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Accident reported on Lewiston Road, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

A motor vehicle accident with possible injuries is reported in the area of 7914 Lewiston Road, Batavia, which is just south of Galloway Road.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 6:50 p.m.: Both lanes are blocked.

UPDATE 6:51 p.m.: No injuries.

UPDATE 7:09 p.m.: Fire police are stopping traffic.  "We just had one blow through. An orange Jeep." "Yeah, they're not going anywhere."

U of R Medical Center to temporarily halt services in Batavia

By Joanne Beck

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Frozen pipes that ended up bursting and spilling water at the newly built University of Rochester Medical Center are being repaired; however, the site will not be open this week for patients, Kim Hally-Hettrick says.

Multiple pipes were involved, causing a lot of water to flood the building at 7995 Call Parkway, Batavia. Bitterly cold temperatures caused the freezing pipes, a condition reported by business and residential folks this past weekend.

Patients will be redirected to offices in Le Roy, Brockport and Brighton, Hally-Hettrick said.

“They’re researching what caused that to happen,” she said to The Batavian Tuesday. “The floor was 90 percent covered with water, but it was mostly floor damage and not the walls.”

To keep patients safe, the walls are also being checked out to ensure there is no water seepage or related damage before reopening the center, she said. Project management firm Gallina Development Corporation has been working on the repair and research and has been “very helpful” in the effort, she said.

The situation is being evaluated for when the doors will open again for patients, and it is recommended that they call their respective doctors to reschedule appointments. Practices include Primary Care 585-345-1779; Allergy and Immunology 585-486-0930; Medical Oncology 585-602-4050; Neurosurgery 585-225-5767; Otolaryngology and Audiology 585-758-570; and Urology 585-275-2838.

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

House reportedly filling with smoke on Lewiston Road, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

A house is reportedly filling with smoke at 7736 Lewiston Road, Batavia.

No flames showing.

Town of Batavia dispatched with mutual aid from Oakfield.

UPDATE 1:59 p.m.: A chief on scene reports nothing showing, house evacuated.

UPDATE 2:10 p.m.: An interior crew reports no smoke in the basement.

UPDATE 2:45 p.m.: No fire.

Photo: Overnight downtown snow clean up

By Howard B. Owens

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At 2 a.m. in the early morning after Christmas, City of Batavia workers were out and about Downtown clearing away snow from streets, sidewalks, and parking lots.

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City lifts State of Emergency

By Press Release

Press release:

The Local Emergency Order, pursuant to Section 24 of the State Executive Law 2B, issued at 1200 hrs. on December 24th 2022, is hereby rescinded for the City of Batavia. Other executive orders and County Travel Bans may still be in effect, and travel conditions to the West and North of Batavia may still be dangerous. Please use discretion when traveling in the region. 

A caring community gets to work in the kitchen, donates supplies for county's warming shelters

By Joanne Beck

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Even though there have been lots of variables and treacherous moments these last two days, one thing is for sure: the City of Batavia community has been rich in response to the needs of strangers.

All day long has been filled with gifts from a “friends and family” initiative to ensure that motorists stranded at one of the 11 warming shelters, and the emergency responders that rescued them, are warm and fed, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said. She, city and county staff, including Manager Matt Landers had been manning the effort all day at the city fire station.

“There have been a lot of family donations. Matt got a ton of deliveries,” Tabelski said Saturday evening. “He’s going to be getting a ton of pots and pans back.”

Landers had contacted about 20 friends seeking food for the more than 550 visitors that got stuck after being diverted from the Thruway Friday. Motorists have been from near and far — Lockport, Canada, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Maryland, to name a few — and found themselves at a fire hall, church or hotel lobby seeking refuge from the bitter cold.

“I’m doing what I can to help; I’m not out there rescuing people, so I’m doing what I can,” he said. “We were getting low on food at the shelters and for responders. I texted 20 friends and colleagues, and they texted others.”

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He drove to about 15 homes to pick up their offerings — from a ham and tray of potatoes from County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg and eight to 10 trays of food from Settler’s Restaurant to Mike Ficarella’s chili, food items from City Council President Eugene Jankowski, to tuna casserole, ziti and sweet treats from city schools board member Alice Benedict.

Other donations from at least two dozen individuals, groups, schools and churches also included blankets, cots, soups, mac ’n cheese, bottled water, and the countless deliveries from emergency responders.

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A shelter opened at Grace Baptist in Batavia, the only one in the city, has been “doing a very good job” with providing care, Tabelski said. And they have room in case anyone has lost power or is stranded in the city, she said.

"Thank God Grace Baptist Church took my family and others who were stranded in,” motorist Nick Bankovic texted to friend Bill Hume. “Batavia’s Original pizza donated pies here for everyone, and a bunch of locals have been dropping off food ’n drinks. This definitely got travelers in high spirited moods. I think this also brought excellent exposure to the entire city of Batavia to all these travelers."

As for city streets, the second surge predicted to hit earlier Saturday kept getting pushed back, Tabelski said, but staff was ready. The travel ban was to keep city streets cleared for snowplowing and emergency vehicles, she said, but it was most likely confusing for another part of the county.

“Half of our county looks great,” she had said in late afternoon. “It isn’t bad now, but could get bad really quickly. We can plow more and keep it cleared Our goal is to keep the city functional and operational.”

Several tractor trailers that had been moved off the Thruway were parked alongside local roads, and the plan was to get them into the Wal-mart parking lot, she said.

“We’re really just support right now, and trying to get food out,” she said. “The travel ban is to keep those 18-wheelers off city streets, and to keep the roads open and clear.”

City hotels booked up to capacity Friday, though stragglers that got caught in the storm were given shelter in hotel lobbies. Jolene emailed The Batavian to praise the job being done by Quality Inn staff, Rich Kress in particular.

“I just wanted to write to tell you I think there are some pretty amazing people that need to be recognized for their actions during the storm. We were completely booked early on in the day yesterday, but the staff and residents here are amazing for the most part. They stayed up the entire night letting people come in off the streets,” she said. “They refused no one. Every corner of our lobby was full. They made coffee all night long and put out food that was meant for the free breakfast for residents. They gave people pillows and blankets and even brought out cribs for infants. None of them had to do any of that.”

Jolene didn’t respond to an email for further details, but her sentiment was well received.

“I think it's amazing and I feel that they should be recognized. (Rich Kress) stayed up the entire night running around collecting furniture from other floors and rooms for people to be able to rest in the lobby. He is actually still down there now with the displaced people,” she said. “It's not often you come across people like these guys. They really do give a damn.”

Weather and travel bans/advisories will be posted as received. If more food is needed this weekend, that appeal will also be posted on The Batavian.

Meanwhile, Landers will be trying to track down the owners of soup pots, pans and slow-cookers.

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Top Photo: City Manager Rachael Tabelski, right, and city staff work to take in and distribute food donations Saturday at the city fire station; emergency responders occasionally get a break to nourish themselves; bags of goods went out to warming shelters; the community was generous with donations of food items.

Photos submitted by City of Batavia.

State of Emergency declared for the City of Batavia, travel ban in effect

By Howard B. Owens

The National Weather Service is predicting that a large band of lake effect snow that also already dumped several feet of snow on Alabama and Oakfield is going to move south into the Center of Genesee County, including the City of Batavia.

In response, City Manager Rachael Tabelski has declared a state of emergency for the city.

The Local State of Emergency has been declared due to hazardous weather conditions, high winds, and increasing snowfall accumulation. This order also includes a travel ban on all City of Batavia Streets and a parking ban across the city.

The order is in effect for five days or until it is lifted by the City Manager.

It is a Class B misdemeanor to disobey the order.

Reader storm photos for Saturday

By Howard B. Owens

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As of 7 a.m., Ken Lauer says Route 33 is pretty much blocked by some tractor-trailers.  Route 77 seems OK "but you gotta be nuts to be driving," he says. "Too much blowing to estimate snowfall, but drifts are two to four feet.  Crosby on the corner is open.  I’m at the bakery if someone needs warmth and a hot beverage.  Looks like Santa Amazon is in need of Rudolph and some large tow trucks."

Email weather-related photos to howard@thebatavian.com or text to (585) 260-6970

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Jason Smith's dogs in Batavia are a bit unsure about going outside.

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Photo submitted by Leah Buckel. "This tree narrowly missed our house! Unfortunately, part of it did hit my husband's car."

Elliott continues visit throughout Genesee County: more than 2K customers with power outages

By Joanne Beck

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If you've dared to go outside for even a few minutes, it's quite apparent that the biting wind and snow have remained relentless this evening. According to the National Grid outage map, the number of outages is going up by the minute, as it was 1,879 Genesee County customers affected at 6:38 p.m., and that ticked up to 2,033 by 6:40 p.m. 

National Grid is "assessing the situation," according to the outage site. That means there is no estimated time of power restoration yet. To check on outages in your area, and estimated timelines of repair, go HERE.

The Natonal Weather Service reported a temperature of just 2-degrees shortly before 6 p.m., with winds up to 40 mph.

Photo: Streetlights glow through the haze of wintry elements and a dark gray sky Friday evening on a Batavia city street. 

Photo by Joanne Beck.

 

City and County closes Friday but essential services remain open

By Joanne Beck

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Even though city and county offices closed Friday, all essential offices, including City of Batavia police, fire, public works, management and non-union personnel, will continue to operate through the duration of the storm, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

Tabelski and Genesee County Manager Matt Landers made a decision Thursday to close their respective offices and buildings Friday; however, staff has been in place, including the Sheriff’s Office road patrol, dispatch center, the jail and highway department snowplow crews, Landers said.

This is the first for the county in several years to close down ahead of time due to anticipated weather.

“After multiple discussions with County Emergency Management, the County Sheriff’s Office, the County Highway Department, various other County departments, along with the City of Batavia Manager, it was clear that for the safety of the County workforce, we should close County offices on the 23,” Landers said.  “We originally discussed closing early, but after discussions with the National Weather Service out of Buffalo, it was looking like the serious weather would be coming into Genesee County in the morning, and I didn’t want to subject the workforce to driving home in treacherous conditions.”

Having county offices closed on Friday would also free up some manpower that previously would have had to clear county-staffed parking lots, he said.

On the city side, after reviewing the predictions of flash freezing and gale force winds, combined with lake effect snow, "County Manager Matt Landers and I jointly decided to close City and County offices,” Tabelski said. 

“The less traffic on the roads and City streets tomorrow, the easier clean-up efforts will be,” she said Thursday night.

Management has continued to monitor county Emergency Management Director Tim Yaeger’s weather and storm reports.

“We are also in touch with National Grid to support their storm response,” Tabelski said. “National Grid is predicting multiple, and potentially long duration, outages within their territory.  They have over 1,000 line men/women and guards that will be dispatched throughout the region as needed for power outages and down wires."

As of 5 p.m. Friday, 1,700 Genesee County customers remained without power.

Tabelski reminds folks to “Never touch a down wire, and call 911 immediately!” 

City staff is monitoring Doppler radar and reports from the state DOT, Thruway Authority, NYS State Police, and Department of Homeland Security, “who are all involved with storm preparedness and storm response,” she said.

“We advise all residents and visitors to the City of Batavia to be cautious and careful as driving conditions change over the next 24 hours,” she said regarding Friday and Friday night.  “We hope that everyone has a very Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas!”

The storm has been estimated to run its course through 7 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Citizens have been urged to remain at home and off the streets per a Genesee County Sheriff's Office travel ban and a State of Emergency declared by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Throughout the day Friday, there have been multiple automobile accidents, along with some downed trees and utility wires. For more details about the day's events, go HERE.

And don't forget those beloved four-leggeds. American Veterinary Medical Association advises pet owners to:

Know the limits: Just like people, pets' cold tolerance can vary from pet to pet based on their coat, body fat stores, activity level, and health. Be aware of your pet's tolerance for cold weather, and adjust accordingly. You will probably need to shorten your dog's walks in very cold weather to protect you both from weather-associated health risks.

Short-haired pets feel the cold faster because they have less protection, and short-legged pets may become cold faster because their bellies and bodies are more likely to come into contact with snow-covered ground. Pets with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or hormonal imbalances (such as Cushing's disease) may have a harder time regulating their body temperature and may be more susceptible to problems from temperature extremes. The same goes for very young and very old pets.

Provide choices: Just like you, pets prefer comfortable sleeping places and may change their location based on their need for more or less warmth. Give them some safe options to allow them to vary their sleeping place to adjust to their needs.

Stay inside. Cats and dogs should be kept inside during cold weather. It's a common belief that dogs and cats are more resistant than people to cold weather because of their fur, but it's untrue. Like people, cats and dogs are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia and should be kept inside. Longer-haired and thick-coated dog breeds, such as huskies and other dogs bred for colder climates, are more tolerant of cold weather; but no pet should be left outside for long periods in below-freezing weather.

For more information about storm preparedness, the City of Batavia Fire Department has advice available HERE

File Photo of a previous winter storm in Batavia, by Howard Owens.

UPDATED: Closures due to winter storm Christmas weekend

By Joanne Beck

This post will be anchored at the top of the home page for the next day or two.  Scroll down for additional news items.

Please send closures and cancellations to news@thebatavian.com

The following places have made closure announcements due to the impending storm:

  • Batavia City School District will be closed Friday due to the forecasted weather conditions, Superintendent Jason Smith said.  Schools will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. 
  • City of Batavia and Genesee County offices and buildings will be closed on Friday. They will reopen on Tuesday, Dec. 27.
  • Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union in Batavia will be closed Friday.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension and Genesee and Leadership Genesee offices will be closed Friday, December 23, 2022, due to the severe weather forecast.  The offices will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 27, 2022.
  • Due to the projected inclement weather, Pavilion Central School will be closed tomorrow December 23rd and through the weekend. All afternoon and evening activities for today are still scheduled.
  • The Town of Batavia Offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, due to the severe weather forecast. The Department of Public Works and Essential personnel will be available. The Town Office will re-open Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, at 8:30 a.m.
  • County Court and City Court will operate on an "emergency operations" basis on Friday.  Click here for details and court contact information.
  • Hollwedel Memorial Library will be closed on Friday.
  • Morganville United Church of Christ in Stafford has canceled services for Saturday and Sunday.
  • Community Action of Orleans and Genesee will be closed on Friday due to the anticipated storm and on Monday in observance of the Christmas holiday. 
  • UMMC is closing non-emergency, non-essential services. For details, click here.
  • Elba Central is closed due to the winter storm on Friday, Dec 23rd, including all extracurricular and athletic events. We look forward to seeing our Lancer family on January 3, 2023! 
  • Mental Health Association of Genesee & Orleans Counties is closing both our Batavia and Albion offices Friday and will reopen Tuesday.
  • Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced they will be closed on Friday beginning at 11:30 a.m. The hotel will remain open for those that are already staying or who have reservations tonight.  We urge everyone to please be safe and obey all travel advisories. A decision on whether Batavia Downs will reopen on Saturday will be posted on our social media pages and website in the morning.
  • UR is closing its building in Batavia, which includes: Primary Care, Urology, Hematology and Oncology, ENT, Neurosurgery
  • Batavia First Presbyterian has canceled tonight's Eve of Christmas Eve service.
  • The LeRoy and Batavia offices of Village Physical Therapy will be closing at 1 p.m. today. Village Fitness in LeRoy will also be closing at 1 p.m. today, will remain closed Saturday & Sunday, and will reopen at 8 a.m. on Monday.
  • All VA Outpatient Patient Clinics in Buffalo and Batavia
  • North Darien Bible Church is canceling our Christmas Eve Service, but we will have our Christmas Day service at 10 a.m.
  • Le Roy Federal Credit is closing today at 2 p.m.
  • Tops is closed until Monday morning.
  • A travel ban has been issued for Genesee, Erie, Niagara and Orleans Counties. All Masses at Ascension Parish are canceled for Saturday and  Sunday. There will be no livestream of Mass.
  • Perry Veterinary Clinic is closed Saturday.
  • Everpresent Church Christmas service is rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Sunday evening. 
  • Walmart is closed until Monday morning.

This list will be updated as new information is received. To submit your closure announcement, send to news@thebatavian.com

City and county offices will be closed Friday

By Press Release

Press Release

City of Batavia and Genesee County offices and buildings will be closed on Friday due to the severe weather forecast.

The City and County are committed to ensuring the safety of their workforce and citizens and therefore are taking this precautionary measure. With the predicted drop in temperature, rain turning to ice, snow and high winds, travel should be avoided.

Both City of Batavia and County offices are scheduled to re-open Tuesday, Dec. 27.
 

Gala celebrates 25 years of Crossroads House

By Joanne Beck

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What better way to celebrate your 25th anniversary than a red carpet affair?

That’s exactly what Crossroads House organizers thought. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Jan. 28 at Batavia Downs Park Place Entertainment Center, Park Road, Batavia.

“We’re going to do a lot of celebrating,” Director of Development Vicki Johnson said. “There will be a memorabilia table and photos, and the auctions.”

For musical entertainment, Dueling Pianos International will be performing in a fun, light-hearted style, she said. Patrons can offer tips for a pianist to play a particular song, or to stop playing one, she said.

Going along with that musical theme, the reverse auction includes a piano pin with a flashing light to indicate who is still in during the drawing. Once a number is pulled, the light goes out.

A buffet dinner with cash bar will begin at 6 p.m. The evening will include several auctions in the form of a live one — maybe you’d like to bid on four tickets to see comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, a comfy recliner, or an overnight getaway — silent auctions of various gift packages and a reverse auction with a cash prize.

Never heard of a reverse auction? It works completely opposite of most raffle drawings, in which participants are eliminated as their numbers are drawn, dwindling down to a final winner. Or perhaps the last two remaining participants will opt to split the cash pot.

Star tributes may be purchased for $25 to honor or memorialize someone special, because, after all, this is a time to recognize the stars in one’s life, organizers said. Past and present employees, volunteers, board members and families served are invited to join in the celebration.

The first resident’s name was Jean, and she moved into Crossroads House on Jan. 7, 1998. A process that took two years and many hands — of staff, volunteers, board and community members — has established a comfort care home for 575 residents, Johnson said. (For the full story, click HERE.)

Future goals are to continue educating the community about the fragile topic of death and to open a second home.

In the meantime, the Red Carpet Gala is an occasion to celebrate the accomplishments and lives that have been touched by Crossroads House.

Tickets are $75 each, which includes dinner, entertainment, auctions, free 5X7 photos for each couple or group, and $15 Free Play. A VIP sponsorship is $1,000 for a table of eight, and also includes an hour of open bar at 4 p.m., special seating and advertising throughout the evening.

“We’re lining our red carpet with stars in memory or honor of someone,” Johnson said. “The board is hosting it, and the goal was really to celebrate.”

Go here for tickets.  Seating is limited to 350, and Johnson recommends reserving your spot soon. Stars may be purchased up to the date of the event.

Photo: Vicki Johnson, director of development, Kathy Panepento, founder and director of resident care and doula services, and former nurse Betty James reminisce with a scrapbook of history about Crossroads House. Photo by Joanne Beck.

People, stories, community support and nurturing have been part of Crossroads House for 25 years

By Joanne Beck

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Memories began as a trickle, and soon they were gushing as Kathy Panepento and Betty James recalled the early days of Crossroads House.

There were certainly recollections of how the comfort care home became a fixture in Batavia, but perhaps even more special were the people that filled the beds over the last two and a half decades.

Like the gentleman who had three wishes to not die at his residence, have a beer and watch the Buffalo Bills game scheduled for later that day, Panepento said. He moved into Crossroads, and she went home to get him a beer; however, he died in a short six hours, before the game came on.

“But he got two wishes,” she said.

Crossroads House will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a Red Carpet Gala on Jan. 28 at Batavia Downs. (See related article for details.)

Panepento has been the face of Crossroads as a registered nurse in the hospice field and eventual founder of the site in January 1998. She has worked at Buffalo Hospice and helped to get a hospice for Genesee, and Wyoming County certified, training volunteers and continuously learning about the needs of the community.

She had gone from the OB-GYN field to hospice because “I fell in love with it.”

“You know, it’s such a personal approach,” Panepento said. “So then I got involved with the planning committee with them starting hospice with JD LeSeur and Father Scheider. And I was the first paid employee and training the hospice volunteers … and then getting it to certification and getting it approved by the State Department of Health.”

Filling a need
That was for the two-county hospice program. Panepento observed something about how the medical system was working: people weren’t dying quickly enough, which meant they couldn’t go to a hospital, yet also couldn't safely remain at their own residence, and instead were transferred to a nursing home.

“And a lot of times, they died before the transfer or in an ambulance on the way to the nursing home. So it's like, man, we're missing something. Even though Hospice is a great organization, they're limited in what they can give. So we just need something to fill in that crack there,” she said. “So I had the dream in ’95, my husband will recall: he said, ‘Oh no. What is it now?’ And I said we need to open up a comfort-care home. Batavia does not have an inpatient unit. They don't have a palliative care unit. There's only three beds in Genesee County for people that are dying.”

James, also a registered nurse who lives in Perry, became involved by way of Florida. One of her favorite aunts had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, and James and husband Tom went to Florida to see her. Her aunt was in hospice care at home. And her uncle was “just on edge.”

“There was a knock on the door, and a hospice nurse entered. I could see a visible relaxation of him, and I thought it was just a wonderful thing,” James said. “When I came back, I talked it up. That didn’t go anywhere.”

Then she saw an ad for a nurse at the Hospice of Genesee and Wyoming County and became Panepento’s first hire.

“She had to teach me a lot; you’re going into people’s homes. They’re hurting; it’s more symptom control management,” James said. “God ordained me to this field. You get to know the person and their disease process.”

Panepento had to insert a story about James and a male patient with a king-sized bed. Part of the job is to assist people where they’re at and not move them, so James attempted to care for him. She admitted that she had never seen a bed that big, so it was a challenge to reach him.

“And she fell into bed with him,” Panepento said as she and James broke into a laugh.

“You have to have a sense of humor,” James said, recalling the reaction of her and the man. “We laughed.”

What's in a name?
The name Crossroads came during what the women believe was a divine moment. A group of them was having lunch — a routine event at the Red Osier — and had been trying to come up with a name for this comfort care home in Batavia. James was sitting next to a nurse at one end of the table.

“I said, ‘Oh, that sounds wonderful.’ She said, ‘what, I didn't say anything.’ And I heard it: Crossroads House. And she said, ‘that's it,’” James said. “That was heavenly ordained because I remember there was a God wink. Yes, I like that term.”

Panepento began to cite a Jeremiah verse: “Thus says the Lord: Stop at the crossroads and look around you. Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it. You will find rest for your souls.”

“I believe that God led us to bring it to reality,” James said.

And over these more than two dozen years, there have been people who came — not to die but to live — out their remaining days at the home on Liberty Street. There have also been families of those 575 residents that settled in to support, and spend time, laugh and cry, and often reconcile old hurts with, a loved one.

There was an older gentleman who was there with his wife. And they were just so tight, James said.

“He was here every morning and he'd sit by her side. Every Thursday, he knew I was working. This is about the connection you get. And he'd come with a bag of (items) for the house. And after she passed, I think he just needed to keep the connection here for a while. Every Thursday, he’d bring things like paper towels … it's just one of the thousand things in my head about this place.”

Over the years, there have been countless stories, and many events, including baptisms, weddings, birthday parties and showers.

Panepento added that families do come back after a loved one has died, “because we nurture them.”

“We've held them up. And you know, they come back, and it's like reunion time,” she said. “We always tell our families, you're gonna adopt the Crossroads House family, but we're gonna adopt you too. You’re family.”

Community support
That nurturing has also come from a supportive community — First Presbyterian agreed to rent a vacant property for $1 a month when nobody knew where and how a home would be established, and well-attended fundraisers and donations have helped to float the nonprofit all these years while it charged nothing for the service.

“What a blessing! Now we had a home that needed extensive repairs, and with no money to start the renovations. Then came more blessings. On two different occasions, we were able to get prisoners to help with the remodeling process. The community came through for us, and area businesses donated building supplies and equipment. We even got volunteers to provide the manual labor,” Panepento said. “Staff was hired, volunteers were trained, the house was named Crossroads House, marketing was begun, and we fund-raised until we knew we had enough operating capital to open our doors and provide our services.”

Organizers themselves also “dug into our own pocketbooks,” James said. It took $7,000 just to get incorporated. As the house furnishings — donations seemed to miraculously fill the void when needed. Learning that a new furnace requiring $800 down was soon followed by a donation of $800. Needs of furniture and appliances often happened the same way. It was as though their needs — often seemingly out of reach — were somehow met time and time again.

Panepento looked up from the sitting room, recalling a huge hole in the roof over the kitchen. It got repaired, and they just carried on, focusing on providing services of care, comfort, and genuine love. More recently, the donation of a handicap-accessible van has furthered the offerings to include outings with residents.

Living at Crossroads
They took in the first resident, Jean, on Jan. 7, 1998. She was a good friend, nurse and mentor whose husband came with their dog and stayed there with her. Jean even helped to train volunteers, giving nuggets of advice such as how to move someone properly. There are even committee meetings conducted in her room to keep her involved.

“So we brought that to her bedside, and she did life,” James said. “And that's when we say you're not here to die. You're here to live until you take that final breath, whenever that may be.”

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Top Photo: Kathy Panepento and Betty James look at a scrapbook of Crossroads House history at the comfort care home on Liberty Street, Batavia. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Photos: Country Christmas lights

By Howard B. Owens

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Our friend Paul Saskowski asked us to take a look at his impressive Christmas light display in Darien, at Harlow and Sumner roads.  Some of his lights came from the light display the DiSalvos used to put up on Fargo Road, so The Batavian made the road trip last night, stopping along the way to take pictures of the lights of other homes.

A country drive on a snow-covered December evening is good entertainment.  Christmas lights aren't just for city folks.  There's a particularly nice stretch along Alexander Road in Batavia where nearly every home on both sides of the road are lit up, and it's almost magical to drive through. A photo couldn't do the stretch justice.

The first four photos are of the light display of the Saskowski homestead.

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Pearl Street Road.

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Sumner Road

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Sumner Road

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Fargo Road, Darien

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Route 5, Corfu

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Route 5, Batavia

Sentencing to be consolidated for Batavia man who admits to crime committed after prior conviction

By Howard B. Owens

A Batavia man accused of possessing a handgun during an incident in the area of Ellicott Street and Court Street on Sept.30 entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge on Tuesday.

Terrance Y. Williams, 23, had sought a new attorney at a previous court appearance because he thought a new attorney could get him a better deal after he committed a crime while awaiting sentencing on a drug possession conviction.

As part of his plea deal, the cases were consolidated so he could be sentenced on both convictions simultaneously, but by law, whatever sentence he gets will be on both convictions, which will be served consecutively.   

He faces up to seven years in prison on the weapons charge. He can also be placed on parole for seven years and fined up to $5,000.  He's also eligible for probation.  The full range of sentencing options are open to Judge Melissa Cianfrini.

He was originally going to be sentenced on Tuesday afternoon, but because of a timing conflict with an ongoing, unrelated trial, Williams will be sentenced on a later date.

He entered a guilty plea to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony.

In August, Williams entered a guilty plea to a count of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.

Law and Order: Duo from Buffalo accused of stealing 'felony amount' of merchandise from Dick's

By Howard B. Owens

Jaszandra M. Davis, 27, of Wade Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with grand larceny 4th, criminal possession of stolen property 4th, and possession of burglary tools, and Kai F. Morris, 19, of Shirley Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with grand larceny 4th, criminal possession of stolen property 4th, possession of burglary tools, and obstruction of governmental administration. Sheriff's deputies received a report of a possible theft in progress at Dick's Sporting Goods on Dec. 20, and when patrols arrived, they observed two individuals pushing a cart full of merchandise out of the store. Davis and Morris are accused of removing the merchandise from the store without paying for it. The cash value of the merchandise was not released, but the Sheriff's Office characterized it as "a felony amount" of stolen items. During the investigation, Davis and Morris were allegedly found in possession of stolen merchandise from multiple stores in the Buffalo area. Davis and Morris were released on an appearance ticket and ordered to appear in Town of Batavia Court at 10 a.m. on Jan. 4.  Assisting in the investigation were Sgt. Kyle Krzemien, Sgt. Mathew Clor, Investigator Kevin Forsyth, Deputy Nicholas Chamoun and Deputy Morgan Ewert.

Thomas Daniel Santos, 40, of West Ridge Road, Spencerport, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, driving while ability impaired by drugs, and failure to dim headlights. Santos was stopped on Dec. 3 at 12:06 a.m. on Route 33 in Bergen by Deputy Jonathan Dimming. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Shawn Richard Wisniewski, 33, of Medina, is charged with promoting prison contraband 1st. Wisnieski was allegedly found in possession of Suboxone while confined to the Genesee County Jail on Dec. 20 at 9:54 p.m. He was arraigned in City Court today.

Carrianne M. Rozbicki, 40, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Rozbicki is accused of stealing $69.27 in merchandise from Walmart on Dec. 17. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Chamber announces 2023 Home Show in April

By Press Release

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the 2023 Home Show has been scheduled for April 14, 15 & 16, 2023. The Show will be held at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, 22 Evans Street, Batavia.

Vendor applications are being accepted at this time. Applications can be downloaded from the Chamber’s website at https://geneseeny.com/chamber- signature-events/ and are available at the Chamber’s office, 8276 Park Road. Space is limited and on a first-come basis.

Any questions regarding the Show, please feel free to contact Kelly J. Bermingham at kbermingham@geneseeny.com or 585-343-7440, ext. 1026. 

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens. Guy Clark of Cedar Street Sales and Rentals shows off a riding mower for a young customer at this year's show.

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