In the fall, when the LeRoy Music Boosters posted that they would be raising money by having businesses or families decorate trees on Trigon Park, I thought it would be a neat opportunity to include the Le Roy Barn Quilt Trail. 

After 10 years, since we first started the Le Roy Barn Quilt project to commemorate Le Roy’s Bicentennial, the project has been revitalized with the help of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Tourism Office. In fact,
the Barn Quilt Trail just received a prestigious award from the New York State Tourism Alliance.

So, I signed up for a tree and started painting small wooden squares with the Le Roy Barn Quilt designs. I knew that I wanted to include the Genesee Solar Eclipse design, and I made a couple of those with the 6-inch squares. And then I measured off the “Railroad Crossing” design from Crocker’s Hardware, and the new barn quilt that’s on No Finer Diner.

That was followed by “Jell-O Jigglers” and “Nancy’s Fancy” from the D and R Depot Restaurant. I also included the beautiful blue and purple design that was on Ruth Harvie’s garage. Some designs were just too small to transfer to the 6-inch squares, but I included “Dash Churn” from the Stein Farm, and a great apple design. I also wanted to include the design that is on the former home of Nancy and Bruce Baker on East Main Street. That wood square is only 4 inches square, and hangs from the top of the tree. I included the barn quilt that’s on the outside of the Stafford Town Hall and the “Women’s Rights” pattern that hangs in the Le Roy Village Hall. I loved including the new barn quilt design that hangs in the window of Mama Chavez’s Taqueria on Mill Street.

I was painting the red, white, and blue barn quilt that hangs on Irene’s Walter’s barn when I heard of her passing, so like some of the other trees on Trigon Park, this tree is a memorial tree. Just before I put back the paints, I decided to include the “Ingham Rose” barn quilt that is on Candy Bower’s house in Le Roy – an important part of Le Roy’s history. The wood squares had to be varnished and then drilled so they could be attached to the tree. That turned out to be a
bit more challenging than I hoped, but I had enough wood squares painted and varnished in time to hang on the tree.

As I was taking this photo, with the tree in the rain, I thought that this is a great
opportunity for folks who are looking for something to do with their families in the rain. Pick up a barn quilt map at Crocker’s Ace Hardware on Lake Street in Le Roy, or at the Woodward Memorial Library or the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Tourism office and go on a scavenger hunt to look for the big barn quilts. There are over 100 of them just in Le Roy and Stafford. And with the map, you can go up on line and learn all about the stories of the barns and the people and the barn quilts.

Lynne Belluscio is the historian for the town and village of Le Roy.

Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School art teacher Leah Peca has uploaded what she estimates to be thousands of kids’ artworks over the years to a website that conducts a routine evaluation and selection process for an online contest. 

Out of all those entries, there have been many creative works, but never one chosen for Artsonia’s Artist of the Week voting competition, Peca said. That was until this year, when Artsonia’s panel selected Kempton Benjamin’s golden glowy moon over a pumpkin patch. Even better yet, the painting reaped 800 online votes and captured first place for an Artist of the Week spot in his age group.

“I was thrilled. I was jumping up and down, I thought I was crazy when I got the email,” Peca said during an interview Wednesday with The Batavian. “I was just so happy for him. It's very cool, because we're a very big sports community. Athletes are constantly always being recognized, which is great, but it's very nice to see some of these other kids get recognized for their own unique talents that are outside of sports."

The voting competition on Artsonia.com is promoted to be part of the world's largest collection of student art portfolios, exhibiting more than 100 million pieces of student art.

Artsonia developed Artist of the Week 15 years ago to encourage teachers to submit student artwork and engage the school and community to vote on and recognize students for their creative achievements, its founders state. Every week, Artsonia selects 12 random submissions in each of four different age groups (PreK-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12) from artwork submitted the previous week. Voting is open to the public for several days before the winner is announced.

Peca is one of the thousands of art teachers who uses Artsonia to showcase her students' art, manage the art room, crowdsource lesson plans, and fundraise for her classroom. Artsonia lets family and friends of student artists create and purchase custom keepsakes from the student art and then gives back 20 percent of all revenue to the local art classroom.

“Artsonia is huge in my art room. I love having portfolios of art for my students and my own children that date back to their very first days of school,” Peca said. “The kids also love the nostalgia of scrolling through their online portfolios and remembering their experiences with each project.”

Kempton, who enjoys painting nature and especially animals, was happy when his mom Malorie shared the news that he had won.

“I was excited. I was surprised,” the eight-year-old said. “I used oil pastels. I remembered going to the pumpkin patch, there were three pumpkins; I was recreating that. The harvest moon, it was golden.”

His mom said that he loves to paint and do various crafts, including working with clay. She received the congratulatory email earlier this month. Kempton received a plaque and a gift card for art supplies. He went home and ordered supplies right away, she said.

His list of goodies included pompom puppies, two bags of clay, and a craft kit to make his own kaleidoscope. 

“I'm so proud of him. He really loves art,” she said. “Any time your child gets recognized for something they enjoy or are passionate about, that's an exciting thing. He was really proud, we’re really excited for him. That was a cool recognition and awesome that he got to have other people see his cool, great work that we're always talking about.”

The online site allows families to view their child’s artwork and order items with the piece incorporated. Kempton’s grandma has already ordered a moon over pumpkin patch mug, and other family members will be ordering other items, his mom said. 

Peca has been teaching art for more than 15 years and said that she loves being around kids who are excited to try new things and realize their potential. 

“Everybody is excited to come to art class, and that joy is contagious,” she said. “And Kempton has always had such an aptitude for art, but he works so hard at it too. Whenever he finishes something, he's always asking how he can improve it or what he can do to make it better.

“He never just finishes it in terms of it,” she said. “And he always just keeps working on it. And it's so awesome.”

He spent two 40-minute classes using bright green and orange oils, purples, lavender, shades of periwinkle and sky blues, and brilliant white and yellow for the moon that’s casting a bit of glow onto the round orange pumpkins on the grass below. 

To view works on the site, go to artsonia.com.

Junior forward Justin Smith scored 10 of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter and Batavia withstood a 37-point barrage by Le Roy’s Merritt Holly Jr. tonight to advance to the championship game of 42^nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament.

Coach Buddy Brasky’s Blue Devils turned back the Oatkan Knights, 68-62, at Genesee Community College, and now will take on Attica for the Large School bracket crown at 8:15 p.m. Friday at GCC.

Le Roy will face Royalton-Hartland in the consolation game at 3 p.m., also at GCC.

Holly, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, scored 11 points in the first quarter for Le Roy, now 4-2, but Batavia countered with long-range shooting from Cruze Rapone (two three-pointers), Joey Marranco and Carter Mullen (each with a three-point shot) as the teams played to a 20-20 tie.

Three more three-point shots – from Rapone, Marranco and Lovett – sparked the Blue Devils to a 15-9 edge in the second quarter as they held Holly to two points.

Batavia outscored the Knights, 13-12, in the third quarter, with Rapone and Mullen connecting from beyond the arc to offset Holly’s 10 points.

Holly scored 13 of Le Roy’s 21 points in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough as Smith came through with four shots from the field and a couple free throws and Mullen and Mazur sank foul shots down the stretch to keep Le Roy at arm's length.

Mullen and Rapone tallied 14 and 12 points, respectively, for Batavia, now 3-3, while Adam Woodworth scored 10 points and Jean Agosto eight for Le Roy. Holly grabbed 13 rebounds to go with his 37 points.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

BATAVIA LIONS CLUB
BOYS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
GENESEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
VARSITY
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27
Large School Bracket
Attica 67, Roy-Hart 55
Batavia 68, Le Roy 62
Small School Bracket
Alexander 52, Oakfield-Alabama 35
Notre Dame 63, Elba 31
FRIDAY, DEC. 29
3 p.m. -- Large School consolation game – Roy-Hart vs. Le Roy
4:45 p.m. -- Small School consolation game – Elba vs. Oakfield-Alabama
6:30 p.m. -- Small School championship game – Alexander vs. Notre Dame
8:15 p.m. -- Large School championship game – Attica vs. Batavia
--------------------
JUNIOR VARSITY
FRIDAY, DEC. 29
1:30 p.m. -- Small School championship game -- Alexander at Notre Dame
1:30 p.m. -- Large School championship game -- Attica at Batavia

Updated at 9:45 p.m. with Batavia versus Le Roy score.

The Attica Blue Devils advanced to the championship game of the Large School division of the 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament this afternoon with a 67-55 victory over Royalton-Hartland.

Coach Rob Crowley’s team, playing the first of four opening round games at Genesee Community College, raised its record to 6-1 and now will take on Batavia, which defeated Le Roy, 68-62, in the last game of the night.

Senior forward Cole Harding scored 22 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and dished out six assists to lead Attica, which also got 18 points and 10 rebounds form senior guard-forward Jack Janes and 16 points and 12 rebounds from senior center Clayton Bezon.

Junior guard Carter Gorski chipped in with seven points for seven points.

Attica raced out to a 10-0 advantage, but Roy-Hart battled back to tie the score at the end of the first quarter. Balanced scoring pushed the winners up by 10 at the half, 36-26, and the lead ballooned to 19 in the third quarter.

“The boys played hard this afternoon and moved the ball very well,” Attica Coach Rob Crowley said. “We sort of battled ourselves at certain points in the game, making things difficult on ourselves, but found a way to stick together and get the victory.”

For Roy-Hart, Dan Aquilina scored 21, Rem Albee 18 and Brayden Ricker 10. The Rams will play in the consolation game against Le Roy at 3 p.m. Friday at GCC.

Photos by Brennan Bezon.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had little problem extending its unbeaten season tonight as they rolled past Elba, 63-31, in the opening round of the 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament at Genesee Community College,

Coach Mikey Rapone’s team, now 6-0, advanced to the Small School bracket championship game against Alexander, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at GCC.

Elba will face Oakfield-Alabama in the consolation game at 4:45 p.m.

Senior guard-forward Jaden Sherwood led a balanced attack with 19 points while junior guard Makyell Walker added 12 and senior guard-forward Ryan Fitzpatrick chipped in with 10.

The Irish jumped out to a 19-6 first quarter lead and never looked back, hitting 10 three-point shots for the game.

Ryan Marsceill and Ashton Bezon tallied nine and eight points, respectively, for the Lancers. 

Photos by Deb Reilly.

Alexander coasted past Oakfield-Alabama, 52-35, at Genesee Community College tonight and into the finals of the 42^nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament’s Small School bracket.

The Trojans, 5-2, will face Notre Dame at 6:30 p.m. Friday for the championship. ND defeated Elba in the other Small School game.

Junior Dylan Pohl scored seven of his 16 points in the first quarter as Alexander raced out to an 18-2 lead. Senior Trenton Woods tallied eight of his 16 in the second half for the Trojans.

Six other players scored for Coach Jalen Smith's squad, while Avery Watterson led O-A with 16 points.

The Hornets will square off against Elba in the consolation game at 4:45 p.m. Friday.

Photos by Deb Reilly.

Press Release:

Have you ever wondered how an item that is not good for our health becomes popular? One way is vendors that produce them use clever marketing tactics to make people think they are safe, popular, good for you, and a status symbol.

E-cigarettes or vapes are these types of items. Although there are some regulations in the sale of e-cigarette/vape items, they are currently limited. In the United States, the legal age to purchase any nicotine-containing product, including e-cigarettes is 21. New York State has also banned flavored nicotine vape products to address the use of e-cigarettes among youth.

“According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), e-cigarettes/vapes are not approved as an aid to quit smoking,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “There is limited evidence that using a vaping device will help smokers quit, mostly because the individuals continue to smoke or use nicotine replacement while vaping, which increases the nicotine levels. Other FDA-approved prescription and over-the-counter medications are safe and effective to help people quit nicotine use. The best way to reduce the risk of nicotine-related illnesses and cancer is to never start using nicotine products of any kind.”

Companies that market e-cigarettes and vaping devices use marketing tools such as:

• ‘fun’ flavors
• deep discounts
• marketing materials that are ‘youth-oriented’ and located where young people go
• brightly colored ads or bright storefronts
• using celebrities who use e-cigarettes
• use popular packaging that is attractive to youth such as flash/USB drives, favorite characters, hidden in hoodie strings, highlighters, o backpacks, phone cases, pens, or smartwatches.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to have honest conversations with youth about the issues and risks around vaping. Awareness of what is out there will take the glamor out of the product when talking with youth.

Tips on Quitting

• Pick a day on a calendar when you plan on quitting, let friends or family know. 
• Download an app that helps you track your sober days, build new healthier habits, and provide motivation– visit SmokeFree.gov for free apps to download.
• Get rid of all vaping devices. 
• Understand what the withdrawal symptoms are such as headaches, hunger, trouble sleeping, and concentrating are just a few.
• Feeling the urge to vape? Try these instead: Chewing gum or drinking water, exercise, yoga or meditation, keeping your hands busy.

The sooner one quits, the quicker the body rebounds and repairs itself. For more help or information, contact your healthcare provider. You can also text, chat, or call the New York State Smokers’ Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487).

For more information on GO Health programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at: 

• Genesee County: 585-344-2580 ext. 5555
• Orleans County: 585-589-3278

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at GOHealthNY.

This is part two of a Christmas lights photo series.  This one features Batavia residents' houses.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Press Release:

Have you been feeling sluggish lately? Have you been told you are overweight? Has a healthcare provider told you that you have prediabetes or are at risk of prediabetes? Do you have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes? Have you had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed over 9 pounds? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be at risk of type 2 diabetes (Type 2).The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are seeking feedback from residents to help plan upcoming Lifestyle Change education programs in both counties. We are asking anyone who is at risk of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes to take a few minutes and answer some questions so we can schedule training sessions in Genesee and Orleans Counties.

Type 2 diabetes is when your cells do not respond normally to insulin (insulin
resistance). Type 2 is a chronic disease that affects the way the body processes sugar (glucose) for fuel (energy). When a person has type 2 diabetes their pancreas makes insulin, but their body does not respond well to make the cells let the glucose in, giving the cells the energy they need. The blood sugar is not used and it builds up in the body.

“It is important to note that prediabetes (diagnosed with high blood sugar levels but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes) and type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed,” stated Brenden Bedard, Director of Community Health Services for GO Health. “Attending an evidence-based lifestyle change program can help people learn how to make healthier food choices, encourage them to be more physically active, and learn more about their overall health.”
We encourage residents to consider taking charge of their life and lowering their risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Getting feedback from residents will help us design a program that meets their needs. The survey is quick and can be accessed HERE

For more information on GO Health programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at:

Genesee County: 585-344-2580 ext. 5555
Orleans County: 585-589-3278

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department would like to announce that we will be placing our new Engine 12 in service. To celebrate this occasion, we will be conducting a “push-in” ceremony on Jan 3. 

The push-in ceremony is a tradition in the fire service dating back to the days of horse-drawn equipment when members had to push the equipment into the bays when they returned from an incident because the horses were unable to do it.

Even though the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus are long behind us, the fire service, which is steeped in tradition, continues to conduct these ceremonies. It’s not only a long standing tradition for new apparatus, but gives us a way to celebrate putting it in service.

Please feel free to join us on January 3 at 1 p.m. to see the crews push the apparatus into the station at 18 Evans St., Batavia.

The 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament is scheduled for Wednesday and Friday, with varsity games at Genesee Community College and junior varsity games at Batavia High and Notre Dame High.

Batavia, Attica, Royalton-Hartland and Le Roy are in the Large School bracket and Notre Dame, Oakfield-Alabama, Alexander and Elba are in the Small School bracket.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

VARSITY AT GCC
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27
Roy-Hart vs. Attica, 3 p.m.
Alexander vs. Oakfield-Alabama, 4:45 p.m.
Elba vs. Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m.
Le Roy vs. Batavia, 8:15 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29
Large School consolation game, 3 p.m.
Small School consolation game, 4:45 p.m.
Small School championship game, 6:30 p.m.
Large School championship game, 8:15 p.m.

JUNIOR VARSITY
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27
Roy-Hart vs. Attica at Batavia High, noon
Alexander vs. O-A at Notre Dame High, noon
Elba vs. ND at Notre Dame High, 1:30 p.m.
Le Roy vs. Batavia at Batavia High, 1:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29
Large School consolation game at Batavia High, noon
Small School consolation game at Notre Dame High, noon
Small School championship game at Notre Dame High, 1:30 p.m.
Large School championship game at Batavia High, 1:30 p.m.

Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service is currently holding an online auction for the Estate of Joseph and Carmela Deni, long-time Batavia residents.  Mr. Deni owned a barbershop on Ross St., and was a founding member of the Batavia Society of Artists- as well as an avid painter.  Joseph and Carmela were active in the Batavia community and raised five children there.  This auction includes a large collection of paintings and prints by local artists, including Nina Mason Booth, Roy Mason, Rose Pontillo DiCarlo, and Joseph Deni.  Bid on WNY memorabilia, tools, fine collectibles, furniture, and household items at bontragerauction.com.  

This is part one of a two part series featuring Christmas lights around Genesee County.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

After eight years on dialysis and currently living with a deteriorating transplanted kidney, Batavia resident Jim Urtel Jr. is reaching out to a charitable organization that has taken a page from the “it takes a village” model.

Urtel, 54, a Le Roy High School graduate and longtime trainer/groom of racehorses, needs a second kidney transplant – this time from a live donor.

In an effort to speed up the process, he has connected with Kidneys for Communities, a nonprofit that is dedicated to increasing the pool of living kidney donors in the United States.

“I found out about Kidneys for Communities last June from an old friend, her name was Pam, that I met back in 2020, when I got the first transplant,” Urtel said on Friday. “I just started looking online to see if I could find any help or something. Thankfully, this (organization) helps people like me who need a kidney from a live donor.”

Urtel, encouraged by his parents and by his partner of 30 years, Renee Hozlock, is doing the things he needs to do – exercising regularly (he’s dropped 50 pounds), counting his calories, drinking plenty of bottled water and maintaining a positive attitude – as he waits for a donor.

Prior to 2012, Urtel was busy in the harness horse racing industry, mostly in Pennsylvania. An only child, he came back to Batavia to be there for his mom after his grandmother became ill.

“I was getting ready to work for a guy at the track here in Batavia and I had been a little bit sick for about a week or so. When I laid down at night, I had trouble breathing,” he recalled. “So, I decided to go to the emergency room and get checked out. I thought I had pneumonia or maybe bad bronchitis.”

After testing, he was told that his blood pressure “was through the ceiling,” he said, and that his kidneys had shut down.

“I had untreated sleep apnea and that was raising the blood pressure,” he said.

It was then that he started on dialysis and that lasted for eight years before he received a transplant in 2020 from a deceased donor. As it turned out, there were problems with the transplanted kidney.

“The first year was rough. I had tons of extra fluid. They couldn’t regulate the blood pressure and I gained 50 pounds,” Urtel said. “Little did I know, this kidney was bad, they didn’t tell me that. I think it was a little bit of a little story to keep me going.”

Tested recently, it was determined that his kidney failure risk factor was at a high level, once again making him eligible for a transplant.

“This time, it's going to have to be a live donor because I already did eight years of dialysis and the average lifespan on dialysis is seven,” he said. “That’s why I’m working with Kidneys for Communities. They have pairing programs and other ways to find matches.”

While Renee said she was willing to donate one of her kidneys, she’s not a match.

The chief executive officer for Kidney for Communities said he can relate to Urtel’s plight.

“First of all, I'm a kidney recipient myself,” Atul Agnihotri said by telephone on Friday. “So, I sort of know what Jim's going through and that’s the foundation of how we started this organization. I felt that I got lucky when I received my kidney, and a lot of people in the same journey with me were not as lucky.”

Agnihotri said his organization focuses on sharing patients’ stories in their own communities to maximize their chances of receiving transplants.

“We know that within the community is where the affinity, the relationships and identification is the strongest,” he said. “And members are willing to help other members. A community could be that you are living in a smaller city were people have this binding relationship with each other, or you could be going to the same church.”

Kidneys for Communities does not charge a fee to donors, recipients or transplant centers, Agnihotri said.

“We collect our own funds. All our funders currently are people that are associated with kidney disease, either their themselves as recipients, family members of the recipients or their donors,” he explained.

“If you look at our organization, we have an incredible list of people that are associated with it. A lot of those people are altruistic donors, meaning that they just kind of like walked in and said, whoever needs a kidney, I'm willing to give one.”

And that’s just the type of person that Jim Urtel is hoping to find.

For more about how to help Urtel: https://kidneysforcommunities.org/recipient/jim-urtel/

For more information about Kidneys for Communities, go to www.kidneysforcommunities.org.