batavia

The Batavia City School District continues to adopt technology as part of the learning process and coursework, IT Coordinator Jeff McKinney told the school board during its meeting Tuesday night.

His presentation was followed by demonstrations of some of the robots and programming projects students have been working on this year.

McKinney said 2,000 Chromebooks have been deployed to students. Students have visited more than one million websites. There are 266 active Google classrooms and students are creating 50,000 new documents each month.

Internet access has become so critical to the educational process that McKinney has come up with a plan for a backup bandwidth provider so that if the primary provider goes offline, teachers and students don't lose access.

"I'm really proud of where we're going and what we've done," McKinney said.

He said a key advantage of the STEM program currently in place is it helps students learn through discovery and studies show students retain new knowledge better when it comes through discovery.

It isn't always the teacher teaching anymore, either, said Melissa Calandra, a STEM teacher at John Kennedy Elementary School.

"It's kind of hard as a teacher not to know all of the answers but that's the world we live in now," she said.

Other faculty participating in the presentation, Katelin LaGreca, JK Library Media Specialist, Karen Shuskey, JK ACE Teacher, and Marie Martell, JK Computer Literacy/Math AIS Teacher.

Top photo: Phoebe Beal, grade 3; Brock Bigsby, grade 3; Ryan Bigsby, grade 3; Ella Shamp, grade 4; Landon Hamilton, grade 4;Tosh Spilberg, grade 4.

Press release:

Notre Dame announces the hiring of Joe Zambito as their Varsity Football Coach replacing Rick Mancuso who retired to spend more time with his family.

He was a highly successful Genesee Region Football and Basketball Coach at Elba from 1999 through 2006. Zambito joined the Notre Dame coaching family in 2010 as a volunteer coach on Coach Mancuso’s football staff a position he held for the past seven seasons.

His relationship with the Notre Dame side of one of Section V’s biggest rivalries began a few years earlier in the fall of 2007 with the enrollment of his nephew Vincent (Class of 2011).

It continued for the next 11 years as nephews Gianni (Class of 2010 and a current Social Studies teacher at ND), Luca (Class of 2016 Valedictorian), Nico (Class of 2018) and cousin Anthony (Class of 2021) all made Notre Dame their high school choice.

During his eight-year stint as the head football coach, his Elba teams were recognized in both the GR and Section V as being physical, well-prepared and disciplined football squads. They excelled on the field winning 3 GR Championships and the 2005 Section V Class D Championship, an accomplishment that led to Zambito being recognized as 2005 Section V Coach of the Year.

He was also a very successful basketball coach winning GR championships in 2005 and 2006, and a Sectional title in 2005 when he was both the Section V and Genesee Region Coach of the Year. During his coaching tenure, his teams also earned numerous NYS Scholar-Athlete team recognition.

Zambito, who is employed as both Race Secretary and Track Announcer at Batavia Downs, holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY Brockport. He is married to the former Kelly Degenhardt whose mother Anne Palmer (Degenhardt) is a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame.

When commenting on his appointment, Coach Zambito said,” I am looking forward to working with the student-athletes at Notre Dame to help them grow, progress and maximize their potential both on and off the field. Here Come the Irish!”

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) will host a workshop for veterans to receive information about the many services our local, state and federal agencies have to offer tonight.

Congressman Collins is planning to be at the event around 5:45 p.m. to make welcoming remarks and greet those in attendance. It will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at Genesee County Office Building Number 2, Large Conference Room, 3837 W. Main St. Road, Batavia.

State, county and local officials will also be there and everyone is welcome to attend, especially veterans and their families.

Pam and Mondell Elliott completed their first escape room in Canada a little over five years ago. When their youngest child moved out, Pam Elliott decided it was time to open their own escape room to keep themselves busy and have fun doing it.

Six Senses Escape Rooms in Batavia opened its doors on Black Friday in Batavia City Centre. Both Pam and Mondell work full-time jobs but enjoy the family adventure.  

“The kids come help out when they can,” Pam said.

Six Senses Escape Rooms, located at 106 Main St. in Batavia, is open Friday from 4 until 10 p.m., and 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are required and can be made through the website located here. Special events, such as birthdays can also be held at Six Senses Escape Rooms.

The hours for Six Senses Escape Rooms do not match the Batavia City Centre hours, so guests should use the back entrance instead of going through the mall.

Each room has its own theme and storyline with a series of challenges that must be solved within 60 minutes. The rooms are designed for people of all ages and skill sets. No special knowledge is needed to solve the puzzles.

Currently, there are two rooms; an Egyptian theme called Pharaoh’s Crossing, and an outdoor woods theme called Cabin Fever.

“When you’re in the escape room, you should feel like you’re in the game,” Pam said. “You solve one puzzle and it will give you a direction, key, combination, or something to take you to the next puzzle.”

There can be crossword puzzles, simple math puzzles, physical puzzles, scrabble tiles. Every escape room is completely different.   

“It is a lot of fun,” Pam said. “It is you, a group of your friends, your family, or complete strangers. It doesn’t matter. You’re all working together to solve a puzzle or clue, and then go to the next one.”

One escape room can hold 10 people at a time, and the other holds eight.

“Four players are doable in the room,” Pam said. “You do not have to have a huge group of people. Small groups can have fun also.”

The escape rooms have turned out to be a good family night out.

“The kids don’t overthink things and they are so good at the treasure hunt parts,” Pam said. “It’s amazing how much fun the kids and parents are having together. The kids enjoy it just as much as the adults.”

Pam said that most people that come and complete the escape room can’t wait to do another. Escape rooms are a new form of entertainment that people seem to enjoy, she said.

The space that Six Senses Escape Rooms occupies now can hold five rooms, Pam said.

“We’re at the point now where we have two different options for people to come out and give the escape room a try,” Pam said. “We really want to continue to build and continue to make new escape experiences in our space.”

Elliot would like to have a children’s room for the little kids, with basic colors, ABCs, and higher-level entertainment for older children.

“The sky is the limit,” Pam said.

Plans announced this week by Resurgence Brewing to convert an old industrial building in the First Ward of Buffalo into a new brewery, beer garden, and the restaurant doesn't change any plans for the Ellicott Station project in Batavia, said developer Sam Savarino.

Savarino said the Buffalo projects and the Batavia projects are very different and Resurgence has continued to move ahead with plans to occupy space in Ellicott Station for a restaurant and brewery that will specialize in sour beer.

Financing for construction should close at the end of March, Savarino said, with the first shovel in the ground within 30 to 60 days. The Resurgence space in the mixed-use complex, which includes apartments and offices, should be completed by the end of the year, if not the first quarter of 2019. It will be up to Resurgence, Savarino said, when they want to move in and get started with their preparation work to open the business.

He said he didn't have any specifics from them on their plans at this point. Attempts to reach Jeff Ware, one of the co-owners of Resurgence, were unsuccessful this morning.

Julie Pacatte, economic development coordinator for the BDC, is traveling but did send a text message saying that Resurgence's expansion in Buffalo has not changed the company's plans for Batavia.

Development of Ellicott Station is being mostly funded by private investors but includes financing through tax incentives and grants because of the environmental remediation necessary at the site. It will be a 64,000-square-foot complex with 51 market-rate apartments in a five-story building next to the restaurant.

The new complex in the First Ward of Buffalo will provide Resurgence with 25,000 square feet of space. They will share the building with a microdistiller and a rock-climbing gym.

"It's right around the corner from where I live and our office," Savarino said, "so I'm happy."

A working structure fire is reported at Hanson Aggregates off Cedar Street in the City of Batavia. City fire is responding.

There are workers who were working on the silo and some material fell onto the roof and started a fire, which they thought they extinguished, but it reignited, according to the initial caller to the dispatch center.

UPDATE 11:42 a.m.: City command calls the third platoon to headquarters to stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 11:43 a.m.: The fire is out; working now on overhaul and accessing the damaged area of the building. Command says city police can reopen Cedar Street.

UPDATE 11:52 a.m.: Workers were using a blowtorch to cut some metal and slag fell onto the roof, starting the conflagration.

Joseph Jonathan Kuzma, 37, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with petit larceny. Kuzma is accused of stealing $780 worth of steel from a location in Byron in order to sell it in Monroe County.

Nancy Louise Mordenga, 47, of Huffer Road, Hilton, is charged with bailing jumping, 3rd. Mordenga is accused of not appearing in court following an arrest. She was jailed on $500 bail.

Nefetiria Lialeshia Turner, 35, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping, 3rd. Turner is accused of failure to appear in court following an arrest. Turner was jailed on $250 bail.

Kendra Quinette Thomas, 30, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping, 3rd. Thomas is accused of failure to appear in court following an arrest. Thomas was released under supervision by Genesee Justice.

Press release:

Ready to begin your college experience? Not sure where to start? GCC is truly the place to be! At Genesee Community College, our admissions team and student success coaches, know how daunting it can be to begin a degree or certificate program. So, we're here to help!

To get started, attend a Spring Open House! The first will be on Wednesday, March 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. If evenings are difficult for you, then join us on Saturday, April 14, from 9  to 11 a.m.

Representatives from GCC's student services offices will be on hand to answer questions about admissions, career and transfer services, student activities, athletics and you can even attend a financial aid session. Tours of the campus will be available, including the new Student Success Center, Richard C. Call Arena and College Village -- GCC's apartment-style residential housing.

To register for either Open House visit www.genesee.edu/openhouse or call 1-866-CALL-GCC!

Can't make it to either session? Consider attending a Friday Visit Day! You can learn about GCC's simple application and admissions processes, financial aid opportunities, take a campus tour, and even sit in on a college class! Friday Visit Days begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon on the following dates:

• March 2
• March 23
• April 20
• May 4

You can also visit www.genesee.edu/VT for a virtual campus tour!

GCC offers a comprehensive selection of over 70 degree and certificate programs! Dedicated to student success and accessibility, GCC offers a totally FREE application process, FREE career counseling, FREE tutoring and FREE parking! With more than 100 courses available online every semester and 15 degrees that can be earned completely online, GCC is more convenient than ever.

GCC's Campus Centers located in Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw provide additional options to attend class close to home.

For more information about the Open House, contact GCC's Admissions Office at 585-345-6800 or email Admissions@genesee.edu. For online, door-to-door driving directions go to: http://www.genesee.edu/about/visit/maps/.

Escape the wintery winds to a place where the temperature is always 85 degrees, the water is always warm and hot dogs are always on the menu. At Palm Island Indoor Waterpark, summer never ends! Located within the Batavia Quality Inn and Suites, kids and kids-at-heart are sure to have a splashing good time.

Within the park’s 10,000 square feet are water features for all ages. Smaller kids love the Monsoon Lagoon, which includes a beach entry, children’s pools and a play area with a slide, rope-pull shower and five-way tipping buckets. Older kids (and adults!) will have a blast in Paradise Plunge and the Crazy Cobra. These two fully enclosed waterslides loop around the outside of the building before splashing back inside. And everyone finds fun in Paradise Bay with a basketball hoop play area, and huge hot tub.

There’s plenty to do out of the water, too. Two full arcades (one in the waterpark and one in the hotel) are sure to bring hours of fun for all ages. With new games like Buck Hunter and Doodle Jump, and classics like air hockey and Candy Crane, parents and kids alike will have a blast.

Stay for an afternoon, the night or a weekend. Packages start at just $145/night for your hotel, breakfast, admission to the park, arcade tokens and free play at Batavia Downs! You don’t have to go far to have a great time – a night at the Batavia Quality Inn and a day at the waterpark will definitely be a staycation to remember. Also available is special pricing for groups of eight or more. 

Have a special event, like a birthday coming up? Palm Island is the perfect destination to celebrate. Guests can choose from a pizza or hot dog party, and special pricing applies for a Monday or Friday event. Each party comes with ice cream and 20 arcade tokens, too!

Check out the Palm Island website for photos, hours and ongoing packages and their Facebook for deals, and updates. Palm Island Indoor Waterpark is located at 8250 Park Road in Batavia. 

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more about Genesee County's unique attractions and local offerings. 

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported on the eastbound Thruway at mile marker 387.2. One car crashed into a guardrail with at least one person unconscious.

"We spoke with the driver. We think it's a one-vehicle accident; however, he's unsure if he hit any other vehicles."

Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 7:57 p.m.: Medics are on scene. They advise the vehicle is off the roadway; Town of Batavia fire can go back in service if they choose. No word on injuries.

UPDATE 8:12 a.m.: All units are back in service.

Photo credit: Jim Burns.

NOTE: This was originally posted at 1:15 p.m. We've updated the time stamp to move it back up to the top of the home page. The suspect is in custody.

Minutes ago about a dozen State Police cars swarmed onto the Thruway at the Batavia exit after a vehicle stopped there briefly following a high-speed chase that began in Canandaigua for unknown reasons. Now the pursuit has begun anew.

The suspect vehicle is traversing the median of the Thruway, going eastbound and westbound intermittently.

Troopers were told to be on the lookout for the vehicle driven by a possibly suicidal male.

Spike strips were set up at the Batavia exit, but it is unclear if they were deployed.

There are currently three police cars parked near the Batavia Thruway exit 48; the male subject's latest location is near the Le Roy exit.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m.: The suspect vehicle is stopped at the Le Roy exit Stafford overpass.

UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: The vehicle is stopped on I-90 eastbound about one mile from the Route 237 overpass. A trooper is blocking westbound I-90; and eastbound a number of emergency vehicles are on scene and a helicopter is hovering overhead.

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: The subject is alert in the vehicle but not responding to officers' commands. The Thruway is closed westbound at the Le Roy exit and eastbound at the Batavia exit.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: Now the eastbound Thruway is closed at the Pembroke exit. The continuing standoff has resulted in heavy traffic congestion on Route 98 (Oak Street) in Batavia. The subject is reportedly armed.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: Jim Burns, reporting for us with a position that has a good view of the scene, says the subject is in custody. We have no information yet on when the Thruway might reopen.

UPDATE 6:26 p.m.: The Thruway has been reopened in both directions.

Madalyn R. Muntz, 32, of Evans Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and unlawful possession of marijuana. While conducting an investigation on Liberty Street, members of the Local Drug Task Force located Muntz. She was taken into custody on a City Court warrant and at the time of her arrest allegedly found in possession of cocaine, a needle, drug paraphernalia, and a device for smoking marijuana. She was also arrested by Batavia PD on the warrant alleged failure to meet requirements of sentencing on a prior conviction. Muntz was released after posting bail.

Jonathan Edward Stanton, 35, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged petit larceny, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Police received a report of a suspicious male at the Rite Aid on West Main Street, Batavia. Upon investigation, Deputy Ryan DeLong and Deputy Brad Mazur determined Stanton allegedly stole $119.97 in merchandise from the store and was in possession of drug paraphernalia, a needle and marijuana.

Daniel E. Gubnitsky, 23, of Sheron Road, Greece, and Jennifer A. Schreiber, 18, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Gubnitsky and Schreiber were charged after police were called to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked at the VFW Hall at 25 Edwards St., Batavia, at 9:22 a.m. Thursday. 

Joseph M. Tornabene, 26, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Tornabene allegedly struck another person in the face during an argument reported at 2:30 p.m. Friday at a location on Dellinger Avenue, Batavia. Tornabene left the scene. The victim signed a complaint and Tornabene later turned himself in at Batavia PD headquarters. 

Cale Daniel Rice, 41, of Drake Street Road, Elba, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and failure to notify DMV of a change of address. Rice was stopped at 1:06 a.m. Saturday on Route 98 in Elba by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Shamique D. Hubbard, 28, of Hamlet, North Carolina, is charged with DWI, driving while impaired by drugs, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Hubbard was stopped at 10:51 p.m. Sunday in the Town of Batavia by State Police.

Matthew J. Gaudio, 29, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation. Gaudio was stopped by State Police in Darien at 10:14 a.m. Thursday. Following arraignment, Gaudio was ordered held on bail.

Ervin Finkley, 50, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and fleeing from an officer in a motor vehicle. Desiree Ghee, 31, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Norman C. Ghee, 53, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. The trio was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 1:27 p.m. Thursday in the City of Batavia. All three were ordered held on bail. No further details released.

A vehicle reportedly struck a tree and rolled over in the area of 1677 Main Road, East Pembroke.

There is heavy damage to the vehicle, according to a first responder, but the occupant is reported out and walking around.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS responding.

The #3 seed in Class A2, the Batavia Blue Devils, was up Saturday in a Section V playoff game played in Batavia, by the #6 seed, Honeoye Falls-Lima, 48-41.

While Batavia jumped out to a 17-7 first quarter lead, behind the hot hand of Tee Sean Ayala, who scored 13 of his 20 points in the first eight minutes, HFL seemed to have figured out how to slow Ayala down. HFL held Ayala to seven points the rest of the way.

Worse, the Blue Devils didn't score at all in the second quarter and were held to 10 points in the fourth quarter -- a quarter in which HFL seemed to find it impossible to miss a shot, scoring 17 points.

Naz Pratt scored nine points for the Blue Devils and Antwan Odom scored six.

Top scorer for HFL was Garret Ruff with 13.

The Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation is doing a St. Joseph's Table at Sunny’s Restaurant at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15. A traditional meatless meal will be served. Profits will go to the foundation's high school senior Scholarship Fund. 

Cost is adults $20, children $5.

Tickets are available at Sunny's Restaurant in the Centre City mall, or from Paolo Busti board members.

According to Buffalo Folklore Etc., the St. Joseph's Table is a ritual meal done by Sicilians and Sicilian-Americans in fulfillment of a promise made to St. Joseph for his assistance in a time of family or personal crises. The Table is held on or as close to his feast day of March 19th as possible.

It is a very compelling and complex celebration with meaning for the people as a whole and even more specific meaning for the particular group or family celebrating the day.

The Table includes the altar with an image of Saint Joseph, flowers, candles, fruit and bread as well as the special meal of meatless dishes served at what is traditionally an open house at the home of the person/family giving the Table. The St. Joseph's Table tradition was brought to the United States by the late 19th and early 20th century Sicilian immigrants into Louisiana, Texas, California, Colorado and New York.

For more information about St. Joseph's Table, click here.

In 1992, the executive committee of the Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation published a 240-page book titled "The Legacy of Italian-Americans in Genesee County New York" (Heart of Lakes Publishing). Common terms, names and phrases are searchable online here, plus you can read this Google Book and download its contents (directions on how to do so are online), which publishers provide via Google's Library Project.