batavia

Press release (submitted photos):

Property conversions, rehabilitation, and building improvements are moving forward thanks to a strong partnership of the City of Batavia, Genesee County and the City of Batavia School District. All three taxing jurisdictions passed enabling local legislation to enact the Real Property Tax Exemption (RPTL) 485-a and 421-f. Property owners investing in Batavia may qualify for these programs.

Since these tax laws were passed locally, seven homeowners have taken advantage of the 421-f Home Rehab Program and five commercial building owners have converted buildings to mixed-use with the 485-a Mixed Use Conversion Program.

“When residents and business owners improve their property, it enhances the whole community,” said Eugene Jankowski, City Council president. “These programs are available and if you are thinking of investing the City is ready to help.”

The 421-f Home Rehab Program is a real property tax exemption that is applied to capital improvements to residential property. The exemption applies only to the increase in assessed value created by the improvement.

“If you are making improvements (reconstruction, alterations, improvements other than ordinary maintenance) to a one- or two-family residence you might be eligible to participate in the City of Batavia’s 421f,” said Martin Moore, City of Batavia manager.

The City of Batavia also adopted the New York State real property tax exemption known as the 485-a Residential-Commercial Urban Exemption for converting non-residential buildings to mixed-use. The 12-year exemption helps property owners realize a return on investment while advancing the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Revitalization Investment (DRI) Strategy.

The City’s public planning documents all emphasize the need to convert upper floor vacancies into market-ready residential abodes to provide a built-in market for downtown businesses and a new revenue source for property owners.

Every new household in Downtown Batavia will bring with it approximately $19,000 in demand for retail goods and services. Conversion of commercial downtown residential apartments on vacant second- and third-story buildings is one element to boost activity in Batavia’s downtown.

"This is another tool to turn underutilized properties into economic drivers that turnaround our downtown," said Rachael Tabelski, director of Economic Development for the Batavia Development Corporation.

"We know our building owners are ready and motivated to invest, and we want to make sure they know about City programs, help the Batavia Development Center can offer, as well as the Genesee County Economic Development Center."

By combining all three taxing jurisdictions, property owners could temporarily save upward of $42 per $1,000 value on an increased assessed value attributable to the mixed-use conversion. The former Carr's warehouse building on Jackson Square in Downtown Batavia was one of the first projects to take advantage of the 485a exemption under the ownership of Paul Thompson, owner of Thompson Builds of Churchville.

For more details about these real property tax incentives, contact the City of Batavia Assessor's Office at 585-345-6301 or the Batavia Development Corporation at 585-345-6380.

I was looking at our collection of Pat Burr’s drawings of old Batavia in the '60s and was amazed at all of the stores that dotted Main Street.

You really could walk down the street and beginning at one end, mail a letter, buy a car, smoke a cigar, look for a gold watch, buy plumbing supplies, pick up your dry cleaning, buy paint, order a drink, have your picture taken, see a movie, eat a doughnut, have your shoes repaired or buy a new pair of shoes. 

If it was afternoon you could have a drink, buy a sewing machine, smell the delicious aroma from freshly baked bread, pick up a prescription, buy a wedding gown (you might need another drink after the cost of the wedding gown), buy new shoes to go with the gown, order a man’s suit for the wedding, buy children’s clothing, have your eyes checked, buy new furniture, drink a cherry Coke, register for new china, and have a late lunch. 

Continuing west on Main Street, you could make a bank withdrawal for the wedding, buy more jewelry, possibly a wedding band, pick up some fresh produce, purchase a new hat and a real mink coat, pick up another prescription and buy more jewelry.

Now see if you can match the names of these establishments and their merchandise with their locations on Main Street going east from Jefferson to Bank Street.  In the '60s on the north side of the street, there was Mancuso’s Dealership, Chris’ Gifts, The Smoke Shop, William Maney’s Store, Marchese’s Produce, and six jewelry stores, Krtanik, Martin Berman’s, Valle’s, Francis and Mead, Rudolph’s and Brenner’s. 

Clothing stores were plentiful: Alexander’s, Town Shop, Helen’s Darlings, A.M. and M. Clothiers, and Smart Shop. Bon Ton and Bell Hat Shops, Humboldt’s Furriers, and Charles Men Shop were also located on that side of the street along with the beautiful Dipson Theater. There were two paint stores, Mosman’s and Sherwin Williams. There were many restaurants and drinking establishments: Mooney’s, Hamilton Hotel, Young’s Restaurant, Mike’s Hotel, Main Grill, Vic’s Grill, The Dagwood Restaurant and Jackie’s Donuts. A favorite bakery was Grundler’s. A soda shop and candy store was called Kustas’. The furniture store was Bern Furniture and the dry cleaner store was Jet Cleaners. Lawing Picture Studio, Singer Sewing, Genesee Hardware, Western Auto, and the drug stores of Whelan and Dean Drugs were located on different corners. There were four shoe stores, Ritchlin, Cultrara’s, Endicott and Johnson and C.E. Knox. The shoe repair was called Boston Shoe repair.

How many of you could match the store with its location?

If you were traveling down the opposite side of the street you would begin with the Courthouse and pass the County Building where a beautiful Christmas tree would be on the lawn. 

Eventually, you would hope to have a deed to your new home filed at the County Clerk’s Office. You couldn’t miss the Hotel Richmond on the corner that was now just an empty shell. Located within the building of the hotel was Rapid Dry Cleaners. Next, was the three-story J.C. Penney Co. Department Store. If you needed a uniform, there was The Uniform Shop at your disposal. Kinney’s Family Shoe Store was located next to the Camera Shop. Caito’s Liquor Store was followed by Beardsley’s Men’s Store, Sleght’s Book Store, Bank of Batavia, Sugar Bowl, S.S. Kresge’s five-and-dime store, Scott and Bean, Dean’s Drug, M & T Bank, Thomas and Dwyer, C.L. Carr’s Department Store, Marchese Produce, Good Friend Shop, Rudolph’s Jewelers, J.J. Newberry’s five-and-dime store, and WT Grant.

Imagining all these stores decorated for the holidays makes you nostalgic for the simpler times, slower pace when the highlight of your week was going to the city on a Friday night to meet friends and shop! 

When Heather Rosendale-Casper started planning Coffee Karma at 12 Center St., Batavia, she knew she wanted a place that would feel warm and welcoming to the community, a real community space, she said during our visit to her new coffee shop today.

"It's really meant to reach out to the community and say, 'hey, let's have this free space were we can exchange conversation, do fun things, start connecting with people once again,' " Rosendale-Casper said.

She's hung local art on the walls, installed a natural-wood coffee bar, uses organic coffee from a local distributor, and even hosts yoga sessions.

Opening Coffee Karma is the culmination of a 20-year-long ambition for Rosendale-Casper.

"Going back to high school and college (coffee shops) is where I fundamentally found myself through philosophy, great conversations, meeting people, networking in an environment that was open and free and I also happen to really love coffee," she said.

Users of The Batavian app, click here to view the video on thebatavian.com.

Submitted photo and press release:

BATAVIA -- Brittany Bozzer, Youth Engagement manager of Tobacco-Free Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties (TF-GLOW), took Reality Check youth leaders from both St. Joseph School and Notre Dame High School to the state Capitol this week.

They went to Albany on Monday for the Annual Tobacco Control Legislative Day.

Their mission: to show lawmakers the success of the work they’ve done in their community to lower the smoking rate. They also told state leaders about the challenges they face in trying to reduce tobacco use, particularly among vulnerable groups in including fellow youth, the poor and people dealing with mental health issues. 

The facts they shared

Cigarette smoking among New York’s high school youth declined 82 percent between 2000 and 2018, but from 2016 to 2018 the rate increased slightly for the first time since 2000. Even more alarming, electronic cigarette use among the state’s middle and high schoolers continues to rise.

Between 2014 and 2018, the rate increased fully 160 percent, from 10.5 percent to 27.4 percent, and studies show e-cigarettes can be a precursor to cigarette smoking in youth, even those who were not likely to smoke cigarettes. 

Not only has the youth smoking rate in New York State increased for the first time since 2000, but data reveals that more than 1 in 4 of New York’s high-schoolers is using electronic nicotine devices,” Bozzer said.

“With more than half of teens falsely believing e-cigarettes are harmless, adolescent nicotine exposure can cause addiction, it can harm the developing adolescent brain and it can increase the risk of adolescents starting and continuing smoking combustible cigarettes.”

Successes and troubles

St. Joe’s eighth-graders Cayla Hansen and Katie Kratz, as well as Notre Dame sophomores Ben Streeter, Krysta Hansen and junior Maddie Payton, don’t like what they see the tobacco industry doing to hook their friend and family members.

So for this year’s Tobacco Control Legislative Education Day, they wanted to show and tell their elected officials what they see. They created an interactive, life-sized board game called “Tobacco Trouble,” bringing lawmakers on board with the game between legislative sessions to learn about the group’s recent tobacco control successes and the continued fight they’re in with Big Tobacco, an industry that has overfilled their community's retail stores with tobacco products.

More troubling facts in NYS:

• Adults with poor mental health, less than a high school education or annual income less than $25,000 smoke at much higher rates than the general adult population in the state;
• About 280,000 kids now under 18 will die prematurely from smoking;
• E-cigarette use amongst youth has almost tripled from 2014 to 2018;
• E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product by youth—more than cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and hookah; 
• Studies show e-cigarettes can be a precursor to cigarette smoking in youth, even those who were not likely to smoke cigarettes;
• Using nicotine in adolescence may also increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.

Reality Check empowers youth to become leaders in their communities in exposing what they see as the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.

The organization’s members produce change in their communities through grassroots mobilization and education. Reality Check in this area is affiliated with Tobacco-Free Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties (TF-GLOW), a program managed by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To learn more about Reality Check, connect with Brittany Bozzer at 585-219-4064 or brittany.bozzer@roswellpark.org

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel announced the official opening of its new Gatsby bar with a ribbon cutting on Friday at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. The Gatsby bar is located just outside Fortune’s restaurant and will feature high-end bourbons, gins and other spirits along with other handcrafted cocktails. 

“We’re excited for guests to check out the Gatsby Bar for quick drink or appetizer before dinner in Fortune’s,“ said Vice President of Operations Scott Kiedrowski. “Alternatively it’s a nice place to get a quiet drink if 34 Rush is busy with sports or live entertainment.”

The bar will also feature New York State Lottery Games like Quickdraw and will have a self-service terminal to place horse wagers.

“This is the first phase to open of our new expansion,“ said Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO. “This and those that follow will better serve our valued guests.”

Expansions for more seating at Thurman’s 34 Rush and Fortunes are due to open in the following months. A new look inside the “Park Place,” formerly known as the Paddock Room, is near completion.

“This is another banner day in the history of our facility,“ said COO Michael Nolan. “We pride ourselves on customer service and giving our guests what they want. Our expansions continue to make the facility a premier entertainment destination.”

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Park Road and Oak Street, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 7:33 p.m.: Two cars, three patients, one possible transport at this time, according to a first responder.

The Batavia Police Department is looking to identify the person in this photo. We believe he might be able to assist us with a found wallet complaint.

If anyone knows who he is, please contact Officer Jamie Givens at 585-345-6350.

UPDATE 6:20 p.m.: The person has been identified and located by Batavia PD.

Press release: 

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) voted to accept applications for incentives from Graham Manufacturing and Gateway GS, LLC at the agency’s Feb. 7 board meeting. 

Graham Manufacturing is investing $1.075 million for capital improvements to expand various properties at its campus in the City of Batavia. The company will renovate an existing 8,000 square feet of buildings, including an expansion and renovation of its 4,000-square-foot welding school to meet market demand for welders. 

An existing 4,000-square-foot manufacturing building also will be repurposed and the company will build a new 5,000-square-foot warehouse for storage needs. The capital investments will help Graham retain 291 jobs in the City of Batavia.

The company is seeking sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions totaling approximately $130,000. For every $1 of public benefit offered, Graham Manufacturing is investing and helping generate an economic contribution/ impact of approximately $5.90 into the economy. 

Gateway GS, LLC is investing $450,000 to build out the interior of an existing 27,000-square-foot speculative building the company constructed in 2018 at the Gateway II Corporate Park in Batavia. The project would create five new jobs.

Gateway GS, LLC intends to lease the space where tenants would provide input to the final buildout. Among the various uses that the building offers includes space for warehouse, distribution, light manufacturing, technology and commercial operations.

The company is seeking sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions totaling approximately $206,000. For every $1 of public benefit offered, Gateway GS, LLC is investing and helping generate an economic contribution/ impact of approximately $12.60 into the economy. 

“We are very excited to support two great projects that will have significant economic impacts for Genesee County and Batavia,” said GCEDC Board Chairman Paul Battaglia.

“These projects demonstrate the importance of assisting companies such as Graham Manufacturing that are retaining jobs and in the instance of Gateway GS creating new jobs and hopefully even more new jobs as they bring in tenants to their spec building.”

Heidi L. Harder, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. She was arrested following a shoplifting investigation into an incident at 2:19 a.m. on Feb. 6 at Tops Friendly Market in Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on Feb. 12. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan.

Paul Kittisack, 53, of South Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. He was arrested at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 after he allegedly shoplifted from Tops Friendly Market on West Main Street in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on Feb. 19. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Above is just a sampling of the nice things available for auction at St. Paul Lutheran School on Saturday. Photo courtesy of St. Paul's.

St. Paul Lutheran School is holding their annual auction on Saturday, Feb. 9th. The doors open at 3:30 p.m. and bidding begins at 4 o'clock.

The auction is to be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School located at 31 Washington Ave., Batavia.

Items to be auctioned are theme baskets, handmade items, craft items and certificates. There is also a bake sale. The Snack Shack will be open!

The proceeds will benefit the school's tuition fund.

As part of National Grid's preparations, the company is postponing a planned power outage in a portion of Batavia on Friday night and early Saturday morning, said spokesman David Bertola. Assuming the forecast holds, the outage, which will affect about 600 customers along the West Main Street corridor, will take place Feb. 15 and 16. Bertola said based on the forecast, National Grid's personnel will be deployed to storm coverage.

Press release:

With strong winds carrying gusts of up to 60 mph in the forecast for Western New York, National Grid is increasing its evening and overnight staffing and will have line crews report for duty earlier than normal tomorrow morning. The company is prepared for the upcoming weather and provides the following safety tips so customers can be prepared as well.

Electricity & Generator Safety

• If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online to expedite restoration.
• Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity.
• Downed lines should be immediately reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or to your local emergency response organization.
• Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadly carbon monoxide. Before operating a generator, be sure to disconnect from National Grid’s system by shutting off the main breaker, located in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could endanger our crews and your neighbors.
• Customers who depend on electrically powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should register as a life support customer by calling National Grid at 1-800-642- 4272. (In a medical emergency, always dial 9-1-1.)
• Keep a number of working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and be sure to charge all electronic devices.
• Please drive carefully and use caution when driving near any crews working to restore power.
• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.
• Click here for a video of National Grid’s storm preparation and restoration process. 

A power line is reportedly on fire on Otis Street in the City of Batavia.

City fire responding. 

UPDATE 1:31 p.m.: City fire on location. Smoke showing. It's a high-tension line against a tree, arcing and burning.

Press release:

Batavia Girls Fastpitch Softball (BGFS) recently received a very generous grant from the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation for $1,000. BGFS is actively fundraising to be able to purchase and install a new scoreboard at Lions Park, home field of the Batavia Stingers, and this grant will definitely help in the effort.

BGFS fields teams, known as the Batavia Stingers, at the 10u, 12u and 15u level in a Genesee Region Fastpitch Softball League.  While only in our third year of existence, BGFS has seen continued growth and has big plans for improving the field at Lions Park over the next couple of years. 

BGFS is very grateful to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation for not only this generous grant but for the partnership that the Batavia Dick’s Sporting Goods Store has formed with the Stingers the past two seasons. The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation and Batavia Dick’s Sporting Goods Store see the important role BGFS plays in providing young ladies a healthy and fun outlet in the community and has pledged to help BGFS reach its full potential.

There will be an in-person registration at the Batavia Dick’s Sporting Goods Store on Saturday, Feb. 9^th, from 10 a.m..- 2 p.m.  Parents interested in signing up their daughters and learning about our program are encouraged to attend. More information about BGFS can be found by checking out our Facebook page, Batavia Girls Fastpitch Softball, which has a link to our online registration site. 

Thank you to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation and our Batavia Dick’s Sporting Goods Store not only for the generous grant but for promoting and supporting youth sports in our community.

Icy covered trees throughout the region today, including behind the Upton Monument at Main and Ellicott in Batavia.

There's a weather advisory for tonight. Expect more ice through the morning.