The doors to Oatka School of Glass opened on Monday evening, giving visitors -- mostly Chamber of Commerce members -- a chance to see what the school has to offer, most notably its new glassblowing class area.

New instructor Justin McKenney gave a lengthy demonstration and lecture on how glassblowing works and how he teaches his classes.

The Alfred University graduate taught glassblowing in the Boston area before deciding to move back with his wife to her hometown, Buffalo.

McKenney said the new glassblowing school at Oatka is the only one of its kind between Buffalo and Corning.

Classes are structured to give people the ability to just dabble in glassblowing -- close supervision on making, for example, Christmas ornaments -- or new students interested in a long-term hobby can start with glassblowing 101. There are also family classes and one-on-one instruction.

McKenney will provide more glassblowing demonstrations during Holidays at Harvester from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday.

For more information on the school, click here.

Bottom photo, some of the Christmas decorations made Saturday by 75 Girl Scouts who visited Oatka on Saturday.

LPL Financial is growing, and to accommodate the growth has moved into new office space in Downtown Batavia.

The financial services office is now located at 216 E. Main St., #3.

Joining LPL as a financial advisor is Judy Thompson, who has more than 30 years experience in the financial services industry.

“We are very excited to have Judy working along side us at LPL,” said Marc Staley, managing principal. “She brings tremendous experience to our office, along with many wonderful relationships throughout Genesee and Wyoming counties”

Thompson joined the firm Nov. 28.

“I am thrilled about continuing my career as an independent advisor,” Thompson said. “I am very passionate about servicing my clients, and dedicated to the ongoing commitment that it takes to build solid relationships with them.”   

Thompson joins the team that already included Jill Meeder, relationship manager.

Staley said that with Thompson’s addition, LPL needed more private and functional office space, so the firm moved from its former location at Main and Jackson streets.  

“Jill and I knew we wanted to stay downtown and remain in the BID," Staley said. "We loved our old location, but privacy and confidentiality became an issue as we grew. Our new space has four large offices, a conference room and a nice reception area.” 

The space also opens the door for adding another financial advisor to the staff at some point in 2012.

It's a matter of finding the right person, Staley said.

“Judy and I share a very similar approach to managing our clients, and it just happens to fit perfectly with LPL’s model," Staley said.

Judy lives in Attica with her husband Peter. She can be reached in her new office at 345-9797 or by email at judy.thompson@lpl.com.

Photo: Staley, left, Thompson and Meeder.

Wednesday, Dec. 7, Center Street Smoke House will celebrate 10 years in business.

To commemorate the occasion, co-owner Cregg Paul is planning a special menu at 1940s era prices -- draft beer for 50 cents and BBQ ribs, for example, at $3.41.

"Not a lot of places that have survived 10 years," Paul noted. "I've seen a number in Batavia come and go, come and go, come and go, so to be around for the 10 year mark is quite an accomplishment."

In 2000, Paul, his brother Scott and friend Tommy Freeman bought at auction a building on Center Street from the City of Batavia that was in a serious state of disrepair.

"It was one of the few free standing buildings that hadn't been torn down by urban renewal or anything else," Paul said, explaining the trio's interest in the location. "It was a great spot, great history, and it needed to be saved. It was about to cave in when we got it."

The renovation to the 1930s-era structure was total.  Workers spent nine months just removing everything from the interior, then contractors installed new wiring, pluming and heating and air, not to mention building a speciality kitchen for southern BBQ.

The group of friends realized their dream of owning and operating a southern BBQ in the heart of Western New York on Dec. 7 when Center Street opened its doors for the first time.

"Ten years ago when we were thinking about it, we realized there wasn’t really any kind of southern food around anywhere," Paul said. "There was nothing here. Rochester was limited. Buffalo was limited.  We always loved going down south and the food was the best part about going down south, so we thought we would bring that back up here."

The celebration started Wednesday at 4 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.  Besides BBQ beef ribs, the menu will include at $3.41 each, mac & cheese, meat loaf, chicken and biscuit, with hamburgers going for 75 cents and cheeseburgers for 95 cents.

A controlled burn in Darien that took place yesterday was thought to be rekindled after fire and smoke were reported there a few moments ago.

The property owner at 9668 9688 Allegany Road told authorities he is aware of the situation and is burning off the residual debris from Sunday.

Darien and Alabama fire departments were called but the response was cancelled.

A two-car accident with injuries and blocking traffic is reported at Oak Orchard Road and West Saille Drive in the Town of Batavia.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5:25 p.m.: One person has chest pain. A basic life ambulance is also requested.

UPDATE 5:28 p.m.: Traffic is getting very backed up. A State Trooper is rerouting traffic on West Saille. A fire unit is going to head to the Thruway for further traffic control.

UPDATE 5:38 p.m.: A third ambulance is requested.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: So far, one patient is being taken to UMMC.

UPDATE 5:54 p.m.: A second patient is being transported to UMMC.

This information comes from Geoff Redick at WBTA.

A registered sex offender from Batavia will serve two to four years in state prison after sentencing today in Genesee County Court.

Marlek Holmes, 37, pleaded guilty about a month ago to Dissemination of Indecent Material to a Minor and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Police said he sent an indecent text message to a 16-year-old girl and attempted to engage the girl in intercourse.

Holmes also pleaded guilty for Failure to Register and Failure to Verify his address, as is required by New York State law for all registered sex offenders.

Holmes will serve concurrent sentences on all four charges.

In court today, some details of a pre-sentence interview with a probation officer were released. In the interview, Holmes allegedly told an officer that he considers his sexual conduct "vanilla," and he said his actions are his "normal sexual conduct."

In a rare turn, Judge Robert Noonan did not address Holmes prior to sentencing.

Holmes had nothing to say to the judge.

Most readers will probably remember the trip I took to Chicago a couple of months ago – for a conference with other small, local publishers.

One of my longtime friends in the industry was there and she showed off a service she had launched in her local community to deliver really powerful online marketing tools to locally owned businesses.

These were tools that can be really expensive and time-consuming for local businesses to implement on their own, but here was an effective, efficient and affordable solution.

I told my friend I wanted to bring this service to Genesee County. She got me in touch with the developers and a few weeks ago we signed a contract so The Batavian could deliver this powerful platform to local businesses and the local shoppers who will use it.

Today, we are introducing Shop Batavia.

Why will local businesses like Shop Batavia?

First, because never before have merchants in Genesee County been offered such powerful marketing tools at such an affordable rate.

ShopBatavia.com isn't just another "hope they find us" business directory with nothing more than a picture and a few words about your business. With ShopBatavia.com merchants can actually sell online, offer specials, discounts, coupons, daily deals, product information, set up newsletters for direct marketing, integrate with Facebook and Twitter, answer customer questions and do it all in an environment that is professional and backed by same-day phone support.

ShopBatavia.com is bolstered by the marketing power of The Batavian, with its thousands of daily local readers and thousands of Facebook fans.

With powerful reporting tools, you won't have to guess if ShopBatavia.com is working for you. You will know it's working for you.

Why will local shoppers love Shop Batavia?

Because for the first time, they’re going to be able to shop online at dozens of locally owned businesses and either arrange in-store pick up or have the items shipped directly to their homes.

Customers will be able to use Shop Batavia to find local coupons, discounts, special sales, browse restaurant menus and contact local merchants with questions.

And all of this will be available online, from any computer or mobile device 7/24, every day of the year.

I’m excited and pleased to bring Shop Batavia to Genesee County. There is not now, nor has there ever been, anything like Shop Batavia available to Genesee County residents and businesses.

An accident with injuries has been reported on the 490 near the Bergen exit.

Bergen and Le Roy fire departments along with Le Roy's ambulance dispatched. A Mercy EMS ambulance was in the area and has also been dispatched.

UPDATE 12:27 p.m.: This turns out to be the Churchville district. Genesee County units back in service.

Patrick Leslie Gugliuzza, 32, of Meadowbrook Terrace, Corfu, is charged with assault, 3rd. Gugliuzza is accused of punching another person in the face several times breaking his tooth and causing other injuries.

Austin L. Wester, 17, of 3373 Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, escape, 3rd, and obstructing governmental administration. Wester turned himself in to Batavia PD on the above charges and was jailed on $250 bail.

Julious Murphy, 59, of 319 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Murphy is accused of striking a child multiple times with a belt causing bruising.

A 17-year-old, of East Bethany Le Roy Townline Road, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing a half dozen eggs from Tops Market in Le Roy.

Guadalupe Hernandez, 35, of Bank Street Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to signal turn, speeding and unlicensed operation. Hernandez was stopped at 2:39 p.m., Saturday on Bank Street Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Brian Frieday.

Press release:

The Batavia Area Jaycees will be out driving around on Dec. 18th looking at all the homes that are decorated for the Holiday Season. Judging will take place within the City of Batavia limits.

The following categories will be looked at:

• Most Traditional

• Simple & Elegant

• Most Colorful

• Most Commercial

• Overall

This contest and the awards for it are meant to be given out as a friendly community project. If you have any questions about the contest, please leave the Jaycees a message at 343-5775.

A law enforcement officer just witnessed a two-car accident with injuries at the junction of Judge and Allegany roads in Alabama. Their are two people injured, one is a pregnant woman nine months along.

Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 4:50 p.m.: A second ambulance is requested. Two occupants in each vehicle are not injured and will be "sign-offs."

UPDATE 4:53 p.m.: Traffic is getting tied up because of the accident. Two flatbed tow trucks are called to the scene.

UPDATE: One patient was transferred to the hospital in Medina, the pregnant woman to Women's and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

Just in time to meet your Christmas dinner shopping needs, Save-A-Lot is opening in Downtown Batavia.

Planning opening is Dec. 21.

Victor Gautieri, of V.J. Gautieri Constructors, Inc., showed off the space for Save-A-Lot on Friday and said by next week, installation of shelves and cases will begin followed by inventory stocking.

"Save-A-Lot is definately going to fill a need," Gautieri said. "The demographics are perfet for a store like Save-A-Lot. It fits their model perfectly. We’re looking for a very, very successful store."

Gautieri said he expects the customers Save-A-Lot brings to the Ellicott Street location will mean more business for the shops in the immediate area.

"It’s going to be a beehive out in the parking lot," Gautieri said. "There’s going to be a lot of people in the area. We’re anticipating folks that are shopping here at Save-A-Lot, they’re going to go the banks, maybe go to Alberty Drugs, head over to Valle Jewelers, just hit this whole Court Street Plaza area, and hopefully extend out (to the rest of Downtown)."

The Gautieris are also hopeful that Save-A-Lot's success will help attract tenants to the additional 22,000 square feet of retail space available in the former Latina's/Jubilee/Montgomery Ward building.

The family owned construction and real estate company has been buying ads, putting out feelers, doing research and everything they can to find the right tenants for the west side of the building.

"We’re really pushing for retail," Gautieri said. "That’s what downtown Batavia needs is retail."

The 22,000 square feet of space can easily be partitioned into several storefronts, each with windows and doors on the west side of the building.

How the space will be partitioned off depends on what kinds of stores come forward and sign leases.

"We will tailor the space based on the particular tenant," Gautieri said. "It's going to be hard to tell (how the space will be configured). Everybody has their own requirements for their business. We’ll just build it to suit."

Right now the space is filled, both with all of the shelving and cases that will be moved into the Save-A-Lot store, along with leftover fixtures from Latina's. Once all of that is cleared out, Gautieri anticipates they can more effectively show the space to potential tenants.

A 24-year-old Batavia resident told a deputy he was returning a text message just prior to hitting a car that had stopped in front of him on Route 20 in Darien at 12:50 p.m., Saturday.

The 2003 Dodge pickup driven by Corey Lee Richenberg, of Galloway Road, struck one car in the rear and a second car spun into the oncoming traffic lane where it was struck by 2005 Ford pickup.

The Ford then continued off the road and overturned.

Neither the three drivers nor their passengers were seriously injured.

Richenberg, who was transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC with a general complaint of pain, was cited for allegedly following too closely and failure to maintain lane improper use of a mobile phone.

The driver of the car hit from behind was Christine R. Powell, 61, of Broadway Road, Darien Center. Powell was transported to UMMC by Mercy EMS.

The driver of the Ford that overturned was Gregory E. Fish, 45, of Parkview Drive, Akron. Fish was taken by private vehicle to Millard Fillmore Medical Center  the VA medical center.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.

(Initial report)

The first "Taste of the Holidays" in Downtown Batavia wrapped up this afternoon with arts and crafts for the kids under the big tent on Jackson Street, along with live music by Kevin and Bart, and horse-carriage rides around downtown.

With Girl Scouts singing yuletide carols, a visit from Santa Claus at the Moose Family Center, all of the stores bedecked for the season, it was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in Le Roy today.

Well, some snow on the ground might have helped ...

The village put on "Winterfest," which included a "stroll through the village" (patrons got a punch card and could win prizes for visiting all of the stores), and the Moose Family Center sponsored a holiday bazaar. There was also an event at the Woodward Memorial Library. 

Adding to the Christmas spirit were songs of the season blasted up and down Main Street through the village's emergency bullhorns.

Mary Margaret Ripley, owner of Scratch Bakery, said she was busy all through the event.

Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity were at the former Cristina's location on Ellicott Street this morning clearing out junk from the building so that construction can get started on a Restore location for Habitat.

Habitat for Humanity of Genesee County was given the property by former owner Chuck Brumstead, who decided to deed the one building still standing and the land to a local nonprofit group. Habitat was selected from among several applicants.

Brian Bishop, volunteer and communications coordinator for Habitat said the group recently finalized building permits and will now begin work inside the building to create the retail space necessary for Restore. He said no date has been set yet for when the store will open.

A one-car accident with injuries is reported on Route 33 in the vicinity of Wortendyke Road in East Pembroke's fire district.

Mercy medics and East Pembroke volunteer firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 1:09 p.m.: There are two people involved. One is complaining of back pain and the other is "more shook up than anything." The location is 3487 Wortendyke Road.

UPDATE 1:34 p.m.: East Pembroke is back in service.

A three-car accident, minor injuries, is reported in Darien in front of the Chestnut Hill Country Club, at 1330 1263 Broadway Road (Route 20). One of the vehicles rolled over.

Mercy medics, Darien Ambulance Service and Darien Fire Department are responding.

UPDATE 1:07 p.m.: At the entrance to the golf course, at the top of the hill, traffic is being stopped and rerouted.

UPDATE 1:18 p.m.: The vehicle that rolled over did so three times and both occupants are being back boarded and collared.

UPDATE 1:29 p.m.: One ambulance is taking a patient to United Memorial Medical Center. Another one is transporting a patient to ECMC.

UPDATE 1:35 p.m.: The westbound lane is completely blocked.

UPDATE 1:53 p.m.: The roadway is reopened and Darien is back in service.