The season is young, but once again, the Pembroke Dragons look like a powerhouse in 8-man football.
They won their second game on Saturday night, beating the Moravia Blue Devils 50-42.
For the Dragons, it as the team's 27th straight win, including a state championship win over Moravia last season.
Caleb Felski ran 40 times for 315 yards. He also has 17 yards receiving and 25 yards passing, five rushing touchdowns, and one touchdown reception.
Defensively, the Dragons were led by Felski with nine tackles and a forced fumble, while Jayden Bridge, Aidan Balduf and LJ Ferreira all added seven tackles. Ferreira and Bridge also each had an interception, Bridge taking his back to the house on a 55 yard pick six.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, Sen. George Borrello, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Chief Deputy Sheriff Joe Graff (candidate for Sheriff), and Assistant Treasurer Keven Andrews (canddiate for Treasurer). Photo by Howard Owens.
The Genesee County Republican Committee, led by Scott German, officially opened its campaign headquarters for 2024 on Saturday in the former Time Buyers dealership location across from CVS on West Main Street, Batavia.
On hand were candidates Claudia Tenney (Congress), George Borrello (State Senate), Steve Hawley (State Assembly), Joesph Graff (Sheriff) and Keven Andrews (County Treasurer).
German opened the event by thanking Time Buyers for donations of use of the building and Steve Hawley for finding the location.
"I'm very happy to have such a great building that is spacious and super location," German said.
Each candidate then made a brief statement.
"Thank you to everyone who's serving, everyone who's here, everyone who's part of this process," Tenney said. "We are only going to win if we get people to understand that their right to vote is the most profound expression of our self-governance, what our founders envisioned for us. It's the opposite of authoritarianism and communism, which, by the way, is on the ballot this year, especially on the presidential side."
Borrello, who is running unopposed, thanks Tenney and Hawley for their service, noted the difficulty of representing such a large district as the 57th
Borrello's statement, with unsubstantiated claims, included: "I want to take this moment to once again reiterate the importance of voting against Prop 1. It is perhaps the most evil and damaging piece of legislation ever proposed in the state of New York, and that's saying something. If you want illegal immigrants voting in our elections, support Proposition 1. If you want parents to lose their control over their children's health decisions, vote for Proposition 1. Okay, if you want to ensure that a man can walk into a lady's locker room at will, vote for Proposition 1. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Proposition 1 needs to go down. And the scary part is right now, most uninformed New Yorkers will vote yes, so we need to spread the word. It is the single most important mission in this election."
Hawley noted that he and the other candidates represent one of the best parts of Genesee County: teamwork.
"We've got two new folks who are running for office here locally, and we're seeing a changing of the guard and new people coming in with new ideas and also concentrating on teamwork," Hawley said. "We have Joe Graff, who's been with the Genesee County Sheriff's Department for many, many years. He's stepping forward as Sheriff (Bill) Sharon retires. We have Kevin Andrews, who serves as my campaign treasurer, which he will probably have to give up because he's running to replace my friend Scott German as Genesee County Treasurer. So, working all together is what it's all about. And it's town level as well city. We need to continue to work for the things that make not only America great but part of one of the 50 states, hopefully bringing New York back to be a friendly place for businesses and neighborhoods in terms of public safety."
Graff said it was goal to keep in place the teamwork that currently exists among Genesee County's various law enforcement agencies.
"I've been with the Sheriff's office for over 20 years. There are some former Batavia City police officers in here, and I've worked with them throughout the years. And I think what we have in Genesee County is a great coalition of law enforcement that works together throughout all the agencies. I think we truly need to support the men and women who work in law enforcement so they can effectively do their jobs so we can live in the safe community that we do enjoy. As Sheriff, I look to continue the mission of the Sheriff's Office and the standard of service that has been afforded to this county by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office."
Andrews, who has worked in the county's treasurer's office for a decade, thanked German for his leadership and mentorship.
"I want to thank you for allowing me to work with you as deputy for these past almost ten years and giving me that chance to prove myself and to gain that experience I hope to carry forward," Andrews said.
A serious injury accident is reported in the area of 8715 Lake Street Road, Le Roy.
Two Mercy Flight helicopters are responding to the scene.
Traffic is shut down in the area.
Le Roy Fire and Mercy EMS are on scene.
UPDATE 11:25 a.m.: Le Roy Fire remains on scene for traffic control. The rest of the assignment is back in service. Two patients sustained serious injuries and a third had a hand injury.
UPDATE, Press release from Le Roy PD:
On Sept. 15 at 9:36 a.m., the LeRoy Police Department responded to a two-car motor vehicle accident with injuries on State Route 19 in the Village of Le Roy.
An initial investigation determined that Isamanda Johnson, age 31, was operating a 2023 Ford pickup truck and collided head-on with a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban, operated by Gary L. Deibler, age 78, of North Chili. The Ford pickup truck operator left her lane of travel in an attempt to pass an uninvolved vehicle and collided head-on in the northbound lane with the Chevrolet SUV heading northbound.
Gary L. Deibler was transported from the scene to Strong Memorial Hospital via Mercy Flight and is in critical condition.
Isamanda Johnson, the operator of the Ford pickup truck, was transported from the scene by Mercy EMS to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A passenger in the Ford pickup truck was transported from the scene via Mercy Flight and is in critical condition.
The Le Roy Police Department is handling the investigation in conjunction with members of the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.
Anyone who may have witnessed the accident or has any additional info is urged to contact the LeRoy Police Department at 585-345-6350 or info@leroypolice.org
Master Gardener Jennifer Dunn shows off one of the flower arrangements for sale on Saturday outside the Cornell Cooperative Extension office on East Main Street during the Master Gardener’s annual Fall Gala, which is a plant sale for local gardeners. Photo by Howard Owens.
A 20-year-old Rochester man died on Saturday evening after a motorcycle he was driving collided head-on with a passenger vehicle on Route 33 in Stafford.
Michael J. Ciarpelli was pronounced dead at the scene by a Genesee County Coroner.
According to the Sherriff's Office, the preliminary investigation indicts that Ciarpelli was driving a 2007 black Yamaha motorcycle westbound on Route 33 when he attempted to pass two vehicles in front of him.
A 2024 white Ford Edge was turning left off Griswold Road and began traveling east on Route 33. As Ciarpelli attempted to pass both vehicles, he collided with the Edge head-on in the eastbound travel lane. Ciarpelli was ejected from the motorcycle, and his body came to rest on the north shoulder of Route 33.
The Edge was driven by Luanne E. Andrews, 76, of West Henrietta. Her passenger was Colleen L. O'Mara, 67, of West Henrietta. The Sheriff's Office provided no information about injuries if any to Andrews or O'Mara.
Sgt. Andrew Hale, Sgt. Richard Schildwaster, Investigator Kevin Forsyth, and deputies Joshua Brabon and Jacob Kipler are investigating the crash. The Byron and South Byron fire departments, Stafford Fire, and Mercy EMS assisted at the scene.
The Kiwanis Club of Batavia hosted a chicken BBQ sale today in the parking lot of the Town of Batavia Fire Department on Lewiston Road. The proceeds benefit club activities. The club's primary mission is to serve and assist the community's children.
Matt Delre with one of the mums Mercy EMS was selling on Saturday in the parking lot of the former Kmart building in Batavia. Mercy EMS will be selling mums there again this coming Saturday. The plants are $10 each with proceeds benefiting the ambulance service. Delre's Greenhouse & Garden Center donated the mums. Photo by Howard Owens.
Alzheimer's Association of WNY held its annual Walk to End Alzheimer's in Batavia on Saturday morning, with the walk starting and ending in Centennial Park.
Oakfield-Alabama/Elba beat Canisteo-Greenwood on Friday, 21-6.
OAE Statistics:
Sr RB/LB Avery Watterson - 14 Carries, 155 Yards, 2 TDs, 10 total tackles
Sr RB/LB Jack Cianfrini - 10 Carries, 127 Yards, 1 TD, 8 Total Tackles, 1 PBU
JR LB Dominic West - 8 Tackles
JR DB Hunter Tobolski - 7 Tackles
“Tonight was a good example of what our federation games will look like this year," said Head Coach Tyler Winters. "In Class D, you can bet that every week will be a battle. Tonight was a four-quarter battle with a tough CG team. I am proud of our guys for settling into the game and closing this out confidently in their execution. We’ll enjoy this one tonight, but it’s back to the grind tomorrow to prepare for our next tough Class D matchup.”
Also in Genesee County football:
Alexander beat Attica 21-0. Last season, Alexander and Attica was a merged team. Now the neighboring rivals again and Friday's game was the first time the two teams met on the gridiron since 2017. The Trojans won then, too, 20-3. The game was played at Van Detta with Alexander the home team. Alexander QB Brody Heckman opened the scoring midway through the first quarter on a 19-yard touchdown run. Melissa Sawyer kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead. The Trojan offense moved the ball after an interception by Defensive Back Jacob Brooks. It culminated with another Heckman TD run on a QB draw from 33 yards out. With the Sawyer kick, it was 14-0 heading into the half. In the second half, Jacob Brooks had his second interception of the night and returned the ball 37 yards for a TD. Sawyer capped it with her third PAT. Defensively Ryder Riechert led the Trojans with 8 tackles and Dylan Pohl had 4 tackles two of which were tackles for loss. Heckman finished with 82 yards rushing, Kingston Woods had 50 on 12 carries, and Ryder Riechert rushed for 46 on 12 carries. Trojans move to 2-0 on the season.
LeRoy/Cal-Mum beat Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton 20-6. Cameron Riggi scored on a two-yard run in the first quarter. Brady McClurg scored on a one-yard run and on a 65-yard pass to Xavier Bowen. Dawson Stephens scored Dansville's lone TD on a 13-yard pass to Evan Sedore. Jack Egeling ran for 77 yards on 18 carries, Riggi 18 on nine carries, On defense, Dillon Alcott had six tackles. DJ O'Geen had five tackles with a sack.
Michele Westfall-Owens, owner of Our Space Yoga & Wellness in Le Roy. Photo by Howard Owens
Once Michele Westfall-Owens was teaching yoga, she was always looking for her own perfect space to carve out a studio and set up shop. When that finally happened, an impromptu conversation helped to put the perfect name on it, she said.
“I feel like atmosphere is important,” Westfall-Owens said during an interview with The Batavian. “This opportunity happened, and I was talking to a yoga friend, and she’s a good friend and a student, and she said ‘you finally have your own space,’ and I said, yes, but it’s not my space, it’s our space. And that is how the name happened. It’s something I want to share; it’s not mine. So that was kind of a cool way to come up with the name, it just kind of happened like that.”
Our Space Yoga & Wellness is an inclusive yoga studio at 58 Main St., Le Roy, that offers a variety of weekly yoga classes for all levels and ages, from beginner to advanced.
Westfall-Owens retired in September 2020 after 30 years in public service. She began practicing yoga and then took teacher training, which some people do to learn more about the practice. For Westfall-Owens, her passion prompted her to do more with that additional knowledge than keep it to herself.
“I actually started practicing yoga probably five years prior to taking my training. And I just fell in love with the practice. It was me; it just suited me. And the more I looked into it, the more I kind of knew that's what I wanted to do,” she said. “I wasn't sure I wanted to teach. But then the opportunities kind of came along. When I took the training, I wasn't sure if I was actually going to end up teaching or if I was just, you know, because some people take the yoga teacher training just to learn more about yoga. And then, once I completed my training and retired, I did find that I really enjoyed teaching.”
She became a working teacher and expanded her offerings to include chair yoga, vinyasa and hatha yoga, kids' yoga, and restorative yoga.
She had her own transformational experiences with the age-old exercise (it has been traced to Northern India 5,000 years ago), having been one to sit at a desk for three decades with her job as chief clerk of Genesee County Surrogate’s Court.
After all of that sitting, there was definite stress that radiated throughout her body with discomfort, she said. And she wasn't into the more traditional methods of exercise.
“I don’t enjoy going to a gym and working out, so I was looking for an alternative to getting my body moving in a healthy way,” she said. “We go through life and we have our aches and pains, and having a desk job for 30 years, just being in that sedentary position, sitting at a desk, I did have the aches and pains, backaches, the shoulder aches, neck pains, and all the stress. And so what one major thing that yoga did for me was I physically feel better right now, I turned 60 this year. I physically feel better now than I did in my 20s and 30s. True story, because I move and I stretch.”
She has also noted a marked difference when there’s been a lapse in doing her yoga moves, she said: the pain and stiffness return.
Our Space has one main room that accommodates a class of about 12 people, a meditation room and a bathroom. In addition to her, there are four other teachers: Tracy Martorana, Tammy Reding, Carin Caruso, and Ken Plossl, plus Reiki practitioners Tracy Flansburg and Danielle Maloy.
In order to be a certified yoga teacher, she had to obtain 200 hours of yoga teacher training, and is a member of Yoga Alliance, she said.
She also offers special offerings throughout the year, and in the fall, a four-week Yoga for Back Pain series, a Herbal Tea-Blending workshop and a monthly Journaling Club will be offered.
"Whether you enjoy a calming restorative or yin session, an invigorating vinyasa practice, or something in between, there’s a class for you,” she said. “Our Space Yoga teachers are certified and trained according to Yoga Alliance standards. Our caring teachers approach each class as an opportunity to offer an enjoyable, safe and meaningful yoga experience.”
She invites visitors to “come as you are” and remember that Our Space is your space.
Vinyasa yoga connects breath with movement and builds heat with sun salutations, flowing sequences and balancing poses, then cools down for a final resting pose.
Gentle Vinyasa is a slower-paced practice that she says is perfect for all levels. This class builds strength, flexibility and focus.
Slow Flow moves smoothly through transitions and keeps longer holds in postures, emphasizing awareness of body, mind and breath.
Yin yoga is a slow-paced, passive style of yoga that involves holding poses for an extended time to access deep connective tissues.
Chair yoga is a gentle practice that includes modified postures while seated or using a chair for support. It improves strength, flexibility and balance without overstressing the joints.
Kids' yoga for grades one through four includes games, stories, and activities to build confidence and strength and practice ways to feel happier and more peaceful inside.
Yoga for Beginners & Beyond moves through basic yoga postures while allowing time for demonstration, inquiry and playful practice.
Restorative yoga uses props to fully support the body in poses for an extended time. It also includes calming meditation, soothing music, aromatherapy and gentle touch to help heal the body and mind.
What is Reiki? Introduces folks to the gentle, non-intrusive technique that uses energy to encourage healing of the body, mind and spirit. A reiki practitioner uses hand positions over the body to move and clear energy that may be “stuck” or out of balance.
How Do I Meditate? Meditation trains your awareness to tune out the noise and allows you to tune in to your own being. A regular meditation practice lowers stress, calms anxiety and builds self-acceptance.
Thompson Marin, newly ordained and installed pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens.
People should be excited about attending St. Paul Lutheran Church in Batavia each Sunday, says newly ordained and installed minister Thompson Marin, because they will hear the word of God without any innovations.
"We believe the Bible is the Word of God. There is no error in it. We teach people that the Bible interprets itself," Marin said to The Batavian. "Then, just to make it more exciting to people, we teach Christ crucified. We teach the Word of God. We don't add to it. We don't mix it with other teaching outside the Bible. Christ is at the center of our teaching."
Marin, his wife Erika, and their two children, Micaiah, 4, and Olivia, 1, are new to Batavia. St. Paul is Marin's first calling as a pastor. He recently completed four years of study at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind.
"I was praying for a church with a school," Marin said. "When I saw that (St. Paul) had a school, I was excited to see how God would lead me to help the school and the church."
Marin was born in Haiti and immigrated with his family to Brooklyn in 2007. He has been a Christian since childhood, growing up a Baptist. His uncle was a Lutheran pastor in Haiti.
He graduated from Brooklyn College in 2013, moved to South Dakota for more schooling, and then returned to Haiti, where he met Erika. She was on a Lutheran mission trip. They were married in 2016.
"I was very used to how (Lutherans) do church and what they believe, teach and confess," Marin said. "I became a Lutheran after I met my wife in 2013. I got used to going to church with her, used to the teaching in the Lutheran churches, and then I wanted to marry her, so one of the requirements was for me to become a Lutheran, and it wasn't hard for me, because I was already used to what they do and what they teach and believe."
The Lutheran Church was founded by Martin Luther (1483 to 1546) in Torgau, Germany. Luther led the Reformation, a break with Roman Catholicism, in the early 16th Century. A key point of Luther's theology was he rejected the Catholic Church's role as an intermediary between the people and God. He believed that salvation comes only through God's mercy. He rejected papal authority. He believed the Bible is the central authority for all Christian beliefs.
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod governs St. Paul. It is a conservative denomination whose core belief is that people are saved from their sins by God's grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Scripture alone. The Synod holds to the Luthern Confessions, which include the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.
After joining the church, Marin became interested in attending seminary, not to become a pastor but to deepen his understanding of the faith.
"The people I interacted with really encouraged me to follow this call, and that's what I did," Marin said.
As Marin completed his education, the members of St. Paul contacted church leaders and informed them there was an opening for a new pastor at St. Paul. They requested a recent seminary graduate, Marin said, and district leaders reviewed the needs of the church and the available seminary candidates and selected Marin as the best fit for St. Paul.
Besides the school, Marin said he was excited to come to Batavia because his wife likes small towns, and it's only six hours from New York City, where his parents and sister still live.
Given his wife's experience with missions, it's not surprising that Marin is eager to see St. Paul grow its efforts in international missions. St. Paul's does sponsor missionaries in Japan. He thinks the church might be able to grow in this area.
"That was really something that I admired when I met my wife. They were helping with a school and an orphanage in Haiti, in the town where I was from, and I want to continue that aspect of ministry, reaching out to the unchurched, helping those who cannot, who don't have access to certain things and sharing Christ's love with them."
He said it's something he intends to talk to St. Paul's leadership team about.
I know a lot of missionaries," Marin said. "They do need help from the churches here in the States. That's something I still need to figure out and probably start on, but it is a big part of sharing God's love."
He sees St. Paul's school as a great resource for reaching the local community.
"I think St Paul plays a great role in showing God's love, especially in our school," Marin said. "The school is a really great way of reaching out to parents and parents who are not Lutherans, even just reaching out to them and teaching them how we do things and extend God's forgiveness to them. And if they want to come and check it out, they can.
He said not all children attending the school are Christians, so the school offers an opportunity to learn about God's love for them.
"We tell them that God loves them every day. I think it's a really good thing," Marin said. "And the other thing is, their parents are invited to come to chapel on Wednesdays so they can hear us teaching them and see how we do it, and also they can hear God's message to them, too, and it's a great way of reaching out to the community."
On Sundays, visitors to the Church can expect a conservative service.
Lutheran services tend to be more liturgical than many other Protestant churches. Marin said people who come to St. Pauls can expect more traditional hymns.
"We conserve all the ways that the Church Fathers used to worship and how they did the service, with no new ideas," Marin said. The way we do things is very traditional. We do have some contemporary songs we sing here because the members are used to doing it in the past, but we're trying to move more toward a traditional way of doing things."
Marin acknowledges that these are challenging times for churches. In 2021, church membership in the U.S. fell below 50 percent for the first time. Marin doesn't believe innovations in theology are needed to bring people back to church. He believes the Word of God is sufficient.
"I think we need to stay faithful," Marin said. "We need to believe that God will send His Spirit. The Holy Spirit will work in people's hearts and change their minds, and then people will be attracted to the church. People will come to the church through the Gospel being preached, and not by changing how we teach it or how we worship, incorporating new things, new theology, and new ways of interpreting the Gospel, the Bible. I don't see it that way. I think we need to stay faithful, and I think that way, people will know the truth."
Lynne Bohan. Photo from Lynne Bohan's social media account.
A revised wastewater agreement between the town and city of Batavia may rectify a capacity issue between those two municipalities, however, it came too late for HP Hood’s $120 million expansion project, says Lynne Bohan, group vice president of Communications & Government Affairs for HP Hood LLC.
HP Hood altered its course after being notified that permitting was not approved for the project in the Batavia Agri-Business Park, Bohan said. The expansion was to be 32,500 square feet and was to create 48 new jobs and retain 455 full-time jobs at Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park for a projected local economic impact of $49.87 million in wages and tax revenue.
“Hood implemented a tactical pause on the expansion projects in progress. We remained in contact with local government representatives to gain an understanding of constraints to approving permits,” Bohan said to The Batavian Friday. “Discussions continued regarding project support while we worked on contingency plans. This was not an immediate decision and was just finalized recently as we reviewed our updated business strategy.”
Hood officials opted to expand the scope of “a similar expansion project already in progress at a similar Hood facility on the East Coast,” Bohan said, adding that the company will consider future projects at the Batavia site. “Yes, we have other expansion projects for our Batavia site proposed. Timing is dependent on business needs and appropriate support from the community.”
The city of Batavia temporarily halted Hood’s $120 million expansion project in the town of Batavia due to “violations of the town’s contracted wastewater capacity limit” earlier this year as both municipalities then worked to rectify the situation, City Manager Rachael Tabelski had said.
Tabelski sent the town Planning Board a letter on March 13 notifying the group that the city had not been informed in a timely manner that the town had been established as lead agency for the proposed expansion of process lines at HP Hood on Feb. 13, 2024, and the city did not receive word of that until March 4. The city objected to the town acting as the lead agency, Tabelski said.
Tabelski said during council’s Tuesday meeting that the situation had potentially been rectified with a revised wastewater agreement between the town and city of Batavia. She also said that “we will lift the SEQR challenge to the HP Hood project,” regarding a state environmental review.
Genesee County Economic Development Center had approved sales tax exemptions estimated at $4.52 million, a property tax abatement estimated at $549,705 base on an incremental increase in assessed value, and a mortgage tax exemption estimated at $536,000, bringing the value of the proposed financial agreement to approximately $5.6 million.
GCEDC President Mark Masse was not available for comment Friday.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown can open doors, says Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. Chairman Dennis Bassett.
He can open doors in Albany. He can open doors with the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
"The OTB is looking to have good, solid representation in Albany," Bassett said. "We feel that what better individual is there who could help us open doors that we haven't been able to open before than a five-term mayor with a legislative background?"
A unanimous board vote on Sept. 5 authorized Bassett to open contract negotiations to hire Brown as OTB's new CEO and president. Bassett said the negotiations are ongoing. Brown has yet to officially accept the job offer.
The 65-year-old Brown became Buffalo's mayor in 2006. He served in the state Senate from 2001 to 2005. He was a member of the Buffalo Common Council from 1996 to 2001. He has a dual bachelor of arts degree in political science and journalism from Buffalo State College. He worked in sales for a year at Bristol-Myers before starting a legislative staff career.
OTB reportedly advertised the job as paying between $280,000 and $320,000 annually. Henry Wojtaszek, the outgoing CEO and president, makes $264,898.
"The key thing that we have to do is get someone that can open doors that we don't have open," Bassett said. "We're running a pretty well-oiled machine now. I think that what I have stressed consistently as board chair is that we may have some government obligations, but we have run Batavia Downs as a business. Mayor Brown assured us that his business hat would be on at all times and that he would be able to focus on how we can generate more revenue for the 17 municipalities."
For several years, Erie County Democrats, such as Sen. Tim Kennedy, Sen. Sean Ryan, and Comptroller Kevin Hardwick, have attacked the OTB and its leadership, making unsubstantiated corruption claims. Kennedy successfully pushed legislation that changed the OTB board's voting composition, giving Democrats a weighted vote majority even though Democrats represent fewer jurisdictions on the board than Republicans.
Genesee County is leading a legal challenge to the voting change.
"The ‘culture of corruption’ is actually the way that Erie County and the City of Buffalo have rigged the Western Regional OTB board," Borrello said.
Borrello praised Wojtaszek's work to increase revenue and profitability at Batavia Downs and expressed concern that the "winning team" was being replaced by political patronage jobs.
Throughout the search process, Bassett has vowed that politics would not play a part in selecting a new CEO. On Thursday, he told The Batavian that, indeed, politics was not a factor in the decision to hire Brown.
"The appointment was based upon a global search that narrowed down the best candidates based on the key focus areas that we were looking at -- C-suite experience -- government involvement, budget management, and public benefit corporation experience," Bassett said. "As a chairman of the search committee, politics never entered into our decision-making as we looked at the resumes and evaluated each of the resumes and the talent of the individuals. The press may have predicted who would be the next President and CEO but that did not influence our selection process."
So far, Republican members of the board -- who all supported the job offer to Brown -- have been mum about their decision. Asked if he had any insight into why Republicans backed Brown for the job, Bassett said it was because of the recommendation of the search committee.
"The reason they supported (the committee's recommendation) is because we stressed very seriously and very strongly that we are going to continue our focus on running Western Regional OTB as a solid business and that the outside world may play the politics game, but as long as we, the board, stay steadfast on the fact that we are trying to deliver as positive a results as we can to small municipalities who depend on OTB a lot more than some of the big Rochesters and Buffalos and Erie counties and Monroe counties, that we want to continue to give them the kind of revenue they can use to fill some of the gaps that they have."
He said that only happens if the organization is run like a business.
"Once again, the press and the outside world may continue to have us fall into this political game, but those individuals in those small municipalities bought off on the idea that we're not going to succumb to that," he said.
Bassett said Wojtaszek and Brown have a good relationship and he's expecting a smooth transition.
Wojtaszek is scheduled to leave the job on Dec. 31.
Bassett isn't expecting any issues for current employees.
"I think the employee base is very comfortable with me, and they're very comfortable with how our board is being run, and I think we'll have no problems with the leadership team and the board and the employees working at Batavia Downs," he said.
Bassett stressed that there are issues that need to be addressed in Albany that haven't been addressed until now, issues that must be addressed if Batavia Downs and the OTB are going to increase revenue and profits for the municipalities. Brown can open those doors, he said.
Batavia Downs has achieved record-breaking revenue two years running and 2024 is shaping up to be another record year, Bassett noted.
"We know that we can't grow this business and be successful if we don't look at how we can go into different ventures, and we can't do the same things we've been doing tomorrow that we're doing today and be successful," Bassett said.
He initially declined to address the specific issues Brown would be asked to tackle. When asked about harness racing, which might be considered a loss-leader for the corporation, Bassett said Brown might address it; he said that is one area to look at, but so are branch operations.
"We're putting together a strategic framework that looks at how we should be running this business five years from now," Bassett said.
Besides harness racing and branch operations, there is also sports betting.
"We need to look at sports betting. Sports betting is very important moving forward. We, the small racinos and casinos such as ours, don't have it. We have to fight for that in Albany, and hopefully, Mayor Brown can help us do that."
Batavia Downs has also been locked out of table games. Bassett said he's a blackjack player himself and would like to see Batavia Downs be able to offer poker and blackjack to customers.
"We're not going to leave any stone unturned for us to grow this business and look at how we can be competitive in the future," he said.
Batavia girls tennis team celebrates sophmore Eliana Cossitt's deciding match to bring them to victory in Brockport. Photo by Steve Ognibene
It was the battle of the Blue Devils as Batavia took on Brockport late Thursday afternoon in Monroe County tennis action in Brockport.
Batavia took all three singles matches and the first doubles contest to improve to 3-1 on the season. The deciding point came down to the third singles match as Batavia’s Eliana Cossitt won in three sets.
After winning the first set 6-1, Cossitt lost in a second set tiebreak 4-7 to set up a thrilling third set. After falling behind 0-2 to Brockport’s Alex Salcido, Cossitt took control and gave Batavia the point they needed with a brilliant 6-3, third set victory.
Batavia got wins from first singles player Kelsey Kirkwood 6-1, 6-3 and second singles player Ally Debo, who was equally impressive with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph.
The first doubles tandem of Drew Stevens and Rahmeto Reinhardt remained unbeaten on the season, with a 6-3, 6-2 win. Batavia will hit the road again Friday at Penfield.
Information provided by Batavia Head Coach Jim Fazio.
AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC CITY OF BATAVIA SALARY $25.54-$30.08 DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: Assignments in this Class require the exercise of specialized skills in tasks pertaining to the maintenance and repair of a wide variety of machinery and equipment used in public works activities, as well as to other vehicles owned or operated by the municipal employer. In smaller agencies, an Automotive Mechanic may exercise a degree of supervision over assistant mechanics or Equipment Operators performing minor maintenance and repair on equipment, with general supervision being received from a supervisor, superintendent, or other such official or designee. Does related work, as required. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: Repairs motorized and non-motorized equipment, such as trucks, tractors, mowers, graders, loaders, sweepers, rollers, compressors, and automobiles; Adjusts, repairs, and rebuilds gasoline and diesel engines; Repairs and replaces components of equipment, such as suspension systems, drive assemblies, brake systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, and cooling systems, and makes necessary adjustments to same; Carries out sanding, sandblasting, filling, painting, and related body-work tasks; Makes minor welding repairs; Operates drills, grinders, and other metal-working machines related to automotive repair functions; Performs preventative maintenance tasks which may include vehicle inspections; Attaches and removes snow plows, blades, and other attachments for motorized equipment; Maintains records of tasks performed, and other pertinent records; Requisitions parts and materials, to ensure adequate supply to maintain workflow; Acts as Equipment Operator, or wingman, as directed; May drive buses, cars, or trucks; May deliver fuel to job sites; Keeps shop area neat and clean. The above examples of duties are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITY AND/OR PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Thorough knowledge of standard automotive repair and maintenance methods; thorough knowledge of automotive repair terminology and tools; working knowledge of welding techniques; ability to make difficult repairs to heavy automotive and other mechanical equipment; ability to work from plans and specifications, and to follow rough draft sketches and oral instructions; good motor and hand eye coordination; manual dexterity. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee constantly is required to stand; walk; and use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: One year of full-time paid experience as a skilled automotive repairman. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Some jurisdictions may require appointees to receive and maintain certification as a NYS Motor Vehicle Inspector, within six months of appointment. SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT AND CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT: 1. Possession and maintenance of appropriate valid license(s), as required. 2. In school districts where incumbent may operate a school bus, possession of a valid appropriate level New York State Driver's License is required. 3. Drivers must be at least 21 years of age. NOTE: In addition, candidates must satisfy the requirements for School Bus Driver set forth in the Rules and Regulations of the New York State Commissioner of Education. Non-Competitive Class Civil Service Applications are due to Human Resources no later than October 18, 2024.
