The City of Batavia is interested in applying for the Municipal Parks and Recreation (MPR) Grant Program, through the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
The MPR Grant will assist communities build new municipal parks in the state while also working to improve the natural, ecological, cultural, and recreational aspects of existing parks in municipal ownership.
Selection criteria for this grant encourage the participation of parks that show community need through the Disadvantaged Community (DAC) category. In the City of Batavia, this impacts the 5th and 6th wards and Williams Park in particular.
In order to achieve construction plans and a grant application that is fully representative of the community’s need, the city is encouraging residents to complete the Batavia Park Improvement Survey. This highlights the overall community use of park resources, desired improvements, and other possible resources that could be built on municipal land with Williams Park as a specific focal point.
A link to the city’s survey can be found here, all feedback is greatly appreciated.
“Community parks are a key facet of developing a community that people will want to work, live and play in. The City continues to work on enhancing our municipal parks and this grant will allow us to make needed upgrades at Williams Park. This grant coupled with our proposed Universal Playground at Austin Park will be a great step towards improving our park system. We appreciate the feedback from community members and hope you take the time to participate in the survey.” Said Erik Fix, Assistant City Manager.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each day, the Justice for Children Advocacy Center welcomes children and families who have endured the trauma of sexual and/or physical abuse, providing them with critical services and working to minimize the hurt for each child and family. However, we cannot do this work alone and look to you to help us spread awareness to encourage prevention.
The pinwheel is a national symbol of a happy and carefree childhood. They are whimsical and fun just like a childhood should be! The Justice for Children Advocacy Center is planting a pinwheel garden on behalf of all the children and families in our community! These pinwheels are a visual reminder of the number of children and families we have served at our center in the past year.
This community event is a great way to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month and remind everyone that we all can help make great childhoods happen.
You can get involved during Child Abuse Prevention Month and learn about the ways the Justice for Children Advocacy Center is helping families and children in our community through prevention education and free services that help children heal and thrive. Contact us to learn how you can get involved--plant your own pinwheel garden, attend other Advocacy Center events/activities, and wear blue to show your support on April 9.
The Justice for Children Advocacy Center continues to be dedicated to ending child abuse through prevention, intervention, and education. The center offers a safe environment and a child-friendly process for abused children and their families, supported by a committed multidisciplinary team specializing in the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse victims.
For more information, contact Trisha Reynolds at the Justice for Children Advocacy Center at 585-344-8576 or “like” us on Facebook.
The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) hosted its 21st annual ProStart Invitational at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park on March 7-8. This prestigious event provides students the opportunity to showcase the skills they've honed throughout their training and compete for a spot at the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore.
The NYSRA ProStart Invitational is composed of three distinct competitions – team management, team culinary, and individual burger battle. Each event showcases the most important skills needed on both sides of the restaurant and food service industry.
The first-place winners for team culinary are students from Orleans Career & Technical Education Center in Medina, New York and students from Southwest Tech in Bennington, Vermont. The first-place winners for team management and hospitality are students from Rockland BOCES in West Nyack, New York and students from Southwest Tech in Bennington, Vermont. These four winning teams now have the chance to represent New York State and Vermont at the National ProStart Invitational, taking place May 2-4 in Baltimore, Maryland.
ProStart is a two-year, industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. ProStart students learn how to be an industry professional through hands-on work under the direction of a mentor. Students also learn the importance of arriving on time prepared for work, teamwork, and accountability.
“We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our ProStart students this year. This event is something we look forward to hosting annually, giving students the opportunity to showcase the skills they've developed throughout the year, while having fun in some friendly competition. ProStart is a remarkable program that equips students with valuable industry skills, providing them with hands-on learning experiences. These students are the future of the restaurant industry. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants, and we wish you the best of luck for the rest of the school year,” said Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association.
“I appreciate how much real-world experience ProStart incorporates in the curriculum, and I know first-hand how important that is for the future of the hospitality industry. One of my favorite ways to engage the students is our food truck challenge. Every group gets to create a restaurant concept, create a menu and cost out that menu. By doing this project we cover many important topics in the ProStart curriculum. I am very grateful for the opportunity to teach ProStart. Like I said, being a student of ProStart I know the value in it. It’s really lifelong learning,” said Amanda Repko, CIA Grad, former ProStart Student, current ProStart educator and coach to multiple NY Invitational teams.
See below for the full list of competitors and winners:
New York:
Culinary winners
1st Place: Orleans Career & Technical Education Center (Medina, NY)
2nd Place: Questar III Donald R. Kline Technical School TEAM 2 (Hudson NY)
3rd Place: Genesee Valley BOCES (Batavia NY)
Management winners
1st Place: Rockland BOCES (West Nyack)
2nd Place: Questar III Donald R. Kline Technical School (Hudson NY)
Vermont:
Culinary winners
1st Place Culinary: Southwest Tech (Bennington, VT)
2nd Place C: River Bend Career & Technical Education Center TEAM 2 (Bradford, VT)
3rd Place C: River Bend Career & Technical Education Center TEAM 1 (Bradford, VT)
Management winners
1st Place: Southwest Tech (Bennington, VT)
2nd Place: River Bend Career & Technical Education Center (Bradford, VT)
Genesee Community College is honored to announce that Kate Welshofer, an award-winning writer, speaker, content creator, and owner of Welshofer Creative LLC, will deliver the keynote address at GCC's 57th Commencement Ceremony. The event will take place on Saturday, May 17, at 1 p.m. at the Richard C. Call Arena on GCC's Batavia Campus.
Welshofer, a former television news anchor, reporter and producer, made the bold decision in December 2023 to leave her 27-year career in broadcast journalism to pursue a more fulfilling and creative path. Today, she works as a communications strategist with The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, while continuing to inspire audiences through her writing, storytelling, and artistic endeavors.
A Western New York native, Welshofer writes a weekly column for The Perry Herald in Perry, and contributes a monthly column to the online edition of Buffalo Spree magazine. Her work, including audio recordings of her columns, is also featured on the online writers' platform Substack.
In 2023, Welshofer launched the Secret Monster Project, a daily creative practice and Instagram account featuring lovable, hand-drawn doodles that grew into a full-fledged brand. The project has expanded to include merchandise, art installations, and most recently, her debut book, You Monster! (That's a Compliment), released in December 2024. With humor at the heart of her storytelling, Welshofer is passionate about using creativity to encourage, inspire and heal. She is currently working on her next book.
"We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Welshofer as this year's commencement speaker," said Dr. Craig Lamb, president of Genesee Community College. "Her journey is a testament to the power of embracing change, following one's passion, and using creativity as a force for connection and growth. We are excited for our graduates to hear her inspiring message as they embark on their own paths."
For more information, contact Vice President of Development, Admissions and External Affairs, Justin Johnston, at (585) 345-6809 or via email at jmjohnston@genesee.edu.
Now is an excellent time to consider consigning to Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service's annual Spring Consignment Auction. Bontrager Auction has been a trusted name since 1935, employing the latest technology to maximize your profits. Our online auction attracts hundreds of bidders from across the United States and Canada, and our goal is to help you achieve the best possible results for your items.
The 2025 Spring Consignment Auction will take place online at bontragerauction.com from April 30th through May 7th. A live preview will take place at our auction center located at 8975 Wortendyke Road, Batavia, NY on Saturday, May 3rd from 8 to 11 a.m. Pick-up dates will be May 8th - 10th.
We are looking for quality merchandise in good working order, including vehicles, machinery, equipment, farm implements, tools, RVs and campers, ATVs, as well as lawn and garden equipment. If you're interested in consigning your items to this auction or finding out more about our consignment process, please contact our office at 585-343-4529 or email bontrager@bontragerauction.com. The online auction is located at bontragerauction.com.
2024 File Photo of the Easter Egg Hunt at First Presbyterian Church in Batavia. Face painting is to return again this year, along with games, treats, lots of eggs for the hunt, refreshments, the Easter bunny, and music from Bart Dentino. Photo by Howard Owens
A fun spring event that began during the pandemic has been going strong every year since, and organizers invite children of all ages and their families to this year’s Easter Egg Hunt once again.
Free and open to all, it is set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.
“We are joining with St. James Episcopal to put this together. This event started during COVID for us in an effort to help children get out in the community and experience something joyful,” the Rev. Roula Alkhouri said. “Now it has become a way to help the families in our community to experience a fun event around a special holiday for us. We invite children to bring their baskets to celebrate the joy of Easter with a noncompetitive egg hunt for children of all ages.”
There is to be:
A bountiful Easter egg hunt with a prize for each child of a goodie bag filled with candy and other treats, plus
Some time to spend with the Easter bunny and have a photo taken;
Fun games and activities for the family, such as face painting and coloring eggs;
Delicious refreshments and treats; and
Live entertainment by musician Bart Dentino
For more information, call 585-343-0505 or email fpcbatavia@fpcbatavia.org.
Loren Penman of Batavia, a co-founder of the Autism Nature Trail, with Temple Grandin, a professor at Colorado State University who gave recommendations for the trail, seeing it for the first time recently at Letchworth State Park. Submitted Photo
Loren Penman says she’s had a full-time, unpaid job for the last 10 years, yet it has no doubt been worth every minute of labor.
A catalyst for the Autism Nature Trail (lovingly referred to as ANT) at Letchworth State Park and Genesee Commission representative on the New York State Council of Parks, Penman of Batavia was one of the first organizers who reached out in 2014 to Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and world-renowned autism advocate.
The trail has not ever been part of the state budget, which created a hurdle from the start.
“She said you have to raise the money yourself,” Penman said. “We had to raise $2 million in cash first. We’ve raised $4 million to date.”
The money has come from individual donations and small grants from companies, she said. Penman is proud that ANT has not taken “a penny” from taxpayers or any government entity, she said.
After a series of phone calls, emails, planning, designing, fundraising (lots of fundraising), building, staffing, and endowing over the next seven years, the ANT became a reality, and Grandin, who couldn’t make the ribbon cutting during the pandemic, promised that she’d visit in 2025. A few days ago, she kept her promise. The professor visited Letchworth and gave a talk at SUNY Geneseo.
Penman, a retired long-time administrator and teacher at Batavia City Schools, credits Grandin’s role for the success of the trail. Many school groups have visited since it opened in October 2021, she said.
It was during Penman’s stint as middle school principal that she could especially appreciate the layer of difficulty that an autism spectrum disorder would have added to middle school angst.
“Middle school is a horrible time for kids. Imagine having autism on top of that,” she said.
That was something that registered with her in the 1990s, she said, so when an opportunity arose to bring a sense of peace to folks, she and the late Susan Herrnstein of Silver Lake pursued it with gusto.
They described to Grandin the idyllic setting of Letchworth — the flowing water of Genesee River, an abundance of pine forests — and how the majestic scene of Mother Nature amplified calming effects for many visitors, especially for those with autism.
Grandin carved out parameters for what the trail should be or have:
A site deep in nature, away from a city.
Designed with a pre-walk station to orient visitors and ease them into the forest.
A loop so that the end is visible from the beginning.
Something to let visitors know they are always on the trail.
Inclusive of challenges to those new to the forest but with choices to opt out.
Built with safe places for recovery in the case of meltdowns.
Equipped with staff with autism expertise and a passion for nature.
Objects for gentle movement.
Collections of items from nature to touch, handle, inspect, and/or smell.
Access to a guidebook with photos.
In response, organizers followed her recommendations, including to resist funding offers to build a trail in Rochester, opting to remain with Letchworth park; created 38 trail markers and a consistent stone use trail surface; developed Alone Zones at key places along the trail; partnered with Camp Puzzle Peace for its nature-loving staff and experience with autism.
There are also cuddle cocoons, wooden gliders, a sensory station with moss, bark, pine cones, nuts, grasses, animal bones, rocks and feathers; ANT-specific guides to facilitate body movement and communication skills; and a video drone tour of the trail on ANT’s website.
Grandin is more than an expert on the spectrum, as she deals with it personally in her everyday life. An esteemed educator, advisor to the animal science industry, and author of several books, she serves as “an inspiration for parents wondering ‘what’s going to happen to my kid?’” Penman said.
Temple Grandin, visiting with Loren Penman and Gail Serventi, aka the "ANT aunts," talk about the Autism Nature Trail during a recent get-together. Submitted Photo
Lisa M. Fox, 53, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Fox was arrested by a Batavia patrol officer on March 14 following a traffic stop on Clinton Street. She was allegedly found in possession of narcotics. She was arraigned and jailed.
Nicholas H. Heide, 28, of Port Jefferson, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. He was arrested March 15, accused of slashing a vehicle tire in the parking lot of Copperhead Creek. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Michael A. Fanizza, 31, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. He was arrested on March 14 and accused of slamming another person to the ground during a fight on Jefferson Avenue. He was arraigned in City Court and released.
Bruce Warren, 62, of Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to verify. He was arrested on March 17 and is accused of failing to verify his information, as required every 90 days as a registered sex offender. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Donyel E. Walker, 26, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd and criminal contempt 2nd. Walker was arrested on March 14, accused of entering a residence in violation of a stay-way order of protection. He was arraigned and released.
Shane Anthony Porter, 54, of Roosevelt Highway, Hamlin, is charged with menacing 2nd. Porter was arrested following a report of an incident on Lake Street Road, Le Roy, at 7:44 p.m., March 22. A narrative of the events was not released. Porter was held or arraignment.
Tyler James Bull, 22, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Bull was arrested on March 25 at the Genesee County Jail in connection with an incident reported at 6:39 p.m. on Feb. 23. Bull allegedly violated an order of protection by making a phone call to the protected party. He was transported to the Town of Batavia Court and arraigned.
Megan June Courtney, 29, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Courtney was arrested on March 28. He is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection at 9:54 a.m. on March 26 at a location on West Main Street Road, Batavia.
Garrett Michael Pyc, 33, of South Lake Road, Pembroke, is charged with issuing a bad check. Pyc was arrested on March 28. Pyc is accused of issuing a bad check at 6:51 p.m. on Jan. 8 at a location on South Lake Road, Pembroke.
Dylan Jay Carli, 18, of Route 20, Pavilion, is charged with criminal mischief 4th and harassment 2nd. Carli was arrested on March 28 after deputies responded to a location on Linwood Road, Pavilion, to investigate a harassment complaint. He is accused of damaging property and harassing another person. He was held pending arraignment.
Daniel Francis Bower, 70, of Antlers Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving while using a mobile phone, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, and moving from lane unsafely. At 4:13 p.m. on March 30, Bower was allegedly involved in an accident on North Byron Road, Elba. The accident was investigated by Deputy Zachary Hoy. Bower was issued an appearance ticket.
Lee Carl Zimmerman, 54, of South Lake Avenue, Bergen, is charged with DWI, moving lane unsafely, and inadequate plate lamps. Zimmerman was stopped at 10:02 p.m. on March 31 on South Lake Avenue, Bergen, by Deputy Zachary Hoy. He was held pending arraignment.
Tanisha A. Nealy, 36, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant on March 16. Nealy was initially arrested on July 31 and charged with menacing 2nd and criminal possession of a weapon 3rd. She allegedly threatened another person with a knife. She was arraigned and released.
Christian Pierre-Louis, 27, of Batavia, was charged with DWI. Pierre-Louis was stopped on March 15 by a Batavia patrol officer on South Main Street. He was issued traffic tickets and released.
Kyle W. Nash, 37, of Le Roy, was arrested on March 18 on a warrant. Nash allegedly failed to appear in court on traffic tickets issued on Jan. 10. He was arraigned in City Court and released.
Bill A. Thomas, 65, of Batavia, was arrested on March 14 on two warrants. He was previously charged with trespass and criminal trespass 3rd in separate cases. He allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arraigned in City Court and released.
Amidst the anti-consumer, pro-big bank effort to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer revealed and exposed the FINAL leg of Congressional Republicans’ quiet plan to raise Americans’ bank fees, that will drive up unwanted fees for millions of Upstate New Yorkers. Schumer explained that Congressional Republicans will try to seal the deal to protect financial special interests with a vote on Tuesday when the House will vote to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) overdraft fee rule that caps most big bank overdraft fees at just $5.
“Republicans’ quiet plan to side with big banks against the little guy and working families could mean a waterfall of fees for Upstate New Yorkers already struggling to make ends meet,” said Senator Schumer. “Working families have been ripped off by abusive bank fees and practices in the past, and the CFPB’s rule is about protecting hard-working families, not charging them more. So I urge my GOP colleagues to reverse course here and reject overturning this overdraft rule to put money back in people’s pockets and out of the hands of big predatory banks. If the Republicans let this one fee fly, a waterfall of fees will follow, and it is New Yorkers that will feel the brunt.”
Schumer railed against this effort because it could hurt middle-class New Yorkers the hardest, given the number of consumer bank accounts in New York, which is higher than the national average. The rule would save upwards of $5 billion in excessive overdraft fees that millions of households pay. Overturning the rule, as proposed by the Republicans, would cost households an average of at least $225 each year, but MUCH more in New York, Schumer emphasized. Schumer said that some banks take billions of dollars a year from families and seniors that can least afford it. He said the banks don’t need to charge fees like this and that this effort to let fees run wild will open the door to even more excessive bank fees across Upstate New York.
Schumer announced his opposition and is sounding the alarm on the clandestine pro-big bank GOP plan. Schumer said that the CFPB’s overdraft fee rule is designed to protect regular people from being ripped off by predatory bank fees. He urged the House Republicans to reject overturning the CFPB’s overdraft rule and to protect hard-working families instead of taking their hard-earned money to benefit big banks quietly and behind their backs.
Last month, House Financial Service Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) rule capping overdraft fees, and the Senate GOP green-lit it last week.
The rule caps most bank overdraft fees at just $5, down from the typical $35 charge per transaction, according to National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). With these fees, banks take billions of dollars a year from families that can least afford it, and the Republican chairmen are moving to give big banks this ability, Schumer explained. Banks, which are already profitable, don’t need to charge these fees and some banks, including Capitol One and Citibank, have completely eliminated overdraft fees and they continue to cover overdrafts. However, other banks take about $1 billion a year in overdraft and nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees, and Wells Fargo is one of the biggest offenders.
The CFPB’s overdraft fee rule stops predatory practices that allow the biggest banks to earn billions in profits from the most vulnerable families and seniors. The rule doesn’t stop big banks from covering overdrafts—it caps fees for “overdraft coverage” at $5 or the bank’s costs. Banks can still offer overdraft lines of credit without any price cap, though they are required to provide the same annual percentage rate (APR) pricing disclosure that credit cards provide and to give people adequate time to repay, NCLC explained.
Schumer explained how the rule helps everyone—especially New York families as New York is more ‘banked’ compared to other states. Schumer explained that by lowering most big bank overdraft fees from $35 to $5, consumers save $5 billion per year, reducing manipulative practices, and increasing transparency and fair competition, according to economists.
“Now that the word is out on Tuesday’s vote, you’ll see the banks, lobbyists, and the people that want to protect the banks’ ability to charge excessive fees start to scramble, and devise a plan to defend it. But it’s indefensible. Who is for excessive bank fees?” Schumer said. “Show me a politician that wants to run an ad on increasing all your bank fees. I am blowing the lid on this disastrous plan and so what happens next? Watch them try to run away from this issue, while siding with big banks over working families and the middle class.”
Schumer warned that other fee increases and gaps in consumer protection could soon follow with:
ATM fees
Minimum balance fees for checking and savings accounts
Outlandish cashier’s check fees
Notary fees
Account “inactivity” fees
The removal of $8 cap on credit card late fees
No more Fair Credit Reporting (excluding medical bills from consumers credit score)
Selling consumer data without consent
No regulator for consumers to report predatory products
The New York Federal Reserve Bank's Credit Insecurity Index may shed light on the number of people with access to mainstream financial services, such as a bank account, who will possibly be exposed to higher fees if Congressional Republicans wipe away this protection. An Upstate New York county-by-county breakdown of percentage of New Yorkers with credit and Credit Insecurity Index Scores for 2023 can be found below:
Emily Pietrzykowski was dominant in the circle, as the starting pitcher rang up 14 strikeouts in Alexander’s 12-1 victory over Byron-Bergen on Monday.
Pietrzykowski surrendered five hits and one run over seven innings while walking three.
At the plate for Alexander, Pietrzykowski went 2-for-3 with a towering home run to left, 2 RBIs, 2 runs, a walk and a stolen bag. Ava Yax went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs, and a run scored. Faith Goodenbury went 1-for-2 with 2 walks, 2 runs, 1 RBI and 1 steal. While Melissa Sawyer and Lilly Szymkowiak matched each other both going 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a walk each, Sawyer also added an RBI on the day.
For Byron-Bergen, Lily Stalica took the loss on the mound. The hurler went six and two-thirds innings, surrendering four runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out six and walking two. Lauren Gartz started in the circle for Byron-Bergen.
Stalica led Byron-Bergen with one run batted in. The outfielder went 1-for-2 on the day. Kendall Chase, Stalica, Ava Gray, Rylee Burch, and Gartz each collected one hit for Byron-Bergen. Gartz stole two bases.
"It was a cold day for softball, that’s for sure," said Coach John Goodenbury. "Hats off to both Athletic Directors for finding a way to get this one in today. The weather is making it difficult to play games this year. For her first outing of the season and cold temps, Emily had great command today and pitched a fantastic game. The defense didn’t commit a single error, and our bats had a lot of life today. Steve is also doing a great job at Byron Bergen, and his plauyers are fighters."
Next up for the lady Trojans is a game at Barker next Tuesday.
Organizer Sarah Wolcott of Batavia gets ready for the Hands Off protest from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at City Hall in downtown Batavia. Submitted Photo
Sarah Wolcott doesn’t describe herself as a political activist, but she was willing to jump into her first protest with both feet — as participant and organizer.
The Batavia resident said she has watched society erode the last several years and decided to jump in with some civic-minded adhesive.
“I’m definitely brand new to this whole thing. I think my interest in current events kind of fueled this particular event, but I’ve kind of had my mind and my interests kind of leaning more towards being involved more in my community, and trying not to be silently complicit any more,” Wolcott said Monday to The Batavian. “I have a little group of local people in the GLOW region that have kind of started to get together, and just listening to them talk, and just other neighbors and family, people like that. I just felt like I want to do something, and I happened to stumble across this hands off movement, and it sounded exactly what we’re kind of looking for, as far as trying to get involved in something that kind of touches on, it’s Hands Off insert whatever cause you support kind of deal.”
The Hands Off! protest will be from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday outside of City Hall at 102 Main St., Batavia. This is one of hundreds of similarly themed protests across the country this weekend, from California and Texas to Colorado and Mississippi to Florida and Pennsylvania, and up and down the East Coast.
Wolcott invites all to attend for whatever cause you support that the government has its hands on. “You feel they shouldn’t,” she said.
There is a clear focus on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who “think this country belongs to them,” according to the material.
“They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now,” it states. “This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.”
Batavia’s event is to be a peaceful one of people carrying signs and walking in front of City Hall, Wolcott said. Suggested signs begin with Hands Off and finish with a cause important to you. For example, Wolcott’s statements may include Hands Off reproductive rights or Hands Off free speech.
“We want the current administration and local government to know we want hands off our government and that they work for us, so we want them to know that we’re listening that we’re paying attention,” she said. “It’s a peaceful protest. We want people to come and bring their signs and be a visual presence on sidewalks.”
She has noted a gradual emotional build-up since the first Trump administration in 2017 and “how much more the country is getting divided, and how worse it seems to be getting.”
“As the days go on, that Trump’s really not, in my opinion, helping that situation,” she said. “And so I was just trying to find a place where we all have some common ground and maybe start bringing people together and work for change, versus us trying to be working against each other.”
As the political climate has heated up, there haven’t been many local outlets for this type of expression, and Wolcott has received feedback that people have wanted it, she said.
“Just in the past couple of weeks since organizing this event, I have heard from a tremendous amount of people in just my local community how grateful they are that I’m organizing this,” she said. “Because they’re scared and they’re frustrated, they’re worried. Maybe people, especially in my community, the GLOW community, don’t feel so alone, and maybe it can be the spark that starts more things happening, even if it’s just locally.”
A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. All participants are expected to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with their values.
For her first event, Wolcott is proud to have garnered more than 130 registrations as of Monday afternoon, and is looking forward to a successful gathering. Participants are encouraged to register ahead of time, but are welcome to attend if they haven’t.
This is the first in a series of highlight pieces featuring different aspects of the City of Batavia Police Department.
The City of Batavia takes pride in its Emergency Response Team, a specialized unit that plays a vital role in maintaining the safety and security of our community. This elite team has undergone rigorous training, equipping them with the necessary skills to respond to a wide range of emergency situations.
The team's comprehensive training program includes:
Role-based exercises to ensure seamless coordination and effective response
Advanced room-clearing tactics to minimize risks and ensure public safety
Specialized skills training with non-lethal weapon systems to de-escalate situations
The Batavia Emergency Response Team is dedicated to serving our community, working tirelessly to ensure that Batavia and Genesee County remain a welcoming and safe region for all. Their expertise and commitment to public safety are invaluable assets to our community.
By having this specialized team in place, we can confidently say that our community is better equipped to handle emergency situations, and we are grateful for their service.
The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding Oakfield-Alabama Central School (OACS) alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen field after high school through significant contributions to their career, community, or through personal achievements; to provide an incentive for current and future students.
If you know a person who meets the following criteria, please consider nominating him/her for this prestigious honor:
Nominees must be graduates of OACS or one of its predecessors or have been active in school classes and activities during their senior year. (Nominees who left school while in good standing to perform military service are also eligible. Deceased alumni are not eligible for induction until the fifth anniversary of the year of their death.)
Nominees must have graduated prior to 2010.
Selection is based on achievement after leaving OACS which includes a noteworthy record in more than one, and exemplary achievement in at least one of the following categories:
Job-related achievements
Professional honors and awards, professional affiliations, publications
Civic or community involvement
Personal achievements/accomplishments
Positive impact on the communities in the Oakfield-Alabama school district
Other appropriate qualifications which the committee believes merit consideration
Anyone may submit a nomination for any person meeting the criteria stated above. Nominations must be made during the nomination period only (March 1 – May 15) by using the Online Nomination Form (see link below).
The Batavia Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating a runaway 14-year-old girl. Za'mya Starkes was last seen on 03/28/2025 in Batavia, NY.
She was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, and blue sweatpants with a white stripe. Za'mya is about 5'08" and 150 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350 or the NYS Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3543.
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors advanced projects at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park and Apple Tree Acres at its March 27 meeting.
Batavia Cold Storage, LLC proposes to build a 7,040 sq ft facility on three acres at the Ag Park.
The $800,000 investment will create a cold storage facility to manufacture ice to be bagged and stored for distribution to local companies. The project will create two full-time equivalent positions with an estimated annual salary range between $26,000 and $52,000.
Batavia Cold Storage, LLC is requesting a sales tax exemption estimated at $28,729, a mortgage tax exemption estimated at $7,200, and a property tax abatement estimated at $65,717 based on the incremental increase in assessed value via a new traditional 10-year PILOT. The project is estimated to generate $917,882 in local fiscal impacts, including payroll and tax revenues, for an estimated $12 local benefit for every $1 of requested incentives.
A public hearing on the proposed project agreements will be held in the Town of Batavia.
Appletree Acres, LLC is proposing to add a 20,000 square-foot expansion to an existing 50,000 square-foot warehouse in the Apple Tree Acres corporate park. A smaller version of the project was previously considered and advanced in December 2024. The now $1.237 million investment would create four full-time equivalent positions with an estimated annual salary range between $45,000 and $65,000 plus benefits.
Appletree Acres, LLC is requesting a sales tax exemption estimated at $58,800 and a property tax abatement estimated at $213,336 based on the incremental increase in assessed value generated by the expansion. The project is estimated to generate $3.1 million in local fiscal impacts, including payroll and tax revenues, for an estimated $14 local benefit for every $1 of requested incentives.
A public hearing on the proposed project agreements will be held in the Town of Bergen.
Will Bardenwerper, a resident of Pennsylvannia and Iraq War veteran, spent most of the summer of 2022 in Batavia, following the season of the hometown team, the Muckdogs, its second season in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
Until 2021, Batavia was proudly one of the founding cities of the New York-Penn League. It was the minors. But it was professional. And many fans were initially disappointed to lose their team when MLB eliminated 42 minor league teams after the 2020 season
Then, Robbie and Nellie Nichols rode into town with a plan to revive baseball in Batavia.
Bardenwerper was here on a research project, so he could tell the story of small-town baseball through the eyes of its fans, players, and owners.
The book explores the cultural and social significance of small-town baseball, using Batavia as a lens to examine broader themes about community, corporate greed, and America’s shifting values.
Bardenwerper weaves his life as a former Army Ranger who came home to a more divided America with his observations of baseball and the folks around the ballpark where they find a communal experience.
The book also critiques MLB’s increasing corporatization and detachment from its roots. Bardenwerper highlights how private equity firms and data analytics have prioritized profits over tradition, eroding the fabric of minor league baseball.
Local names, besides the Nichols, in the book include Bill Kauffman, Bestey Higgins, Ginny Wagner, and Ross Fanara.
The strength of Homestand lies in Bardenwerper’s portraits of such people, portraits that amount to a revealing exhibition of what 2020s small-town America really looks like. It’s scruffier than it was in its heyday, rougher around the edges, more hardscrabble, but still leavened by numerous intelligent, fascinating, and large-hearted residents. In all that it is much like the baseball now featured at Batavia’s Dwyer Stadium, which in its new, independent version is in many respects a throwback to the minor-league baseball of the 1940s.
As Kauffman tells Bardenwerper, perhaps being cut loose from MLB will turn out to be a blessing. With local ownership, local staff, and at least a few locally sourced players, the Muckdogs and the dozens of other independent minor- and summer-league teams dotting the American landscape can now shape their own futures in a way they never could have as cogs in the giant affiliated-baseball wheel. Perhaps the same can be said of their host towns. Corporate perfidy notwithstanding, communities no less than individuals have more control of their destines than they imagine—if only they will decline to cooperate in their own destruction.
The Batavian emailed Bardenwerper a few questions. Below is our Q&A.
What about Batavia and the Muckdogs surprised you? I was perhaps the most surprised by the ages of the Muckdogs fans on most nights. There was everyone from 80-something grandparents and great-grandparents to toddlers and everyone in between. I thought this was pretty neat and something that is definitely not nearly as common at major professional sports events. I was also struck by just how kind and welcoming everyone was.
What are some of your favorite memories from that summer you spent watching the Muckdogs and hanging around Batavia? Watching the beautiful sunsets over the left field fence while enjoying a cold Eli Fish beer and talking to the friends I made is my favorite memory.
Why do you think the collegiate league Muckdogs are drawing as well as or better than the professional Muckdogs did? I think this is due to Robbie and Nellie’s hard work as owners determined to make the ballpark experience a fun one for people of all ages every night, and their work to really get the community involved by reaching out to local schools and other groups to make them a part of the game by having things like Little Leaguers playing catch with the players before the games, run the bases, perform the national anthem, and things like that.
You’re very critical of major league baseball in this book. Why? For a lot of reasons, but of most relevance to this book was their decision to snuff out baseball in 42 cities that had supported it for over a century in many cases, all to save about $700,000 per team they cut, while at the same time paying individual MLB players nearly a billion dollars.
Were baseball people reluctant to go on the record criticizing MLB and the elimination of 42 minor league teams? Yes, many of them all seemed afraid of suffering professional repercussions if they were perceived as being critical of MLB and the commissioner.
What kind of feedback are you getting from the people you wrote about in this book? The feedback has been almost uniformly positive, which is really gratifying.
This book is as much about community as it is baseball. That makes it unique in the long and rich history of baseball books, doesn’t it? I think so. About 80% of the book takes place off the field, in the bleachers and elsewhere in Batavia, and so while there is baseball in it, it is about more than baseball.
Chief Bryen Murrock, Hunter O'Shea, Pavilion's 2024 Firefighter of the Year, 1st Asst. Chief Codey O'Neill, and 2nd Asst. Chief Tom Garlock. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Pavilion Volunteer Fire Department held its annual awards banquet on Saturday.
Department Officers:
Bryen Murrock, Chief
Codey O'Neill, 1st Assistant Chief
Tom Garlock, 2nd Assistant Chief
Captain, Chris Holley
Captain, Kelly Murrock
Lieutenant, Shane Freeman
EMS Captain, Amanda Holley
EMS Lietenant, Dave Clor
Safety Officer, Dewey Murrock
Fire Police Captain, Ken Weaver
Fire Police Lietenant, Don Roblee, Jr.
Social Officers:
Hunter Schiske, president
Dave Clor, vice president
Ken Weaver, treasurer
Ashli O'Neill, recording secretary
Kelly Murrock, financial secretary
Chief Bryen Murrock Photo by Howard Owens
Chief Murrock, President and Chief's Award winner Hunter Schiske, Chief's Award winner Stone Giardini Photo by Howard Owens.
EMS Captain Amanda Holley, Chief Murrock, EMS Person of the Year, Chris Holley. Photo by Howard Owens.
David Carney, honored for 50 years of service, Schiske and Murrock. Photo by Howard Owens
Schiske, Murrock, and Larry Strobel, honored for 50 years of service. Photo by Howard Owens.
Ken Weaver was recognized for his past service as president. Photo by Howard Owens.
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