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Toni M. Drake, 42, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Drake is accused of striking another person in the face on Aug. 28 during an argument in the parking lot of the Mobile gas station on East Main Street, Batavia. Drake was issued an appearance ticket.

Rodrigo G. Vasquez, 26, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Vasquez was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 2 at an undisclosed location following several citizen complaints of an erratic driver. Vasquez was issued traffic citations and released.

Danvor E. Hodgson-Aguilar, 34, of Silver Springs, Maryland, is charged with petit larceny. Hodgson-Aguilar was arrested after an investigation into a theft at Tops on Sept. 2. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Robbie C. Scheib, 21, of Rochester, was arrested on a warrant containing a charge of harassment 2nd. Scheib is accused of being involved in a disturbance on Aug. 30 in which he allegedly subjected another person to unwanted physical contact. Scheib was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Jon H. Bush, Jr., 40, of Batavia, was arrested on Sept. 1 on two arrest warrants. The first warrant is the result of a traffic stop on Washington Avenue on June 5, where Bush was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 2nd. The warrant was issued after he allegedly failed to appear in court. The second warrant stems from an incident on Aug. 3, where police attempted to stop Bush for a traffic violation while he was riding a bicycle. Bush allegedly refused to stop and fled on the bike. Bush was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Bradley Robert Jordan, 30, of Silver Road, Bethany, is charged with petit larceny. Jordan is accused of a left from a store on Lewiston Road, Batavia (the Sheriff's Office withheld this public information). Jordan was issued an appearance ticket.

Yovani Hernandez, 28, of Melvin Hill Road, Geneva, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, obstructed view, and dirty or covered plate.  A passerby reportedly found Hernandez asleep and slumped over the wheel at a location on South Lake Road in Pavilion at 6:12 p.m. on Sept. 3. Hernandez was arrested by Deputy Jacob Kipler, issued traffic tickets, and released.

Alexis Joy Dugan, 22, of Miller Road, Albion, is charged with DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, inadequate headlamps, and moving from lane unsafely. Dugan was stopped on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia at 8:20 p.m. on Sept. 9 by Deputy James Stack. Dugan was issued appearance tickets are leased.

Stephen Hunter Heil, 21, of Million Dollar Highway, Medina, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right, and moving from lane unsafely. Heil was stopped at 6:55 p.m. on Aug. 29, on Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, by Deputy Alexander Hadsall.

Kevin Allan Knickerbocker, 52, of Mill Pond Road, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Knickerbocker is accused of violating a stay away order of protection at 6:50 p.m. on Sept. 12 at a location on West Main Street, Byron.

Jeremiah William Krupp, 45, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt 1st. Krupp is accused of placing phone calls to a protected person in violation of an order of protection on Aug. 29. He was held pending arraignment.

George J. Budzinack, 43, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Budzinack is accused of a theft at 10:02 a.m. on Sept. 16 at an undisclosed location in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket. The NYSP did not release more information.

Robert G. Reiner, 37, of Akron, is charged with criminal mischief 4th, criminal tampering 3rd, and resisting arrest. Reiner was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 3 p.m. on Sept. 16. His release status is unknown. The NYSP did not release more information.

There's been a bit more color and visual appeal that connects the Batavia Peace Garden with a second garden along the Tonawanda Creek behind the Genesee County Court House.

Artist Michelle Cryer has painted a mural, commissioned by the Friends of the Peace Garden and paid for by a state grant administered by GO Art!, on a concrete water tank next to the creek.

The mural features the butterfly bench that once graced the garden and an overflow of water simulating a breach in the side of the tank.

Sherwin Williams donated the paint.  The city approved the project.

"Without our community, as usual, we wouldn't have this here today," said Barb Toal, who came to Cryer with the idea of paint a mural on the tank. Then they came up with the concept together.

"I wanted to bring more nature in, to cover up a cement eyesore with some nature," Cryer said. 

Oakfield resident Brandon Rebert got off to another fast start in the GLOW Arc Friends and Family 5K, but was a few steps off the pace to break his own record of 18:09 set in 2021.

He won the race in 18:15 for his fourth straight win in the race, starting with a win in 2019 (there was no race in 2020).

Kim Mills of Oakfield, who has also won multiple Elba races, was again the top women's finisher with a time of 20:27, two-tenths of a second faster than her 2022 time.

She finished fifth overall.

Rebert is creeping up on the consecutive winning streak, six, held by Michael Richenberg of Pembroke, who finished fourth on Saturday with a time of 20:24.

Reuben Rivers of Albion, finished second with a time of 19:57, and Rodney Egli of Newark, was third, at 20:10.

Photos by Howard Owens.

There was a big crowd, frothy beers on tap, and plenty of "zicke zacke hoi hoi hoi" to go around in Jackson Square on Saturday as Eli Fish Brewing Co. hosted its now annual Oktoberfest.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Batavia First Presbyterian Church hosted its first family night on Saturday, with food, fun and fellowship.

The event was preceded by a labyrinth blessing ceremony at the church. 

See previously: Artist creates meditative tool for Batavia church, blessing ceremony Saturday

Photos by Nick Serrata. 

A beautiful day and a beautiful field to play on, but not the outcome Notre Dame hoped for when they arrived at Genesee Community College on Saturday for a regular season game against Canisteo-Greenwood.

The Irish lost 25-14.

Jay Antinore was 12-20 passing for 134 yards and two TDs.

Also on Saturday 
The OAE Aggies sustained a rare loss on Saturday, losing to Avon 13-6.

QB Gavin Armbrewster was 4-9 passing for 113 yards and a TD.  He had 12 carries for 37 yards. Avery Waterson rushed for 68 yards. Shaun Alexander had 33 yards on eight carries and a 55-yard receiving TD.

On defense, Ashton Bezon had 11 tackles and a sack. Austin Pangrazio had eight tackles and an interception.

"Avon played a much cleaner game than us today," said Coach Tyler Winter. "When you have multiple uncharacteristic mistakes, it’s tough to rally against teams like them. This will serve as a good learning experience for us down the road, as we still have not scratched the surface of our potential. Plenty of ball left."

Photos by Pete Welker.

The Le Roy Oatkan Knights improved to 3-0 on the season with a 36-16 win over Lyons/Sodus on Friday at Hartwood Park.

Tony Piazza rushed for 152 yards on 20 carries and a TD. Tommy Condidorio was 5-10 passing for 110 yards and a TD. Jackson Fix had four receptions for 86 yards. He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Holden Sullivan had two sacks and four tackles.

Also on Friday:

• Batavia lost to Honeoye Falls/Lima, 21-14.  Bronx Buchholz 11-24 passing for 139 yards, one TD and one interception. Mekhi Fortes had 16 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown. He had six tackles on defense. Cole Grazioplene five catches for 54 yards and a TD.
• Attica/Alexander beat East Rochester/Gandada, 21-18.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

To view or purchase prints, click here.

All schools hold open houses. In Pavilion, the high school hosts the Gopher Gathering, a chance for the school community to come together to enjoy good food, live music, and games, and also learn about academic opportunities available at the school.

Along with a food truck rodeo, there is face painting, a petting zoo, and a dunk tank.

"It's a community thing where people can meet and greet teachers," Principal Charles Martelle said Thursday at the school grounds.

Besides learning about classes they might have overlooked, it's a chance for students and parents to learn about campus activities, including clubs students might join.

"Mostly, it's about coming out and meeting teachers, meeting people at the school, and getting a feel for the place, and having a good time," Martelle said. "Then, if they can learn something about the courses, about the clubs, and some different opportunities, then that's kind of the bonus."

Photos by Howard Owens.

A car has struck a utility pole in the area of 43 Clinton St., Batavia.

There is air bag deployment.

Unknown injuries.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding

UPDATE 12:40 a.m.: A Batavia patrol officer on scene reports no injuries.

City Fire is being dispatched to State and Willow streets for a report of a large fire in the back yard of a residence in the area.

The fire was reportedly discovered by a Batavia patrol officer who first reported a large amount of smoke in the area.

He informed the dispatcher that the fire is a dresser on a fire pit.

UPDATE 9:27 p.m.: City command reports, "Fire in the fire pit. City assignment back in service."

One person was injured when a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck hauling retail merchandise collided at Ellicott Street Road and Starr Road shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Thursday.

 Seven hours later, workers were still removing the merchandise from the truck and loading it into another trailer.

The State Police released the names of the drivers without stating which vehicle each driver was operating and which driver was injured. 

The driver of the first vehicle was Syed A. Rizvi, 36, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, and of the second, Francisco A. Gomez Arias, 42, of Hazle Township, Pa.

The State Police did not release any information related to the events leading to the accident.

Photos by Howard Owens

Town of Batavia responded this evening to a fully involved tractor-trailer fire on the Thruway in the area of Genesee Community College.

Photo by Steve Ognibene.

Alexander resident Cortni Quinn, a corrections officer at Attica Correctional Facility, provided these photos from Wednesday's Attica Prison Riot Memorial Ceremony.

Every year, on Sept. 13, there are two ceremonies on prison grounds in remembrance of the riot, which started on Sept. 9, 1971, and ended on Sept. 13, 1971. the first service focuses on victims and families of victims who died. The second is a state service remembering the riot.

This year was the 52nd anniversary.

The bagpiper is William Franz of Attica. The pictures include the Attica Honor Guard and the Attica CERT team members.

A semi-truck and car have reportedly collided on Route 63 at Starr Road in Pavilion.

The car is reportedly on fire.

The truck reportedly rolled over.

No word on injuries.

Pavilion Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:30 a.m.: No fire.

See also: Orleans County files suit over WNY STAMP sewer line

Press release:

A number of concerns have been raised about the impacts of the construction of an underground pipeline that would discharge treated water from businesses at STAMP into Oak Orchard Creek.

These are concerns that we have taken very seriously and addressed.  Multiple engineering studies and peer engineering and environmental regulatory reviews have been conducted to assess potential impacts of discharging this treated water into the Creek.  This process is similar to how municipalities treat water before it is discharged into local waterways.

While existing businesses at STAMP, including Plug Power and Edwards, would discharge approximately 50,000 gallons per day of treated water into Oak Orchard Creek, the studies and peer reviews assessed the impacts of the potential for a maximum of 6 million gallons per day as if STAMP was at full build-out.

The various studies and peer reviews conducted by engineering professionals took that maximum level into account and determined that the increased flow from the STAMP discharge will not have a noticeable impact on the 100-year flood elevations downstream, nor will it impact stream velocity, water levels, water quality impairments and/or area-wide erosion.

Concerns also have been raised about potentially impacting the capacity at water treatment facilities in neighboring communities, which could negatively impact bringing new businesses and/or assist business expansion because of a lack of capacity.

Again, citing these same studies and peer reviews for the potential for a maximum of 6 million gallons per day if STAMP was at full build-out, it was determined that:

• The increase in surface water elevations in Oak Orchard Creek during a 10-year storm event would be approximately 1/8” to 1/4”, with STAMP discharging at the maximum expected level of 6 MGD. 
• Given the above, the Medina water treatment plant, which currently operates with a maximum permitted level of treating 4.5 MGD, could expand by another 10 MGD in order to accommodate new capacity for business growth and/or expansion without impact from STAMP’s maximum expected 6 MGD discharge.  
• An adjoining dam to Oak Orchard Creek could absorb the 6 MGD into its storage capacity without modification to the dam’s operations.  

We want to support our partners in economic development to assist any we can to enhance investment in the GLOW region.  We would not advocate for something that would be detrimental to our partners, as we all are working collaboratively to bring prosperity to our region.

Finally, we want to thank the approximately 38 landowners who agreed to temporary and permanent easements on their properties to allow the underground pipeline to be constructed.  We appreciate their understanding of the temporary and permanent need to use their properties for this critically important regional economic development initiative.

Please visit www.informationaboutstamp.com to review the various engineering studies and peer-reviewed documents related to this project.

Sincerely,

Peter Zeliff
Chairman
Genesee County Economic Development Center

A 17-year-old from Aberdeen, Scotland, was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle in the area of 5186 Clinton Street Road, Batavia, shortly before 1:30 a.m.

Ethan R. Walker is believed to be a student at Genesee Community College.

According to the Sheriff's Office, he was apparently a passenger in a 2007 Chevy Suburban that was eastbound on Route 33.  For some reason, Walker got out of the vehicle, crossed the roadway on foot and entered the westbound lane.

He was struck by a grey 2008 Toyota RAV4 driven by Garrett R. Mercurio, 18, of Batavia.

Mercurio and witnesses called 9-1-1.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS arrived on scene and provided Walker with medical care. Walker was transported by ground ambulance from the scene and later flown by Mercy EMS to ECMC, where he is currently in the trauma unit.

The incident is being investigated by the Sheriff's Office, including members of the Crash Management Team.

(Initial Report)

A man has been reportedly struck by a vehicle on Clinton Street Road near Pine Hollow Drive. 

Possible serious injuries. 

Checking on the availability of Mercy Flight. 

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responding. 

J. Randolf "Randy" Starr, 73, a fifth-generation farmer in Pavilion with an affection for running his family farm in some old-time ways, using older equipment, passed away on Sunday.

The Batavian wrote about Starr in 2011, and he explained his preference for older equipment (not that he rejected everything new) and taking a common-sense approach to farming.

"I always thought the old-timers knew what they were doing, Starr said. "Work hard, keep your nose clean, and you’ll be all right. This is just the way we go. It’s the way we do it. I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody else in the world, but it seems to work for us all right.”

Starr was born in Batavia in 1949, the son of George and Isabelle Rudgers Starr.

The Starr Farm on Starr Road in Pavilion celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2018.

The farm was started by Noah Starr, Randy's great-great-great grandfather, a Dutch immigrant who bought 270 acres in Pavilion from the Holland Land Office in 1818.  He built a log cabin on the property when he first settled it.  His son started construction on the first part of the current Starr home in 1890.

Randy was born to be a farmer.  

After graduating from Pavilion High School, as did his wife, Cindy, he attended Alfred College in order to earn a degree in agriculture.

"For some foolish reason, I wanted to be a farmer all my life, and now here I am." Starr said in 2011. "I’m 61 years old. Was that the right move or not? Who knows?"

At the time of the article in 2011, Starr farmed 125 acres, growing wheat, barley, hay, oats and black beans. He also raised about 80 head of cattle.

Starr said he found the older equipment less of a hassle than a lot of modern equipment farmers use.

"My tractor breaks down, and their tractor breaks down; theirs is maybe a $50,000 fix, and mine is a piece of baling wire and something I can keep it going with."

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Cindy Wellman Starr; his children, Christopher Starr and Sarah (Timothy) Kingdon; grandchildren, Evan and Collin Kingdon; sisters-in-law, Debbie Starr, Ann (Duane) Stehlar; special friends, Judd (Janet) Ewell, along with many nieces, nephews and dear friends.

For his full obituary, click here.

Notre Dame fell to Avon 41-12 on Saturday.

Both teams scored all their points in the first half.

Jay Antinore was 7-19 passing for 111 yards with one TD reception.  Gabe Castro gained 49 yards on the ground on 14 carries. 
Jaden Sherwood scored a TD on four receptions for 73 yards.

Castro also had 12 tackles on defense.

Photos by Pete Welker

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba dominated York/Pavilion on Saturday for a 41-6 win in football.

Bodie Hyde ran 17 times for 219 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he had eight tackles.

Shaun Alexander rushed for 42 yards on five carries and scored a TD.

Avery Watterson rushed 10 times for 102 yards and scored a TD.  He had an interception on defense.

Gavin Armbrewter tossed a 15-yard pass to Carson Warner for a score.

Junior RB Jack Cianfrini - 5 Rushes, 65 Yards

On defense:

• Ashton Bezon - nine tackles, four for a loss
• Angelo Penna - seven tackles, two for a loss
• Austin Pangrazio - six tackles, two for a loss

"Total team effort on all three sides of the ball from our squad today," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "We were thankful York/Pavilion presented moments of adversity throughout the game, as we are still looking to see what we are going to do as a team when those moments happen."

Photos by Debra Reilly.