Zeke Lynn shows off a Western New York Plate at Everybody Eats during the takeout restaurant's soft opening Saturday at Batavia City Centre. Photo by Joanne Beck
Liliana Perl and her family drove to Batavia just to try out a signature Everybody Eats dish at City Centre on Saturday evening. After all, the Elba resident had heard about the new takeout restaurant and wanted to give it a try, she said.
She and the family filled the tables and seats that were just outside the kitchen and enjoyed their meal even though most dishes were to-go orders. They had the Western New York Plate: a derivative of the garbage plate, but with a chef Zeke Lynn touch of pan-fried hash browns, macaroni salad, a hotdog, meat sauce, mustard and ketchup.
Was it worth the drive?
“That was amazing,” Perl said. “It was very, very good, the best in town. We are garbage plate fiends. We love a good garbage plate.”
Lynn first announced in August that he would be moving into the space at 29 Batavia City Centre after cleaning up the space and setting up the kitchen.
Now, with a new stove and griddle installed, he had a couple of test days earlier this week selling sandwiches and a minestrone soup, despite the very unseasonably hot temperature (that became the joke about serving hot soup in 86-degree weather).
The restaurant had a soft opening on Saturday, featuring bolognese, a dish of homemade beef and pork ragu that’s slow simmered and served over fettuccine pasta, and his WNY Plate loaded with potatoes, mac salad, meat sauce and a choice of hotdog, burger or cheeseburger.
They will be there again from 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday, with the pickup entrance opposite Wendy’s. To order, call or text (585) 813-7969.
Lynn and his partner, Sam Lang, have worked in restaurants “our whole lives,” and look forward to catering to the appetites of their local customers, Lang said.
“Every week, we’ll focus on specials and then bring in some new stuff. We really feed off of feedback, good or bad. We really want to know what people want,” he said. “We’ll have a steak night coming up soon. The hardest part is we don’t really want to lock down one thing. And we’ll be offering cooking classes; they’ll be coming in the future.”
He and Lynn felt that the Bolognese and WNY Plate are two of their best dishes, so that’s what they began with. They will be adding other menu items as they go along, according to customer requests and input.
They plan to serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and add a dinner menu from Thursdays through the weekend.
An officer checks the VIN of a vehicle identified as the suspect vehicle in a pursuit in Batavia. The plates may have been switched on the vehicle. The operator fled from the vehicle after stopping in a driveway on Summit Street, across the street from St. Joe's. He apparently lost control trying to negotiate the turn from East Main onto Summit. Photo by Howard Owens.
A pursuit that started on the Southside of Batavia is now a foot chase in the area of Summit Street.
The vehicle may have struck a building on Jackson Street, and the suspect continued to Jackson, South Jackson, Maple, East Main, and now Summit.
The suspect, described as a black male with a ball cap is now west on Washington Avenue.
UPDATE 12:36 p.m.: The subject is also said to be wearing a plaid-style jacket.
UPDATE 1:43 a.m.: The search is ongoing, involving patrols from Batavia PD and the Sheriff's Office. There is nobody available on scene who can provide an update about the case. Communication has been moved to a secure channel. So, it will be unlikely we can provide any further updates tonight. The search is generally in the area of Summit and Washington.
Photo showing the skid marks from the vehicle as a result of the operator apparently losing control. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies picked up a win on Saturday, beating Geneseo 31-0.
OAE stats:
QB/DL Austin Pangrazio - 21 Carries, 134 Yards, four TDs., three Tackles, one TFL, one Fumble Recovery
RB Avery Watterson - 15 Carries, 128 Yards, one TD
LB Ashton Bezon - 10 Tackles, five TFLs, one Sack, one Forced Fumble
DL Angelo Penna - nine Tackles, three TFLs
"It's good to get one back in the W column," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "These boys have been working hard. I'm happy they got to enjoy the fruits of their labor. However, we know we need to remain grounded and stay the course. Class D is wide open this year. We keep saying, 'The team in our class who has the best October is going to really like their November.' We'll continue to grow and prepare for the next challenge."
The Pembroke Dragons continue to dominate other eight-man squads, picking up their sixth win against no defeats on Friday by beating Allegany-Limestone (Section VI), 68-22.
Coach Brandon Ricci credits the blocking of Ben Steinberg, Jayden Mast, Jayden Bridge, Madden Perry, JJ Gabbey, Octavius Martin and Hayden Williams with helping the Dragons amass 400 yards of total offense on just 27 plays.
Tyson Totten ran for 275 yards and six touchdowns on 19 carries. He also added a punt return for a touchdown.
Fullback Caleb Felski had 100 yards rushing and one touchdown on seven carries.
Quarterback Vijay Dhanda Finished the scoring on his lone carry for a 50-yard touchdown.
Defensively the Dragons were led by linebacker Vijay Dhanda with 11 tackles. Caleb Felski added nine tackles of his own, while Tyson had six and an interception that he took 80 yards back for a score.
York/Pavilion beat Notre Dame 25-18 in a Thursday Night football game.
For Notre Dame, Jay Antinore was 7-13 passing for 112 yards and TD with one interception. He also ran for 70 yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown on the ground.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had five receptions for 96 yards and a TD.
For York/Pavilion, Parker Bonefede was 13-20 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns. He ran seven times for 21 yards and two TDs.
Tyler Brady and Jacob Pangrazio each had a TD reception.
Just listed: 5497 Ford Road, Elba.Adorable!! Move in immediately and don’t skip a beat because everything has been done for you! Affordabley priced this home offers a lot-new roof, all new windows, new back patio and great corner 1/2 acre lot and freshly landscaped! PLUS a completely gutted and remodeled first floor that has pretty eat in kitchen full first floor bath with laundry and downstairs bedroom. Upstairs also has full bath and two good size bedrooms-this home has great use of space that makes it seem much bigger than square footage! Also there is an attached garage with wall heater that allows you to do some extra puttering if you want to!! This home has a lot to offer and is not a flip home-easily seen and no delay!!
Reader-submitted photo of a police car damaged by a fleeing suspect during a high-speed chase that went down Holland Avenue, Batavia.
In a pursuit that reportedly started with the theft of merchandise from Ulta Beauty, a Batavia PD patrol car was struck and damaged on Holland Avenue at around 5 p.m. on Friday.
The suspect vehicle was later spotted on Park Road and was headed toward the Thruway.
Police communications are on a secure channel, and Batavia PD has yet to release further information.
Engineer Michael Metzger and Developer Michael Schmidt at the Sept. 27 Town of Pembroke Planning Board meeting. Photo by Howard Owens.
It's more expensive to build an apartment complex in Pembroke than locations to the town's immediate west, according to developer Mike Schmidt, and what he can charge for rent in Pembroke is substantially less than in just about any part of Erie County.
So he wouldn't build in Pembroke if not for the tax abatements he sought and could receive from the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
On Thursday, the GCEDC board of directors voted to move the proposed incentive package for Countryside Apartments LLC to a public hearing at a date and time yet to be scheduled in the Town of Pembroke.
If approved by the board after the hearing, Schmidt, who is planning to invest $15.65 million to build a complex that could eventually contain 96 market-rate apartments -- would receive a sales tax exemption on building materials worth $739,200, a property tax abatement of $2 million, and a mortgage tax abatement of $130,000.
The location is at 8900 Alleghany Road, Pembroke, which is about halfway between Cohocton Road and Brickhouse Corners. Immediately to the south of the currently wooded 8.2-acre lot is a farm field and a long-abandoned gas station. A single-family home is on the land to the north. The property is zoned limited commercial and agricultural-residential.
The Batavian interviewed Schmidt on Friday because, at a Town of Pembroke Planning Board meeting on Sept 27, it sounded like Schmidt said he was getting no government assistance for the project -- as in, no government subsidies.
At the meeting that night, some residents raised the specter of Ellicott Station and how the project seemed to go from market-rate apartments to low-income housing once state and federal agencies got involved, and Schmidt replied that "They (Savarino Companies) already had all the agencies lined up to work with them. We are here alone. Mike's (Metzger) my engineer. We have no intention of doing that. I can put that into writing. We certainly aren't going to be looking for any state financial aid or any type of anything from the government to help us. (emphasis added)"
Today, Schmidt said he felt bad that maybe he didn't communicate as clearly as he would like. He called himself a straight-shooter and said that he certainly didn't mean to mislead anybody. In his mind, he was speaking purely in the context of seeing the kind of government assistance that comes from Housing and Urban Development or the state Office of Homes and Community Renewal -- assistance that comes with strings attached on the kind of housing you must develop.
The GCEDC assistance has no such income requirements.
It perhaps should be noted, too, that GCEDC is not technically a government agency. It is a public benefit corporation, which places it somewhere between being a government agency -- created through legislation -- and a standard non-profit. However, IDAs, such as GCEDC, are given the authority to grant relief from certain taxes levied by state and local government bodies.
Schmidt said no one with GCEDC or any government agency has approached him about turning his complex into subsidized housing.
"It's not going to happen on this project," he reiterated.
He said that was the only point he was trying to make to the planning board and residents in attendance, and he's sorry if it came across as forgoing all assistance.
"My intention is to do my level best to be as clear as I can with my answers," Schmidt said.
He said he understands that what has happened with Ellicott Station has made people more distrustful of developers. He said he's followed the project closely and that by his count, Savarino Companies has a dozen different government agencies involved in the project. That isn't the case with his project, he said.
He said he understands that people are concerned about a "bait and switch."
"That (Ellicott Station) hasn't been real helpful to me," Schmidt said. "The trust level that is normally there between a developer and a town board and a town planning board has kind of been breached."
When asked if his statement that he wasn't seeking assistance might be seen as misleading and leads to further distrust of developers, Schmidt said he disagreed with the idea that he is taking anything from anybody.
He called it a "mischaracterization."
Nobody is handing him money, he said. He's financing the entire project himself. However, the tax breaks are the only way to make the project viable because of the disparities in expenses and revenues between Genesee County and Erie County.
"There is no way this project could move forward without the help," Schmidt said. "Without the help, these projects and projects like it won't happen."
An explanation of the abatements: If nothing is built, there is no sales tax to charge on materials not sold, so the argument from IDA supporters is that it isn't money spent, and the same with the mortgage tax. On the property tax abatement, in the form of a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes, meaning the developer pays some fees to local jurisdictions), the abatement is only the portion of the tax increase caused by the increase in assessed value that development creates, so if there's no development, there is no increase in assessed value, and no new taxes to forgive, and no increase in tax revenue when the PILOT ends.
Schmidt listed several Erie County communities where he could get $800 a month more in rent for the same apartments he's planning in Pembroke, where he'll charge from $1,400 a month to $1,700 a month.
And because there are fewer qualified contractors who will take on projects in Pembroke, and it costs more to truck some material to Pembroke, his expenses are higher to build in Pembroke than in other communities.
Additionally, the cost of construction in recent years has gone up substantially in the past few years, he said. Not counting site work, it costs $200 a foot to build an apartment complex, he said.
Financial incentives are the only way he can keep rents affordable.
Asked about getting tax breaks not available to existing landlords in the area, he said his costs are substantially higher than any landlord buying existing buildings.
"When you're buying apartments in an area where you're paying a fraction of the amount per unit than it costs to build new, that's a real benefit to that landlord," Schmidt said. "When I build new units at a higher rental price, those landlords are able to raise their rents, and with higher rents can still say, 'look at what a bargain you're getting from me.'"
Genesee County, in general, and Pembroke in particular, needs more housing, Schmidt noted, especially in light of all the new development coming in -- Plug Power and Edwards Vacuum at WNY STAMP, multiple new projects at Exit 48A, and new mixed-use developments at Brickhouse Corners.
Because of that, Schmidt believes his project will be successful and fill up quickly, though he recognizes there are no guarantees, which is why he's taking a phased approach to building the complex -- four separate buildings of 24 apartment units each. He's not going to build any units beyond the first phase if it turns out there is no demand, or he will wait for the demand to grow, which could take years.
"I don't know how big the demand will be," Schmidt said. "I can't say. I know it's not a field of dreams where I can build 10,000 units, and they will be full. That's not it. But I'm confident this will be a successful project."
He also thinks he will fill the units with tenants that current Pembroke residents will appreciate as neighbors. And that his tenants will be the kind people who not only make a positive contribution to the community but they will also contribute economically, which benefits all business and property owners
"As I said at the meeting, having more people who are qualified, hardworking people with good jobs drives the value up of every property," Schmidt said. "Undoubtedly."
Who rents apartments? Schmidt said it's people who don't want the responsibility of owning a home.
"A house is permanent," Schmidt said. "It means you think you're going to stay in the area. You know you have a secure job. You want to be certain that you want to stay in a community. You like the schools. An apartment is a stepping stone into that area."
An apartment dweller doesn't have to worry about putting on a new $18,000 roof, or fixing the dishwasher when it's broken, or plowing the snow, or tree removal after a storm, or spending $300 plus labor on a new sump pump.
"Apartment living is very simple living," Schmidt said. "When you pay rent, you have an all-in number. For $400 a week, you know every expense is covered. People like that.”
He then explained, "I know a guy who sold a $500,000 house and is moving into an apartment -- not senior housing but into a $2,300-a-month apartment. You might say he's insane, but he doesn't want to do snow removal. He doesn't want to mow a lawn any more. He wants to be able to go and come as he pleases."
Schmidt admitted, "Hey, I'm a landlord," so of course, he's bullish on apartments, but he sees the demand. A fellow landlord in Erie County rents his units for $2,600 a month.
"You might think, 'Who the heck is going to pay that,'" Schmidt said. "He has a waiting list."
He added, "New people are coming. They just will be. I don't know how many jobs they're projecting over the next 10 years, but if the projections are just half right, there will be a lot of need for housing."
But meeting the growing local need for more roofs to put over the heads of more people is only possible, he said, through the financial assistance of an agency like GCEDC.
"Housing is needed in the area, so how are you going to get it, to get investments from people like me, who would normally invest in other parts of the WNY region, more toward Buffalo, if you're not going to work with them and help them, without some sort of financial incentive," Schmidt said.
Rendering of a 24-unit apartment building proposed for Route 77 in Pembroke, courtesy of Developer Mike Schmidt.
August 2023 File Photo of John Bennett Photo by Mike Pettinella
After spending 40 years in a career involved with people dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, John Bennett believes he has come to know those people fairly well. And after all is said and done, no matter their struggles and perceived defects, “they’re just people,” he says.
Bennett, the chief executive officer for UConnectCare, formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, or GCASA, is taking some time to collect his thoughts and plans for the agency after his request for funding was turned down Wednesday by four Genesee County legislators.
The Batavian needs to clarify two points that may have gotten lost in the fray of comments involved in the potential deal. One is that the $100,000 request was not directly from the county’s coffers or taxpayers. The money would have come from settlement funds that were the result of an opioid-related lawsuit that Genesee County was part of, along with several other counties.
There is some $463,000 available, and a portion of the money has a restricted use that must go toward opioid-related purposes. For example, some of the opioid funding went for monitoring of wastewater to track what types of drugs are being used in Genesee County.
The second point is that while the assessed value of the motel has been cited as $293,000, the property has also been listed as for sale on LoopNet. That listing does not include an asking price; however, Realtor.com gives the estimated market value of the property as $970,343. That is how the purchase price landed at $800,000.
Aside from those two financial considerations, the legislators did not want the deal for other reasons, and those comments are what hit the hardest for Bennett, he said.
The idea was to have a place for transitional housing to serve people in need of safe temporary housing, and it was discussed by a committee of representatives from the county, GCASA, and mental health that all seemed to agree it was a good idea, he said.
“I will say that the legislators, this group, sent a message about how they feel about people with addiction and recovery. And it's disappointing to me because I've worked 25 years in this community. And, you know, part of my mission is to help reduce the stigma of people with addiction, and I feel that maybe I haven't done such a good job,” Bennett said. “If that's the way some people in the legislature still feel about having us in the community and the people we serve … I'm trying to take a look at all that right now.”
He invites the legislators, and anyone who is interested, to take a tour of the facilities at the newly named UConnectCare, and talk to people there to learn more about what they do.
Bennett is concerned about how people with addictions are portrayed just because they may struggle and relapse — even if it’s multiple times. Many people have such a story in their own families, including Bennett, he said. His grandfather, whom he was named after, “drank himself to death,” dying the year Bennett was born as a young man in his 50s.
“And my mother always told me stories about what a kind man he was, that he’d give you the shirt off his back, but he had a drinking problem, and then in her infinite wisdom named me after him,” Bennett said. "I grew up going to Al-Anon meetings. And then my uncle, who was a prominent regional director for Mutual of Omaha, was also an alcoholic.”
The point being that, yes, good people can struggle with substances, he said.
He also takes issue with any insinuation that his agency is a drain on the county. GCASA has gotten $35,000 from Genesee County in its yearly allotment.
“We’re very appreciative of that, but that’s all we get in a $12 million budget,” he said. “So we’re not a drain on this county at all. In fact, we bring a lot of business. And the building that I sit in, we bought the building at auction. It was abandoned and dilapidated. It was empty for like 10 years. And nobody was paying taxes on it. That’s why we ended up buying it at auction,” he said.
The agency helps to boost the local economy by hiring local contractors for that work, and the 76 percent of its 200-person staff that lives and works in Genesee and Orleans counties, he said.
“You can come come down to visit us. If you really serve in the community, come down and take a tour of our buildings, meet my staff, and meet some of the people that we service. They'll be willing to talk to you. But don't step up in public and say things that you don't really know anything about. That's my message,” he said. “Some people are there at the worst. They're down and out, and they're at the worst point of their life, and they need help. And, you know, you have to be willing to work for those people, too. So, yeah, I'm disappointed. I'm okay with making a decision not to give the money. I mean, that's not really the issue. The issue was how it was managed, the things that were said.”
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today released the following statement on the removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the upcoming House Republican leadership race.
"The American people are fed up with political gamesmanship and dysfunction in Washington," said Congresswoman Tenney. "Sadly, a small group of Republicans teamed up with the Democrats to plunge our conference into a leadership race and sideline our effort to pass conservative appropriations bills.
"Instead of working together to pass spending cuts, gain operational control of our borders, rein in Biden’s bloated bureaucracy, and hold the corrupt Biden family accountable through oversight functions, Republicans will remain divided amid important negotiations with Biden and Schumer. Speaker McCarthy’s magnanimous and courageous decision to step aside gives Republicans one last chance to unify, come together, elect a speaker, and deliver conservative wins for the American people."
No matter who we are or where we come from, we all know at least one person affected by opioid use disorder (OUD). An estimated 2.1 million Americans have OUD 1.
Since 2019, there have been 57 fatal opioid overdoses in Genesee County, with additional deaths still pending official causes of death. What many don’t realize is that OUD is a medical disorder characterized by an inability to stop the use of an opioid, despite the negative consequences associated with its use.
HEALing Genesee is committed to reducing opioid overdose deaths. Many families are broken and lives are disrupted due to misuse of opioids. Research findings are clear: medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are the single most effective tool to promote long-term recovery.
Recovery from OUD also requires more than willpower, and medications can be part of the solution. Three FDA approved medications – methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone – can lower the risk of relapse and overdose.
Evidence shows that these medications reduce or eliminate withdrawal symptoms (methadone, buprenorphine), blunt or block effects of illicit opioids (methadone, naltrexone, buprenorphine), and reduce or eliminate cravings to use opioids (methadone, buprenorphine).
MOUD treatment can be combined with psychotherapy, support groups, or other treatment opportunities where available. To reduce overdose deaths and the many other destructive effects of opioid use disorder on our community, we must increase the number of people who seek MOUD treatment and who stay in treatment long enough to recover.
A HEALing Communities Study spokesperson, Johnny, has been taking MOUD for over 5 years as part of his recovery path. During an interview led by study staff, Johnny provided some ways for how he overcame treatment barriers. “At the beginning there were many people who didn’t believe in MOUD.”
He noted there were many people in his life who believed MOUD was just substituting one drug for another, but it’s not. He says, “Don’t give up. This [MOUD] works. If it doesn’t work for you the first time, try again. Be honest with yourself and your counselors and the people trying to help you. It is your treatment and your recovery. Stay in treatment, your life is worth it!”
You Can Help HEAL our Communities
How can you help? If you know someone with opioid use disorder, encourage them to seek MOUD. If you know someone who is in MOUD treatment, let them know you support their efforts and recognize the courage it takes to break the cycle of drug dependence. If someone you know has a family member in MOUD treatment, tell them how glad you are to hear it and how you hope their family member stays in that treatment as long as they need it.
Your encouragement matters because one of the reasons that some people leave MOUD treatment too soon, or never enter it at all, is lack of support from family and friends. The notion that MOUD “isn’t real recovery” has prevented too many people from using MOUD to succeed in recovery and there are challenges people in recovery face. Some challenges may include separating from previous drug-using social networks and managing anxiety and depression, withdrawal, and potential occasional relapse events.
For a person with opioid use disorder, chances of recovery become much greater when MOUD treatment efforts are supported by friends, family, and the connections within their social networks, and transportation, housing, and employment are accessible in the community.
Together, we can HEAL our communities.
To learn more about the challenges people face with opioid use disorder, and some tips to overcome them, visit www.HealTogetherStories.org to watch the powerful testimonials of people on MOUD in communities like ours. It is up to all of us to help as many people in Genesee County recover from opioid use disorder.
To learn more about the HEALing Communities Study, visit:
HEALing Communities Study Website: www.HealTogetherNY.org/Genesee
GOW Opioid Task Force Website: www.gowopioidtaskforce.org/
Halloween Party: Thursday, October 26 at 6:45 p.m.
The whole family is invited to wear a costume and join us for games, treats and a craft! This year we will also have a "Costume Contest". Registration is appreciated. Call the library at 948-9900 to register.
2nd Annual Triangle Park Halloween Parade: Saturday, October 28 at 10 a.m.
Children of all ages are invited to wear their costume and "Trick or Teat" around Triangle Park in the Village of Oakfield. Our Library Volunteers will be handing out candy and we will also have a Halloween photo booth available. No registration necessary.
Halloween Preschool Storytime: Monday, October 30 at 10:30 a.m.
Wear your Halloween Costume for this special Halloween Preschool Storytime. We will enjoy “not-so-scary” Halloween stories and activities and then we will parade around the building for some Halloween treats! This program is designed for children ages 2-5, but ALL ages are welcome to attend. No registration necessary.
The Haxton Memorial Library located at 3 North Pearl Street in Oakfield provides residents a variety of programs, events and materials that are listed on the library’s website at www.HaxtonLibrary.org.
Submitted photo of outgoing, 20-year Chairman Richard E Siebert (2nd from left) congratulating Scott German (center) who was elected the new Chairman. Additionally, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (far left) was re-elected as 1st Vice Chair, Mary Alice Panek (2nd from right) as 2nd Vice Chair) & County Clerk Mike Cianfrini (far right) as Treasurer.
Press Release:
The Organizational Meeting of the Genesee County Republican Committee was held on Tuesday, October 3 with a huge majority of members present. Due to the decision of Richard Siebert, Chairman for the last 20 years, to not seek re-election, the position of Chairman was the main item on the Agenda.
All officer positions were available and were re-elected as follows:
1st Vice Chairman Stephen M. Hawley, Town of Batavia
2nd Vice Chairman Mary Alice Panek, Town of Stafford
Treasurer Michael Cianfrini, Town of Oakfield
Secretary Kathleen Jasinski, Town of Batavia
Scott German, City of Batavia, was elected as Chairman. He is the present Genesee County Treasurer.
McCabe Enterprises Electrical Contractor is growing and needs your help. Join the best electrical team at the largest electrical contractor in the county and be a part of something great. We offer a clear career path with opportunities for advancement as foremans, field superintendents or project managers as you learn and grow. Our amazing clients include everything from homeowners, small businesses to large industrial and agricultural organizations. If you are an experienced electrician and a hard worker with a strong growth mindset – apply today!
2023 File Photo of the red doors of the future Bowery, a live entertainment venue promised for Batavia by entrepreneur Ken Mistler, will remain closed for awhile still, as he works on other projects here and in New York City. Photo by Joanne Beck
If you’ve been laying out your shanty town outfit in preparation for The Bowery’s opening this fall, there may be time for more shopping.
Property owner and entrepreneur Ken Mistler said this week that he’s been busy with other properties in New York City the past month and has in the meantime put his speakeasy venue on ice.
“That’s on the back burner,” he said Thursday.
He has no plans to resume work on the project for quite some time, he said.
Batavia Showtime has been out of commission for a few years now, as Mistler has been renovating the downtown space. His plans for a movie theater-turned-live entertainment bowery seemed to be ramping up during a city Planning and Development meeting this past May.
He described the environment for one of his latest ventures as a gritty, edgy shanty town vibe offering live musical artists and comedy acts, reminiscent of “the oldest street in Manhattan,” with light industrial Big City shanties of the mid-1800s.
The place would include a take-out pizza shop for food service to The Bowery and whole pizzas to-go for customers. Mistler had contractors ready to go, he said, and the building had been gutted at that point. He looked forward to an opening within the next six months, he had said.
During City Council’s Sept. 11 business meeting, the group agreed to sell Mistler a portion of 6 Alva Place for $1,466 that was owned by the city. It was property within Mistler’s theater and overhead marquee also located at 6 Alva Place, known as Batavia Showtime Inc.
Mistler intended to develop those parcels for The Bowery and had offered to purchase a small section of property at that address. Council agreed by a vote of 9-0.
Since the city's planning meeting, funding came through for the Carr’s Reborn project, which is downtown property along Main and Jackson streets owned by Mistler and partner Pete Zeliff. That is a work in progress, Mistler confirmed.
On Sunday, November 19 starting at 4 p.m. the Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble (GVWE) will be performing their fall concert at Oakfield-Alabama Middle/High School located at 7001 Lewiston Rd. Oakfield.
Phillip J. Briatico, founder of GVWE, will be conducting along with guest conductor Brad Willard. These works will be featured:
Overture for Winds- Charles Carter
Handel in the Strand- Percy Grainger
Chant & Jubilo- W. Francis McBeth
The Longest Day- Paul Anka arr. Brad Willard
Beauty & The Beast- arr. Calvin Custer
Autumn Leaves- Alfred Reed
‘80s Soundtrax-arr. Patrick Roszell
The Washington Post- John Philip Sousa
Sleigh Ride- Encore
The purpose of the GVWE is to serve and to provide the Greater Genesee Valley audience with new and familiar live music, to serve its membership with the opportunity to perform challenging wind ensemble literature, and to create the opportunity for the conductor and musicians to grow their collective musical talents.
For more information and ticket prices visit www.geneseevalleywindensemble.org or contact geneseevalleywindensemble@gmail.com.
The Batavia Housing Authority is seeking a positive, hardworking teammate to perform a variety of outdoor landscaping tasks, primarily mowing, with some trimming and cleanup work. The Groundskeeper is independently responsible for outdoor landscaping tasks on a weekly basis with some flexibility. This job may require some weekend hours when necessary. Part-time position Pay Range: $19.00/hr - $22.00/hr Anticipated start date: May 2024 Application deadline: April 29, 2024 See full job description at: https://www.co.genesee.ny.us/Groundskeeper.pdf Complete Civil Service Application at: https://cms1files.revize.com/geneseecountynew/CivilServiceApplication2022Revision-09.22.22.pdf Contact Information Nathan Varland Executive Director Batavia Housing Authority 400 East Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 (585) 344-1888 nvarland@bataviahousing.org Location: Batavia
For Rent - Lower 1 Bedroom Apartment Private country setting, lower one bedroom apartment with all appliances and parking. Sunroom with gas fireplace and patio. Includes water and heat. NEW LOWER PRICE! $1000/Month plus electric. No pets, no smoking. References and security deposit required. Available June 1st, 2024. Call 585-344-3141.
