Click here to shop online!

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) recently joined his colleagues in the Assembly to oppose Gov. Hochul’s proposed plan to close up to five New York state prisons within the next year.

Yesterday, members of the Assembly Republican Conference held a press conference to discuss the dangers this initiative would present for correctional facilities, their staff, and inmate populations. 

Correction officers across the state have been speaking out in recent weeks about the poor working conditions due to understaffing and low pay.

Over the last year, New York’s prison population has grown by roughly 1,400, making these issues all the more apparent. Hawley has multiple prisons within his district including Albion and Orleans Correctional Facility and nearby Attica & Wyoming Correctional Facility.

Hawley is frustrated the governor is moving forward with this proposal and is calling on his colleagues in the Legislature to push back against this policy.

“This decision by the governor is unnecessary and unreasonable,” said Hawley. “Correction officers should not have to worry about being out of a job and unable to provide for their families. Closing prisons like this will only make the current staffing crisis worse and push prospective officers out of the field. Inmates will be crowded into smaller prisons, making it a more dangerous environment for staff members. We’ve already seen numerous officers sustain injuries due to overcrowding and increased violence. I hope the governor will recognize these problems and give our correction officers the tools they need to do their jobs.”

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum welcomes all on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. for our next Trivia Night at the Museum. In honor of President's Day, come and test your knowledge of the Presidents of the United States. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the new exhibit opening “Reimagining History”. It will showcase a redesign of exhibits and exhibit spaces on the bottom level of the original structure of the Holland Land Office. Our permanent exhibit, “The Land Office,” will be presented with a new flow of story and presentation of artifacts. 

Also, the opening will showcase the newly revamped and enlarged exhibit, “98 Years Since the Sun Went Out.” In its new location in the old room where The Land Office” used to reside, it will triple in size and truly show what Genesee County looked like back in 1925 when the last total solar eclipse occurred over this area. There will be more history integrated into the exhibit along with many new objects! 

On Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. the museum welcomes all to view the new edition of “98 Years Since the Sun Went Out” and of “The Land Office.” You won’t want to miss it! 

Leonard Oakes Winery will be providing a wine tasting during the event. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to welcome as the first presenter of our 2024 Guest Speaker Series Rick Falkowski on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. Mr. Falkowski is an author and lecturer who has given presentations on several aspects of WNY life and history, will be presenting on his newest book, "The Spirit of Buffalo Women: Prominent Women Who Called WNY their Home." The book highlights the many accomplishments of local women throughout history and their lasting impact on our area. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO Art!

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Java with Joe E. morning coffee series on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. This month in honor of President's Day our Director Ryan Duffy will share the many times that a sitting, future, or former President of the United States has visited Batavia and Genesee County, it is more times than you think. Admission is free with pastries and coffee. Reservations are required, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com to reserve your spot. We want to thank Pub Coffee Hub for sponsoring Java with Joe E. for 2024.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series on Friday, February 23rd at 7 pm. We are happy to welcome Reverend Jeremai Williams of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Batavia. Reverend Williams will be presenting on the history and importance of the African American church, along with church member Ethal Miles, and his wife Dr. Cassandra Williams. Ethal will be speaking on the beginnings of the church and how things have changed, and Dr. Williams will be speaking on important African Americans in medicine and her own perspective. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend. This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!

A need for space, and to more efficiently use what’s already available at the Engine House at 3 West Main St., has prompted Genesee County officials to map out plans for an approximately $4 million project to add several more offices and amenities, install an elevator, extend the second level, and temporarily move out all of the attorneys.

If the project is approved and construction begins in April, everyone will vacate the premises, and the Public Defender’s Office will move over to the current Genesee Justice site, which is set to move over to the new county jail on Route 5.  That will also mean finding a new home for Batavia Peace Garden folks after planting their roots at the site for the last seven or eight years, Barb Toal says. 

“We’re looking for a place; we’re going to be homeless,” Toal said Friday. “We talked to the city manager, we’re trying to keep it as close as possible to the Peace Garden as we can.  The town of Batavia is working with us as well. We can get by with an 8 by 10 space, all we need is a desk and a computer.”

Toal and County Manager Matt Landers each said that he gave the nonprofit advance notice that this would likely be happening once the project was officially approved by the County Legislature. It has gone to one county committee already, has received a loose nod of approval from legislators to proceed, and will go to the Public Service Committee for review Feb. 20 as architectural plans get adjusted and bids are sought before final cost estimates are brought back to the county leaders for a final vote later this spring.

“We’ll be putting a change order to our existing engineering contract, to finish the full engineering and then follow through with the project afterward. And that means bidding it out, and all that comes along with that, and then we'll bid it. Once we bid it, and those bids come back, then we will go to the full Legislature for approval," Osborn said.

That gives the Peace Garden volunteers until April to find a small space with similar minimal rent that the county was charging. The town of Batavia has freed up a space for the group’s meetings, Toal said, but again, it would be ideal to find a location closer to the garden that’s alongside Holland Land Office Museum for use as an office. 

A walk-through of the Engine House, which certainly has had its share of renovations over the years — being used initially for municipal services, including to house pumps that forced water from the Tonawanda Creek into the water mains, and perhaps most notably for locals, as Engine House #1 Restaurant and Lounge from 1980 to 1991, and in more recent years housing the county’s History Department and then the Public Defender’s Office. For more about 3 West Main St., go HERE. 

Sadly, for those who frequented the restaurant and bar, that iconic booth with an inlaid wooden circle will be removed during future construction. The heavy-duty black, intricate wrought iron gates at either end of the entrance may get sold or repurposed, Landers and Osborn said, and many pieces of the house, such as a quarter moon stained glass window now hidden in a ceiling truss, will be incorporated as pieces of nostalgic history. 

Due to the funky steps that wind around and are not handicap compliant, an elevator will answer that call, and allow attorneys and visitors, when necessary, better and safer access to the second floor. That upper level now stops short at about a third of the way over the first floor, and will be extended some 10 more feet to about halfway, Osborn said. 

The eastern wall will get more lighting with glass windows on the upper portion so that staff can have an outside view and look down, he said. The hallway leading toward West Main Street will include an elevator and three single bathrooms closer to the entrance.

“One of the coolest spaces that you’d want to see is the Turret Room,” Landers said, of the small tower-like room that almost seems like a standalone entity unto itself. Tall and slender, it takes a couple of small steps to get into this room, traditionally used as a defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification. This particular room contained a fire pole for firefighters to slide down during emergencies and later served a more refined purpose as private dining for a table of six. 

“The pole was for the fire department; it came from upstairs where their sleeping quarters were. That's where they would slide down,” Osborn said.

That room’s future calling is to be a kitchenette and break room for employees, and the remaining hallway will lead to offices and a conference room toward the west end of the building.

Public Defender Jerry Ader has obtained a grant for just under $1 million to put towards the project cost — an elevator in particular -- to allow better access to the second floor, and although the deadline has been extended, Landers believes that if it can proceed and officials can demonstrate that it’s on track, another extension is possible so as not to lose that funding. 

There’s also additional potential funding to come, he said. The remaining expense would be paid for with county reserves, Landers said. 

Given its varied levels, steps, and spacing — not to mention the outside layout of little to no public parking — selling the property has not proven successful, leaving a renovation and creation of at least 14 offices with room for more as the most feasible option, Landers said. 

“There's always been a desire to try to find a way to put an elevator in this building to make it accessible and find grant funds to do it. So I’d say, what, 12 months at least that Jerry has been looking at, 12 to 18 months, that we've been kind of looking at this more seriously with Jerry having this money, and it could be a little longer than that. But it's been a goal for a while to try to find a way to utilize the space,” Landers said. “It was out on the market for a little bit years ago, but there wasn't a lot of interest in the space because of the challenges of parking, and the cost of renovating an old building like this. So we have come to the realization that we have a need for employees over in the current court facility and that this is probably the best use of it to stay in county hands.

“One of the deterrents from developing this building before was not having accessibility to the second floor. And now that we have the ability to utilize the funding to the Public Defender's Office to get an elevator in here, that opens up the entire building, but the public defender is still going to be utilizing half the building for their own needs to justify them putting the money into the building,” Landers said. “But that helps us open up the back end. And we're doing some renovations here in this corner of the building to allow for other county offices to start spilling over into this location. And the ultimate goal, if the Legislature approves the contract coming up later in February, is that we would be renovating this building fully for county purposes.”

There will be a handicap-accessible ramp built at the south end of the building for a proper ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant egress, Osborn said. 

“So if we have an elevator that allows them into this space, they can't just drop themselves down off the steps. So we have to create them a means of egress for them out as well,” he said. 

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), member of the Ways and Means Committee, today voted in favor of H.R. 7024, Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.

This bill passed the House by a vote of 357-70.

“The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 is a pro-growth, pro-worker bill which ensures that hardworking Americans, family-owned farms, and small businesses that have suffered for far too long under Biden’s disastrous policies receive much-needed economic relief,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “This comprehensive bill was shaped by critical feedback from Main Street Americans across the country and New York’s 24th District. This package, focused on renewing President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, will boost our economy and give manufacturers the tools they need to bolster our global competitiveness. Not only does passing this bill work to preserve over 7,300 jobs in New York, but it would also retain $622 million per year in R&D-related wages for our state. I am thrilled that this bill, which will increase desperately needed economic growth, passed the House today. By voting in favor of this bill, I reiterated my commitment to supporting fiscally conservative economic policies implemented by President Trump that deliver much-needed relief for the hardworking taxpayers of NY-24.” 

Kaila S. Smith, 27, of Batavia, is charged with filing a false written statement and falsely reporting an incident. Smith is accused of falsely reporting a sexual assault on Jan. 5. She was arrested on Jan. 13 and issued an appearance ticket.

Michael A. Sweet, 37, of Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Sweet is accused of taking payment to complete renovations on a residence in Batavia and then never completing the work. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Maverick X. Cook, 18, and Patrick J. Peters, 18, both of Batavia, are charged with open burning. Cook and Peters are accused of starting several fires on sidewalks and parking lots in the area of Ellicott Street and Liberty Street, Batavia, in December. Both were issued appearance tickets.

Darrell Laverne McFadden, 53, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd. McFadden is accused of causing serious physical injury during a fight at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, at a location on Clinton Street Road. He was jailed pending arraignment.

Jessica B. Eschenlauer, 34, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, criminal contempt 2nd, and aggravated family offense. Eschenlauer is accused of being inside a residence in violation of an order of protection. She was arraigned and released.

Roger M. Hofmeier, 22, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd. In July 2022, Hofmeir was allegedly found in illegal possession of a firearm. He was arrested on Jan. 11, arraigned in City Court, and released under supervision.

Nikkia M. Blackshear, 26, of Batavia, is charged with trespassing. Blackshear is accused of refusing to leave 7-Eleven on Jan. 20. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Adrienne S. Bechtold, 28, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Bechtold was charged following a traffic stop on Jan. 18 on Ross Street, Batavia. She was allegedly found in possession of narcotics and a scale. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Vincent J. Disalvo, 48, of Webster, is charged with harassment 2nd and trespassing. Disalvo is accused of kicking another person during a fight in the 7-Eleven Parking lot. He then allegedly entered the store after being told he wasn't allowed in the store. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Anthony A. Bomasuto, 29, of Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing. Bomasuto is accused of being involved in an incident on Jan. 15 on Ellicott Street, Batavia. He was arraigned and released.

Trace G. Brewer, 23, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant. Brewer was wanted on charges of petit larceny and conspiracy 6h.  She was allegedly involved in a theft with another person of merchandise from 7-Eleven. She was arraigned and released.

Lorrie Beth Fischer, 45, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with misapplication of property. Fischer is accused of possessing another person's property on Dec. 29 and, rather than returning it, selling it. She was arrested by Deputy Mason Schultz on Jan. 22. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Nicole K. Dell, 38, of Silver Springs, was arrested on a warrant on Jan. 25. Dell was initially arrested on May 23, 2022, and charged with DWI. The warrant was issued after she allegedly failed to appear in court. Dell was arraigned and released. 

Jacob J. Frayne, 26, of Darien, is charged with aggravated DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation. Frayne was charged following a traffic stop on Jan. 26 on Pearl Street, Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Takari G. Lang-Smith, 22, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Lang-Smith was stopped on Jan. 28 at an undisclosed location by Batavia PD. He was issued tickets and released.

Richard M. Fuhry, 42, of Brockport, is charged with DWI. On Jan. 20, Batavia patrol offices were dispatched to North Park and Ross Street for a report of a fight in the street. Fuhry was accused of being involved in the fight and then located driving on Seneca Avenue. He was issued several tickets.

Brian J. Hawkins, 44, of Olean, was arrested on Jan. 22 on two warrants issued by City Court. The first was a bench warrant related to an incident in 2019 where he allegedly provided alcohol to a person under the age of 21. The second warrant was an arrest warrant for Bail Jumping 3rd. Hawkins was arraigned and released.

Tanika N. Avant, 22, of Batavia, was arrested on Jan. 22 on a warrant issued by City Court. The warrant stemmed from an incident in April of 2023 where she was charged with two counts of harassment 2nd and one count of endangering the welfare of a child after a disturbance call on Bank Street. Avant was arraigned in City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail. 

Johnny Burton Koonce, Jr., 33, of Federal Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and failure to stop at a stop sign.  Koonce was stopped at 1:53 a.m. Jan. 20 by Sgt. Mathew Clor.  The passenger in the vehicle was somebody Koonce was allegedly supposed to not contact by court order. He was held pending arraignment.

Shanaya Nichole Brooks, 22, of Route 438, Gowanda, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Brooks is accused of striking the side of a house on Jan. 19 on East Road, Batavia, causing damage. She is also accused of trying to force her way into the house, causing damage. She was held pending arraignment.

Samantha Rae Balduf, 31, of Grant Street, Depew, is charged with petit larceny.  Balduf is accused of switching the price tag on a piece of merchandise at a retail store on Veterans Memorial Drive (the name and location of the store was withheld by the Sheriff's Office) at 1:03 p.m. on Jan. 19. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Isaac Floyd, Jr., 59, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and illegal signal. Floyd was stopped at 12:07 a.m. on Jan. 24 on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Floyd was released on tickets.

Joel David Proudy, 37, of Rochester Street, Bergen, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Proudy is accused of violating a full stay-away order of protection at 10:50 a.m. on Jan. 17 at a location on West Main Street, Batavia. He also had multiple outstanding warrants. He was held pending arraignment.

Joseph Peter Mancuso, 35, of Deerfield Drive, North Tonawanda, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Mancuso is charged with violating a stay-away order of protection at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 at a location on Roberts Road, Alabama. He was arraigned and released under supervision.

Steven James Dunham, 35, of Main Street, Corfu, is charged with failure to verify address within 90 days as a Level 3 sex offender. Dunham was arrested in January and held for arraignment.

Steven Kenneth Maskell, 31, of North Byron Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, and driving while using a portable electronic device. Maskell was stopped at 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 on Lockport Road, Oakfield, by Deputy Morgan Ewert. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Robert Paul Gerspach, 67, no specified address, Buffalo, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation, driver's view obstructed, failure to keep right, and moving from lane unsafely.  Gerspach was observed by an off-duty deputy driving in an alleged unsafe manner at 11:22 a.m. on Jan. 24.  He was stopped and arrested by Deputy Austin Heberlein. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Guillermo Guadalupe-Vasques, 44, of Crimson Drive, Canandaigua, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, and moving from lane unsafely. Guadalupe-Vasques was stopped at 8:44 p.m. on Jan. 24 on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Stephen Smith. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Mckenzie Leigh Stogsdill, 32, of East Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, no headlights, and no tail lamps. Stogsdill was stopped at 1:44 a.m. on Jan. 27 on Park Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. Stogsdill was released on appearance tickets.

Jessica R. Parker-Sharkey, 30, of South Butler Road, Savanah, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 4th and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Parker-Sharkey was arrested in Virginia Beach, Va., and extricated back to Genesee County. She was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released. The charges stem from allegations in April 2023 that she was in possession of a stolen car and a controlled substance. Following her release, she was turned over to Rochester PD on warrants.

Michael Curtis Smith Jr., 31, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Smith is accused of stealing an electric scooter from Walmart at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Joseph Michael Petix, 66, of Shorecliff Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI, criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, stop sign violation, breath test refusal, and consumption of alcohol while driving. Petix was stopped at 9:53 p.m. on Jan. 28 on Clinton Street, Batavia, by Deputy Travis DeMuth.  He was allegedly found in possession of cocaine. His release status was not reported.

Press Release:

Leadership Genesee welcomed 29 individuals from all walks of life representing our community’s public and private organizations, on January 24 and 25 for the 2-day Opening Retreat.  

First time organizations include LeRoy Ambulance Service, Oakfield Betterment Committee Inc., WNY Rural Area Health Education Center, and DelPlato Casey Law Firm, LLP. The class represents a broad cross-section of the community, including education, finance, manufacturing, healthcare, service industry, not-for-profits and the public sector.

Leadership Genesee Director Peggy Marone said, “Leadership Genesee believes we owe it to future generations to provide a community with people who are knowledgeable, able to have civil conversations about both sides of an issue, and create trusting and respectful relationships!” 

She continues, “There is a lot going on in our world, we must have leaders who embrace inclusion, listen generously, and understand that it takes little or no effort to allow others to have their feelings and opinions. This kind of respect is missing in many conversations, it’s up to each of us to bring that respect back to our relationships.”

The retreat was sponsored by Leadership Genesee Alumni and was facilitated by Skip Helfrich of Human Energies. Leadership Genesee is a program of CCE Genesee County, an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and individuals with Disabilities, and providing equal program and employment opportunities.

For more information, visit LG’s website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/leadership-genesee; “like” LG on Facebook at www.facebook.com/leadershipgenesee; or contact Director Peggy Marone at (585) 343-3040, ext. 118 or mem77@cornell.edu.  Up next for the Class of 2024: Our Business, Our Economics on February 28.

Click here to view our featured listings!!

For anyone who has visited St. James Episcopal Church during its Lenten fish fries, you probably looked forward to those Friday evenings for dinner, some mingling with friends, and perhaps buying a fresh-baked dessert or two.

The volunteers who made it happen week after week — for 28 years — made the difficult decision to end the fish fries this year, and with mixed emotions, they also promised to put something in place at least one week during this time. 

“It’s getting harder and harder to get volunteers to commit, plus to get people to bake every week for the desserts,” church member and volunteer Barb Pierce said. “We didn’t say we’re never going to do them again. I think people will miss them.”

As promised, she and the other volunteers have come up with a replacement event. Mark your calendars, because the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper is coming. It begins at 5 p.m. Feb. 13 at the church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia, and runs until sold out. There will be a freewill offering taken at the door in lieu of a set fee for a soul-soothing meal of pancakes and sausage, real maple syrup, apple crisp, coffee, tea, and milk. There will also be a Valentine's Day-themed bake sale with goodies available for purchase, she said, including candies, fudge, brownies, and cookies.

The freewill offering and dessert sale is a fundraiser that will go toward one or more of St. James’ usual outreach efforts, including the blessing box, Crossroads House, Genesee Cancer Assistance, Genesee CASA for Children, Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, GO Art!, and Habitat for Humanity, she said.

Each of those fish fries involved 10 volunteer kitchen helpers, plus many others to help out in the dining room, for a total of some 30 people on hand for each weekly event throughout Lent, Pierce said. They’re estimating a need for at least five in the kitchen, plus more for serving and other duties, during the pancake supper, but it's a little easier to plan for a one-time dinner than ongoing weekly fish fries, she said.

This will be a sit-down meal, with real plates and silverware and dinner service, plus the extra desserts for purchase. 

What is Shrove Tuesday, and why pancakes? According to historic-uk.com, Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent -- the 40 days leading up to Easter -- was traditionally a time of fasting, and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession. This came to be called the “Pancake Bell” and is still rung today.

Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. (Editor’s Note: a quick check for this year, Leap Year and all, proves this to be true, as 47 days from Feb. 13 falls right on Easter Sunday, March 31.)

Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast, and pancakes were considered the perfect way to use up these ingredients, hence — Shrove Tuesday was born. 

“It’s kind of like a Mardi Gras, but on a smaller scale,” Pierce said, with a focus on assorted foods and treats as a one-time event. 

No need to reserve your spot for the supper, she said, however, you might want to plan to come sooner than later once the 5 p.m. hour strikes, as supper is over once the pancakes are gone. 

For Ash Wednesday, on Feb. 14, there will be “ashes to go” in the east parking lot from 8 to 9 a.m., and liturgy and holy communion will be at 5 p.m. at the church.

Batavia's Goodwill store at 4152 West Main St. celebrated its expansion Friday morning with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

The expansion doubled the thrift store's retail space and added a covered drive-up donation center.

Goodwill has operated at its current location since May 2013 and has been expanded from 9,285 to 21,506 square feet and now has 18 full- and part-time employees.

Goodwill officials say the location is now one of the agency's largest in Western New York.  It features an open layout allowing it to expand space for donated men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing. The store also features a broad array of previously owned housewares, decorative items, small appliances, electronics, and furniture.  

“With individuals and families looking for ways to cut their clothing and household budgets, we are proud to be able to expand our offerings in Batavia,” said Thomas Ulbrich, Goodwill of Western New York president and CEO, in a statement. “We serve a very wide range of customers from all across Genesee County, and we are proud to be a resource for families in such a great community.”

The drive-up donation center is on the side of the building facing Main Street and offers donors a quick and convenient -- and covered -- way to donate gently used, unwanted items to the store to support workforce development programs across the region.

The story is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

As far as Brandon Armstrong knows, his is the only black-owned barbershop, in Genesee County.

In honor of Black History Month, Armstrong held an open house on Thursday morning, with coffee and donuts, to both celebrate the month and to officially unveil his new logo and new business model for Royals Barber Shop at 317 Ellicott St., Batavia.

When Armstrong opened his first barbershop at Ellicott and Liberty (now Eden Cafe) in 2011, it was likely the first new barbershop in Batavia in a number of years, after a long period in which stylists were in vogue and barbers were passé. In the years since, four or five new barbershops have opened locally, though a couple didn't last long.

More than a dozen years since that first venture, Armstrong is still in the barbering business, and he says he's stuck with it both because it's a lucrative business and because he enjoys it.

"I feel like it's one where you can be yourself a little bit more," Armstrong said. "It's nothing too uptight, but it's still super professional. You can still be yourself. A lot of it's not really too hard of work, I feel like, but it still can be hard work. It's an equal balance of everything."

The new logo comes with a change in the business that he hopes will serve the business better, his customers better, and his employees better.  Unlike most salons and barbershops, his barbers are members of the staff, earning an hourly rate plus commissions.  It's no longer like they own their own businesses, with all the consequences and responsibilities that go with being self-employed, but they're getting a regular paycheck.

"Now they're bankable barbers -- that's my thing, being bankable barbers," Armstrong said. "Being bankable barbers means they will be able to bring their pay stubs to the bank and get a house or get a loan for a car."

Armstrong said with employees instead of contractors, he will be able to better maintain regular hours, which will benefit customers.  Also, with booth rental, there is also a cap on how much money can flow into the business.

"From what I'm learning is that you can't really scale the business, if you aren't being able to profit the right amount and put it back into your business," Armstrong said. "This way, we're able to get some money flowing through the business and be able to get loans for the business. It means being able to scale the business."

Now that he's a proven entrepreneur with a track record of success, what advice does he have for young people in the community, particularly people of color, in light of Black History Month, who are drawn toward going into business for themselves?

"Be the best that you can be," Armstrong said. "Work the hardest. You can outwork your competition. Whatever you're involved with, you have to practice at it, and you have to become the best at what you do. Try to be the best at what you do. Practice makes perfect. Whatever it is that you're involved in, make sure you're practicing and working hard, and it'll pay off."

The Emergency Response Team was deployed on Dellinger Avenue early this morning to assist Batavia PD with the execution of a warrant, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said.

The police department announced at 7:15 that Dellinger was closed to public access.  The street was reopened at about 7:50 a.m.

Heubusch said there were no difficulties during the operation, and there were no injuries.  He said more information will be released later today.

Music teacher Dan Grillo thinks maybe, as much as it pains him to say it, rock 'n' roll music is a dying art form.

That isn't apparent from the way students at Batavia High School have embraced his elective class, Rock Band.

In the nine years since he started the program, the course has grown from one class with a handful of boys who typically didn't own their own instruments to two packed classes with many students bringing in their guitars. 

"(That first year) we had three of the same exact guitars, three of the exact same basses, and we actually started with an electric drum set," Grillo said. "Now, as you know, we have our own nice acoustic drum set."

The program has encouraged many kids to get their own guitars, Grillo said, "which is really good."  Another sign of growth -- he doesn't have to sing all the songs any more.

"We started on one song and just kind of worked that song for a while, but none of the boys wanted to sing," Grillo said. "I had to sing it. I had to sing pretty much everything that year."

There are 25 members in three bands.

Rock band class in high school music departments is still kind of a rare thing in the area, Grillo said, so he isn't sure the program will ever grow to the point where -- like for other music genres at the high school level -- there are competitions and festivals.

"It's still kind of a niche thing," he said.

The most telling way things have changed is the engagement of the students.

"As I mentioned in our concert tonight, a lot of the students are suggesting and writing up songs for us," Grillo said. "This is not all just my contributions in terms of -- I thought of a good song, I thought it would be good for the kids, and I gave it to them. A lot of these were songs that the students championed. And that means a lot that they're that invested that they want a say in the music that we're playing and performing."

The students pitching their own favorite songs evolved out of, well, students pitching their own favorite songs and Grillo deciding to students owning their ideas.

"I would have students come to me every day, and they're like, 'You know what song we should do? You know what song we should do? You know what song we should do?' And I got sick of hearing it," Grillo said. "I finally said, 'Look, if you want to do a song, you write it up. I'm not going to write it up. I don't have that kind of time.' Okay, it takes a good half hour to write these songs up (as guitar tablature) because you got to make sure the lyrics and the chords and all that stuff is right, that they're in the right place, that they work. So it does take some work to write up those songs. So the fact that the students are doing some homework is also pretty telling."

The program is popular all over campus, Grillo said. The rock bands occasionally play lunchtime concerts in the auditorium and they're well attended.

"Everybody likes it," Grillo said. "It's not just students that come in. It's faculty and support staff. It's pretty popular with everybody in the building. So we get a lot of support. We're always being asked to do different gigs. We've been asked to perform at open houses; we've been asked to perform like we did the wrestling match this year and last year, we did a wrestling match. ... So it's very popular even though, like I said, rock is kind of a dying style. I used to do barber shop and that's even more so a dying style."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Steve Ognibene conducted the interview for this story.

I spent most of my life in education -- 13 years of it in Batavia: kindergarten at Washington School, first to eighth grade at St. Mary's on Woodrow Road (for first and second grade, we were in the basement of Notre Dame High School because the elementary school was being built), and four years at Notre Dame on Union Street. 

My three-years younger brother Dan spent part of his elementary years at St. Joseph's on Summit Street and then graduated from Notre Dame.

Lastly, my 11-years younger brother Jim went to elementary at John Kennedy on Vine Street, Batavia Middle School on Ross Street and then Batavia High on State Street. 

So, between the three of us, we had a bunch of Batavia schools covered.

After high school, I went on to St. John Fisher College in Rochester for five years ( I had an illness as a junior which required an extra year). Upon graduation, I spent one year teaching sixth grade at St. Peter and Paul School in Rochester, and then after spending three years out of education, I taught fifth and sixth grades for the next 32 years at three different elementary schools in the Rochester City School District. 

If I'm doing my math correctly, that's 51 years either being taught or doing the teaching, although any good teacher will tell you that you never stop learning. There's a lot you can learn from your students, too.

Everyone reading this article spent some amount of time in school. In Batavia, if you were Catholic, depending on where you lived, you could choose between St. Mary's or St. Joseph's on the north side or St. Anthony's (heavily Italian) or Sacred Heart (heavily Polish) on the south side for elementary school. 

Today, only St. Joseph's is still operating. 

Then it was likely on to Notre Dame for high school.

If you went to public school, it was Pringle, Lincoln, East Washington, Jackson, Brooklyn, Robert Morris, or John Kennedy Elementary.

Today, Jackson and John Kennedy are still operating, and Robert Morris has reopened partially. 

Then it was on to the Middle School and Batavia High, which has been on State Street since 1961.

What did all these kids in all these schools have in common? Well, if it was between the 1950s and the early 2000s, they were using the same “technology” that I did in my student and teaching career. And the thing all of those who are still around have to realize is that almost all of those classroom tools we relied on to help us learn are gone, probably never to return. My intent in this article is to take a nostalgic look at the classroom equipment of days gone by.

Seemingly forever, the blackboard, or chalkboard as it was also known, was a main point of use in every classroom. I have to admit I made full use of mine right up until my retirement in 2006. In fact, I used it so much that some days I would go home looking like I spent the day working in a gypsum mine. 

My former students will still remember being called up to the blackboard two or three at a time to work out math problems. 

Most teachers had a job chart where each week students were assigned a task. One of those was to clean the erasers at the end of the day. They would either go outside and clap them together, causing a dust storm that looked like Oklahoma in the 1930s, or later on, there was a machine to run them through. Another job was to wash the boards at the end of the day, but I was such a stickler I would do them again after they left.

As time passed, whiteboards with dry-erase markers became the norm. Today, virtually every classroom has a smartboard, which is connected to the internet and makes a lot of the older equipment useless antiques. 

Of course, each student has a laptop computer or tablet to use too.

Cursive writing, or actually even printing. I'm sure you all recall the green tagboard cursive letters in white script that virtually every elementary teacher had on display in the classroom. A certain amount of time each day was devoted to practicing printing in the primary grades and then cursive at the intermediate level. Writing assignments were either printed or done in cursive. 

If you went to Catholic school like me, the nuns were fanatics about it. Maybe it was in their sisterly vows. “I swear that I will torment elementary students about perfecting the Palmer Method of cursive. So help me God.” 

It never happened to me, but I have been told by others that rulers on the back of hands were sometimes utilized (especially if you were left-handed) to help emphasize a kid's devotion to cursive perfection (but right-handed). Also, I know this sounds sexist , but why did the girls always have better cursive?

Today there is almost no need for writing of any kind, with the possible exception of math problems. Most things are written with a keyboard on a computer, tablet, or even a phone for homework. Most classrooms today have a minimum of pencils, pens, and paper. It simply is not needed. There is also a shortage of nuns so I guess rulers are not needed either to keep those fingers in place on the keyboards.

This is going way back, but 16mm  films and projectors were once the way to see movies. In the Rochester District, you had to order a movie from a central supply location, and it would be delivered to the school by a messenger. Then you had to reserve the projector from the library where it was kept. 

In my first school, you could never get it on a Friday afternoon because the same lazy teacher always beat you to it. Once you got the movie and projector, there was at least a 50 percent chance the film would break at some point, and you'd have to splice it with tape. Some of the movies had been spliced so many times they were almost unwatchable. If the projector light bulb blew out, that was the end of the movie for the day because, apparently, new bulbs were only made in Mongolia or somewhere.

In the 1980s, VCRs came into use so you could more easily watch movies on a TV. Televisions (still the kind with “Rabbit Ear” antennas) became popular to watch big events like presidential inaugurations. Often classes would have to combine together because each school only had a couple TVs. In the late 80s, video cameras were introduced to record school plays and events. 

Today, every school has wi-fi, and each classroom has that previously mentioned five-foot-high smartboard connected to it, so all those previous viewing methods are obsolete.

Before big Xerox stockholders got rich from the copier business, we made copies with a mimeograph machine. A toxic fluid was poured into it by teachers, and some lawyers could probably make a bundle today after finding out what health problems were caused by exposure to that stuff. 

We would make a master carbon copy, clip it into the machine, and turn the crank to roll off the number of copies we wanted. This often resulted in purple fingers, and if the copies were “hot off the press,” the students would be sniffing them, which was probably as bad as smoking. 

Copiers are still a problem, too, with adding toner and the constant jamming. If hidden microphones were ever placed in copier rooms, lots of teachers would be in trouble for their (expletives deleted).

Finally, we would use a machine called a filmstrip projector. A strip of film would come in a metal or plastic container. Usually, there was an entire box of these devoted to a certain topic. The strip of film would be inserted into the projector (again requiring those light bulbs from Mongolia), and the teacher or a designated student would turn a knob that advanced the film one frame at a time.

Accompanying these strips was a record or audio tape that would narrate the topic. When a beeping noise occurred, that was the signal to advance the frame. For example, if the topic was Batavia, NY, the tape would say something like: “Batavia is a small city located in western New York,” while on the screen would be a map of New York State with a red dot showing where Batavia is. “Beep”. The film would be turned one frame. “ Batavia is the seat of Genesee County.” The film would show a map of New York State counties highlighting Genesee County and Batavia. “Beep.” And so on ad infinitum. 

Or should I say ad nauseam because the people chosen to narrate these film stips must have been hired from a group of failed announcers due to their extremely boring and annoying voices. 

About halfway through the filmstrip, you would look around, and students were either asleep or drawing funny-looking pictures of you.

Whether you attended school in Batavia, Le Roy, Alexander, Oakfield, Rochester, Buffalo, or Tucumcari, New Mexico, if it was before the 2000s, you used one or more of the classroom things I described. They were all successful aids in learning to a greater or lesser degree, but their time has come and gone like the feather quills and inkwells of the 1800s. Like phone booths and dial phones, today's kids would not have heard of most of these things if you asked them. As they say, time marches on. But it can sometimes be enjoyable to think back to the “good old days” and the things our teachers used to educate us.

(Authors note: as is usual with my writing I try to make my articles nostalgic with a touch of humor mixed in. If you care to comment, I would love to hear any anecdotes you might have about any of the equipment I mentioned. Or, maybe I forgot some things that you could add. However, if you have any political comments about today's education there are numerous forums to do that. Please keep to the spirit of reminiscence here. Thank you.)

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Police Department announces the launch of a new parking enforcement software application to allow for easier processing and payments of parking tickets.  

The application and platform was designed and is being administered by T2 Systems which is a leading national provider of smart mobility technology and management solutions. 

“Obviously no one wants to get a parking ticket and what can be just as frustrating is the time it can take to pay for a parking ticket, so the rationale behind implementing a new system is to make processing a payment as quick and seamless as possible,” said Batavia Police Department Chief Shawn Heubusch. 

Parking tickets can now be paid online via credit card by simply entering a license plate number or parking violation ticket number. There is also a convenient pay by phone option printed on the ticket as well. Parking tickets may be paid in person at the City Clerk's Office during normal business hours, which are 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. 

Residents are reminded that parking is prohibited on all City streets between 2 and 6 a.m., unless permission has been granted by contacting the Batavia Police Department dispatch center at 585-345-6350.

Motorists also are reminded to adhere to all time limit parking signs and not to block drives or crosswalks when parking or standing on any city street. To utilize the new system, please visit City of Batavia NY Citizen Portal (tocite.net) or www.bataviapolice.org under the Forms menu.

Press Release:

The Oakfield Historical Society has a new book “The Other Oakfields” (Who Knew) by Darlene K. Warner. The book is available at the Oakfield Family Pharmacy.

The book highlights East Oakfield, North Oakfield, and Oakfield Corners. East Oakfield was at one time a bustling little town. There were 9 businesses in this little hamlet in the early years. 

Learn about its sawmill, cider mill, pump manufacturing business, wagon shop, cooper shop, blacksmith shop, grocery store, fruit drying, and heading & stave mill operations. How the Cope Pump Manufacturing business was known as “the most noted manufacture of wooden pumps in the United States”.

All this from a little town that was once known as Idleport. North Oakfield which started at the intersection of Lockport and Albion Road and continued until it connected with Fisher Road had two post offices before East Oakfield had one. It also had two schools. In fact, resident’s addresses were listed as living in North Oakfield up to the 1960s.

Oakfield Corners, besides having gypsum first located there, had two very prosperous farms, and even a hotel run by Dennis Watts. The former hotel still stands. So, it is not hard to understand why the subtitle is “Who Knew”.

The book is available at the Oakfield Family Pharmacy, payment of $22.00 plus $9.95 shipping and handling can be mailed to Oakfield Historical Society, PO Box 74, Oakfield. See our other available books on local history at oakfieldhistory.org.

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today joined Congressman Marc Molinaro (NY-19) and New York’s Republican Congressional Delegation in introducing a Congressional Resolution condemning New York Governor Kathy Hochul for defunding schools across New York State and prioritizing increased funding for migrants.

The Governor’s budget reduces funding for hundreds of schools across New York State while providing $2.4 billion to provide undocumented immigrants with legal assistance, housing, transportation, healthcare, and jobs. If Governor Hochul’s cuts to schools go through, schools could be forced to make up the difference by shuttering special education and disability services, cutting mental health resources, and more.

"Once again, Governor Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats are putting illegal migrants and their progressive agenda ahead of New York’s children," said Congresswoman Tenney. "Hochul's misguided decision to cut critical funding from taxpayer-funded schools threatens students' learning, especially as they continue to recover from COVID-related learning loss and their access to valuable disability services and mental health resources. I stand with my New York Republican colleagues in demanding that she reevaluate her priorities and support our children over illegal migrants!"

"Governor Hochul is prioritizing undocumented immigrants over our children's education," said Congressman Molinaro. "Cutting funding for schools will inevitably jeopardize crucial disability services and mental health resources. We cannot let extreme left immigration policies ruin our children’s future. Governor Hochul: reverse course.”

"This self-inflicted New York City migrant crisis shouldn't be paid for on the backs of our children," said Congressman Garbarino. "Our children must come first. The needs of New Yorkers must be placed before those of illegal immigrants. I urge the Governor to change course and do what’s right for our kids and our state.”

“New York Democrats’ sanctuary policy that’s turning hotels, schools, federal parks, and senior living facilities into encampments for unvetted migrants from all over the world is unfair to surrounding communities and the taxpayers who are being forced to foot the bill," said Congresswoman Malliotakis. "Because of State and national Democrats’ reckless policies, the Governor is now slashing hundreds of millions of dollars from schools across the state, including over $130,000 from New York City. This crisis is unsustainable and unsafe for everyone involved, and the fact that our Mayor and Governor are cutting services from citizens to continue funding free giveaways to illegal immigrants is insane. Our children deserve better.”

“Governor Hochul’s misplaced priorities have placed the interests of migrants over Empire State students by slashing education funding while dedicating billions to those who crossed through our porous borders," said Congressman D’Esposito. "I am calling on Governor Hochul to immediately reverse course and stop punishing New York students for Joe Biden’s disastrous migrant crisis.”

“A politician’s budget proposal is indicative of that politician's values and it is clear from her budget that Governor Hochul values migrants over our kids," said Congressman LaLota. "As the husband of a teacher, father of three young girls, and a New York taxpayer, I’m appalled by the Governor’s heartlessness. Her decision to hurt our kids, especially in counties that voted against her, is Cuomo-esque bullying. The Governor is yet again putting politics before people and every New Yorker should be vocal against Hochul.”

Press Release:

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare plans to host its second annual career exploration event for local students interested in healthcare career pathways and opportunities. Approximately 600 students in grades 8-12 from 28 schools will gather at Genesee Community College on March 22 to connect with various healthcare businesses and organizations to learn about careers in healthcare and science-related fields throughout the GLOW region.

 

The success of GLOW with Your Hands in workforce recruitment in the manufacturing sector and the urgent workforce need in the healthcare sector has once again brought businesses, educational organizations, and economic development agencies from across the region to collaborate to provide an incredible opportunity for GLOW region students to learn about the careers in their own backyard.

“The healthcare sector is one of the GLOW region’s largest employers and contributors to the economy, offering ample career pathway opportunities to the next generation of workforce candidates,” said Angela Grouse, Education to Employment Director at the Livingston County Area Chamber and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “As we have experienced from our manufacturing event, hands-on interactions with these professionals and organizations lead to sustained interest.”

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare will provide the healthcare sector with the opportunity to meet and recruit its future workforce. Participants include representatives from hospitals and health systems and those in nursing, mental health, social services and first responders.  Attendees also will be able to explore educational pathways in the healthcare sector through BOCES and local colleges and universities.

“Serving Wyoming County and the GLOW region for the past 110 years showcases our commitment to the community and why career exploration is so essential, especially in the healthcare sector,” said Wyoming County Community Health System CEO David Kobis. “Our local youth get a detailed understanding of the opportunities we have available, and we get to see what they are looking for in a career.”

“We are always trying to find new strategies and opportunities that help prepare our students to enter the workforce upon graduation,” said Karyn Winters, director of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands Healthcare. “Through collaboration with local stakeholders, we are building a workforce development model that is being replicated across the region.”

Various healthcare businesses and organizations have demonstrated their appreciation of the value of this event with generous support, including ESL Federal Credit Union, Wyoming County Community Health Services, Rochester Regional Health | United Memorial Medical Center, Genesee County Economic Development Center, and University of Rochester Medicine | Noyes Health.

“Our sponsors are one of the main reasons we have seen so much success and interest with GLOW With Your Hands events these past few years,” said Justin Dueppengiesser, Executive Director, of Wyoming County Business Education Council. “This is a unique opportunity for businesses across the region to tap into the pipeline of well-prepared and educated workforce candidates.”

There are still sponsorship opportunities for the March 22nd event at the Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500) levels.

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare visit www.GLOWWithYourHands.com/healthcare or contact Chris Suozzi at csuozzi@gcedc.com.

Changes in technology, from AI to computer-driven manufacturing, are at the forefront of all aspects of our everyday lives.

As we learn more about these tools, we must use them to our advantage and adapt. That’s what all great coaches, teachers, and learners do.

You wouldn’t catch me dead rooting for Bill Belichick, but now that he’s gone from the AFC East, I’m okay saying that he showed us how to do it right.

As coaches and parents, we have to adapt our strategy in our “off-seasons,” no matter how successful we were the previous year. Bring in new concepts, lift up new talents, and find every advantage we can.

And for parents with students in the third grade and higher, there is an advantage your kids can access right now!

Did you know kids are already learning Industry 4.0 concepts, troubleshooting, operational efficiency and creative thinking through 3-D printing - and doing it at Robert Morris?

The Batavia Tech Club offers short-session programs with instruction and application through hands-on interactions with emerging technologies.

I’ve seen Jim Dillon grow this idea, constantly making adjustments to equip more students with the skills that will make them the best learners and future leaders.

Jim leads classes in 3D printing, 3D design, micro-controller coding, cloud-based collaboration, CNC laser cutting, and other cutting-edge technology-related skills that are essential to today’s workplace.

His focus is on age-appropriate learning. This week’s programs were for 3rd through 8th graders, and next week’s are for 3rd through 5th graders.

On Tuesday, I joined Jim and his students as they toured a classroom filled with 3-D printers and Arduino controls. It buzzed with activity. To see the instant gratification of making something was great, but seeing students gain an understanding of how equipment works was even better.

Putting these types of technologies in their hands pushes young learners outside of their comfort zones.

This is how you grow and develop interests you may have never been aware of.

In workforce development, we make improvements every year. We tailor our programs to the economic demands and interests expressed by workforce candidates.  That’s how to do it right.

The good news is that our kids have already taken those steps. Even if they don’t realize it, each new challenge they take on gives them more flexibility in the future.

We have to show them the way and highlight what’s available. While our big events like GLOW With Your Hands are popular, a lot is happening just out of sight.

The Batavia Tech Club is a great example.

We need to continue to equip the next generation of skilled workers with youth workforce programs that are building the pipeline for the growing private sector across our region. Why not expand their minds with the latest technologies being taught by the Batavia Tech Club?

If you’re interested in getting involved with the Batavia Tech Club, please contact Jim Dillon at jdillon@bataviatechclub.com or (585) 297-7779.

Chris Suozzi is the Vice President of Business &Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

You are invited to a waffle breakfast at the Bontrager Auction Center on February 10th , from 7AM – 10AM! Come and enjoy all-you-can-eat homemade waffles and locally produced sausage. All proceeds from the breakfast support the Christian Missions & Relief Sale, a benefit auction for Christian organizations, to be held August 10th, 2024 at Bontrager Auction. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased at the door. Or call 585-409-7408 to purchase tickets pre-sale. For more information, visit https://www.christianmissionsreliefsale.com/.