There were no gunshots fired yesterday evening following a traffic stop near Mill Road on State Route 33 in Stafford after the driver ran into a cornfield -- either by the suspect or by law enforcement.

What was initially reported as gunfire turned out to be a wildlife scare cannon -- it emits loud blasts fueled by propane -- to deter birds and other wildlife from damaging crops.

The incident began at 6:04 p.m. when Howard Owens, publisher on  The Batavian, reported a silver Pontiac sedan heading west on Clinton Street Road being driven in an erratic manner.  

Near Mill Road, a Deputy was positioned in a laneway in a farm field waiting for the vehicle to pass.

The deputy initiated a  traffic stop across from a  sweet-corn-for-sale stand and a cornfield. As soon as the sedan stopped, the driver bolted from the vehicle and ran south into the cornfield.  The deputy initiated a foot pursuit but backed off when he reportedly saw the suspect remove a handgun from his waistband.

The deputy detained a female passenger in the vehicle,  placing her in handcuffs and returning her to the vehicle.

At that moment, there was a muffled boom, and Owens and the deputy took cover behind their respective vehicles.  The deputy reported, "shots fired."

Over the next 15 minutes or so an additional three blasts were heard.  During that time additional deputies and Batavia police officers arrived on the scene and Route 33 was closed in both directions. Owens was then evacuated from the scene by two deputies in a patrol vehicle.

Over the next few hours, additional law enforcement arrived from Monroe County and the State Police.  SWAT units on scene included one from Monroe County, one from the State Police, and the Genesee County Emergency Response Team. The DEC K-9 unit also responded.

Law enforcement had a preliminary identification of the suspect based on statements from the female passenger. 

The NYSP Aviation Unit helicopter was dispatched to assist and it coordinated with NYSP drone operators to search the area.  Also assisting were the Monroe County Sheriff's Office drone operators.

The suspect was located shortly after 11:20 p.m. in an area about one mile to the northeast of the original location near Westbrook  Road. He was attempting to seclude himself in a wooded area.

He was taken into custody without further incident. 

Law enforcement did recover a handgun during a search of the area where the suspect had initially fled. 

Taken into custody was Arthur J. Brown, 44, of Lake Street, Le Roy.  He was charged with:

• Criminal possession of a weapon 2nd
• Menacing a police officer
• Tampering with physical evidence
• Obstruction of governmental administration 2nd
• Criminal  possession of a controlled substance 7th
• Driving while impaired by drugs
• Failure to keep right

Brown was arraigned in Town of Stafford Court and jailed without bail.

The passenger of the vehicle was identified as Breanna A. Smith, 29, of Lexington Avenue, Rochester. Smith reportedly had an active warrant in Florida but Flordia officials declined to extradite Smith.  She was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and issued an appearance ticket.

Top Photo: Sweet corn sign this morning at the incident location.

Previously: BREAKING NEWS: Shots fired after vehicle stopped on Route 33, near Mill Road

Smith being taken into custody just after the driver fled and just before the first blast was heard.

Amanda Lynn Huber, 39, of Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny.  Huber is accused of switching price tags to make items appear to cost less at the time of purchase while at a store on Veteran's Memorial Drive, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket. 

Joshua Lanair Webster, 34, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd. Webster is accused of having physical contact with a victim during an incident reported at 12:51, Aug. 27, on East Main Street in the Town of Batavia. Webster was released on his own recognizance.

Kelly Grace McCoy, 27, of Cambell Street, Rochester, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs and failure to keep right. McCoy was stopped at 1:23 a.m., Sunday, in the area of 5236 Clinton Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush. McCoy was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

William Cappiello, 62, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant, arraigned in City Court, and released on his own recognizance. There was no information was released on the reason for the warrant. 

McKenzie N. O'Connell, 18, of Rochester, is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. O'Connell is accused of encouraging/exposing children between the ages of twelve and fifteen to engage in sexual behavior.  Her bail status was not released.

Winston A. Lockhart, 26, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Lockhart was allegedly found in the company of a protected party in violation of a stay-away order.  He was issued an appearance ticket and turned over to the Albion Police Department on a warrant.

Rachil J. Oliver, 49, of Le Roy, is charged with DWI,  driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to stop at a stop sign. Oliver was stopped by a Batavia police officer at 2:37 a.m., Sept. 12, on Otis Street in Batavia. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Marlena M. Burrus, 34, of Batavia, is charged with owning/harboring an unlicensed dog.  Burrus was arrested at her home in Batavia after allegedly being found with an unlicensed dog on Sept. 14. She was issued an appearance ticket.

An Akron entrepreneur says he is scrapping his plans to convert an empty building in the Village of Corfu into a bistro restaurant/ice cream shop.

Earlier this month, the Genesee County Planning Board approved, with modifications, Randy Hesior’s site plan to lease space in a vacant building on a 7.2-acre parcel at 47-49 West Main St.

Hesior was looking to put about $15,000 into the facility, and eventually employ eight to 16 people.

Since then, Hesior told The Batavian that the property owner, who lives in Clarence Center, indicated that he was not willing to spend any money to satisfy requirements pertaining to a driveway or to erect a fence shielding the building from neighbors’ homes.

Modifications recommended by the planning board included that the applicant obtain a driveway permit from New York State Department of Transportation for the change of use prior to approval by the Corfu Village Planning Board and to make sure on-site lighting was installed as to not shine directly onto neighboring property or cause a hazard for motorists.

“So, I’m going to have to look for another building someplace else,” he said.

Another dining establishment in the Village of Corfu is moving forward, however, as planners recommended approval, as long as signage complies with zoning regulations, a site plan to operate Home Slice 33 Pizzeria at 12 East Main St.

The first-floor business will offer pizza, wings, subs and fryer foods, with enough space to seat 18 to 20 customers. Takeout and delivery are additional options.

Press release:

On Wednesday, September 22, temporary road closures will occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.  These road closures are for the roadway resurfacing of the following streets (The duration of each closure will be approximately 4 hours before traffic can ride on the treatment):

Allenview Drive:        Between Naramore Drive and North Street.

Garden Drive:           Eastside between Naramore Drive and end of the road.

                                 Westside between Naramore Drive and Carolwood Drive

ADDITIONALLY:  The City parking lots at Lion’s Park and the Canale Lot off of Ellicott Street will be resurfaced and will be closed while work is occurring.

Residents will be notified by Suit-Kote of the actual work schedule via flyers delivered door to door on the impacted streets a day in advance.  The work should be completed in one day as long as not delayed.

Residents of impacted areas are asked not to park on these streets while the work is ongoing and to park on adjacent side streets if possible.

This work is weather dependent and if delayed due to wet conditions the work will resume the next business day. The current forecast for Batavia shows rain mid-week so postponements are expected.

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel announced today that Batavia Downs will be hosting their famous wiener dog races on Sunday, October 17^th. While there is no live harness racing that day, a different type of racing will go on at Batavia’s historic track.

Up to 80 dachshunds will be racing for the crown of the fastest wiener dog in Western New York.  Each “heat” winner will receive free play and the top 3 finishers in the championship race will receive free play, food vouchers, and a free hotel stay.

Family-related activities will also take place including on-site entertainers, kettle corn stand, pumpkin painting, carriage rides, pony rides and $1 hot dogs and sodas. These will take place from 1 to 3pm with the wiener dog races commencing at 3 pm.

If you have a pure-bred dachshund and would like to enter your dog to participate, please call or email Arna Tygart at 585-343-3750 ex 6437 or email at atygart@bataviagaming.com.

Admission and Parking is free.

“The Wiener Dog Races have a great history here at Batavia Downs,” said President and CEO, Henry Wojtaszek.  “We look forward to welcoming families and the community back for another fun and affordable event.”

Photo: File photo from 2017 race.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Republican Committee will be holding a Chiavetta's chicken barbeque from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 26) at the Town of Batavia Firehall on Lewiston Road.

Tickets are $12 and can be obtained in advance at Batavia Marine & Sporting Goods, 411 West Main St.

Dinners will be available on a drive-through basis only.

Proceeds will be used to benefit the committee's campaign efforts.

Melinda Hagen shared this picture from a couple of nights ago of the sunset as seen from the Byron-Bergen soccer fields.

Below, yesterday evening's moonrise in Pembroke by Joanne Meiser.

Photos by Philip Casper

Press release:

This past Labor Day weekend Lei Ti Campground, in Bethany,  held it's 29th Annual Labor Day Charity Auction benefitting One Soldier at a Time.

This weekend, the group presented a check in the amount of $7,900 to their Founder and President Lauren Coe.

Pictured from left to right are CSA members Sandy & Gerry Sekuterski, Bob McVea, and Val Rosehart followed by Lauren Coe, Founder and President of One Soldier at a Time, and Sheila Hollwedel, Campground Owner.

Batavia City Schools District board members agreed to continue the search process for a new superintendent during an executive session Thursday, Board President Alice Benedict says. While she couldn’t discuss specific names or details of the session, Benedict confirmed that there are some worthy candidates to consider.

“We are now in the process of setting up interviews with candidates,” she said Saturday to the Batavian. “There will be three opportunities for the community and staff to let us know if they’re interested (in meeting with candidates). They have to send an email to get a link for Zoom.”

The virtual meetings will be announced toward the end of September, with interviews expected to begin in October, she said. A number “less than half a dozen” expressed interest in the position and meet all of the requirements, she said. That is why the district has not yet put out a general open application.

“They are all qualified,” she said.

The superintendent position became vacant this summer when Anibal Soler Jr. announced he was leaving for another job in Schenectady. Interim Superintendent Scott Bischoping has temporarily taken on the role.

More information is to be available soon at bataviacsd.org 

Nine years after closing Robert Morris Elementary, city school officials are mulling the idea of resuming it as a school once again.

The idea is in tandem with recommending Request for Proposals of completely renovating the well-used Batavia Middle School. The Board of Education unanimously agreed to move forward with the school’s construction assessment and a cost estimate during Thursday’s board meeting.  

Board member John Reigle spoke on behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, which has been conducting a district facilities review. 

His mission was to ask the board “to direct our contractors” to conduct a complete review of the middle school to find out how much work and money it would take to renovate and abate the site, he said, and the cost to “bring Robert Morris up to date to facilitate student use.”

Interim Superintendent Scott Bischoping added that it would be ideal to do this site study before any discussions about the next capital project take place. 

“Just to get an idea of the cost and what the community would like to do,” Bischoping said. “Eventually you’re not going to be able to put Band-Aids on that building. Many districts have totally gutted and rehabbed their buildings, but there’s a price tag to that.”

The middle school building has been around for quite a while, tucked into the residential neighborhood along Ross Street. It was initially built in 1926 to be used as a high school until Batavia High School was built in 1961 on State Street. Wear and tear and an estimated “significant amount of abatement” would be part of the renovation, which has become clear to the board, Benedict said.

“There’s a lot of dealing with abatement, and it puts a lot of expense on the project,” she said. “Probably in the future, we’re going to have to get some kids back to Robert Morris.”

Abatement, a word commonly used for cleaning up toxic materials such as asbestos, has been identified for the middle school. Bischoping said that it has been very difficult to do any work in the building without disturbing those materials. After the scope and costs have been determined for construction and abatement of the middle school, and any work necessary to get Robert Morris up to speed for full use, the Buildings and Grounds Committee will put forward a recommendation for board vote, Benedict said. 

In 2012, city school district officials closed Robert Morris Elementary in an effort to consolidate students and merge the west side school’s population into Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate. The defunct building at Richmond Avenue and Union Street then became host of a childcare facility and Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (BOCES) classes. The childcare facility has since moved out to another location and Covid ceased the other activities, Benedict said, rendering the site “an empty building.”

Press release from AAA: 

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.20, up two cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.18. The New York State average is $3.28 – no change from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.27. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia - $3.26 (up one cent since last week)
• Buffalo - $3.23 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca - $3.28 (up one cent since last week)
• Rochester - $3.28 (up one cent since last week)
• Rome - $3.30 (no change since last week)
• Syracuse - $3.24 (no change since last week)
• Watertown - $3.25 (no change since last week)

The national gas price average has reached $3.195 (which rounds up to $3.20) tying early August peaks and matching a 7-year-high. Much of the rise in prices is due to impacts from Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas on oil and refinery production. Reduced crude production combined with gradual refinery restarts has led to a drop in percent of crude utilization nationwide. Meanwhile, total domestic stocks are down as well. As the recovery process continues, some states have already seen prices jump by 10 cents in a week.

From Gas Buddy:

"Gas prices have been stuck in somewhat of a limbo and remain near 2021 highs long after Hurricane Ida has dissipated. The damage done to oil production has been left behind and so far has prevented prices from resuming their seasonal decline," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "Ida caused the loss of over 30 million barrels of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, and with gasoline demand remaining relatively high for the season, oil inventories remain relatively tight, preventing any organized decline in gas prices for the time being. As a result, we may have to wait a couple more weeks until hurricane season slows for oil inventories to start to rise and gas prices to fall."

Two members of a prominent family with deep ties to Batavia – notably a pair of the stately homes that now are part of the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse campus – paid a visit last week to the community that has provided them with many fond memories.

Stephen Atwater of Walnut Creek, Calif., and his sister, Sarah Atwater Mayer, of Scarborough (Westchester County), are the grandchildren of Edward Perrin and Rowena Washburn Atwater, who purchased the historic house at 424 East Main St. in 1937. Edward P. Atwater was president of Batavia National Bank.

(Stephen and Sarah are in the photo above with John Bennett, GCASA executive director, in front of the home at 424 East Main St.)

Built in the 1830s, the Greek Revival and Italianate-style structure has for the past 23 years served as GCASA’s Atwater Community Residence, a place where up to 17 adult male and female clients can live while receiving professional services to help in their recovery.

Furthermore, Stephen and Sarah are the great-grandchildren of Judge Edward A. Washburn, who owned what is known as the Washburn house at 430 East Main St., which now is GCASA’s primary substance use disorder treatment facility.

And their mother, the late Patricia Carr Atwater, was the granddaughter of C.L Carr, who founded the Carr’s department store in downtown Batavia. It was later taken over by her father, Robert Carr, and then her brother, (the late) Steve Carr.

Stephen and Sarah’s aunt, Beth Carr, who resides in Stafford, was closely involved with managing Carr’s store with her husband, Steve, prior to its closing.

“It was known as Batavia’s Finest,” Stephen said of the store, “and it still is.”

'WE HOLD THE CITY NEAR TO OUR HEARTS'

“Moreover, we’re proud to be a part of Batavia and to have a strong attachment to the city based on our family history as it relates to the Atwater, Washburn, and Carr families,” he said. “We hold the city near and dear to our hearts.”

Stephen and his twin brother, John, and sisters, Sarah and Martha, were born at Genesee Memorial Hospital in Batavia and, although they grew up in Rochester, spent much time during their childhood years in the 1960s at their grandparents’ home at 424 East Main St.

Sarah and Stephen said they are pleased about the way GCASA has maintained the architectural heritage of all of the houses on its East Main Street campus.

“We think it’s wonderful,” Sarah said, with Stephen adding, “We’re happy to see it is being used and that they have maintained the appearance and integrity of the houses. The fact that they maintained the character of the house is priceless.”

A special feature of the interior is the Mexican mahogany paneling in the library, which was one of the last jobs completed by the Batavia Woodworking Company before it ceased operations in 1939.

Stephen said he and Sarah were in the area to take care of things at the Rochester home of their father, Julian “Joe” Washburn Atwater, who passed away on July 30 at the age of 90. They also went to Le Roy to check on the headstone of their father, who will be buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, where his brother, Edward, and his wife, Patricia Carr Atwater, are buried.

Julian Atwater received the nickname Joe while he worked at the former Massey-Ferguson plant in Batavia back in the ‘50s, Stephen recalled.

“Someone asked him what his name was and he said, ‘Just call me Joe.”

Their father, who went on to become a corporate lawyer in Rochester, had two older brothers -- the late Edward, and James, now 93. They were the sixth generation of their family to live in Western New York.

A 'GIFTED' CHILDHOOD IN BATAVIA

Sarah said the many days in Batavia with her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins contributed to a special childhood.

“We had a very, very gifted childhood by being able to spend so much time in Batavia in the sixties,” she said, noting that the four Atwater children would take the Trailways bus from their Rochester home to Batavia to stay at their grandfather’s house.

Stephen said he remembers sliding on the bannister and playing billiards on the pool table that was “right at the bottom of the staircase.”

“And they had a cat named Walter Mitty,” he said. “One of the things we did when we got to the house would be to try to find the cat, but often times we couldn’t find him.”

He said he recalls going to the Treadway Inn with his grandmother to have roast beef au jus, dining at Mancuso’s Italian Restaurant and attending St. James Episcopal Church.

Sarah said she enjoyed the walks down Main Street and having lunch at the counter at JJ Newberry or going to see their maternal grandfather at Carr’s store.

“I love Batavia but when I come here, I try to imagine it the way it used to be,” she said. “It’s getting better, though. My brother and I went to Eli Fish and the brewery – because GCASA has one of Eli Fish’s old houses, too. We noticed the old JJ Newberry sign.

“Carr’s Department Store (being gone) makes us really sad because we loved that. I still talk to people who say their parents went there for everything. They bought their furniture there, their makeup, their jewelry, their baby clothes. We rode the elevator; I remember the gumball machine on the third floor.”

ATWATER HOUSE CALLED 'ICONIC'

Stephen, a veterinarian specializing in treating animals with cancer, and Sarah, who is retired, were joined by their brother, John, on a phone call with The Batavian. Martha passed away in 2013.

John, a chemist from Potomac, Md., called the house at 424 East Main St. “iconic.”

“It represents the wonderful times that I spent there as a kid in Batavia, which was such a fun town to be in,” he said, with Sarah adding, “A charming, small town.”

Although the long row of storefronts on the north side of Main Street gave way to Urban Renewal in the early 1970s, Sarah remarked that the city still has “a lot of potential.”

“We still love it,” she said, asking about the Greet yogurt plant (which now is HP Hood in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park), O-At-Ka Milk Products and other places of employment to attract young people to Batavia.

Ultimately, Stephen said they consider it an honor that the Atwater and Washburn family name continues to hold a special place in the community.

“I think the fact that we are able to give something back to the community that maintains the name of the Atwater family is an honor,” he said. “And to have that history entrenched in the City of Batavia as it was, obviously, is such a large part of our heritage.”

Photo: Atwater family photo from 1964 in the Atwater House living room -- sitting on floor, from left, children Connie, John, James and Stephen; seated from left, James and his wife, Joan, holding son, David; Rowena Washburn Atwater and her husband, Edward Perrin Atwater, holding grandchildren Rebecca and Sarah; young Ned, with his father, Edward C. Atwater, and his mother, Ruth Prole Atwater; standing, Patricia Carr Atwater, holding daughter Martha, and her husband, Julian Washburn Atwater. Julian and Patricia are the parents of Stephen, John, Sarah and Martha.

Photo: The Atwater grandchildren in 1964. Front from left, David, Connie, Ned; middle, Rebecca, Sarah and baby Martha; top, John, James, Stephen. Andrew, the 10th grandchild of Edward Perrin and Rowena Washburn Atwater, wasn’t born yet. Andrew passed away in 2013, three days before his cousin, Martha. Submitted photos.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

A motor vehicle accident is reported at Kelsey Road and Galloway Road in the Town of Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  During the course of events yesterday we had a technical issue with the website.  This caused us to copy the original post and headline and create a new post with the same information and then delete the old post.  When we did this, all the comments disappeared with the original post.  I just wanted readers to know that no comments were deliberately removed.

A person is in custody after two shots were fired on Route 33 in the Town of Stafford, according to a report from Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, who is at the scene.

Owens reported at 6:12 p.m. that a silver Pontiac sedan was westbound into the City of Batavia on Route 33 and it was weaving.

Just after passing Mill Road, a Genesee County sheriff's deputy pulled the vehicle over and a black male driver got out of the car and ran across Route 33 into a corn field on the south side of the road.

About three or four minutes later, a shot was fired, Owens said, calling back to report that a second shot has been fired.

Two sheriff's deputies and a City of Batavia police officer are on the scene.

Updates:

UPDATE 11:57 p.m. (by Howard): Suspect in custody as of about 10 or 15 minutes ago.

UPDATE 9:36 p.m. (by Howard Owens):  At shortly before 6 p.m., while returning home from Rochester on Route 33, I noticed a silver Pontiac sedan weaving.  He crossed the center line and the fog line once each and then went straight for a while.  I didn't immediately call it in.  Then it weaved multiple times so at 6:04 p.m., I called dispatch completing the call as we approached Griswold Road.  A few seconds later, the car slowed to about 45 mph.  At Route 237 it slowed again.  Then about 1/4 of a mile later, it accelerated to 75 mph.  I called dispatch again.  As we approached Mill Road I spotted a deputy parked in a drive lane in a farm field on the right side of the road.  I slowed to allow him in behind the vehicle.  The vehicle pulled over as soon as the officer his emergency lights. I was not planning to stop but as soon as the Pontiac stopped, the driver bolted from the car.  He was a tall, thinnish, Black male dressed in all black. He ran in a laneway between rows of corn near where there is a corn-for-sale stand at the side of the road. The deputy pursued on foot but stopped when he got to the start of the cornfield and he drew his weapon.  I later heard him tell another officer that he had seen the man with a gun in his belt.  I walked back from the way we came (to me, it feels like north but I guess it's really east) to watch the open field on that end of the incident to see if I saw the man fleeing.  After a couple of minutes, I decided he was more likely to run toward the Thruway where there was more cover so I walked back to my car.  Just as I reached my car, I heard a gunshot.  I took cover behind my vehicle. I heard at least four more shots while in that position.  At that point, two deputies and a patrol vehicle pulled in behind my vehicle and asked me to get in the backseat of the patrol vehicle.  I did.  Then the female passenger from the sedan got in the back seat.  I asked her what was going on.  She said she didn't know and that she had just met the driver earlier today.  I was left with a Batavia police officer who was blocking traffic at Caswell and Route 33 until about 8:30 when the Sheriff's Office provided me a ride home.  The situation as far as I know remains unresolved.  I'm told not to  expect a press conference tonight.  Law enforcement is on a secure channel now so further updates are going to be difficult to obtain.

8:21 p.m. -- The New York State Thruway traffic is moving very slowly.

Photo above taken at 7:55 p.m.

7:47 p.m. -- Situation continues as Monroe County Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team arrives.

7:35 p.m. -- Latest report from Owens: Monroe County Sheriff's Office drone operator is on the scene.

7:26 p.m. -- The New York State Police helicopter has arrived on the scene (photo below).

7:17 p.m. -- Police are indicating that at least a dozen shots have been fired, all by the suspect. His location is believed to be in a wooded area behind a tree east of Mill Road near the New York State Thruway.

6:53 p.m. -- Genesee County's Emergency Response Team has been dispatched to the scene.

6:45 p.m. -- Owens reported that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officer has arrived with his K-9. He also said that a deputy reported that he saw a gun at the driver's waistline.

6:38 p.m. -- Police have ordered the scene to be evacuated, moving Owens east to Caswell Road. The driver of the car is still at large, with Owens indicating that all shots have been fired by the suspect.

6:30 p.m. -- A fourth shot has been fired. The person in custody is the female passenger in the car (photo above).

6:25 p.m. -- Multiple law enforcement vehicles are on the scene.

6:24 p.m. -- A third shot has been fired.

6:20 p.m. -- Route 33 is closed.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Freed Maxick is proud to name Jonathan Tretter as a new Director in the Firm’s Enterprise Advisory Services Practice. Jonathan is one of five new Director promotions this year.

Jonathan is a graduate of Canisius College, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

His focus is on taxation and planning for C corporations, S corporations, Partnerships and LLCs, and high-net worth individuals. He also has extensive knowledge of federal and state tax credits and incentives, methods of accounting, UNICAP 263A, estate and business succession planning, along with tangible property and cost recovery. Additionally, Jonathan has been a leader in the Firm’s response to federal legislation surrounding the CARES Act, including the Paycheck Protection Program and the Employee Retention Credit.

“I am excited and honored to be named a Director at Freed Maxick. I am also extremely humbled to be part of a firm that recognizes the hard work and dedication displayed by their employees, and hope this highlights the opportunity available to each and every member of our Freed Maxick family,” says Jonathan.

Jonathan is also devoted to employee enrichment and is heavily involved in his community. He is currently the Treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Batavia, a campaign cabinet member of the United Memorial Medical Center, a member of the Business & Accounting Advisory Committee at Genesee Community College, an alumnus of Leadership Genesee, and a committee member of the Batavia Development Corporation.

“I am proud to welcome this next generation of leaders to the Director group,” states Henry Koziol, CPA, Managing Director and Chairman of the Board. ”I look forward to watching Jonathan excel in this new position.”

Press  release:

Sheriffs’ Week celebrates the significant contributions made by the Office of Sheriff as an integral part of the criminal justice system in New York State and in Genesee County throughout our history.  Having been established in the State’s first constitution in 1777, and having been continued in every succeeding constitution, it is one of the original constitutional offices of Genesee County first established in 1802.

The Office of Sheriff is currently held by William A. Sheron, Jr., who has worked for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office for the past 44 years and was elected Sheriff in 2017.  Sheriff Sheron is also a member of the Executive Committee for the New York State Sheriffs’ Association.

The Office of Sheriff has evolved into a modern, professionally accredited, full-service law enforcement and public safety agency, manned by fully trained police and peace officers, as well as civilians using state-of-the-art technology and applying the latest and most advanced theories and practices in the criminal justice field.

The Office of Sheriff is unique in the community, and the duties of the Office go far beyond the traditional role of “Keeper of the Peace,” and extend into many facets of public service, including maintaining the county jail, providing security in our courts, and schools, dispatching emergency services, communication systems, animal control, community service, and victim assistance, and serving/executing civil process and victim protection orders for our courts.

As a constitutionally empowered Office directly responsible to the people, the ancient Office of Sheriff remains, even today, responsive and accountable to the public it serves.  This week, we celebrate the historical and current contributions of the Office of Sheriff and the significant role that the Sheriff’s Office plays in our modern criminal justice system.

Past and present came together Saturday night at City Church in a 15th-annual "Musical Memories" concert in support of Crossroads House in Batavia.

This year, the free concert honored COVID caregivers and honored victims and survivors.

Performers this year included: The Rochester Hitmen, The Park Avenue Brass, St. Joseph’s Batavia Brass Ensemble, The Hamburg Kingmen Drum Corps, and Mighty St. Joe’s Drum & Bugle Corps.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

There have been many complaints and much concern expressed about Batavia City Schools’ current busing situation, Board President Alice Benedict says. Parents have been quite vocal about the need to put three students per seat on Jackson and John Kennedy school buses, however, it has all been online.

Board meetings have been void of any such vocal discourse, she said.

“No parents have ever attended. But there have been lots of comments on social media,” Benedict said during an interview Saturday. “We’re criticized for the choices made, but nobody has taken the time to come and talk to us. Unfortunately, it’s something we don’t have any control over.”

A lack of drivers at the district’s bus operator, Student Transportation of America, has in turn meant fewer buses per run. To accommodate all of the students needing transportation, they have been assigned three per seat, she said.

“There’s not anything the school district can do about it, other than ask parents to take their kids off the bus and drive them to school themselves,” she said. “We’re still talking to the bus company … for me personally as a board member, (Business Administrator) Mr. Rozanski is doing the best he can. They just don’t have the bodies to drive.”

Batavia is far from alone in this dilemma. ABCnews.go.com states that schools across the country, from Pennsylvania and Virginia to Missouri, Ohio, and Texas, have reported similar shortages. Georgia’s Savannah-Chatham County Public School System reported a 30 percent decrease of more than 110 drivers upon the start of this school season, the website states. Covid is to blame for the lack of drivers, Paul Abbott, executive director for transportation for the district, said to ABC News, it states.

The city school district is short some four buses, which has caused delays, late arrivals and the three-per-seat set-up. STA operates more than 16,000 vehicles for over 300 school districts, according to its website, and is “committed to providing our customers with the highest level of safe and reliable transportation solutions available.” The company’s public relations department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Students are required to wear masks on the bus, and they can take brief mask “breaks” if the weather is nice and the windows are open, Benedict said. Many of them have been told by their parents to wear the mask for the duration of the bus trip and not take them off at all, she said.

As for other virus-related measures, Covid testing equipment has been issued to the district by the Genesee County Health Department, Interim Superintendent Scott Bischoping said during the board’s Thursday meeting. Students with potential symptoms of the Covid-19 virus can be tested during the day.

The Health Department will notify school officials if anyone does test positive, and contact tracing will begin to track down who the infected person was in contact with prior to being tested, he said, “and making the determination if a quarantine is necessary.” The total quarantine would be for 10 days, minus any days already lapsed before diagnosing the Covid case, he said.

Having access to on-site testing and wearing masks are two methods to maintaining a healthy environment, he said.

“Our families want our kids in school as much as possible,” he said.

The next board meeting is set for 6 p.m. Oct. 21 in Batavia High School library, 260 State St.

A related Q&A was posted Thursday on the district’s website to clarify its protocols for Covid-19 guidelines. That is shown below:

SEP 16, 2021

Dear BCSD Parents and Guardians, 

Over the last few days, we’ve received a few questions from parents about protocols regarding our COVID-19 guidelines that we want to clarify for the larger community.

We appreciate the questions and will continue to update you as they arise.  

Q: Are there outbreaks of the virus in our buildings? 

A: While cases of the virus have been reported to us by the Genesee County Health Department, only a small number of those cases resulted from a spread within our buildings. Most reported cases are due to a spread of the virus outside of school, and families have taken the necessary steps to quarantine. While this situation could change, we will report any significant issues directly to families.

In an effort to provide transparent information on COVID-19 cases reported throughout the Batavia City School District, going forward, each Monday, we will be posting the number of positive student and staff cases reported from the previous week on our website: BataviaCSD.org.

Q: How will families be made aware of cases within the schools?

A: We are working in collaboration with the Genesee County Health Department who is providing guidance when there is a positive case in any of our district buildings. 

Once a positive case is identified, the Health Department determines who that child or staff member has been in contact with. From there, Health Department officials determine what action is warranted (i.e., testing, quarantine, etc.).

You will be contacted directly by the Health Department if your child was in contact with another person who has tested positive, and they will work with you to determine the next steps.

Q: Are there three students per seat on our buses?

A: Yes, there are three students per seat on our Jackson and John Kennedy bus runs in many cases. While we would have preferred to have enough buses to have separate bus runs for each building with fewer students on each bus, our transportation contractor has been unable to provide the necessary buses due to the nationwide bus driver shortage.

Q: What are you doing to try to get more buses?

A: We will continue to work with our busing contractor STA to find more opportunities to increase the number of buses servicing our district, including using subcontractors. But as of today, we don’t have a solution in place. 

Q: Is it true that students are allowed to take mask breaks on buses?

A: We have advised our bus drivers to allow students to take brief mask breaks – especially on hot days. These breaks are permitted (but not required) to avoid students getting overheated. Weather permitting, we are also opening our bus windows. 

As a parent, you can certainly advise your child not to remove their mask during these breaks.

As a reminder, if a student or staff member exhibits any COVID symptoms, they should not report to school that day and should contact the building nurse immediately. 

Please reach out to your child’s principal if you have any additional questions or concerns. 

Sincerely, 

Scott Bischoping

Interim Superintendent