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Opioids for pain management are no longer the standard care for chronic pain, according to a board-certified family nurse practitioner at the United Memorial Medical Center Pain Management Center in Batavia.

“We do not avoid prescription medications, but we work to avoid the management of opioids, which can decrease the perception of pain and not the cause of it,” said Rebecca Russo, responding to questions about non-opioid alternatives for the GOW Opioid Task Force.

Russo, (photo at right), an employee at the UMMC pain clinic since August 2020, said as a pain management nurse practitioner, she recommends minimally invasive fluoroscopic procedures for diagnosis and treatment of pain.

“We work with the patient’s primary care physician and other health care professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes for these patients,” she said. “We also like to be as conservative as possible (by utilizing) non-invasive measures such as physical therapy, aqua therapy, chiropractic and massage treatments, and acupuncture.”

When it comes to opioids, Russo is well aware of the long-term effects – including addiction – that can result from prolonged use of these drugs.

“There are so many more alternatives a pain management specialist treating chronic pain that can offer the most benefit for these patients,” she said. “A multimodal approach to management is best in treating chronic pain. Opioids are not used for chronic non-malignant pain anymore as studies have shown.”

Russo said she switched to the pain management field when a colleague recommended her for a pain management and neurology position.

“I have to say I wouldn’t have had a better fit in my career. This specialty is fascinating and bountiful in ways to help patients, which I lay my foundation on,” the Michigan native said. “I have been working in pain management since I graduated with my Master of Science in Nursing four years ago.”

Prior to joining the program at UMMC, she was a registered nurse for six years, working on various units, including intermediate care, medical/surgical, observation and progressive care.

She said the local pain clinic treats a wide range of chronic and acute pain conditions, such as neck pain, cancer pain, myofascial pain, joint pain, back pain, phantom limb pain, bursitis, sciatica, post herpetic neuralgia pain, complex regional pain syndrome, peripheral neuropathy and failed back surgery syndrome.

“Some of the micro-invasive procedures that can be performed at the UMMC Pain Center include nerve blocks in various areas as well as radiofrequency ablations; lumbar, thoracic and cervical epidural steroid injections; trigger point injections; and spinal cord stimulator implantation,” she said.

The practice is growing coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, she reported, with more and more in-person visits being scheduled.

“At this time, we strive to keep our visits in-person, but we can accommodate telemedicine visits when a patient is unable to be seen in-person. This may be for various reasons such as being ill, inability to drive or last minute patient schedule changes,” she explained.

Russo sees the pain clinic as a viable alternative for people dealing with chronic pain, adding that the patient is considered “an important team member.”

“Interventional management is beneficial for patients when their pain continues even after attempting conservative treatments or do not have a diagnosis for their pain,” she said. “A proper diagnosis is the first step to successful treatment.

“Another benefit for these patients is that they want to avoid surgery if possible or if they’ve had surgery, but still experiencing pain, we can provide them alternatives to another surgery unless otherwise indicated.”

The UMMC Pain Center is located at 229 Summit St., Suite 4. For more information, call 585-815-6710.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

About seven months after stepping in as the City of Batavia interim fire chief, Dan Herberger apparently has decided that he doesn’t want the job on a permanent basis.

In a letter dated today to fire department personnel, Herberger informed his colleagues that he has declined the position, calling it “an extremely difficult decision for me to make that was based on two very basic reasons that I could not get past.”

He wrote that those two reasons were that the timing wasn’t right for his family and him and “his overall love I have for the job and the desire to be a fireman working on a fire truck.”

Herberger was named interim chief in July 2021 when Stefano Napolitano resigned as fire chief to take the deputy state fire administrator on the State University of Albany campus.

Continuing with the letter, Herberger mentioned that he enjoyed being the fire chief and was thankful for the support he received from city management, department heads and those that he supervised.

“As a department, we are very fortunate to have the relationships we do with our partners in other city departments as well as our partners in the county Emergency Management, area fire departments and local emergency services agencies,” he wrote. “It is an absolute joy to have worked with everyone in this capacity … making this decision that much more difficult.”

He wrote that he plans to stay on as the interim chief until a replacement is found.

“It is the hope of the city manager (Rachael Tabelski) that my replacement will be from within this department and over the next several weeks/months, we will work to find the right replacement,” he wrote.

Herberger, a captain prior to the interim appointment, has worked for the fire department since 2002, starting as a paramedic. He was promoted to firefighter in 2005, lieutenant in 2012 and captain in 2013.  Previously, he served in the interim chief role for 16 months prior to the hiring of Napolitano in April 2017.

Responding to an email from The Batavian, Tabelski issued the following statement:

"Dan Herberger is a great Captain and a great Fire Chief.  I respect his decision to decline the offer of the position of Fire Chief at this time, and am grateful that he will remain in the department working for the City of Batavia.  He is a valuable member of our team.

Herberger will continue to serve as Interim Fire Chief until a new Chief is hired.  I am soliciting internal candidates, and hope the position can be filled from within the department." 

File photo: City Police Chief Shawn Heubusch, left, and Interim Fire Chief Dan Herberger. Photo by Jim Burns.

Previously: Napolitano shows humility as he bids farewell to the city; Dan Herberger to assume role as interim fire chief

Genesee County Attorney James Wujcik on Wednesday introduced a resolution to establish a local law necessary for the municipality to take part in the New York State Energy Research & Development’s Clean Energy Communities Program.

Wujcik, speaking at the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse, said passage of Local Law Introductory No. A, Year 2022, is a prerequisite to participation in what is called the Energize NY Open C-PACE Financing Program in conjunction with the Energy Improvement Corporation.

“For individuals to apply and receive funding, they have to rely on a Local Law being in place,” Wujcik said. “It’s a gateway for the program to go into effect for our citizens.”

According to the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities website, local governments in New York can use the program to implement clean energy actions, save energy costs, create jobs, and improve the environment. In addition to providing tools, resources, and technical assistance, the program recognizes and rewards leadership for the completion of clean energy projects.

“It will help the county’s overall score when it comes to green energy initiatives,” Wujcik added.

Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein said county residents will be able to invest in energy enhancements on their properties or for their businesses through the loan program under terms set by NYSERDA. She said the idea was forwarded to the legislature by officials at the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council.

The Ways & Means Committee approved the resolution and another setting a public hearing on the local law for 5:30 p.m. March 9 at the Old County Courthouse. If passed by the full legislature, it would take effect upon filing with the New York Secretary of State.

For more information on the program, go to Clean Energy Communities - NYSERDA.

In other action, the committee:

• Approved a contract for $7,000 with the Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz to calculate the weighted vote for each district within Genesee County in light of the need for the legislature to conduct a reapportionment update following the recent Federal Census.

The resolution indicated that Genesee County is unable to perform this task in-house due to the technical nature of it, and reached out to three companies for assistance. The Benjamin Center came in with the lowest quote.

The legislature’s weighted voting system is used to ensure that residents of the various towns are properly represented, based on population.

• Approved a five-year contract with Drescher & Malecki LLP of Cheektowaga for independent auditing services after learning that Freed Maxick, based in Batavia, did not want to renew its contract that expired in 2021.

County Treasurer Scott German recommended going with the Cheektowaga firm, noting that it audits the books for 22 other New York counties. The $41,985 cost for 2022 is a $10,985 increase from the 2021 expense.

The remaining years of the contract are set at $42,825, 2023; $43,681, 2024; $44,555, 2025, and $45,446, 2026.

A banking bureaucracy has left a historic home in Pavilion vacant for at least two years and now an outbuilding that fell into disrepair needs to be removed before it further damages property on a neighboring residence.

The Town of Pavilion Board will meet in an emergency session at 6 p.m., Friday, to consider and likely pass a resolution authorizing the town to hire a contractor to tear down the outbuilding. 

It's a sad situation, said Town Supervisor Rob LaPoint. 

"Everyone in town is frustrated about this," LaPoint said.

The former owners, Carol and Don Logan are both deceased, with Carol passing away in 2019. They had a reverse mortgage on the property and the bank has apparently been unwilling to take title to the property.

The Logan's children have, for some reason, been unable to get title to the property, so since Carol's death, the house and its barn and outbuilding have sat neglected and rotting in the elements.

"They (the children) love the buildings," said LaPoint, who remembers playing at the Logan property when he was a child. "If they had the ability to do something, I'm sure they would."

LaPoint believes either HUD or FHA is planning an eventual foreclosure on the property but it's unclear when that may happen.

There have been several parties interested in buying the property and rehabilitating it, including a daycare center, LaPoint said, but the bureaucracy of it all has prevented anybody from making a purchase offer. 

The town code gives the town authority to demolish buildings considered a public safety hazard or a hazard to the property of others. If it wasn't an emergency, there would be a waiting period for the rightful owner of the deteriorating structure to handle the demolition themselves but since this is an emergency situation, the town will be able to order the outbuilding's immediate demolition.

The cost of the demolition will be placed on the tax role of the property and an eventual new owner will be responsible for back taxes.

The Greek-revival house was built in 1825 and has three bedrooms.  It is 3,166 square feet.  The estimated full market value, according to Genesee County OARS, is $161,957.

Top Photo: Genesee County OARS photo.

Genesee County GIS Map image.

Google Street View image.

If local veterans are willing to commit their time to provide military funeral honors at the Western New York National Cemetery on Indians Falls Road in Corfu, then they need to present themselves in a dignified manner.

That’s the view of the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee, which at a meeting this afternoon, approved a resolution brought to them by William Joyce, Veterans Services Agency director, to fund honor guard uniforms for military funerals.

The WNY National Cemetery Honor Guard, Inc., consists of 78 members from eight Western New York counties, including 32 residents of Genesee County – all volunteers – who serve their fallen military members’ families at the burial grounds.

Pending a vote by the full legislature next Wednesday, the county will take up to $8,000 from a contingency account to make sure the Genesee County residents who are honor guard members have the proper uniforms.

“I’m really proud to be the Veterans Services officer for this county,” Joyce said, speaking to Ways & Means Chair Marianne Clattenburg, who initiated the possibility of county funding. “I don’t ask for that much, and really appreciate your work in backing this.”

Joyce said that the program will be coordinated by Tom Cecere, quartermaster for Genesee County members, who will keep track of the uniforms that will become the property of the honor guard. Veterans serving in this capacity will be required to turn in the uniforms upon leaving the honor guard.

“The $8,000 is a good start and it (the cost) may come down,” he said.

Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein said it is the legislature’s honor to provide the uniforms for the National Cemetery, while County Manager Matt Landers said that he will explore funding for this endeavor on an annual basis.

Joyce reported that the cemetery has conducted 811 burials from Dec. 18, 2020 thru Dec. 18, 2021 in all weather conditions and the new administration building is now open.

In related news, Joyce said that a local seamstress has repaired 278 flags to date – all at no cost to the cemetery foundation.

“We asked her for an invoice and she said she didn’t want anything,” he said. “She said that it was an honor that she was asked to do this.”

File photo: Flags at the Western New York National Cemetery. Photo by Howard Owens.

The Genesee County Legislature is expected to vote next week on two resolutions proposed by County Manager Matt Landers that would extend contracts with the architectural and construction management companies involved with the new $70 million county jail project.

The legislature’s Ways & Means Committee (today) and Public Service Committee (on Monday) approved extending the construction timeline with The Pike Company of Rochester from 18 to 20 months, based on the current market and supply chain constraints.

Landers said the specific start date hasn’t been set yet, but when it does it will be for 20 months – fitting into the June 1, 2022 through April 30, 2024 time period.

Since time is money, the extension will result in an increase of $121,298, with almost $96,550 of that for Pike to manage the extra two months of the construction time frame, Landers said.

“The remainder is cost escalation for Pike’s rising costs from delaying this project so long,” he added.

The other resolution is for two one-year renewals of the contract with SMRT Architects and Engineers of Latham, stretching out the agreement through February 2024. In this case, there is no additional cost to extend the pact.

The full legislature will convene at 5:30 p.m. next Wednesday.

Landers said that construction bid packages were released on Feb. 8. Bid awards are expected to go out in March with groundbreaking of the 184-bed jail on West Main Street Road scheduled for April.

Qumane Santiago

A Walnut Street resident who got into a tussle with Batavia patrol officers on Oct. 20, 2020, leading to one of the officers sustaining an injury, told Judge Melissa Cianfrini in County Court today that he didn't do anything wrong.

He then entered a guilty plea to assault in the second degree as part of a plea agreement that caps his potential prison term at three years.

Qumane J. Santiago, 23, entered a plea on an Alford basis. The plea means that Santiago is accepting a plea deal because he believes a jury would convict him of the multiple charges against him, exposing him to a potentially longer prison term, even though he disputes the facts of the case as presented by the prosecution.

When asked by Cianfrini if that was the reason he was pleading guilty -- a legal requirement to clarify that the defendant understands the plea -- Santiago said he was only pleading guilty because he wanted to get the case over with.

"I'm not going to admit to something I didn't do," Santiago said. "I just want to go along with what you all want me to do."

Cianfrini explained to Santiago that there is nothing she was asking him to do and that whether to plead guilty or not was entirely his choice.

"I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do," Cianfrini said. "It's your decision. You have a right to a trial."

For sentencing purposes, Santiago also admitted to having a prior felony conviction.

The plea satisfies a four-count indictment delivered by a grand jury on May 21.  Besides the assault, Santiago was indicted on an additional count of assault 2nd, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, and criminal mischief.  An additional harassment charge, related to an incident at the jail, from a separate case pending in City Court was also dropped.

As part of the Alford plea, Assistant District Attorney Joseph Robinson was required to provide the facts of the case that would be used to convict the defendant if the case went to trial.

Robinson said on Oct. 23, 2020, Officer Peter Post and Sgt. Dan Coffey responded to a residence on Walnut Street for a report of an assault inside the residence. When the officers attempted to detain Santiago, he barricaded himself inside the residence. The officers observed him damaging inside the residence so they used force to enter the residence. Santiago tried locking himself in a bedroom and the officers broke down the door.  When they attempted to take Santiago into custody, there was a struggle on the bed and Post suffered a cut on his leg from a sharp object on the bed that required medical attention. 

Robison said there was body-worn camera footage as well as photographs to substantiate the charges.

Robinson has other prior arrests in Genesee County, including criminal trespass, menacing, and conspiracy and robbery. 

Santiago remains free on bond and is scheduled for sentencing at 11 a.m., April 27.

The Batavia Town Planning Board on Tuesday night quickly approved a request by Yost Neon Display, Inc., of Buffalo to erect two lighted wall signs on the City Mattress warehouse and distribution center at 7999 Call Parkway.

Placement of the signs – one of them is 6 feet by 16 ¾ inches and the other is 6 ½ feet by 39 ¾ inches – previously was recommended for approval by the Genesee County Planning Board and meets all Town of Batavia zoning codes.

Board members reported that the next Town of Batavia solar committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Town Hall on West Main Street Road. The agenda will focus upon final revisions to the town’s solar ordinance.

 

With O-At-Ka Milk Products’ new $5.5 million pretreatment plant online and the Dissolved Oxygen levels at the City of Batavia’s Waste Water Treatment Plant on the road to recovery, a once-tense working relationship between the two entities has moved into a “spirit of cooperation” phase.

Both William Schreiber, O-At-Ka Milk’s chief executive officer, and City Manager Rachael Tabelski reported to The Batavian that recent discussions over wastewater flowing from the Ellicott and Cedar Street industry into the WWTP as well as the condition of the lagoons have been positive.

So positive, in fact, that the city has rescinded the cease-and-desist order it invoked upon O-At-Ka last October when city employees discovered that O-At-Ka’s wastewater contained exceptionally high levels of contaminants.

Schreiber, speaking by telephone this morning, said he received a letter from Tabelski that the restriction has been lifted, and Tabelski confirmed that via an email.

“O-At-Ka’s pre-treatment efforts and recent solution have gone well, and have positively impacted the recovery of the Waste Water Treatment Plant,” she said on Tuesday. “We continue to have discussion about a variety of matters, and look forward to the continued relationship moving forward as they continue to grow here in Batavia.”

Tabelski said the DO levels have recovered, “but we continue to monitor all or our industrial users, review daily DO samples from the ponds, and are working daily on an in-depth analysis of the entire system (WWTP Headworks) to further improve the WWTP.”

She said the study will take about a year to complete and will help the city determine future capital projects at the WWTP.

Schreiber, mentioning a productive meeting last Friday, said “the real message” is that O-At-Ka and the city are cooperating.

“We were on a thin line there for a while,” he said, referring to an impasse that resulted in O-At-Ka having to spend nearly $1.5 million to haul waste to other locations last fall. “But we've managed to navigate our way to a better place on both sides. So, I am feeling much better about the spirit of cooperation that we're getting from the city and their willingness to work with us on a solution that works for both parties.”

He said the company’s new pretreatment plant, which was approved by the Upstate Niagara Cooperative board of directors months before any problems with the city surfaced, is consistently producing effluent that meets the parameters established in the permit with the city.

“This was our goal from the beginning – to build a properly-sized plant that could accommodate our growth and allow us to operate without paying additional surcharges to the City of Batavia,” he said. “Our board (O-At-Ka is owned by Upstate Niagara) approved the funds in January of 2020 and we took this step without provocation or an imperative from others.”

Submitted photo: Modern production line at O-At-Ka Milk Products in Batavia, where cans and bottles are moved via a lube-less conveyor, selected for its sanitary design.

Previously: O-At-Ka Milk Products CEO encouraged by progress of its pretreatment facility

A 2020 capital project to expand outdoor amenities at Jackson Primary School is returning to the table for a vote during this week’s Batavia City School’s board meeting.

The project involves a building at 245 Liberty St., Batavia, which was donated to the city school district in December 2017. Board of Education members are expected to vote on its demolition after a survey, based on the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), has declared a negative impact from the work.

The meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Batavia High School’s library, 260 State St.

Demolition of the site — the former Country Pride Bakery Mart — is part of a plan to create additional parking and green spaces, and a pedestrian walkway adjacent to Jackson Primary School. The SEQRA is a stipulation enacted by the state of New York that all local and state government agencies must uniformly reflect the environmental impacts when considering taking social and/or economic factors into action.

School board members are also to vote on a resolution that supports the state Senate bill S7600 regarding cyber bullying. This amended bill establishes that “any person who knowingly engages in a repeated course of cyberbullying of a minor is guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by a period of imprisonment not to exceed one year, or both.”

Other votes include:

• The purchase of portable two-way radios as part of public safety communications in school buildings. The price to buy the radios from Saia Communications Inc. is $41,277.22.
• An energy performance contract with Energia and Johnson Controls, Inc.
• A proposed baseball trip to Florida.
• Several district personnel appointments and retirements.
• A revised emergency roof repair plan from Campus Construction Management and the proposed bid from Spring Sheet Metal and Roofing, LLC for Batavia High School.
• A Memorandum of Agreement between the Batavia City School District and Batavia Clerical Association.

Time is allotted for public comments at the beginning of the session. This meeting will be live-streamed via YouTube at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JI99xyBJt1sGdRzmCW2Kg?view_as=subscriber

 

Pembroke Central School’s regular board meeting on Feb. 22 has been canceled, however, an impromptu meeting has been scheduled for this week, Superintendent Matthew Calderon says.

The original meeting was scheduled during the board’s reorganizational session this past July. It was more recently deemed unnecessary due to no “pressing business," Calderon said to The Batavian on Monday.

An Unexpected “more pressing issue" arose, he said Tuesday, prompting a special board meeting to be set for 7 p.m. Thursday at the district office, corner of routes 5 and 77. 

“Basically, we recently had a bid opening for our ADA/BCS capital project, and the board needs to award the bids sooner than later in order to start the project on time,” Calderon said. “That is the main reason for the meeting, and we will also approve a few other items.”

The capital project stems from Americans with Disabilities Act and Building Conditions Survey (ADA/BCS) issues. A meeting agenda is to be posted on the district’s website by Wednesday, he said.

For more information, go to: https://www.pembrokecsd.org/page/board-of-education-home-page
 

It looks as though you can add paint to the list of materials eligible for disposal at the GLOW Region Solid Waste Management Committee’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection.

GLOW Recycling Administrator Peggy Grayson on Monday reported that New York’s Paint Stewardship program is expected to become operational by May 1, setting the stage for Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming county residents to drop off left over latex and oil-based paint at the Sept. 17, 2022 collection day at the Genesee County Highway Department on Cedar Street.

The collection event, which rotates among Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston each year, is open to the public at no charge. The electronics collection day is set for Sept. 24, also at the highway department.

Grayson, appearing at the Genesee County Legislature’s Public Service Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse, distributed brochures indicating that the paint program (www.paintcare.org) has established more than 2,000 drop-off sites in 10 states and the District of Columbia.

While most sites are paint and hardware stores, solid waste facilities – including transfer stations, recycling centers and landfills, plus household hazardous waste facilities – also participate as drop-off locations.

The program is funded by the addition of a small fee to the price of paint containers sold in stores and online.

Information provided by Grayson points out that latex paint is not hazardous waste and small amounts can be safely disposed of in the trash once it is in hardened form. If the can is more than half full, it should be taken to an approved PaintCare location or to the hazardous waste collection site.

In related action, the Public Service Committee approved an extension of a contract with Environmental Enterprises, Inc., and the other GLOW counties for the GLOW Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program at a cost not to exceed $32,000.

“This will be our 18^th year (with EEI),” Grayson said. “It’s a great job that they do for us; always on time and they clean up afterwards.”

The PSC also voted in favor of the following resolutions (subject to approval by the full legislature on Feb. 23):

• Leasing of a new Caterpillar hydraulic excavator from Milton Caterpillar in Batavia for $299,929, with annual payments set at $64,135.80. Funding will come from the road machinery budget, which had an estimate of $85,000 annually for the lease purchase.

• Utilization of $77,000 in grant funding for the Sheriff’s Office to pay overtime for the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee operations and for additional police services in the Village of Bergen, and for expenses related to a Department of Homeland Security program.

• Acceptance of a $4,056 grant from Homeland Security to cover the costs of sheriff’s deputies' participation in emergency preparedness exercises.

• Implementation of Automated Secure Alarm Protocol at the county’s Emergency Dispatch Center that will cut down the amount of time from the sounding of an alarm to the dispatch of first responders. The $35,000 capital project will be paid by revenues generated by wireless fees and state aid. This would affect all alarm companies linked to The Monitoring Association. “This could mean as much as 30 seconds saved on the front end … and that could make a huge difference (when it comes to a fire),” said Steven Sharpe, director of Emergency Communications.

• Acceptance of a $500,000 grant from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services to fund Justice for Children services in Batavia, Albion and Warsaw and Genesee Justice programming for the next five years through Sept. 30, 2027.

• A $718,564 contract with Union Concrete and Construction Corp. of West Seneca for replacement of the Darien-Alexander Townline Road bridge over Tunnery Brook. The bid was more than $100,000 less than the engineer’s estimate, according to the resolution.

Duane Hamill

A Wyoming County man is facing multiple felonies, some stemming from an accusation that he stole a rifle and vehicle keys of an employee of a local business, as well as a chase by law enforcement from Pembroke to the neighboring county.

Duane R. Hamill, 65, of Warsaw, is charged with:

• Burglary 3rd
• Grand larceny 3rd
• Robbery 2nd
• Robbery 3rd,
• Criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, and
• Menacing 2nd.

The incident began with a call sometime on Saturday (the time of call is not provided in the Sheriff's Office release) about a burglary that had occurred at an unidentified business in Pembroke.

Dispatchers were informed that an employee of the business was following the suspect. 

Once in the Town of Darien, Hamill and the employee reportedly got into a physical altercation and Hamill allegedly robbed the employee of a rifle and his vehicle keys. 

Hamill fled the scene and continued south in Wyoming County.  Deputies in Wyoming County located Hamill in his vehicle and initiated a pursuit.  He was eventually taken into custody and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

He was arraigned in Town of Pembroke Court on the robbery and weapons charges and in the Town of Pembroke Court on the remaining charges.  He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The investigation was conducted by Investigator Kevin Forsyth, Investigator Erik Andre, Sgt. Michael Lute, Deputy Kevin McCarthy, Deputy Ryan Young, Deputy Ryan Mullen, and Deputy Alexander Hadsall.

Tara Lyn Robinson, 29, of Genesee Street, Pembroke, is charged with unlawful possession of a noxious material. Robinson is accused of using pepper spray on another person without proper justification during an incident reported at 10:36 a.m., Feb. 10, at a location on Genesee Street, Pembroke. Robinson was arraigned in Town of Pembroke Court and released on her own recognizance.

Matthew J. Sanchez-Sanquiche, 25, of Batavia, is charged with Burglary 2nd, robbery 3rd, criminal contempt 1st, and criminal contempt 2nd. Sanchez-Sanquiche allegedly violated an order of protection at 3:59 p.m., Jan. 20, at a location on North Spruce Street, Batavia, by striking a person multiple times in the cause causing an injury. He also allegedly took the victim's phone during the incident. There were also allegedly children in the residence who are protected by stay-away orders. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $15,000 bail, $30,000 bond, or $60,000 partially secured bond.

Lyndsay T. Young, 38, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Young is accused of making numerous calls to a person thereby violating an order of protection. Young was also arrested on two warrants for alleged failure to appear. Young was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision. 

Christina Sanchez-Anderson, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Sanchez-Anderson was arrested on a warrant stemming from an incident reported at 3:18 p.m., Oct. 11. She was arraigned in City Court and ordered jailed on $1 bail.

Jessica L. Holtz, 38, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Holtz was taken into custody by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and turned over to Batavia PD on two warrants stemming from an incident reported at 7:42 a.m., Nov. 27 on South Swan Street, Batavia, and at 10:44 p.m., Nov. 18, on Jackson Street, Batavia. Holtz was arraigned in City Court and released.

Daniel T. Henning, 41, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th. Henning was arrested on a warrant following an investigation. He is accused of stealing property from a residence in Batavia and then found in possession of it at noon, Dec. 22, at a location on Veterans Memorial Drive. He was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released under supervision.

William Ramson Dieter, 48, of Lewiston Road, Oakfield, is charged with harassment 2nd. Dieter is accused of putting his hand on another person's neck and pushing her into a wall during an incident reported at 12:15 a.m., Feb. 5, at a residence on South Pearl Street, Oakfield. Dieter was arraigned in Town of Oakfield Court and released on his own recognizance.

Rafael Eliseo Colon, 39, of Grant Street, North Tonawanda, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Colon is accused of violating an order of protection at 8:46 p.m., Feb. 5, at a residence on Prestige Crossing, Batavia. Colon was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court. There is no information available on his release status.

Travis C. Wissinger, 22, of Medina, is charged with DWI. Wissinger was stopped at 3:09 p.m., Feb. 7, in the Town of Alabama by State Police. He was issued an appearance ticket. No further information released.

Shawntisha M. Gray, 30, of Apple Street, Syracuse, is charged with petit larceny. Gray is accused of shoplifting from Dick's Sporting Goods in Batavia at 6:59 p.m., Feb. 8. Gray was issued an appearance ticket.

Charles Timothy Kuhn, 47, of Alexander Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Kuhn was arrested by Deputy David Moore after dispatchers received a report of a vehicle off the road at 11:22 p.m., Feb. 8, on Sprauge Road, Alexander. Kuhn was released on an appearance ticket.

Genesee Symphony Orchestra’s concert this weekend will pay homage to a Batavian who served as the group’s historian and board member in the early 1990s and again in 2000 when she chaired the group’s 60th-anniversary dinner, member Roxie Choate says.

The orchestra program will include a note to honor Leona Pastore, who died Sunday, Feb. 6, after an active life of 94 years. Choate surmised what it would say.

“We honor the memory of Leona Pastore, a longtime supporter in every way for the GSO. She wanted the GSO to succeed in every manner,” Choate said to The Batavian Wednesday. “She worked hard for the musicians, and was always very dedicated.”

The concert is set for 4 p.m. Sunday at Genesee Community College, 1 College Drive, Batavia, with a pre-concert chat at 3:20 p.m.

An article in the GSO history notebooks includes a concert review written by Maurice Nicholson in 1953. Nicholson raved about guest soloists Paul Ruhland, a baritone, and “Mrs. Leona Azzi Pastore's" coloratura soprano. “Her lovely voice wafted through the air like a zephyr,” Nicholson wrote.

“And, judging from the applause, won the complete approval of the audience,” he said. “Her coloratura work in the Herbert number was well near perfect as was her interpretation of the Romberg melody.”

One of Pastore’s favorite quotes was that life is a song and love is music. She shared that love as a guest soloist for GSO, produced and performed on WBTA radio with her own show, was the soloist for the Genesee Chorale and Ars Nova Singers.  She also became an organist for St. Anthony’s Church and appeared in many Rotary Club Broadway local productions, including Brigadoon, Mame, Camelot, and Sound of Music.

She was recognized as an outstanding Italian American by the Paolo Busti Foundation for her accomplishments in music and was associated with the late author John Gardner’s Memorial Society. Society members often met at the Pok-A-Dot in Batavia, which was founded by Pastore and her late husband Philip. After his death in 2018, Leona carried on the Ellicott Street tradition of beef-on-weck and another popular fare in a low-key, friendly environment. 

Pastore’s passion for music began at the age of seven in a performance of The Little Drummer Boy and at 11, she joined the St. Anthony’s Senior Choir, becoming a soloist performing at all church functions. In her senior year, she became the soloist with The Choristers of Rochester Civic Orchestra, where she sang for multiple organizations, churches, and functions throughout the state.

After graduation from High School, she went on to study at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. where she majored in voice. Upon finishing college, she married her husband Philip and began raising her family, all while remaining active in her church and St. Anthony’s School, where she became President of the PTA.

Pastore was also known as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend.

For the full obituary, go to: 
https://www.thebatavian.com/obituaries

Top photo depicts soloists Paul Ruhland and Leona Pastore in a 1953 program. Courtesy of Genesee Symphony Orchestra.

File Photo: Paulette Pastore, Leona Pastore, and Phyllis Pastore-Beers outside the Pok-A-Dot in July, 2021

Newton’s third law states that for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction, and a downtown business owner has reacted to the ugliness of a pandemic with the beauty of local art displayed for all to see.

Enter Brian Kemp, owner of T-Shirts, Etc., and his employee Melissa Flint. By way of a brainstorming session last year, the pair created the TableTop Art Show in response to so many art galleries being closed due to COVID-19 protocols. It’s an event meant to highlight area artists and connect them to the community via in-person and online shows, business sponsorships and restaurants-turned-galleries.  

The tabletop idea is perhaps a bit of genius: invite artists to submit their works for a show, award prizes for the top three works, and about 15 of them get chosen for a wall display and placemat to be used at area restaurants. Patrons can view those top contenders in person while eating a meal, and then visit the online site to see all of the submitted pieces. 

“It’s really putting this artwork in front of people who wouldn’t get to see it,” Kemp said during an interview with The Batavian. “I want to make it a show of the year, and I  hope the interest increases. Some of the pieces will be available to buy. I just really want to feature artists.”

Kemp and Flint developed and implemented the idea a year ago. Batavia Society of Artists hosted the show in 2021 and provided the contributing artists. This year the show is open to all regional artists, and at no charge. Money raised from sponsorships goes toward prizes of $200, $100, and $50 for first, second, and third place, respectively. 

The Tabletop Art Show, now in its second year, came about as a solution to the lack of venues available for art displays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Creators Kemp and Flint kicked around some ideas and landed on the tabletop concept. It has grown since last year, Kemp said, and has pulled along an increasing list of participants.
There are 23 restaurants signed up this year to display the placemats at their establishments. Eli Fish Brewing Company will serve as host to selected artwork during March, and other businesses will support the event as sponsors. 

For anyone who has visited Kemp’s business, T-Shirts Etc. on Center Street, Batavia, it seems rather clear that he values local art. There are original pieces on his walls, and displays of last year’s TableTop artwork. 

This year’s show debuts and runs through March, chosen as the tabletop signature month for the yearly event. This is a way to display artist works — “bring art to the people” — and grace several restaurant tables with some local talent, Kemp said. 

Artists may submit up to three pieces each by Feb. 13, and all of those will be featured in a virtual portion of the show. Spectators will have more than a passive role of viewing; they will get to vote for a People’s Choice Award from March 1 to 31. Just 15 of all submitted works will be selected by the TableTop Art Show crew and shown off on placemats and the walls of Eli Fish Brewing Company at 109 Main St., Batavia.  

Anyone interested in sponsoring this show or participating as a tabletop restaurant may still have an opportunity to do so. For more information or for an artwork submission form, go to: https://tabletopartshow.secure-decoration.com/

Top photo: Business owner Brian Kemp shows off last year's placemat artworks that debuted at local restaurants for the inaugural TableTop Art Show. He's hoping that this year reaps even more artist pieces, community support and interest. Deadline for submissions is Feb 13. Photo by Howard Owens.

All-time scoring leaders, school records, championships, a legacy of excellence, determination, and hard work -- the Johnson family has made a lasting impression of Pembroke girls basketball.

That's the impression you get when you look at the legend of Top 10 scorers in girls basketball on the Pembroke gym, which contains three Johnson names: Breanna, with 814 points, Mackenna, 678 points, and Aralyse, 618 points.

Then there are the two championship basketballs in the trophy case, both with the name "Johnson" on them.

Finally, there is the current roster with senior Sydney on the team that is coached by father Jamie, along with Breanna and Aralyse.

Breanna is no longer the school's all-time scoring leader (Serene Calderon surpassed her last season when she finished her career with 831 points), and Aralyse is still the school's all-time rebound leader with 639, and Mackenna leads all-time in assists with 308 points.

At one time, Breanna, the oldest of the sisters, held all but one of the key girls basketball records and she also helped lead the team to its first Section V title challenge. Her mom Shannon said that was one of her proudest moments in the family's sports history. 

"She did anything that (then-coach) Mike Wilson asked her to do," Shannon said. "Just watching her do that -- and I think easily she could have broken 1,000 (points) --  but every game she wanted to make sure every person scored. She could have been somebody who could have walked around with her head high and just bragging but the day that Serene broke her record, (she was) here and taking pictures with (Serene), I think for me, just watching her walk around as somebody who could have just been a snot and she was just so humble, I think for me, that was a proud moment."

All the girls, mom said, have that kind of character, and that means more to her than the athletic accomplishments.

Breanna may have led the way for the girls to make their marks in basketball -- a legacy that eventually helped Pembroke win back-to-back Section V titles in 2019 and 2020 when Mackenna was a junior and a senior -- but the athletic pace of the family was set by father Jamie, a 1991 graduate who excelled as a Dragon in football, baseball, and basketball.

He started coaching youth baseball in high school and as his girls came of age for sports, he naturally fell into coaching them in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball and other travel leagues.

For the past few seasons, he's been the Dragons football coach, and last year he took over the girls varsity program in basketball.

Both Breanna and Aralyse said they love coaching and that dad set the example.

"When I finished college, I came home and I started coaching with an offseason AAU team and  I just loved helping the girls learn to play," Breanna said. "I started out with a sixth-grade team. They were younger and still learning so I've stayed with them. I love teaching and helping the girls learn to play the game."

Aralyse said her father definitely inspired her as a player and coach.

"So many people hate being coached by their parents," Aralyse said. "I had my dad for one year when I played travel basketball and I couldn't imagine a better coach at that point. I think his consistency, and just seeing his determination and his hard work and everything he does is really inspiring.

"He's always been constant in support whether we have a bad game or a good game, he's always there to either congratulate us or tell us what we could have done better or different."

Breanna is 25 and majored in biology at Clarkson University. Aralyse is 24 and is an event coordinator after attending Johnson & Wales University.

It's watching young athletes grow that drew Jamie to coaching, he said. 

"I like the connections you make with the kids and the improvement that you get to see," Jamie said. "They come in sometimes with raw skills and you get to watch them develop, and watch them gain confidence in the skills and the new skills that they're learning."

Basketball has always been part of the Johnson household, the girls said, especially after Breanna took up the sport as a young girl.  She led the way, her younger sisters said, and Jamie was an immediate inspiration with his deep knowledge of the game.

"It definitely gave me something to look up to with both my older sisters playing before me and my dad (coaching)," said Mackenna, who has continued her basketball career at GCC, where she's in a natural sciences program in environmental biology with hopes of becoming a park ranger or DEC officer. "They all really helped me set goals and helped me work towards those goals, and it brings us a lot closer together. It's our whole life."

Sydney, of course, had three older sisters to guide her toward the game.

"Since the time I was three years old, I'd be going to basketball games and going to my sister's tournaments or even just the high school games. I was always here," Sydney said. "I started just going to my sisters' open gyms or practices and just shooting on the side while they were actually practicing. Ever since then I fell in love (with the game)."

In the Johnson household, Shannon said, post-game film review among the girls and their father has been a regular undertaking.

"I guess (it means a lot to me) just watching them take after their father, seeing the things that he loved, and we've all let them try," Shannon said. "They have tried everything from gymnastics to competitive dance to softball, everything. They take after their dad, like coming home after a game and wanting to watch the game again and go through it with Dad what we did wrong, what we did well. Watching them strive to be like him and be dedicated like him; I think that's one thing that means a lot to me."

As a dad and coach, Jamie gives his girls most of the credit for what they've accomplished on and off the court.

"They have, I don't know what to call it, an inner drive that, you know, they want to be the best of everything," Jamie said. "So they put in the work, they put in the time, and they really just have that inner drive, I don't know how else to explain it."

Jamie said he is the proud coach and father.  His girls have set records, won titles, set a good example for their friends and classmates, and set themselves on solid career paths.  But he's most proud, he said, that his girls have good character.

"I'm proud of how the girls carry themselves in all the things that they do, whether it be at work or at school or in sports," he said.

Top photo: The Johnson basketball family of Pembroke: Sydney, Shannon, Aralyse, Breanna, Jamie, and Mackenna.

Mackenna with her mother Shannon while Shannon tracks team statistics during a game at Pembroke.

Sydney Johnson

Pembroke Head Coach Jamie Johnson along with his assistants, daughters Aralyse and Breanna, during a recent game.

Mackenna Johnson taking a shot during the Shooting for a Cure game in 2017. This year's Shooting for a Cure game is Friday. Photos by Howard Owens.

Antwoine Kush, 19, of Lockport, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, burglary 2nd, unlawful imprisonment, and robbery 3rd. Kush was arrested on a warrant in Savannah, Ga., and extradited back to Batavia, on charges stemming from an incident reported at 5:08 a.m., Dec. 16, on East Main Street, Batavia.  He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $25,000 bail, $50,000 bond, or $75,000 partially secured bond.  He was also arrested and arraigned on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a prior arrest.

Antwan L. Odom, 21, of Batavia, is charged with assault 3rd.  Odom is accused of striking a neighbor in the face with a fist causing a physical injury at 12:25 p.m., Jan. 25, on Miller Avenue, Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Isaac D. Abrams, 21, of Alabama, is charged with burglary 1st. Abrams was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 9:48 p.m., Dec. 28, in Alabama. He was ordered held in jail. No further details released.

Stephen Gerard Ognibene, 64, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal purchase or disposal of a firearm and failure to report a lost or stolen firearm.  On Dec. 15, deputies Erik Andre and Jeremiah Gechell began an investigation into unaccounted handguns stemming from a criminal contempt arrest. It's alleged that Ognibene unlawfully disposed of two revolvers to an individual who could not legally possess firearms and failed to report to law enforcement that the firearms were lost or stolen. He was arraigned in City Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice.

Virginia Steen, 52, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd and criminal contempt 2nd. Steen is accused of tampering with the property of another person in a common area of a residence on Gilbert Street, Le Roy, at 1 a.m., Feb. 6. The action allegedly violated an order of protection. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Jose Antonio Cruz, 28, of Linwood Road, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Cruz is accused of stealing from a business where he was employed on West Main Street, Le Roy, at 5 p.m., Feb. 1. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Quincy R. Byrd, 26, of Bacon Street, Le Roy, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Byrd is accused of driving a 2005 Toyota Camry without permission of its owner at about 3 p.m., Feb. 5, on Bacon Street, Le Roy. After being arraigned in Le Roy Town Court, Byrd was released to Lockport PD on an arrest warrant.

John A. Cabrera, Sr., 54, of Batavia, is charged petit larceny. Cabrera is accused of stealing two frozen pizzas and three cans of beer from a business on Ellicott Street, Batavia, at 11:36 a.m., Feb. 3. he was issued an appearance ticket.

Chantalle J. Bessil, 27, of Batavia, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, and suspended registration. Bessil was stopped at 9:29 pm., Feb. 1, on East Main Street by a Batavia PD patrol. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Carlene V. Santiago, 32, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Santiago was arrested on a warrant stemming from an incident reported at 3:19 p.m., March 17, on Vine Street, Batavia. She was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Talana J. Savery, 22, of Fulton, is charged with failure to appear. Savery was arrested on a warrant after turning herself into Batavia PD. She was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. 

Shawn M. Twardowski, 39, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Twardowski is accused of stealing beer from a business on East Main Street, Batavia, at 9:32 a.m., Jan. 26. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Gregory Reese, 52, of Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Reese was arrested on a warrant for alleged aggravated unlicensed operation in the City of Batavia at 12:23 a.m., Jan. 30, 2021, on Ellicott Street, Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.

Andrew J. Draper, no age provided, of Batavia, and Crystal A. Mounts, no age provided, of Batavia, are both charged with petit larceny. Draper and Mounts are accused of stealing at 1:46 p.m., Jan. 29, from a business on Ellicott Street, Batavia. They attempted to leave the store with more than $700 worth of merchandise.  They were issued appearance tickets.

John Kenneth Hobbs, 34, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Hobbs was allegedly found in the presence of a protected party when authorities responded to a residence on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, for a medical emergency at 9:20 p.m., Feb. 1. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and ordered held on bail.

A 15-year-old male resident of Alabama is charged with promotion of a sexual performance of a child less than 17 and possession of sexual performance by a child. The youth was arrested by State Police in connection with an investigation begun at 7:28 p.m., Sept. 16, in the Town of Alabama.  The youth was issued an appearance ticket. No further details were released.

Manzel R. Maxwell, 30, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Maxwell is charged with a theft committed at 1:20 p.m., Dec. 6, in the Town of Batavia. The investigation is ongoing by State Police. No further details released.

Richard Lewis Conte, 29, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, refusal to take a breath test, reckless driving, failure to keep right, and avoiding traffic device or intersection light. Conte was stopped at 10:50 p.m., Jan. 26, on Route 33 in Byron by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

John Laurence Lyons, 53, of HIlltop Drive, Le Roy, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing.  Lyons is accused of obstructing the breathing of another person at 11:45 p.m., Nov. 24, at a location on Hilltop Drive, Le Roy. He was arrested by Le Roy PD and issued an appearance ticket.

Gary David Doctor, 39, of Main Street, Akron, is charged with DWI, driving while ability impaired by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration.  Doctor was arrested by Deputy Kevin McCarthy after dispatchers received a report at 10:56 a.m., Nov. 24, of a male passed out behind the wheel on West Main Street Road, Batavia. Doctor was issued an appearance ticket.