batavia

Elijah Robert Coombs, 18, of Orchard Street, Oakfield, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration 2nd, resisting arrest, criminal nuisance, 2nd, harassment, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Coombs is accused of causing problems when deputies arrived at his residence to investigate a report of an underage drinking party at 11:43 p.m., Friday. When deputies attempted to arrest Coombs, he allegedly resisted arrest and struck a deputy. Deputies Matt Fleming and Patrick Reeves responded to the call.

Andrew Zimba Perdock, 25, of Bethany Center Road, Bethany, was arrested on a bench warrant, alleged failure to pay fine related to a petit larceny charge. Perdock was jailed on $100 bail.

Ronald James Tombari, 24, of Court Road, Pavilion, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unlicensed operation, failure to keep right and no seat belt. Tombari was stopped at 12:12 a.m. Sunday on Perry Road, Pavilion, by Deputy John Weis.

(name redacted), 19, and (name redacted upon request), 24, both of South Lake Avenue, Bergen, are charged with unlawful dealing with a child. xxx and xxx were arrested following an investigation into a report of a loud gathering. xxx and xxx were accused of hosting an underage drinking party.

Christopher William Fowler, 24, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and parking on a roadway. Fowler was allegedly found in his vehicle at 10:13 p.m., Saturday, with it stopped on Stegman Road and Miller Road, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

A 17-year-old from Batavia has been charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth was stopped at 3:28 p.m., Saturday, on Lewiston Road, Batavia, for alleged traffic violations by Deputy Patrick Reeves. During the traffic stop, the youth was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

Lori Ann Brightenfield, 53, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Deputy Jason Saile responded to a report of a citizen requesting assistance because her vehicle ran out of gas in the Town of Le Roy. Following an investigation, Brightenfield was arrested for alleged DWI.

The Batavia High School varsity basketball cheerleading squad took second place at the Monroe County Tournament held at Victor HS on Saturday.

Five teams participated in their competition.

Kayla Corp, Jessica Derefinko, Codie Grazioplene and Whitney Athoe received 2nd Team All County nominations.

The team will compete for a Section V title Feb. 23 at RIT.

Information and photo submitted by a reader.

This video apparently produced by the City of Batavia features City Manager Jason Molino, with a cameo by his daughter, demonstrating how the new tote system for trash and recycling will work.

City police and a Sheriff's deputy are responding to Liberty and Ellicott streets after a passing motorist dumped their McDonald's garbage on a front lawn at a residence on Ellicott Street Road.

The homeowner chased the motorist from his home on Ellicott Street Road to the city.

The City of Batavia Fire Department is receiving a $60,000 grant to help train recruits and improve rescue capabilities.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced the grant, which comes from FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters program.

“We’re thrilled," Chief Jim Maxwell told WBTA. "It’s definitely something that will help the organization work and move into the future with the equipment and additional funding for training.”

Besides training recruits, the grant will help the department increase extrication capabilities, assist in technical rescue incidents and provide training on new equipment.

Family and friends of Patrick Suozzi, a Batavia man facing terminal cancer, are asking people for support.

On Jan. 27, there will be a benefit/fundraiser for Suozzi's wife, Mary Beth, and son, PJ, from 1 until 6 p.m. at Resurrection Parish (St. Mary's) Recreation Hall, at 18 Ellicott St. in Batavia. All proceeds will help offset their ongoing medical expenses.

The fundraiser will include a meal of spaghetti, salad, bread, beverages and dessert, as well as a TV raffle, a Chinese auction, a bake sale and face painting.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 10 and under.

To purchase tickets, make a donation or obtain more information, contact Lori DiFilippo at (716) 474-2895 or Kim Turman at 356-8922

There will also be a rock 'n' roll benefit on Jan. 26 at T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St. in Batavia. It will feature three local bands: Bob Lovelace (acoustics), Amanda's Rage and Savage Cabbage (main band). The event will last from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Admission is $3 at the door, and there will be a 50/50 raffle. For more information, call 343-1547.

Photo submitted by Steve Ognibene

Joseph E. Marr, 34, of Nesbitt Road, Attica, is charged with promoting prison contraband, 1st, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Marr -- incarcerated in the Genesee County Jail on Jan. 1 on a charge of driving while impaired by drugs -- is accused of attempting to conceal a controlled substance while in the jail. Marr was arraigned on the charge Wednesday and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

A 16-year-old resident of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. The teen is accused of punching and pushing another person.

Press release:

On Jan. 14, the city proposed a new Refuse and Recycling Program. The proposed program includes changing to a fully automated variable size cart/tote based collection system offering residents greater capacity for recycling opportunities, while making refuse and recycling more effective and modern.

In addition, the city has proposed funding refuse and recycling through a "Pay-As-You-Throw" system in which residents will pay for refuse collection based on the size cart/tote they select, rather than through property taxes.

All residents are encouraged to watch the presentation of the city’s proposed Refuse & Recycling Program on local Channel 19 – the Community Access Channel -- this Friday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. to become more familiar with the proposed Refuse & Recycling Program.

The proposed budget and proposed refuse and recycling information can also be found on the city’s Web site at: www.batavianewyork.com.

A Le Roy resident caught in the act of a residential burglary in Batavia while under surveillance by police detectives has accepted a plea deal that could send him to prison from five to 15 years.

Russell P. Cessna, 24, of 18 Pleasant St., Le Roy, came under suspicion following a tip to local law enforcement, who began monitoring his activities. 

He was a suspect in a number of burglaries in Le Roy, Stafford Pavilion and Batavia.

After Cessna broke into a house on Summit Street, he was apprehended.

Today, Cessna entered a guilty plea to two counts of burglary in the second degree in satisfaction of all 15 charges against him. The charges included burglary, grand larceny, criminal mischief and petit larceny.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 31.

Somebody has created a Facebook page called Batavians Want to Keep ARC Trash Collection in an apparent effort to build the necessary political pressure on the Batavia City Council to retain ARC as the company that picks up the city's residential waste.

After nearly 30 years of waste management for the city by ARC, the agency has been required to compete with other companies for the contract, which includes a significant change to how garbage and recycling is handled in Batavia.

The page also contains a link to an online petition for city residents to sign in support of Genesee ARC.

From as many as 10 Genesee ARC employees could lose jobs, including people with disabilities, if the city council awards the bid to another company.

Genesee ARC submitted the highest bid at $4.99 million over five years, compared to the lowest bid, by Arizona-based Allied/Republic at $4.34 million.

The city council will decide which company gets the trash collection contract in February.

Everything you might like to know about the new garbage collection service is contained in documents posted to the city's Web site.

Edward Otis Hardy, 54, of Pelham Road, Pensacola, Fla., is considered a fugitive from justice by the State of Florida and was in Genesee County Jail on unrelated charges when he was arrested on warrants from Florida. In Escambia County Circuit Court, he is charged with battery/touch or strike, battery on a police officer or firefighter, assault on a police officer or firefighter, obstruction, depriving a person the means of protection or communication, disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest with violence. Hard was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and jailed without bail pending extradition.

Shawn Michael Twardowski, 30, of Dodd Run Road, Marietta, Ohio, was arrested on bench warrants for criminal contempt, 1st, and harassment, 2nd. Twardowski was arrested in Caldwell, Ohio, after allegedly fleeing the state after being charged with criminal contempt and harassment. Twardowski was returned to Genesee County Court and arraigned by Judge Robert C. Noonan and jailed without bail. There are also active warrants for Twardowski out of Batavia City Court and Town of Oakfield Court.

Shantell Sharnice Gibson, 20, of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and petit larceny. Gibson is accused of stealing merchandise from Kmart. She also allegedly stole property from another person.

Rebecca N. Bethune, 24, of 5008 Hundredmark Road, Elba, is charged with two counts of unlawful dealing with a child, 1st. Bethune was arrested by Le Roy PD after allegedly buying alcohol for two people under the age of 21.

Fisher Sports officially reopens its doors tomorrow, but Andrew Fisher's phone was ringing and there were people showing up at his new location next to Coffee Culture anyway. They were looking for sporting equipment even though the store was not set up yet.

The last 24 hours have been crazy -- moving everything from 412 E. Main St. to 6 Court St.

"We like this location because it's the center of the city. People are driving through here all the time, we were looking for more foot traffic," Fisher says.

Fisher Sports opened on East Main Street last July. Along with sporting equipment, they also offered Zumba classes at the East Main Street store. They will no longer be offering the class, so they decided to move to a smaller space. They went from 3,500 square feet down to 850 square feet.

Fisher says, "We have slimmed down our square footage, but we have the same amount of equipment and apparel in the new store."

Fisher Sports will continue to carry hockey equipment and Sabres, Syracuse, Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox apparel. They will also sell cleates and spikes for soccer, baseball, and football. Team sales are also a big thing at Fisher Sports. They supplied the Oakfield swim team with swimwear this year and are adding new teams to the list.

Contact Fisher Sports for hours and orders at 585-344-2500 or online at www.fishersportsny.com

Lt. Eugene Jankowski is coming to grips with the fact that his 34-year career with Batavia PD is probably drawing to a close.

He hasn't officially announced his retirement yet, but that's probably what he will do before his job as a lieutenant is eliminated April 1 as part of department restructuring.

"I'm glad I was given the opportunity to serve for 34 years," Jankowski said. "It's been good for me. I love what I do and I hate to leave it. It's not about the money. It's never been about the money, but now's the time to find another worthy cause. I'm still young enough to go out and find another worthy cause."

Jankowski disputed a report coming out of Monday's city council meeting that he, along with Lt. Jim Henning and Lt. Greg Steel were offered a chance to stay with the department if they would each accept a demotion to sergeant and that all three turned it down.

None of them, according to Jankowski, has reached a final decision yet.

Henning and Steele are off duty at the time of this story posting so we can't reach them for comment.

For Jankowski, becoming a sergeant isn't even an option. If he accepted a demotion, it would be to patrol officer.

Under civil service law, when a job/rank is eliminated, the employee is offered the job he or she held prior to promotion. For Jankowski, that was patrol officer, not sergeant.

"If it were a sergeant's position, I might consider it," Jankowski said.

City Manager Jason Molino said he wouldn't discuss with a reporter personnel issues and what may or may not have been communicated between city supervisors and the lieutenants.

According to Jankowski, the lieutenants were told they would not be considered for the new deputy chief position.

"We don't know why," Jankowski said. "He didn't give us a reason. He said we won't put anybody in the deputy chief position until you're long out of here."

Molino said that once the position is created, probably after the budget is approved in February, any qualified personnel -- including the lieutenants -- in the department could apply for the job.

If they retire before the job is created, then they won't be eligible for the position.

The three lieutenant positions will be reallocated, creating two new patrol positions and one sergeant's positions.

"The plan is, you're going to have more guys on the street than you have now," Molino said. "With more officers in the field, there's more contact with the community."

The deputy chief position, which will be non-union, will be an increase by one the number of sworn members of the department. 

The restructuring is expected to save the city $10,000 a year.

Jankowski said he doesn't understand why the city wants to eliminate all three lieutenant positions at once. Why not, Jankowski wondered, stagger the retirements over three years so those experienced supervisors would help mentor the new deputy police chief?

"Why would you eliminate 100 years of experience like that?" Jankowski said.

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch is proving a great asset to the department, Jankowski said.

"I like the chief," Jankowski said. "He's going to be great. I like him. He brings out the best in guys. I wish I could work with him longer."

Jankowski, a competitive shooter, isn't sure if he will stay in New York after he retires. He's concerned that gun ownership rules being changed by Albany politicians will make competitive shooting in the state all but impossible. Some ranges, he said, will likely shut down. Limits on magazine size and changes to rifle scopes are big concerns, he said, for competitive shooters.

The changes to the police department don't make him mad, Jankowski said, but the changes being considered in Albany certainly do.

Ramon Roberto Domanski, 51, of South Avenue, Lake Bluff, Ill., is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Domanski is accused of stealing two tractor-trailer tires from a located at 8420 Route 77, Pembroke. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Daniel DiLaura, 38, of Brooklyn Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief. DiLaura is accused of stealing a TV from Walmart and damaging a security device.

Press release:

The staff of Batavia Downs Casino and Thurman Thomas are now accepting entries to name the Hall of Famer’s new restaurant on site at Batavia Downs Casino.

The facility’s $28 Million dollar expansion begins within a month and includes construction of a new Thurman Thomas sports bar. Customers may tweet a suggestion for the Sports Bar’s name on Twitter by tweeting from their account and including the name of the Sports Bar with the tag @BataviaDowns. The contest will end at Noon on Friday, Jan. 18.

Staff from Batavia Downs Casino and Thurman Thomas will review the entries and declare a winner before the end of January.

The person that submits the winning name will win dinner for two inside the new sports bar with Thurman Thomas and Batavia Downs Staff when the new facility opens sometime in the fall. The winner shall also receive a Batavia Downs Casino Prize Pack valued at more than $250.

If more than one person suggests the winning name, then one person shall be randomly chosen from those who suggested that name. Winner will be notified via twitter that they have won. Full rules can be found on Batavia Downs Casino’s Web site at www.bataviadownscasino.com.

“Thurman’s new sports bar will offer great food, a stage for live entertainment on weekends, and many large flat screen TVs where our patrons can enjoy all their favorite sporting events,” said Ryan Hasenauer, director of marketing for Batavia Downs Casino. “It will also feature various pieces of football and Thurman Thomas memorabilia.”

Information courtesy WBTA:

A big change in garbage pick up, a shake up of the police department and a pay raise for council members are the main features of the proposed city budget.

City Manager Jason Molino told council members about the proposed changes in garbage collection, dubbed PAYT for "pay as you throw," which will remove garbage collection from property owners' tax bills and have users of the service foot the bill.

The user fee will extend to nonprofit agencies and churches.

"You pay for what you throw away," Monlino said. "So, if you want a smaller tote or larger tote, you are going to pay respectively. If you throw away more, you are going to pay more. You throw away less, you are going to pay less. Another aspect of the program is unlimited recycling, and that also has the ability to help control your costs of what you throw away."

The automated system -- one-driver trucks will use a mechanical arm to pick up the totes -- will also help reduce costs, Molino said.

The apparent lower bidder for the program is Allied/Republic, a national waste management company headquartered in Phoenix. The company operates in 39 states and has 30,000 employees according to its Web site.

Allied/Republic submitted the lowest of four bids at $4.34-million dollars over the next five years.

Genesee ARC, which had been providing the service to the city for nearly 30 years, bid 4.99-million dollars. It appears ARC's bid was the highest.

ARC Executive Director Donna Saskowski said the loss of the city contract hurts the human services agency:

"I will have to lay off between 8 and 10 people," Saskowski said. "The agency will loose $800,000 in revenue, and we will have to find different jobs for the people with disabilities."

Saskowski said half of the people expected to lose jobs have some form of developmental disability.

The 2013-2014 proposed budget technically calls for a reduction in the city tax rate from $10.71 to $9.15. However, when the average cost of the garbage fee is factored in, Molino said the impact on the average homeowner will be a “wash.”

A big change in police department operations will save about $10,000, according to Molino.

Currently, the supervisory structure of the department includes three lieutenants. The lieutenant position will be eliminated, replaced by two police officers, a sergeant and a deputy chief.

The deputy chief position will be non-union.

The current lieutenants, Eugene Jankowski, Jim Henning and Greg Steele, have elected to retire rather than accept a demotion to sergeant, Molino told council members.

As for council members, a raise for the elected officials approved 6-3 in February, will be instituted, increasing compensation from $2,000 per year to $3,500 per year, beginning April 1.

The only way pay raises could be prevented, Molino said, was for the council to vote down the entire budget proposal or opt to pull the pay raise allocation from the budget plan and vote on it separately.

Council members Patti Pacino and Pier Cipollone said on Monday night they would not support a pay raise. Both had supported the pay raise measure in the February vote.

UPDATE: The city has posted all available documents about the changes to garbage collection.

Water line repairs in the area of 10 Bogue Ave., Batavia, on Tuesday will disrupt traffic access and water service.

The work will begin at 8:30 a.m. and result in possible lower water pressure and possibly discolored water.

Batavia police are responding to a residence on State Street to help a homeowner with a cat that is preventing the resident from getting in the house.

The cat is located on the porch and won't leave. Dispatch says it might be 110 or 115 State St.