Stories from

A work crew was in the parking lot off School Street in Downtown Batavia this afternoon, making repairs to lights in the lot.

Photos by Howard Owens.

It took eight innings for Oakfield-Alabama to pick up its 11 win of the season Wednesday, finally beating Attica, 7-4.

The Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, and scored its fourth run in the fifth, but Attica pulled even after scoring two in the first and two more in the fifth.  O-A (11-2) secured its win in the seventh with three runs.

Brodie Hyde had three hits, scored twice and an RBI. Brayden Smith was 2-3 with two RBIs. David Schaufer also drove in two runs.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

Remember in 2011 when we all had fun trying to guess the coded meaning of "Project Wave?"

Now we get to do it again.  What is "Project Vulcan?"

Speaking to members of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, Steve Hyde, CEO of Genesee County Economic Development Center, said, "We've got a lot going on. We're on the short list for two more projects that are another 700 jobs. I just saw yesterday a term sheet for Project Vulcan."

A reporter standing next to Jim Krencik, senior director for marketing and communications for GCEDC, at the time Hyde mentioned Project Vulcan couldn't get him to drop any further hints about what that phrase might mean.

In 2011, "Project Wave" turned out to be the yogurt plant developed by PepsiCo (the "wave") and the Theo Muller Group.  That business eventually failed, but the plant now employs 400 people working for HP Hood.

Hyde was one of the introductory speakers before the council got down to business (The Batavian didn't stick around for that part of the meeting) that included an update from Executive Director Laura Fox O'Sullivan, a presentation on workforce development priorities, regional talent attraction strategies, a board discussion and development of a work plan.

One of the themes both Hyde and Genesee County Legislature Chair Shelley Stein shared was the need for state officials to become better aligned with economic development.

New York is a challenging state because of regulatory schemes to attract businesses, Hyde said.

"Building mega site industrial parks is difficult, challenging," Hyde said. "Employers and investors need support from the state. There is a critical misalignment right now between some of our regulatory agencies in the state and then the governor's economic development goals and strategy.  ... We need to find a way to find a solution to the common good to be partners, to be collaborative in the support of our state strategy and our regional strategy."

Stein, a dairy farm owner in Le Roy, said there is more demand than ever for New York's milk, especially with yesterday's announcement of the fairlife plant planned for the Town of Webster, but the state's continuing regulatory burden on farmers and their workers, such as the recently changed overtime threshold, and the proliferation of solar farms on farmland, is hampering the ability of New York dairy farmers to meet the demand.

She compared the misalignment between competing political forces in the state with the goggles you might put on during a visit to the optometrist.  The optometrist will adjust the lenses one at a time to help bring what you see into focus.  Right now, the two sides are out of focus, she said.

"We want to be able to bring ourselves together with good sound economic development," Stein said. "We want to bring in opportunities for our families. We want to bring together all of us to have a shared common message because we certainly have differences. But we can also work from our commonalities."

Hyde praised the Finger Lakes council for being aligned on economic development for the region.

"Our council is completely aligned," Hyde said. "Look at what we're focused on -- site development, workforce development, it all fits into our goals, right? You know, grow jobs, rollout, drive investment, reduce poverty, create opportunity for our families and our residents."

This was the first time the council has met in Genesee Council since before the pandemic.

In an interview with The Batavian before the meeting, former Rochester mayor and former lieutenant governor Robert Duffy praised the work of Hyde.  He said his first meeting after becoming LG was with Hyde to discuss WNY STAMP. 

He called Hyde a "pit bull" on behalf of Genesee County's economic development goals.

"I think in spite of many challenges we all face nowadays, I think the state is doing some great work," Duffy said. "I would say from my perspective, Genesee County is lucky to have Steve Hyde and his team. I've worked with Steve since 2011, and I've been super impressed with his tenacity and his commitment to this. He has never let go of STAMP and STAMP, now, for all those years and all that work, it's really starting to come together and take hold."

Alexander won its fourth straight game and 10th overall on Tuesday, beating Pembroke 10-6.

Emily Pietrzykowski went 4-4 with three doubles, three RBIs, and one run scored to lead Alexander.  

Faith Goodenbury went 3-3 on the day, while Madison Boyce, Melissa Sawyer and Melanie Bump all chipped in with multi-hit games.

Madison Boyce and Emily Pietrzykowski combined for the win. Boyce went five innings allowing nine hits, five runs, four walks and striking out seven.  Pietrzykowski went two innings, allowing one hit, one run, and striking out four.

For Pembroke, Aleena Maynard went 4-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored

Submitted photos and info.

At the Richmond Memorial Library, the Batavia Society of Artists is displaying some of the best works of its members for the spring, and on Tuesday, at the annual Spring Show's opening, the best of the best were honored, including a GCC student who received the Virginia Carr Mumford Scholarship Award.

The art show was judged by Le Roy artist Lori Longhany.

The show runs through Friday, May 26.

Fifteen young Genesee County residents celebrated their first communion on Sunday at Resurrection Parish in Batavia.

"Communion, also known as the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, is the source and summit of the Catholic Faith," said Jason Smith, director of Faith Formation at the church. "Catholics believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and when students receive their First Eucharist, they have been thoroughly prepared through Faith Formation classes so that they understand and appreciate this concept.  It is a significant event in the Catholic faith, and is one of our seven Sacraments.  Sacraments are designed to draw us closer to God and experience God's love and grace."

Photo by Steve Ognibene.

The Genesee Chorale will present two spring concerts on May 19 and May 21, presenting the music of Ola Gjeilo in Batavia and in Le Roy.

The program is called Across the Vast Eternal Sky and will feature the Greycliffe String Quartet and Riesa Cassano on Oboe.

The May 19 performance is at 7 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, 238 Vine St., Batavia, and the May 21 performance is at 4 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1 East Main St., Le Roy.

The chorale is under the music direction of Ric Jones. Janine Fagnan is associate conductor and Doug Hanson is the accompanist.

Tickets are $10 and are available from members of the chorale or at the door.

There have been no arrests in a police pursuit that ended in Pavilion on Monday that led to a manhunt in the area of Route 63 and Route 20, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Chief Deputy Joseph Graff said today, in response to questions from The Batavian, that there is an ongoing investigation into a possession of stolen property case.

He said the incident began with a pursuit of a vehicle in Livingston County.

"It was determined to have been stolen from Horseheads," Graff said. "It was occupied by two subjects who fled the scene and were not apprehended despite a search of the area."

According to an NYSP spokesperson, the State Police assisted in the manhunt with a helicopter and drones.

Another spokesperson for the State Police said that two vehicles were reported stolen in Chemung County. 

The Livingston County Sheriff's Office has not responded to a request for more information.

A red vehicle was chased into Pavilion on Monday, with reports at the time saying it was occupied by two black males.

No injuries have been reported in connection with the incident.

"We are continuing to investigate," Graff said.

Oakfield-Alabama beat Holley in a five-inning baseball game on Monday, 25-0.

Colton Yasses, Aiden Warner, Brayden Smith, Kyle Porter, and Shaun Alexander all had multi-hit games.

Smith slammed a homer, and Yasses and Warner each had three RBIs.

David Schnaufer gave up only one hit over five innings and struck out 11 to pick up the win.

The Hornets are now 10-2 on the season. Their only two losses came against Notre Dame.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

Press release:

Progress on the South Lyon Street Bridge is moving at a good pace as today over 120 cubic yards of concrete were poured for the bridge’s new deck. Union Concrete, the contractor on-site, will have to “wet-cure” the new concrete with burlap sacks and sprinklers for the next 14 days. After that is completed, approach slabs can be formed and poured between the roadway and the bridge to keep the project on schedule for completion in June.

Submitted photos.

Work crews completed repaving the public parking lot off of Court Street, by Save-a-Lot and Main Street businesses in Downtown Batavia.

Photos by Howard Owens.

There just isn't enough room in the Genesee Valley Ag Park on the east side of the Town of Batavia for a project as large as the Fairlife plant announced today in Monroe County.

The 745,000-square-foot facility will be built by Coca-Cola and create an estimated 250 jobs in the Town of Webster.  The company is expected to invest $650 million in the project.

Asked if the Genesee County Economic Development Center competed for the project, Jim Krencik, senior director of marketing and communications for GCEDC, said it is against agency policy to discuss what companies might have looked at Genesee County as a possible site location for a facility.

"The huge winners here are the dairy farmers," Krencik said. "Wherever it's located in our region, the dairy farmers are the biggest winners."

When asked a follow-up question, he said with HP Hood and Upstate Niagara Milk Cooperative operating in the park along with planned expansions, the Coca-Cola facility wouldn't fit in the park.

Asked about potential sites in Genesee County for such a facility, he said there could be, but that would depend on available infrastructure, and he reiterated the policy of not discussing negotiations with businesses.

HP Hood is the largest land owner in the Ag Park. Its current facility sits on 80 acres, and the company also owns a 22-acre parcel to the factory's north, and 30-acre and 17-acre parcels to the west. All three of those parcels are currently vacant.

The Coca-Cola project in Monroe County has echoes of another soda company's foray into the dairy business -- when Pepsi Co teamed up with the Theo Muller Group to build a Greek yogurt factory in the ag park.  Pepsi and Muller invested $206 million into the project only to close the doors less than three years later.

Pepsi sold the 363,000-square-foot plant to the Dairy Farmers of America for $60 million.

Hood purchased the plant in 2018 from DFA for $54 million. Hood immediately expanded the plant by at least another 100,000 square feet.

The other failed Greek yogurt project, the plant built by Alpina, is now a dairy processing facility for Upstate Niagara Milk Cooperative.

The big difference, perhaps, between the Pepsi and Coke projects is that Pepsi was trying to start a new business line and enter the emerging and competitive market of Greek yogurt. And the product, some critics pointed out, wasn't really Greek yogurt. Pepsi Muller found it hard to get its products on grocery store shelves. 

In Coke's case, its Fairlife brand was launched in 2012 and is widely distributed, having already hit $1 billion in sales.

According to the company's website, Fairlife is an ultra-filtered, flavored dairy drink. The process reportedly removes the lactose and much of the sugar and leaves behind more protein and calcium.

Gov. Kathy Hochul praised Coca-Cola for selecting Monroe County as the location for its new plant.

"This decision by Fairlife to expand their operations in Monroe County marks the next chapter in New York's agricultural success story," Hochul said. "New York's dairy industry serves as a crucial economic engine for our state, and this $650 million investment from Fairlife will create jobs and drive economic impact, particularly in the Finger Lakes."

Flames and smoke are showing from a second floor at 39 Manhattan Ave., Batavia.

Unknown if occupied.

City Fire on scene.

UPDATE 10:12 a.m.: Fire is out.  Visually, no apparent significant damage to the structure. 

UPDATE 11:32 a.m.: The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Chief Josh Graham. Nobody was home at the time of the fire, and there were no animals present, Graham said. No injuries reported. "At approximately 9:46 this morning, we are alerted to a possible structure fire," Graham said. "Before we arrived on location, they called and updated us and said there was actual flame showing. Crews made entry and quickly extinguish it. It was a small room-and-contents fire on the second story. Right now, they're doing salvage and overhaul through the structure."

Graham praised the work of the firefighters. "We were actually given a tour at the fire station at the time. And so they were out ready to go and got here within a couple of minutes, and that speaks volumes to our ability to be able to go in there and knock these fires out before they get out of hand. They did a fantastic job today."

A car vs. tractor-trailer accident is reported on Route 63 near Starr Road in Pavilion.

Unknown injuries.

Airbag deployment reported.

Pavilion Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 8:43 p.m.: Bethany Fire requested to Texeco Town to shut down Route 63 south.

Jacob W. Patterson, 27, of Kilian Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, obstructing governmental administration and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs. Patterson was arrested after officers William Yung and John Gombos were dispatched to a gas station on East Main Street on April 24 to check on a report of an intoxicated driver. Patterson allegedly tried to run from officers before being subdued and apprehended.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jordan E. Hamilton, 26, of Baker Road, Kent, is charged with tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a controlled substance.  Hamilton was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle at a gas station on East Main when Officer William Yung dispatched on April 24 to check on a report of an intoxicated driver. Hamilton was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Tonya Marie Ficarella, 36, of Lovers Lane, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Ficarella is accused of stealing merchandise from a store on Veterans Memorial Drive at 1:44 p.m. on May 2. The Sheriff's Office withheld the name and address of the store. Ficarella was issued an appearance ticket. UPDATE: The Sheriff's Office has released that the location was Walmart.

Jaime Leigh Ayala, 43, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Ayala is accused of entering a store where a protected party worked at 8:28 a.m. on May 2. Ayala was released on an appearance ticket.

Jakob Neale Abrams, 18, of Indian Falls Road, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, driving while using a mobile phone, failure to keep right. Abrams was reportedly involved in a property damage accident at 1:59 a.m. on April 30 on Harper Road, Darien. He was arrested following an investigation by deputies Ayrton Blankenburg and Jeremiah Gechell.

Christopher John Gulczewski, 33, of Thomas Street, Holley, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Gulczewski is accused of threatening to kill a mother in front of her children at 3:20 p.m. on May 3 at a location on South Main Street in Elba.  He was held pending arraignment.

Jerrol Paul Newell, 53, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd.  Newell was arrested while incarcerated in Genesee County Jail for an incident reported at 2:29 p.m. on May 2. The nature of his alleged offense was not released by the Sheriff's Office. He was arraigned and remanded back to the custody of the jail.

Auntunez Jaime Antunez, 35, of Dewey Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and speeding. Antunez was stopped at 11:25 p.m. on May 5 by Deputy Ryan Mullen on Route 33 in Batavia. He was issued and appearance ticket.

Danielle Florance Reed, 34, of Standart Woods, Auburn, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, speeding, failure to dim lights, and moving from lane unsafely. Reed was stopped at 1:50 a.m. on May 7 on Route 20 in Pavilion by Deputy Zachary Hoy.

Casey T. Vaughn, 33,of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd, strangulation 2nd, criminal mischief 4th and aggravated family offense. He is also charged with criminal mischief 4th and criminal tampering 3rd. Vaughn allegedly struck another person and broke a mirror on April 28 during a disturbance at a location on East Main Street, Batavia. That same day, while in custody, Vaughn allegedly spit on a wall, floor, bench, and desk in an interview room at the Batavia police station. He is also accused of pulling molding off the wall.  On the first set of charges, he was ordered held on $10,000 bail. On the second set, he was issued an appearance ticket.

Cassandra F. Smith, 37, of Manhattan Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on four warrants issued by Batavia City Court. Smith was first arrested on April 8 on two counts of petit larceny after she allegedly stole property from different yards on Manhattan Avenue. On April 14, Smith allegedly committed criminal tampering and trespass at a residence on Ross Street by being on the property after being trespassed earlier by police and throwing garbage/other items at the residence.  A warrant was requested.  On April 23, Smith allegedly trespassed again at the residence on Ross Street and was captured on Ring cam.  A warrant was requested. 

Tanika N. Avant, 21, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of harassment 2nd and endangering the welfare of a child. Avant is accused of being involved in a disturbance on April 28 at an undisclosed location and engaging in a physical altercation with another person. During the course of the altercation, he allegedly struck a juvenile. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

James T. Hardaway, 39, of Utica Street, Brockport, is charged with speeding, unlicensed operation, and DWI. Hardaway was stopped on April 30 on Clinton Street, Batavia, by Officer Joseph Weglarski. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Misty R. Scutt, 34, of Exchange Street, Attica, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. Scutt was the subject of a traffic stop by Officer Joseph Weglaski on Jan. 28 in the City of Batavia and arrested on April 28 following the return of a lab analysis of a blood sample. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Hunter M. Passage, 22, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with no headlamps, speed in zone, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. Passage was stopped at a gas station on West Main Street, Batavia, by Sgt. Mitch Cowen on April 27. He was issued an appearance ticket.

A vehicle is off the road, and entrapment and injuries are reported in the area of 9575 Alleghany Road, Darien.

Darien Fire and ambulance and Corfu Fire dispatched.

A first responder reports patients are conscious.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m.: There are two patients.

UPDATE 5:56 p.m.: Mercy EMS dispatched.

A vehicle off the road on Route 63 just north of Route 20 in Pavilion following a reported chase by law enforcement starting in Livingston County of a stolen vehicle.

The vehicle was reportedly occupied by two black males.  At least one of the males fled from the car and law enforcement is conducting a search of the area.  The State Police is assisting with a helicopter and drones.

There's been no response from the Sheriff's Office to a request for more information.

Reader submitted photos.

It's doubtful the folks who gathered at Churchill Downs in Louisville had much more fun than the nearly 250 people who gathered at Terry Hills on Saturday for the 10th Annual Derby Day to benefit the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

Before the big race, attendees socialized and participated in a fast-paced live auction led by Todd Jantzi from Bontrager's Auction House.

The bidding was quite competitive. For example, a four-night stay at Palm Harbor in Florida for up to 11 guests attracted a lot of attention.

Keith and Jill O'Neill, from Pendleton, were particularly excited to win the vacation package.  Keith said he wasn't sure how much it was worth, but he was sure it was a bargain at $4,000.

He beat out at least four other bidders.

"This is the first time I've ever done anything like that in my life," Keith said. "So I feel good. It is so worth it. The charity the money is going to, the money couldn't go to a better place."

It is a fun event, but also bittersweet, said Laurie Napoleone, whose son Michael would have turned 25 this year, possibly graduating from college, if not for the cancer, Burkitt’s Lymphoma/Leukemia, that claimed his life when he was eight years old in 2007.

"We wish we could have Michael back with us," Laurie said. "It was tragic and the worst thing that happened in my life, but people rallied around us, they came together to help us and supported us, and supported us financially, and out of that came the foundation so we could pay it forward."

The foundation has paid out more than $900,000 to families in circumstances similar to the Napoleones.

As fun, as Derby Day is every year, there is a moment of serious contemplation every year when one of the families assisted by the foundation tells their story. This year, Laurie said, it was the Waterman family from Middleport.

"We work hard to make this a great, fun event," Laurie said. "But the flip side is, we have to help out families with kids who are facing the challenge of cancer. Every year, we have somebody come and tell their story, and it's always hard to hear. It's emotional. It's heart-wrenching, but it's why we're here."

It was a big night in the Call Arena at Genesee Community College, with the school hosting its 42nd Annual Fashion Show, featuring the design work of fashion students at the college.

This year's theme was "Ageless." The show celebrated fashion in all its forms and highlights the diversity of style across generations. The show paid tribute to fashion trends throughout the decades from the 1920s to today and beyond, showcasing the talent and creativity and interpretation of GCC's fashion students.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Pitching dominated in Saturday's nightcap of the annual Batavia Rotary Club Baseball Tournament at Dwyer Stadium, with Notre Dame beating Batavia 3-2 to claim the championship.

Bryceton Berry, the tournament MVP, picked up the win, going seven innings, striking out nine Blue Devils, and surrendering eight hits and two runs.

Batavia's Shawn Kimball took the loss despite giving up only three runs and three hits over six innings.  He struck out six hitters.

Kimball was also the only hitter in the game to pick up two hits.

Earlier in the day, Notre Dame beat Oakfield-Alabama 5-2, and Batavia beat Attica 12-1.

Photos by Kristin Smith except where noted.