At a Strength in Numbers suicide prevention workshop on Sunday at Batavia Downs, Sarah Fedus recalled her late daughter found -- her love of animals, her entrepreneurship, and her passion for cheerleading, modeling, and music.

"She had a zest for life, and she lit up the room when she walked in," said Fedus, a Batavia resident.

Fedus was one of the featured speakers at the event, which was organized by Dan Clor and Sara Betz, local residents who lead Strength in Numbers, a veterans outreach program.

Betz said that because both she and Dan have been touched by losing people close to them to suicide, they wanted to use the organization to help raise awareness about suicide prevention. 

"Strength In Numbers and American Warrior has built youth mentorship programs and veteran-related programs to keep not only our youth but military veterans in a healthy headspace day after day through an array of fitness and entrainment programs," Betz said. "Dan is a Marine veteran, is the catalyst and personal connection to such a movement. We, in turn, allow veterans to become coaches within these avenues to train our youth as a way to give back to re-spark one's sense of purpose. It is equally as important for Strength In Numbers to make an impact on our Youth as a whole for a brighter future through these same wellness avenues."

Fedus recalled that In 2019, her daughter was diagnosed with anxiety and started medication and counseling, but it wasn't enough. She started hurting herself, and then in February 2020, she tried to commit suicide.

Madeline Bartz was only 12 years old.

During an admissions interview at the hospital, Fedus learned something shocking: from the age of six until she was 10, her abuser was a close contact who wasn't much older than her.

"I want to share information about childhood trauma and abuse because it is not usually the creepy person down the street that is the abuser," Fedus said. "It’s usually someone you know. Someone you wouldn’t ever imagine. According to a 2003 National Institute of Justice report, three out of four adolescents who have been sexually assaulted were victimized by someone they knew well."

Madeline apparently wasn't believed by the first adult she told -- Fedus didn't say who that was -- and that left her doubly traumatized. 

As a result, Madeline was dealing with multiple mental health issues.

In her 14th year, Madeline took her own life.

As a result of what she went through with her daughter, Fedus started Madeline Bartz Mission, Inc., a non-profit with a mission of bringing support, compassion and resources to those affected by childhood trauma and the mental illnesses they cause.

At Sunday's event, Fedus was talking publicly for the first time about what she went through with her daughter.

"When Dan and Sara first reached out to me about being a part of this event and supporting the Strength in Numbers Organization and their cause, I had no hesitation in doing so, Fedus said.  "While I do not have firsthand experience with their organization, after looking into it and seeing the great work that they do with veterans and now youth, I knew it was important to bring this to light and support them, especially in our local area. 

Betz said Strength in Numbers is partnering with suicide awareness organizations to connect with the parents of kids who need healthy outlets and offer programs to assist them as a way to explore their individuality. 

"Strength In Numbers is also a proud partner of Action For A Better Community in Rochester, attending elementary schools and offering our services at their summer camps," Betz said. "We host public events, offer luxury suite programs at live sporting and entertainment events, network to local businesses selling our branded chocolate and coffee packaged by Oliver's Candies in Batavia, and much more."

Patrick Dadey also spoke about the suicide of his daughter, Makenna, who was only 13 and an 8th grader at Gates Chili Middle School, when she took her own life.

Dadey opened by playing a performance of Kenna, at age 11, singing and playing on guitar "Decline" by Miley Cyrus.

"Did you kind of see her mental illness? Most of the time, you cannot tell by looking at someone that they have a mental illness," Dadey said. "You can see a broken leg or a broken arm because that person has a cast. We need to start treating mental health like physical health and go and seek help."

Dadey said two days after Christmas in 2016, he found Kenna after a suicide attempt and had to perform CPR.  First responders were there in minutes.  She was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital and admitted to the Pediatric ICU.

Two weeks later, she died.

She was 13.

"There is not a worst failing as a parent than losing a child," Dadey said.

He founded Kenna's Fight, a non-profit that supports youth behavioral health programs.

He told the story of an event the organization founded that featured a speaker who is only one of 35 people who has survived, of 1,800, a jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.

A short time later, he got a call from a mother who said, "You saved my son's life."

A group of the boys' friends had been at the talk, and later that night, talking with their friend, they realized something wasn't right. Armed with information about intervention, the boys "took action," as Dadey put it.  The boy received the help he needed.

"At Kenna's benefit in 2019, he gave me $300 he raised from mowing lawns," Dadey said.

The Batavia Ramparts Squirt III and Peewee III travel hockey teams are having a drive-thru car wash today at J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, 2 Bogue Ave., Batavia, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help fundraise for the next upcoming hockey tournaments.  

They are accepting donations and also offering hot dogs and lemonade too.

CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets!

Entering the bottom of the eighth inning in their game against the Geneva Red Wings at Dwyer Stadium on Tuesday, the Batavia Muckdogs were in danger of dropping their second game in a row for the first time since mid-June when the team rallied for four runs and a 5-2 win.

With one out, Cam Carignan reached base on a walk. Rashad Robinson followed with a double, driving in Carignan to tie the game. An infield single by Josh Leadem put runners at first and third. Lucas Lopez singled to right, driving in Robinson to give Batavia the lead at 3-2.  Lopez stole second.

With two outs after Adam Agresti struck out, the Red Wings gave Giuseppe Acuri a free pass. 

Trey Bacon walked, scoring Leadem.  Cristian Bernadini singled to center, scoring Lopez.  Arcuri was thrown out at the plate trying to score, ending the inning.

Jacob Bruning, from Gasport, recorded the final three outs in his first appearance of the season to get the save. He struck out two batters.

Michael Pedraza (3-1)  got the final out on a strikeout in the top of the eighth, making him the winning pitcher.

Alexander's Ty Woods started and went five innings, giving up two unearned runs, three hits and striking out six Red Wings.

Lopez was named Player of the Game, going 3-4 with a run scored, RBI, and stolen base.  Robinson was 2-3 with a run scored, RBI, and a double.

Arcuri was 1-2 with two walks.

Nicholas Franceschi took the loss for Geneva, giving up four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Geneva's starter Drew Mun went evening innings and fanned seven giving up only one run.

Batavia remains atop the Western Division of the PGCBL at 20-9, 2.5 games ahead of Jamestown.

After a day off today, Batavia plays at home on Thursday against Elmira.  Game time is 5 p.m.

For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.

Singer Melzie Case, accompanying herself on piano, and drummer Bob Chaplin, performed a free concert at Richmond Memorial Library on Tuesday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Police are investigating the shooting of a woman on Holland Avenue in the City of Batavia just after midnight on Wednesday.

The woman was found with a gunshot wound by officers after dispatchers received a report of a disturbance at 12:07 a.m. involving 10 to 15 people on Holland Avenue. There was a report of callers hearing gunshots. 

When officers arrived, multiple people fled. 

The woman was transported to ECMC by ground ambulance.  Police said the status of her injuries are not known.

Batavia PD states it will not release further information at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Matt Lutey at 585-345-6311, the Batavia Police Department's confidential tip line at 585-345-6370.

I've enjoyed walking the streets of Batavia this summer. I am going to take you on one of my walks. This walk is like taking a trip back to when I was young. Everything is jumbled, but certain places take me back to that time. 

Walking down Liberty Street, I stopped and looked at a small new park. That was the place where my favorite bakery stood, Pellegrino's. I loved their jelly doughnuts, bread, and pizza. I loved the smell of garlic and onion from the open windows as I walked to Mass at St. Anthony's Church.

Walking by St. Anthony's Church makes my heart so sad. I can imagine hearing children playing outside for recess or walking quietly into church for Mass. I remember being at my Aunt Maggie Worth's wedding and her wedding reception at the Community Center.  I never imagined St. Anthony's would close; I know more churches will follow. Back in the day, when those church doors opened, hundreds of people would pour out of the doors, another sad chapter. 

Walking by Kibbe Park, I remember taking our daughters swimming in the wading pool. If we needed a part for our television set, there was a neighborhood store on Jackson Street we could walk to for a part for our TV set.  

Now I'm walking by the Pok-A- Dot, and that reminds me of all the times our dad took us there to give our poor mom a break from her six kids. 

Southside Deli, the former Riccobono's, is where we bought Italian cheese for Sunday sauce. Joe Rose's novelty store on Ellicott Street was where you could buy all those crazy gadgets we loved. Was that where my brothers bought caps and Chinese handcuffs? They even sold fake poop and fake vomit.  

You can't forget Angie's Restaurant, located near Joe Rose's. 

I'm now on Main Street, which fills me with sadness like all my baby boomer friends. No sense rehashing what we lost, but we shared great memories from Main Street in its heyday.  

I'm now walking by St. Joseph's Church and the school I attended as a child. Those memories are filled with nuns, jump roping, and playing basketball on the tarmac. We didn't have a gym then, so we made our fun.   

I was trying to look into Quartley's store window on Washington Ave the other day. I remembered all the mom-and-pop stores on almost every street corner. The store closest to you was your favorite. When I was young, my store was Red and White on Ross Street. We would take our recyclable glass pop bottles to the store to get our change for making purchases from the penny candy box. 

Growing up on Evergreen Drive, John Kennedy School was in our backyard. We watched it being built. I remember roller skating with our ball-bearing skates on the sidewalks, hoping I would not lose the skate key. 

Now walking has taken me to our New Pool behind MacArthur Park. It was a summer filled with swimming and friends. We couldn't wait for the doors to open, pay our 25 cents, and get our key for our locker. We wore the key on our ankles.   

Every park I would walk by had another special memory because in the summer, our days were spent at our park, and our park would be competing in the Park Parade in August. 

Walking down Richmond Avenue, I stopped and looked at the hill at State Street Park, what we called it back in our day. Going down that hill in our flexible red flyer wooden sled was so much fun on Saturday afternoons. 

It seems now that I'm in my  70s, those cherished memories just bring a smile and sometimes tears to my eyes. There is one word that describes how I am feeling:  nostalgic. It was a slower lifestyle, surrounded by family and friends and creating our memories. I hope you can also feel that contentment of the 60s I am reliving on my daily walks! 

Photos by Anne Marie Starowitz.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center and National Grid today announced that a 1.9-mile portion of a 115-kilovolt electric transmission line in Genesee County has been relocated to open more than 300 acres of land for future development at the Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park site.

The transmission line, which had previously cut across a portion of the 1,250-acre site, now runs adjacent to it. Future tenants will join Plug Power and Edwards at STAMP and have clean hydropower delivered to them from the Niagara Power Project in Lewiston, N.Y. Delivering hydropower to STAMP aligns with New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to obtain 70 percent of electricity statewide from renewable sources by 2030 on the path to a zero-emission grid.

More than $1 billion will be invested at STAMP by Plug Power and Edwards for projects that will create up to 680 new, family-sustaining jobs in the emerging green hydrogen and semiconductor sectors. Plug Power is constructing North America’s largest green hydrogen manufacturing facility with a $677 million investment that will produce 74 tons of green hydrogen a day. Edwards is investing approximately $319 million to build a semiconductor dry pump manufacturing facility that the company has dubbed as its factory of the future.

“Between Edwards and Plug Power, and recent infrastructure upgrades thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul and New York State, STAMP has generated $1 billion of capital investment and National Grid has played a vital role in helping us attract projects that will benefit Genesee County and surrounding communities, including the Buffalo and Rochester regions, for generations to come,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde. 

“The hydropower provided by the New York Power Authority and the infrastructure built by National Grid are energizing companies of the future right here at STAMP, giving us a competitive advantage as we compete globally for companies in these emerging business sectors.”

“The electric infrastructure and equipment needed to serve STAMP customers are state-of-the-art and will provide the necessary capacity to deliver renewable hydropower to Plug Power and Edwards, as well as future STAMP tenants,” said National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa. He added that the transmission circuit at STAMP is paired with an additional 115 KV transmission line that will be connected to a 600-megawatt substation that is currently under construction. 

“We have a responsibility to provide affordable, reliable power to our customers and the GCEDC and Genesee County community are building something special at STAMP.” In addition to working with GCEDC on the transmission line relocation, National Grid’s commitment to STAMP has included funding from its robust suite of economic development programs, which have been used to support the site’s marketing efforts.

Since 2003, National Grid’s 18 economic development programs have provided more than $145 million in assistance, helping to create or retain more than 65,000 jobs and supporting almost $10.5 billion in private and public investment across upstate New York. More information about National Grid’s economic development programs is available at www.shovelready.com.

Social media has been a great way for Le Roy Central Schools to reach out to the whole community about what is going on at district schools, Superintendent Merritt Holly says, but there does need to be clearer communication with parents about what information is going out on social media compared to what is being sent home in newsletters and email.

Different messages are better suited to different media, Holly said during Monday's Board of Education meeting, updating the board on recent social media survey results.

"We will do a better job of getting out -- where do parents go (to get information)?" Holly said. "Principals are still communicating through newsletters, weekly reports, things like that. Social media is not necessarily what most parents want it to be. It's not the forum they want to look for (that information), and what we want to do (on social media) is capture the moments and events that are going on."

Le Roy's robust social media effort owes a lot to former Le Roy High School Principal Tim McCardle, who is an avid and talented photographer and made good use of social media platforms.  When he left, the district wanted to continue a strong social media effort, and BOCES helped out by providing a part-time social media content producer, Alecia Kaus. Kaus, a Batavia resident, is a veteran videographer in the region.

When Kaus started contributing to the social media program a year ago, the district went from one major social media presence for the high school to a combined social media presence for both the high school and Wolcott Street School.

Some people like everything on one page, and some people don't.

That seemed to be the theme of the response to the survey -- people divided into two camps about what they like.

"We got both sides, which is right where we want to be," Holly said.

Holly said the survey results show respondents are split on whether social media stories are too long or just right.  They also want more coverage of some things -- say modified or JV sports -- that the district just doesn't have the resources to cover (every publisher's dilemma).  

After the meeting, Holly said he likes the ability of Kaus to either capture the moment or use her visual storytelling skills to give viewers a fuller picture of campus life.

"She brings the story part of that to that component to it where, again, we've had feedback that some people don't like the length of them and other people that do -- but I think that you can find something either in the moment with a capture and picture or you can find it a true in-depth story about what's going on in our schools."

Whereas newsletters and reports deliver important information to parents about policies and programs that directly impact students, social media gives the district opportunity to shine a light on what teachers and students are actually doing on a daily basis, and that's good not just for students and parents, but also alumni and the rest of the community, Holly said.

"For our greater community, what better way to find out what's going on in school than to see a tweet, to get on Facebook to see an event either if it's athletics, if it's music, if it's just in the classroom, showing a moment,” he said. “I think it's so important for us to show what's going on. If not, people are going to draw their own conclusions on what's going on. What better way is there to share our experiences and what we're doing? They're authentic, they're real. And to be able to show that through social media is a great way to go."

The Le Roy Central School District Board of Education held its first meeting of the 2023-24 academic year, and part of its agenda was "reorganization" -- when board members and senior staff take an oath of office and board and committee assignments are approved.

Jacalyn Whiting, a board member since 2011, was elected to a new term this year, and the board unanimously also approved her for another year as board chair. 

Denise Duthe returned to the board after winning a seat on the board in May's election.  She stepped down from the board at the end of the 2021-22 academic year.

Returning board members are Christine Dowell, Rachael Greene, Jason Karcher, Peter Lofus, and William MacKenzie.

Merritt Holly is superintendent, Lori Wrobel is clerk, and Teresa MCmullen is treasurer.

For a 40-minute meeting, City Council got the ball rolling for some major spending Monday, including a minimum of $2.5 million for an ice chiller at the McCarthy ice arena, a $650,000 capital project for several city streets, pursuit of a $500,000 grant to outfit Austin Park with an inclusive playground and a $1.73 million water meter replacement effort.

Council also agreed to submit an application for a $1,235,000 grant of matching funds to upgrade the ice rink chiller system as part of a state Climate Smart Communities Grant Program and transfer $12,500 of video lottery terminal money (Batavia Downs Gaming revenue) for use by LaBella Associates for grant-writing services.

The ice chiller has been an issue since at least last year when council approved emergency spending for a refrigerant to keep the equipment operational. During a City Council meeting in June, members of the ice arena world, including a Batavia Ramparts coach, Friends of the Rink, and rink operator Matt Gray detailed the many activities that have reinvigorated the Evans Street facility.

Gray also outlined the difficulties of continuing an ice rink with a piece of equipment that was failing, costly and time-consuming to maintain. No one on council argued that the rink has vastly improved this past year, and all agreed they wanted to see it continue as a city recreational resource.

Council’s hope is to obtain a matching grant for bond financing to purchase the new ice chiller; otherwise, the total cost, with interest over time, will cost about $4 million, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said.

Council’s approval to pursue an environmental protection fund grant of up to $500,000 would be part of an Austin Park Master Plan renovation. The money would go toward new, inclusive playground equipment and upgrades to the current pavilion at the park that’s adjacent to the city police station parking lot. 

Work began shortly before council officially approved the $650,000 capital project for four streets on the city’s north side. Traffic cones, dust, and those grooved, wavy lines in the pavement were evident from grading work Monday afternoon on Hart Street, between Bank and State streets.

The work, paid for with state Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program funds, is targeted for Fairmont, Madison and Norris avenues and Hart Street.  

Council will also be pursuing two more grants: one to offset the cost of replacing customer water meters and a $500,000 New York Main Street grant for building and streetscape improvements.

The city will be replacing water meters for the remaining two-thirds of customers that have not yet gotten new meters as part of a climate change mitigation effort.

The local match for the project is $434,000, to be paid for through Water Fund Reserves, out of a total expense of $1.73 million, Tabelski said. Council is to apply for a grant from the state Environmental Facilities Corp., which has up to $15 million available through its Green Innovation Grant Program.

Pembroke needs a new highway garage, and, to pay for it, the town may require a referendum.

Town Supervisor Thomas Schneider said a replacement highway garage could cost as much as $5 million.

The existing highway garage serves as a storage and maintenance shop. The garage also secures trucks and other equipment that salt the roads during severe winter weather.

“Our trucks are a lot bigger than they used to be,” Schneider said. “It [the garage] has a flat roof, which does not make sense in this climate. Rather than spend money and do a complete refurbishment, not knowing what you will get into, it seems more reasonable to look at replacing it.”

The project is in its early planning stages and could potentially begin next year. Town officials might finance the garage through a bond resolution before it goes to bid.

“But it might be subject to a 30-day permissive referendum,” Schneider said. “That would happen if someone disagreed with the town board. Say, for example, we did vote to approve a bond resolution, but if a resident or someone else disagreed with us, they would have 30 days to circulate a petition to ask for a vote on it.”

Per New York law, a town board’s resolutions are subject to a referendum on petition. Voters may petition for acts or resolutions to appear on a ballot so that they may decide any given matter through an election.

“We are trying to do this within the confines of our existing budget, depending upon if we were to finance it and depending upon the length of the financing that would determine whether or not we would have to increase taxes,” Schneider said.

Town Board members met to discuss the matter of a replacement garage at a June 22 workshop, but those conversations didn’t go far, Schneider said.

As for what's next, Schneider said the town has yet to schedule any hearings.

"The matter is with our bond counsel right now," Schneider said

"He's working up the needed paperwork."

Also on the June 22 agenda was a community center kitchen.

Schneider said the town rents one part of the community center to the Village of Corfu for their offices. The rent agreement is up for renewal.

“We are in discussion with them about an increase in the rent because they have not had an increase in, I believe, 10 years,” Schneider said.

“The rent is currently about $11,000 a year. No one has decided what a new proposed rent would be, but, more than likely, there will be an increase.”

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today announced the seventh segment of her monthly webinar series that will focus on how her office can assist veterans with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

This webinar is open to all constituents and aims to provide assistance with a wide range of veteran- related matters. It will cover key topics such as how to replace lost or damaged medals, solve VA medical issues, and other veteran-related casework issues.

Those interested in attending this webinar should RSVP by emailing NY24.RSVP@mail.house.gov. Participants who register in advance will receive a link to the Zoom meeting on the morning of the event.

When: Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at 12:00 pm

Where: Webinar will be held via Zoom

RSVP: NY24.RSVP@mail.house.gov

This webinar is being hosted as part of Tenney’s monthly webinar series, in which the Congresswoman connects residents of New York’s 24th Congressional District to resources and support at the federal level. This is the seventh webinar Tenney’s office has hosted this year. Recordings of past webinars can be found on Tenney’s website here.

After a tour of the new Genesee County Jail, under construction off of West Main Street Road in Batavia, County Legislature Chairwoman Shelley Stein said she likes what she sees so far in the new jail.

"It's incredible how all of the trades have worked so well together,' Stein said. "Pike, our construction management group, said we were going to be really happy with them. We are really happy with them. They have kept this project tight on budget. We have hardly tapped our contingency fund, not even one percent yet. So we're just amazed at the progress that we see."

The $70 million, 184-bed facility will be able to house both male and female inmates, provide space for mental health services, space for arraignments, along with the usual accommodations of a jail -- a place for inmates to exercise, take in recreational activities, eat, and meet with visitors.

The modern facility will also mean increased safety for county staff working at the jail.

Everything Stein saw on Monday, she said, aligns with her expectations, which developed with elected leaders visited other new jails in other counties to see what they had done.

"Visiting the jails that we visited, this lines up with exactly what we said that we wanted from what we saw," Stein said. "We have to make sure that our staff that interacts with our inmates remain healthy, well cared for and respected along with those inmates that we are tasked with housing at the same time. So this is all about human respect and dignity."

Stein spoke with The Batavian after a brief signing ceremony -- Stein, Sheriff Bill Sheron, Jail Superintendent Bill Zipfel, along with other county officials and construction company heads, signed a steel beam that will be the final steel beam installed in the new jail.

"I know that it is being built right," Stein said. "It's being built one time, and it'll be here for a long time. Public safety is something that we all prize, and this will be a key cornerstone of the community's public safety for a long time. I hope for a good century"

It's been a rarity these days, but the Batavia Muckdogs lost a game to a division rival on Monday, falling 4-3 to the Jamestown Tarp Skunks in extra innings.

Reliever Trey Bacon took the loss after coming on with one out in the 10th, getting a strikeout before giving up a single to  Drew Garth, who would eventually come around to score an unearned run.

Giuseppe Arcuri stayed hot, going 2-3 with a run scored, a double, and a walk.  Caleb Rodriguez went 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

The Muckdogs are 19-9 with a two-game lead over Jamestown (15-9) in the West.

At 6:35 tonight (Tuesday), the Muckdogs take on Geneva to start a run of five consecutive home games, which includes games on Thursday, on July 13, July 14 (non-league game), July 15, and July 16.

In other Muckdogs news, Batavia's 2021 starting shortstop Charlie Szykown was taken in the ninth round of the MLB draft by the San Francisco Giants.

We're also offering 50¢ six pack of flowers, 50¢ veggies in six packs and 3" pots! Strawberries and Citronella mosquito plants are BOGO too! Stop into Pudgie's Lawn and Garden today!

If you happen to be out and about for a nosh next weekend, you may also want to check out the Nash that will be in town.

Nash Car Club of America that is. Some 100 cars circa 1918 to 1957 are expected to roll into Batavia on July 18 and stay through the week, with a car show on July 22 at Quality Inn and Suites, 8250 Park Road, Batavia.

As much as Genesee County’s Chamber of Commerce boasts good food and restaurants on its website, so too does the agency promote car clubs that apparently enjoy visiting this area, from early Ford V-8 Club and ’66 Chevrolet Impala to a WNY motorcycle rally and NYS Motor Truck Association.

The Nash Car Club first traveled this way in 2009 and made its last stop in 2013. Led by organizer Ken Day, the group is heading here again with approximately 200 people driving in from various points throughout the region and from out of state, hosted by Nash Car Clubs of the Niagara Frontier, Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Penn regions, Kelly Rapone, the chamber’s tourism director, said

“The Chamber will be providing an area visitor guide, dining guide and suggested area attractions to visit,” she said. “We will also be right next door and open for their guests for recommendations.”

Day has been involved in the organization for 23 years and has served as club president for the past nine of those, he said. He became involved after he found his first Nash — a 1937 Ambassador 6.

“I had no idea about Nashes, but it was a pretty cool car. I joined the club for parts and information sources,” he said. “I then started meeting people who were in the club. One fellow in particular, John Palese from Naples, became a very dear friend and invited us to local events and eventually to the national event. 

“I have met so many people who have become a very important part of my life, friends who I only get to see maybe once a year but are closer to me than people I have known a lifetime. It’s crazy what a common interest will do to draw people together,” he said. “My wife Derah and I became officers in the Club to help promote the Club and for the sheer enjoyment of being involved.

This is the 52nd annual gathering, and because the 1954 Nash and Hudson merged to become American Motors, organizers also invited the Hudson and MAC clubs to join in for the event, Day said. 

“Anyone with a car, not a member, is also welcome; the more, the merrier. It is a free event to the public and we welcome all spectators. There will be parts vending as well,” he said. “During the week, we will be traveling through Western New York and enjoying various sights and sounds. We are expecting upwards of 100 vehicles, but as is with any car show, weather plays a huge factor.”

So why might one want to visit the event in Batavia on July 22?
“People will want to visit because these are not your everyday car show vehicles. In fact, I would be surprised if any show up at local events, certainly not in the variety we will showcase. Our members are very willing to talk about their vehicles and the history involved. The story of Charles Nash (Nash Motors founder) is truly an American rags to riches success story,” Day said. “In years past we have had members offer rides around the parking lot to people who were interested. I cannot promise that for this event, but it could happen.”

For more information about the club, go to Nash Car Club.

A proposed $45 million city school district capital project would make way for the fifth grade to move back to John Kennedy, for student-athletes to run bases on a synthetic field at the high school and for buildings to be upgraded and equipped with emergency blue light phones, Superintendent Jason Smith says.

The project is not about expansion, rather, it’s about ensuring that the facilities are maintained or improved for all five district buildings plus Richmond Memorial Library, Smith said Monday afternoon before reviewing the plan during the board of education’s meeting.

“We want to take care of our facilities and our property, I think we all want that for our families and students. More than one community member has come up to me and said, ‘You know, we like to see our money is being spent wisely. We want to see our dollars being put to good use.’ I've heard that many times, not just from families or not just from parents, but from community members,” Smith said.  “We’re seeking to enhance what we already have and make the necessary improvements to the roofs, to the upgrades, to the IT. We're not seeking to expand, we're seeking to take care of what we currently have. And we're also with, with the reconfiguration, we're really trying to emphasize the importance of early childhood education.”

The district performs a building conditions survey every five to seven years, and the architect Clark Patterson Lee recommended a detailed scope of work that was prioritized from one to three, Smith said, with mostly ones and twos being chosen for the project. Much of the work is being done to shore up 20-year-old infrastructure, such as the high school’s boiler system, roof, and the gym at Robert Morris.

Nothing is on the list to be expanded, such as extra classrooms or other such student space, which makes sense according to enrollment projections. By the district's calculations, total enrollment topped out at 2,383 in 2013, and fluctuated until it peaked for the last time in 2020 at 2,190, declining to 1,978 in 2023. Estimated total enrollment will be 1,933 in 2024, 1,902 in 2025, 1,880 in 2026 and 1,858 by 2027.

As for Robert Morris, which had some tweaks last year to ready it for a reopening in the fall, “We keep addressing the needs,” Business Administrator Scott Rozanski said. 

“Since it’s been vacant for 10 years,” he said of the former elementary school site at Union Street and Richmond Avenue.

Work there would include meeting and evaluation room renovations, dedicated teacher lunch and work rooms with unisex restrooms, gym renovations, masonry repairs, fire alarm replacements and playground improvements.

There's "significant grant funding" earmarked for early childhood education, and school officials are trying to best use those resources and focus on those early learning years. While that focuses much attention on Robert Morris, officials also reviewed the grade separations at John Kennedy and the middle school, Smith said. "We knew parents were upset" when fifth-graders were moved over to BMS, he said, so "we also want to return the fifth grade to John Kennedy."

All of the schools have many of the same upgrades, including PA/clock and fire alarm replacements, phone system replacement, blue light notification system, information technology infrastructure improvements and pavement replacement for Jackson, John Kennedy, and the middle and high schools.

Jackson is also in line for building-mounted lighting and the replacement of a failing retaining wall on the east side between the school and its neighbors. John Kennedy would also get a new roof, an upgraded gym divider curtain and regraded softball field and other amenities.

Batavia Middle School “is getting the most renovations to the interior space,” Smith said, “where it’s needed.”

“The whole school really needs a lot of work; it’s a historic, beautiful building, and we're trying to home in on that to give it the attention it needs,” he said. “I think that foundation repairs is an example of that.”

A gender-neutral restroom, staff restroom, foundation repairs around the entire building, and a glass safety railing for the auditorium balcony are some of those repairs and upgrades. The conditions survey prompted the glass railing because people sitting in the balcony could also be a potential safety concern, he and Rozanski admitted. 

“It’s the best seat in the house, in my opinion, but we want to make sure that it's well protected and safe for our students,” Smith said.

The middle school softball field will also receive some improvements and a backstop replacement.

Batavia High School is on tap for a new roof, and for anyone paying attention, in December 2021, the school did receive some patchwork after a mini twister blew off a portion of it. However, a large portion of the roof needs replacing, Rozanski said, and that’s what is scheduled in this capital project. 

Current students ought to like this next part: two synthetic turf fields planned for the high school, a baseball and softball field each, for about $7 million of the total cost. A proposed turf field at Van Detta Stadium upset a fair number of people — prospective tax-paying voters — so The Batavian asked Smith why turf for the high school. 

The fields behind the State Street site have been prone to excess water and drainage issues for years, he said, since the school was built on a swamp. “We have received complaints from families,” he said and had to move several games to Genesee Community College as a result. 

Synthetic turf raises the playing field, alleviates pooling water, and provides “a better quality playing field for the kids,” he said. Installing this type of material would permanently fix the swamping issue, he said. 

“Most of us don’t see it as a luxury anymore,” he said. 

While yes, the work is warranted and will maintain all of the facilities, the more important selling point is the cost to taxpayers, he said. 

“Most of that is from state aid, the rest from our reserves,” he said. “So there'll be no additional taxes as a result of this project.”

A note about gender-neutral bathrooms, which are slated to be installed or to replace bathrooms at the middle and high schools.

Gender-neutral bathrooms are something found in older grades, and not at John Kennedy and Jackson, Smith said. They are part of board policy and Title IX regulations. Under Title IX, discrimination based on a person’s gender identity, a person’s transgender status, or a person’s nonconformity to sex stereotypes constitutes discrimination based on sex. As such, prohibiting a student from accessing the restrooms that match [their] gender identity is prohibited from sex discrimination under Title IX. There is a public interest, by federal policy, in ensuring that all students, including transgender students, have the opportunity to learn in an environment free of sex discrimination.

The board is expected to vote on the capital project in October, with a public vote to be in December to ensure enough time to go out for bid in 2024 and schedule work to begin 2024-25. The project completion is estimated for the end of 2027.