The visit from Santa Claus at the State Street Christmas tree house in Batavia has been canceled for this evening due to the cold and wind, “but we plan to see everyone on Friday, Dec. 20 from 6-8 p.m.,” host Angelina Pellegrino said.

Press Release:

As the winter season is upon us, the Batavia Police Department wants to remind all drivers to brush up on their winter driving habits and skills to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey. 

Winter driving can be hazardous, especially for those who are not prepared. The combination of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures can make roads slippery and unpredictable. However, by following some simple tips and guidelines, you can significantly reduce your risk of being involved in a winter-related accident. 

Before You Hit the Road: 

• Make sure your vehicle is winter-ready by checking the battery, antifreeze, and tire pressure. 
• Keep an emergency kit in your car, including items such as a flashlight, first aid kit, and warm blankets. 
• Plan your route in advance and check the weather forecast to avoid traveling during hazardous conditions. 

Safe Driving Practices: 

• Slow down and increase your following distance to account for reduced visibility and traction. 
• Use low gear when driving uphill to maintain control and avoid wheelspin. 
• Avoid sudden turns or braking, as this can cause your vehicle to lose traction. 
• Keep a safe distance from snowplows and salt trucks, as they may throw up debris or create slippery conditions. 

Additional Tips: 

• Keep your gas tank at least half full. 
• Use winter tires or snow chains if necessary, and make sure they are properly installed. 
• Keep your windshield and windows clean and clear of snow and ice to maintain good visibility. 

By following these simple tips and guidelines, you can significantly reduce your risk of being involved in a winter-related accident. Remember to always drive defensively and be prepared for the unexpected. Stay safe on the roads this winter! If you have any questions or concerns about winter driving, please contact the Batavia Police Department. Stay safe, and happy driving!

Press Release:

Once again, we find ourselves in the season of late autumn, when it almost feels like something new, and yet there is also a sense of nostalgia as we prepare for the seasons of thanksgiving, peace, and hope. It is also our custom at this time of year, that the Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc. makes its annual appeal. 

For it is during this special time of giving and sharing that we come to you for your compassion and financial support, which enables us to assist children in the Batavia City School District throughout the year.

It was in 1933, during the dark days of the Great Depression, that the Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc., was originated. At that time, many students were in need of
tonsillectomies. While the physicians waived their fee, the surgery required an overnight hospital stay. The cost of the overnight stay was $7.50, which proved too much for some
families. So, Batavia City School District physician, Dr. Dexter Pierce saw this need, and it inspired the founding of the Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc. 

The initial intent of the fund was to help the 25 most needy children in the Batavia School District. Yet there has never been a numerical limit on the number who are assisted, as the only purpose is to serve the children in need.

Now, as has been the case through the past ninety years, there continue to be children who are in need of everyday clothing, a warm coat, eyeglasses and eye exams, sneakers, shoes, school supplies, doctor and dental visits, counseling, prescriptions, medical supplies, and other needs. The teachers, nurses, counselors, and social workers through the Batavia schools identify children in need. These needs and concerns are conveyed to Mr. Justin Saraceni, FNP-BC, the Medical Director for the Batavia City School District. 

Mr. Saraceni contacts the child’s parents and if it is determined that they aren’t able to provide what it is that their child needs and if the family does not qualify for special services or assistance that is available, the Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc. steps in to help. The parents then select what care is to be provided, and by whom, in order to provide a remedy. Most of the families in need are the working poor. They are getting along, but they cannot withstand a bump in the highway of life.

The fund focuses on providing the necessities of life. As the needs are addressed, bills are submitted to the Twenty-five Neediest Fund for payment. There is no red tape, no publicity, and there are no strings attached. Our only desire is to help the child in need. It is only through the generous giving of our many contributors that the Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc. is able to provide this support. 

This is all done with anonymity, as the identity of the of the child and the family remain confidential and are unknown to the committee.

Over the years we additionally became known as the “Quiet Fund”.  We received this moniker by the dear late Dan Winegar of The Daily News, who championed our cause from the 1960s to the 1980s. The “Quiet Fund” title evolved due to the fact that we only make one annual appeal to our community, at this time of giving. We exist solely on the generosity of others in our community, and beyond. It clearly remains evident that many of you believe that a contribution to our fund is an affirmation that no child should go without and furthermore that you wish to reduce a parent’s anguish as they agonize over how they are going to provide
what their child needs. 

Since our inception, this fund operates as a true and complete charity, without any administrative costs. All donations are turned into benefits. Every cent received is spent on the children. We continue to believe that to assist a child, and their parent, in this way is a gracious and immeasurable gift.

So, as we look to the promise of this season of hope and peace, we also look forward to hearing from friends, old and new, who share our desire to assist the children. Checks made payable to the Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc., may be sent to Nann K. Zorn, 12 River Street, Batavia, NY 14020. 

We continue to be grateful to those who are ever faithful to remember our fund at the holiday season and throughout the year. On behalf of the children, and their parents, helped by your generosity and gifts of love, we extend to you a most sincere thank you and warm wishes for the holiday season, and blessings to you and yours for the New Year.

Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc. Committee,
Nancy Arras
Benjamin J. Bonarigo, Jr, Esq.
Nancy Haitz
Justin Saraceni
Sara Zorn Schroeder
Virginia H. Tiede
Nann K. Zorn, Chairperson

Press Release:

Michael Marsh and David Hall, Edward Jones financial advisors in Genesee County, invite the public to attend a holiday open house from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, at 7 Jackson Street during Christmas in the City.

Light refreshments will be served.

Thurman Thomas is hosting a tailgate party in the 34 Rush Bar on Sunday for the Buffalo Bills at the Los Angeles Rams game.

The tailgate party starts at 4:15 p.m.

Thomas will be at the party and and available for pictures with fans at halftime. 

Fans can enter to win prizes at the Players Club start 4 p.m. Prizes in clude Bills gear from Bud Light and club-level tickets for the final two home ages. 

The prize drawings will take place at half-time.

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Click the link to view 260 Ross Street, Batavia-City.

For the last decade, Lisa Wittmeyer has come to know Sacred Heart and Ascension Parish as her home church, and she is not about to give it up easily, she says.

Although the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo had issued orders to close the parish in November, Friends of Ascension filed an appeal -- and are "packing the mass" --to stall that measure in an effort to remain open permanently. 

“We had written the first appeal, and the time expired for the bishop to answer, and we have 10 to 15 days for the next appeal … we are to file that next week.  We are still packing the mass; there’s one mass at noon on Sunday, the worst possible time, but there’s 200 in attendance; it’s been standing room only,” Wittmeyer said Thursday to The Batavian. “We’re still supporting the church, we just had a bake sale, we’re still hosting Bingo. We do have a lot of revenue, we were very fiscally responsible with our money. Right now we are kind of in a wait-and-pray; they can’t close us while we’re in appeal. We’re doing what we can to ‘Pack the Mass. We’re wearing the buttons.”

Almost immediately, the Friends of Ascension was formed after the Diocese began announcing local closures, which originally did not include Sacred Heart. Once that Southside parish was placed on the chopping block, members rallied to form the group and began to file paperwork for a nonprofit organization.

They wanted to ensure that mass and church events were continued to be supported, which has included faith formation for kids and adults, although it has mostly been kids in attendance, getting them ready for their sacraments, Wittmeyer said. 

“We’re still doing holy communion, baptisms, weddings, funerals, all of that is till going on,” she said. 

Confirmation class is part of church school for grades two through 11, and includes penance, communion and confirmation, so nothing is getting lost in the shuffle of the Diocese and appeal actions, she said. 

As a child, Wittmeyer attended St. Joseph’s School and Church. After graduating from high school, she eventually moved to her father’s home parish, St. Anthony’s. It was there that she got married and had her boys baptized, so she has already experienced the closure of a church that meant something to her and many other members. 

Wittmeyer then discovered Sacred Heart and doesn’t want to see this gem close or go back to St. Joe’s, she said. 

“As long as we are in the appeal, they cannot close us. The surprising part was, we were not on the chopping block, that’s the surprising part, it wasn’t part of the original plan … (and later) they said then why not close Ascension, and we can go to Resurrection, which is St. Joe’s. But we’re two very different churches. St. Joe’s doesn’t have a church hall. I think the difference in our churches is that we’re smaller, we’re very welcoming, we’re very homey, we are like a church family,” she said. “At St. Joe’s, the acoustics are horrible, it’s hard to hear in there. It’s not aesthetically pleasing … it’s not as personable as Ascension. There’s no hall to fellowship in. I don’t want to lose another church. There is room for two Catholic churches. We used to have four, so I think we can definitely have two.” 

The Diocese had given reasons of lack of financial means and participants as potential reasons for closure, both of which are not true at Ascension Parish, she said. The 4 p.m. Saturday mass was taken away, and it was “very popular,” leaving only the one Sunday mass, which people have steadfastly attended, even having to set up chairs in front when the pews fill up, she said. 

“We are using the church, supporting the church, hosting activities. We are still fighting the fight,” she said. “I have hosted for the past three years the lenten soup supper on Wednesdays. It’s open to the public, and it’s very popular. We donate the funds to different charities. I hope to do it again, and I’m sure we’ll be open through then.”

A cocoa and caroling event scheduled for Thursday was canceled due to the snow that blew in Wednesday night. Members hope to reschedule it. 

In the meantime, the second step in the appeal process is to send it on to the Holy See, which has 90 days to respond. Suppose Ascension receives a denial or no response. In that case, it can appeal to the Church's Supreme Court, the Apostolic Signatura, which follows its own regulations “in a different process that requires appellants to hire an advocate in Rome approved by the Signatura.” That means use of funds likely for an attorney to represent Friends of Ascension. There is no strict timeline or constraint for the response, and the Signatura may give extensions during this process. 

Ascension Parish is not alone with its appeal to the Diocese. St. Brigid’s in Bergen has also filed an appeal, which has kept its doors open to date. Church member John Cummings didn’t want to comment too much about that process, other than it could take a year, and that it “has to really be fought for.”

He has been more immersed in a project to bring solace to the congregation and world at large with a musical production inspired by his son Ryan, who came up with the idea in time for Christmas. 

The Cummings family formed a namesake band with family and friends 10 years ago, performing barbershop type and 50s-60s melodies, and this year Ryan suggested a more universally comforting number to embrace all that’s going on in the world today: “Let There be Peace on Earth.”

A video was recorded at St. Brigid’s with the Cummings family, including son Johnny on piano, community members, Byron-Bergen Central School music teacher Joe Paris conducting the group, and school students and alums.

“It’s just a conglomeration of people in general in the Byron-Bergen community,” the elder John said. “It’s just for everything in the world, life in general. Ryan just thought it would be a great song to do right now. They used the church to do it; it gave a beautiful background.”

The Cummings Family and Friends band performs annually and invites the community to attend, whether it’s at their home or at the Bergen park.

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Press Release:

On Friday / December 6th the GENESEE AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION RAMPARTS MITE DIVISION (8U) will host their second annual “Merry Mitemas Tournament at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street/Batavia NY.  The Opening game will begin Friday, December 6 at 12pm.

Twenty-two teams from the Rochester and Buffalo area are participating.  Also featured during the Tournament will be a Basket Raffle and 50/50 Drawing on Friday and Saturday, along with cotton candy sales, and T-Shirt sales on Friday - Sunday (until sold out). 

The teams participating in this Mite Tournament will be playing half-ice; there will be two games played at the same time.

This will be a fun event featuring the youngest players within the Association.  Many of these young skaters move up throughout the Association to play on the local high school team.

Games will be played during the following time periods:

Friday, December 6:  12pm – 9pm

Saturday, December 7:  8am – 11am and 3:30pm – 8:30pm

Sunday, December 8:  8am – 11am and 12pm – 4pm

Stop at the rink to support these young hockey players and join in on the fun.

Press Release:

HomeCare & Hospice is inviting the community to help bring warmth and solace to individuals in their final stages of life by donating new lap blankets. As the colder months approach, these blankets not only provide physical warmth but also deliver emotional comfort, offering a small but meaningful way for the community to support those in need. 

“After some staff changes and our recent move to Allegany, we’ve lost touch with a few of our regular blanket donors. We’re hoping to reconnect with past contributors and welcome new volunteers to help replenish our supply,” said Cassie Kelsey, Staff & Outreach Coordinator.

Blankets can be newly handmade or purchased from retail stores, offering flexibility for those who wish to contribute. Both options are deeply appreciated, as they provide comfort and care to hospice patients who need it most. Donations of new lap blankets can be dropped off to any of the following HomeCare & Hospice locations below:

Allegany: St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, Allegany - 716-372-2106

Arcade: 563 W. Main St., Arcade - 585-653-5290

Batavia: 29 Liberty St., Suite 6, Batavia - 585-343-7596

Wellsville: 194 N. Main St., Wellsville,  585-593-7600

For questions or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Cassie Kelsey at the Allegany office at 716-372-2106 or Pat Meek in Batavia at 585-343-7596.

Press Release:

The Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. is announcing their Annual Scholarship and Community Service Awards and calling for applications.

Scholarships are open to all Graduating Seniors (male or female) in Genesee County High Schools and the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (GVEP). The students need to have maintained an 85% average and must complete the application process available through the Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Website https://bataviabpw.wordpress.com/scholarship or via Facebook. The deadline is Monday, February 10.

All schools in Genesee County and GVEP have been emailed information on this program which includes eligibility requirements, guidelines, and the scholarship application. Parents and students are advised to seek out their school’s guidance counselor/department to receive the needed information.

The Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club has provided scholarships since 1961. The number and dollar amount of scholarships awarded are dependent on the club’s annual fundraisers. Local community support is greatly appreciated; watch for upcoming event announcements.

The Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club will also offer monetary Awards for Service Groups in May 2025. Any Service Group in Genesee County may apply for this by sending a letter of request on your organization’s letterhead. Details of what should be included in the letter can be found here https://bataviabpw.wordpress.com/service-awards/ 

Deadlines for both the Scholarship Applications and the Community Service Awards letters are to be postmarked by Monday, February 10. They can be mailed to Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. PO Box 1778, Batavia, NY 14021.

For questions or more information send an email inquiry to bataviabpw@gmail.com.

Press Release:

The Republican Party of Le Roy is now holding regular monthly meetings. We are actively seeking candidates for the 2025 Fall Election Season. The following positions will be up for election in 2025:

• County Legislator
• Town Justice
• Town Board (2)

Republicans are also needed on the committee level, to help grow the party and assist local candidates in the election process. Please come join us.

We have a facebook page for news and updates https://www.facebook.com/groups/527076802990956. All inquiries can be made to the Chairman at leroyrepublicans@gmail.com.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Youth Bureau is proud to announce its new program, Caught Being Good, which was recently launched this November. 

This new program is designed to further enhance the ability of our School Resource Officers (SROs) to build positive relationships with our youth. Positive reinforcement helps to increase the likelihood of positive behavior reoccurring.

This year, participating schools include Alexander Middle-High School, Batavia Middle and Batavia High Schools, Byron-Bergen Jr/Sr High School, Elba Jr/Sr High School, Pavilion Jr/Sr High School, Pembroke Intermediate and Pembroke Jr/Sr High School, Oakfield-Alabama Middle-High School, St. Paul Lutheran, and GV BOCES. 

Vouchers have been distributed to all participating schools. Any additional schools that wish to join the program can contact Genesee County Youth Bureau to enroll.

Local businesses have paired with the Genesee County Youth Bureau to donate the vouchers to schools. Students who are “Caught Being Good” will be awarded with a voucher from their SRO to redeem at local business.

Press Release:

The Holland Purchase Historical Society was awarded $40,000 by the New York State Council on the Arts.

New York State announced today a grant award for the Holland Purchase Historical Society totaling $40,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Through New York State’s continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded $82 million this year to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state.

“As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York’s creativity and innovation inspires the world,” Governor Hochul said. “Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies and continue New York’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit.”

Executive Director of NYSCA Erika Mallin said, “On behalf of the Council and staff, I am so proud that we are supporting the critical work of so many nonprofit organizations all across the state, including work of the Holland Land Office Museum. New York State’s art and culture nonprofits make us a global leader, strengthening our connections to each other and the larger world. I thank you for your dedication and service and look forward to all your work in the coming year.”

A 39-year-old Lockport man is facing a prison term of 50 years to life related to the murder of an Olcott man after passing a plea offer in County Court on Friday that would have capped his sentence at 20 years to life.

Edward Dunn told County Court judge Donald O'Geen that he understood the offer and that he was decling to accept it at this time, instead choosing to face a potential jury trial.

The plea cutoff date in the case is Jan. 8, but District Attorney Kevin Finnell said he can't say if Dunn will get the same offer again after turning down today's officer, which was a minimum of 15 years to life and a maximum of 20 years to life.

Defense attorney Casey F. Spencer said in court that there had been a meeting in the judge's chambers where the DA agreed to a possible sentence, if the plea was accepted, of 18 years to life. 

Spencer said she did discuss the offer with Dunn thoroughly before he decided to turn it down.

Dunn is accused of killing Michael Poole and then hiding his body in the trunk of a car that was abandoned in the town of Alabama in March.

He is charged with murder in the second degree, a Class A-1 felony; assault in the second degree, a Class B felony; concealment of a human corpse, a Class E felony; and tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony. 

If he had accepted the plea, he would have admitted to murder and to concealment of a human corpse. 

The maximum sentence by state law on the murder count is 25 years to life.  

On the concealment count, Finnell was offering a sentence of 2 to 4 years, to be served concurrently with the murder sentence. 

If convicted at trial, Dunn could be sentenced to the maximum on the murder charge. Because the concealment act could be considered a separate crime, and because Dunn has a prior felony conviction, he could get another 25 to life sentence on that conviction and have the two sentences run consecutively, giving an effective sentence of 50 years to life.

Finnell said the offer was put on the record today because Dunn was given a chance to accept it before motion hearings, which are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 13.

Also charged in the murder is  Kathryn A. Henry, 33, from Lockport, who was arrested on April 19 and charged with murder in the second degree. She was accused at the time of conspiring with Dunn to kill Poole and hide his body. Correction: Henry entered guilty pleas on Aug. 22 to charges of hindering prosecution, a Class D felony, and concealment of a human corpse, a Class E felony.  She is no longer facing a murder charge as previously reported.   

Her next scheduled court date isn't until Aug. 19. 

Also charged in the case is Norman S. DuBois, 45, of Lockport. He is charged with hindering prosecution in the first degree, tampering with physical evidence, concealment of a human corpse and conspiracy.

Dunn appeared in court on Friday dressed in the green jumpsuit of the state corrections system. He is being held at Elmira on a conviction in Orleans County on a count of burglary in the third degree. He was sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison in October. His first parole eligibility charge on that sentence is September 2026.

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Please send weather updates to news@thebatavian.com. Please send weather photos to howard@thebatavian.com or text to 585-260-6970.

Thursday, Dec. 5:

• Batavia City Schools are closed and all activities are canceled.
• The Richmond Memorial Library is closed.
• Alexander Central School is closed.
• Genesee Valley BOCES is closed.
• Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools is closed.
• Pembroke Central Schools is closed.
• Casella Waste has postponed residential service in Batavia
• Northgate's Vintage Christmas is canceled for Thursday but Friday's event will go ahead as planned.
• Notre Dame High School is closed.
• The Ascension Parish Caroling, Cocoa and Tree Trimming is postponed.
• The Batavia Society of Artists opening reception at the Richmond Memorial Library is postponed.
• Varsity Girls basketball of Elba at Batavia has been postponed

Batavia City Centre is taking on a new shape and look, albeit gradually, but it’s an improvement from where it was a few years ago, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

With three new entrances and one entrance-turned-exit only that replaced those old, leaking, moldy silos; removal of the concourse stage and stained ceiling tiles; a grant in progress to extend the City Hall floor style into the concourse; and vacant properties being sold for future businesses, Tabelski and her colleagues are excited about every incremental change.

As if they belonged there
The bulk of funding for the entrances was $1 million, which came from a Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, matched with city money of $800,000 for the roof project. Any additional expenses will come from a National Grid grant and city facility reserves, Tabelski said. 

Most of the construction has been completed, and the mechanics of handicap buttons to open the doors have to be installed, plus a few other final details, Assistant Manager Erik Fix said. 

"So they're 90% of the way through. They'll finish it today and tomorrow, and the goal is for tomorrow to have these clean and open and ready to go for Saturday, for Christmas in the City," Fix said. "There's still punch list stuff and some things like that that's got to be done."

Each entrance is equipped with a heating/cooling system and spruced up with a cleaner appearance, with smooth bluish stone floors for a definitely more contemporary look. Any type of mold that had formed due to the longtime leaking was removed along with the demolition of the silos themselves, Fix said. 

As for buckets? Not a one, Public Works Director Tom Phelps and Fix said. There haven’t been any within the Centre for quite a while, and the only ones lingering were at the former entrances.

"Of the only buckets that were here were at the entrances, by the silos. And obviously, you can see there's no need for that. It's nice and dry and clean, and in a day or two it'll be warm and, fingers crossed, right? So each unit, each entrance, has its own heating and air unit, a split unit, that'll do both for us," Fix said. "What we feel like is it looks like it was supposed to be here. It's nothing fancy. It's nothing crazy. It's just simple; the light is, you can see it, especially as we walk to some of the other entrances, how much brighter it is than having the silo."

City Centre gets artsy
At the entrance near Le Beau Salon, there’s a plan to paint both exterior walls, including an art display bolted to one side with a GO ART! grant. Batavia artist Brian Kemp said he would be happy to be involved in the project. Other murals are planned for inside the concourse, such as one particularly empty white wall next to the vacated Classic Optical shop.

Walking down the hall toward Everybody Eats, Tabelski noted that a new wellness business is preparing to open up — Renee Marie Aesthetics and Wellness has a place at Suite 47b that is to be opening this month. 

An expansive empty wall with small spotlights — still set up from the city’s centennial anniversary — is to serve as a rotating art gallery in the near future, she said. Another creative endeavor is to better define the city with a mascot all its own, just as other cities such as Buffalo have, she and Batavia Development Corp. Director Tammy Hathaway said.

Hathaway has applied for assistance with a program called Catch a Fire that donates professional services for illustration and design type tasks, and she and Tabelski want to tap into that artistic pool for a Knickerbocker man using the city’s iconic knicker pants.

“And why can't we have him eating at a restaurant or having coffee or, you know, just having him around everywhere in the city,” Tabelski said. “So that's kind of an emerging project we're working on, mainly Tammy and the artist.”

Hathaway added that Kemp took the Knickerbocker man out of the city seal and “zhuzhed him up a bit for the GLOW Corporate Cup T-shirt. So we want to use that more modernized version and give him a frame to life. So we're gonna try. We'll see what catches a fire.”

Artists David Burke and Bill Schutt contributed to a steel beam tree and a painted coy pond toward the Main Street end of the Centre, which has added another creative flair to the concourse, and a former entryway has been removed in lieu of adaptable space that may be sold for business use.

Centre vacancies filling up
Tabelski then pointed straight ahead to the block of formerly bustling mall sites of The Hiding Place, The Short Stop, Palace of Sweets and Gentleman Jim’s. Known on a map as properties 17 through 20, those are being purchased by Tyler Crawford, who also recently bought 11 and 11A. He already has interest from vendors, Tabelski said. 

Tabelski and Hathaway took The Batavian on a back alley tour of those properties, exposing an immense depth of space, a built-in loft, bathrooms, storage rooms — temporarily on loan to Batavia Players — and hallways with mini levels that connected all four properties. 

“There’s a pipe that says, duck. I didn't put it there,” Hathaway and Tabelski said in tandem of the loft at the top of a narrow row of steps. “So we found it super interesting with the mall that they built below the sub floor for this and then put, like a loft up here. It was just interesting,” Tabelski said.

A couple of left turns brings visitors to the former Short Stop, with a set of coolers and a sign still on the wall with treats of candy bars and chips for $1 and dips, 50 cents extra, at the candy store within the snack shop.

So for those that decry the Centre as being an empty shell, it appears to be filling up with property owners and prospective businesses. The former dance studio site has also been purchased, but Tabelski said she couldn’t talk details yet due to confidentiality.

As for the continuing line of proprietors looking to move into Batavia City Centre, the former Islands Hawaiian Grill has been purchased by a restaurateur for the bar lounge Euphoria. 

Goodbye to stage concerts, shopping at Penney's
The concourse stage and concrete furniture have been removed outside of the former Penney’s store, and the stage footprint will be filled in and smoothed out, Phelps said. The space will be easier to navigate and use for regular and special event use, Tabelski said. Work was done by city DPW staff, she said, and $800 was spent on a muffler adapter for the excavator to remove the structures.

“We're going to refill it with cement and bring it just below the tile level, so we can either replace it with tile or, in the future, skim coat it and then go over everything with a different surface, but this will make it more usable space,” Phelps said. “So we can rent it to trade shows. We can rent it to vendor shows. So instead of having to have people at weddings, instead of people dancing around the outside of the stage and all the seats, you'll be able to actually have, like a regular trade show, where you could walk up and down aisles. So just one level, there won't be any steps. And then if somebody wanted to bring in the stage, they can bring in a portable stage from somewhere.”

As for the Penney’s property, the lending bank is planning a mortgage foreclosure auction, she said. Not that there hasn’t been interest in the Penney’s site — there have been some 20 to 25 developers locally and from Rochester and Buffalo express interest — but no solid takers as they’re all waiting to see how the Centre turns out, and see the improvements, Tabelski said. 

“And just trying to think through how, because if you made it into apartments, you'd need to cut into it so you had exterior windows on both sides, so you'd almost cut a courtyard into it, and then you'd have to be able to have apartments, because right now the interior apartments wouldn't have windows, and you can't do that,” she said. “We had a couple of people who actually would have purchased it probably a year and a half, two years ago, but the listing price was very high, and the owner would not entertain it, so there's market, timing, things and stuff like that. So we'll see who gets it, and the lender may take it back, we don't know. We have some local people interested in looking at the auction, but the lender could take it back.”

Meanwhile, city officials have scheduled an open house to gather public input about what to do with the east-end parking lot adjacent to that property and the creekside property along the Tonawanda Creek behind the ice arena. That will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall. 

Working from the ground up
The surrounding tile floor is, she admits, ugly, and hopefully, a grant will allow for the more modern City Hall floor to be extended into the concourse. Ceiling tiles have been removed, the ceiling will be painted and other updates will be ticked off a step at a time, Tabelski said.

“We have a grant into Empire State Development for $500,000 to do flooring, to paint the ceiling black and encase all the pipes to make it a nice industrial look ceiling, and to start renovations on the bathroom. We also are looking at a zoning code update, which requires the interior parcels to use specific design standards and colors,” she said. “So we need to work with them on that, because right now you can see people paint whatever they'd like, and it's not cohesive. So it's something we want to work on.” 

Taking it to the street
Outside, to the north of City Centre, is a $15.5 million police station in progress. It will be in the parking lot of Alva Place and Bank Street and is both on schedule for summer or early fall of 2025 completion and on budget, Tabelski said. The project manager was not available to give permission for a full tour of the building’s interior, but a walk around showed trusses and the roof being put in place for the next phase of moving inside to continue work with some heat to keep warm.

The west end’s large garages will be closed off and heated to house the emergency AMRAP, a transport vehicle for the emergency response team, and evidence storage, except for one bay called the bike barn for property that doesn’t need to be heated, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said. 

The parking lot will have about 35 spaces, with a need for at least 25 for the department fleet, plus 10 to 15 more for employees coming and going, he said. The building is a “21,000 square-foot facility with all the modern amenities that you need, as well as secure parking,” Heubusch said. It has a front public entrance and a side entrance for juveniles; two handicap accessible ramps; and a front end, climate-controlled, 24-hour accessible vestibule for the public.

“It’s very exciting to watch this process take place after so many years of kind of being anxious and waiting and seeing different drawings and all these things that were pie-in-the-sky ideas,” Heubusch said. “So this is great. I mean, this is a huge boost for the community, a huge boost for the department and the men and women that work there who deserve a place to work that’s healthy and accommodating for the police.”

A group of about a dozen business owners that complained about a lack of handicap accessible parking have not lodged complaints since the city offered a compromise earlier this year, Tabelski said, and reconfigured its plan to better accommodate the patients of those businesses. 

"Complaints subsided when we opened the row of parking," she said. "With more parking to come at the completion of the project."

The Service of Remembrance, sponsored annually by H.E. Turner Funeral Homes, was held Wednesday evening at Northgate Free Methodist Church.

The service is an opportunity for area residents who mourn the loss of a loved one to experience solace and comfort.