batavia

Alexander High School has never had a hockey team, but starting this season, players there will get to play varsity level hockey for the first time.

Batavia HS is facing a shortage of varsity level players this year, so Alexander and Batavia will come together to form the Batavia/Alexander Ice Devils.

Batavia Athletic Director Mike Bromley said when school officials realized there would be a shortage of players this year, the school held a meeting with the parents of hockey players and the parents took the initiative to get the puck rolling on a possible merger with Alexander.

Once the idea was raised, things came together pretty quickly, Bromley said.

"Several students (in Alexander) expressed an interest," Bromley said. "We expect that anywhere from five to 10 students may try out."

The problem the Ice Devils faced, Bromley said, is that several seniors graduated after last season and then three varsity players elected to play in another, more advanced, hockey league.

That left Batavia not only with fewer players but also with a team of mostly ninth- and 10th-graders.

"There's a lot of hitting in hockey," Bromley said. "Hockey can be just as tough physically as football, but where you play only one game a week in football, with hockey sometimes you play two or three games a week, and trying to play ninth- and 10th-graders out there could be tough."

For Alexander, the opportunity is welcome by administrators, parents and players alike, said Athletic Director Ben Whitmore.

"All of these kids play together in youth leagues and they always dreamed of playing high school hockey, so to be able to give them that chance is very exciting," Whitmore said.

Suzanne Dizak is indicted on counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Dizak is accused of possessing jewelry stolen from Target on April 1 when she allegedly knew the property was stolen. The total value of the jewelry was reportedly $1,171.58. On that same date, Dizak is accused of possessing heroin.

Brian P. Griffen is indicted on counts of burglary, 3rd, and grand larceny, 4th. Griffen is accused of breaking into a building on Fisher Road, Oakfield, sometime between June 12 and June 26 and stealing a dune buggy, Yamaha Kodiak 4-wheeler and a Honda dirt bike.

Luis Ramos Perez is indicted on felony counts of aggravated DWI and aggravated driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Perez is accused of driving drunk May 6 on Route 262, Byron, with a child under age 15 in the car.

#7 Batavia Blue Devils (3-4) vs. #2 East Rochester/Gananda Bombers (6-1)
7 p.m., Friday

Batavia enters their Class B first round matchup against East Rochester/Gananda riding a three-game losing streak, and has lost three out of the last four.

Despite the recent lack of success and a few injuries this week, first year Head Coach Brennan Briggs is still optimistic about his team’s chances of pulling off the upset.

“We are due to play 48 minutes of football because we haven’t in the last three weeks,” Briggs said. “If we execute and know our assignments, we can win this football game.”

To key to the Blue Devils’ success will be the playmaking ability of wide receiver Justin Washington. The senior is capable of making big plans in the return game, running and catching the ball.

“We have been working on a few different ways to get him the ball, whether it’s running or passing,” Briggs said. “We think [Washington] is the best athlete on the field on any given night.”

If Washington can break loose, and the Blue Devils overcome their injuries, they have a chance to beat the Bombers on Friday night.

#7 Holley Hawks (4-3) vs. #2 Le Roy Oatkan Knights (6-1)
7 p.m., Friday

Second-seeded Le Roy will host the seventh seed Holley in the first round of the Section V Class C Football Playoffs on Friday night in a matchup of Livingston County and Genesee Region League teams.

Le Roy is coming off an emotional come-from-behind win against rival Cal-Mum last week, as they scored 10 points in the final four minutes of the game to squeak out a victory.

The Knights’ only loss on the season came against Perry in Week 6, but leading rusher Peter Privitera did not play in the game, nor did he last week due to injury. Privitera has rushed for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns in five games this season, while Marcus Mistersaro has 362 yards, 3 touchdowns and 9.8 yards per carry.

Mistersaro stepped in for the injured Privitera last week and ran for 90 yards, including 63 on the game-winning drive against Cal-Mum.

Le Roy averages 282 rushing yards per game, so Holley will have to slow down the running attack in order to have an opportunity to win.

While the Hawks enter the game with more wins than losses, they have a 1-3 record against teams with a winning record for the season.

#6 Bath Rams (4-3) vs. #2 Elba/Byron-Bergen Lancers (6-1)
1:30 p.m., Saturday

Elba/Byron-Bergen will host Bath in a Class C first round matchup on Saturday afternoon and the player to watch is undoubtedly Lancers running back Zack DuBois.

The senior led the Genesee Region League in rushing with 1,572 yards and 16 touchdowns. DuBois also ran for 200 yards in 5 of 7 games he played this year, and never rushed for less than 113. His average of 224.6 yards per game and 10.3 yards per carry were also tops in the league.

If Elba can get DuBois rolling early, it will open up the passing game for quarterback Zac Gillard, who has 881 yards, 12 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions on the season.

Defensively, they are led by four-time Section V Class C Defensive Player of the Week Andy Underhill.

The junior linebacker led the Lancers with 132 tackles, averaging almost 19 per game. While Bath comes in with a 1-3 record against teams with winning records, they did defeat a strong Livonia squad, so the Rams will be a tough first round matchup for Elba/Byron-Bergen.

#4 Dundee Scotsmen (3-4) vs. #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1)
1:30 p.m., Saturday

While Notre Dame is coming off an emotional high last week after defeating Attica to force a three-way tie for the Genesee Region League Championship, the 76 to 14 drubbing that Dundee gave the Irish in the 2009 Class D Championship game is still fresh in the mind of Head Coach Rick Mancuso.

Notre Dame will look to avenge that loss and the attack will begin with do-it-all quarterback Tim McCulley. The junior led the G-R League in passing yards and his 16 touchdown passes were also tops in the league.

McCulley is also extremely effective running the ball if the pocket breaks down, as he did last week 11 times for 79 yards. The McCulley-to-Jared Thornton connection has been hot as of late, with the two hooking up 10 times for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns in the victory against Attica.

If Dundee wants to upset the number-one seed in Class D, they will have to do so by shutting down Irish passing attack.

Notre Dame fell in the Class D Finals a year ago, and has not won a championship since 2006.

Many times I've driven down Ellicott Street Road, Batava, and spotted this old barn and saw the picture potential. There is no good way, though, to get a picture of the barn from the public road. Yesterday, I contacted the proper owner and got permission to walk onto their property and take some pictures, which I did this morning.

Benjamin Santiago, 23, who made news June 1, 2011, when he was part of a group of men arrested at a local hotel for drug possession in a case that unraveled into an attempt by a suspect to flee, jail house violence and a conspiracy to commit murder, is back in custody.

Santiago was located in a parked car by Rochester PD and arrested on warrants for bail jumping, 2nd, and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The former Batavia resident admitted in May to drug possession but was offered a chance by Judge Robert C. Noonan at a reduced plea and no jail time if he completed a substance abuse program.

Following his arrest in Rochester, Santiago was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, arraigned and jailed without bail.

For Krysten Schmidt, “ladies first” is more than just a polite truism – it is a passion.

“I have always been passionate about women’s health,” she said. “We all have a niche, and I found mine.”

That’s why she has opened “Ladies First,” a gynecological care clinic at 47A Batavia City Centre in Batavia.

Services at “Ladies First” is available to females age 13 and older and includes:

• routine annual exams;
• cancer screenings;
• vaginal and urinary tract infection diagnosis and treatment;
• STD diagnosis and treatment;
• family planning;
• birth control;
• menopausal care; and
• osteoporosis treatment.

Schmidt, of Batavia, draws from a 20-year nursing career that has allowed her to work with all kinds of patients "from babies to geriatrics.”

Prior to her new venture, she was a nurse practitioner at the Women's Care Center of United Memorial Medical Center and at the general practice of Mary Obear, M.D., in Pembroke. She has also worked at St. Jerome's and HomeCare & Hospice.

One of the perks she has noticed in being a nurse practitioner is that it fosters a holistic view of the patient.

"I think being a nurse practitioner rather than an M.D., you look at the patient as a whole (rather than) just focus on what the patient came to the office that day for."

To that end, she has worked hard to give "Ladies First" a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere -- complete with solid, Amish-made maple cabinets from Pennsylvania, hardwood flooring and walls painted a warm terra cotta.

"My patients are loving the non-medical feel of the office," Schmidt said.

Construction of "Ladies First" started the first week of August. Schmidt's husband, Edward, collaborated with the contractors in renovating the vacant space next to the office of Lalit Jain, M.D., and "worked hard to get the place done on time."

Once that phase of the project was completed, then came the marketing phase. "Ladies First" has had a very good run so far, and Schmidt attributes much of its success to word of mouth.

"Let's face it," she said, "most women are not going to pick their GYN provider out of the Yellow Pages. Most of my patients come from referrals from their friends, family and coworkers."

Still, Schmidt has done her part to put "Ladies First" out there. She took part in the Business Improvement District's "Taste of Fall Wine Walk," which brought about 300 people to the office. She has also been printing T-shirts and advertising (including on The Batavian).

All of this effort flows from Schmidt's strong desire to use her expertise in the service of other women.

"Women seem to relate better to other women when discussing birth control, menstrual cycles, menopause and sexual health. They are more open to discussion."

Most insurance programs will cover a visit to "Ladies First," according to Schmidt.

"We do have a reduced fee for cash-paying patients depending on the service they need," she said.

As a nurse practitioner, Schmidt cannot provide any surgical or pregnancy-related care. For that, she will refer patients to her collaborating physician, Richard Edwards, M.D.

"Ladies First" is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8 a.m. to noon Fridays. It is closed on Wednesdays.

For more information, call 343-6600.

Photo courtesy of Krysten Schmidt

Kenyon Hanks Barnes, 27, of North Street, Le Roy, is charged with trespass. Barnes is accused of being on College Village property after being banned.

Joseph Henry Schenik, 21, of Mill Street, Le Roy, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a charge of criminal possession of property, 5th. Schenik was jailed on $500 bail or $1,000 bond.

Former Batavia resident Richard Lee Matson admitted in Genesee County Court today that he possessed and cashed a forged check.

The plea satisfies up to 15 such charges for which Matson will be required to make $4,500 in restitution.

Matson was arrested in July and accused of cashing forged checks in both the town and City of Batavia.

The Class D felony conviction carries a possible sentence of two-and-a-third to seven years in prison and as part of the plea, there is no sentence cap.

In court today, when asked, Matson told the court clerk he now lives at an address on Tracey Avenue in Northshire.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 9 and Matson is out of jail under supervision of Genesee Justice in the meantime.

A Pembroke woman who allegedly supplied child pornography to a man later convicted of molesting toddlers entered a guilty plea in Genesee County Court today to one count of possession of sexual performance of a child.

As a term of the plea deal, Beverly Hensel, 53, of 8921 Alleghany Road, Pembroke, could receive up to 10 years probation and an intermittent jail term.

She also will not face federal prosecution.

Hansel admitted to possessing child pornography between January 2008 and December 2009.

According to court documents, Hansel met James L. Little Jr., 41, formerly of Batavia, at a bar in Corfu. During the meeting, Little said Hansel offered to acquire child pornography for him.

"Bev knew I was having certain feelings," Little wrote in his deposition as part of the court documents filed with Hansel's arrest. "Bev gave me my first child porn DVD around January of 2008."

Little is currently serving a 15-year sentence for molesting a toddler in Batavia last year and has been charged with molesting a second child.

Hansel will be sentenced Jan. 9.

Jessica L. Connolly, 34, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving while impaired by drugs and unlawful possession of marijuana. Connolly was stopped by State Police at 4:15 p.m., Saturday, on Route 98 in Alexander.

Timothy Billingsley, 21, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Billingsley was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident reported at 12:27 p.m., Friday.

Justin Marc Wotherspoon, 26, of Gibson Street, Oakfield, was arrested on a warrant out of Town of Batavia Court. He was jailed on $200 bail.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area north of West Main Street and west of Bank Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

Press release:

United Memorial’s Education Department will host an Open House on Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 2 – 5:30 p.m. in room 202 at the hospital in order to demonstrate the new patient simulator. The simulator, a $60,000 piece of equipment was provided to United Memorial at no cost from CHART, the organization’s insurance carrier. It will be used to educate clinical staff.

The simulator is wireless, lifelike and can be used to assist with training for multiple airway skills, catheter placement, airway complications and breathing complications. It has cardiac and circulation features, vascular access, blinking eyes, secretions, urine output, bowel sounds and the instructor can make it speak. The simulator can function as a male or female patient.

Pam Lynch, director of education; Kevin Aldrich, 2nd Floor nurse manager; Mary Lama, 3rd Floor clinical care coordinator and Judy Clark, ICU nurse manager were educated as trainers for the new equipment. The simulator assists in improving patient care and safety. It allows new students to practice basic nursing skills and veteran nurses to learn the latest technologies and use of new practices and equipment.

The public is welcome to attend this open house.

Ajia R. Hasenauer, 19, of 73 S. Main St., Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and 16 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Hasenauer is accused of cashing 16 checks from a closed bank account. Hasenauer was jailed without bail.

Cynthia H. Owens, 37, of 28 Buell St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Owens was taken into custody on a warrant and jailed on $1,000 bail.

Derek G. Thomas, 36, no permanent address, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Thomas is charged with a felony for allegedly violating an order of protection by being at the residence of a protected party. He is also accused of a parole violation. Thomas was jailed without bail.

Dajuandrick C. Gardner, 35, of 212 State St., Batavia, is charged with assault, 3rd, obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Gardner was charged in connection to an alleged incident at his residence at 5:35 a.m., Tuesday. Gardner was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Five people were charged with possession or consumption of alcohol under age 21 at 11:51 p.m., Saturday, at College Village. Charged were Kiera Monet Smoot, 19, Trevlyn Caljic Hentry, 19, Brendaliz DeJesus, 19, Ilkia Solana, 19, Drema Ramona Bautista, 19.

Kara Brooke Sass, 18, is charged with criminal trespass. Sass is accused of being at Residence Hall at College Village at 11:21 p.m., Oct. 6, after being barred from the property.

Jeffrey Michael Johnson, 24, of Forest Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with appearing in public under the influence of a narcotic or drug other than alcohol. Johnson was jailed on $300 bail.

Summer Ogden, 36, no permanent address, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd. Ogden is accused of trespassing on Batavia Housing Authority property.

A fire is reported at 56 Buell St. in the City of Batavia, apartment 1. It's not yet known if everyone is out of the building. City fire is responding.

UPDATE 5:40 p.m.: A police officer on scene reports there is smoke coming from the upper apartment, but it's not yet known if there are flames. The building's entryway is on Elizabeth Street.

UPDATE 5:42 p.m.: City firefighters are now on scene and report there's "nothing showing."

UPDATE 5:44 p.m.: The fire was contained to the stove top. It's out and firefighters are ventilating the apartment.

UPDATE 5:51 p.m.: "Gas is off to the stove. We're all set with the ventilation," says a firefighter.

UPDATE 6:02 p.m.: City fire is back in service.

Press release:

Four persons were arrested on Oct. 7 by the Le Roy Police Department after allegedly being found in possession of more than $1,000 worth of stolen property, which was taken that night from the outside of a furniture store in the Village of Caledonia.

The investigation started about 10:30 p.m. that evening when a BOLO was sent out by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office asking officers to be on the lookout for a vehicle occupied by people who witnesses say just stole furniture from the store.

The vehicle was located by the Le Roy Police as it was passing through Le Roy, headed west on Route 5 toward Batavia. The four occupants were allegedly found with multiple stolen items inside the vehicle worth more than $1,000 and taken into custody.

The four suspects, their vehicle and the property were then turned over to the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department and the four were charged in Livingston County for the theft. The four are also being charged in the Village of Le Roy with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a Class E felony.

The four people arrested are:

Amy Lynn Showler, 37, of 19 Manhattan Ave., Batavia

Richard Donald Hammer, 45, of 5 Wood St., upper apt., Batavia

Jennifer Ann Zimblis, 40, of 34 Main St., apt. 2, Le Roy

Daniel John Wolfe, 38, of 5 Wood St., Batavia

It's the time of year again for The Batavia Cemetery Association's annual Candlelight Ghost Tours at the historic Batavia Cemetery. The first tour was Saturday night and another will be held at the cemetery this Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. The cost is $10 and proceeds benefit the association and upkeep of the cemetery.

Sue Conklin as a Gypsy fortune-teller.

Tim Buckman as Philimon Tracy.

Charlie and Connie Boyd was Dean Richmond and his wife.

Dr. Micheal Merrill shared these pictures of the Batavia HS girls cross-country team from their meet Saturday in Alden. There are no results available from the meet.

A woman who came home to her River Street apartment about 10:30 p.m., Friday, was unable to rescue her dog and firefighters believe the dog had already passed by the time they found it in a back bedroom.

"She said she tried to get the dog out but the smoke was too thick," said neighbor Ed DeJaneiro. "She crawled but couldn’t reach him."

Lt. Marty Hinz, city fire, said when firefighters arrived a partition in the apartment's living room was engulfed in flames. The first order of business was suppressing the fire. Then they located the dog.

When the dog, "Scooter," was brought outside, the resident and neighbors tried to resuscitate it but where unsuccessful.

As a result of her attempt to rescue her dog, the woman suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy EMS.

Her name at this time has not been released.

The fire was likely the result of an electrical problem, Hinz said.

There's no damage estimate available.

The fire was contained to 102 River, which is the left side of a duplex. The other apartment had no fire damage.

The woman's husband had left for work at 4 p.m., Hinz said. Investigators have not yet been able to interview the woman and neighbors provided conflicting accounts of when she might have left.

Accounts do agree that she returned around 10:30 p.m. She found smoke coming from her residence and went to her neighbor's apartment to report the fire. The neighbor evacuated his three daughters and called 9-1-1. He then tried to attack the fire with a fire extinguisher, but was unsuccessful.

Batavia PD officers were first on scene.

By that time, DeJaneiro said, flames could be seen in the living room.

According to DeJaneiro, he and his wife left for dinner about 6 p.m. At that time, he said, they smelled smoke and commented that somebody must already be using their wood-burning stove this time of year.

The temperature at 6 p.m. was into the 30s or low 40s.

Another neighbor thought he heard a smoke detector at one point, but didn't pinpoint the location, DeJaneiro said.

"This may have been going on since six o’clock," DeJaneiro said. "I don’t know. It may just have been smoldering and unfortunately, this is the end result."

DeJaneiro said the woman's husband was particularly fond of Scooter.

Officer Thad Mart points out to a parent a newly installed "No Stopping" sign installed on Ross Street across from Batavia Middle School.

Lt. Eugene Jankowski explained that parents parking across from the school on Ross are a traffic hazard. The street isn't wide enough to accommodate parking on both sides. The area had been posted no parking, but parents picking up their children would protest that they weren't parking, but just stopping. Now, no vehicles will be allowed to park or stop on this section of Ross during morning and afternoon school hours.

Officer Mart was assigned the duty today to ensure parents take note of the signs.