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City fire chief reminds residents to change smoke detector batteries when setting clocks ahead Sunday

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department reminds residents about changing smoke detector batteries when Daylight Saving time begins on Sunday, March 8.

Chief Stefano Napolitano recommends “that as residents set their clocks ahead, that they test their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes with missing and/or damaged smoke detectors. Often times smoke detector fails to operate because the batteries were missing, disconnected or dead.

Additionally, Napolitano recommends these safety tips:

  • Install a working smoke detector on every level of the home, outside and or inside sleeping areas/bedrooms.• Be sure to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Test smoke detectors monthly using the test button on the unit.
  • Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke detector, and knows what to do when it sounds.
  • Replace any smoke detector that is 10 years old or older.
  • Replace the smoke detector immediately if it does not respond properly when tested.
  • Batteries in traditional type smoke detectors, should be changed at least once a year, and/or in accordancewith manufacturer’s recommendations.
  • Develop a plan of escape. Make sure everyone in the household knows how to get out of every room andhow to evacuate in under two-minutes. They should also know where to meet, once they are out of the house.
  • Try to avoid placing a smoke detector near a bathroom, heating appliance windows, or ceiling fans.

“Also as a reminder, if you reside in the City of Batavia and you do not have a working smoke detector or a replacement battery, the City of Batavia Fire Department will provide one smoke detector or batteries to you at no cost," Napolitano said. "Additionally, if you need assistance in testing, inspecting or changing your batteries please call 585-345-6375.

"A time will be set and members of the fire department will come to your residence and install a smoke detector, replace batteries and inspect and test the units in your home."

As Cuomo calls for infrastructure cuts, Hawley and highway superintendents cry out for more money

By Billie Owens

From Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

In light of years of stagnant investment in the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and a proposed elimination of $65 in Extreme Winter Recovery funds by Gov. Cuomo, Assemblyman Steve Hawley rallied Wednesday in Albany with highway superintendents from around the state calling for infrastructure investment parity.

For several years, CHIPS funding has been held stagnant at $438.1 million statewide despite billions of dollars in increases to fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and repair downstate bridges.

This funding is used to repair and pave streets and highways. Furthermore, Gov. Cuomo has proposed cutting $65 million in Extreme Winter Recovery funds which are used by areas experiencing harsh winters to speed up recovery and repair processes.

“Whenever the MTA cries broke Gov. Cuomo is right there willing to throw more tax dollars their way, yet Upstate has to fight tooth and nail each year for a little bit extra to ensure we have safe travel,” Hawley said. “Millions of upstate residents, emergency services vehicles, farmers and manufacturers use our roads each day and their safety and quality of life matter just as much as a subway patron.

"We are seeking a $100 million increase to CHIPS and a restoration of the $65 million Extreme Winter Recovery fund – a small and reasonable step toward parity in a budget totaling over $175 billion. I will continue fighting to see that upstate gets it fair share this year!”

Elba student part of five-man winning team of financial analysis and research challenge

By Billie Owens

Submitted photo and press release:

Luca Zambito, of Elba, (second from left, above) was part of a five-person team from the Canisius College Golden Griffin Fund that secured a first-place win in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Research Challenge of Western New York, held Feb. 28 at Syracuse University.

Zambito is majoring in Finance at Canisius College and is set to graduate this year.

Canisius College has dominated the CFA Research Challenge in Western New York since its inception in 2010, securing first-place wins for the past 10 consecutive years.

The Canisius team overcame competitors including SUNY Geneseo, University of Rochester and SUNY Oswego to take home the first-place prize. The team now advances to the Americas Regional Challenge, to be held April 20-22 in New York City. 

"The success of our Canisius team gets more incredible every year when you consider the increasing complexity of the research and analysis, and the competition from other colleges and universities," says Richard A. Wall (Class of '78), Ph.D, CFA, professor emeritus of Economics and Finance at Canisius College and faculty advisor to the Golden Griffin Fund team. 

"To be one of only 50 teams advancing to the Americas Regional Challenge is an honor for our students and a testament to their hard work and commitment to the competition, and their futures in the investment management profession," adds Steven Gattuso (Class of '87), MBA '89, CFA, CFP, CMA, director of the Golden Griffin Fund. 

The Golden Griffin Fund team that took home first place in this year's CFA Research Challenge in Western New York was comprised of Justin Begley ('20), Luca Zambito ('20), Cameron Rosenecker ('19), MBA ('20) (team captain), Andrew Sagun ('20) and Nick Stinson ('20).

Batavia's Graham Corp. was subject of 2020 Challenge

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university-sponsored teams with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis.

The competition tests the analytic, valuation, reporting, writing and presentation skills of students studying Business, Finance and Economics. Teams are challenged to research a publicly traded company and write a written report with a buy, sell or hold recommendation. Teams must then present and defend their analysis to a panel of industry professionals who serve as judges in the competition. 

The subject company for this year's CFA Research Challenge was Graham Corp., headquartered in Batavia. Graham Corp. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of engineered-to-order vacuum and heat-transfer equipment for process industries and energy markets.

Housed within the Richard J. Wehle School of Business and established in 2003, the GGF was one of the region's first real-money, equity investment funds managed by undergraduate and graduate business majors. GGF students select potential companies in which to invest, manage and analyze portfolio holdings, and evaluate and recommend companies to add to the portfolio. 

In 2019, the GGF team was one of only five universities, out of 1,100 worldwide, to advance to the Global Finals of the CFA Institute Research Challenge. It was the second time in five years that the college's team competed on the world stage. 

In 2015, Canisius College advanced through the CFA Institute Research Challenge of Western New York and the Americas Regionals to win the global championship title, earning first place over more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 865 universities in 70 countries.

About CFA Institute

The Chartered Financial Analyst Institute is a global association for investment professionals.

It administers to the CFA and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) curriculum and exam programs worldwide; publishes research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary ethics-based professional and performance reporting standards for the investment industry. The institute has approximately 150,000 members in 165-plus countries and regions.

About Canisius College

One of 27 Jesuit universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York. Canisius celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary during the 2019-20 academic year, marking 150 years of Jesuit education and leadership in the city of Buffalo and Western New York.

Visit www.canisius.edu/150 for more information about Canisius' milestones and celebratory events.

Top photo, from left, the Golden Griffin Fund team at Canisius College: Justin Begley, Luca Zambito, Cameron Rosenecker (team captain), Andrew Sagun, and Nick Stinson.

Mark Your Calendar: Iroquois refuge hosts 36th annual Spring into Nature celebration May 2

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Alabama is hosting its 36th annual Spring Into Nature celebration from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.

This year, we recognize 50 years of Earth Day with the theme – Climate Challenge.

We are also celebrating 20 years of partnership with the Friends of Iroquois NWR Inc.! Join us for a variety of nature-related exhibits, crafts, fishing demos, and games for the kids.

There will be activities for all ages including sunflower seed feeder construction, live birds of prey, archery games, and guided trail walks. Our resident experts will also be out for the Eagle Watch, so you can see and learn about their nesting behavior.

Don’t forget to meet Puddles, the blue goose mascot of the National Wildlife Refuge System.  

Since Western New York weather is unpredictable, we’ve moved most of our events indoors and pushed the date back one week. So, please join us rain or shine! Food will be available for purchase. Parking and all activities are free.

The headquarters of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is located at 1101 Casey Road in Basom.

Please visit their website, or contact Refuge staff at (585) 948-5445 for more information about Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Iroquois NWR is located midway between Buffalo and Rochester, and is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Individuals with disabilities and any other person who may need special assistance to participate in this program should contact the Refuge at (585) 948-5445 or atthe Federal Relay No. 1-800-877-8339.

Free SKYWARN spotter training offered by National Weather Service in Batavia March 30

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Buffalo office of the National Weather Service will be conducting a SKYWARN spotter training seminar in Batavia, at the Genesee County Fire Training Center, 7690 State Street Road, at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 30.

The training session will last about two hours and there is no cost for the training.

SKYWARN is a national effort to save lives during severe weather emergencies with an expanding network of trained volunteer weather spotters.

SKYWARN spotters support their local community and government by providing reports of severe weather directly to the National Weather Service in Buffalo by phone using the NWS spotter hotline, by email, or social media. The services performed by SKYWARN spotters have saved many lives.

The National Weather Service has an array of modern technology for detecting severe thunderstorms. Included in these are Doppler radar, satellite, and lightning detection networks. However, the most important tool for observing thunderstorms is the trained eye of the storm spotter.

By providing observations, SKYWARN spotters assist National Weather Service staff in their warning decisions and enable the National Weather Service to fulfill its mission of protecting life and property. Storm spotters are, and always will be, an indispensable part of the severe local storm warning program.

The basic training session provides a brief overview of the National Weather Service organization and our responsibilities, severe weather safety, and basic severe weather meteorology including how thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes develop.

Anyone can become a severe weather spotter for the National Weather Service. SKYWARN training is free and open to the public. The training is being sponsored by the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management.

For further information, you can call the National Weather Service at (716) 565-0204, ext. 223.

More information about SKYWARN is available on the NWS Buffalo website at http://www.weather.gov/buf/Skywarn

Register online, call or email the Genesee County Fire Training Center:

  • Jeanette.diehl@co.genesee.ny.us
  • 585-344-0078

National Weather Service on the Web:

  • NOAA:   http://www.noaa.gov
  • NOAA’s National Weather Service:   http://www.weather.gov
  • NOAA’s National Weather Service in Buffalo:   http://www.weather.gov/buf

Law and Order: Lyon Street man accused of threatening to kill a person and burn down the house

By Billie Owens

John Michael Taggert, 38, of North Lyon Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Taggert was arrested on Lyon Street following a domestic incident at 9:58 p.m. Feb. 28 during which he allegedly threatened to kill a person and burn down a house. He was processed, transported to jail and arraigned at 10 a.m. the following morning in Batavia City Court. Taggert was released on his own recognizance and is due to return to city court this afternoon (March 4). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Connor Borchert.

John Charles Clark, 51, of Linden Road, Bethany, is charged with second-degree harassment. At 12:32 a.m. on March 3, Clark was arrested following an investigation. Clark is accused of shining a light in the victim's window on Linden Road in Bethany over a prolonged period of time and repeated period of time. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Bethany Town Court on March 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, assisted by Sgt. John Baiocco.

Tammy L. Truax, 55, of Leicester, is charged with third-degree assault. The incident was reported at 10:02 p.m. on Dec. 10 on Woodrow Road in Batavia. Truax was arrested on a Batavia City Court warrant on Feb. 28 after being located  by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office. She was arraigned in city court and released on her own recognizance. She is due to return to city court at a later date.

Kevin M. McCoy, 53, no permanent address, is charged with criminal contempt in the second degree. Batavia Police Officer Peter Post arrested McCoy following a complaint at the Park Site Manor Apartments on East Main Street in Batavia at 10:53 a.m. on Feb. 28. McCoy was given an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on March 10. Officer Stephen Quider assisted in the case.

Jeanne M. Casper, 41, of Knowlesville Road, Oakfield, is charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to keep right. On March 4, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies Jonathan Dimmig and Ryan Young responding to a property damage accident at 12:11 a.m. on Knowlesville in Alabama. The deputies made contact with the operator and sole occupant of the vehicle, who identified herself as Jeanne M. Casper, of Oakfield. She was arrested on the charges and is due in Alabama Town Court on March 11.

First TV ad from Chris Jacobs hits McMurray on immigration

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

A new television ad released by the Jacobs Campaign today will highlight President Trump’s endorsement of Chris Jacobs for his support for securing our borders.

In his endorsement of Jacobs, the President stated, “Chris will be a great Congressman who will always fight for the people of New York. He supports our MAGA Agenda and will continue to secure our Border.”

“In a time where democrats like Bernie Sanders and Nate McMurray support open borders and sanctuary cities, I am focused on Americans’ safety," Jacobs said. "I’ve been to the southern border and have been briefed by our great Border Patrol Agents. I have seen firsthand the problems we are facing as a nation, and in Congress I plan to work with our President to continue securing the border."

Jacobs toured the Rio Grande Valley in October of 2019 and received extensive briefings from Border Patrol Agents stationed in the area. He participated in a tour of the Southern Border and toured three different detention facilities.

The Jacobs ad will air on broadcast and cable stations in the Buffalo and Rochester markets.

GCEDC Board to consider $22.5M brownfield redevelopment and $3.1M downtown projects

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider final resolutions for two Batavia Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) strategic projects at the GCEDC’s Thursday, March 5, board meeting.

The Ellicott Station and Ellicott Place projects would add 65 new apartments that support Genesee County’s EDGE economic development strategy for housing to support the growth of Genesee County’s businesses and communities.

Ellicott Station is a $22.5 million mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project by Savarino Companies that includes adaptive reuse and new construction at 40, 50, 56 Ellicott St., a blighted property in a key gateway entrance to Downtown Batavia, and the creation of 20 additional jobs to Downtown Batavia’s business community.

Considerable brownfield remediation, site improvements, and construction is proposed, with the project proposing a five-story apartment building with 55 new modern workforce housing units, along with a brewery, restaurant/beer garden, and preparation for additional development at the 3.31-acre campus. 

Ellicott Station is requesting approximately $3.6 million in economic incentives, with a $2,105,792 property tax exemption, a $790,512 sales tax exemption, and a $180,792 mortgage tax exemption. Revenues from the project will also contribute to the Batavia Pathway to Prosperity brownfield redevelopment fund.

Ellicott Place is a $3.1 million redevelopment of 45-47 Ellicott St. by V.J. Gautieri Constructors that includes the creation of and access to residential and commercial spaces in Downtown Batavia.

The project will construct 10 second-floor apartments at the existing facility, along with the development of first-floor storefronts and building-wide façade improvements. The redevelopment of Ellicott Place is estimated to create nine additional jobs to Downtown Batavia’s business community.

Ellicott Place is requesting approximately $130,000 in economic incentives, with a $110,400 sales tax exemption and a $20,000 mortgage tax exemption.

Ellicott Station and Ellicott Place were among eight transformational investments announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as enabling the Batavia DRI’s strategy to drive new, mixed-use development, improved access to local healthcare, and transform public spaces for community use.

Final resolutions are being considered after public hearings were held for both projects on March 3.

Two men arrested by local law enforcement and Drug Task Force

By Billie Owens

From the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

Two men were arrested Feb. 28 by local law enforcement and the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force.

Justin T. Gladney Sr., 30, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, was arrested on a Probation warrant by the Local Drug Task Force and members of the Batavia Police Department. Upon his arrest, he was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of cocaine and marijuana. Gladney was issued appearance tickets for criminal possession of controlled substance in the seventh degree and unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree. He is due in Batavia City Court March 10.

Jerome (aka "Rome") Edmonds, 27, of Turner Street, Rochester, was arrested on a Genesee County Court Indictment warrant by the Local Drug Task Force and members of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. His arrest concluded an investigation into the transportation, sale and possession of "crack" cocaine in and around the City of Batavia. Edmonds was charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree -- with intent to sell, a Class B felony; and criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. He was arraigned in county court and released on his own recognizance. The county District Attorney's Office assisted in the investigation.

Batavia Notre Dame fouls in final minute heartbreaker to Filmore 55-49

By Howard B. Owens

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Notre Dame fouls sent Fillmore to the line enough times in the closing seconds of the Class D1 Section V semifinal on Tuesday at Dansville that Fillmore was able to pull out a 55-49 win.

Fillmore will play Pavilion Friday for the championship at Letchworth at 8 p.m. (Pavilion coverage)

Morgan Rhodes scored 19 points for the Lady Irish. Amelia McCulley scored 12.

Hannah Roeske scored 20 points for Fillmore.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

To view or purchase prints, click here.

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Pavilion wins shot at sectional title, beating Arkport Canaseraga 52-40

By Howard B. Owens

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Pavilion, starting out as a seventh seed in the Class D1 Section V girls basketball tournament, will get a shot at the title Saturday against #1 seed Fillmore after beating Arkport 52-40.

While the Lady Gophers hung tight in the first half, ending the first 16 minutes of play with a one-point lead, 25-24, extra ball pressure in the second half and timely shooting helped the team run away with the game.

Karlee Zinkievich scored 16 points, Lauren Kingsley, 15, Emily Kingsley, 12, and Lindsay Lowe, nine.

For Arkport, Victoria McDaniel scored 18 points.

The championship game will be played at 8 p.m., Saturday, at Letchworth.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

To view or purchase prints, click here.

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Lancers will play for Section V title after beating Bradford 79-72

By Howard B. Owens

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Of five boys basketball teams from Genesee County that played a semifinal Section V tournament game, only one remains in the hunt for a championship trophy: the Elba Lancers.

The Lancers beat Bradford in Mount Morris on Tuesday night, 79-72.

For Elba, Colton Dillon scored 19 points, Zach Marseill scored 16, Collin O'Halloran, 15, and Caleb Scouten, 12.

The Class D2 championship will be played at Blue Cross Arena (a return to the venue for Section V after two or three years of playing the championship games elsewhere) at 1 p.m., against Prattsburg.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos click here.

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Charges filed in Spectrum truck case

By Howard B. Owens
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         Daniel Lewis

Daniel Jon Lewis, already a suspect in several crimes in January -- a period he was out of jail while awaiting sentencing on a prior conviction -- has been charged in a Jan. 25 incident involving a police chase of a Spectrum work truck.

Lewis is charged with: six counts of criminal mischief, 2nd; one count of criminal mischief, 4th; unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle; reckless driving; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; driving on a sidewalk; three counts of insufficient turn signal; and two counts of failure to stop for a stop sign.

Police say the Spectrum truck was stolen, perhaps by Lewis, from a residence outside the City of Batavia. After the truck was reported missing, a Batavia police officer spotted it on Washington Avenue. Lewis is accused of fleeing when the officer attempted a traffic stop.

Lewis allegedly drove to the end of Charles Street and then took the vehicle through multiple backyards of residences on Oak Street in an attempt to evade police. Lewis is accused of knocking down several fences, striking three parked cars, and a house. The incident reportedly caused more than $25,000 in damage.

Lewis then is alleged to have abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

There were no injuries reported in the incident.

Lewis was arrested Jan. 25 and charged with a Jan. 1 robbery on Bank Street and is currently being held without bail on that charge.

On Dec. 6, he entered a guilty plea on a possession of stolen property charge stemming from an incident in May where he was found sleeping in a vehicle in Pavilion that contained stolen property along with another person.

There was a misunderstanding of the new bail reform rules that were about to take effect in New York during that hearing.

It's unclear if Lewis might have won release from custody while awaiting sentencing without that misunderstanding. But the assumption that Lewis would be eligible for release on Jan. 1 under terms of bail reform did factor into Judge Charles Zambito's decision to release Lewis under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Previously:

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Board of Health expected to adopt rule requiring some food servers to take food safety course

By Howard B. Owens

The county Board of Health may soon adopt a new policy that will require establishments and events offering prepared foods to have at least one supervisor or server on hand who has completed a certified food safety course. The aim is to better protect the public from the transmission of disease during food handling.

The 60- to 90-minute course costs from $10 to $15 and will provide the person taking the course with information on the safe preparation, storage and handling of food.

"The goal, really, is to make sure Genesee County residents are as safe as they can be, so they don't have to worry when they go out and eat in restaurants or establishments that serve food," said Paul Pettit, director of the Health Department. "We want to make sure they're providing the safest meals possible. It's about protection and prevention."

The new food safety requirement will apply both to established restaurants and temporary food stands, such as you find at community events, fundraisers, carnivals and the fair.

Businesses and groups serving food will not be required to ensure every cook and server take the course, only that at least one person working during any period where food is being served to the public, or during preparation, have a certificate of completion for the course. 

While some online courses set an expiration date on the certification, the county's rules will honor any certificate proving a person has taken a course, even if it is printed with an expiration date.

The Board of Health is appointed by the Genesee County Legislature and is the policy-making body for food safety rules in the county. The board has been discussing the proposed rule at recent meetings, Pettit said, and he expects the board to approve the policy change.

Businesses and community organizations will have at least a year to comply.

The policy will apply to any food service that is required to have a Health Department permit to serve food.

The course covers such things as the temperatures necessary for properly storing food, hot or cold, how hot to cook food, especially meats, and properly handling food.

"If they don't cook the chicken until it's falling off the bone, or 165 degrees, which is the correct temperature, we may have a problem," Pettit said.

One of the biggest worries in food safety is the transmission of hepatitis A, which can happen when people serving food handle it with their bare hands (hepatitis A is transmitted from fecal matter). There have been incidents of hepatitis A outbreaks as recently as last year in Erie County. That's why even a community event where pizza is served by untrained volunteers is a concern, Pettit said.

Pettit said the same policy has been in place in Orleans County for 10 years and hasn't proven onerous for businesses nor community groups. It has also been implemented in several other Upstate counties. It's also a requirement of federal food regulations and New York is one of the last states not to adopt those standards in its own statewide regulations. That is something Pettit said is likely to change very soon.

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Local business hosts event for 61st senate candidate

By Howard B. Owens

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Salon Miaou, a salon on East Main Street, Batavia, hosted a meet-and-greet Monday evening for Joan Seamans, center, a candidate in the Democratic primary for the 61st State Senate seat.

Photo and info submitted by Nicole Ilasi.

Sprout film festival and Arc art show is Saturday at GCC's Stuart Steiner Theatre

By Billie Owens

Information from Arc of Genesee Orleans:

In celebration of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Arc of Genesee Orleans will hold its annual Art Show & Film Festival in Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College on Saturday, March 7.

This event showcases talents and abilities of children and adults served at Arc.

Doors open at 12:30 p.m. for the art show (meet some of the artists!) followed by films at 1 p.m. The presentation lasts 75 minutes and films are appropriate for all age groups.

This year, six films from the New York City based Sprout collection will be presented, produced by or featuring individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

In addition, Arc of Genesee Orleans has added a film to the 2020 lineup, produced by staff member Stephenie Hill, featuring Jim and his “Self-directed Life.”

The art show and film festival is free and open to the public.

It has been made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and is being sponsored in part by WBTA Radio.

About Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

In 1987 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the month of March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and invited "all individuals, agencies, and organizations concerned with the problem of developmental disabilities to observe this month with appropriate observances and activities directed toward increasing public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities.

"I urge all Americans to join me in according to our fellow citizens with such disabilities both encouragement and the opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential."

Rising country star promotes her artisan roast coffee at Tops in Batavia Sunday

By Billie Owens

Submitted photo and press release:

Tops Friendly Markets is looking forward to hosting American country music artist Claudia Hoyser as she launches her own line of Hoyser Country Blend Coffees at local Tops stores across New York.

Join her for a meet-and-greet and delicious coffee samplings at the Batavia Tops store at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 8. If you purchase a bag of coffee while she is there, show them your receipt and you’ll get $2 cash back!

Produced locally by McCullagh Coffee Roasters, Hoyser’s NEW Country Blend coffee delights with robust tones and full-bodied aroma.

This down-home artisan roast is 100-percent real coffee that fuels your inner fire. Bold, rich, and smooth. A medium blend with a seamlessly clean finish, this coffee is primarily composed of rare Tanzanian Peaberry beans, named “the individualists of coffee beans” for their harmonious flavor qualities.

With a fueled passion for coffee and song, Hoyser is planting her roots in the hearts of people around the world and sharing her two great loves. She is unwavering in her determination to stir up the finest ingredients that will satisfy the coffee lover in you.

Tops Friendly Market in Batavia located at 390 W. Main St.

Editor's Note: Below is one of several of Hoyser's performances found on YouTube; this one is the Tennessee Ernie Ford classic "16 Tons."

Elba pressures Hinsdale for 60-25 win in semifinal

By Howard B. Owens
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Elba's full-court press proved to be too much for Hinsdale to handle Monday night in a Class D2 Section V semifinal game at Wayland-Cohocton. The Lady Lancers won 60-25 sending them to a championship match at 6 p.m. Friday at Letchworth against Andover.

The victory was the Lady Lancers' 20th of the season against two defeats.

Brynn Walczak scored 17 points. Maddie Muehlig scored 15. Taylor Augello scored nine. Muehlig was 5-8 from beyond the arc. Leah Bezon, who scored six points, had 10 rebounds. The team combined for 16 steals.

Hinsdale was held to seven points in the first half. No Hinsdale player reached double-digits in scoring in the game.

There were no other girls' basketball games played Monday night.

In boys' basketball:

  • Notre Dame lost to Genesee Valley 59-54. 
  • Alexander lost to Perry 63-54.
  • Byron-Bergen lost to Red Jacket 83-63.
  • Oakfield-Alabama lost to York 61-58.

Tonight's girls' games:

  • Pavilion plays Arkport at 6 p.m. at Dansville.
  • Notre Dame plays Fillmore at 7:45 p.m. at Dansville.

Tomorrow, Byron-Bergen plays Letchworth at 6 p.m. and Pembroke plays Red Jacket at 7:45 p.m. Both games are at HFL.

In boys' basketball tonight, Elba plays Bradford at 7 p.m. at Mount Morris.

Top Items on Batavia's List

Tourism Marketing Assistant Position The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, serving as the official tourism promotion agency for Genesee County, NY is seeking an experienced marketing professional to assist in the overall Chamber tourism and marketing initiatives for Genesee County. https://visitgeneseeny.com/about/join-our-team
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Town of Batavia Court Department is seeking a part time as needed Court Officer. Court Officers are responsible for maintaining order in the court room and court facility during proceedings. Please send resume to Town of Batavia, Attention Hiedi Librock, 3833 West Main Street Road, Batavia, NY 14020. Complete job description is available on the Town web site or at the Town Hall Application deadline is April 15, 2024.
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