batavia

A minor-injury, two-car accident is reported at Richmond Avenue and Oak Street, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Crews have been working on removing a large tree from the front of 113 Jackson St. for a couple of days. Today, they had a crane out to help as the tree was cut into sections and lowered to the ground.

Press release:

On Monday, Nov. 12, at noon Genesee Community College will host a special Veterans Day Honor Ceremony at the Batavia Campus, including featured speaker Michael H. Ranzenhofer, New York State Senator from District 61. The ceremony will follow the College's annual Open House event, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. 'til noon.

The honor ceremony will be live-streamed in each of the College's seven campus locations and online for added convenience. The public is encouraged to attend at any of the following locations:

• Batavia Main Campus -- One College Road, Batavia -- to see the ceremony in person
• Albion Campus Center -- 456 West Ave., Albion
• Arcade Campus Center -- 25 Edward St., Arcade
• Dansville Campus Center -- 31 Clara Barton St.
• Lima Campus Center -- 7285 Gale Road, Lima
• Medina Campus Center -- 11470 Maple Ridge Road, Medina
• Warsaw Campus Center -- 115 Linwood Ave., Warsaw
• Online here.

GCC will have approximately 25 front-row, handicap-accessible parking spots reserved for veterans on Nov. 12. 

The Genesee County Joint Honor Guard opens the ceremony at 12 p.m. performing a salute to the flag on the stage of the centrally located William W. Stuart Forum. With Jim Simon, GCC's associate dean of the Orleans County Campus Centers acting as emcee, audiences will hear from GCC's College President, James M. Sunser, Ed.D., who will welcome guests and introduce Senator Razenhofer.

Following Senator Razenhofer's speech will be a series of short, special presentations by GCC student veterans. Featured speakers include Specialist Ricky Henderson and Corporal Laura Bukowski both of the Marine Corps; Ace Strickland of the Army, who will read a poem about the meaning of Veterans Day; and Jessica Cary, of the Navy who will sign a special veteran's version of "Hallelujah."

Audiences will also enjoy musical arrangements by members of the Batavia High School Band.

"For 20 years, GCC has made this ceremony a tradition, but it is also a privilege," says Jim Simon, a veteran serving 22 years in the Air Force. "Coming together to recognize, honor, and celebrate the veterans of this country and their families is a demonstration of the very rights earned by their sacrifices."

All veterans and their families in attendance are invited to join GCC in a special lunch at 1 p.m. provided in the Wolcott J. Humphrey III Student Union.

In addition, representatives from the Veterans One-stop Center of WNY Inc. (VOC of WNY) will be onsite welcoming our veterans and their families and providing information about the many services and opportunities available to them. The VOC of WNY provides veterans and their families' access to a holistic range of social and health services designed to assist in the transition to civilian life and the accomplishment of their goals.

GCC is proud to have representation from the VOC of WNY at this ceremony and encourages all veterans and family members in attendance to meet with representatives and explore their options.

For more information regarding the Veterans Day Honor Ceremony, contact Director of the Adult Educational Opportunity Center Kate Trombley at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6285, or via email: kbtrombley@genesee.edu.

The K-Kids were on hand at St. Joe's today to help the Batavia Kiwanis Club promote its annual Pancake Day, which will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at the school.

Tickets are $6 for an adult and $4 for children and seniors.

Seasonal Classes 

• Oct. 17th @ 5 p.m. -- Halloween Fairy Garden
• Oct. 27th @ 1 p.m. -- Pumpkin Wood Slice
• Nov. 3rd @ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Craft Show
• Nov. 10th @ 11a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Fall Centerpiece
• Nov. 14th @ 6 p.m. -- Fall Centerpiece
• Nov. 17 @ 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. -- Christmas Candy Jar
• Nov. 19 @ 5:30 p.m. -- Christmas Candy Jar
• Nov. 21@ 12 p.m. -- Fairy Garden Class
• Dec. 1st @ 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Decorate Wreath
• Dec. 5th @ 5:30 p.m. -- Evergreen Centerpiece
• Dec. 8th @ 11 a.m. -- 2 p.m. -- Evergreen Centerpiece
• Dec. 10th @ 5:30 p.m. -- Decorate Wreath
• Dec. 12th @ 5:30 p.m. -- Decorate Wreath
• Dec. 14th @ 5:30 p.m. -- Evergreen Centerpiece
• Dec. 15th @ TBA -- Kids’ Christmas Crafts

East Pembroke fire has been dispatched to the Apple Grove Mobile Home Park on Pratt Road, Batavia, to assist a man whose leg has become stuck in a sinkhole.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) will consider approving incentives for two projects at the agency’s Nov. 1st board meeting.

The Ellicott Station Project in the City of Batavia is a mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project including adaptive re-use and new construction of a blighted property in a key gateway to downtown Batavia.

Savarino Companies, the project’s developer, has requested a PILOT agreement for the $22.5 million project be expanded to meet the financing needed for the project’s expanded scope and scale. A revised incentives package is valued at an estimated $3.25 million, including a property tax abatements and sales and mortgage tax exemptions.

The Ellicott Station project is anticipated to create 68 full-time equivalent jobs, the construction of a 99,000-square-foot brewery, including a restaurant and beer garden, and the construction of a five-story apartment building with 55 apartments and class-A office space.

Gateway GS LLC is seeking an $18,000 mortgage tax exemption for the first of five planned 27,000-square-foot spec buildings to be constructed at the Gateway II Corporate Park in the town of Batavia.

The $2.6 million project, which is being done by Gallina Development Corporation, has previously received approval for property and sales tax abatements.

We get a lot of questions about the construction project off of State Street next to the Thruway in Batavia.

The project is a new 30,000-square-foot warehouse and service center for Freightliner & Western Star of Batavia, LLC. The company is expanding beyond its current West Seneca location.

The company wanted a location close to the BOCES campus and plans to create at least 30 new jobs.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center approved $437,652 in sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions for the $4.35 million project.

The project also received a $465,000 state grant because of the educational component of the facility.

Construction finally began just over a week ago on a new four-story, 64-room hotel on Federal Drive in the Gateway II project.

The hotel will be operated by Oakfield Hospitality LLC, a company headed by Ash Patel, and branded as a Fairfield Inn.

While Oakfield Hospitality acquired the property from Genesee County Economic Development Center, the project has not received any incentives from the IDA.

Tom Turnbull, president of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, said the new hotel will help bring more visitors to Batavia.

"The addition of the Fairfield Inn to Genesee County’s inventory of hotel properties adds one of the only large flagship chains – Marriott – not represented in our county," Turnbull said. "The familiarity of the Marriott name and the loyalty to its brand by its customers means even more people will be staying in Genesee County hotels.

"That means not only more revenue for the hotels but also from restaurants, retail shops and other ancillary businesses in our area. More tourism revenue also means more sales tax revenue from sources outside of the county, which should help reduce the burden on county taxpayers."

Students at Notre Dame walked through the school's neighborhood today in support of their effort to raise funds so a school in Uganda can have clean, safe drinking water.

The students raised $4,635.30 through donations from friends and family. Mary Vandenbosch, a senior, raised the most money, $955. Sophomore MacKenzy Nenni raised $312.

Fifth Ward City Council Representative Kathy Briggs was with John Roach this afternoon walking the area around Thorpe Street to better see for herself, she said, what a proposal to make Thorpe one-way would mean for the neighborhood.

Briggs said she stopped to talk with local residents, especially those living on Thorpe, about the idea.

The plan is to make Thorpe one-way for southbound traffic and allow parking on one side of the street. Thorpe was apparently one-way many years ago and nobody knows how or when it changed, Briggs said.

There will be a public hearing on the proposal Nov. 26 and Briggs hopes for a City Council vote on the change at its Dec. 10 meeting.

"The folks on Thorpe (she spoke to today) like it a lot," Briggs said. "At my ward meetings they've been complaining about traffic that zooms down Thorpe Street and it’s so narrow and kids are out playing so they’re excited about this."

Let's talk about French fries.

The lowly fry. Can you really kick it up a notch?

Cooking a gourmet fry is actually no secret. Any competent chef can do it. But it's a lot of work.

The new chef at Terry Hills, John Steward, is ready to do the work.

It's a four-day process that consists of blanching, drying, blanching again, more drying, freezing and then frying.

The result is a fry that has a veneer of crunch and a soft, fluffy center, like a perfectly cooked baked potato or a mouthful of savory clouds.

We told Steward we were going to write about his fries and that some people might find that odd. He agreed.

"People will be like 'oh, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about, talking about good French fries,' " Steward said. "A fry is a fry, you know. But at the same time, people feel like, 'oh, why is this fry so good? What's so different?' And that's what we need right now. We need people talking about Terry Hills. So many times I hear that people forget that Terry Hills is a restaurant."

A native of Rochester, Steward, is a new father, current resident of Le Roy and the former sous chef at Farmer's Creekside Tavern & Inn.

Terry Hills isn't his first head chef's job, but it may be his most important. It's a chance, he said, not only to take Terry Hills to the next level but also to better establish his name and provide his staff with the training necessary to help advance their careers. Those are his goals.

They're ambitious for a guy who a little over six years ago started in the restaurant business as a dishwasher and quickly moved through his first kitchen, entirely self taught, to be ready to run a kitchen himself a few years later -- La Luna, in Rochester.

"Yeah, I never went to a culinary college or school," Steward said. "Everything I've learned, I've learned on the job. I've done a lot of research on my own, watched a lot of shows, read a lot. When I first started, I would go to the public market and buy a bag full of potatoes and  sit in my apartment working on knife cuts."

Danielle Rotondo, VP, and co-owner of Terry Hills, said Steward was just what management was looking for -- young and ambitious and eager to take the dining experience for lunch, dinners, and banquets to the next level. He came out on top after three rounds of interviews and several reference checks.

"We want to grow; we want to do more; we want to show Batavia that we're not just a golf course," Rotondo said. "You know we have our golf course, our restaurant, our banquet facility, we have all of that here, and, yes, we want to show that there are some different things out here and there are different ways to do it. Yes, it's Batavia, but we can also go on the edge a little bit and try something else."

To show off how Terry Hills will take it to the next level, a couple of weeks ago the restaurant hosted a chef's menu night for a few dozens guests both to introduce some new dishes and as a kind of soft opening on how things are changing.

It was at that chef's menu night that we tried those crisp, fluffy fries. But Steward also introduced diners to his gnocchi carbonara, like everything that night, made from scratch, consisting of hand-rolled, house-made ricotta in a rich and thick carbonara sauce with diced ham and peas.

Steward also served a dry-aged strip steak, a pan-seared salmon, chicken roulade, to go along with a wedge salad, a Caesar salad, and a grain medley.

Many of these dishes -- particularly, say, the fries and the gnocchi -- take substantial prep time but Steward said there's no reason he and his line staff aren't up to the demands of the extra effort.

"As you're organized, you always have lists going; then it should be executable," Steward said. "There's no reason why it shouldn't be executable."

Steward said what makes a good dining experience is fresh ingredients, scratch cooking, and service. It's his job to oversee all aspects of a guest's experience at Terry Hills now, and he plans to pay attention to those details.

"Even if I go to a diner, or if I go to a finer place, you can see if the food is taken care of, if people care about quality," Steward said. "I think that is what makes a good meal -- making sure you use fresh ingredients, you use the proper techniques, execute the proper techniques. Your execution is what makes a good meal."

He said he expects the care of the kitchen staff to be carried out into the dining room by the servers.

"Nothing frustrates me more when I go to a place, and I ask a server a question about the menu, and the server is like, 'I don't know,' Steward said. "You should, you should. To me, I feel like it's your job to know the menu to know what the chef is trying to cook.

"There's going to be time and money invested to ensure our staff is trained properly."

The one thing Steward didn't change for the night was Terry Hill's famous seafood bisque.

"The only thing I might change is the garnish and change the saltines to oyster crackers," Steward said. "I think a seafood bisque should have oyster crackers."

While upgrading the sit-down lunch and dinner menus for Terry Hills is high on the agenda, Steward said he also plans to revamp the banquet service.

"I'm not knocking the former chefs here, but some of these recipes are outdated," Steward said, "by like 25 years."

That doesn't necessarily mean there will be big changes in menu choices. He already considers Terry Hills the premier banquet facility in Batavia. He thinks a few changes to how things are done will make it even better.

"I understand that like I can completely get everything off the menu," Steward said. "But, again, some of the techniques we're using here again are outdated. No one uses them anymore so. Therefore, we need to update our techniques to make a better product. The quality of the product will improve but still essentially be the same, they will have the same ingredients, but it's just going to be a better product overall because it's done better."

Steward said the chef's that inspire him include: Massimo Bottura, owner of Osteria Francescana in Italy, now ranked the #1 restaurant in the world (Bottura was the subject of the first episode of Chef's Table on Netflix); Thomas Keller, a chef and restauranteur in California; and, Wylie Dufresne, a chef in Manhattan.

"I pride myself working hard, putting in the hours," Steward said. "I think anyone who does that is going to do well in any field."

Steward thinks he can take what he's learned on his own and use that knowledge to help make his line cooks better. He would like to be known as a chef who helps his staff advance their careers.

"I really want to make really good food," Steward said. "In that process, I want to teach the guys that are here, too. As I said from day one, my goal is for you guys, whenever your time is up here, is to walk into any kitchen (and) be the best cook that walks in that kitchen because you've got trained by me."

Downstairs is open and great for entertaining but very homey. Some hardwood floors and gorgeous unpainted woodwork really give this home charm. Upstairs bedrooms are all large with closets and attic is already partially finished and with a little paint could be amazing extra living/play space!

Mechanically sound with nothing urgent to tackle but what you want to do! Enjoy the front porch that has the Trex decking to enjoy the neighborhood. Or have your morning coffee on the back deck to enjoy the peacefulness of the cute backyard, either way come check out a really nice home!

Click here for more information on this listing or call Lynn Bezon today!

Brendan David Curry, 38, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with: DWI with a previous conviction within the last 10 years; refusal to take a breath test; operator leaving the scene of a property damage accident; moving from lane unsafely; and second-degree burglary -- illegal entry of a dwelling. Batavia police were called to an address on Ellicott Street for a burglary in progress at 12:08 a.m. on Oct. 24. They were advised that Curry had fled the scene in a vehicle and had also struck a guard rail. NYS Police located Curry and his vehicle at the intersection of Webster Avenue and Howard Street. Batavia Police Officer Nicole McGinnis interviewed Curry and allegedly found him to be intoxicated and he was arrested. Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot investigated the burglary and arrested him on the charge of second-degree burglary. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and bail was set at $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond for the DWI; he was released on his own recognizance on the burglary charge. He was to return to city court the same day, Oct. 24. Batavia Police officers McGinnis and DeGroot handled this case.

A 17-year-old who lives on Oak Street in Batavia is charged with second-degree harassment -- physical contact. The defendant was arrested following a report that the defendant punched and pushed a juvenile near Dwyer Stadium at 7:40 a.m. on Oct. 17. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 13. Then on Oct. 28, the same teenager and a codefendant, no age given, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and fighting in public. They allegedly entered the scene of a car accident at 2:13 p.m. on Oct. 28 on West Main Street, Batavia, while it was actively being investigated by police and engaged in a violent public fight. Neither defendant was connected to the accident in any way. They were processed and released on appearance tickets and are due in city court on Nov. 13. Both cases were handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Lindsay JR Goins Jr., 62, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment -- physical contact. He was arrested Oct. 24 for an incident that occurred at 4:46 p.m. on Oct. 23 on State Street during which he allegedly had physical contact with another person. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 30. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kyle Krtanik, assisted by Officer Catherine Mucha.

Annie G. Stanley, 65, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment -- physical contact. She was arrested Oct. 24 for an incident that occurred at 4:46 p.m. on Oct. 23 on State Street during which she allegedly had physical contact with another person. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 30. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kyle Krtanik, assisted by Officer Catherine Mucha.

Raymond Charles Cook, 48, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with: DWI -- first offense; operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or more; third-degree aggravated unlicensed operator; failure to use designated lane; and driving left of pavement markings. At 12:41 a.m. while on patrol, Batavia Police Officer Nicole McGinnis observed a vehicle traveling westbound on Main Street in Batavia committing numerous traffic infractions. After a roadside investigation, Cook was arrested. He was release on appearance tickets and is due in city court on Oct. 31. Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay assisted Officer McGinnis with the case.

Jordan Edenholm, 30, of Gabbey Road, Pembroke, is charged with: driving while intoxicated with a BAC of .08 percent or more; DWI; speeding; and making an improper left turn. He was arrested following a traffic stop on Route 63 in Batavia at 11:35 p.m. on Oct. 27. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Brandon Michael Burgess, 31, of Maltby Road, Oakfield, is charged with: DWI; DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or more; inadequate exhaust; and following too closely. Following a traffic stop on Lewiston Road in Batavia at 8 p.m. on Oct. 26, Burgess was arrested on these charges. He is due in Town of Batavia Court on Nov. 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Meyer, assisted by Deputy James Stack.

Kimberly A. Showler, 53, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. She was arrested after it was discovered she was allegedly shoplifting at Tops Friendly Market in Batavia at 4:35 p.m. on Oct. 22. She is due in city court on Oct. 30. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Jason Davis.

Thomas Allan Torrens Jr., 23, of Overlook Drive, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. On Oct. 28 following a traffic stop at 10:23 p.m. on Main Street Road in Batavia, Torrens was arrrested on these charges. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on Nov. 12. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Brandon C. Smart, 41, of North Pembroke Road, Batavia, was arrested Oct. 26 on a Batavia City Court warrant for failure to appear on unnecessary noise charges he incurred on March 21 on Central Avenue in Batavia. The case was handled by Batavia Police Offier Stephen Quider, assisted by Jason Davis.

A kitchen fire is reported at 627 E. Main St., Batavia.

City fire is arriving on scene reporting light black smoke coming out of Apt. 3.

UPDATE 3:33 p.m.: Scene commander reports, "sounds like food on the stove. Making entry now."

UPDATE 3:35 p.m.: Fire is out. Ventilating. 

Batavia's Original Pizzeria hosted fun and games yesterday afternoon following the Halloween Parade in Batavia. Several children along with parents, grandparents started walking from Dan's Tire and Auto down side streets in the cool wet weather to the pizzeria.

In addition to Batavia's Original, the event was sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Batavia and Roanoke Apple Farms.

A costume contest was judged by City Church members and Assemblyman Stephen Hawley. Music was entertained by DJ Tom Mazerbo. There were various prizes for the costume contest along with pizza and cider.

Batavia Ramparts Squirt III travel team traveled to Jamestown yesterday and picked up a 7-2 win.

• #15 Will Stevens, assisted by #26 Luke Staley
• #26 Luke Staley, assisted by #15 Will Stevens
• #16 Preston Viele, unassisted
• #15 Will Stevens, assisted by #88 Coleman Hiczewski
• #16 Preston Viele, unassisted
• #15 Will Stevens, unassisted (Hat Trick)
• #88 Coleman Hiczewski, assisted by #15 Will Stevens

Photos and info submitted by Teresa Pfendler.

You know you're in an authentic taqueria when you spot a sign next to the salsa roja warning the gringos, "Danger!"

Not every dish in a Mexican restaurant is spicy, of course, but if the discerning diner doesn't have the option to bite into something that bites back, then it's just not the real deal.

A bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce on the counter doesn't cut it.

"I think we are very very authentic," said Jose Castañeda, owner of the brand new Los Compadres at 40 Oak St., Batavia. "We serve tacos and pretty much that's what we do. We will be getting a liquor license, of course, in the near future.

(The U.S. colloquial translation of Los Compadres is "The Buddies.")

"We do try to be as authentic as we can. We have very good people, very good cooks and they take a lot of pride in what they do. I think that helps us to be successful."

During the first week of business, local residents have had no trouble finding Los Compadres, keeping the lunch and dinner hours busy, often with repeat customers, Castañeda said.

"Many people that we've served since we opened had come back three days in a row," Castañeda said.

The success isn't unexpected for Castañeda. This is the 10th Upstate Mexican restaurant the Batavia-resident has opened, including another Los Compadres in Evans Mills, near Ft. Drum, with the same menu, that has done very well.

"I would say that 90 percent of our customer base is military (at Los Compadres in Evans Mills)," Castañeda said. "They are very happy with the food there. We are a five-star restaurant there and we have a thousand reviews. Being that I'm a resident in Batavia and I wanted to do it here, too."

For those of us with experience eating at authentic taquerias, there are other good signs when you walk into Los Compadres, starting with the straightforward menu above the front counter, the Mexican pottery and artwork displayed in the dining area, a salsa bar so you can garnish your own tacos, and the drink dispenser serving Mexican favorites, the refreshing agua frescas -- horchata, tamarindo and jamaica.

On the menu, tacos, tortas, quesadillas, and tamales, with meat choices including pollo (chicken), carne asada (the main ingredient in an authentic Tijuana street taco), molida (ground beef), barbacoa (brisket), al pastor (pork with pineapple), chorizo (Mexican pork sausage), cesina (dry salted steak), lengua (tongue), camarones (shrimp), tripa (gut), taco baja (fried fish), taco compadres (fried shrimp).

One of the best things about Mexican food is it is inexpensive. Tacos range in price from $2.50 to $4.

Rice and refried beans on the side are only $1 each.

The tacos are served with corn tortillas, which is as it should be; though, if you want to go gringo with your tacos, you can order flour tortillas.

Castañeda staff takes the time with new customers who may have little experience with Mexican food to explain the difference between tacos, torts, quesadillas and tamales.

The secret to a restaurant's success, Castañeda said, isn't just the food, it's the customer service. Restaurants that fail often miss the mark with customer service, so he said he makes sure his staff provides great service.

Castañeda was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, which is in the north central area of the country, south of Monterrey, north of Guadalajara. His parents immigrated when he was a young child and their first jobs were picking cotton in Texas.

While he was still a child, they moved to Western New York for farm work. Near the end of his 10th-grade year, Castañeda dropped out of high school and took a job on a farm in Brockport.

When he was 16, he went to work for Craig Yunker at CY Farms.

"I've worked ever since," Castañeda said. "I worked for the farms and any farm work I did, I did with pride in everything I did. It didn't matter what I was doing, whether I was sweeping the floor or if I was operating a tractor, I put pride in my work. That's that was how I was raised."

Castañeda started in the cabbage fields at CY Farms, he said. It wasn't long before the Yunkers took notice of his worth ethic. He was made a tractor operator and then moved to pesticide management for Batavia Turf. By 2006, after learning every job of the operation, he became manager of Batavia Turf, a position he held until 2016 when he quit to give his full attention to his burgeoning restaurant empire.

Castañeda started in the food business after visiting a cabbage operation for CY Farms in Florida and spotting a food trailer serving migrant workers on the farm there.

"I was down there and I saw people coming to the farms and bringing the food to the migrant workers so I thought it's a great idea," Castañeda said. "At that time here in Genesee County there was none of that going on, so I went to Indiana and bought a trailer."

His wife, Karina, pretty much ran that business until six years ago when she became pregnant with their now 5-year-old son.

In 2014, he opened his first restaurant in Lockport.

He was working at this point more than 100 hours a week, starting at Batavia Turf at 4 a.m. and working until the early evening and then doing the books and paperwork for his restaurants at night.

"It was busy working on the farm and trying to manage the restaurant," Castañeda said. "I felt there was a good business. It was a lot of work but it was a good business."

Leaving CY Farms wasn't an easy decision, though Castañeda said it proved to be the right decision.

"My wife was opposed to it because I guess, we got so used to working on the farm and making a living," Castañeda said. "I was pretty much my own boss."

Castañeda and Karina have three children, Brenda, 24, Jocelyn, 17, and Jose Sebastian, 5. The family bought a home in the City of Batavia 15 years ago.

"My parents were migrant workers," said Castañeda, whose mother has returned to Mexico and whose father died 12 years ago. "They started picking cotton in Texas. We grew up very poor. Even when I got married to my wife back in 1993, we were very, very poor.

"I worked many hours on the farm. Still, we were barely getting by. But I think through years of hard work and persistence, I always had a dream to give my kids what I wasn't given."

The John Gardner Society gathered at the Pok-A-Dot on Saturday night for the group's annual reading of works by John Gardner.

A Batavia-native, Gardner is an internationally acclaimed novelist and literary critic who died in a motorcycle accident in 1982.

Readers this year were Steve Lewandowski, Byron Hoot, Beth Bucchler (top photo), Richard Beatty, Bill Kauffman, David Lampe, Chris De Pasquale, Helen Maier, Terry Abrams, John Maier and Eric Zwieg.

Byron Hoot

Bill Kauffman

Terry Abrams