A Town of Bethany justice has resigned following a complaint and investigation into alleged sexual harassment of a court clerk.

Judge Joseph Nowakowski was accused of sending unwanted text messages that were unrelated to the clerk's duties, according to a statement issued by the NYS Commission on Judicial Conduct.

The commission statement did not provide details on the content of the messages.

After the clerk reportedly asked Nowakowski to stop sending messages, he allegedly retaliated by seeking her termination as a court employee.

The judge resigned on June 1 as part of an agreement with the commission. Under the agreement, Nowakowski is barred from ever again serving in any judicial capacity.

Nowakowski, who is not an attorney, became a judge in 2022, and his term was set to expire in 2025.

The commission received a complaint about Nowakowski in February. 

A three-car motor vehicle accident is reported in the area of 5870 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany.

No word on injuries.

Bethany Fire and Stafford Fire dispatched. Mercy EMS dispatched.

On a clear, sunny Sunday morning, 158 people turned out to participate in the Batavia Downs Jackpot 5K, an event that benefited WNY Heroes, Inc.

Batavia resident Justin Vrooman, 24, had the best overall time at 15:09. Second, Matt Oberst, 43, of Farmington, at 15:31.

The top female runner was Miranda Gatto, 19, of Niagara Falls, at 15:22.

This was the second year of the event at Batavia Downs.

UPDATE: After this was posted, the family received a call, and Lyken is back home.

Lyken, a Golden Doodle puppy (less than a year old), is missing from her home at 233 South Swan St., Batavia.

She's been missing for more than 36 hours.

Lyken broke out of the yard on Saturday during fireworks.

Contacts:

• Jon, 585-483-1091
• Kaylynn, 585-813-3205
• Katie, 585-250-2721

Local organizations are increasingly relying on Facebook to announce their events and other important announcements without putting out a press release.

Click here to read why that's a bad idea.

Send press releases, announcements, calendar items, and media invites to news@thebatavian.com.

The 2024 senior class of Batavia High School held its prom on Saturday at WoodSmith Estates on Creek Road in Batavia.

For more photos or to purchase prints, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

One hundred and forty years ago, homes didn't have electricity, and there were no amateur photographers.

That's right. In 1884, neither General Electric nor Eastman Kodak's founders had launched their history-making companies, nor had Nabisco or Coca-Cola product their game-changing products to market yet.

But a pair of young businessmen in Oakfield, Ralph E. Chapin and brother-in-law Frank Harris, had devised an idea for a better container to store kerosene for lamps and Chapin Manufacturing was born.

On Saturday, Chapin International celebrated its 140th Anniversary under a massive tent at the company's headquarters at 400 Ellicott St., Batavia.

At 140, Chapin is Genesee County's oldest manufacturing company.

What makes Chapin special, and why has it not only lasted for 140 years under family ownership, said CEO Tim Onello, about to answer his own question: Dedication to excellence, quality and innovation, resilience, loyalty, and the people of Batavia.

"Chapin is a tough company that has survived World Wars, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, COVID, and other world events over the past 140 years," Onello said.

The company has always chosen long-term stability over short-term profit, Onello said. It has kept a sense of family and community through generations of employees.

"A company is a reflection of the people that are hard-working town with small town values that drive the culture," Onello said.

Onello then thanks top executives, introducing them individually, the board of directors, and a number of employees who have been with the company for decades.

Onello also recognized the accomplishments of his predecessor, Jim Campbell, who led the company for 20 years. 

Campbell, he said, worked tirelessly to lead the company and guide it to new heights. 

"He was a visionary, tough, loyal to the company and very loyal to the employees," Onello said. "Under his leadership, the company achieved record growth and is well-positioned to compete in the future."

The board's chairwoman, Andris Chapin, spoke of the company's history when her great-grandfather and Frank opened a hardware store in Oakfield and quickly noticed that customers struggled with keeping their home kerosene for their lamps stored safely. They decided they could build a better can and began manufacturing cans in the basement of their store. 

The line of cans was successful and Ralph and Frank were looking at branching out into author products, such as sprayers, when a fire broke out in the basement. The hardware store destroyed, they moved into an abandoned Methodist church in Oakfield. That location also caught on fire, though a lot of product and machinery were saved.

That's when the business partners decided to go their separate ways. Ralph bought out Frank's share of the manufacturing business in 1896 and moved it to a hay barn on Liberty Street in Batavia. At that location, the business grew and expanded quickly.

When the company moved into plastic around 1981, it needed to find a new location. It so happened that Sylvania closed its factory on Ellicott Street, and Chapin moved in.

Today, Chapin has seven manufacturing locations, including one in China and one in Indonesia. Chapin Internation employees more than 400 people in the U.S.

Chapin remains family-owned, with 13 descendants of Ralph Chapin holding shares. The youngest is 11, and the oldest is 100.

Andris said Chapin is successful because of its employees. She noted that about 92 percent of the people attending the celebration were current and former employees.

"I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for us, for my family, for yourself, for me," Chapin said. "We've been happy to employ you and to help you."

Previously: Jim Campbell passes Chapin's leadership role to WNY native Tim Onello

For more photos or to buy prints, click here.

A Juneteenth Celebration was held in Williams Park on Saturday afternoon.

The event included food, live music, and vendor booths.

It was organized by Just Kings, a Batavia-based community group.

Juneteenth falls on Wednesday this year. On June 19, 1865, the last slaves still being held in bondage in Texas were freed, bringing to an end an ugly chapter of United States history.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Comedian, stage and TV actor, and Batavia resident for more than a decade, Hiram Kasten, passed away Sunday morning at Crossroads House. He was 71.

Kasten's TV roles included a recurring part of Seinfeld, the character Michael, a co-worker of Elaine Benes (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). He had guest starring roles in “Mad About You,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Some of his other TV credits included “7th Heaven”, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Saved by the Bell,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Cybill,” and “L.A. Law.” 

One of his proudest roles was playing Joey Bishop in the hit Las Vegas review The Rat Pack. 

While working in New York, Kasten met his future wife, a young lady from Batavia, Diana Kisiel.  They married on June 15, 1986.  They later relocated to Los Angeles, where they lived for 25 years before moving to Batavia.

Their daughter, Millicent Jade Kastenbaum, now lives in Manhattan and is an assistant district attorney.

Hiram is the son of Samuel Kastenbaum and Mildred Polansky Kastenbaum. He was born in the Bronx on Oct. 30, 1952.

For his full obituary, click here.

A cornhole tournament was hosted by the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Saturday.  Proceeds from the Back the Blue Tournament benefit the family of Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello. The Sheriff's Office veteran died in the line of duty on March 10.,

Press Release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) in Batavia, will soon begin a six-week late afternoon Youth Support Group for teens between 14 and 18 years old with a disability. 

It will take place from 4 - 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays from June 27 to August 8 (with a week off on July 4) at the Independent Living office in the Crickler Executive Business Center, 319 West Main Street Batavia (look for the green awning). It is a free program, and a light dinner will be provided. Transportation may be available with registration.

It is designed to provide a SAFE space for youth to: socialize with peers; work in a group and independently; learn tools for working through difficult emotions; and gain resources for support.

A novel aspect of this program is that we will be using the “Express It” journal to work through different topics such as feelings and emotions each week.

Please note that this is not “therapy”, it is a self-directed group that allows the use of artistic expression with a group of peers; however participants do not have to be “artistic” to attend; we encourage all to participate and find your own tools.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, Space is limited. Please contact: April Fearby, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program Specialist at 585-815-8501, ext. 401, or via email afearby@wnyil.org.

Along with ILGR our co-sponsors are the Young Leaders and Advocates Network and the Genesse & Orleans County Health Departments.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

The Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs program is funded by the New York State Department of Health using federal Health Resources and Services Administration Title V funding. The opinions, results, findings and/or interpretations of content contained herein are the responsibility of the Contractor and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations, or policy of the State or Federal funding agency.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia continues to seek funding to address aging water infrastructure and lead service lines across the City.

Currently the City has applied for three separate different water related grants including:

1. A Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant for a $4.17 M project to replace two aging water lines including the Cohocton and Walnut.
2. A Congressional Direct Funding request submitted to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney for a $3.4 M project to replace aging water lines on Pearl Street.
3. Filed an Intended Use Plan (IUP) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) funding request through Federal BIL Funding for the replacement of 900 lead service lines across the City of Batavia.

“The City is dedicated to improving our water system and making necessary repairs on infrastructure to reduce the amount of annual loss of water in the system and remove lead lines from the City. We have had discussions with County, State, and Federal representatives regarding the importance of these projects and look forward to a positive result related to our grant applications,” said Rachael Tabelski, City of Batavia City Manager.

The City of Batavia tracks lost water within our water system and currently in 2023 we lost approximately 23% of water produced at the Batavia Water Plant. This is defined as leakage. Leakage is water lost during transmission between the Batavia Water Plant and the individual meters at customer locations.

“The City conducts leak reports periodically to identify issues with City water transmission lines as a proactive measure to maintaining our water system. The leak report, along with Water Department field work, help the City identify water lines that need repair and replacement,” said Brett Frank, Director of Public Works.

As the City identifies aging and problematic water lines, they are placed into the City’s strategic capital plan and the cost to replace and repair is identified. The City then works to budget for the replacement of water lines through capital reserves and pursues grant funding for these projects.

In the past two years, the City has replaced water lines on Bank St. and Jackson St. which were identified as problematic based on leaks and breaks. Other water line improvements since 2017 include Harvester Ave., Richmond Ave., Union St., South Main St., Brooklyn Ave., and Summit St.

“Batavia is like many industrial North Eastern City’s with aging infrastructure and water loss attributed to aging infrastructure.  We continue to plan for, and execute on projects that will improve the system and reduce the lost water.  We are encouraged from the support we are receiving on grants for these projects to lower the burden on City residents,” said Tabelski.

According to the EPA, National studies indicate that, on average, 14 percent of water treated by water systems is lost to leaks. Some water systems have reported water losses exceeding 60 percent. Accounting for water and minimizing water loss are critical functions for any water utility that wants to be sustainable.

Two hot teams square off at Dwyer Stadium, as the Americans look to knock off the Muckdogs who are on an 8-game winning streak

Capitano (NF) v.s. Misiti (BAT)

#GoDogs

A two-vehicle accident partially blocking is reported on Main Street, Batavia, in front of Dunn Tire.

Fluids leaking.

No word on injuries.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Press Release:

Ronald Reagan once famously said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.” 

In the final days of this year’s legislative session, those words rang true throughout the halls of the Capitol. From radical climate policies to disastrous criminal justice reforms, the Majority played their greatest hits as they pushed countless initiatives through the Assembly in the dead of night when they thought no one was paying attention.

A prime example of this is Assembly Bill A.3780-E, which would require any new construction in the state with off-street parking to build electric vehicle charging stations. While on the surface this proposal may seem harmless, in practice it will be completely wasteful. Under this law, any new buildings, both residential and commercial, will have to include electric charging stations and parking spots even if there is no demand for them. This is pure legislative virtue signaling trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

The Majority also took another shot at our state’s justice system by repealing the lifetime ban on felons serving on a jury. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths downstate politicians will take to compromise our public safety. We already have a process for felons to restore their ability to serve on a jury. This initiative will only tip the scales of justice in favor of convicts and take away even more credibility from our “reformed” criminal justice system. I’m all for second chances, but these lawmakers seem more concerned with protecting and coddling criminals than they are with defending victims and their families.

Sometimes failing to do the right thing is just as harmful as intentionally doing the wrong thing. The Majority exemplified this in the final days of the legislative session as they decided to not allow a bill aimed at helping older veterans. I sponsored an initiative (A.2050) that would exempt veterans over the age of 85 from paying state income tax. When the Majority had an opportunity to bring this bill to a vote, they pulled out all the stops to make sure it never saw the light of day. Sadly, this is how they operate. Instead of being transparent with New Yorkers, they’ll try to shut down any bill they disagree with so they can avoid responsibility from their constituents.

Even with the many disappointing and wasteful policies that came out of this year’s legislative session, there was some good that came out of it. For one, we were able to pass the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act. This proposal would help protect children and teens from addictive social media algorithms that are damaging to their sleep, education and mental health by requiring parental consent before using those apps and limiting late-night notifications. This bill exemplified the progress we can make when we work across the aisle to create common-sense legislation. 

My colleagues and I also passed an initiative to honor one of our local heroes. Before this year’s legislative session, I partnered with Sen. George Borrello to designate a portion of State Route 77 in the town of Darien as the Sgt. Terry James Garigen Memorial Highway. Sgt. Garigen was a decorated Vietnam war hero who served his community through the town highway department, volunteer fire department and the Region 1 Patriot Guard Riders. I believe serving your country is one of the highest honors an American can have and I’m proud to honor Sgt. Garigen in this way.

Overall, the Majority left a lot to be desired at the end of the legislative session. New Yorkers are still struggling to make ends meet in the middle of an affordability crisis, but they increased spending for wasteful programs. Residents feel less safe than they ever have before, but the Majority continued to pass pro-criminal policies instead of keeping convicts off the streets. We need real solutions to fix these issues. We need to lower the cost of living, institute stronger penalties to deter crime and provide more support for our law enforcement officers.

Since day one I’ve been committed to standing up against these radical and backward policies. As long as I’m in the state Assembly, you will always have a voice representing your interests in Albany as we continue to work toward making New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Press Release:

All motorists please be aware that River Street will be closed to all through traffic on Monday, June 17 and Tuesday, June 18, from 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. for paving operations.

This work is weather dependent; please plan for any traffic delays and seek alternate routes.

All residents within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during the operation. Contact the Bureau of Maintenance at 585-345-6400 opt. 1 if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your cooperation.

Asphalt was laid today along the north side of the Alva Place parcel, where a new police station is under construction.

After learning in April that contractors planned to close off the entire parking lot during the construction of the police station, neighboring business owners, many of them with medical offices, complained about losing easy access to handicapped parking. The city worked with the project manager and devised a plan to reconstruct a portion of the parking lot quickly so it could be returned to service for those businesses and their clients.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski said she expects spaces to be striped next week, and the lot will open soon after that is completed.

Previously: City issues two-phase parking plan for new police station construction staging area

The Business Improvement District's Cider Walk returns to Downtown Batavia on Saturday, June 22.

The second annual walk starts at 3:45 p.m. with registration at Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union on Jefferson Avenue. Registration ends at 5:45 p.m. and the walk continues until 8 p.m.

Paid participants can stop at 18 different downtown businesses to sample a variety of ciders as well as shop at local retailers.

Tickets are available at YNgodess Shop, TVFCU, and Eventbrite.

Ticket sales are limited to 300.

Participants must be 21 years of age or older. The BID asks "no children, please."

"Come Downtown, taste great ciders, meet new people, see old friends, and create memories while you shop small and support your local businesses," said BID Director Shannon Maute.