Have you ever seen those appeals from the health department looking for the owner of a dog that recently took a bite out of someone on the street?
That’s because those random bites of unidentified animals result in rabies treatments for the victims. Just how often does this happen, Genesee County Legislator John Deleo asked during a Human Services meeting Monday.
More than you might think.
“You see a lot of press releases, particularly in April and May when the animals come out and people go out, and the weather gets better. On average, 25 to 30 people a year, with dog and cat bites,” Public Health Director Paul Pettit said while requesting a contract renewal for rabies treatment services between the county and United Memorial Medical Center. “Sometimes we're looking for a dog that maybe bit somebody, and we're trying to find the owner. That's been successful from time to time. And bat season is typically in August, where you get a lot of bats in the home at night while people are sleeping. Unfortunately, they let them go. And they just happen to test a lot of people.”
UMMC provides a post-exposure rabies vaccine to those bitten by animals suspected of having rabies or when it’s unknown whether they may have the disease.
The agreement is expected to result in a budget impact of a reduction of expenses for the vaccine and an increase in insurance reimbursements, according to the county resolution. The Human Services Committee agreed, and it is to move on to Ways & Means and then to the Legislature for a final vote.
The committee also approved Pettit’s request for an agreement to pay $750 to The Harvester Center for winter storage of the health department’s RV and trailer; and $8,000 for public health advertising about the ill effects of lead at Dwyer Stadium and the David McCarthy ice arena in Batavia. The advertising expenses are covered by a grant, Pettit said.
John A. Cabrera, 56, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, menacing 2nd, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration 2nd, harassment 2nd, and promoting prison contraband 1st. Cabrera is accused of threatening another person with a handgun during a fight on Washington Avenue, Batavia, on Nov. 24. He is accused of fighting with police when they attempted to take him into custody. While being booked at the Genesee County Jail, Cabrera was allegedly found in possession of contraband. He was arraigned and released.
Shawna L. Lamont, 34, of Perry, is charged with bail jumping 2nd. Lamont is accused of missing a court date after being released on a charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th. She was arraigned in City Court and released.
Benjamin G. Evans, 35, of Batavia, was arrested on three warrants on Nov. 28. Two of the warrants are related to incidents where Evans allegedly stole packages from porches. The other is related to a trespassing complaint on Swan Street on Sept. 19. Evans was arraigned and released.
James L. Dart, 70, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Dart is accused of spitting on another person during a fight on Tracy Avenue on Nov. 27. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Carla L. Spikes, 33, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Spikes is accused of punching another person in the face during a fight on Hutchins Street, Batavia, on Nov. 18. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Trevon L. Armstrong, 38, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Armstrong is accused of damaging a window at a residence on Denio Street on Nov. 16. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Haley M. Larnder, 24, of Batavia, is charged with two counts of bail jumping 3rd. The charges stem from two separate cases where Larnder is accused of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. She allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Daniel N. McDaid, 40, of Tonawanda, and April J. Conley, 39, of Lewiston, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. McDaid and Conley were charged following a traffic stop on Ross Street by a Batavia patrol officer. They were allegedly found in possession of narcotics. Conley was additionally charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence. She allegedly attempted to hide evidence. Both were issued appearance tickets.
Allyson P. Lawrence, 29, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Lawrence was allegedly found in possession of narcotics on Nov. 26 while being arrested on an unrelated warrant. Lawrence was arraigned and released.
Alex P. Brasky, 32, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Braskey was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer on Nov. 22 on South Jackson Street, Batavia. He was arraigned and released.
Russell H. Blumer, 51, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Blumer is accused of punching another person during a fight on Thorp Street on Nov. 12 while a child was present. He was arraigned and released.
Jerome W. Amesbury, 58, of Batavia, was arrested on Nov. 26 on a warrant. The warrant stems from a traffic stop on Ellicott Street on June 23, which led to a charge of aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd and several traffic violations. Amesbury is accused of failure to appear in court as ordered. He was arraigned and released.
Trevawn O. Wright, 23, of Le Roy. Wright was arrested on a warrant on Nov. 23. Wright was initially charged on Aug. 13 with aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd after he was involved in a traffic accident on South Main Street, Batavia. The warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court. He was arraigned in and released.
Jonathan W. Dodson, Jr., 37, of Holley, is charged with forcible touching and sexual abuse 3rd. Dodson was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 1 in the Town of Elba. He was issued an appearance ticket. No further information was released.
Mark P. Heale, 55, of Bethany, is charged with torture/injury/not feed an animal. Heale was arrested by State Police in connection with a report taken at 2:14 p.m. on Nov. 21 in the Town of Bethany. He was issued an appearance ticket. No further information was released.
Susan Ann Samanka, 60, of West Main Street, Batavia, was charged on Dec. 4 with sex offender failure to appear for photo. Samanka is accused of failing to report to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office as required for a photo as a registered sex offender by the required date. Samanka was held pending arraignment.
Joe Andrew Cortez, 41, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Cortez is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection at 12:43 p.m. on Nov. 23. Cortez was issued an appearance ticket.
Michael Robert Hawkins, 27, of Route 98, Attica, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, speed not reasonable and prudent, and moving from lane unsafely. Hawkins was reportedly involved in a traffic accident on Simonds Road, Darien, at 11:51 a.m. on Dec. 1. During the investigation, Deputy Stephen Smith determined Hawkins was allegedly in possession of a large quantity of controlled substances. Hawkins was held pending arraignment.
There were no injuries on Friday afternoon after a car jumped a curb, struck a truck on Jefferson Avenue in Batavia and then turned sharply to its right and headed straight for the Wendy's building.
Sgt. Dan Coffey, Batavia PD, said it appeared that the driver mistakenly pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal as the vehicle attempted to enter a parking space.
The vehicle struck a construction truck, a street sign, a pickup truck and then the Wendy's building.
There were no citations issued.
A camera mounted on City Hall captured the incident.
File photo from Shop with a Cop in 2021 Photo by Howard Owens
Press release:
The City of Batavia Police Department, Genesee County Sheriff's Office, and the Le Roy Police Department are preparing for the Ninth Annual “Shop with a Cop” event.
The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 9 at Walmart located at 4133 Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia.
For those not familiar with the event, local children -- with the help of school resource officers and school officials from each school in Genesee County are selected to participate. Children are provided funds and their own personal police officer/deputy to accompany them on a Christmas shopping trip at our local Walmart.
Walmart graciously hosts and staffs the event. Walmart also provides funding and goody bags for each child.
Grant money from Walmart, donations from the City of Batavia Police Benevolent Association, City of Batavia Civil Employee’s Association (CSEA), the City’s “Jeans for Friday” program, and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Employee Association make this event possible.
All the participating agencies want to thank everyone in advance, especially during this time of the year, as it is an event that we are grateful to be able to participate in and provide for our community. In the past, community members/businesses have inquired about donating to the cause. Donations can be brought to 10 W. Main St. Batavia N.Y. (Attn Detective DeFreze) or 165 Park Rd. Batavia N.Y. (Attn Sgt. Sanfratello). Donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 299 Batavia, N.Y. 14020 (Batavia PD) or P.O. Box 249 Batavia, N.Y. 14020 (Genesee County Sheriff’s Office). Donations will allow more children to participate, or potentially increase the amount each child is provided, and lessen other costs associated with the event. Any excess funds will be designated for the following year's event. As of this writing, there are sufficient funds to cover this year’s event.
We graciously ask that you keep us in mind next year!
Submitted photo of Senator Borrello with Ambassador Sanon and his awards.
Press Release:
Representing the Council for Justice, Equality and Peace (COJEP International), Ambassador Hugues Sanon presented the Global Distinguished Leadership Award, Key to Sustainability, and Medal of Honor to New York State Senator George Borrello for his service and dedication to the residents of the 57th District.
“Senator Borrello has devoted more than a decade to improving the quality of life in our community and our region through public service roles at both the local and state levels of government,” said Ambassador Sanon.
“He has raised awareness of issues and problems that are impacting families, small businesses, and farmers. He has been a champion of tax relief to ease residents’ financial burdens and make our region more competitive. As a lifelong Western New Yorker, he is unwavering in his dedication to securing the future of the region and that is inspiring and an example that deserves to be recognized,” Ambassador Sanon said. “That is the intent behind this award.”
The VIP dinner was hosted by Ambassador Sanon at his residence on the North Side of Jamestown. In attendance was Mayor Randall G. Holcomb of Lakewood NY, the Blue Star Mothers NY4's Vice President Kathy Collver, Vietnam Veteran Stanley Collver, Pastor Mark Hinman and Mrs. Hinman from Hillcrest Church, Dave Anderson and his wife Holly Anderson, Mr. Jon Elder and Emmanuella Sanon, wife of Ambassador Sanon and COJEP representative at the United Nations.
COJEP International, headquartered in Strasbourg, France, promotes humanitarian values and works in support of peace, justice, freedom and democracy. The organization has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, UNESCO (NGO Liaison Committee), the Council of Europe (Conference of NGOs), the OECD and is accredited by the European Parliament and the OSCE.
Ambassador Sanon praised Senator Borrello for “his commitment to making our community and the world at large a better place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Your tireless efforts have had an impact and brought hope to many. Continue to shine your light, demonstrate compassion and empathy, and transform lives through your important work. The world needs more people like you.”
Senator Borrello expressed his appreciation for the award and extended his thanks to Ambassador Sanon for his work in the City of Jamestown and Chautauqua County.
"I am humbled by this honor and your kind words. I am also grateful for your contributions to Jamestown and Chautauqua County. In the relatively brief time you’ve lived here, you’ve invested yourself deeply in our community. You’ve worked in partnership with local officials, law enforcement, clergy, and non-profit organizations to reach common goals and help those in need. You’ve shown great leadership and have built bridges between people and groups that will make our region and this world a better place,” Senator Borrello said.
“We all recognize that achieving greater justice, equality, and peace are critically important goals. You bring that vision to your efforts, which benefits us all,” he added.
Ambassador Hugues Sanon has presented the Medal of Honor to a number of international and national dignitaries as well as several local leaders including the City of Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel, County Sheriff James Quattrone, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist and Rev. Mark Hinman of Hillcrest Baptist Church.
An image of Julie Lambert's Genesee Country Museum, handmade paper courtesy of Genesee Community College.
Press Release:
The Roz Steiner Art Gallery at Genesee Community College is excited to announce its latest group exhibition, Handicraft Habitat. This invitational explores the world through the eyes of artists. It aims to showcase the beauty of both the natural environment and the manufactured realm.
This exhibition plays with the dichotomy between abstract art and realism, as well as being a multi-media experience. The gallery is excited to be working with three incredibly talented artists from Western New York to bring this stunning new show to life.
David Burke is a lifelong resident of the Rochester area where he raised and homeschooled is two children. He began his artistic journey by drawing, painting, and taking photographs sporadically while doing other work. In 1999, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Brockport, where he studied ceramic sculpture and painting.
In 2015, David realized making art was his passion and what he wanted to pursue for the rest of his life. His focus since then has been acrylic painting. His artwork is inspired by nature, and to a greater extent, his connection to the life of the earth and the mystery of the world. David uses light, shadow, color, and composition to evoke memories and emotions.
In the past few years, he has been getting away from purely figurative painting to explore different ways of applying paint and experimenting with abstraction. This enables him to express the subtle, intangible energies of life. A collection of David's abstract expressionism and his realism paintings will be part of this exhibition.
Julie A. Lambert is a master papermaker; creating, transforming, and exhibiting the unusual art of handmade paper. The artist has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Oswego. While attending Oswego, a professor introduced the artist to papermaking; a medium she spent over 25 years enhancing her techniques and understanding both her perspective and relationship with her surroundings.
Nature has become her muse. Her work explores the natural and mankind's created impacts on the landscape. The pieces she creates are based on landscapes that convey a mood that speaks to the artist. To the surprise of the viewer, Julie A. Lambert's works are often first mistaken for paintings. But as the viewer is drawn in, they realize that the works of art are individual pieces of handmade paper, dyed, textured, cut, torn, and layered by the artist to express how she sees the world. The viewer steps back with a greater understanding of the complexity required to render her visions.
Originally a native of southeast Kansas, Steve Piper moved to the Finger Lakes region in 1978 to pursue his graduate studies in photography at RIT. He is a freelance photographer (Gelfand-Piper Photography), specializing in photographing people and events for publications and annual reports. Major clients have included Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Mr. Piper taught photography at St. John Fisher College and is currently an adjunct instructor of photographic arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His artistic vision is greatly inspired by his rural life growing up in the mid-west. Through color, texture, and composition, he is able to take a recognizable image and create something representational. The viewer finds meaning and emotional response through the sumptuous color and intriguing lines. Steve's colored abstract photographs of railway cars will be on exhibit in Handicraft Habitat.
The Handicraft Habitat exhibition will run from Dec. 7 to Feb. 1. Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m., as well as Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Don't miss the chance to attend the opening receptions on Dec. 7 from 12:30 - 2 p.m. and 5 - 7 p.m. Stay tuned to the gallery's social media pages for any updates or changes to the schedule.
For more information contact Jessica Skehan at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery by email at jeskehan@genesee.edu, gccgallery@genesee.edu or (585) 343-0055 ext. 6490
Chase Cone of Bergen experienced the thrill of a United States Bowling Congress-certified 300 game this week when he strung 12 consecutive strikes in the opening game of the Tuesday Night Coed League at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.
The 37-year-old right-hander registered a perfect game a couple years ago, but it was in a non-certified league at Mancuso's.
By rolling a 300 game in a certified league, he can claim his ring from the USBC.
Using a Brunswick Infinity bowling ball, Cone put all 12 shots in the 1-3 pocket, finishing on lane 13. He added games of 236 and 208 for a 744 series.
Employed as a damage prevention tech at Bermex Inc. in Rochester, Cone's previous high certified game was 279.
In other Genesee Region USBC league action:
-- Robbie Hanks stayed hot in the Thursday Men's Triples at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, posting 264-276-216--756 to lead the way.
-- Rich Wagner of Batavia topped the list of scores in the Toyota of Batavia 4-Man at Mancuso's with 263-245-244--752.
-- Matt Bourg of Alexander recorded his first 700 series, starting with 265 in a 707 effort in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples at Mancuso's.
For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.
Supporters of Crossroads House were invited to hang an ornament on a Christmas tree to display at Eli Fish for the holiday season, with the tree being lit in a ceremony at the tavern in Batavia on Saturday.
Pinecone ornaments cost $25 each, and Crossroads was able to raise $2,500 to support its operations.
"Our memorial cones are all personalized with a person's name," said Debbie Paine, who chaired the fundraising effort and is secretary of the board of directors. "There are some that honor volunteers or whatever somebody felt that they wanted to buy and remember somebody for. It's a holiday fundraiser that first allows people to memorialize someone and also brings together our community."
This is a first-year event for Crossroads House, which provides hospice care at no cost to people in their final stages of life in Genesee County.
The Lady Irish Basketball Program is hosting its 2nd Annual Toy Drive for Golisano's Children's Hospital. Toys will be collected until December 8th in the Notre Dame Main Office. The varsity team will be delivering the toys to the children again this year. As always, they thank you for your support in giving back to children who need it the most during the holiday season.
Elba won the Rich Martello Hall of Fame Tournament in Wayland-Cohocton on Saturday, beating Wayland 41-35.
Mike Long was named the tournament MVP.
He scored 12 points in the final.
Nicholas Scott and Ryan Marsceill scored nine each, and Ashton Bezon scored seven.
Martello was a member of the Wayland-Cohocton faculty for 34 years. He was boys varsity basketball coach from 1971 to 1975 and athletic director from 1976 to 1997. He coached track and field for 32 years. He's been inducted into the Section V Track and Field Hall of Fame, the Wayland-Cohocton Hall of Fame, and the Mount Morris Hall of Fame.
Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum on Friday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. for a holiday music concert featuring a flautist group from the Genesee Symphony Orchestra. Come by the museum to enjoy some wonderful music. Admission is $5 or $4 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
“This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”
Join the Holland Land Office Museum at GO ART! located at 201 E. Main St. in Batavia for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. This month's topic is the Battle of the Bulge. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
Part-Time Children's Library Clerk Haxton Memorial Public Library is seeking a Part-Time Children's Clerk 19 Hours a week $15.00/hr. Interested applicants please go to www.co.genesee.ny.us for an application or come to the library at 3 North Pearl Street, Oakfield. Any questions, please call at (585) 948-9900
