Special Benefit for Early Access Pass Members: One free pass to the Home Show. If you’re not yet a member, join today to receive this special member’s benefit.

Kate Willson, owner of Meraki Beauty, has good news for those people disappointed by the closing of the downtown Batavia Artemis Spa and perhaps even better news for customers holding unredeemable gift cards for the now-defunct business that abruptly closed two weeks ago.

Willson has signed a lease for the property at 206 E. Main St. and plans to renovate the interior to correspond with a new look, feel and name of “a new spa and boutique,” she said.

“This was a way for us to kind of expand our services. So we're looking to remodel the Artemis space and give it a fresh face. We're doing a full remodel to the inside of it and rebranding it under a new name, which we aren't releasing yet,” Willson said to The Batavian Monday. “We’re hoping to open in mid-June, it could be as soon as two months. We’re taking it day by day. 

“We’re kind of giving it a facelift all throughout. So we will be enhancing the treatment rooms and really making them more state-of-the-art. I personally have a passion for the industry and have been to all the spas around, so I feel like I have some great new ideas that we're going to incorporate into the space.”

She said that hair services would remain at Meraki Beauty, which is at 108 W. Main St. That will allow for all other spa services and a front-end boutique at the new site.

“We’re actually going to transform the front of the space into a boutique, so something to kind of correlate with Charles Men’s Shop, but more for the women of the community,” she said. “So we’ll have clothing, small gifting items and we’ll also be featuring small local vendors.”

She plans to also offer an apothecary with Meraki’s own Sorella skincare line, candles, and similar items.

“We're definitely excited to be able to bring in the boutique end of it and more clothing,” she said. “I feel like a lot of our husbands and boyfriends support Charles Men’s Shop, and so we're excited to be able to bring something more local for easy shopping in our community and to kind of showcase those local vendors to show the talent of the community and give them a place to showcase that.”

She said the plan is to rotate three or four of those local vendors in and out so that the offerings will change from time to time. 

Willson has owned and operated Meraki Beauty just a half mile down on West Main Street for five years and has been in the beauty business for the last 13 years. After working in other salons, she decided to branch out to create “a more welcoming space” in a hair salon that treated customers with respect and provided a pampering haven, and Meraki Beauty was born. 

According to her website, meraki means “to put love, creativity and soul into everything you do.”

In the past five years, the business has gone from just Willson to a dozen employees, she said, serving as testimony to its resilience and success. 

Willson and Social Media Manager Brianna Dioguardi agreed that the salon and spa staff's current and future teams will work hard to create “amazing services and a friendly environment” for customers and have already established a solid presence in the hair business. 

They are excited to be jumping into the spa arena, they said.

A few Artemis stylists joined Willson before the spa closed, she said, and now she is excited to bring them back into what she believes is coming full circle with a full spa experience of massage, waxing, manicures, pedicures, and facials.

She is waiting for the legal process of setting up a new business to finish before officially announcing the new shop's name, which will provide “a retail and beautiful sanctuary spa” and boutique experience while hair services will remain at Meraki Beauty. 

“We are doing a full hiring process looking to keep on some of our existing staff and opening doors to new talent. There is a full array for us to expand our services. We’re excited for that for the fact that it is going to provide a lot of new jobs, because we are going to have a full reception team. So there will always be someone in the front of the house to be there for the retail end of things,” she said. “And I do think that is going to be something that helps us take the Artemis to the next level of the spa industry and really provide the best services we can.”

She expects to hire about 15 to 20 people to transform the place into “a spa versus a salon,” she said. A large part of her excitement is taking over the business due to the former site’s “long-lived legacy of 20 years of success in our area.”

“We are very open to finding the right talent and people willing to care for people and provide the right services. Everyone will have to be licensed,” she said of the search for talented massage therapists, estheticians and nail techs. “And we are looking to add to our reception team. And I know for me, I have such a great team around me, so I’m really excited for us to kind of take it and propel it forward and just give it that love that it’s always needed.” 

Services will be by appointment only from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Speaking of services, those with unexpired gift cards from Artemis may use them for 50 percent of the value at Willson’s spa with proof of purchase or the physical gift card. 

“We want to do that as good faith, knowing that people have supported this business for so long,” Willson said. “Obviously, for me taking over the business, I haven't received any of that money, so it's definitely just something we want to do just to really pay tribute to the Artemis and what it's been and treat the consumers in our area who have really supported this and hopefully will continue to.”

For updates on the spa’s progress and/or to connect with Willson to apply for a position, go to merakibeauty.salon.

Le Roy's Lynne Belluscio said these pink flamingos arrived in her yard this morning. She sent along this note:

The flamboyance arrived early this morning in LeRoy.  They were able to navigate through the trees and landed in Lynne Belluscio’s front yard. Their annual arrival on April 1 is always a pink letter day.  Lynne noticed that they were wearing solar eclipse glasses for next Monday.  Lynne is preparing some shrimp for them and has shown them the two chimneys on her house, which are possible nesting sites, although they will probably fly to Oatka Creek.  

Le Roy flamingos are identified by their habit of standing on one leg because the Oatka Creek is so cold. Lynne also shared with The Batavian that she understands that Placido Flamingo will join Genny the cow and the other barnyard animals featured in the book "Genny Sees the Eclipse" to ensure everyone wears protective glasses during the eclipse next week.   

Which reminds us of this poem by Kay Ryan (April, after all, besides being the cruelest month, is also National Poetry Month: Flamingo Watching
 

Location location location-this property has very favorable commercial zoning with high visibility, great traffic counts and within 10 miles of three NYS Thruway exits plus every other main route-5,20,33,63,77,and 98!! Property shares boundary lines with the GCEDC Ag Park and a National Grid substation. There are two freestanding buildings on property which can be used or easily removed. There has been a clean Phase 1 recently completed as of July 2019. This property is priced below neighboring commercial lots-a lot of opportunity for the price!

Two ambulances are requested to Ellicott Street Road and Starr Road, Pavilion, for an accident involving a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle.

One person reportedly unable to get out of a vehicle.

Mercy Flight was on standby but is canceled.

Pavilion Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Stafford Fire quested to shutdown traffic at Route 20 and Route 63 and Le Roy Fire requested to shutdown traffic at Route 19 and Route 63.

Traffic is blocked in both directions on Route 63 by the accident.

UPDATE 5:31 p.m.: One person extricated.

UPDATE 7:17 p.m.: Route 63 reopened.

UPDATE: According to Pavilion Chief Jason Everett, two people were injured. He said it appeared a semi-truck was westbound on Route 63 in the slow lane. When it came time to merge, a pickup truck was in the passing lane, and the semi-driver apparently did not see the pickup truck and moved into the passing lane. The pickup was forced into the lane of oncoming traffic and hit an SUV. The pickup then swerved, bounced off the semi-truck, and punctured a saddle tank. After the collision, the pickup continued down a 20-foot embankment. The SUV driver was extricated and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy EMS. The two people in the pickup truck declined treatment at the scene and were transported to UMMC by private vehicle.  The saddle tanks leaked approximately 50 liters of diesel fuel. Genesee County's Hazmat team assisted with cleanup.  Route 63 was closed for approximately three hours.

For fans of vehicle racing, the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena was the place to be, with motorbikes and four-wheelers among the motorized machines taking to the frozen surface for fast trips around the track.

Anthony Barlow started Extreme Ice Racing 20 years ago, met Robbie Nichols in Elmira 15 years ago, and Nichols became a friend and supporter of the sport.

Last year, Nichols brought Extreme Ice Racing to Batavia for the first time.

"We got a few different classes," Barlow said. "We got the speedway bikes that go from zero to 60 in under three seconds, and they have no brakes. And we've got the four-wheelers, which people can really relate to because most people have a four-wheeler, and you've got the flat-track bikes. You've got the kids racing cars, people love kids, and then you've got the go-karts. So when people come, you never know what you can get with ice racing."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors approved a final resolution for LNK Holdings Inc./Craft Cannery’s expansion of its contract manufacturing facility in the town of Bergen at its board meeting on Thursday, March 28.

The proposed $1.465 million project enables Craft Cannery to expand operations at Apple Tree Acres by adding 4,000 sq. ft. to its existing 5,000 sq. ft. facility. The USDA-certified contract manufacturer provides dozens of customers with the capacity to ramp production of sauces, dressings, marinades, and other foods, produce small-batch foods, and pilot unique recipes for commercialization.

“The agribusiness industry continues to propel our region’s economy, having a successful and growing food and beverage cluster from Bergen to Pembroke represents the type of investments that have made Genesee County a destination for the private sector,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.

The expansion will create 4 new full-time jobs and retain 6 full-time positions. Craft Cannery previously won a $500,000 grant at the 2022 Grow-NY Global Food and Agribusiness Competition that supports the expansion.

The company has requested payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), sales, and mortgage tax exemptions valued at $72,496 to support the expansion. The proposed incentives for the additional 4,000 sq. ft. are estimated to return $3.06 million in projected wages and municipal revenues. The project would generate a $62 economic impact for every $1 of requested incentives.

The GCEDC board also approved a final resolution from LeatherLeaf Solar LLC for a 5 MW community solar farm in the town of Byron. The $9 million project is projected to generate $4,000/megawatts (AC) annually + a 2% annual escalator of revenues to Genesee County and Byron-Bergen Central School District, along with a host agreement with the Town of Byron. 

The bowling community came out in force to remember one of its own over the weekend and a Batavia organization dedicated to providing end-of-life care reaped the rewards.

Seventy-one teams participated in the first Paul Townsend Memorial No-Tap Doubles Tournament on Saturday at StrikeForce Lanes in Oakfield, helping to raise more than $3,000 for Crossroads House, a not-for-profit two-bed comfort home on Liberty Street that serves terminally ill residents of Genesee and Wyoming counties.

A portion of the entry fees plus proceeds from a large number of basket raffles and other fundraisers went to Crossroads House in memory of Paul Townsend, a lifelong Batavian and avid bowler who passed away on Sept. 27, 2023, at the age of 61. 

The tournament was organized by his wife, Joanne; son, James, and daughter and son-in-law, Holly and Joshua Napoli, with assistance from family members, friends and representatives of Crossroads House.

James addressed the bowlers and others who took part in the event before each of the three squads of bowling.

"We can't thank you enough for the support you have shown our family," he said. "My father would be overwhelmed by the turnout here today."

Twelve of the 71 teams earned prize money, with Dennis Maid of Byron teaming up with Jeff Pangrazio of Batavia to earn the $400 first prize with a 1,789 score with handicap.

Bill Lyons Sr. of Elba and Ron Shultz of Oakfield placed second with 1,737, good for $280, while brothers Peyton and Colton Yasses of Oakfield finished in third place with 1,693, winning $240.

Other cashers were as follows:

Cassidy Bratcher and Jimmy Macaluso of Le Roy, 1,688 ($200); Bob Zemla of Buffalo and Bob Van Dorn of Batavia, 1,663 ($190); Corey Winters of Middleport and Alishia Foss of Brockport, 1,659 ($170); Jane Chaddock and James Elmore of Batavia, 1,640 ($150); Danielle Schultz and Chris Fowler of Batavia, 1,611 ($130).

Dennis Maid and Chase Cone of Bergen, 1,606 ($120); Rich Mortellaro of Corfu and Scott Shields of Batavia, 1,589 ($100); Aiden Warner of Basom and Peyton Yasses, 1,588 ($90); Shawn Illerbrun of Warsaw and Brian Green of Batavia, 1,586 ($70).

The tournament was sponsored by Striking Effects Pro Shop in Batavia and StrikeForce Lanes/Rusty Rail Bar & Grill.

Press release:

Please be advised that construction on the Jackson Street Water project will resume on Monday, April 1st, with the installation of interconnections on Ellicott Street. Water loss should be expected from Main to Ellicott on Liberty Street and possibly the surrounding area, depending on valve closures needed. If discolored water occurs when water pressure is regained, please avoid doing laundry or cooking until the water runs clear.

 We apologize for any inconvenience, and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.

Mike Szatkowski said everything changed once he entered the 10th frame of the third game on lanes 1-2 at Mancuso Bowling Center last Tuesday night.

Bowling in the Brighton Securities Triples League, the Batavia left-hander, who turned 38 today, went into the final frame with nine consecutive strikes -- needing three more to secure his first United States Bowling Congress-certified 300 game.

"Getting the first seven, eight or nine strikes didn't faze me because I've had that before but once I got to the 10th frame, I could feel the adrenaline kick in and my heart pumping faster," said Szatkowski (photo at right), manager of Fastenal on East Main Street Road.

Despite the pressure mounting on each delivery, Szatkowski came through by placing the ball in the 1-2 pocket each time for the perfect game. He said his previous best was 289.

For the night, he led his team with a 755 series, with the 300 following games of 251 and 204. He bowls with his cousin, Ben Miles, and longtime friend and former college roommate, Dan Zambito.

Also in the league, veteran kegler Rick Saunders of Batavia rolled a 279 middle game en route to a 723 series.

At Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, Robbie Hanks set the pace in the Thursday Men's Triples League with a 235-268-278--781 series.

ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT STARTS FRIDAY

The 17th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament, the season-ending Team, Doubles, Singles and All-Events competition, is scheduled for April 5-7, 12-14 at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

The GRUSBC has extended the "paid in full" deadline for the first weekend to this Tuesday -- giving bowlers more time to get their entry forms filled out and sent with their checks to the association office, 55 Edgewood Drive, Batavia, NY 14020.  The deadline for the second weekend is April 9.

To sign up in advance, call 585-861-0404 or send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com. Entry forms can be found at www.bowlgr.com.

A Proprietor's Squad, with complimentary food and beverages, is scheduled for this Friday at 6:30 p.m. A few spots remain on that squad.

Live Stream: City Church Easter Morning Service

When members of the Kiwanis Club of Batavia say to be ready at 9 a.m. sharp in Centennial Park for the annual Easter Egg Hunt, they ain't kidding.

Hundreds of hours of work by volunteers with the club and the Key Club at Batavia High School are spent stuffing 5,000 plastic Easter eggs with 10,000 pieces of candy, which are collected in baskets by kids eager for sweet treats, prizes, and the thrill of the hunt in under 10 minutes.

"I look forward to it every year," said Matt Landers with the Kiwanis Club. "The Kiwanians look forward to it every year. The Key Club looks forward to it. It's a total team effort, and we all get into it. It's even better when we have a sunny day like it is today."

In the days leading up to the hunt, Landers and helpers put out a golden Easter egg in Centennial Park each day. The eggs enable the finder to redeem a coupon for a 12-inch chocolate bunny from Oliver's Candies.  On the day of the hunt, there are nine more golden eggs laid out in the park -- three for each age group -- that also enable the finder to win a giant chocolate bunny.

The daily hunt for golden easter eggs started during the pandemic shutdown of group events and the Kiwanis Club decided to retain it even though in-person hunts are now possible.

That makes for a total of 16 12-inch chocolate bunnies given out to community children.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

When Michael DeAngelo was 5, he stole his brother’s bike and, while on his wild excursion of crime, was hit by a car, causing damage that resulted in terrible migraine-like headaches for the next several years.

“My parents finally, in my early teens, took me to a chiropractor, and my headaches got much better,” he says. “And I thought, well, I can do that. And that's how it all started.” 

Those treatments made enough of a lasting impression that the 1985 Oakfield-Alabama High School grad decided to go into the field of chiropractic care. He attended Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first of its kind of educational institution in the world, obtained his credentials and returned from the midwest to eventually set up a practice in Batavia. 

I worked for a guy who was an associate in Cheektowaga for six months and decided it was time for me to get out on my own. And I figured where else am I gonna go, I'm a local guy. And I'm like, well, you know what, I'm just going to start in Batavia with small aspirations, just get a small practice going.,” he said. “And it's turned into a lot more than I thought it would. If you told me where I'd be right now, I would have laughed at you back then because I never thought we'd get this busy.”

About a month ago, he heard about Dr. Ryan Funke becoming a chiropractor because his wife Kayla is friends with DeAngelo’s daughter Christina. It turns out that DeAngelo adjusted (a chiropractic term) Kayla years ago as a kid. 

“And then here she is growing up and marrying a chiropractor, and I find out he's working as an associate … we started going out to lunch and talking about things. And a lot of what I was looking for in an associate, he was checking all the boxes and saying all the right things,” DeAngelo said. “And I thought this is good because I had been looking for an associate, you know, flirting with the idea of bringing somebody on. And I had talked to two other doctors, and I just didn't think they'd be a good fit. And then when I met Dr. Funke, I'm like, This guy's gonna work out.”

From October 1992 until now, Dr. DeAngelo has been soaring, estimating that he has seen more than 25,000 people in the past 32 years, he said. 

If you’re thinking this is a setup for a retirement story, it is far from that, he says. Instead, DeAngelo has been looking for an associate who can work alongside him to ease the burden of a thriving business and maybe even help him slow down a little bit.

“It was strange. COVID came along, and the world shut down, but the practice really didn’t. And I wasn’t very worried about COVID; I was more worried about trying to see patients. My staff all went home, and for about four months, when it first hit, it was just my wife and my daughter helping me out. And I thought I’d be dead in the water with nothing to do. But the phone kept ringing,” he said. “I’m even busy here. I worked harder by myself, with just my wife and my daughter helping me out. I didn’t even cut down 50 percent during COVID. And then that summer, the first summer of COVID, I ended up hiring a couple extra staff members … Once I got new staff, the numbers just kept getting bigger and bigger. 

“The last three years, I’ve been hitting it pretty hard and working harder than I have ever worked,” he said. “And I thought this is a sign I’ve gotta start slowing down and taking it easier and get an associate because if it keeps going the way it is, there’s more than what I want to deal with.”

He currently has four part-time staff members and plans to hire another part-time person to help out in the office. His leisure time priorities are to travel, spend time with his and wife Heidi’s four grandchildren, and rest and relax for a change. 

So what’s the plan?

Ryan Funke, a well-known native of Batavia and a 2011 BHS graduate, joined the practice this past month.

His path wasn’t quite so clear, as Funke first opted to go to St. John Fisher College to major in biology and pursue something in health sciences, he said. He graduated in 2015 and took a hiatus from that career path to work in a lumber yard, where he experienced a lot of “back-breaking” physical labor, at least figuratively, he said. 

He knew he didn’t want to pursue a traditional health track and also ruled out his initial thoughts of orthopedics or pharmacy. Admittedly, was was “very bad with blood,” he said.

“Both of those didn't really fit; it's not really what I wanted to do. I wanted to work more with my body, I wanted to be more active, and I wanted to give back,” Funke said.

So he was playing rugby at St. John Fisher, and someone who was going to a chiropractic school piqued his interest and told him he would make a great chiropractor and be a good fit for the profession. So he visited the New York Chiropractic College. 

“And then I went to visit and fell in love with the profession,” he said. “I got adjusted for the first time at the school, and it made a world of difference for me, not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well.”

He pursued his degree and “saw a lot of great things,” such as how chiropractic treatments helped a young woman suffering from migraines and made her “quality of life so much better.”

Describing his own motto for the practice, Funke said, “People move better and live better through less pain, better range of motion and just overall better health.”

That’s what I want to do: increase the quality of life, helping people move better, live better, and have overall better health,” he said. 

Funke graduated in 2019 and worked in Buffalo and Ohio for a few years before he realized the distance to Batavia was too much.

“I was homesick, and I wanted to be closer to family and to provide services for the community I grew up in,” he said. 

He knew DeAngelo and his wife Kayla had told him when the longtime doctor was looking for an associate. They then got together for a few business lunches, and “every lunch meeting we had, I thought, ‘this is good, this looks more and more favorable,’” DeAngelo said.

Funke added that the two have “a very similar philosophy … what we think chiropractic can give back to patients.”

One misnomer about the profession is that “we get labeled as back doctors,” DeAngelo said when they work with patients to either treat what’s going on, whether it’s colic in a baby or aches in a 90-year-old or evaluate the situation and refer them to an appropriate physician who can help treat an issue not within their professional protocols. That has included aneurysms, tumors and hips in need of surgery.

DeAngelo’s tagline has been “When in pain, think of chiropractic first,” he said. 

“Usually when we get a patient, they usually fall into two categories: either it's somebody that's a family member or friend that told him to come here, or it's somebody brand new to chiropractic and scared to death. And you think they're about ready to get up and leave because they're so nervous about being here. But those are the best patients; those are the ones that are great because you open up a whole new world to them, and adjust them and get them doing better. And you walk them through the whole procedure of how it's going to go. And then 99 percent of the time, they’re so pleasantly surprised that it was easy, painless,” he said. “And they're usually here because they're at their wit's end, they've been everywhere else, and they don't know what else to do. They've tried a physical therapist, they've tried the medications, they've talked to a surgeon, they're scared of surgery, their back’s against the wall, I don't know what else to do.”

Funke further elaborated on how the practice works.

“There are so many things that can happen that create pressure in the spine and the nervous system. And usually, when you start to adjust the patient, they get better, and as Dr. DeAngelo said, it’s two to three visits,” Funke said. “And if their symptoms are getting progressively worse, that's when we need to explore other options, imaging, etc.

“And I don't want to speak for Dr. DeAngelo, but he is extremely proficient at diagnosing those things on imaging, just having a gut instinct … tumors, cancer,” he said. “The weirdest thing that I've seen, I had a patient that had a mass in her uterus that was putting pressure on her spine, cervical nerves, stuff like that, that we just had to refer out. And she was so happy that we were able to get her to the right person. So for us to be a portal of entry doctors is awesome because we can actually refer them to the right person for them.”

People would be surprised at how adept chiropractors are at reading MRIs and diagnostic tests, DeAngelo said. He feels good knowing that there are now two of them at his practice able to provide feedback to patients and offer appointments Monday through Saturday, oftentimes the same day upon request. 

He has also come to know how popular Funke is — most everyone seems to either know Ryan or a family member, including his mom Toni, dad Ron and Uncle Dick on Channel 10. He and Funke agree that it’s  the right fit for what DeAngelo describes as a “family practice for sure.”

“I’m happy to be home. I was an athlete growing up, I can be a familiar face, a trusted individual. All I want is the best for patients and the community,” he said. “I’ve just been around athletics for a while; I’m a huge Bills fan, so that's where I devote a lot of my time, and my research is to sports and athletics. I hope to coach one day, and hopefully, that coaching platform can give me an opportunity to help with any sports injuries that we encounter every day and just be that kind of person to educate and give back and help those individuals out because a lot of the times surgery is not the first option for them. It's good to get checked out by more conservative care and, if need be, get to the next level of care if that is warranted.”

DeAngelo’s office is at 154 Pearl St., Batavia. For more information, call 585-343-4862.

Lester Gill, a U.S. Navy veteran who, as a teenager, used to race motocross and later enjoyed building intricate Lego models, was a dog lover — adopting Shiba Inu Max as a faithful companion for him — and was a meat cutter at Tops Friendly Market in Warsaw while living in Batavia.

After he was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago, Gill also brought a tank full of tropical freshwater fish into his life as a source of peace and comfort while battling his illness with chemo and radiation treatments.

When it seemed imminent that the 52-year-old was going to lose that battle, he checked into Crossroads House in Batavia. The nonprofit’s founder, Kathy Panepento, said that one of his biggest concerns was not about himself, she said. 

He was worried about his fish and the tank.

“He said ‘it brought me peace, it brought me comfort, and I don’t know what to do with it,’” she said Thursday at the house on Liberty Street. 

Panepento, with the help of four people from a local pet store, was able to arrange for Gill’s fish tank to be relocated to Crossroads. She pointed out the location where it would be, and Gill gave her “a little smirk” of satisfaction, she said. He died March 25. 

A small marble table was moved aside and the empty space seemed to be waiting to perfectly accommodate the 55-gallon tank. But not before some maneuvering, lugging and hauling of water.

“It took 10 buckets of water,” James McLaughlin said of the emptying and refilling process. He and his team of colleagues carefully preserved the fish in separate containers, and then carried the tank, he estimated to be about 150 pounds, down a flight of narrow stairs from Gill’s Batavia apartment. 

They drove it over to Crossroads and set it all up, complete with the featured fish: Perry the pleco (Plecostomus), a black highly visible character with a very prominent oval-shaped mouth, suitable for scraping food such as algae off the tank walls. He’s a very good poser and not at all camera shy.

Once in place, the tank emitted a soft fountain-like bubble sound that everyone agreed seemed soothing.

“It will bring a lot of joy to a lot of people,” new house Executive Director Tracy Ford said. 

Gill’s parents, John and Joyce, had driven from Florida three weeks ago to be with him, and they and two of his siblings were with him when he died. 

“Those people who came into our lives are saviors,” Mrs. Gill said. “This is beautiful. I helped at a Hospice, that was not a bit like this. This is fabulous. Everybody was so friendly, and they were so friendly to him. He didn’t want us to come, but we did. ”

It took some coaxing to get them to describe the real Lester — exuding a tough exterior and perhaps a bit of rough and tumble bravado on the outside, he was actually nothing like that, his dad said.

“And anybody that I’ve talked to up here who knows him, even the people at the laundromat this morning said he was the most gentle and kind person,” Mr. Gill said. “Anybody we talked to said the same thing, and that makes me proud.” 

Panepento added that, despite being in pain during his time at Crossroads, Lester, a native of Carthage, “was so kind to the volunteers and nurses.”

After his diagnosis, Lester had two surgeries for his cancer, which affected half of his lower face and traveled down his neck and shoulder. He brought his dog Max with him to treatments and Max was with him when he rang the bell known for when a patient is thought to be “cancer free,” Mrs. Gill said.

His dog found a new home with a registered nurse when Lester’s treatments got to be too much for him to walk and care for his beloved pooch. He checked into Crossroads six days before he succumbed to his illness. Before then, however, he was able to communicate his wishes for those fish to be well taken care of. 

McLaughlin was happy to oblige. He and his team, including Shawn Gibson, Arianna McGurn and Victoria Safford volunteered their time to go over to Gill's apartment and retrieve the tank and fish and carefully relocate them to Liberty Street.

"I'm proud of the whole team," McLaughlin said. "It's an extension of Lester's dying wishes."

Lester's mom said they were so thankful to have gotten the assistance and for the fish tank to find a new home. They have been gradually clearing out his apartment and didn't really know what they'd do with all of the tropical fish and accessories. 

"The tank was the last of it, and that was good," his dad said.

They were both pleased, as well as other family members, that Lester found Crossroads House for his final days, Mrs. Gill said. 

"There’s a special place in heaven for people like this," she said.

Lester John Gill is survived by a son, Tyler Gill of Tennessee, three grandchildren, and five siblings: Christine and Michael Tundo of Brownville, New York; James and Darlene Gill of Hayesville, North Carolina; David Gill of Watertown, New York; Deborah Aubin of Utah; and Herbert and Rebecca DesRosiers of Tampa, Florida.

He is pre-deceased by his mother, Norma Hague, and two siblings, Donna Frye and Danielle DesRosiers.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Bruce Funeral Home, Black River. In accordance with his wishes, Lester will be cremated, with burial to follow in Maple Hill Cemetery in Watertown.

Donations in his memory of Lester may be made to Crossroads House, 11 Liberty St., Batavia, NY, 14020.

Online condolences can be shared at www.brucefh.com
 

After a long hiatus, we’re bringing back our email newsletter!

It was short-lived before because it’s a lot of work, but we’ve come up with a plan to deliver it to your inboxes again on a daily basis.  We plan on putting out the first new edition on Monday.

Click Here to sign up right now!

The newsletter will also help promote local businesses.  If you run or own a local business, contact Lisa Ace (lisa@thebatavian.com) to find out how to promote your business in The Batavian’s Email Newsletter.

If you need technical support with the email newsletter, contact Kara Richenberg at Kara@thebatavian.com.

Press Release:

The Jerome Foundation is sponsoring the William F. Brown Jr. Scholarship. The award is given in memory of the late William F. Brown Jr., noted author, broadcaster, and journalist who contributed greatly to the quality of life in Genesee County through his writing, and as a member of numerous community and civic organizations.

An annual $1000 scholarship for four years for a total of $4000 given to a deserving Senior graduating from a Genesee County School whose intention is to pursue a career in the field of journalism, marketing, communication or public relations (in print, radio, television or digital media).

Applications for the scholarship have been sent to area High School Counselors or can be found at thejeromefoundation.org. Applications are due May 10 and can be mailed to The Jerome Foundation, PO Box 249, Batavia. If further information is needed, contact Chris Fix at thejeromefoundation@gmail.com.

Press Release:

Notre Dame High School, a Private Catholic Co-Educational High School located in Batavia is seeking a Principal.

The Principal serves as the academic leader of the school and is responsible for ensuring a vibrant curriculum for the students, as well as professional leadership and development for the faculty and staff. The Principal reports directly to the Board of Trustees. 

The candidate promotes the essential characteristics and fundamental values of a Catholic school, possesses a Master’s degree (preferably in Administration), CAS or SAS Administrative certification and has a teaching and administrative background.

Submit a letter of interest and resume via email to trustees@ndhsbatavia.com or mail to Notre Dame High School, Attn: James Sutherland, 73 Union Street, Batavia by April 3. Notre Dame High School is an equal opportunity employer.