Press release:

Crime Stoppers WNY is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of Nathan L. Royse. 

Mr. Royse is currently on parole for a conviction of burglary in the second degree. 

He has an active parole warrant for absconding as well as an active warrant issued by the Batavia Police Department for criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. 

He should be considered armed and dangerous. 

If you have information, please contact: Crime Stoppers WNY. Call: 716-867-6161 or submit an anonymous tip online.

Previously: Batavia PD seeking public's help in locating wanted suspect

Press Release:

The 2023 Richmond Reads program will be in full swing in September, with events and programs to celebrate the 2023 selection, Hang The Moon by Jeannette Walls. Richmond Reads is a community one-book program designed for the Richmond Memorial Library’s community of readers.

Jeannette Walls will visit Richmond Memorial Library on Tuesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. for a talk and book signing. Published in March of 2023, Hang the Moon was an instant New York Times Bestseller. The book centers around Sallie Kincaid, a young woman who inherits a bootlegging empire in prohibition-era Virginia. Registration is full for the event, but those interested may be added to the waitlist and may opt to view a live stream of the event from another space in the library. For more information on this Speaker please visit www.simonspeakers.com.

The Richmond Reads committee has planned a full slate of events! This year’s program also features a partnership with Batavia High School and Genesee Community College for events geared toward their students.

Richmond Reads Schedule of Events: 

Friday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.: Battle of the Library Celebrity Bartenders at Go-Art! Library Director Beth Paine will face off against Board of Trustees President Jessica Ecock Rotondo to see who can earn the most tips! The event will include snacks, a cash bar, a basket raffle, and 50/50. All proceeds will go to The Friends of Richmond Memorial Library in support of Richmond Reads. Basket tickets are also available to purchase at the library until 5 p.m. on September 8.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.: Rolling Out the Barrels- A Look at Prohibition Historian Lynne Belluscio will present about the local history of prohibition. This event will take place in the Reading Room at Richmond Memorial Library. No registration is required.

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m.: Richmond Reads Reel Discussions Join us as we screen the 2017 film The Glass Castle, based on the memoir of the same name by Jeannette Walls with a discussion to follow. This event will take place at Richmond Memorial
Library in the Gallery Room. No registration is required.

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m.: Music of Appalachia with Haley Moore at GCC Fiddler Haley Moore of the Eastman Community Music School will lecture and perform music from the time of Hang the Moon. Sponsored by GCC’s Inclusive Excellence Committee and the GCC Library. Free to attend and all are welcome. This event will take place in the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College.

Monday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 9:30 a.m.: Community Book Discussions The only requirement to attend is to read Hang the Moon. These discussions will take place in the Reading Room at Richmond Memorial Library. Book Review Contest- Opens Friday, September 1. Write a review of Hang the Moon for a chance to win a dinner with the author on October 10! All rules and information available beginning September 1. The contest closes on Saturday, September 30 at 5 p.m. Visit the library or batavialibrary.org for all information and link to the review form.

For all information about the book, author, and events, please visit the library or batavialibrary.org/richmond-reads. Richmond Reads is made possible by the generosity of The Friends of Richmond Memorial Library.

Press Release:

Richmond Memorial Library will host the Fall 2023 Series of Books Sandwiched In on Wednesdays in September from 12:10 p.m. - 1 p.m. Rounding out its 42nd year, this program invites speakers to present reviews of books, often non-fiction, and features coffee, cookies, and door prizes. Each session will feature a door prize of a gift certificate to a local lunch spot.

This fall’s session brings a little something special – author Will Bardenwerper will present about his own book, The Prisoner in His Palace: Saddam Hussein and the Twelve Americans Who Guarded Him, published by Scribner in 2017. Described by BookPage as  “a behind-the-scenes look at history that's nearly impossible to put down...a mesmerizing glimpse into the final moments of a brutal tyrant's life," The Prisoner in His Palace takes readers inside the last days of Saddam Hussein. A journalist who has contributed to The New York Times and The Washington Post, Bardenwerper is also a veteran of the United States Army, having quit his job in finance after 9/11 to enlist. Bardenwerper’s latest venture, a book for Doubleday exploring small-town baseball and community, has recently brought him to Batavia.

September’s Books Sandwiched In Line-up: 

• Wednesday, September 6 at 12:10 p.m.: RML Library Visits Coordinator Lucine Kauffman reviews: The Book of Charlie Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man by David von Drehle, published in 2023.
• Wednesday, September 13 at 12:10 p.m.: Holland Land Office Museum Director Ryan Duffy reviews: The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder That Shocked Jazz-Age America by Karen Abbott, published in 2019 (this is a special tie-in with Richmond Reads!).
• Wednesday, September 20 at 12:10 p.m.: Author Will Bardenwerper reviews his book The Prisoner In His Palace: Saddam Hussein and the Twelve Americans Who Guarded Him, published in 2017 (feat. a giveaway of a copy of the book). Copies of the book will also be for sale for $20 and can be signed by the author.
• Wednesday, September 27 at 12:10 p.m.: Dr. Brenda McQuillan, Associate Professor of Social Work and the MSW Program Director at Roberts Wesleyan University reviews: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, published in 2014 (feat. a giveaway of a copy of the book).

Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross Street in the City of Batavia. For information about all upcoming programs, visit the library or website at batavialibrary.org.

Press Release:

The Hope Center of Le Roy is pleased to announce the appointment of Tammy Genagon to a staff position as its Senior Moments Lunch Club respite director. Respite programs offer caregivers a much-needed opportunity to take care of their own needs while their loved one, affected by memory impairment, enjoys a time of socialization, games, crafts, and lunch with trained volunteers.

Having retired after 28 years in nursing, with 10 years in geriatrics, Tammy has always had a special love and compassion for those challenged by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. After three years of grieving the loss of her husband, David, following 42 years of marriage, Tammy prayed for direction on her life’s path. 

When she saw an ad for volunteering through the Alzheimer’s Association, she decided to look into volunteering as a caregiver. It was shortly thereafter, in the spring of this year, that she was approached by the Hope Center and invited to lead the program initially, as a volunteer.

“We are so blessed to have Tammy join our team as a paid staff member. It has enabled us to offer the very best in a memory-care respite program,” said Diane Sia, Director of the Hope Center. “She brings a unique thumbprint to her program, which focuses on their guests’ enjoyment, above all. There is a lot of laughter as they sometimes adapt to the desires of the group. One guest was enjoying balloon volleyball so much he didn’t want to move on to the next activity. And that was perfectly fine.”

“They are having a good time and have forgotten that they ‘forget.’ They leave their inability at the door and become an important part of the group,” says Tammy. Recently, Tammy has become the Alzheimer’s Association Community Educator for Genesee County. She conducts informational meetings open to the public addressing a variety of topics pertaining to Alzheimer’s. This role enhances her position at the Hope Center and makes her an invaluable resource for families whose loved ones are affected. “Sometimes, because they may lack the social skills of their past, loved ones with dementia can feel excluded at family gatherings. We meet families at their point of need and help them and their loved ones with things like that.” 

One gentleman whose wife attends the Lunch Club appreciates having a life-enriching program for her to enjoy so he can rest; she sometimes wanders at night, so he is awake with her. 

For more information about volunteering in the Senior Moments Lunch Club (because moments matter!) or to reserve a spot for your loved one, please reach out to Tammy at (585)739-2251 or tgenagon@gmail.com. 

They meet on the first Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and pre-registration is required. You may also learn about this free program and others offered by the Hope Center by visiting their website at: hopecenterofleroy.org.

Press Release:

The Rosalie "Roz" Steiner Art Gallery is kicking off its 2023-2024 exhibition season with a solo show by local sculpture artist, Richard Bannister. Richard's sculptures are one-of-a-kind, unique works of art. He is a master of sculpting in wood, metal, and stone. He completes all the work on his art, by himself, in his studio.

Opening receptions for "Man's Struggle with the Gods: Sculptures by Richard Bannister" will be on September 14 from 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. and 5 - 7 p.m. with an artist presentation at 12:30 p.m. in the Roz Steiner Gallery.

About his artistic process, Richard says: "I now consider that the ability to create my works of art is a gift from God. However, I didn't always believe this. For years in my early studio in San Miguel, I believed that man could only destroy. I believed anyone could do what I did. All they had to do was take the time and carve a sculpture from a block of wood or marble or make an armature and apply clay for the beginnings of a bronze sculpture. I do not sketch before starting a sculpture, I simply grab a tool and begin the work. During the process of seeing a piece of art come into existence, I receive fulfillment. Because of my various procedures, materials and tools I am usually working on ten or so pieces at once. I can flow from piece to piece and pick up hours, days, or months later exactly where I left off. This is a rare blessing indeed."

Richard Bannister has had a long and storied career that has made him the artist he is today. He managed a farm with his identical twin brother at the age of 14, fought in the Vietnam War, studied at many different colleges, and gained his BFA & MFA. He also taught and headed the sculpture department at San Miguel de Allende, traveled the world lived in foreign countries, and exhibited his artwork internationally. Bannister has raised a family, written manuscripts, explored different entrepreneurial avenues, and holds a Bachelor of Theology from RBI in Tampa, Florida. His dream is to set up an art park on his 16 acres of land. His proudest achievements are his 3 children.

Richard's exhibition at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery will focus on his marble carvings, wood sculpture, and cast bronze. As an instructor in higher education, Richard developed courses discussing man's experiences with gods, demons, spirits, and other folkloric elements. Many of the pieces in his current show are a result of that line of thought. He aims to spark discussion of the things we cannot see; some of his artwork takes inspiration from Biblical tales like his sculpture Eve and the Tempterwho tempted who? (made of walnut), and Angel with the Gods (carved of black marble). Richard pulls insight from the religion of ancient Egypt and Buddhism, such as Baby Buddha (made of red oak and walnut), Egyptian Fish God, Slave Girl, and Angry King (carved black marble), which is the sculpture we are using to promote the exhibition.

Mr. Bannister has written eight manuscripts throughout his career, which form the series "My struggle with the Gods." The written saga is titled from the marble carving series that he is presently working on, "Man's struggle with the Gods". At his artist talk, Richard Bannister will discuss the inspiration behind his sculptures, and his creative process, and pull from his college courses to prompt discussion.

Roz Steiner gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m. The gallery is also open on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Any changes to the gallery hours will be posted on the gallery's social media pages

As kids return to Batavia City Schools this week, there are a couple of things most likely happening: along with their notebooks and pencils, they are bringing their cell phones and using social media. 

The district’s Board of Education, however,  has decided that such practices are causing students harm and have agreed to join a consortium formed to sue those social media giants — TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook, for example — for creating “a youth mental health crisis caused by social media addiction.”

A legal team — the same one that brought suit against e-cigarette company JUUL, representing 300 school districts including Batavia, and won — is now on the trail of those social media magnates. 

The Batavian asked city district Superintendent Jason Smith why the district opted to join the lawsuit — is it a matter of, they’ve got nothing to lose? What harm does he believe social media is causing? Does any responsibility fall to the home as a breeding ground for these actions?

“I honestly think it's a balance of family responsibility and the responsibility of other entities to market and use their products in a safe and responsible manner,” Smith said.  “As with any tool, there are positive and negative aspects.  We can look back in history and examine how reforms occurred in the auto industry, tobacco marketing, etc.  Social media is clearly a positive tool and can be used for good, but I think there is a collective responsibility to manage it properly and well between families and the companies themselves.”

So who is ultimately responsible? 
The National Social Media Litigation Team of Wagstaff & Cartmell, Beasley Allen Law Firm and Goza Honnold Trial Lawyers believes the evidence is irrefutable, and Smith deferred to them for part of his answer: 

“Everything about these products — from inadequate age verification measures, insufficient parental controls, endless scrolling, constant notifications, and targeted algorithms — have been designed to addict teen and adolescent users,” the team states in its supplemental materials. “These companies are fueled by their own greed and have put profits over the safety of our youth. As a result, children across the country are suffering mental and physical harms.

“The problem,” the team says, “is that social media companies like Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube/Google knowingly put young users in harm’s way to generate billions of dollars in profit. They adopted targeted algorithms to collect adolescent users’ data unethically, used addictive psychological tactics to increase adolescent and teen usage, and feature inefficient controls to help parents exercise their rights and duties to monitor and limit their children’s use.

“As a result, our children are becoming addicted to social media, resulting in mental and physical injuries like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and even death,” the team states.

What will this cost the district? How would you spend anything won?
There is no cost to the district for signing on to the lawsuit, Smith said; it will be handled “on a contingency fee basis.” 

So if they lose, it will cost nothing, and if they win, they will reap some of the proceeds. 

“If the district has the opportunity to receive a settlement, we will use it for proactive educational programming for our students, as we did with the Juul settlement,” he said.

According to its supplemental material, this consortium was formed to “work jointly on behalf of public entities in the investigation and prosecution of claims for damages arising out of negligence, public nuisance and other claims against social media companies like Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Tik Tok, Snapchat and YouTube/Google.” 

“We are committed to representing public entities, large and small, across the country. We will work to obtain just compensation for the mental health crisis and the costs imposed on public entities by irresponsible social media companies,” it states. 

In March, Batavia City School board members unanimously approved nearly $36,000 in settlement funds from a lawsuit in which the district claimed injury, malice, oppression and fraud against Juul Labs. The city school district was one of 143 districts involved in the lawsuit against the makers of the popular vaping products, alleging that the company “fraudulently and intentionally marketed” its products to children and that those products caused numerous health, financial and structural damages to the district and students.

According to lawsuit documents, the district had to hire additional personnel, including a second school resource officer, divert current personnel to retain students on campus when possible, purchase extra equipment and supplies, repair damages, and deal with behavioral issues.

The expected proceeds were going to be invested into the city district’s “preventative and restorative” program called Vape University, Superintendent Jason Smith had said. Operated at the high school, Vape U is a pilot program geared toward helping students with positive replacement behaviors for vaping.

Previously:  

• Batavia City Schools to receive $35K as part of mass action lawsuit against Juul
• BCSD board approves Juul settlement, lawsuit involves several claims of damages to district

Here's a slide show of photos from over the Labor Day weekend in Oakfield of the Labor Daze Music and Food Festival, including many previously unpublished photos.

All photos by Howard Owens.

The Batavian provided the community with the most comprehensive, daily coverage of Labor Daze.  If you appreciate what we do, please sign up for Early Access Pass.

Providing a safe and secure place to live for women battling substance use disorder, including those with children, is yet another vital phase of the mission of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to offer a wide spectrum of care.

“This project is only one of maybe three similar facilities west of Syracuse,” said GCASA Chief Executive Officer John Bennett, speaking of the agency’s 25-bed women and children’s residence that will be located on Butts Road in Albion. “We will serve Genesee and Orleans counties, primarily, and also the Western and Finger Lakes regions.”

Part of the wooded nine-acre lot just outside of the Albion village limits is being cleared to make way for the construction of the building frame and roof this fall, Bennett said. The home – which will take on a woodsy look of green siding and black window trim -- is expected to open around October of next year.

“Once open, it will include an early childhood learning center, walking paths in the woods, a large playground, a small workout area for residents, an area for arts and crafts, and more,” he offered. “We continue to find ways to break down barriers for individuals to enter and remain in treatment services. We currently offer extra services such as our drop-in daycare, transportation, case management, recovery services, and a 24/7 peer hotline, as well as our core services.”

GCASA has expanded its programs exponentially under Bennett’s guidance, with its workforce tripling in size over the past 15 years. The women’s and children’s residential facility in Albion fills a great need in substance use treatment, he noted.

“Since 2015, we have seen a significant increase in our female (client) population,” Bennett said. “It used to be 75 percent men and 25 percent women. Now, with opioids – pills – becoming more popular among women, the need in the community to serve women has multiplied.

“One of the barriers for women entering a residential program is, ‘Who will care for their children?’ In our program, women will be able to have their children (under school age) with them while in care.”

Bennett said the Albion location will provide services to women 18 and older during their recovery, with five of the 25 units set up to accommodate women with children younger than kindergarten age. Up to two children can live in those units.

GCASA will operate the facility, with staffing at all hours, seven days a week, Bennett said. A grant from the New York State Department of Health has covered $4.6 million of the $5.2-million cost of construction.

“We looked at buying the Cloverhill Adult Home building in the village but it really wasn’t set up appropriately for the project. It would have taken much to convert and to rehab it,” he said. “When we did purchase the property on Butts Road, the Town of Albion was incredibly welcoming. It’s near to the village but provides privacy for the residents.”

Responding to questions from citizens in the area, Bennett said that only a small part of the land is designated as wetlands and that area will be left untouched, and that GCASA will put in plantings along the driveway upon completion to provide privacy for those living along Butts Road.

“GCASA always strives to be a good neighbor,” he said. “All of our buildings are well-kept.”

The agency is working with the firm of Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst Architects, P.C., of Orchard Park, the same company that has contributed design expertise for seven other GCASA projects. Whitney East, Inc., based in Le Roy and Rochester, is the general contractor.

Bennett said that once operational, the women and children’s residence will enable GCASA to make the Atwater Community Residence in Batavia a “male-only” facility.

“When this is done, we’ll have significantly expanded our bed capacity for all -- providing stabilization, rehabilitation and re-entry into the community,” he said.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

Our photographers, Jim Burns, Philip Casper, and Steve Ognibene, took so many tremendous photos over Wings Over Batavia, that we decided to recap their coverage with this slideshow, which contains many previously unpublished photos.

For out complete coverage over Wings Over Batavia, click here.

The Batavian brought you the region's most complete and comprehensive coverage of Wings Over Batavia. If you appreciate our coverage, you can show your support by joining Early Access Pass.

The Floyd Concept, a Pink Floyd tribute band from Buffalo, closed out the third and final day of the Oakfield Labor Daze Music and Food Festival with a show that brought the legendary progressive rock band's most iconic recordings to life.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Rochester-based Public Water Supply, an alt-Americana band that artfully mixes tasteful covers with well-written originals, played Monday afternoon at Labor Daze in Oakfield.

The Pink Floyd tribute band, The Floyd Concept, is on the main stage from 7 to 10 p.m.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Main Street in Oakfield was lined Monday morning with parade spectators as the community hosted its 39th Labor Daze Parade.

Photo by Howard Owens.

Wings Over Batavia's second and final day brought out another big crowd to the Genesee County Airport.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

It was a packed park in Oakfield on Sunday night during the high-energy performance of Nerds Gone Wild.

Here's today's (Monday's) line of live music at Labor Daze:

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Batavia Swing Band
• 1  to 4 p.m., Exit 13
• 4 to 7 p.m., Public Water Supply
• 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Photos submitted today (Sunday) by readers of Wings Over Batavia.

The Oakfield Betterment Committee is putting on quite a music festival for Labor Daze this weekend.

This afternoon, local Fleetwood Mac tribute band Songbirds took to the main stage and put on a great show.

At 6:30, Nerds Gone Wild takes the stage.

Monday

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Batavia Swing Band
• 1  to 4 p.m.: Exit 13
• 4 to 7 p.m.: Public Water Supply
• 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Previously: It's more than just ‘Rumours’ that Songbirds pay tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Photos by Howard Owens. 

The chief of East Pembroke Fire has ordered Area 51 to shut down its motocross races.

When a first responder informed the chief, a person at the races said, "There's no way that's going to happen," the chief responded, "Tell him if he doesn't shut it down, I'm going to have him arrested."

There have been multiple calls to the dirt track today for injuries and the latest call is requiring a Mercy Flight dispatch.  There are reportedly more than a couple of people currently in need of treatment for injuries.

Mercy EMS is tied up on multiple calls so Alexander's ambulance has been dispatched to the scene.  Darien is being asked to staff its ambulance because of the current ambulance shortage.

Area 51 is located at 3323 Harloff Road, Batavia.

UPDATE 4:46 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

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Photos by Philip Casper