IDs on everybody in our pictures, but above, Joshua, 10, casts his line out; the next two shots down, Pastor Dan Schmidt and his son, Garrett, 7.
A bear spotted in a wooded area near the juncture of Buffalo Road and Rochester Street in Bergen is said to be creating a traffic hazard. People are stopping, slowing down and otherwise rubbernecking to get a look at the bear. A sheriff deputy is responding.
UPDATE 3:59 p.m.: The deputy just reported that the bear was "gone upon arrival" and that there are no traffic issues.
A motorcycle accident is reported at 248 State St. The elderly rider is still in the street but said to have only minor injuries. City fire and Mercy EMS are responding. The location is between Douglas and Denio streets.
UPDATE 1:12 p.m.: City fire is back in service. EMS is transporting a 63-year-old male to UMMC.
When the owner of an old farmhouse at 1493 Judge Road, Alabama, offered the building up to the Alabama Fire Department to use in training, Rob Crossen's thought, "I hate to see another old house go to heck."
Instead of letting the house get destroyed in training -- which would eventually include burning it down -- Crossen stepped in and bought the property.
Since last October, Rob and his son Dan, along with some local carpenters, have been working on restoring the home with the goal of eventually selling it to a family that will appreciate the old house.
It's an all-out restoration project, too.
One hundred years ago, at least, horse-drawn tools dug a hole for a foundation and workers manually placed heavy stones around the perimeter. Crossen and his crew refurbished the masonry and dug the basement two feet deeper.
The house never had a proper sump pump, which led to a lot of water damage, so Crossen fixed installed a new one.
The back of the house -- the kitchen, primarily, was so badly damaged that Crossen just tore it away. The house will have entirely new kitchen.
Crossen's workers have completely gutted the interior of the house and each room, upstairs and down, will have new electrical works, new walls and new floors.
"It will be all new on the inside but look like an old house on the outside," Crossen said.
Below is a picture I took of the house this past October (taken with black and white film). I've photographed the old farmhouse a few times before this shot, but this is the only one I saved. It's a classic, turn-of-the-century (the last century) farmhouse and it's great to see it getting a second life.
Batavia firefighters, members of IAFF Local 896, set a new record Friday for their annual "Fill the Boot" campaign.
According to Greg Ireland, Local 896 president, area residents drove through downtown today and donated $7,562.
Photos submitted by Frank Capuano.
City fire investigators have yet to release the cause of a fire early Friday evening that broke out in a home on Union Street, but the current resident of the home described how the fire may have started accidentally.
Doug Veltz, who has lived at 1 Union St. for many years but was moving out after Terry Platt recently acquired the property, was trying to nap, he said, when he smelled smoke.
At first, he said, he thought the smoke was being blown into his room through a fan in the window, but then he thought that maybe he should play it safe and investigate.
As I was coming down the stairs, I could smell it," Veltz said. "It was coming from my house. I got to the kitchen and there was flame coming from the burner on the stove. There was a glass candle sitting on the burner on the stove. It was just set there. The candle wasn’t lit. Before I went to sleep, I must have bumped a dial, a knob on the stove."
Veltz said his first instinct was to blow on the flame.
"In one big breath, I blew it out," he said.
He then turned to get some water and as soon as he turned his back, he heard the burner flame back up and this time, the flame was two feet high.
There was a winter coat there and I was going to try and smother it," Veltz said. "It went up in flames and at that point, I realized it was beyond my control. I screamed for my dog. He came downstairs. Luckily, I had my phone with me and I dialed 9-1-1."
Fire Chief Jim Maxwell said the department won't have information to release from its investigation until Sunday at the earliest.
Veltz said he had moved only a small portion of his belongings, including collectable items and all the photos of his children, which he had just placed in a tub in the dining room.
The back of the house was badly damaged, but Platt said he believes the structure remains solid and he plans to renovate the interior and eventually sell the house.
Maxwell said a quick response -- even though Engine 12 was at Dwyer Stadium for fireworks night -- helped save the structure.
All platoons from city fire were called to the scene and Town of Batavia's Fast Team also responded. Alexander fire was on standby at the city's fire hall.
Mercy EMS and Batavia PD also responded.
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