Tee's Golf Sim, the first and only indoor golf simulator facility in Le Roy, is excited to announce its grand opening at 12 Main St., 2nd Floor, Le Roy. Since its opening on Nov. 15, Tee's Golf Sim has been offering a unique and immersive golfing experience to local enthusiasts, inviting them to enjoy their passion for golf all year round.
At Tee's Golf Sim, golfers of all skill levels have the opportunity to play on world-renowned courses without leaving the comfort of their hometowns. The facility currently boasts one high-end simulator featuring hundreds of courses, with plans to expand and add a second simulator station in the near future. This state-of-the-art technology not only provides an incredibly realistic golfing experience but also offers players the chance to analyze and improve their game regardless of the weather outside.
Understanding the busy schedules of modern golfers, Tee's Golf Sim has made booking sessions as convenient as possible. Tee times can be easily scheduled directly through their website, teesgolfsim.com, ensuring that golf enthusiasts can fit a round into even the most hectic schedules.
Owner Antonio Calabrese, says, “We’re thrilled to bring this unique golfing experience to LeRoy. Our goal is to create a space where golfers can practice, play, and enjoy the game of golf year-round, regardless of the weather.”
Tee's Golf Sim is not just a facility; it's a community hub for golf lovers. Whether you're looking to escape the cold, improve your game, or simply have a fun outing with friends, Tee's Golf Sim offers an unparalleled indoor golfing experience.
For more information or to book your tee time, visit teesgolfsim.com. Stay updated on our latest news and offers by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/teesgolfsim and Instagram at instagram.com/teesgolfsim.
Genesee County Economic Development Center officials have severed their ties with Savarino Companies and asked for more than $1 million of tax benefits back, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Jim Krencik says.
“This action includes cancellation of the lease leaseback agreement, the tax agreement (payment in lieu of taxes) and the sales tax exemption agreement, and have returned the three parcels involved back to the taxable side of the tax rolls,” Krencik said Tuesday.
The EDC officials sent Ellicott Station LLC and Ellicott Station Commercial LLC related legal notices due to their “lack of curing of the default on our local tax agreement,” Krencik said.
He referred The Batavian to an explanation CEO Steve Hyde gave The Batavian in an Aug. 23 article.
“To clarify, the majority of the GCEDC financial agreements for the project are termed over 30 years that start following the completion of the project. These are structured as performance-based. Additionally, the project was notified in July that it is in default of its GCEDC financial agreements and is currently in a cure period to meet the goals of a workforce housing project,” Hyde said in the August article. “In light of the news yesterday, the project being in default to our financial agreements enables the GCEDC to have a greater role in ensuring a positive solution as we work with all parties involved. We continue to work with the City of Batavia towards this goal."
On Tuesday, Krencik said, “Additionally, we have issued a demand letter to Savarino Companies demanding repayment of the sales and mortgage tax benefits enjoyed by the project to this point, and we are attempting to claw back $1.1 million of those benefits.”
One of Savarino’s Ellicott Street properties was also fined for neglected property maintenance, along with a number of others, to the tune of an extra $30,000 for city cleanups of grass, weeds and debris, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said this week.
During Monday's City Council meeting, Tabelski asked council for a budget amendment to increase the expense line for “multiple grass, weed, and debris violations” this year. While 85 percent of the time, residents will take care of the issue once they’re cited, she said, other times, “we do have to go in and either cut the grass ourselves or remove debris.”
Tabelski gave The Batavian a list of citations for Savarino Companies earlier this year that included lack of property maintenance, including overgrown weeds, debris on the premises, and rank vegetation, for Ellicott Station and not securing the partially finished apartment complex on Ellicott Street. Savarino halted work on the project this summer after shutting down his company due to financial issues.
Councilman Bob Bialkowski asked her if the city can recoup the expense of cleaning up these properties, which also included a larger site of the defunct Days Inn at 200 Oak St.
“We bill them at 30 days, we bill them at 60 days, and we bill them at 90 days. And we will bill them again until it's time to put it onto the tax bill. At that time, Heidi's office, the city clerk, will go ahead and levy that amount onto the tax bill,” Tabelski said. “And a lot of times, it'll get paid in conjunction with the late tax bill. So we need to increase the expense line this year by about $30,000. And we are done, with snow on the ground, for grass, weeds and debris. So I don't feel like this will go any higher than where it is this year.”
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December 2022 File Photo of Christmas in the City Photo by Howard Owens
Christmas in the City — an annual festive tradition that happens the first weekend in December — will be bringing the usual favorites of Santa Claus, hot cocoa, a parade down Main Street and cheery carolers, along with some new additions of a three-set train display and Serendipity Swing at the new Main St. 56 Theater, Pat Burk says.
Of course, the main event at Batavia City Centre runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and will offer gift-giving shoppers plenty of options with 42 vendors and 64 tables so far throughout the concourse, Burk said. (Vendors may register up to Saturday. For more information, go to bataviaplayers.)
“We have more than last year,” he said. “There will be Christmas decorations, wood designs candles, a lot of handmade stuff and Christmas-themed items. I think people are looking for places to exhibit their things, and I think people are realizing December starts this Friday.”
The Great Lakes and Attica Regional Railroad model train club will be joining the action this year. The club will have three train boards set up with various displays, including a Christmas village and town theme.
At one end of the concourse, near Hawley’s Insurance, there will be a jolly fellow awaiting visits from kids to whisper their Christmas wishes in his ear. Yes, Santa will be there from 1 to 5 p.m.
Two groups of Batavia Players will be singing holiday favorites at downtown shops and along the streets from 1 to 5 p.m. as well, Burk said.
That’s not all that will be happening in Downtown Batavia on Saturday. Beginning at 2 p.m., there are several activities scheduled, including: portraits and ornament crafts at Iburi Photography, cookie decorating at Eden Cafe, a Kids Zone at Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, face painting at The Spa at Artemis, a live nativity, hot cocoa and doughnuts at EverPresent Church, letters to Santa at The Coffee Press, chili tasting at Adam Miller Toys & Bicycles, T-shirt coloring at T-Shirts Etc., sleigh rides at 6 Center St., adult tastings at The Yngodess Shop, cookies and cocoa at Releve Dancewear Boutique, Grinch at GO Art!, brass band and photo booth at Center Street Smoke House, tree lighting at Crossroads House, a scavenger hunt bingo that begins at Iburi Photography and ends at GO Art!, champagne and kisses at My Cut.
Several of the downtown shops will also have holiday specials from 2 to 6 p.m. when the parade is set to begin.
The Business Improvement District has also borrowed an outdoor ice skating rink from Genesee County for use at the parking lot near Alva Place. Deputy Highway Superintendent Paul Osborn said that a rink can be made with just a couple of inches of water, but the temperature needs to be at least 32 degrees, so here's hoping this wintry weather will stick around for some old-fashioned outside skating.
There will also be plenty to do indoors, which he looks forward to, Burk said.
"For us, it’s a tremendous event, the theater will be open for tours — they’ll have to enter from Main Street for theater tours. We like to see the support, we like to see people come in. I love to have all the kids here, the kids make my day. It’s a nice community event, and we have a tremendous amount of crafters and vendors that participate and help support the theater,” Burk said. “I mean, that’s the big thing. Right now, every single cent we can make is supporting our new facility and improvements we have to make here. We’re fortunate that every single show that we’ve done since we’ve ben in the new theater has been either sold out or close to it. Extremely well received, but what people don’t realize is shows cost money, so everything we can do to make sure we can solidify our season for next year, including the fundraising events and everything that happens over Christmas, is a big plus for Downtown Batavia with our theater.”
He likes the idea of having the Buffalo-based “little big band” Serendipity Swing at the outermost edges of the evening to cap off and “stretch out” a full day of festivities. The show goes on at 7:30 p.m. in Main St. 56 Theater.
Serendipity Swing is an eight-musician dance ensemble plus a female vocalist that reflects “a musical style from an era of famous dance halls, glamorous ballrooms, classy supper clubs, hot jazz joints and the most elegant of private parties,” the group’s website states.
“Our music is from the Golden Age of the American Songbook through more current favorites. Our music library, with over 400 titles, contains selections that explore and mirror the beauty of the music elements: melody, harmony and rhythm,” the site states. “It is music that is artful, fun, graceful, whimsical, listenable, danceable and enjoyable to hear. The melodies are memorable. The harmonies are soothing and rich in texture. The tempos, and rhythms, are danceable and toe-tapping.
On Friday, Dec. 1 the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association Ramparts Mite Division (8U) will host their first annual “Merry Mitemas Tournament at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street, Batavia. The Opening game will begin Friday, Dec. 1 at 5 p.m.
Eighteen teams from the Rochester and Buffalo area are participating. Also featured during the Tournament will be a Basket Raffle and 50/50 Drawing on Saturday along with donut sales, and T-shirt sales on Saturday and Sunday (until sold out). The teams participating in this Mite Tournament will be playing half-ice; there will be two games played at the same time. This will be a fun event featuring the youngest players within the Association. Many of these young skaters move up throughout the Association to play on the local high school team.
Volunteers are still needed to run the time clock, keep score and all the other chores that pop up here and there. If you’d like to volunteer please contact Allyson Valyear at Avalyear5@gmail.com.
For those who love murder mysteries and comedies, the Batavia High School Drama Club is staging The Alibis, a collection of eight interconnected 10-minute plays that revolve around the murder of eccentric billionaire J. Leslie Arlington.
There are plenty of suspects in the murder, and all have alibis, which none of them want to admit to because they were all committing other ridiculous crimes at the time. The suspects include disgruntled chefs, teen detectives, and vengeful divas.
Performances are at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday on the stage of the Batavia High School Auditorium, 260 State St., Batavia.
Genesee Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Julia Plato. Photo by Howard Owens
It's that time of year when the Genesee Symphony Orchestra rosins up the bows and gets crackin' on holiday chestnuts such as “Christmas Festival,” “Sleigh Ride” and selections from “The Nutcracker.”
The annual holiday concert is at 4 p.m., Sunday, at Genesee Community College.
GSO's concertmaster, Julia Plato, is looking forward to taking the solo on another holiday favorite, the winter movement from Vivaldi's “Four Seasons.”
She's excited about it, she said, because "I think it's insanely easy to make it sound modern, even though it was written through like 300 years ago. It still has so much excitement and vigor and, yeah, personality that you would never know that it was written in the 1700s."
Plato, who is originally from the Hershey area of Pennsylvania, is in her second year as the first chair of the GSO, under the direction of conductor S. Shade Zajac.
She's been involved in orchestra performance since she was a child, participating in the youth orchestra in her hometown.
"That's kind of where I fell in love with playing music," she said. "I went to school for music education in Ithaca and wound up teaching in Pittsford."
Through a friend, she heard about GSO during the pandemic, when the orchestra was still finding ways to perform, and that piqued her interest.
"I was so excited because I just wanted to have a group to play with, and it just lined up really well with the time that I moved to the area, and I found a good group of people to perform with," she said.
She's found it inspiring to work with Zajac.
"He has got such a great taste and repertoire," she said. "He selects very nice, well-rounded programming from all the modern works that you may not have heard to the classics that everyone hopes to hear."
Genesee Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor S. Shade Zajac Photo by Howard Owens.
Rob Gustke of Rochester gave himself an early birthday present on Saturday by winning the Genesee Region USBC Senior Masters Tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.
The high-revving right-hander, who turned 53 on Monday, was making his first appearance in the event for GRUSBC bowlers 50 years of age and older. He is a member of the Pizzaland Doubles League at Le Roy Legion Lanes.
Photo: From left, Brian Weber, Rob Gustke, Rob Manners.
Gustke defeated Rob Manners, also of Rochester, 194-181, in the title match, to claim the $300 first prize. He also earned a free entry into the GRUSBC Scratch Memorial Tournament in January and a championship plaque.
Manners won $200 for placing second while Brian Weber of Perry pocketed $150 for finishing in third place. Manners turned back Weber, 267-224, in the opening match of the three-bowler stepladder finals to move on to face the top-seeded Gustke.
Gustke was the second-high qualifier with a three-game total of 712 and then rolled 494 for two games to reach the top six. His 213 in the third round enabled him to secure the No. 1 seed for the finals.
The victory adds to his impressive list of titles, mostly compiled in the Rochester NY USBC.
“I think I'm up to seven or eight city titles now … and I won the Mount Morris Open in 2019,” said Gustke, a machinist by trade. “They were all scratch tournaments, and I bowl more for the titles than the money.”
Gustke said he used three bowling balls over his seven games – the Storm DNA, Storm IQ Nano Pearl and the 900 Global Ordnance C4.
The tournament drew 43 entries over two qualifying squads.
In qualifying, Jim Foss of Medina led the way with a 749 series, followed by Gustke (712), Scott Shields of Batavia 705, Weber 704, Mickey Hyde of Le Roy 698, Dean Cadieux Jr. of Oakfield 694, Manners 684, defending champion Roger Allis of Medina 670, Bill Neubert of Batavia 667, Scott Gibson of Oakfield 666, Mark Brown of Attica 661 and John Lowe of Le Roy 650.
Gustke (494 for two games), Manners (463), Brown (462), Allis (449), Weber (446) and Neubert (437) advanced through the second round, with Weber (225 for one game), Manners (224) and Gustke (213) reaching the stepladder finals.
Allis, Neubert and Brown each won $100 while the six other cashers earned $75 apiece. The GRUSBC added $200 to the prize fund and another $200 was added from a special Masters fund administered by tournament director Paul Spiotta.
The first of two public hearings about Batavia City School District’s proposed $45 million capital project will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the middle school auditorium, 96 Ross St., Batavia.
The proposed project is designed to modernize the district’s instructional spaces, optimize the building grade-level configurations, and address high-priority facility needs throughout the district, school officials say.
A big selling point is that there will be “no additional tax increase” for district property taxpayers as a result of the project, officials say in the presentation.
The vote for the BCSD Reimagined capital improvement project will be on Dec. 14 for residents of the city school district. These public hearings are your opportunity to hear about the project and ask questions.
A second public hearing will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at Batavia High School in the auditorium, 260 State St., Batavia.
Voting will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 14 at designated sites, depending on where you live.
For residents living north of Route 5 (Main Street), vote at Robert Morris, 80 Union St., in the Multi-Purpose Room.
For residents living south of Route 5, vote at Batavia High School, 260 State St., in the library.
More information about the project is available below:
Pavilion Fire and mutual aid companies are on scene of a barn fire close to a residence reported on Old State Road at Moag Road.
The call came in just before 8 p.m.
The first responder on scene reported a fully involved working barn fire.
The Pavilion chief requested a second alarm. Dispatched: Batavia's FAST team, Bethany, Stafford, Le Roy, with mutual aid was requested from Livingston County and Wyoming County.
This dog took off chasing a deer on Linwood Avenue in Le Roy around 5 p.m. Monday, and has not been seen since, owner Joshua Wallace says. The Batavian was given updated information, and the dog was last seen at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
If anyone spots the pooch, please call 585-297-3663.
A crane lifts the final beam onto the second floor of the new Healthy Living facility in downtown Batavia during a "topping off" ceremony Monday morning. Photo by Howard Owens.
About two dozen people — construction workers, staff, donors and officials — braved bone-chilling winds and huddled in the parking lot of the future Healthy Living campus Monday morning to observe a final "topping off" ceremonial step for the project before a ribbon-cutting next fall.
It was an auspicious, though perhaps quiet and unassuming, moment for those who have poured so much time and effort into planning, fundraising, and promoting the impending merged site for United Memorial Medical Center’s Healthy Living and YMCA at 213 East Main St., Batavia.
“Today is a really important milestone in this project for the healthy living campus and what we're going to be able to do for the community by raising the last beam and taking the next step and getting this project to completion,” said Dan Ireland, president and chief operating officer of the Fingerlakes Rural Hospital for Rochester Regional Health. “Next fall we look forward to cutting the ribbon and really starting to combine services with YMCA.”
Ireland and Rob Walker, CEO of YMCA, spoke briefly about the importance of this event as another marker for a project that will serve the community for years to come. It has taken a lot of fundraising and effort for the facility, and they shared the same excitement for being "poised" to "make a huge difference in the community," they agreed.
“The key thing about today was just lifting up the partnerships, that we’re doing this together. It’s been a long journey through a lot of challenges and COVID, and the cost escalations, but we’ve carried forward,” Walker said.
The pandemic, supply chain issues and delays have pushed the project cost up to nearly $34 million, up from $33.5 million, he said.
But once completed, it’s going to be a beauty to behold, he said, filled with a children’s Adventure Room, indoor playground, intergenerational room filled with interactive games, a large upstairs track, and swimming pool equipped with underwater benches for swim lessons, a splash pad, and wheelchair and walk-in access.
There will also be universal pre-kindergarten, morning daycare and after school classrooms that will serve the needs of day camp in summer, plus supervised childcare with options for parents to drop off their child for a Friday evening dinner or shopping trip, expanded hours and universal standards to bring everything to beyond Americans with Disabilities Act code, he said.
There’s an expectation that the current membership of 3,000 is going to double with all of the increased amenities, which include more convenient parking right behind the new facility.
A larger group of about 100 people stood in a similar spot during a groundbreaking in July 2022. By August of that year, the demolition of Cary Hall, which once housed Healthy Living programs, was a visible cue that another stage of the plan had come to fruition after so much of it had been on paper with grant applications and blueprints and such.
Parking lot grading, building of foundations and then installing the structure all came piece by piece for the 78,000 square-foot facility for the last 15 months, capped off by Monday's traditional beam-signing. That was followed by a crane hoisting the beam up to the second floor and workers putting it into place.
Defined as an integrated medical and wellness facility, the campus is to include state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a teaching kitchen, 22 exam rooms and two medical procedure rooms for primary care, telemedicine appointments, behavioral health and crisis intervention support, cancer prevention, chronic illness, and community education services.
The site will serve as a one-stop-shop for many health concerns and fitness goals, officials have said.
Ireland was reluctant to “put a pin” in the month they would designate for a ribbon-cutting, as construction projects can certainly fall out of line with perfect schedules, he said. But fall of 2024 seems like a safe bet.
In the meantime, work will continue throughout the winter on the facility’s interior after it is fully enclosed, David Ciurzynski of Ciurzynski Consulting, LLC said.
Ireland has been pleased with how the project has been moving along lately, he said.
“They’re really working to get anything closed that they need to, and the weather’s been on our side,” he said. “We’ve actually had some pretty decent fall weather, not withstanding the snowflakes today.”
Photos by Howard Owens
Submitted Photo
Submitted Photo of signed beam for Healthy Living campus
H.E. Turner & Co., Bohm-Calarco-Smith, and Burdett & Sanford Funeral Homes proudly present their 28th Annual Service of Prayer & Remembrance at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Northgate Free Methodist Church, 8160 Bank Street Road in Batavia.
For those who wish to participate from home, we will livestream the service as well.
“We hear from families how the service helps them through their grief, especially during this time of year," said Joshua Smith, of H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home. "For some of these families, it will be their first year participating in the service, which means it is their first Christmas without their loved one, and for others, they come back year after year.”
A candle in memory of your loved one will be lit prior to the start of the service and remain that way throughout.
One candle will be provided per deceased loved one and will be given to participants at the service. If you choose not to attend but would still like a candle to participate from home, please call our office to arrange a pick-up.
Call 585-344-4295 to reserve your candle by Friday, Dec. 1. There is no cost for a candle and all who experienced the pain of loss are welcome to participate regardless of who took care of your loved one and arranged their funeral service.
The ecumenical service will combine music, prayer, scripture reading, reading of the names of loved ones, the tolling of the bell in remembrance, and a message of hope by Reverend Vern Saile.
To register the name or names for your candle, please call H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home at (585) 344-4295 or register online by visiting www.bataviafuneralhomes.com by Dec. 1.
Christmas in the Village returns to Oakfield on Friday and Saturday with a full slate of holiday cheer, ranging from a parade and the arrival of Santa to a Christmas ornament scavenger hunt.
The fire truck parade delivering Santa and Mrs. Claus to Triangle Park is at 5 p.m. on Friday.
There will be food and beverages available for purchase at Memorial Park from the OA Parent Teachers Organization and Santino's, and Sweet Ally's will have special hours, staying open until 6 p.m.
The grand lighting of Winter Wonderland in Memorial Park is after the parade at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The evening will also feature musical performances by the Genesee Country Church children's choir, the Olympians, as well as the O-A Central School chorus and swing choir.
The Caryville Inn will be serving holiday drink specials.
On Saturday, it's Oakfield's own Small Business Saturday with an ornament scavenger hunt that will encourage participants to visit businesses in the village.
The first 50 participants or families receive a wreath, instructions and a stamp card. It starts at 11 a.m. at The Goose Farm Market, 33 South Main St., and runs until 2 p.m.
A festive wagon will provide transportation throughout the village during the hunt.
The winners announced at prizes award at 2 p.m. at The Goose.
Santa Returns on a fire truck to Triangle Park at noon and will hear children's Christmas wishes until 2 p.m. in the gazebo while cocoa and cookies, courties at the Oakfield-Alabama Lions Club will be served.
Additional special events.
Genesee Society of Model Engineers – Open House with working model trains on display. Holiday cookies will be served.
Zeliff Farm Market – open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with specials on meat packages available. Samples of Snack Sticks and Meatballs too.
Haxton Memorial Library – games, crafts, and movies
Rusty Rail Bar & Grill / Strikeforce Lanes – opens at noon and will have bowling
Community Action of Orleans Genesee in Batavia has winter coats for Genesee County residents of all ages and sizes. Photo submitted by David Dodge
If you’re a Genesee County resident in need of a winter coat, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee may be able to help.
The nonprofit has winter coats for people of all ages and sizes, Case Manager David Dodge says. They are free for low income families, and only require some simple paperwork to be completed, he said.
People may select their coats through 4 p.m. Monday or from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week, he said.
As for donations, “we are always in need of gently used or new clothing and coats,” he said.
Community Action is at 5073 Clinton Street Road, Batavia.
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