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Pontillo v. Pontillo opens window on finances of legendary family business

By Howard B. Owens

Staggering debts -- to the government, bankers and suppliers -- appear to be what led to the closing of Batavia's most legendary pizzeria in November 2008.

At the time the restaurant closed, suppliers were possibly owed in the neighborhood of $220,000, according to a document obtained by The Batavian

Law enforcement on Mullen Road, Stafford, looking for burglary suspect

By Howard B. Owens

Sheriff's deputies, State troopers and a State police helicopter have been in the area of Mullen Road in Stafford for the past 30 minutes or so looking for a possible burglary suspect.

Sgt. Greg Walker, on scene, said the original call came in with a suspect seen running from a

Search warrant executed at 3 Vine St., Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

Members of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force executed a search warrant and 3 Vine St. this evening.

According to Sgt. Steve Mullen of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office four people are currently being detained pending completion of the search.

Mullen did not specify the type of drug activity believed

A flat tire, broken jack and blood on third car discussed at Scott Doll trial

By Howard B. Owens

BATAVIA, NY -- The Pontiac G6 that may have been at the heart of an alleged dispute between Scott Doll and Joseph Benaquist had a flat tire when the Sheriff's Office took it into evidence following the discovery of Benaquist's body lying in a pool of blood in his own driveway

Batavia Girls Tennis Team Cruises into Sectional Semi-Finals

By Annette Lazarevic

The 3rd seeded Batavia Girls Tennis Team posted a 5-0 win over 6th seeded Penn Yan in team sectionals yesterday. The win puts Batavia into the semi-finals vs. the winner of #2 Palmyra-Macedon vs.Midlakes/Bath, which play at 4 pm today.

Scores of each match are as follows:

1st singles-Amy Schmidt

Electrical wire down on South Swan

By Howard B. Owens

A wire is reported down and arcing in the area of 229 South Swan St., Batavia.

City Fire is on scene.

National Grid has been notified.

UPDATE 8:54 a.m.: A fire captain requests that National Grid expedite its response because "we have a tree on fire here." National Grid ETA is

Man who allegedly resisted arrest gets hit with Taser

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia Police used a Taser last night to subdue a man wanted for allegedly getting in a fight earlier.

In all, police made three arrests at 17 Holland Ave.

Officers arrived on scene at 11:09 p.m. looking for 24-year-old Steven Hirsch, intending to arrest him on a charge of harassment

Business Owners Pitch In To Help ARC

By Genesee ARC News

Local business leaders during a tour of the Genesee ARC Community Center.  Pictured from left to right are: Rick Mancuso, Eva Bohn, Skip Charvella, Colleen Odessa and Steve Mullen. The group is part of a larger contingent helping to raise funds to support a new Culinary Arts Training

Batavia schools showcase wikis, blogs and all that techie jazz

By Daniel Crofts

All five Batavia City schools are taking learning to a new level using the "bells and whistles" of the modern classroom.

Last night, elementary, middle and high school students got to show their parents -- and others -- what kind of work they've been doing at the district's "Technology Exposition" at Jackson Elementary School

Vincent L. DeMuth

By Lisa Ace


Longtime Juneau resident Vincent L. DeMuth passed away unexpectedly on the afternoon of January 23, 2023. He was born in Buffalo, New York on January 10th, 1939, and was the son of the late Arthur P. and Catherine (Marzolf) DeMuth. He attended school at Notre Dame in Batavia, New York and spent his childhood and early adult life in Darien Center, New York.

As a young man, he worked for the DeMuth-Marzolf Company in Darien Center, New York, which was a general store that also sold fuel, lumber and operated a feed and grain mill. Later, the company also became a distributer and service center for Petrolane Gas Co. and also started DeMuth Tire Sales. Vince managed the propane gas business, his brother Joe DeMuth managed the tire sales, and their mother was the company president who managed the overall company operations.

His father passed away when Vince was only 6 years old, so he grew up fishing and hunting with his cousins and many other longtime friends from his time in New York. As a young man, he dreamed of living in Alaska where the beauty and opportunities for fishing and hunting were legendary. In 1974, he made his dream a reality when he drove his family cross-country to Bellingham, Washington and took the Alaska State Ferry to Juneau, Alaska.

In Juneau, he initially worked for Petrolane Gas Co. but eventually switched to work for the State of Alaska as a maintenance mechanic at the Lemon Creek Correction Facility where he worked until his eventual retirement.

Although he enjoyed many hours in the field and had many great hunting memories, he truly loved being out on the water fishing from his boat and taking in the beauty and sounds of Alaska. He landed many big fish during his lifetime including the 1988 Golden North Salmon Derby Winner and again in 1989 when he helped a friend land the derby winner on his boat. He also loved to travel and ventured to many places throughout Europe, Asia and across the US with his sweetheart Phyllis.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Arthur and Catherine DeMuth and brothers Arthur W. DeMuth and Joseph L. DeMuth. He is survived by his wife Phyllis (Atkins) DeMuth, former spouse Karen (Hoy) Balduf, sister Joan Ansbrow (late James); children Chris (Becky) DeMuth, John (Andrea) DeMuth, Wendy Balduf, Renee (Ron) Mullen, Jennifer Warner, Todd (Alice) Nottingham, and Lori Nottingham (Dale Sams); grandchildren Travis (Olivia), Larissa (Jeff), Kieran, Citabria, Britney, DJ, Lindsey (Chris), Josh, Bailey, Morgan (Kyle), Rian (Jimmy) and Wesley (Scott); and many great-grandchildren.

Vince always had a smile on his face and was a great friend to many who benefitted from him being a prolific "pack rat" and a regular listener to the radio program "Problem Corner" were he acquired many great "deals" and treasures over the years. Most of all, he was a patient, loving man who was a wonderful husband, father, grandpa, mentor and role model whom we miss dearly. 

Celebration of life on Feb 19th 10:00 am at the Alabama Firehall on Rt. 63. Catholic Mass being held on February  25th and March 4th both at 7:00 PM at the Our Lady of Good Councel church  in Darien
Center

Supporting the sponsors who support The Batavian

By Howard B. Owens

When we were first launching The Batavian one of the ways we tried to get the word out about the new site was to take out ads in the Genesee County PennySaver.

The first time I met somebody who said, "Oh, yeah, I read about you in the paper."

I was like

Batavia student produces tribute to Blue Devils boys basketball

By Howard B. Owens

Josh Stendts, a 17-year-old senior at Batavia High, is pretty impressed with the slide shows ESPN creates for its Web site, so a while back he tried his hand at creating one about the Buffalo Bills losing season. Friends and family liked it and started encouraging him to do one

Wendt's field sobriety tests called into question

By Billie Owens

Tim Wescott has spent 10 of his 12 years with the Genesee County Sheriff's Department on road patrol. It is a job he has trained extensively for and kept up to date on.

Under questioning from District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, Wescott told jurors in the Ronald J. Wendt II trial

Jurors digest testimony of five witnesses Tuesday afternoon

By Billie Owens

Five witnesses went before the jury in the trial of Corfu resident Scott Franklin Doll, yet the panel still got out 45 minutes early this afternoon.

The jurors heard from a DNA expert, two men from the Genesee County Sheriff's office, a banker and a car-buying customer of SF Enterprises

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