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Photo: Third annual Bridal Show at Terry Hills

By Howard B. Owens

Today was the third annual Bridal Show at Terry Hills. Unfortunately, I got there later in the afternoon and most of the big crowd that had been there when the doors opened had moved on, but organizers said the show was a another big success.  Above, models showing off gowns from Stella's Bridal Boutique in Le Roy.

After 25 years of solving problems and resolving conflicts, Sgt. John Peck retires from police department

By Howard B. Owens

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Sgt. John Peck, during his 25 years with the Batavia PD, has been a lifesaver.

He never fired his service weapon, and on several occasions he talked people out of jumping off roofs or into dropping a knife or gun.

He's been one of the department's hostage negotiators.

He got the job, he said, because, "I kind of had the gift of gab."

Perhaps the most stressful negotiation came near the end of his career, in November, when a resident of a boarding house on State Street fired a .357 Magnum inside his apartment.

Peck was the first officer in the building. When he got to the top of the stairs, Dennis G. Wolfe was allegedly in his doorway with his gun.

For the next 15 minutes, Peck talked. It helped, he said, that he already knew Wolfe.

Both men had guns. There were five police officers in the foyer. It was, to say the least, a tense situation.

When Peck saw a tear, he knew he had turned a corner in the negotiation.

It's always that way, Peck said. You never think you're not going to be able to talk a person away from the brink of disaster.

"Your adrenaline gets going and you get really focused and you don’t even think of not resolving it," Peck said, adding later, "You kind of tell which direction it's going, but you never feel like you're not going to to be successful."

Peck's last day on the force was Saturday.

In retirement, Peck will get a few more tattoos, ride his motorcycle when the weather warms up, and maybe get a part-time job that has nothing to do with law enforcement.

He plans to stay in Batavia, where his wife of eight years, Jennifer, and two adult children, Ryan and Ashley, live.

After growing up in Fairport and going to college, he  started his career working part time in the Livingston County Jail.

"When you're a young guy, you don't want to spend your time in the jail," Peck said. "You want to be on road patrol."

Soon, he took a police officer's job in Geneseo. Two years later, better benefits and pay lured him to Batavia.

Working in a small city appealed to Peck, he said, because while you get a good variety of calls, serious crime is still rare.

"It's not like you have homicides every day, like in, say, Rochester," Peck said.

There's been plenty of opportunity to talk with people, get to know people and work with people, Peck said, which is his favorite part of police work.

He also likes solving problems.

"When you get a complaint, you look at it like a puzzle, putting the pieces together and resolving an issue," Peck said.

In 25 years in Batavia, though, a lot has changed, though, Peck said.

There are more calls for service, more people causing more problems and a shrinking police force to deal with the call volume.

Peck's advice for the new guys: "Stick together" and learn to prioritize.

The new officers must cope with the demands of a changing Batavia, Peck said, plus they have to deal with a changing department structure (eliminating the lieutenant position, for example) and a less generous retirement package.

"They need to stick together as a group and face the challenges," Peck said.

The biggest difference Peck has noticed in Batavia, he said, is the public's attitude toward law enforcement.

"I don't see as much support for the police over the years," Peck said. "I think a lot has changed as far as respect, especially from a lot of younger people. You just don’t see the respect and you have to come to terms with that and learn to deal with it."

Slow start doesn't hinder BHS cruise to victory in first round of Section V playoffs

By Howard B. Owens

The Blue Devils started a little flat in their first-round match of Section V playoffs at Batavia High School on Saturday, going a few minutes into the first quarter before scoring.

Defense and poor ball handling by Waterloo, who came into the game seeded #8 with a season record of 5-13, kept the game notched at 0-0 for more than three minutes.

Batavia would find their range, though, and finish out the first quarter with a 13-2 lead on their way to a 60-37 victory.

Justin Washington led all scorers with 19 points and crossed the 1,000-career-point milestone.

"It’s hard to keep these guys motivated (playing a #8 seed) and keep the good habits you try to build," said Head Coach Buddy Brasky. "I thought we did a fairly good job for most of that game, staying within our defensive principles. That was the whole big concern for me, you know, not to start reaching, going for steals. We want to play solid defensively. That’s what’s going to lead us to the sectional title."

Jalen Smith, a key spark for Batavia's offense, hadn't touched a basketball in a week, Braskey said. He hadn't been out of bed in four days. Half the team, he said, has been sick most of the week, which explains as much about the slow start as playing the #8 seed.

"That was part of it, too," Brasky said. "We’ve really been battling this flu since last Saturday."

After Washington scored his 1,000th point in the fourth quarter, announcer Wayne Fuller stopped the game for the announcement and Washington's teammates and coaches congratulated him on the achievement.

"It means a lot to me," Washington said. "It’s something to talk about my whole varsity career. After Andrew (Hoy) did it, I wanted to do it."

Washington has been a pleasure to coach through his four seasons as a varsity starter, Brasky said.

"He’s been a really nice kid to have in our program and I’m really happy for him," Brasky said.

Next up for Batavia, a semi-final match against #5 seed Livonia, 8:15 p.m., Tuesday, at RIT.

Also, last night, Le Roy's boys fell to #1 seed Hornel, 62-42. Scoring for Le Roy: Marcus Mistersaro 7; Zach Moore 11; Nate Piazza 6; Le Roy finishes the year 6-13.

The other big Section V boys basketball game this week: #1 seed Notre Dame (19-0) vs. #5 Avon (13-7), 7 p.m., at Cal-Mum.

In girls Section V playoff action:

  • Batavia plays PalMac, 6 p.m., Monday, at Pittsford-Sutherland
  • Elba and Notre Dame square off at 8 p.m., Tuesday, at Dansville

Coverage Note: We're not completely settled on what we'll cover yet. On Monday night, at most we can cover one game because I'll be at the Batavia City Council meeting. On Tuesday, Nick Sabato will cover Batavia and I'll cover Elba/Notre Dame.

To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Water main break reported on Trumbull Parkway

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

City crews are repairing a water main break in front of 155 Trumbull Parkway. Residents on Trumbull Parkway between East Avenue and North Street may be without water during the repair. If you experience discolored water after the water is restored, please run your water until it once again becomes clear.

UPDATE 12:41 p.m.: Repairs were completed about an hour ago.

New burglary charges against man held in alleged Jan. 1 break in

By Howard B. Owens

Francis Scott Smith, 19, who was allegedly caught in the act of burglarizing a home in Batavia on Jan. 1, has been accused of stealing from two other homes in Pembroke in September and October.

Smith, who is being held in the Genesee County Jail on his previous charge, was arraigned in Pembroke Town Court yesterday and then returned to the jail.

He is accused of stealing cash and jewelry from two separate homes on Read Road, Pembroke.

The new charges follow an investigation by William Ferrando with the Sheriff's Office.

BB gun at middle school drawing regional media attention

By Howard B. Owens

The BB-gun incident at Batavia Middle School yesterday, as first reported by The Batavian, is apparently getting wider media attention.

A Rochester TV news van was reportedly parked illegally on Ross Street a few minutes ago.

And, just now, Batavia PD released the following statement to all regional media:

The Batavia Police and Batavia School officials are jointly investigating the details of a student bringing a BB Gun into the Batavia Middle School. As part of the investigation it has been determined that at no time was the BB gun displayed or any threats made. School officials discovered the gun based on an unrelated incident. Both the School and the Police Department will use the proper procedures to ensure all are safe and the person responsible is dealt with in accordance with the proper procedure in place for juveniles who violate school rules and New York State laws.  

Upgrades to Mancuso Office Building will make it handicapped accessible

By Howard B. Owens

As part of a project to make the Mancuso Office Building at 26 Harvester Ave., Batavia, handicap accessible, a new elevator is being installed behind the building.

Mancuso Business Development Group President Tom Mancuso said other accessibility upgrades are being made to the building in all the public areas, such as the bathrooms.

The four-story building is split-level, with the first floor not being on grade with either the front or the back of the building, so the elevator is being designed to make five stops.

A new lobby is being installed in the back of the building that will be at grade with the back parking lot.

"It's just (such) a historic, attractive building that we didn't want to make changes to the front of it," Mancuso said.

The elevator should be operational by the end of March.

Mancuso didn't reveal the cost of the project, but indicated it is expensive. The entire project is privately financed, he said.

One of the building's current tenants, Rosicki Rosicki & Associates, is an enthusiastic supporter of working with disabled people, Mancuso said.

Another Mancuso tenant, in the Harvester Center, Larry Brown, is a disabled veteran.

"He's always helping us be aware of and work on our accessibility issues," Mancuso said.

Batavia Middle School student in trouble for packing a BB gun

By Howard B. Owens

Parents in the Batavia City School District were informed tonight that a student at Batavia Middle School is being disciplined for bringing a BB gun to school.

It wasn't a rifle, it wasn't a handgun, it was a BB gun a student had a in backpack in his locker, Superintendent Christopher Dailey emphasized in an interview tonight.

"He didn't think it would be anything to worry about," Dailey said. "Unfortunately for him, it was a really bad choice. He didn't have it at school to hurt anyone or defend himself. He wanted to play with it after school. It was a random poor choice by a kid."

The search was initiated, Daily said, because school officials suspected the student may have brought tobacco to school.

The "random poor choice" by the student had landed the kid in Family Court, according to Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch.

Heubusch confirmed tonight that school officials turned over to police a BB gun that was located in a student locker.

"Batavia school officials should be praised for their quick response to this incident," Heubusch said.

Dailey said school officials take issues like this seriously and his automated phone call tonight was aimed at keeping parents informed and designed to quell rumors about it possibly being a more serious matter.

"I felt it important to share because we don't have anything to hide," Dailey said.

In his message, Daily said, "Having a BB gun on school grounds is against district policy. The BB gun was turned over immediately to the Batavia City Police. The student was removed and will be held accountable according to our district code of conduct."

Car smashes into power pole on Law Street in the city causing some power outages

By Billie Owens

A car struck a utility pole in the area of 4 Law St. about 10 minutes ago, causing a power outage in some parts of the city. The pole has high-tension wires and it's snapped in half. Traffic will be rerouted at Jackson and Chestnut streets and Law and Walnut streets. Unknown injuries. National Grid is notified, no ETA given. In some places, power went out and within, say, two minutes came back on again.

UPDATE 7:23 p.m.: National Grid is on scene.

UPDATE 7:31 p.m.: There were no injuries. The driver was a sign-off.

Law and Order: Woman accused of driving vehicle with stolen plates

By Howard B. Owens

Sandra Eileen Pawlukewicz, 46, of Gibson Street, Bergen, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Pawlukewicz was stopped at 4:26 p.m. Tuesday on Lake Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Matthew Butler. She was allegedly driving a vehicle with switched plates and a suspended license. The plates were later found to be stolen.

Jason Lee Perry, 18, of Telephone Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Perry is accused of violating a court order by contacting a person he was ordered not to contact. Perry allegedly placed more than 100 phone calls to the person while at the Genesee County Jail.

A 17-year-old resident of Quinlan Road, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

Jon Hoyt Bush, 29, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, was arrested on a Family Court warrant out of Livingston County. Bush was taken into custody at the Sheriff's Office after Bush went to the office with another individual on an unrelated matter and Deputy Joseph Corona recognized Bush as a warrant suspect.

Thomas Houseknecht's response to Jason Molino

By Howard B. Owens

Here's Thomas Houseknecht's response to the letter from Jason Molino that we posted earlier:

UPDATE: We received this e-mail from Thomas Houseknecht this morning. I think Mr. Houseknecht's note at the top explains the need for the update. I'm not a fan of unpublishing something once it's published. Mr. Houseknecht's original e-mail is preserved after the jump (click on the headline); however, the new one is obviously the one that matters most.

After returning home from work late yesterday and reading Mr. Molino's response that I initially read on The Batavian, I too did not see all of the attachments. Having read them all minimally changes my response to withdraw my statements that my questions have not been answered. The text below is my response corrected after reading the other attachments:

Mr. Molino,

I appreciate the service you provide to our community and the difficulties you are faced with as you prepare a budget. As much as I appreciate the invitation to sit down with you and your staff to review numbers, this public letter you have written to me is puzzling and only adds to my discontent with the current refuse and budget proposal. It seems to have been written to once again praise the value of a user fee approach in an effort to mute the opposition in preparation for City Council’s vote on February 25. Unfortunately, as the City has handled this issue with little prior public input and as part of your overall budget proposal, I have had no alternative but to express my concerns through public comments and media postings. Your offer to discuss it at this late date seems disingenuous as it appears that there is little or no time for dialoging to, as you stated, “better communicate our intentions and goals for the City as it relates to refuse collection both now and in the future,” prior to the Council vote merely two business days away.    

In your response, you continue to make your case to impose a user fee and its merits as you see them verses the current means of both collecting refuse and paying for collection. I could make the same argument for school taxes, but both discussions are diversions from the discussion of the actual financial impact on the majority of city residents. In your responses, you draw conclusions that the majority of properties will see a reduction, but this does not necessarily support your conclusion that the majority of residents will save money. Commercial properties, who will be relieved of the costs of refuse collection, are not residents and they do not vote. It stands to reason that if the overall cost of the new program represents a savings of $300,000 to commercial properties and those with higher assessments will achieve a savings as well, that a program with a total savings of approximately $260,000 must be passing on an increase to the lowest valued properties in the city. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that this proposal will adversely affect the majority. I appreciate that you do recognize that failure to remove it from the property tax will cause Council to have to vote to exceed the property tax cap with the current budget as proposed.

My assumptions were simple and need no further explanation as they were arrived at through the City’s website postings, including the 2012 tax rolls. You have the best possible access to this data, yet you again present a biased view of the actual number of city residents who will effectively be paying more for their city services under your proposal. Your answers draw conclusions that once again skew the argument to the user fee. The fact sheet on the City’s website states that “close to 90 percent of city residents will save money under the proposed plan” in a comparison of the current program to a user fee program. At a recent Council meeting, you were quoted in the news media stating that 65 to 75 percent of residents will save money. Your most recent response to my questions as presented to City Council states that 56.4% of single family homes will save. Clearly, from your own statements, the percentage of homes that will save has changed throughout these proceedings. Please explain these statements to the residents of Hutchins St., Swan St., Kingsbury Ave., Lyon St., Tracy Ave., to name a few where the vast majority will pay more. Again I ask, what is the actual number of city residents that will pay more?

Your response to my e-mail to City Council, that I have just received for the first time, attempts to discredit my analysis of homes that will pay more by discounting those that are multi-family and rental properties. As these residents will also be impacted, is it fair to exclude them? Also, the Senior discount does not eliminate the fee, it merely lowers the break-even point. I believe this furthers the argument that the full impact has not been assessed. The misrepresentations in the City’s presentation cause me to further question some of your new assertions. 

Batavia has historically included refuse collection in the property tax.  Converting to a user fee may be desirable from a budget preparer’s standpoint, but it will adversely impact the majority of city residents. This simple fact must be recognized and be a part of the discussion. City management’s attempt to leave this fact out of the discussion is unacceptable and dishonest to me. It is possible that all of the numbers being discussed by both of us are thoroughly confusing to City residents.  Therefore, at the public hearing I asked Council, and will again ask Council to take the five following steps :

1. If you still have doubts about the analysis I have presented, have city management or an independent party review the tax roles and determine exactly how many residents will be adversely impacted. The 2012 assessment role is available on the city’s website for all to see.

2. Once you have completed your due diligence, vote against the change to the ordinance that is required to change the current refuse program to a user fee.

3. Find out why you were presented with bad information upon which to base your decision and take the appropriate actions to insure that it doesn’t happen again.

4. Take another look at the budget and cut unnecessary functions of city government.

5. Establish a refuse committee of citizens, which I would be happy to serve on, to look at how recycling could be increased or a PAYT system could be phased in with ARC as our provider in a manner that would truly benefit all residents.

In closing, I would like to reiterate that I appreciate the difficult job you have in preparing and implementing a budget for the City of Batavia, especially when faced with NY’s property tax cap. I simply ask that all of the facts be presented in a fair, honest and concise manner before our council members are asked to put their reputations on the line with their votes.

Sincerely,
Thomas Houseknecht

Original e-mail replaced by the revised one.

Mr. Molino,

I appreciate the service you provide to our community and the difficulties you are faced with as you prepare a budget. As much as I appreciate the invitation to sit down with you and your staff to review numbers, this public letter you have written to me is puzzling and only adds to my discontent with the current refuse and budget proposal. It seems to have been written to once again praise the value of a user fee approach without answering any of the questions or concerns I have raised in an effort to mute the opposition in preparation for City Council’s vote on February 25. Unfortunately, as the City has handled this issue with little prior public input and as part of your overall budget proposal, I have had no alternative but to express my concerns through public comments and media postings. Your offer to discuss it at this late date seems disingenuous as it appears that there is little or no time for dialoging  to,  as you stated, “better communicate our intentions and goals for the City as it relates to refuse collection both now and in the future,” prior to the Council vote merely two business days away.   

You opened your letter stating that you were responding to my questions, but you did not respond to any of them. You simply make your case to impose a user fee and its’ merits as you see them verses the current means of both collecting refuse and paying for collection. I could make the same argument for school taxes, but both discussions are diversions from the discussion of the actual financial impact on the majority of city residents. This statement of your reasoning for the conversion does not answer the question as to whether this proposal will adversely affect the majority nor does it answer the question as to whether it attempts to get around a vote on the city’s property tax cap, as I have asserted.

My assumptions were simple and need no further explanation as they were arrived at through the City’s website postings, including the 2012 tax rolls. You have the best possible access to this data, yet you again fail to reveal the actual number of city residents who will effectively be paying more for their city services under your proposal. If you use the average assessments quoted in your response, any reasonable person would agree that it is dishonest to make the case that the majority of residents will save money under the proposed system. Yet the fact sheet on the City’s website states that “close to 90 percent of city residents will save money under the proposed plan.” At a recent Council meeting, you were quoted in the news media stating that 65 to 75 percent of residents will save money. Your most recent response to my questions as presented to City Council states that 56.4% of single family homes will save. Clearly, from your own statements, the percentage of homes that will save has changed throughout these proceedings. Please explain these statements to the residents of Hutchins St., Swan St., Kingsbury Ave., Lyon St., Tracy Ave., to name a few where the vast majority will pay more. Again I ask, what is the actual number of city homes that will pay more?

Your response to my email to City Council, that I have just received for the first time, attempts to discredit my analysis of homes that will pay more by discounting those that are multi-family and rental properties. As these residents will also be impacted, is it fair to exclude them? Also, the Senior discount does not eliminate the fee, it merely lowers the breakeven point.  I believe this furthers the argument that the full impact has not been assessed. The misrepresentations in the City’s presentation cause me to further question some of your new assertions, especially the one where you state that all properties under $77,200 will benefit with lower costs. If the City has to live within the 2% property tax cap, the break-even point becomes $85,600.

Batavia has historically included refuse collection in the property tax.  Converting to a user fee may be desirable from a budget preparer’s standpoint, but it will adversely impact the majority of city residents. This simple fact must be recognized and be a part of the discussion. City management’s attempt to leave this fact out of the discussion is unacceptable and dishonest to me. It is possible that all of the numbers being discussed by both of us are thoroughly confusing to City residents.  Therefore, at the public hearing I asked Council, and will again ask Council to take the five following steps :

1. If you still have doubts about the analysis I have presented, have city management or an independent party review the tax roles and determine exactly how many residents will be adversely impacted. The 2012 assessment role is available on the city’s website for all to see.

2. Once you have completed your due diligence, vote against the change to the ordinance that is required to change the current refuse program to a user fee.

3. Find out why you were presented with bad information upon which to base your decision and take the appropriate actions to insure that it doesn’t happen again.

4. Take another look at the budget and cut unnecessary functions of city government.

5. Establish a refuse committee of citizens, which I would be happy to serve on, to look at how recycling could be increased or a PAYT system could be phased in with ARC as our provider in a manner that would truly benefit all residents.

In closing, I would like to reiterate that I appreciate the difficult job you have in preparing and implementing a budget for the City of Batavia, especially when faced with NY’s property tax cap. I simply ask that all of the facts be presented in a fair, honest and concise manner before our council members are asked to put their reputations on the line with their votes.
Sincerely,
Thomas Houseknecht

Jason Molino's response to Thomas Houseknecht

By Howard B. Owens

City Manager Jason Molino sent a copy of this letter, addressed to Thomas Houseknecht, to members of the local media:

Mr. Houseknecht-

You have asked for responses to your comments over the past several weeks regarding the proposed refuse and recycling program. Attached are my responses to your questions. 

I understand your concern over the impact the proposed program may have on the those who can least afford it. While I share the same concern, I disagree with your analysis that lower assessed properties properly represents, or in any form correlates, to those who can least afford it. For example the average assessed single family home in the city is $92,112, while the average assessed two-family home is $76,534 and the average assessed triple-family home is $84,380. According to a recent EPA study, multi-family properties that have more than one household generate 1.5 times or more refuse (depending on the number of units) than a single-family property. In addition, the study states recycling tonnage per household is 65 percent greater for single-family households than for multi-family households. Considering doubles and triples generate from 1.5 to 3 times the amount of garbage as a single-family home, recycle significantly less and the property owners pay less in taxes, the current system is inequitable as we pay for garbage based on the amount of assessed value of our homes with no relationship to how much we throw out, don’t throw out, recycle or don’t recycle.

The proposed refuse fee does not target any one type of resident or property owner; instead it is intended to provide an equitable way to pay for a service based on a rational relationship between the cost of the service and the amount of service each resident uses. Similar to water, sewer, cable, electric, gas, phone and all other utilities, assessed value is not a determinant of the cost of the service, nor does it properly represent the amount of service used by individual property owners or residents.  Furthermore assessed value is not a valid method for determining the cost of refuse and recycling collection to residents.

I appreciate your passion for the refuse collection issue in Batavia and in particular for your support of ARC and its endeavors. I welcome the opportunity to sit down with you and my staff to review the numbers and understand how you arrived at some of the assumptions made in your statements to city council. Dialoging with you would certainly help us understand how we might better communicate our intentions and goals for the city as it relates to refuse collection both now and in the future.  

Sincerely,

Jason Molino

UPDATE: I failed to take note of four attachments with Jason Molino's e-mail.  Here they are (all links are to PDFs):

Alleged wooden pallet thief charged with grand larceny

By Howard B. Owens

Local law enforcement officers believe they've figured out who's been on a spree of wooden pallet thefts in the county recently.

James J. Moscicki, 32, of 1309 Dale Road, Dale, has been charged with one count of grand larceny.

He was arrested today by Batavia PD and accused of stealing $2,400 worth of pallets from a business in the city.

Though not charged yet, Moscicki may be a suspect in pallet thefts elsewhere in Genesee County.

City police have been working on the investigation with the Sheriff's Office and Le Roy PD.

It's alleged that Moscicki has been stealing the pallets and selling them to businesses in the county. He was reportedly transporting pallets in a silver Dodge Neon with a small utility trailer.

Some of the pallets were marked with identifying numbers.

Deputy John Duyssen requests that anybody with information that might lead to the recovery of pallets to contact him at (585) 345-3000, ext. 3233.

Former Bills receiver serving as honorary chairman of GCC's Trek the Trail Walkin’ 'n’ Talkin’ event

By Howard B. Owens

Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Lou Piccone, flanked by the Cougar Dance and Cheer teams, was at Genesee Community College today to promote the upcoming Trek the Trail Walkin’ 'n’ Talkin’ event.

Piccone is honorary chairman of the event, which is set for 8:30 a.m., April 20 at the college.

The walk around the Batavia campus is open to all – young, old, athletes of all persuasions, runners, walkers, alumni, faculty and staff, people with friendly dogs, or babies in strollers.

Participants in the fund-raising event will visit nine Cougar Stops along the route featuring an array of fun encounters and prizes. 

After the walk, a picnic lunch is provided on the East Lawn. Prizes will be awarded for most pledges raised by an individual, as a team, and to the GCC student club with the most pledges. Most creative team costumes will also be recognized.

Today, Piccone talked about his football career -- which included 100 passes for 1,380 yards and six touchdowns from 1977 through 1982 with the Bills and Jets.

He also explained that he is supporting the event because a college education helped him prepare for life, even an NFL career, where offensive schemes can get complicated and he had to be able to adapt to playing more than one position.

Registration for the event is $15 per participant and includes a T-shirt, picnic lunch, prizes and treats. Children 8 and under accompanied by an adult are free. 

To register or for more information, click here.

“We’re delighted that Lou Piccone will join us for our Trek the Trail, Walkin’ 'n’ Talkin' Scholarship fundraiser, and I’m excited to give him a tour of our campus ahead of time,” said Russ Romano, Trek the Trail committee member and GCC Foundation Board member. “He brings a level of enthusiasm that raises awareness on how this event serves a multitude of terrific purposes.

Below, people involved in organizing the event: Lou Piccone, Joanna Barefoot, Andrew Maguire, Nate Shirk, Eric Sandler, Andrew Crofts, Marc Staley, Marlin Salmon and Russ Romano.

Person stuck in elevator at VA center

By Howard B. Owens

A person is stuck in an elevator at the VA center, 222 Richmond Ave., Batavia.

City fire is dispatched.

There is no medical emergency. People on scene are able to talk with the person in the elevator.

UPDATE 10:38 a.m.: City fire back in service.

Child Advocacy Center planning move from Bank Street to rent-free location offered by Presbyterians

By Howard B. Owens

The Child Advocacy Center should have a new home by this summer.

The First Presbyterian Church has offered the center a rent-free space for the next three to five years at a house it owns on East Main Street, according to Undersheriff William Sheron.

The CAC provides children who have been sexually abused a safe place for assistance, counseling and interaction with law enforcement officials.

It operates under the auspice of Genesee Justice and the Sheriff's Office the county has been paying $1,200 a month in rent for its location on Bank Street.

The discussion about the move come up today during the county legislature's Public Service Committee meeting.

When Genesee Justice was threatened with funding cuts two years ago, it became apparent that the CAC needed to find a way to cut the rent expense.

In response, the Kiwanis Club of Batavia took up the cause of raising $150,000 to help the center get a location that it owned. So far more than $70,000 has been raised. The move to the house owned by the Presbyterian church would give supporters of the CAC more time to close the funding gap.

The Justice for Children Child Advocacy Center operates as a nonprofit organization and is supported by the county, donations and grants.

An in-kind contribution from the local Presbyterian Church would help the center fulfill matching grant requirements.

The house is located on East Main Street, between the Presbyterian church and the First Baptist Church.

The new location would give the CAC more space and be able to offer clients with different needs -- those there for counseling, say, and those for forensic interviews -- separate waiting spaces.

There is remodeling and repair work that needs to take place in the new facility and Sheron told the committee that there will likely be volunteers who do the work.

The only vote the committee took today was to approve a six-month lease on the Bank Street location, giving the CAC until June to prepare the new space.

Grand Jury Report: Niagara Falls police officer accused of felony assault in Darien

By Howard B. Owens

Kelly L. Alcorn is indicted on a count of assault, 2nd. Alcorn is accused of slamming a victim against a cinder-block wall at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Aug. 25. (Prior Coverage: Alcorn is a Niagara Falls police officer who was initially charged with a misdemeanor; her alleged victim pressed for upgraded charges).

Nicholas A. Antonucci is indicted on two counts of attempted grand larceny, 3rd, petit larceny and two counts of criminal mischief, 4th. Antonucci is accused of attempting to steal a 2007 Yamaha snowmobile with a value of $5,000 from a location in Alexander, and of attempting to steal a 2006 Yamaha snowmobile with a value of $4,000 from a location in Alexander, on or about Jan. 6, 2010. He is accused of stealing on the same date a backpack containing a Leatherman tool, flashlight and beer. He is accused of damaging the ignitions on the snowmobiles. (Prior Coverage)

John R. Chrisley is indicted on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. Chrisley is accused of sexual contact with a child less than age 11 during the summer of 2011.

Armand P. Cummer is indicted on counts of felony DWi and felony driving with a BAC of .08. Cummer is accused of driving drunk Aug. 26 on Route 5, Town of Pembroke. Cummer is alleged to have a prior DWI conviction in 2008.

Francis S. Smith is indicted on a count of burglary, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Smith is accused of breaking into a residence on Washington Avenue, Batavia, on Jan. 1.

Law and Order: Batavia woman accused of making purchases at GCC with stolen credit card

By Howard B. Owens

Franchesca Anais Barrome, 20, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Barrome allegedly had possession of a credit card and student ID of another person that she used to make purchases at GCC. Barrome was jailed on $2,000 bail. The investigation is pending and additional charges are possible.

Cory M. Dahl, 20, of Pavilion, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Dahl was arrested following a report of a domestic disturbance on Dutton Road, Warsaw, on Feb. 13. Dahl is accused of damaging a rear door and a window. Dahl's 19-year-old girlfriend and infant child were reportedly at the residence at the time.

Tate N. Westermeier, 20, of Darien Center, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana and driving without headlights. Westermeier was stopped by State Police Feb. 14 by State Police in the Village of Attica. Genesee County Deputy Howard Carlson, a trained drug recognition expert, assisted in the investigation.

Micahel J. Lathan, 27, of Batavia, was arrested by State Police on a Wyoming County Family Court warrant. Lathan allegedly failed to meet obligations set forth in a prior family court appearance. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Cameron John Corner, 18, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Corner was arrested along with a 16-year-old West Main Street resident for allegedly shoplifting from Kmart.

Carlos Enrique Reyes, 38, of Lyell Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Reyes is accused of violating a stay away order of protection by placing a phone call to the protected person.

A 17-year-old resident of East Main Street, Batavia, and a 16-year-old resident of Otis Street are charged with petit larceny. The two female youths were allegedly observed stealing wooden pallets from Empire Tractor.

Westminster is 'All That Jazz' and more for English Setter from Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

Jazzy won over a lot of hearts in New York City last week, but she made Joanne Mistler's heart soar when a Westminster Kennel Club judge named her one of two finalists among 25 English Setters invited to the competition this year.

It was a male English Setter that won best of breed, but 3-year-old "GCH Birdhavens and All That Jazz" (Jazzy's full name) was named "Best of Breed/Opposite Sex."

Just getting invited to Westminster to show Jazzy was a big honor, Mistler said, but to come home with a ribbon from America's most prestigious dog show is the thrill of a lifetime.

"She just showed beautifully, and she loves to show," Mistler said.

A few years ago, Westminster became an invitation-only show. A dog must score enough points in accredited competitions to get on the short list of dogs who can enter the ring. Mistler took Jazzy to more than a dozen shows in the past 18 months. She won her first major in Chicago, which helped her get into Westminster.

Jazzy was part of the Sporting Group. (Groups are what you see on TV, not the breed competitions.) The male that won English Setters advanced to the group, and from the four groups, Westminster judges picked Best in Show. This year, Best in Show was Banana Joe, an affenpinscher.

For owners who show dogs, getting to Westminster isn't cheap, and the payoff ... well, unless you get Best of Breed at Westminster followed by some endorsement deals, there isn't much money to be made from dog shows.

"People say, how much do you get? How much money do you get," Mistler said. "I say, you get a ribbon, that’s it. But this ribbon -- this is prestige."

Mistler started showing setters in dog shows in the 1970s.

She and her husband bought a setter when her twins were 2 years old, and one day she was walking down a New York street and a member of the Staten Island Kennel Club asked her if she ever showed her dog.

She hadn't. He said the club was having a "fun show," and she should enter.

She did, and her dog won.

"Of course, I was hooked," Mistler said.

Her son, local businessman Ken Mistler, said he went to a lot of dog shows growing up.

In the days before Westminster was invitation-only, Joanne Mistler did manage to enter the competition -- entries would open at noon and be closed (sold out, essentially) by 12:30 -- so getting an invitation this year was itself something special.

There were 2,800 dogs in this year's competition, with 25 English Setters, and of those 25, nine were females.

Owners showing dogs must be there by 9 a.m. and stay until 3 p.m., Mistler said. The public walks through the show freely, meeting all the dogs, talking to owners and learning about different breeds.

"It's a long day for exhibitors, but it's prestigious just to be there," Mistler said. "(Jazzy) had her picture taken a thousand times and was petted by a million people."

Next up for Jazzy is becoming a mother. Mistler said she will go into heat next month.

She already has a prospective mate.

A lot goes into picking a mate for a show dog, Mistler said. Show dogs are judged against a set of standards for the breed, and every show dog has some standard that gets just a little off.

"No dog is perfect," Mistler said. "If she has a tail set too low, you look for a male with an even tail. If she is not deep-chested, you look for a male with a deep chest. You try to offset it."

The owner of the prospective mate loves Jazzy's temperament and the way she showed, Mistler said.

Typically, a pure-breed setter puppy sells for about $1,000. The red ribbon might make Jazzy's puppies a little more valuable.

From the time of Mistler's first show dog until Jazzy's predecessor (a female that wouldn't breed), Mistler always kept a puppy from the litter. With Jazzy's litter, Mistler hopes to resume the line of dogs she's bred.

Picking that puppy is as much art as it is science. At about six weeks, you see bone structure and whether the animal will be well-proportioned.

If your puppy shows, great. If one of the other puppies shows, even better.

"You hope that one of these puppies will be shown," Mistler said. "It’s every breeders dream. The chances are, if you get one to go to show out of a litter, that’s wonderful. That’s what everybody’s dream is, to have the dog that you can say, ‘Joanne bred that dog. That’s one of Joanne’s breeds.’ ”

Shopping cart of beer wheeled away from Tops

By Howard B. Owens

A person was spotted wheeling a shopping cart full of beer from Tops, loading it into a car on Redfield Parkway and then leaving.

The activity was suspicious enough for two people to report it, though it's unknown at this time if the beer was stolen.

The license plate of the vehicle comes back to a residence in the city.

Batavia PD is responding and dispatchers are checking with Tops.

UPDATE 5:46 p.m.: It's a confirmed larceny.

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