Stories from

Batavia First Presbyterian Church hosted a children's Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Gavynn Trippany is Mr. Batavia 2025.

Trippany won the annual Batavia High School event on Friday night in front of a capacity crowd in the auditorium.

The event raised in the neighborhood of $5,400 (the final total hasn't been calculated yet). Half of the funds will go to Trippany's chosen charity, Rosewell Cancer Institute. 

Will Fulton, representing Genesee Cancer Assistance, came in second, and Kahler Evans, representing Bella's Bumbas, came in third. Their charities will each receive 25% of the proceeds.

Since the first year of the competition in 2013, Mr. Batavia has raised $43,052 for charity. 

The event is supported by the Batavia City School Foundation along with local businesses Charles Men Shop, Main St. Pizza, Zach Korzelius at Geico Insurance, LP Graphics in LeRoy, Extreme Streetwear, Beverly's Flowers and Gifts, along with the students and staff at BHS. 

This year's contestants where:

The 2025 contestants are:

• Cooper Banser: Crossroads House
• Jeremiah Childs: The Neri Family through Reece's Rainbow
• Kahler Evans: Bella's Bumbas
• Greyson Fix: The Ricky Palermo Foundation
• Will Fulton: Genesee Cancer Assistance
• Cooper Konieczny: Volunteers for Animals
• Anthony Kopper: Suicide Prevention of Genesee County
• Marcus Nichols: Habitat for Humanity
• Gavynn Trippany: Roswell Cancer Center
• Myles Wahr: Muscular Dystrophy Association
• Matt Wittmeyer: All Babies Cherished

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Goose in Oakfield, 33 South Main St., is Genesee County's new live music venue, thanks to Oakfield resident Thom Jennings and a grant administered by GO ART!

Jennings, a musician himself, got the idea during his wife's surprise birthday party at the Goose last July. Bruce Wojick, a member of the Strictly Hip, played a couple of songs.

"I got to thinking, man, this would just be a really good space for an artist-centric music event," Jennings said. "Because one of the things that's always driven me crazy when I played a happy hour acoustic event, or even as I go to more shows now, the artist isn't necessarily the focus.

It's hard, he said, for a good singer-songwriter to find a place where the audience is there to hear the music more than they are to chat with their friends.

The other inspiration for the idea came from his son Trevor, a drummer in multiple bands.  He mentioned playing a gig where audience members could bring their own beer or wine.

So, during the last round of grant applications for state grants for community art projects through GO ART!, Jennings pitched the idea and approved the grant.

Evan Anstey and James Robert Kibby played the inaugural show on Friday evening.

There are shows on May 2 (Steve Novak) and June 6 (Tyler Bagwell), and there is a Christmas concert planned for December.

The Goose is a community center in Oakfield run by Susan Zeliff, Jennings' niece.

Jamie Clark, assistant principal and athletic director at Le Roy Jr/Sr High School, has been named the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) Region 12 Secondary School Assistant Principal of the Year. 

"What a great honor for all the work that Jamie does for our students each and every day," said Superintendent Merritt Holly. "Mr. Clark is student-centered and always prioritizes the success and well-being of every learner."

"Mr. Clark continually demonstrates a positive attitude and team-oriented approach, and his ability to connect with stakeholders and willingness to approach any challenging situation have helped contribute to the success of the Le Roy Central School District," said Dr. David Russell, principal at the high school.

Each year, SAANYS honors exceptional New York State administrators with a state awards program in their honor.  This program was established to recognize educators who demonstrate outstanding leadership skills and have contributed exceptionally to the educational process.  

Henry Banks, 55, of Batavia, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the death of 10-year-old Javarius Williams in a fire at 3 Vine St., Batavia, on Feb. 6.

Banks was arraigned in County Court on a sealed grand jury indictment. Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini ordered Banks held in the Genesee County Jail pending further court proceedings.

On the night of Feb. 6, City Fire responded to 3 Vine after a neighbor spotted a fire in the upstairs apartment. The neighbor said he attempted to gain entry to the apartment to help the three children inside escape but was unable to get past the locked door.

All three children were rescued, but Javarius succumbed to the injuries he sustained.

The children, ages 4, 10, and 12, had apparently been left alone in the middle of the night.

According to Chief Shawn Heubusch, Banks is the biological father of the 12-year-old and was legal guardian of the other two children, including Javarius. 

He is accused of leaving the children unsupervised for an extended period of time.

The fire started in a child's bedroom. City Fire has yet to determine a cause, Heubusch said.

All three were transported to area hospitals after being rescued by the Police and Fire Departments. 

The fire was investigated by Batavia PD along with partner agencies.

The cause and origin of the fire have not been released.

Imani I. Hurd, 23, of Buffalo, is charged with attempted grand larceny 3rd and possession of a forged instrument 2nd. Hurd is accused of attempting to cash a forged check at the M&T Bank branch in Batavia. She was arraigned and released.

Dominic O Mogavero, 20, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, conspiracy 4th, and criminal facilitation 4th. Mogavero is accused of being an accessory to a burglary on Hutchins Street on Jan. 12. He was arrested on March 24. He was arraigned and released.

Leroy Thornton, III, 34, of Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to report change of address. Thornton, a Level 3 sex offender, was arrested March 27. He allegedly failed to report a change of address within the required 10 days. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jonathan C. Perrine, 42, of Batavia, was arrested on March 22 on a warrant charging him with criminal mischief 3rd. He is accused of damaging windows on a vehicle on March 28. He was arraigned and released.

Katelyn L. Walsh, 30, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI. Walsh was arrested on March 22 following a traffic stop by a Batavia patrol officer on Chase Park. Walsh was issued traffic tickets and released.

Rhiannon J. Graff, 44, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and petit larceny. Graff was accused of drinking and driving on March 21 after police responded to a suspicious vehicle on East Main Street.  Graff is also accused of shoplifting at Quicklee's On Oak Street on March 18. She was issued appearance tickets. 

Hillary D. Russell, 32, of Batavia, was charged with petit larceny. Russell is accused of stealing merchandise from Dollar General on March 19. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Brandon C. Dodd, 38, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Dodd is accused of stealing merchandise from Family Dollar on March 18. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Christine J. Saab, 20, of Batavia, was arrested on March 10 on a warrant. She was initially arrested and charged with harassment 2nd, following a fight at the Mobil gas station on East Main Street. She allegedly failed to appear in court on the charge as ordered. Saab was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Michael J. Hilton, 34, of Le Roy, was arrested on March 22 on a warrant charging him with petit larceny. Hilton is accused of stealing merchandise from 7-Eleven on Feb. 26. He was arraigned and released.

Pavilion High School hosted the Save A Life Tour on Wednesday, which provided 9th through 12th grade students with information on DWI and then provided them with hands-on simulations of what is like to drive while impaired or distracted.

There is a virtual reality driving simulator that imitates drunken driving by using a built-in delay on the steering and braking. Another requires you to drive while holding a mobile device that sends you a text message every 12 seconds that you must respond to.

Batavia PD provided its pedal cars that students could navigate through traffic cones while wearing vision-impairing goggles.

The tour was funded through a grant secured by the school's Health and Physical Education Department.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Lisa M. Fox, 53, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Fox was arrested by a Batavia patrol officer on March 14 following a traffic stop on Clinton Street. She was allegedly found in possession of narcotics. She was arraigned and jailed.

Nicholas H. Heide, 28, of Port Jefferson, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. He was arrested March 15, accused of slashing a vehicle tire in the parking lot of Copperhead Creek. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Michael A. Fanizza, 31, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. He was arrested on March 14 and accused of slamming another person to the ground during a fight on Jefferson Avenue. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Bruce Warren, 62, of Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to verify. He was arrested on March 17 and is accused of failing to verify his information, as required every 90 days as a registered sex offender. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Donyel E. Walker, 26, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd and criminal contempt 2nd. Walker was arrested on March 14, accused of entering a residence in violation of a stay-way order of protection. He was arraigned and released.

Shane Anthony Porter, 54, of Roosevelt Highway, Hamlin, is charged with menacing 2nd. Porter was arrested following a report of an incident on Lake Street Road, Le Roy, at 7:44 p.m., March 22. A narrative of the events was not released. Porter was held or arraignment.

Tyler James Bull, 22, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Bull was arrested on March 25 at the Genesee County Jail in connection with an incident reported at 6:39 p.m. on Feb. 23. Bull allegedly violated an order of protection by making a phone call to the protected party. He was transported to the Town of Batavia Court and arraigned.

Megan June Courtney, 29, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Courtney was arrested on March 28. He is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection at 9:54 a.m. on March 26 at a location on West Main Street Road, Batavia. 

Garrett Michael Pyc, 33, of South Lake Road, Pembroke, is charged with issuing a bad check. Pyc was arrested on March 28. Pyc is accused of issuing a bad check at 6:51 p.m. on Jan. 8 at a location on South Lake Road, Pembroke.

Dylan Jay Carli, 18, of Route 20, Pavilion, is charged with criminal mischief 4th and harassment 2nd. Carli was arrested on March 28 after deputies responded to a location on Linwood Road, Pavilion, to investigate a harassment complaint. He is accused of damaging property and harassing another person. He was held pending arraignment.

Daniel Francis Bower, 70, of Antlers Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving while using a mobile phone, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, and moving from lane unsafely. At 4:13 p.m. on March 30, Bower was allegedly involved in an accident on North Byron Road, Elba. The accident was investigated by Deputy Zachary Hoy. Bower was issued an appearance ticket.

Lee Carl Zimmerman, 54, of South Lake Avenue, Bergen, is charged with DWI, moving lane unsafely, and inadequate plate lamps. Zimmerman was stopped at 10:02 p.m. on March 31 on South Lake Avenue, Bergen, by Deputy Zachary Hoy. He was held pending arraignment.

Tanisha A. Nealy, 36, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant on March 16. Nealy was initially arrested on July 31 and charged with menacing 2nd and criminal possession of a weapon 3rd. She allegedly threatened another person with a knife. She was arraigned and released.

Christian Pierre-Louis, 27, of Batavia, was charged with DWI. Pierre-Louis was stopped on March 15 by a Batavia patrol officer on South Main Street. He was issued traffic tickets and released.

Kyle W. Nash, 37, of Le Roy, was arrested on March 18 on a warrant. Nash allegedly failed to appear in court on traffic tickets issued on Jan. 10. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Bill A. Thomas, 65, of Batavia, was arrested on March 14 on two warrants. He was previously charged with trespass and criminal trespass 3rd in separate cases. He allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Will Bardenwerper, a resident of Pennsylvannia and Iraq War veteran, spent most of the summer of 2022 in Batavia, following the season of the hometown team, the Muckdogs, its second season in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

Until 2021, Batavia was proudly one of the founding cities of the New York-Penn League. It was the minors. But it was professional. And many fans were initially disappointed to lose their team when MLB eliminated 42 minor league teams after the 2020 season

Then, Robbie and Nellie Nichols rode into town with a plan to revive baseball in Batavia.

Bardenwerper was here on a research project, so he could tell the story of small-town baseball through the eyes of its fans, players, and owners.

The result, a new book, Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America

The book explores the cultural and social significance of small-town baseball, using Batavia as a lens to examine broader themes about community, corporate greed, and America’s shifting values.

Bardenwerper weaves his life as a former Army Ranger who came home to a more divided America with his observations of baseball and the folks around the ballpark where they find a communal experience.

The book also critiques MLB’s increasing corporatization and detachment from its roots. Bardenwerper highlights how private equity firms and data analytics have prioritized profits over tradition, eroding the fabric of minor league baseball. 

Local names, besides the Nichols, in the book include Bill Kauffman, Bestey Higgins, Ginny Wagner, and Ross Fanara.

Jeremy Beer observes in Front Porch Republic:

The strength of Homestand lies in Bardenwerper’s portraits of such people, portraits that amount to a revealing exhibition of what 2020s small-town America really looks like. It’s scruffier than it was in its heyday, rougher around the edges, more hardscrabble, but still leavened by numerous intelligent, fascinating, and large-hearted residents. In all that it is much like the baseball now featured at Batavia’s Dwyer Stadium, which in its new, independent version is in many respects a throwback to the minor-league baseball of the 1940s.

As Kauffman tells Bardenwerper, perhaps being cut loose from MLB will turn out to be a blessing. With local ownership, local staff, and at least a few locally sourced players, the Muckdogs and the dozens of other independent minor- and summer-league teams dotting the American landscape can now shape their own futures in a way they never could have as cogs in the giant affiliated-baseball wheel. Perhaps the same can be said of their host towns. Corporate perfidy notwithstanding, communities no less than individuals have more control of their destines than they imagine—if only they will decline to cooperate in their own destruction.

The Batavian emailed Bardenwerper a few questions.  Below is our Q&A.

What about Batavia and the Muckdogs surprised you?
I was perhaps the most surprised by the ages of the Muckdogs fans on most nights. There was everyone from 80-something grandparents and great-grandparents to toddlers and everyone in between. I thought this was pretty neat and something that is definitely not nearly as common at major professional sports events. I was also struck by just how kind and welcoming everyone was.

What are some of your favorite memories from that summer you spent watching the Muckdogs and hanging around Batavia?
Watching the beautiful sunsets over the left field fence while enjoying a cold Eli Fish beer and talking to the friends I made is my favorite memory.

Why do you think the collegiate league Muckdogs are drawing as well as or better than the professional Muckdogs did?
I think this is due to Robbie and Nellie’s hard work as owners determined to make the ballpark experience a fun one for people of all ages every night, and their work to really get the community involved by reaching out to local schools and other groups to make them a part of the game by having things like Little Leaguers playing catch with the players before the games, run the bases, perform the national anthem, and things like that.

You’re very critical of major league baseball in this book. Why?
For a lot of reasons, but of most relevance to this book was their decision to snuff out baseball in 42 cities that had supported it for over a century in many cases, all to save about $700,000 per team they cut, while at the same time paying individual MLB players nearly a billion dollars.

Were baseball people reluctant to go on the record criticizing MLB and the elimination of 42 minor league teams?
Yes, many of them all seemed afraid of suffering professional repercussions if they were perceived as being critical of MLB and the commissioner.

What kind of feedback are you getting from the people you wrote about in this book?
The feedback has been almost uniformly positive, which is really gratifying.

This book is as much about community as it is baseball. That makes it unique in the long and rich history of baseball books, doesn’t it?
I think so. About 80% of the book takes place off the field, in the bleachers and elsewhere in Batavia, and so while there is baseball in it, it is about more than baseball.

The Pavilion Volunteer Fire Department held its annual awards banquet on Saturday.

Department Officers:

• Bryen Murrock, Chief
• Codey O'Neill, 1st Assistant Chief
• Tom Garlock, 2nd Assistant Chief
• Captain, Chris Holley
• Captain, Kelly Murrock
• Lieutenant, Shane Freeman
• EMS Captain, Amanda Holley
• EMS Lietenant, Dave Clor
• Safety Officer, Dewey Murrock
• Fire Police Captain, Ken Weaver
• Fire Police Lietenant, Don Roblee, Jr.

Social Officers:

• Hunter Schiske, president
• Dave Clor, vice president
• Ken Weaver, treasurer
• Ashli O'Neill, recording secretary
• Kelly Murrock, financial secretary

Volunteers for Animals hosted a vendor fair at Batavia Downs on Sunday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Steve Kruppner, formerly of The Bluesway Band, debuted his new band, JMS Trio, at Center Street Smoke House on Saturday evening.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Xtreme International Ice Racing Series visited the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Saturday evening.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Photos by Melissa Brooks

The Western New York National Cemetery Council hosted a final Vietnam Veteran Memorial ceremony on Saturday in accordance with a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump during his first term in 2017.

The proclamation was to confirm this nation's commitment to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, which began on Memorial Day 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 to 1975, with the U.S. escalating involvement in 1962. Former President Barack Obama signed the original proclamation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the war on May 28, 2012.

At the time of the signing, Obama said, “You were often blamed for a war you didn’t start, when you should have been commended for serving your country with valor. You were sometimes blamed for misdeeds of a few, when the honorable service of the many should have been praised. You came home and sometimes were denigrated, when you should have been celebrated. It was a national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened. And that’s why here today we resolve that it will not happen again.”

Rob Gogolack was grateful on Saturday for the turnout at a pulled pork dinner sale at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Batavia to help raise money to modify his car so he can drive it.

Gogolack, a resident of Attica, has been diagnosed with ALS and, as he puts it, "my legs don't want to work." 

The modification would enable him to operate his car like a motorcycle.

"We're going to get hand controls for my car because I drove a motorcycle, Gogolack said. "The hand controls that I'm getting work like a throttle. Throttle it up like a motorcycle, push it forward, and that's the brakes. So, since my legs don't want to work and my upper body does -- gotta do what you gotta do."

The modification will cost about $6,000. He's already paid more than $300 for a training class.

"This is great," Gogolack said of the fundraiser. "I'm a firm believer that what comes around goes around. We've been going to this church for almost 20 years now, and with that, said -- it is just really hard to put words into it, because, like, the baskets. First of all, we didn't even want to do the baskets. We're just going to do the dinner. Then everybody just came together. Hey, I got some baskets for you. I got some baskets for you. I get it. Well, now, as you can tell, there's like 50 or 60 of them out there. So I feel very, very blessed."

St. Paul Lutheran is located at 31 Washington Ave., Batavia. The dinner goes until 8 p.m. There is also vegetarian lasagna available.

Reilly Schwenebraten and Erica Jeremy love reading, and they love teaching children to read, which explains their enthusiasm for organizing the Wocott Street School Book Fair and PARP Fest.

PARP stands for Pick A Reading Partner.

Schwenebraten is a Pre-K teacher at the Le Roy school,l and Jeremy is a teaching assistant.

"We actually spend the whole month focused on reading and activities," Jeremy said. "Then, to culminate the month, we have this event for an hour and a half on Friday night to bring the kids in a lot of free activities."

There is dancing, games, face painting, pizza, and other snacks for the kids. The student bookstore is also open.

"Our theme this year was 'Rock Out With A Good Book,' said Schwenebraten. "All of our activities have been based around music. So on Mondays, it was Move It Monday, where we were dancing throughout the day. Tuesday was Name That Tune Tuesday, where we'd play a song, and they'd have to guess it. On Wednesdays, we would dress up in different themes. Then, on Thursday, we had guest readers. So we drew in people from the community to read to our kids in lunch,  and then on Fridays, we would all wear our PARP shirts."

Why is reading important to you?

Jeremy: "Reading is important to me because it's the basic fundamental of everything you will ever learn, whatever career you want to go into, whatever job you want to have, whether you're reading a book, whether you're reading song lyrics, whether you're reading a map, whether you're reading recipes, you've got to have that knowledge to be able to go anywhere in life."

Schwenebraten: "Reading is important to me, because it brings a lot of memories for me, just with my family and how important reading was for my mom, and what I want to bring to my kids, and obviously what I bring to my students, and just like Erica said that it's the basis of all skills that you need for life, is to read. So finding ways to bring enjoyment and allow children to have enjoyment through reading is really important, and so motivating them to do that is our goal this month."

Erica Jeremy, a teaching assistant, and Reilly Schwenebraten, pre-K teacher.

A former chief operating officer for Western Region Off-Track Betting Corp. will receive $550,000 in a settlement stemming from a lawsuit he filed against the corporation in August 2021.

Michael Nolan alleged the victim of retaliation because he raised concerns about some corporation practices, such as health insurance for board members, the distribution of tickets to sporting events, misuse of funds, and improperly responding to Freedom of Information Law requests from reporters.

He was fired on Dec. 18, 2020.

In his initial filing of the suit, he sought $14.5 million --  $4.5 million for violating his First Amendment rights, another $4.5 million for breaking the state’s Civil Service Law, and an additional $5.5 million for emotional pain and suffering.

According to court documents, the case was settled through mediation on March 17 pending WROTB board approval.

Nolan began his career with WROTB in 2011 and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2017.

On Thursday, the board agreed to pay the settlement with $150,000 cash and an insurance policy covering the other $400,000.

Byron Brown, president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting, is optimistic that the corporation's lobbying efforts will lead to legislation that reduces the tax OTB pays to the state from 49% to 44%.

That would amount, at current cash flow, in an estimated $4.5 million in additional revenue, Brown said.

The language for adjustment will be part of the Assembly's version of the 2025-26 budget bill.  The Senate produces its own budget bill, and then the two chambers meet to negotiate a final budget bill.

"We feel good that we've done everything that we could do, that we got a good audience from the governor's office, the Assembly and the Senate, and we are hopeful that when the negotiations are concluded, that our requests will be part of the budget," Brown said.

The additional revenue will help the corporation on multiple fronts, Brown said, and those initiatives were part of the pitch to state legislators to approve the request.

"We explained that it was a matter of equity and fairness that would give us the ability to increase distributions to 17 member municipalities in Western New York, it would give us the ability to right size the salaries of our employees, and also to address the very high cost of family health care for our employees," Brown said.

Health insurance costs seem to be a top priority for OTB executives.

Currently, a family health insurance plan is $3,325 monthly for an OTB employee. If hired after Jan. 1, 2012, the employee contribution is 72 percent, or $2,394. Employees hired before that date pay only 5% of the premium.

The OTB would also be able to set aside some money to expand the hotel.

"(The hotel expansion project) projected to produce significantly more revenue for Western Regional off track betting Corporation, which would give us the ability to, again, not just increase our distributions to municipalities, but also increase the amount of money that we provide to the state of New York," Brown said.

In November, the board voted to delay a planned expansion of the hotel because of increased costs. The estimated cost provided by architects was $16 million and $16.5 million, which is about $4 million more than the original cost estimate.

The $4.5 million retained by OTB, if passed, is .0000018% of an anticipated $250 billion budget.

Demolition began on Wednesday the Town of Pembroke's Highway Department garage.

The town is building a new $7.2 million garage is funded by $1.5 million in reserves and $5.7 million in bonds.

CORRECTION: While the board approved a $7.2 million expenditure for the garage, the bids came in significantly lower than the anticipated cost. The garage will cost about $5 million, according to Supervisor Thomas C. Schneider Jr. Schneider said, "The new garage bays will be nearly twice the length of the old bays and the project includes new restroom and breakroom facilities for the Town Highway Crew."

He also provided the rendering below.

Submitted photos.