Larry Dewitt and Lauren Paluta give a car a free car wash at Center of Attention Auto Spa on Park Road (next to Alex's Place).

Owner Dan Kemp opened up his shop today to members of SADD so they could offer free car washes to anybody who brings a vehicle by. A donation, of course, is requested, either in cash or in school supplies.

The car wash is on until 2 p.m. today.

Dancing Derrick is also there.

A Batavia man was found dead at 7:57 p.m. Friday along Route 98 in Alexander.

The body of Michael J. Falk, 55, a resident on East Main Street, was found about six feet down an embankment by a passing motorist, who initially spotted a bicycle leaning against a guard rail.

The motorist called 9-1-1 and the Alexander Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call. County Coroner Donald Coleman pronounced Falk dead at the scene.

Foul play is not suspected.

The investigation is ongoing. It is being conducted by Deputy Joseph Graff, Sgt. Greg Walker, Sgt. Steve Mullen, Investigator William Ferrando and the Genesee County Coroner's Office.

An 18-year-old Dansville girl died last night in a three-car crash on Route 20 in Darien, and the 24-year-old driver who allegedly caused the crash has been charged with manslaughter.

He was allegedly driving drunk.

Katie M. Stanley, of 8956 McNair Road, Dansville, suffered head and chest injuries in the 11:08 p.m. accident.

Stanley was a passenger in a car that struck a truck making an allegedly illegal left-hand turn.

She was initially transported to UMMC and later transferred to Strong. Her time of death has not been reported.

According to a Sheriff's Office press release, a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup operated by Ronald Wendt II, 24, of 10448 Brookville Road, Alexander, was heading westbound on Route 20, just east of Harper Road. Wendt reportedly tried to make a left-hand turn into a parking area and allegedly failed to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.

Wendt's truck was struck by a 1993 Toyota Camery driven by Rachel L. Enderle, 27, of 10281 Jacobs Road, Dansville. Wendt's truck then struck an unoccupied 2002 pickup truck.

The two other passengers in the Toyota were Timothy L. Enderle, 20, of 49 N. Meandowbrook , North Chili, and Gabrielle E. Mahus, 18, of 11493 Mendoleine Road, Dansville.

Mahus and Rachel Enderle were transported to Erie County Medical Center. It's unknown at this time what injuries Mahus sustained. Rachel suffer a lower leg/foot injury. Timothy Enderle was transported to UMMC with a hip injury. He was later transferred to Strong.

No injuries were reported for Wendt. Besides being charged with manslaughter, Wendt faces charges for allegedly driving with a BAC .08 or greater, driving without insurance, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving an uninspected vehicle and failing to yield the right of way. His truck also allegedly did not have a front license plate. Additional charges may be pending.

Wendt was  arraigned in Darien Town Court and placed in the Genesee County Jail on $25,000 bail.

Assisting at the scene were the Darien Volunteer Fire Department, the Alexander Fire Department, Mercy Flight, the City of Batavia Ambulance Service and the Attica Police Department.

UPDATE Aug. 16, 8:51 a.m.: The Sheriff's office provided an amended report giving the age of Rachel L. Enderle as 27, not 17 as originally reported.

Tonight was the final night for Northgate's Street Jam. It appeared everyone had a grand time at the closing carnival. Thanks again to Northgate for an awesome week on the streets!

Paul Ohlson, Founder of Care-A-Van chats with Robert Kurtz of the Salvation Army who was set up next to us.

I for one have always loved Anthony's and Rick's music!

Russ Cornman of Northgate is  the King

Mel Robinson and wife Amy of Northgate particpated on the drama team

Now that is one big bubble!

Patti Chadwick and Husband John Pass out free books to the kids

"Hey I got the ball in!"

Double the Fun!

Lori Ann Santini took these pictures today. She reports that it appears today's "Fill the Boot" campaign put on by the firefighters union was successful. The union raised money today for MDA.

Above is firefighter Jeff Stevens. 

Union president Greg Ireland and Captain Jay Steinbrenner.

Firefighter Tim Stengal.

UPDATE: Greg Ireland reports the fundraiser brought in $4,500.

"It's a bit shy of last year's total but it will still go a long way to help the kids. Local 896 wants to send a big THANK YOU to everyone who stopped and donated to this great cause."

Staten Island (32-22) was able to jump out to an early lead that Batavia (27-28) could not answer, resulting in the Muckdogs ending their five game win streak in the 6-2 loss.

The Yankees scored one run in the 1st and 2nd innings and then two more in the 3rd and that was all they would need.

Batavia scored their first run in the 6th inning on a solo home run by Jon Edwards.  They scored again in the 8th after bases were loaded on a Ryan Jackson single, Alan Ahmady walk and another single by Matthew Adams.  Jon Edwards then grounded into a double play that allowed Jackson to come in to score.

Michael Blazek (3-8, 4.53) suffered the loss in the start.  He went five innings with five runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.  Kevin Siegrist followed him throwing three innings with one run, two hits and three strikeouts.  Andres Rosales finished out the game in the 9th, striking out three while allowing one hit.

Edwards finished 2-for-4 with a homerun, RBI and run scored.

The Stuttering Conservative says...

If you know anything about me, you know I'm a nerd.  While I can bullshit my way through anything, I would really rather be socially isolated.  I've never had a cigarette, never been drunk, no drugs, no pot, nothing!  So, coming from me, this is going to sound a little odd.

I think marijuanna should be legalized.  No, not because it would make most every show on Comedy Central funny.  No, not because I think that a half-baked laugh is sexy in a girl - but because it's not the government's right to control our choices.  Yes, I suppose that you can make an argument, then, that all drugs should be legalized - heroine, LSD, what else is there - Nyquil - everything.  And, while I personally can't go that far, I can definitely see the argument.

Adults, as defined over and over again by law (17, 18, 21, 25, 29) should be able to make the choice to smoke or not to smoke, regardless of what leaf they decide to smoke. 

With all of that being said...I'm also a huge proponent of user based taxes/fees.  People that smoke cigarettes should pay more in taxes because they are generally more prone to illness, higher medical costs, and more government subsidized health care. (Medicaid, Medicare).  To the same effect, pot smokers are more apt to suffer physical ailments because their doped up.  Tax the stoners!  Think of all the money the government can have then?  Maybe the rest of us can even get a tax break?  Probably not, but at least the kids can have $400 for school supplies instead of $200 - see - I'm always thinking of others :)  More support for my proposal below:

1. Creates more jobs for illegal immigrants - who knows more about picking crops and drug marketing than this group?
2. Creates more opportunities for the arts community - impressionist bong making could be the next Michelangelo.
3. Finally gives farmers a crop that they wouldn't need government subsidizations for.
4. Creates a new Airwick Air Freshener Aroma - Candied Cannibis

I think my point has been made.  Increased government income + decreased law enforcement expenses + clueless pot smoking hippy liberals = the answer to all of our problems.

State police are reporting a "pretty significant" accident involving four vehicles at Route 77 just south of Route 5.

Multiple injuries are reported and traffic is snarled. Northbound is open, but southbound is stopped and officers are about to block it off.

Emergency crews are enroute from Pembroke, Darien and Indian Falls. The accident is in Corfu's district.

It was all smiles Thursday at 400 Towers for the celebration of Ruth Stell's birthday. She was born in 1909 and turned 100 on Aug. 13. She was all smiles, too.

"I feel so very young, " Ruth explained. "You just have to live a good life, that's all you can do. Trust, and go on living."

The centenarian has lived in Batavia for more than 70 years.

Ruth has been an inspiring presence for 38 years at 400 Towers. Her friend Henry Larson said she brings joy to many residents because she is an excellent baker.  He -- and most others -- especially love her banana cupcakes.

Ruth is very happy with her life. She opens her apartment to potential residents and lets them look around as part of a tour. Her place looks like something right out of Good Housekeeping.

"It's amazing how she can have so many memories in one place and still, it looks so inviting!" said Gregory Larson, executive director of the Housing Authority at 400 Towers. Ruth's place is full of knickknacks and stuffed animals, but there's plenty of room for visitors and her bird Snoopy.

Ruth says she saw the most beautiful sights in her 100 years when she was 80 and took a trip to Hawaii. To her, the biggest change from her childhood to now is the invention of airplanes.

When asked what her secret was, she whispered to me, "I tell everyone it's Oil of Olay -- I've been using it for years."

Happy Birthday Ruth!

Mercy Flight is responding to an accident involving a motorcycle at Bloomingdale and Parker roads.

The motorcycle driver is reportedly unconscious.

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A special-use permit for a new RV, boat and auto storage facility in Elba were among several items approved last night by the Genesee County Planning Board.

The 37,000-square-foot facility will, be located on Drake Street Road at the former location of Drake Street Motors. The lot is adjacent business owner's home.

If final approval is granted by Elba's planning commission, the facility will be required to only store operational vehicles -- no parts or junk.

Other business included:

• A resident at 8846 Kenney Road in Le Roy is seeking permission to kennel up to seven rescued dogs on that property. If approved by the Le Roy Planning Commission, the owner will not be allowed to operate a commercial kennel without seeking a new special-use permit. Some board members expressed concern about barking dogs, but Jim Duval, director of planning, said that issue is really the responsibility of the local planning board. "In her application, she assures everybody they're quiet dogs," Duval said.
• A site plan review for Jeffries Ag Services, 6905 Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, for construction of a new loading area, conversion of a former tank area to dry fertilizer storage and conversion of the front storage area into office space. On the recommendation of Mel Wentland, board president, the board added a provision that the DEC be contacted to review the dike capacity and ensure it is sufficient to protect Oatka Creek from any spills.
• A sign-variance approval for Coffee Culture, going in at 6 Court St., for signs on the three public-facing sides of the building.
• Both Bergen and Stafford are proposing changes to their zoning laws.

A few people had a question for us yesterday: Why was a State Police helicopter circling over the City of Batavia?

Answer: Marijuana eradication.

Rebecca Gibbons, spokeswoman for the State Police, just provided the answer.

"This is the time of year that it is very visible," Gibbons said.

The helicopter is in the air again today, but Gibbon's doesn't have information what areas it would be covering during its marijuana eradication mission.

Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: Does your ring need a good cleaning, re-sizing or the prongs fixed? Your gift certificate from The Batavian can be used for jewelry repair services, too. We have a $50 gift certificate for $25.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, N.Y.: People come from all over the region for a fine dining experience at Alex's. It's best known for its ribs, of course, but Alex's seafood is also a favorite of the restaurant's diners. We have a 50 gift certificate for $25.

Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern, 107 Evans St., Batavia, N.Y.: To me, Delavan's is one of those restaurants where you want to eat frequently until you try everything on the menu. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, N.Y.: Ribs, brisket, steak, prime rib -- Center Street is a meat lover's paradise. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: T.F. Brown's is a great place for a good meal, good friends and to catch up on what's going on in the sports world. When you need to book your next party, think T.F. Brown's. See the ad on the right side of the page for contact information. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

O'Lacy's Irish Pub, 5 School St. Batavia, N.Y.: In Irish pubs, it doesn't get more authentic than O'Lacy's.  Be sure to try the homemade chips. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies on items more than $10. The fee is 50 cents on items below $10.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value. Only one gift certificate per-merchant per-person every six months. Gift certificates cannot be combined with other offers without prior approval of the merchant. Gift certificates bought separately cannot be combined for a single purchase. Individuals buying gift certificates must use their own personal PayPal account for the purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Unless other arrangements are made immediately after purchase, the gift certificate will mailed to the winner at his or her PayPal-provided postal address within two or three days of purchase.

Valle Jewelers

Alex's Place

SOLD

Center Streak Smoke House

SOLD

Delavan's

SOLD

O'Lacy's

sold

T.F. Brown's

SOLD

Checkpoints were set up in Genesee County yesterday by the Batavia Police Department and the New York State Police, leading to the arrests of 14 people.

The checkpoints were at Clinton Street, as well as in the Town of Darien and on Colby Road in Pembroke.

Sally C. Dixon, 39, of 5801 Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with DWI. Dixon was stopped on Clinton Street by Batavia police.

The following arrests were made by State Police:

Robert Davis, 24, of N. Tonawanda, NY,  charged with DWI, allegedly driving with a BAC of .10 percent.

John Blackmore, 36, of Ewing, N.J., charged with three counts of criminal possession controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Michael Hirsch, 26, of Tonawanda, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .14 percent.

Richard Gentilozzi, 25, of Fairfield, Conn., charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Ryan Rich, 23, of Norwalk, Conn., charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Lawrence Taylor, 36, of Depew, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .08 percent.

Bret Cimerman, 27, of Buffalo, charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Hunter Ciliberti, 20, of Redwood, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC .13 percent.

Adam Drexler, 30, of Rochester, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .10 percent.

Thomas Lalomia, 26, of Getzville, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .16 percent.

Gregory Martin, 31, of Niagara Falls, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .09 percent.

Michael Sargent, 29, of Rochester, charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs.

The following arrests were made last night in conjunction with the Phish concert at Darien Lake Theme Park:

Matthew Maziarz, 26, of 216 Spaulding St., North Tonawanda, charged with criminal possession of marijuana.

Ryan P. Flannery, 20, 52 Lookout View Road, Fairport, allegedly found with LSD and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Ramon Ratiniskiy, 18, of 1048 N. French Road, Amherst, and a 16-year-old companion where charged with petit larceny for allegedly pushing a Darien Lake water cart through the crowd allowing patrons to take water for free.

Nhut D. Frawley, 41, 2 Brookside Drive, Catawissa, Pa., was allegedly found in possession of LSD and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Michael R. Sunley, 26, of 3893 Foleys Trail, Lexington, Ky., was charged with selling a noxious material. Sunley was allegedly selling balloons containing nitrous oxide. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Michael E. Mugridge, 24, of 47 Coldwater St., Hillsdale, was charged with disorderly conduct. He was jailed on $250 bail.

Justin D. Ritchie, 27, of 19 Chestnut St., Waretown, N.J., was allegedly found in possession of psilocybin (hallucinogenic) mushrooms. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Ritchie was jailed on $500 bail.

Robert J. Krueger, 37, of 38 Kenneth Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly trying to break into vehicles in the parking lot. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Richard W. Tweedy, 24, of 6011 Fallough St., Taylor, Mich., was charged with selling a noxious material. Tweedy was allegedly selling balloons containing nitrous oxide. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Dianna M. Quinn, 36, of 65 Ashwood Lane, Phoenixville, Pa., was charged with selling a noxious material. Tweedy was allegedly selling balloons containing nitrous oxide. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Batavia resident Ben Long - a Pittsburgh Steelers fan - is shown here holding the first legally sold copy of Madden 10 sold in the city.

He showed up at FYE at around 11:30 p.m. and waited for the midnight opening for the sale of the game. I have heard other residents obtained the game yesterday and during the day today as some local stores were illegally selling the game before EA Sports allowed the release.

Ok, I grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and I got to tell you I never saw cabbage like this before! Care-A-Van was blessed this evening by local farmers ( I apologize I do not know which farmer)s donated corn for our cookout this evening  at East Main Street Parksite Apartments along with fresh cabbage ,  zuchini  and beets for  the folks to take home as well.  Thank you to these  farmers and all who help make a difference here in the city!  We will be back there Sunday afternoon at 2:30 for street church. 

Rick a volunteer with Care-A-Van cooks up the corn

Our Friend Larry and the kids sure did enjoy the ice cream

The Muckdogs (27-27) got their record back up to .500 by completing the sweep of the Lake Monsters (24-29) by winning 7-1.

Scoring began in the 5th starting with a double by Jon Edwards and a RBI double by Luis De La Cruz.  Ivan Castro then had a base hit to score De La Cruz and Castro came into home himself on another double by Michael Swinson.

They added one more to make it a 5-0 game in the 6th.  Matthew Adams took the second pitch of bottom of the inning over the right field wall.

Vermont was able to avoid a shut out by scoring one run in the 7th but Batavia answered right back with two more insurance runs in the 8th.  Edwards singled and then Niko Vasquez got his second homerun of the season.

Starter Dan Calhoun (1-0, 1.48) got the win, going six strong innings with three hits and six strikeouts.  Tyler Leach followed him through one and two-thirds with one run on one hit with a walk and a strikeout.  LaCurtis Mayes sat down the Lake Monsters quickly to end the game on two strikeouts and a groundout.

Edwards finished 2-for-4 on the night with a double, RBI and two runs scored.  De La Cruz and Castro also had two hits each with one RBI and one run scored.

Tomorrow night the Staten Island Yankees come in to town.  As always, there will be fireworks Friday night and Saturday is team photo giveaway.

T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: T.F. Brown's is a great place for a good meal, good friends and to catch up on what's going on in the sports world. When you need to book your next party, think T.F. Brown's. See the ad on the right side of the page for contact information. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Settler's Restaurant, 353 W. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Settler's has a 25-year history in Batavia of serving great, affordable breakfasts, lunches and dinners to Batavians. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Sport of Kings Family Restaurant, 419 W Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: A favorite locally owned family restaurant that is open 24 hours per day, seven days a week. We have a $15 gift card for $7.50.

Jackson St. Grill, 9 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: Try the fresh, skinless haddock fish fry on Fridays. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.

The Enchanted Florist, 202 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Brighten up your home or office with flowers!  We have a $20 gift certificate for $8.50.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies on items more than $10. The fee is 50 cents on items below $10.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value. Only one gift certificate per-merchant per-person every six months. Gift certificates cannot be combined with other offers without prior approval of the merchant. Gift certificates bought separately cannot be combined for a single purchase. Individuals buying gift certificates must use their own personal PayPal account for the purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Unless other arrangements are made immediately after purchase, the gift certificate will mailed to the winner at his or her PayPal-provided postal address within two or three days of purchase.

T.F. Brown's

SOLD

Sport of Kings

SOLD

Settler's

SOLD

Jackson St. Grill

SOLD

The Enchanted Florist

SOLD