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Property owner hiring pest control company to look at the gull issue at Latina's

By Howard B. Owens

Tom Lewin, one of the owners of the former Latina's Market location on Ellicott Street will have a pest control company on site Monday. It will evaluate the gull problem that city residents and business owners have been complaining about for months.

"Hopefully by Tuesday, I'll have their recommendation," Lewin said.

Asked about DEC involvement -- the city was required to get a permit before dealing with the gull issue atop City Centre a couple of years ago -- Lewin said he didn't know anything about that.

"I'm not a gull expert," he said. "Are you?"

Earlier today, Lewin was quoted on the WGRZ website as saying he was cooperating with the city on the issue.

"We are working diligently and cooperatively with the City of Batavia to find a solution," Lewin reportedly said.

Reached this morning, City Manager Jason Molino said he had spoken with Lewin, but also said he would like to see some action before he would call it cooperation.

"If there’s a move over on that property, then I guess you could say that’s true," Molino said.

The city issued a condemnation notice on the building, which could provide a path for the city to take steps on its own to deal with the gull infestation; however, the County Health Board has ruled the gulls are not a public health hazard.

Lewin, principal in LKLWL Properties, has also been summoned to City Court to respond to allegations of code violations at the vacant site.

Jeremiah Pedro

I'm curious as to why this guy purchased the property in the first place?
Based on his actions surrounding the problems with this property, it does seem as though he considers Batavia and it's residents not worthy of his immediate attention.
Very rude to say the least.

Jul 17, 2010, 1:05pm Permalink
Laura Scarborough

Because this person lives in Buffalo not Batavia... any coverage here does not bother him...(Howard you did a great job) however, once the Buffalo TV stations started their coverage where this guy lives, runs a business and people he knows saw it there has been movement. Maybe this guy could go the extra mile and get to know the community and other business owners and put water under the bridge let by gones be by gones. Just a suggestion.

Jul 17, 2010, 5:13pm Permalink
Autumn Connolly

Well we know he isn't going to go that extra mile because he could have done so before now. I would have figured that when you buy property it is because you would have plans for it. If he "didn't know how to take care of a gull problem" wouldn't you then make calls and find out how? It sound like a bunch of excuses for a problem he doesn't care about or wanted to deal with.

Jul 17, 2010, 5:28pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Laura, where do you think the Buffalo TV stations got the story idea? :)

You're right, he could easily ignore the local coverage. Once his friends, neighbors and colleagues started seeing it, it became harder to ignore.

But, the city's legal pressure was a factor, too, I'm sure.

Jul 17, 2010, 5:39pm Permalink
Gary Spencer

and don't forget the field sobriety test!! But then again, Batavia doesn't have stories of shootings and violence every night, like Buffalo or Rochester!!

I am glad I live in a s town where the big news stories are about bird poop, sex in the park, some poor guy and his ducks (and the #1 commented story so far in July a drunk guy taking a sobriety test!!)

Jul 17, 2010, 7:24pm Permalink
John Roach

Richard,
Just read some of your local big time news. "Pizza queen winding down her reign", and a child porn case. Maybe some of the over 1000 public employees there can help out.

Jul 17, 2010, 8:32pm Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Richard, what kind of big spending liberal town do you live in? Your local town has $236 million in expenditures for 120,00 people? 1,200 city employees? The school district is the biggest employer with 3,200 people on the dole? Are you kidding me?

You got big problems right there in your own back yard! Tell me I'm reading something wrong! If what I'm reading is right, YOU Texans must LOVE big government! Hold on your your hat, cause they will tax that too!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prairie,_Texas

Just pack up the covered wagon and move back home now, before it's too late :-)

Jul 17, 2010, 11:37pm Permalink
George Richardson

See, this is the love I'm talking about. One big dysfunctional family who cannot help picking on each other. It's real life and the more we hate each other, the more we love each other. I know, I live it everyday just like y'all. You know it too, and you are hopeless in your attempts at restraint. Just like me and Richard. He don't like me and I like that a lot. Love your enemies, because friends are kind of iffy anyway.

Jul 17, 2010, 11:55pm Permalink
John Roach

Richard,
Suburb or not, your in a town out of control with spending and employees. Your mayor even wants slot machines in parks.

You should worry.

Jul 18, 2010, 7:47am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Richard, Your town is filled with poor people just like here. Your per capita income is only $18K, a little more than your beloved Batavia. What are those people doing in those fortune 500 companies? Moping floors perhaps?

Here's the list you need to think about. This is a list of the biggest employers in your town, big government is running wild down there in cow country. There is also no doubt number 2 and 4 are also supported by unnessasary government contracts the military doesn't even want but, some out of control Republican congressman from your state won't cut. What's your town going to do when Obama cuts that military spending? Or moves the contract to a company in a state that voted for him? The Bush gravy train left Texas. Maybe NY will get those jobs. Hell, I wouldn't mind making $100 hammers....

It looks like Obama has already gotten wise to number 4. It's going to be tough to lose 1,300 jobs in that Podunk town.
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/May/10-civ-617.html

1 Grand Prairie Independent School District 3,200
2 Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control 2,600
3 Poly-America, Inc. 1,400
4 Bell Helicopter-Textron 1,300
5 Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie 1,200
6 City of Grand Prairie 1,200

Jul 18, 2010, 8:59am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Richard, you didn't tell us your town had a big federal prison too! Your town's whole economy down there is supported by government spending. You are all pretty much living off stimulus money that dropped from Baby Bush, the Spender and Chief.

Jul 18, 2010, 9:09am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

I can't help but wonder what our county would look like with thousands of jobs created by federal spending like Richard's town. Our tax money is going to support Texas because his politicians in Texas held power for years. Then he has the balls to talk shit about us, when they are living on our dime.

Jul 18, 2010, 10:02am Permalink
Richard Gahagan

Your a joke Charlie, Grand Prairie is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and retire in the country. Know why quality of life, low housing prices, and low taxes. Oh and by the way Texas is a net payer of federal income tax meaning they spend more money to support welfare states like New York than they get back. And here's another research assignment for ya study the population decrease of WNY and let me know where most people go when they leave there. Hint: Its Big and it begins with T. Here's some facts for you and John Boy to spew over.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL4830464…

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL4830464…

http://money.usnews.com/money/best-places/listing/texas/grand_prairie/r…

Seeing as you mentioned LoneStar Park here's a pic:

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/939019-Lone_Star_Park-Grand_Prairie.jpg

And here's Ranger Stadium about 10 minutes away.

http://www.hawkeyemedia.com/gallery/20091016_RangerStadium.jpg

Don't forget this again 10 minutes away.

http://sportstemples.com/Football/Pro/Dallas/Cowboys%20Stadium/Cowboy%2…

Jul 18, 2010, 11:26am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Richard, live large on those military "make work" contracts you got down there for as long as you can. The gig is up and that free money is coming to an end soon. You guys have built up a huge government that you will never be able to support long term.

Tex-ass is going to be in a world of hurt. In fact, the only thing they got going for them is a strong influx of hard working Mexicans.

Jul 18, 2010, 11:45am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Richard, you send me a song i have to pay $10 to hear? We dont have big federal money to toss around up here. :-)

Move back home before the bottom drops out and they start raising your taxes to pay for that bloated Tex-ass government.

Jul 18, 2010, 12:06pm Permalink
Charlie Mallow

But Richard, you are from good old Batavia. Not Tex-Ass. I'm positive your trailor park neighbors remind you of that all the time too.

Your welcome back home any time, I'll even buy the first round.

Jul 18, 2010, 12:23pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

Richard, here's a couple for you, I like these better. I know they're about Buffalo, but you know it's just down the 90. By the way it's mid-July, how's your electric bill, wiseguy? Mine's low 'cause I don't need air conditioning.

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yxM7ZuQczVY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1"></param><pa… name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yxM7ZuQczVY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&quot; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2qhiPzSaUDU&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1"></param><pa… name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2qhiPzSaUDU&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&quot; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Jul 18, 2010, 1:17pm Permalink
Richard Gahagan

You dreamin david.

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Goin' nowhere, goin' nowhere
Their tears are fillin' up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfmNgQH2nm8&feature=PlayList&p=FB6340FEB…

Jul 18, 2010, 2:20pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

Yeah, well, here in Genesee County it's 77 degrees, light breeze, I'm sittin' under a shady tree in my yard on the laptop. Got the grill smokin' a pastrami, drinkin' a Souther Tier Craft Ale from Jamestown, inside is some NY sauerkraut and WNY Kielbasa in the crock pot (Can't get a decent hot dog south of Pittsburgh much less kielbasa) Tonight I'll have some of my home made pastrami, on NY rye bread toast, NY sauerkrat, NY Swiss cheese and a NY beer. That ain't dreamin' buddy, it's reality and none of it is available in Texas. You probably can't stand to be outside this time of year, much less drink and take a nap in the yard. And I'll bet you pay more property tax than I do. Granted it's still too much

Jul 18, 2010, 2:42pm Permalink
kevin kretschmer

Enjoy your NY Kraut while you can (unless you're making your own). I'm told that all the production lines in Shortsville are being moved to Wisconsin. Richard can eat all the local food he wants thanks to NewYorkStyleDeli.com.

Jul 18, 2010, 3:01pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Interesting choice of lyrics, Richard -- from a lame TV show, by a guy so plastic he hides his Hispanic identity by changing his name from Gary Jules Aguirre, Jr. to Gary Jules.

And he's born in Fresno, not Batavia. He's based in Los Angeles, not Batavia.

And the song is clearly about Los Angeles, not Batavia.

Once again, proving, the best place to live is Batavia, not Los Angeles , or Texas -- because unlike people in California or Texas (with the possible exception of George Richardson, who clearly needs to return home), we're happy here.

Plastic songs (man, are those lyrics trite, or what?) by plastic singers don't mean anything to Batavia.

Jul 18, 2010, 3:14pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Love Joe Ely, love the song, but isn't interesting, the the only way one of the best, most creative and thoughtful songwriters in America (Jimmie Dale Gilmore) could find something good to say about Dallas was to write about at night and from 20,000 feet away?

Jul 18, 2010, 3:18pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

Kevin, that sucks about the kraut. You can also buy great stuff at www.Buffalofoods.com; kielbasa, hot dogs, pierogis, Weber's mustard etc. We send care packages to the in-laws in Tenn. all the time. It's just not the same as walking into your favorite deli, grocery or butcher's and getting it fresh. They have some great steak in Texas, but then so do we.

Jul 19, 2010, 9:24am Permalink
Billie Owens

Too bad that the delicious "Silver Floss" sauerkraut company is pulling up stakes and moving to Wisconsin. The folks in Shortsville can say goodbye to the annual Kraut Festival and so too the gigantic chocolate cake, with sauerkraut for moistness, made by hair-netted ladies from the town grocery store.

But the neighbors of the cabbage farms will not be crying in their beer. For years they have complained about the rotting post-harvest fields, the stench and the plague of flies this brings.

I know because Shortsville was part of my beat when I worked at The Daily Messenger in Canandaigua.

The funny thing is, if you like sauerkraut juice, like I do, you cannot find it. I finally located one producer of kraut juice. It's called Frank's Kraut Juice and it comes in little green cans, from Ohio. Had to order it online and have it shipped to me. Put margarita salt on the rim and sip it ice cold.

Jul 18, 2010, 3:40pm Permalink
Richard Gahagan

That would be PRUNE STREET, you know that little street between Jerome and S. Spruce your mommy wouldn't let you go near cause we'd steal your money, your bike, your sneakers, and then eat your lunch.

OK all y'all and urin two can go back to talkin about bird poop stories, I'm done entertaining for the day.

Jul 18, 2010, 4:06pm Permalink
Mike Corona

I hate to blow this for Richard but he has been residing back in New York for months now. I guess Texas is not all that he thought it was. Welcome home Buddy!!!! Also I was one of those kids that screwed up and went down Prune St. and now I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!! If I remember right it was about 86 cents. With inflation I may let you out for 6 beers at Kellys you pick the day.

Jul 18, 2010, 6:29pm Permalink
Richard Gahagan

Mike been havin fun playin mind games with the local political hacks and you had to blow it. All y'all must stay home watchin CSI, desperate houswives and real wives er sumpin cause I been tearin the hometown up for weeks and ain't seen ya out.

Jul 18, 2010, 8:40pm Permalink
DOUGLAS MCCLURG

I really like all you guys..Which one of you sells the most girl scout cookies each year?LOL.have a great week and let's get the gulls out by next weekend!

Jul 18, 2010, 8:37pm Permalink
Bea McManis

Charlie,
Welcome home, Richard?
Your tone sure changed when you realized that Richard (who, apparently hasn't outgrown his bully persona) is within arm's reach.
You might just as well start handing over your lunch money, he has you right where he wants you.

Jul 19, 2010, 6:36am Permalink
Richard Gahagan

Come on Bea, don't be a hater, was never a bully but some friends were scared and some really weren't allowed to go near Prune Street. I thought it was funny. Oh and Chuck seeing as you like researching other municipal regions so much, check out forbes list for best cities for young professionals. Gonna be like one big nursing home round here, we pay for all the education and the youngins just gonna up n leave.

http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/17/best-cities-young-professionals-lifest…

Jul 19, 2010, 9:45am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Bea, Richard has a strange sense of humor. He enjoys getting a rise out of people. You seem to take these online chats a little too seriously at times. You have to remember if there was no one to disagree with, what would we talk about?

Jul 19, 2010, 11:16am Permalink
Richard Gahagan

Hey Bea just so you know I love and appreciate WNY more than most. Since moving back I've fished
for trout on the Oatka, Spring Creek in Calendonia, and Irondequoit Creek, Steelhead on the Oak Orchard and bass on Erie, Lake Champlain, the Thousand Islands, Honeoye, Conesus, and Irondequoit Bay. Its been just like visiting the old friends I haven't seen for awhile.

Jul 19, 2010, 1:03pm Permalink

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