There’s an awful lot of new happening at the Holland Land Office Museum, a site meant to capture moments of historical weightiness.

A full-time curator; exhibits about the last complete solar eclipse in Genesee County, a vintage wedding dress collection and the 100-year anniversary of Batavia Concert Band; a monthly walk-up tour of the West Main Street site’s second-floor collections; a revised membership; and planning for a three-phase capital project are just some of the new items glossing up the old status quo, Museum Director Ryan Duffy says.

He brought new hire Tyler Angora to Monday’s Human Services meeting to introduce him as part of the novel happenings at Holland Land Office.

“Some time ago, there was a curator position. But that was before the museum. That was a completely different museum basically at that time, but Tyler is the first in a very long time … because we really wanted to take advantage of our wonderful collection. And we needed somebody with expertise in that particular field and who had some creative ideas in order to bring it out to the public,” Duffy said. “More so than anything I could do or volunteers, so we felt it was a major need. And it's already paid off dividends in terms of bringing our nearly 20,000-piece collection more to light.”

Angora, who lives in Brockport, is pursuing his master’s in history at Brockport State College. He began his role as curator in June, though he wears many hats, he said, as curator, collections manager, tour giver, and for jobs that entail “a bunch of different things.” 

“But I'm solely in charge of the collection, I manage it, I take care of it, I present it to the public, I have to interpret it in a way for everyone to see it and enjoy it as much as we do. Since I've been there in June, I've really taken hold of that collections management. I have reorganized and redesigned the collection storage upstairs with Ryan to make it more accessible, to not only us to display but also accessible to the public,” Angora said. “That coincides with doing grander exhibits, like next year, we're reimagining the entire original structure of the building to really display the land office artifacts that we hold in our museum, but also the artifacts for our temporary exhibits like ’98 Years Since the Sun Went Out,’ which is the eclipse exhibit. So it'll be really exciting to break down pieces that haven't been on display for decades.

“I really focused on the fashion collection that we hold at the museum, which has been kept upstairs in a room by itself for a very long time. So we're really excited to start bringing that down and showing that off to the public because it's a really fantastic collection that spans over 300 years of clothing and physical history,” he said. “That is amazing. And we're hoping to do kind of behind-the-scenes stories next year to bring people upstairs into the collection. So it's been a big part of trying to make it accessible to the public. Because that's our goal.”

Going upstairs, that’s interesting. When will that begin?
“So next year, about February is when the public will finally officially be able to go up into the collection on special tours with Ryan and I. On the first Friday of every month, they'll get a special tour upstairs and a special presentation from one of us,” Angora said. “And it's going to be really exciting to finally show off pieces that probably won't ever really be on display due to their fragility or their important significance to us. So that would be fun to show off to the public, especially next year when we reopen the museum in February and kind of redesign a lot of the spaces.”

What’s behind your passion in pursuing a master’s in history?
He began at Brockport College as a business major in 2020 and didn’t really know what he wanted to do. He then met some key people in the History Department who got him involved with the Morgan House — “which I consider my home; it’s a museum that really holds a good place in my heart,” he said.

“And that's where it started, my love for museums, preservation objects, artifacts, all of that. And it transcended into me pursuing this kind of career path in museums. And I continued that into the GCM at the Genesee Country Village Museum with Brandon Brooks, the curator, where I worked with him with the Susan Green costume collection and really helped do stuff there. And I really got involved with preservation doing my own research,” Angora said. “So having this job and having Ryan as a co-worker is a lot of fun because he lets me just do whatever I want and kind of helps assist the collection in surviving for another over 100 years. So it'll be a lot of fun.”

Some recent history
More than 5,000 people visited the museum since July 2022, and 65 percent of them were from outside of Genesee County. Visitors have come from more than 30 states and several foreign countries, including Canada, Indonesia, China and the Netherlands, Duffy said in his annual report to the county.

The museum hosted its 21st annual Wonderland of Trees in 2022 and 400 visitors during the season, plus a Genesee Symphony Orchestra opening night concert and three more for 50-plus attendees. The site served to educate and entertain with a guest speaker series on topics that varied from The Life of Joseph Ellicott and The Prison Guard’s Daughter to WNY in the Gilded Age to How Buffalo Got Its Name.

Volunteers, docents and interns completed more than 1,700 hours of community service, with a steadfast core of 25 volunteers. 

The Museum’s board signed a lease with Genesee County to show occupancy and allow the pursuit of further grants. Duffy and Angora have each been writing grants, Duffy said.

“And between Tyler and I we can also apply for more grants on our own, as we each got two since this year, as well as the support from our grant writer Sara Pasti, who is looking at larger grants for the capital project,” he said. “And we're looking at smaller program and collections-based grants. But those, we can get a couple of those every year. They add up and allow us to do greater things.”

A first-phase capital project has begun with the development of plans for a new proposed West Wing addition adjacent to the parking lot. Included with that was the creation of fundraising and grant opportunities — to be written by Duffy, Angora and a county-hired grant writer —  to assist in covering the large cost. That is to be a three- to five-year project, Duffy said. 

The county had contracted with grant writer Sara Pasti to gain access to grants relating to the capital project of the West Wing entrance, as well as for other improvements to the museum outside the capabilities of museum staff. 

Legislative Chair Shelley Stein asked Duffy if the “grant-writing support provided by the county” has been used to write the intended grant yet, and “we’re working on several grants, actually, towards this,” he said. 

Overall, what can the public look forward to in the coming months?
This go-round of a speaker series is to feature Civil War Letters of Rollin Truesdell, Grant’s Last Battle and Journeys to Authors’ Graves in Upstate New York, to name a few, plus history trivia and a membership that isn’t reliant on calendar year renewal. And that’s not even reviewing the collections, which Duffy and Angora are confident the public will enjoy.

“It won’t be the same old way, and it won’t be the same old museum. So if you haven’t been there in some time, you won’t recognize the place,” Duffy said.

“Even in the four months I've been there, it’s changed drastically,” Angora agreed. “We've redesigned exhibits that have been up for several years. Redone, permanent exhibits. We've added new items for the public to see. So just expect more indoor exhibits, new programs and more fundraising. We're really going to be everywhere next year, so we will be kind of a force to be reckoned with.”

Paul Pettit’s decided to get the lead out. Of his next grant opportunity, that is. 

The director of Genesee Orleans Health Department reviewed a $1.5 million grant with the county’s Human Services Committee on Monday that will stray from his last one that focused strictly on lead-based products. 

“So there's a HUD grant that came through about two weeks ago. This one's a little unique compared to our current HUD grant that we have, which is focused on lead. This one's a little broader,” Pettit said. “So it's any type of healthy homes issue, similar to the grant we have right now in the City of Batavia and the Town of Batavia, that helps us, you know, provide different assistance for healthy homes. This one's a little broader for the entire county. We'd be putting it as a global application.”

Funding would help income-eligible applicants within the county qualify for grants of $10,000 to $15,000 to work on health-related safety issues around their homes, such as mold, radon, lead, pests, and weatherization needs, he said. 

“I’m not sure we'll get it or not. But we believe we have a very successful model with the HUD lead grant. That's actually doing a lot of good work in the GLOW region,” he said. 

In January 2019, the Genesee County Health Department (GCHD) received a $1.3 million federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address lead-based paint hazards in residential buildings within the counties of Genesee and Orleans.

Of this total funding, $1 million was to be used specifically for lead-based paint hazard reduction activities and $300,000 was directed to other health-related home repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. The funds were initially earmarked strictly for use in the City of Batavia and the Village of Albion, and HUD later approved an expansion of the program in December 2020. 

That lead program has a coordinator and online details and applications for applicants and contractors involved in addressing the issues.

“So this would mirror that we already had systems in place. It obviously would probably involve hiring another environmental health specialist who would oversee that program for the region, with the funding to cover all that,” he said. “We’ll let you know: hopefully, we'll be accepting a grant soon.”

The committee approved the resolution, which will go on to Ways & Means and then to the county Legislature for final approval. 

The resolution states that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a notice of funding opportunity titled Healthy Homes Production Grant Program, and WHEREAS, the grant will address housing-related diseases and injuries from housing health and safety hazards in underserved and low-income communities and will mitigate health and safety issues such as radon, pests, mold, lead, weatherization and other housing hazards, and WHEREAS, the Environmental Health Unit of the Health Department is desirous of submitting a complete application inclusive of required assurances, certifications and disclosures, and WHEREAS, the Human Services Committee did review this request and does recommend approval at this time. 

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) sent a letter to Cornell University President Martha Pollack demanding Professor Russell Rickford immediately resign for his anti-Semitic and pro-Hamas comments.

In the wake of the terrorist invasion of Israel that has killed over 1,300 Israelis so far, Mr. Rickford referred to the slaughter of Israeli civilians by Hamas as “energizing” and "exhilarating," while speaking at a pro-Palestine protest on Cornell's campus. Tenney’s letter detailed the severity of this rhetoric and called for Professor Rickford to either immediately resign from his position as an educator at Cornell or be fired.

In the letter, Tenney wrote, “Anti-Semitism should not be tolerated in academia or any other part of a civilized society. Professor Rickford holds a position within the university that allows him to mold and influence young minds. This position demands a higher standard of behavior, one that is free from anti-Semitic rhetoric and the vocal support of terrorism. By perpetuating these abhorrent views, Professor Rickford has not only violated his ethical responsibility as an educator but has also jeopardized the safety of the Jewish community and tarnished Cornell University's reputation. I sincerely hope that, as the President of Cornell, you will take this matter seriously and understand the severity of these faculty statements."

Press Release:

Please be advised that Blue Heron Construction will be mobilizing equipment in preparation for construction on the Jackson Street Water project within the City of Batavia. 

Construction on this project is scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 30 and will include the installation of approximately 2,250 linear feet of new 8-inch water mains and appurtenances to replace existing 4-inch and 6-inch water mains on Jackson Street from Chestnut Street to Ellicott Street.

Traffic delays are to be expected; however, no street closures are anticipated at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank the public for their patience and cooperation as we work to improve our community.

Press Release:

Come and experience the 22nd annual Wonderland of Trees! The opening gala will occur on Friday, Nov. 17 from 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Holland Land Office Museum. This year’s theme is “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Visit the museum to see all the wonderfully decorated trees and displays by local businesses and organizations.

This year’s opening gala will feature many great gift baskets to win, including an extra special grand basket. The night will also feature holiday music by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra. After dinner hors d’oeuvers will be provided by D&R Depot Restaurant. Tickets are $20, $15 for museum members, and $5 for children 12 and under. 

The Wonderland of Trees will run through the end of December. The basket raffle winners will be drawn on Friday, Dec. 15. Further holiday events will also be held throughout the season. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 to get your tickets.

If your organization or business would like to participate in the Wonderland of Trees, there are many options. Options include decorated trees, gift baskets, or donations and sponsorships. Registration forms can be found at the museum’s website www.hollandlandoffice.com.

Laura Gould, from Batavia, a promotions analyst with Tops Friendly Markets, was honored as a Top Women in Grocery by the trade publication Progressive Grocer. 

Gould, named a "Rising Star," was among six Tops employees from Western New York honored by the publication.

In total, Progressive Grocer will induct 400 women, chosen from more than 1,000 nominees, into this year’s class during its celebration taking place in Orlando, Florida in November.

"These women strengthen the retail food industry at many levels, within both the retailer and supplier communities," Tops officials said in a release. "Top Women in Grocery is a community that has continued to grow since 2007, with the best and brightest women in the industry."

The company added, "Progressive Grocer's Top Women in Grocery award is the most prestigious honor for female leaders in the grocery industry."

Previously: Batavia resident promoted to corporate management position with Tops

Press Release:

Genesee County 4-H members Bing Zuber, Justin Deleo, and Kylie Paddock attended the New York State 4-H Agri-Business Career Conference (ABC Trip) last week. Forty youths from across NYS met in Cobleskill on Oct. 19 & 20 for the 46th annual 4-H ABC Trip. This trip for 4-H teens is in collaboration with SUNY Cobleskill and gives youth an up-close look at different agri-businesses as well as an opportunity to tour the college and meet with professors to learn what a college experience in their desired program area would look like.

Youth were able to choose which agri-businesses they toured on Thursday. Participating businesses included: Schoharie Valley Farms, Sweet Tree Farm, Hessian Hill Farm, Jack Miller’s Tractor and Truck, Fairbanks Stable, and Black Willow Pond Farm. On the SUNY Cobleskill campus, tour options included Speaking with A Veterinarian, The Dairy Processing Center, the Meat Processing Lab, and the Milk Quality Lab. Following their tours, teens worked together to create presentations to share with the rest of the group following a dinner on campus.

Friday was spent on campus starting with breakfast in the dining hall followed by campus tours led by SUNY Cobleskill Ambassadors. Following the tours, teens visited their academic area of interest which allowed them to meet with professors in that field and learn about the program area. Areas to choose from included Ag Business, Floriculture/Nursery Management, Equine Studies, Biotechnology, Ag Engineering, Livestock, Canine, Dairy, Fisheries & Wildlife, Histotechnology, and Ag Communications. 

The event culminated with lunch in the dining hall giving participants another opportunity to experience the food on campus. The ABC Trip is offered each fall to NYS 4-H members 14 years of age and older. For more information on this trip and other 4-H offerings, contact the Genesee County 4-H Program at genesee4h@cornell.edu or (585) 343-3040 ext. 101. The Genesee County 4-H Program is a youth development program for youth ages 5-18.  New 4-H youth members, adult volunteers, and clubs are always welcome to join. Enrollment information is also available on our website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu

Press Release:

The “We’ve Only Just Begun” senior luncheon is on Tuesday, Nov. 21, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the South Alabama Firehall. OPEN to the public!  

This month our speaker is Ray Cianfrini, retired Oakfield Attorney & our former Genesee County Legislator.  He will be speaking about the “KU KLUX KLAN” in Oakfield and Genesee County, during the early 1920’s. The Klan and local immigrants are the subject of a talk titled “Clash of Cultures”!  An interesting topic you won’t want to miss.

Come and bring a dish-to-pass OR make a donation at the door. Contact person: LaNora Thompson (630) 888-8966.

Press Release:

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., the Anna Ingalsbe Lovell NSDAR chapter and the Holland Land Office Museum (HLOM) are collaborating on a special event to honor our Genesee County veterans and Vietnam War-era veterans.

All veterans plus 1 guest will have their entrance fees waived and will receive a small goodie bag; Vietnam War-era veterans, who have not yet been acknowledged by the Vietnam 50 Commemorative Committee, will also receive the DAR Certificate and an eagle pin.

Any military personnel, with an honorable discharge, who served during the Vietnam War era is eligible for the Award Certificate and eagle pin. Please pre-register your name and service for your Certificate. If you are unable to attend, please let us know by November 30 so we can arrange another time & date. Robin Laney Ettinger, a member of the NSDAR chapter, has created a limited-time email address for inquires – r.j.laney1@gmail.com.

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) made the following statement on the recent election of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04).

"Congratulations to my dear friend, Speaker Mike Johnson, on being elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Mike Johnson is an inspirational conservative who will restore faith in our government and bring strong, principled leadership to America.

"Speaker Johnson is committed to restoring transparency to Congress, reining in runaway spending, holding our adversaries accountable, and strengthening oversight of federal bureaucrats. Though 70% of appropriation priorities have already been passed in the House, the remaining appropriations bills will be considered expeditiously.

"Speaker Johnson's first action was to immediately open the People's House in order to bring a bipartisan resolution to the floor in support of the nation of Israel, our most important ally in the Middle East. He is immediately addressing issues critically important to the American people. This starts with direct action on the border crisis, prioritizing legislation to address runaway inflation due to far-left spending under Pelosi and Biden.  

"Speaker Johnson will renew our commitment to backing our courageous officers in blue, empowering parents' rights against the hostile agenda imposed by the Biden Administration and its weaponized law enforcement agencies, unleash American energy production which will lead to greater freedom, prosperity, and security for all Americans.

"House Republicans understand this historic moment for America and are laser-focused on providing leadership, restoring transparency and responsible government, and achieving real results for the American people."

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is proud to announce the winners of our 10th Annual Fire Prevention Coloring Contest. With over 400 entries from Batavia Schools, this contest was very difficult to judge.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Grade K-1

First Place - Thomas VanRemmen -Jackson Primary, Mrs. Restivo Kindergarten

Second Place - Everleigh D.- St. Josephs, Mrs. Case, Kindergarten

Third Place - Bryson Lee -Jackson Primary, Mrs. Reeves- 1st grade

Grades 2-3

First Place - De’Aungelo Rolle- John Kennedy, Mrs. Antinore 3rd Grade

Second Place - Josephina Varland- St. Paul Lutheran- Ms. Austin 3rd Grade

Third Place - Claire Lutey- St. Josephs School- 2nd Grade

Grades 4-5

First Place - Caleb Janis- St Paul Lutheran School- Mrs. Dunn 5th Grade

Second Place - Raven Casey Batavia Middle School St. Mrs. Falleti, 5th Grade 

Third Place - Lyla McClellan- St. Paul Lutheran School, Mrs. Dunn, 5th Grade

An awards luncheon will be held Saturday, Oct. 28 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the City of Batavia Fire Station located at 18 Evans St. for all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The 1st place winner of each group will receive a ride to school on a City of Batavia Fire Engine. Congratulations to all the winners.

Press Release:

GO ART!’s Preschool Music and Movement class is back and open for registration. The cost for the four-week session is $40 (Non- Members) or $36 (Members). For more information and to register go to goart.org/programming/exlporeart/exlporeart-children/.

Do-Re-Mi will focus on seasonal song, play, motor and locomotor movement, instrumental exploration, vocal and rhythmic call and response, listening activities, storytime, and fun for children ages 2 through 5, alongside their parent or favorite person! 

The curriculum is designed to engage young learners through play and exploration while providing a safe and nurturing space for them to discover and grow important skills, such as language, cognition, and physical development, as well as support and encourage social and emotional learning. We are so excited to provide this opportunity and instill a love of music and the arts in our youngest community members!

In this session, we will have two different classes. One class will meet Monday evenings (November 6, 13, 20, 27) at GO ART! in Batavia from 6 - 6:45 p.m. and the other will meet Tuesday evenings (November 7, 14, 21, and 28) at the Hoag Library in Albion from 6 - 6:45 p.m. Pre-registration is required and space is limited.

Press Release:

The Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Genesee and Leadership Genesee (LG) offices will close for the day at 12 p.m. on Nov. 9. The offices will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 13.

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today introduced the Producing Incentives for Long-term Production of Lifesaving Supply of Medicines (PILLS) Act to promote the production of generic medicines in the United States.

This legislation offers pharmaceutical companies various tax incentives to encourage them to shift all aspects of the manufacturing process for generic medicines, including materials and testing, to the United States. Currently, the generic drug industry is experiencing a trend toward centralization in India and China due to their significantly lower production costs. However, this shift raises concerns about inadequate drug safety measures and the potential for supply chain disruptions.

“In recent years, drug manufacturing has shifted away from the United States, threatening American jobs and the security of our vital medicine supply chains,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “To bolster domestic generic medicine production and guard against future supply chain disruptions, I introduced the PILLS Act to incentivize businesses to produce these important pharmaceutical products in the United States. This legislation is a crucial step to not only re-shore drug production but also to strengthen our domestic supply chains and create American manufacturing jobs."

"The PILLS Act is an incredibly important bill that would create massive incentives to strategically restore U.S. domestic production of generic medicines," said Zach Mottl, Chairman of the Coalition for a Prosperous America. 

"Our country is facing a national health care crisis due to ongoing, and worsening, shortages of essential lifesaving generic drugs, which account for roughly 90% of all prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. Currently, the U.S. is dangerously dependent on foreign manufacturers—particularly in China and India—for essential, lifesaving generic medicines. Since 2002, imports from India have increased 35x, while the floodgates have opened to allow imports from China to rise to an astounding 165x their 2002 levels. This should sound alarm bells through Washington and highlight the need to pass the PILLS Act in order to address the shortage crisis and rebuild America’s domestic production of generics, antibiotics, and other key medicines."

Read the full text of the bill here. 

Press Release:

On Sunday, Oct. 29 St. Joseph's held a teaching Mass. Father Matt Zirnheld and Deacon Todd Bowman explained mass preparation and various parts of the mass in the sacristy prior to mass.

Mass was held at 11:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's.

Students also dressed up as Catholic Saints in preparation for celebrating All Saints Day on Nov. 1.

Submitted photos.

Perhaps a public conversation during a recent City Council meeting has resulted in several "helpful reminders" for the upcoming winter weather, or they were coming anyway, but citizens are asked to heed these seasonal rules to make the best of it for yourselves and others for the next several months.

This is the time
Driving conditions can change quickly, so be prepared for those changes. This is the time to check over your vehicle for proper operation of all safety features. This is the time to put on those snow tires if you use them. This is the time to check over your entire vehicle for winter driving.

There is “No Parking" on city streets between 2 and 6 a.m. If at all possible, try not to park on the street when snowing so that snow can be cleared to the curb line/edge of pavement.

Stay back from snowplows at least 100 feet. If you can't see the mirrors on the snowplow, then the snowplow operator cannot see you. Snowplow operators are out there to help make the roads safe.

The property owner's responsibility. Please keep your sidewalks clear of snow and ice. It is the property owner's responsibility to keep the sidewalks adjacent to your property clear. There are significant numbers of pedestrians in the city.

It was this issue that came up during a recent City Council meeting, as it often does at least once a year. A citizen complained about not being able to walk on the sidewalks when not shoveled, and she had to walk in the street along with school children. Council members encouraged folks to help out their neighbors when possible and understand there may be times when circumstances result in unshoveled pathways.

Do not shovel, plow, or snow blow into the road. If you have your driveway plowed, do not push it into or across the road or block sidewalks. These all create hazards for you and the community.

Be patient and plan ahead. None of us can control the weather. Leave more time for travel if the weather is forecasting snow. In severe weather, try to limit any unnecessary travel.

Bureau of Maintenance's first response: 

When it does snow the City Department of Public Works, Bureau of Maintenance, responds to the weather. Upon the initial onset of snow, the Bureau of Maintenance will respond with what we call a salt run.

Three plows outfitted with material spreaders are dispatched to apply anti-icing materials (rock salt) to roadways and parking lots. This will help prevent or break up snow from binding to the pavement. If snow persists and depending on the type of snow, this operation will change from a salt run to a plowing operation.

Bureau's typical plowing operation:
In a plowing operation, there are nine distinct routes designed for the most efficient use of our equipment. Be it wide streets, narrow streets, dead-ends or parking lots, we have different equipment to handle each unique area.

It takes about four hours to get through the city once in a moderate snow event. We normally try to get through the City twice during a plow operation.

Each snow event is different. Snow events vary from low moisture to high moisture, from flurries to high intensity, from relatively warm to bitter cold, with traffic or without traffic, day/night, weekends and holidays. Each impacts how we fight the snow, with our ultimate goal to keep the City open for business and safe for travel.

City officials thank you for your cooperation and ask you to be safe this winter season.

I was looking at our collection of Pat Burr’s drawings of old Batavia in the 60s and was amazed at all the stores that dotted Main Street. You really could walk down the street and, beginning at one end, mail a letter, buy a car, smoke a cigar, look for a gold watch, buy plumbing supplies, pick up your dry cleaning, buy paint, order a drink, have your picture taken, see a movie, eat a doughnut, have your shoes repaired or buy a new pair of shoes. 

If it was afternoon, you could have a drink, buy a sewing machine, smell the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread, pick up a prescription, buy a wedding gown, buy new shoes to go with the dress, order a man’s suit for the wedding, buy children’s clothing (you might need another drink after the cost of the wedding gown), have your eyes checked, purchase new furniture, drink a cherry Coke, register for new china, and have a late lunch. 

Continuing west on Main Street, you could make a bank withdrawal for the wedding, buy more jewelry, possibly a wedding band, pick up some fresh produce, purchase a new hat and a real mink coat, pick up another prescription, and buy more jewelry.

Now, see if you can match the names of these establishments and their merchandise with their locations on Main Street going east from Jefferson to Bank Street. 

In the 60s, on the north side of the street, there was Mancuso’s Dealership, Chris’ Gifts, The Smoke Shop, William Maney’s Store, Marchese’s Produce, and six jewelry stores, Krtanik, Martin Berman’s, Valle’s, Francis and Mead, Rudolph’s and Brenner’s. Clothing stores were plentiful: Alexander’s, Town Shop, Helen’s Darlings, A.M. and M. Clothiers, and Smart Shop. Bon Ton and Bell Hat Shops, Humboldt’s Furriers, and Charles Men Shop were also located on that side of the street, along with the beautiful Dipson Theater. 

There were two paint stores, Mosman’s and Sherwin Williams. There were many restaurants and drinking establishments: Mooney’s, Hamilton Hotel, Young’s Restaurant, Mike’s Hotel, Main Grill, Vic’s Grill, The Dagwood Restaurant, and Jackie’s Donuts. A favorite bakery was Grundler’s. A soda shop and candy store was called Kustas’. The furniture store was Bern Furniture, and the dry cleaner store was Jet Cleaners. Lawing Picture Studio, Singer Sewing, Genesee Hardware, Western Auto, and the drug stores of Whelan and Dean Drugs were located on different corners. There were four shoe stores: Ritchlin, Cultrara’s, Endicott and Johnson, and C.E. Knox. The shoe repair was called Boston Shoe Repair. 

How many of you could match the store with its location?

If you were traveling down the opposite side of the street, you would begin with the Court House and pass the County Building, where a beautiful Christmas tree would be on the lawn. Eventually, you would hope to have a deed to your new home filed at the clerk’s office. You couldn’t miss the Hotel Richmond on the corner that was now just an empty shell. Located within the building of the hotel was Rapid Dry Cleaners. Next was the three-story JC Penney Department Store. 

If you needed a uniform, The Uniform Shop was at your disposal. Kinney’s Family Shoe Store was located next to the Camera Shop. Caito’s Liquor Store was followed by Beardsley’s Men’s Store, Sleght’s Book Store, Bank of Batavia, Sugar Bowl, SS Kresge’s, Scott and Bean, Dean’s Drug, M & T Bank, Thomas and Dwyer, C.L. Carr’s Department Store, Marchese Produce, Good Friend Shop, Rudolph’s Jewelers, JJ. Newberry’s and WT Grant. 

Imagining all these stores decorated for the holidays makes you nostalgic for the simpler times and slower pace when the highlight of your week was going to the city on a Friday night to meet friends and shop! 

Thank you, Urban Renewal, for taking our Main Street. But you couldn’t remove our memories. Thank you, Pat Burr, the artist, for preserving Main Street with your beautiful artwork, that we are lucky to have your entire collection. 

Main Street lives on in our hearts. 

Photos by Pat Burr paintings of old Batavia taken in 2010 by Howard Owens at the Genesee County Nursing Home.

Press release:

The Genesee Region USBC has released its tournament schedule for the 2023-24 season, commencing with the Gladys Ford Senior Women's event in mid-November and culminating with the Association Team/Doubles & Singles tourney in April.

Nine tournaments, including three for youth bowlers, are on the schedule. StrikeForce Lanes in Oakfield, recently reopened under new ownership, is slated to host the Youth Doubles competition on Dec. 9-10.

The complete schedule is as follows:

Gladys Ford Senior Women – Nov. 11-12 – Medina Lanes

Senior Masters – Nov. 25 – Mancuso Bowling Center, Batavia

Youth Doubles – Dec. 9-10 – StrikeForce Lanes, Oakfield

Scratch Memorial – Jan. 6-7 – Mount Morris Lanes

Adult-Junior – Jan. 13 – Perry Bowling Center

Youth Team – Feb. 3-4 – Rose Garden Bowl, Bergen

No-Tap Doubles – Feb. 17-18 – Le Roy Legion Lanes

No-Tap Triples – March 23 – Letchworth Pines

Association (Team & D/S) – 4/5-7, 12-14 – Oak Orchard Bowl, Albion

For tournament entry forms, go to www.bowlgr.com.

HIGH LEAGUE SCORES FOR THE WEEK

In GRUSBC league action this week:

-- At Mancuso's, Geoff Harloff, Mike Pettinella and Rick Underhill topped the 700 mark. Harloff posted 267--722 in the County Line Stone Friday Trios, Pettinella finished with 278 for 715 in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples and Underhill rolled 702 in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday 4-Man.

-- At Medina Lanes, four bowlers posted 700 series in the Sunday Rolloffs League -- John Ross 279--759, Scott Gibson 267--714, Hayden Allis 242--707 and Buddy Foss 259--706.

The fact that Jennifer Cobb's birthday and Halloween fall so close together may be why she has such an affinity for the holiday, Cobb conceded during a tour of the haunted house she, her husband, and children created on their property in Bethany.

"My mom always kind of combined them," she said.

For one of her birthdays in her 20s, her mom bought her a casket.  

"Every year since I was a little kid, I've enjoyed Halloween," Cobb said. "I've always done big, extravagant things. This year, I decided to go super, super big. In the years past, I've built haunted houses out of my parent's garage and let the public in. I was on the news for that in Buffalo. Then we moved out here and did big huge parties, but I'm like, 'nobody's gonna come out here.' It's too much of a drive, and then we were like, we'll give it a shot, and I hope it's gonna be good. So we'll see. But I love Halloween. I love to scare people."

Her birthday is five days before Halloween.

If you visit the Leising Manor and Graveyard, you will start in the house's dining room, where you will gaze upon a rather macabre dining scene, then you will walk through a haunted kitchen and into the expansive back yard into the trails in the woods where you will find ghouls, goblins, witches, ghosts, cadavers and skeletons among the graveyards scattered among the trees.  

Asked why she likes Halloween, Cobb said, "I don't know. I think it's just because it takes people out of their element. Sometimes it makes them really question, 'What drives me, what scares me, what are my fears?' I don't know. I like the gore and the creativity of it. It means something to everybody different. It's just one of them things that you don't have to be a certain religion to like Halloween. You can just like it, you can be young, or old. It doesn't matter. There's no age limit."

The attraction is free, but Cobb said she is asking for donations.

"I'm trying to raise money for a friend who just recently had a fire and lost everything in the fire," she said.

The haunted house is open from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday and on Halloween, which is Tuesday.  If it rains, Cobb said, "we'll make the best of it."  The address is 9772 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

Photos by Howard Owens