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Press release:

On Monday, businessman Nick Stankevich suspended his grassroots Congressional campaign against Chris Collins.

"Eight months ago, I announced my candidacy to represent our community in Congress," Stankevich said, "standing for issues that put people first has always been the heart and soul of my campaign: healthcare for a healthier society, good education for our children’s future, job creation by investing in rural infrastructure and a renewable economy.

"Growing up in Western New York, learning from this great country, and seeing our communities for what they could be, there is a need to push for a new direction with fresh ideas. I ran for Congress out of an obligation to give back to a community that gave me so much. I have been the beneficiary of some of the hardest working people in Western New York and thank them for the time and effort they put into this campaign.

"My family, friends and everyone who supported me have shown me, once again, that we live in a unique place. Having traveled throughout our rural towns to meet with farmers, veterans and small business owners, I am reminded that we live in a place where it does not matter where you have been, what you look like, or how much money you make. It only matters that the contents of your character are pure and that you long for a future where our children are better off than we are.

“After careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I am suspending my campaign for Congress. I’m proud of the campaign I ran and proud of my team. I will take the lessons learned and the warmth from our neighbors who yearn for a better tomorrow, to continue fighting to make our community better. As always, I encourage every decision you make to have people at the heart of it, along with humility, compassion and kindness. The people of Western New York deserve that in their representative.

“I want to remind everyone, Republican or Democrat, of the strength that you hold in your hands. Your vote won’t just affect change for two years, but it will be a symbol of hope for generations to come. The promise of America is not only that your vote will count, but also that it will mean something. It assures you that we are a part of something bigger than right now.

"Our decision at the ballot box will be judged in the history books, and our children and grandchildren count on us to give them a better future than we could ever imagine. May God bless the United States of America."

A reader tipped me to this video. It's an informative profile of Eli Fish Brewing Company.

Batavia's rich art history doesn't get a lot of attention, except, maybe, from Ryan Gaebler, who was among the vendors this year with a booth at the Holland Land Office Museum's annual antique show and sale at Batavia Downs this weekend.

About six years ago, Gaebler bought a couple of paintings from Dave Thompson at the flea market at the Genesee County Fairgrounds and Thompson started talking with him about local artists he enjoyed and collected. So Gaebler started keeping an eye out for works by local artists at estate sales, auctions and online.

For Gaebler, collecting works by local artists has become a passion.

"There is great art history in Genesee County, more specifically, Batavia —  the Masons, Roy, Max, Nina Mason Booth, Pat Burr, Rose Pontillo Dicarlo, Virginia Carr Mumford, R.W. Ware, I just love them all," he said. "It’s a lot of great history and a lot of great art."

Gaebler buys pictures to collect them but generally, his collection is for sale.

"I buy them because I love them and I collect them but they’re also for sale," Gaebler said. "I don’t sell a lot. I love to collect them until they sell but if they don’t sell, well, it’s not a big deal if I don’t sell them."

For those interested in buying local art, Gaebler can be reached at ryjon88@yahoo.com.

An oil painting, a watercolor, and a sketch by Roy Mason, perhaps Batavia's most renowned artist. The oil painting, Gaebler said, is, he thinks, Mason's finest work in oil.

There is a letter from Mason that goes with the watercolor that talks about the piece, adding to its value.

Michael Welch, co-owner of Welch and Craine in Batavia, with a pastel portrait of Gen. Henry Warner Slocum, who was originally from Central New York, served in the Civil War and served two terms in Congress.

A car is reported upside down in the water in the area of 7186 Meadville Road, Alabama.

It's unknown if it's occupied or if anybody is in the area.

A caller is roadside awaiting emergency responders.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responding. Law enforcement in route.

UPDATE 6:36 p.m.: Residents in the area told a trooper that the vehicle was stuck and all of the occupants were out before it went into the water. It's in water that is reportedly "moving pretty fast."

UPDATE 6:45 p.m.: Confirmed, the vehicle is empty. Reader submitted photo.

UPDATE 8:55 p.m.: The vehicle has been removed from the water. Alabama fire is back in service.

The annual Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Home Show is underway at Falleti Ice Arena.

Hours for Saturday and Sunday, respectively, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

GO ART! hosted a grand opening party for members tonight of the wine and beer bar now open in Seymore Place, which is the former location of the old Batavia Club.

Dealing with active threats is the focus of two weeks of training hosted by Batavia PD in a vacant building at the NYS School for the Blind.

Officers from Batavia PD, the Sheriff's Office, State Police, and Probation are participating.

It's unfortunate, said Chief Shawn Heubusch, that these days, officers have to be ever ready, either on their own or as part of a team, to deal with somebody who is threatening the lives of other people.

"We learned a lot from the situation at Columbine," Heubusch said. "It used to be, surround, create a perimeter, wait for the cavalry to arrive, and then go in. That is no longer the norm. If there is an active shooter or active threat going on, you may be the first officer there, you may be the only officer there, but you’re going in and you’re going to take care of that threat to the best of your ability.

"That thinking has changed dramatically from the early or late '90s when these situations, unfortunately, became more prevalent."

The purpose of multi-agency training is to ensure all officers who respond to an active threat situation have gone through the same training because in a small county where law enforcement resources are limited, officers from agencies will be working together.

"We’re not a big huge department," Heubusch said. "We don’t have a 100 cops on the force. We don’t have 50 cops on the street at any given time. There may not be even 50 officers in the county, or less than that, at any given time, so you’re going to get what shows up."

In the training scenarios, officers from different agencies are working side by side as much as possible so they're learning the same tactics at the same pace.

"You just never know who is going to be available in a given situation and you’ve got to be familiar with tactics and on the same page," said Officer Marc Lawrence.

The training consists of classroom instruction followed by walk-throughs of techniques using simulated weapons and then "force-on-force" training, where offices are using weapons with clips filled with paintballs.

That's perhaps the most valuable training both Heubusch and Lawrence said and something officers don't get often through the normal course of training.

"When you go through the academy or you go to the range, it’s kind of a static environment," Heubusch said. "You’re shooting for the seven-yard line or the 15-yard line or something like that. This puts you in a real-life scenario situation where your energy is up, your adrenaline might be pumping a little bit. (Force-on-force) gives you more of a real-life look at things."

There's a price to pay, which keeps you on an edge, when there are real projectiles flying, Lawrence said.

"You may get shot with a simulation round," Lawrence said. "They hurt. They leave welts. And you get shot if you don’t do your job as a police officer. If you don’t clear a room properly, you may get shot."

Patrick S. Rumble, 31, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with harassmen,t 2nd, unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Rumble allegedly pushed another person multiple times and prevented that person from leaving a residence and from contacting emergency dispatch during an incident at 4:11 p.m. Wednesday at a location on Hutchins Place, Batavia.

A 17-year-old resident of Hutchins Place is charged with trespass. The youth allegedly entered a residence on Hutchins Place at about 4 p.m. Wednesday after being told to stay away from that residence.

Arnold John Oberlander Jr., 54, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Oberlander was stopped at 8:29 a.m. Thursday on the I-490 in Le Roy by Deputy Matthew Bailey.

Press release:

A group of local residents who read and write poetry has come together to host a poetry reading featuring JoNelle Toriseva as well local poets who attend the reading. It will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, in the Reading Room at the Richmond Memorial Library.

The organizers are interested in meeting with other people in the community who enjoy poetry and might be interested in coming together more frequently for readings and workshops.

“We suspect there are several people locally who write poetry but don’t have an outlet to meet with other poets and that there are a number of people who simply enjoy poetry and would attend readings,” said one of the organizers, Howard Owens. “We hope this initial event will attract those people and show there is enough interest for regular gatherings.”

Toriseva will be the featured reader, but there will also be time for an open reading with each person invited to read one short poem of their own or of another author.

Other organizers include Eric Zwieg, Bill Kauffman, Bob Conrad, JoNelle Toriseva, and Lucine Kauffman.

About JoNelle Toriseva

JoNelle has won the Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry from Cutbank. Her work has appeared in, "The North American Review," "Salt Hill," "The Literary Review," "The Saranac Review," "The Cincinnati Review," "Descant," and "JACKET," among others, and included in Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sound from City Lights, and Best Canadian Poetry in English.

She is the director of English, Communications and Media Arts, and an Assistant Professor of English at SUNY-GCC, Toriseva has also taught for Mills College, California Poets in the Schools, San Francisco WritersCorps, and Literary Arts of Portland, Ore.

A car has reportedly hit a tree and flipped over at Ellicott Street Road and Transit Road, Bethany.

One minor injury is reported.

Bethany fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 8:26 a.m.: Icy road conditions reported.

A car has reportedly hit a pole in the area of 4196 Broadway Road, Bethany.

The call originally came in as unknown injuries. A second caller on scene reports no injuries.

Bethany fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 12:19 a.m.: The second caller is apparently the driver. He reports extremely icy conditions. Responding units are advised.

Two men who reportedly led law enforcement in Livingston County on a chase and were later spotted by a deputy in Genesee County allegedly tried to flee on foot after a one-vehicle car crash at Route 262 and Bank Street Road in Byron at 4 a.m.

Their effort led to a manhunt, joined by Deputy Chris Erion and K-9 "Destro." As a result, both men required treatment at UMMC for dog bites, according to Chief Deputy Joseph Graff.

One of the men apparently had a prior stomach injury and was reportedly throwing up blood at the scene. As of this afternoon, he was still a patient at UMMC. The other man, Michael Collier, 45, of Rochester, was arraigned this morning on charges of criminal possession of stolen property, fleeing a police officer, 3rd, reckless driving, and aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd.

Charges are pending against the man still in the hospital.

Graff said the incident started after Sheriff's dispatch was notified of a chase in Livingston County.  

A deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description of the Livingston County vehicle but did not initiate a chase. Instead, the deputy followed the vehicle.

It crashed at Bank Street Road and Route 262 in Byron and the occupants tried to flee. 

Erion and Destro were dispatched to the scene. One subject was captured quickly and the other remained on the loose for a little while. When each of the subjects was found, Destro initiated a bite and hold to help incapacitate them so they could be taken into custody.

Graff said the bite injuries were not serious.

UPDATE Friday, 10 a.m.: Additional information has been released by the Sheriff's Office. The suspects were pursued in Livingston County after a report that they were involved in a theft of merchandise from a department store in Geneseo. It was Deputy Jeremy McClellan who first observed their vehicle on Route 5 in the Town of Batavia. The suspects fled and crashed at Route 262 and Bank Street Road. State Police and Batavia PD assisted in the search of the area. Collier's passenger has been identified as Gary L. Weese, 44, of West Avenue, Medina. He is being charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the 5th degree. He remains hospitalized for health issues unrelated to the incident. Bail for Collier was set at $50,000.

(Initial Report)

Good news for parents who have depended on the YWCA for after-school child care -- the YW's program will be running as normal at all locations starting Monday.

The Children's Center at the County Courthouse will also remain open.

Earlier this week, the YW announced that because of financial difficulties, all programs and services were being terminated immediately.

Executive Director Millie Tomidy-Pepper has been working the phones to find ways to keep vital community programs going and staff from the YWCA in Niagara County rode to the rescue yesterday.

According to board members Roula Alkhouri and Patti Michalak, staff from the YW in Niagara visited 301 North St., Batavia, yesterday and provided the help needed to get the necessary vouchers filled out to keep the funds flowing from the state to pay for the daycare program.

Parents can expect that by Monday everything with YWCA-provided daycare will be back to normal.

The Batavian was speaking with Alkhouri and Michalak at the YW's office while Tomidy-Pepper was in a meeting with a staff member when a pair of parents walked in to confirm the news, which was sent out this afternoon to parents in the program in an email, that the daycare program was saved.

They said all of the current board members and Tomidy-Pepper have been working hard to save YW programs and bring the 108-year-old Genesee County chapter of the YWCA back from near extinction.

"We don't want this to go under and it's not going to go under," said Michalak, who became a board member two weeks ago.

She said Tomidy-Pepper has been putting in 12 hour days both to save programs and to save the YW.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the community, they said.

The Crisis Care Hotline will also continue but outside of the YWCA. The Crisis Care Hotline call center in Niagara County started today receiving calls to the Genesee County number.

A spokesman for National Grid says there are still about 800 customers in Genesee County without power.

The areas with the most customers without power are Darien, 165, Batavia, 104, and Oakfield, 90.  

The ETA for restoration is 10 o'clock tonight for all of Genesee County.

Press release:

It’s Off to the Races as the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation, prepares for its Derby Day Gala 2018, a fundraising event held in conjunction with the running of the 144th Kentucky Derby.

The event raises monies to support the mission of the Foundation, namely to assist families struggling with the diagnosis of pediatric cancers, support research efforts in the area of childhood cancers, and provide assistance to youth activities and programs.

Win, Place and Show your support for the Foundation’s annual fundraising event to be held at Terry Hills Golf Course & Banquet Facility in Batavia from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 5th.

The Foundation, a 501(C) 3, was founded by Mark Napoleone and Laurie (Pero) in 2007 after the loss of their 8-year-old son to Burkitt’s Lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer.

To date, the foundation has assisted 355 families with $332,000 worth of support during their child’s illness, contributed $73,000 to support research, gave $49,000 to assist youth organizations and donated $50,000 to building the new Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester.

The evening features “Kentucky Derby” theme, food, drinks, live music, silent and live auctions, and a professional photo in your best Derby attire. There will be prizes for the best woman’s hat, Dapper Derby Award for the men, and a best dressed couple’s award. Tickets are $75/each and Win, Place and Show Sponsorships are available.

There are many ways for you to support this event -- auction donations (gift certificates, electronics, sports memorabilia, spa packages, and weekend getaways). Monetary donations are also accepted. All donations are tax deductible. Your assistance will make our Derby Day Gala 2018 a winning success.

For those who are interested in attending the gala, tickets can be purchased by contacting Ann Marie at 721-0151.

Through the generosity of individuals and businesses, and the work of our volunteers, we have been able to “Lend a Hand for Hope” to those in need for over 10 years.

For more information, gallop onto our website: www.michaelshope.org or call 861-0550.

Photos: File photos by Howard Owens.