Erik Fix was president of the Genesee County Chamber for 15 months before he filled the role of assistant city manager in July 2022. He joked that his kids ask him all the time, “When will you get your next job?” even though he's enjoying his current gig and has no plans to leave any time soon, he said.

He says that he likes a challenge, and now, at just two months shy of his one-year anniversary with the City of Batavia, Fix sat down with The Batavian to review his latest responsibilities and perspectives as a city official.

Do you feel settled in at this point, or are you still learning the ropes?
“I don't know that I'll ever feel settled in. And I'm sure I will always learn, there's just so much to do and learn in this position. But I do feel like I can start to add value in places. Whereas the first, four or five months, it was just, running around, trying to learn everything and get a grasp on things,” Fix said. “And now I feel like I have a good base now … where I can use my skill set to actually add value. There's obviously still areas that I have no idea about, or a small amount of knowledge of, but I do feel like when somebody mentions something, I know what they're talking about now. So that's good.”

Was it easier or more difficult to go from the county scope of a chamber to your particular tasks for the city?
"That hasn't really been the biggest challenge. It's actually, from that standpoint, it's a little bit easier to be able to focus on tasks and get them accomplished. I was only at the Chamber for a short period of time, but when you're there, you're looking at the overall viewpoint of the entire county and all the expenses. So if you're talking about doing something, you’ve got to think about how is this going to affect each individual village and town, as well as the city,” he said. “And here you can narrow the focus a little bit more, focus on, you know, our little neck of the woods. Obviously, we have to continue to collaborate with the county and with different entities, but you're able to kind of streamline that, the difference is the workload.

"And the capacity that we deal with here at the city is much greater than what we're dealing with as a chamber … supporting all the businesses in the community to having a full-time fire department and full-time police department, DPW, the whole nine yards," he said. "Just the grand scale of what it is to run a city is much larger than what we're dealing with the mission of the chamber.”

Why did you want this job?
“The challenge. I saw it as an opportunity to just really get my hands dirty and become a part of something and see my work pay off in a lot of different ways. If you were to ask me two years ago, if I found myself in a municipality working, I'm like, no, what are you talking about? It's crazy. But I really feel like it's been a blessing, and it's actually turned out better than I thought, even after I thought it was gonna be a really good opportunity,” he said. “It meshes well with my skill set, it meshes well with the fact that it's constantly active and keeps me busy and keeps my mind working … it’s just been really good. I'm really pleased with the move.”

During City Council budget talks, it seemed to be a running joke to “blame Erik” for increased communications costs due to a new phone system. That’s because it was one of the items on his to-do list as assistant manager.

The current phone service had become outdated, and the city had no one able to service the phone system anymore, he said. If something had happened to a phone or to the system in general, “we were kind of out of luck,” he said.

“So it's very important that we went through that process and got a new phone system, which also came with new phones, and we got that project moving. So when I got here, we were just in the process of going out to RFP, and getting proposals in for that,” he said.

He talked in detail about what that actually meant to get it up and running. There was the actual installation and building the system from scratch — if you call and get a voicemail, where will that go? Who will answer? Who needs this type of extension versus another type of extension?

All totaled, it was “150 some odd numbers we had to deal with,” he said. And there’s the reason for “blame Erik.”

“So it was a very expensive process that we went through. And then the other one is just going to be starting up next week, which, again, was maybe 25 to 30 percent started when I got here, but that's our online billing system for water bills. So that is how to work with our existing systems that we have, as well as the bank system," he said. "And this month’s bill in May will be the first time that folks will have the ability to go online to pay their water bills, which will be a huge benefit to not only our residents, but it's a huge benefit to our clerk's department, because hopefully, it helps alleviate a lot of what they're doing on a day-to-day basis, and making it easier for folks to take care of that.”

He brought in “a little bit of analysis” experience in regards to an online bill pay system from having worked at M&T Bank, Fix said.

“But it was mostly just project managing and ensuring that deadlines are being met and things were happening along the way that needed to get done. We were just wrapping up our software system launch, which there's still some bits and pieces of that that we'll be doing probably for the next year, year and a half until that's totally 100 percent on board," he said. "So learning that whole system, things like that took a lot of my time. I will tell you, I am not an IT person. I'm not an IT expert. But again, just utilizing the ability to project manage and things like that. It's been nice. 

"And obviously we have folks here, Rachael included ... she was assistant manager, she was a great resource to help me get through that stuff. So that's a large portion of what we're doing," he said.

The list goes on, from a housing initiative to shore up an old housing stock in the city to reinvigorate neighborhoods. Fix, 51, wanted to get his hands dirty, and he'll have plenty to dig into.

"We've got new projects coming up, we've got new projects we want to see happen in the future. We want to start developing programs for people that want to renovate. And that's what the home fund is going to help us do is provide funding for those types of things," he said. "So it's a very large, encompassing project that we're trying to figure out right now. We have a housing group that meets on a monthly basis, and we're starting to prioritize where we start first, and what's the first step to really get this off the ground. And so that's going to be a significant part of the next probably three to five years to really get to where we want it."

Another of his responsibilities is to lead the City Centre entryway project, which was sent back to the drawing board for new estimates after previous ones came in above budget. There are four entryways, and a primary goal is to remove the silos, which leak, and then replace them with something that is “aesthetically pleasing and effective,” Fix said.

He believes that the project is back on track and is hoping for estimates to come back closer to what city officials had wanted.

Erik, what do you think about this job? How are you feeling as far as your longevity here?
"I'm not going to say it’s my last up because I said that at the Chamber. But I enjoy this position a lot. We've got a great staff. I've got a great group of people around me that are supportive and helping me to learn,” he said. “I feel like there's something to learn every day. And it's just a constant challenge."

Fix lives in Le Roy with his wife, Susan, and they have three sons, Brady, Jackson and Carter. Le Roy is a great community, and the school district is fantastic, Erik said, but Batavia has been and is his hometown. 

As for the city, he wants to see it continue to grow into "a walkable, approachable, thriving downtown area."

"We've got a lot of momentum," he said.

According to a recently filed lawsuit, four Pembroke residents lived in the same home on Scribner Road, but it fell into a sinkhole, allegedly due to activities at the nearby Akron Quarry.

Those people — Gene and Tracy Nati, as well as Daniel and Brittany Hill — had no choice but to abandon their house. They recently filed a lawsuit against the Town of Pembroke and Erie and Genesee counties. The four said those town and county leaders committed negligence. The Hills and the Natis want more than $1 million in damages.

The lawsuit said those local leaders oversaw the quarry and expanded the scope and frequency of its operations, “including the drawdown of groundwater and blasting,” even knowing they could damage private properties.

“On August 7, 2022, claimants heard cracking and popping sounds at approximately 6:30 a.m. Claimants then noticed the windows and doors in their home would not open or shut properly. They discovered cracking in their land, driveway, and foundation, and they observed that the home appeared to be sinking into the earth,” according to their lawsuit.

“Accordingly, claimants notified the authorities, and the Town of Pembroke condemned the home as unfit for occupancy. It is no longer safe for residential purposes. As a result of the towns' and/or counties' negligence and reckless conduct in permitting the expansion and continuation of the quarry's activities, the whole or in part, a direct and proximate result of the negligent and reckless acts of the towns, counties, their agents, and/or employees.”

The four Pembroke residents said their property suffered severely reduced property values and other damages that they believe exceed $1 million.

Buffalo attorneys Thomas D. Lyons and Charles C. Ritter, Jr. represent the four Pembroke residents.

Pembroke Town Board members discussed the lawsuit at last Thursday’s regularly scheduled board meeting — but only behind closed doors.

“Due to pending litigation, no further discussion will be held in open forum,” the meeting’s minutes read.

The Batavian’s attempts on Monday to contact Pembroke officials about the lawsuit were unsuccessful.

Photos: File photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

Toxicology reports for overdoses can take a long time — a year or more — to complete, and Public Health Director Paul Pettit would like to expedite the process, he says.

Pettit proposed the purchase of a $44,500 multistage analyzer, which would provide much faster toxicology results from autopsies for any of 21 different drug types, including fentanyl and other types of fentanyl derivatives, he said. 

Other newer drugs are continuously being added to the list, such as the latest one to hit the streets, the xylazine profile, he said.

“Essentially, this is a piece of equipment that allows us to have somewhat real-time toxicology reports from overdose deaths. So when we send folks to the (medical examiner’s) office, as you guys are all well aware, we get them back a year later, 18 months, we still have one outstanding from 2021 that we're waiting on the toxicology reports and the final autopsy from,” Pettit said Monday during the Human Services meeting. “So what this analyzer does is allows us to essentially get that real-time toxicology, and it can be done either through your analysis of blood or saliva sample, where we'll be able to run that sample as soon as we get it from the M.E.’s when they go in for an autopsy. 

"And that allows us to see exactly what was in the profile, kind of similar to a toxicology report," he said. "It will give us a better snapshot of what, unfortunately, led to their death, potentially the overdose.”

The analysis is for internal use only, he said, and is not for public knowledge.  As opioid use and its related effects draw more of the Public Health Department’s attention, the picture has become more clear that Pettit and his staff are homing in on the who, what and why more than ever. 

And instead of having to wait a year or more to learn about what types of drugs are out there, “we can get a better idea what’s going on potentially on our streets, if we’re seeing a cluster of overdose deaths and what is actually in the water in the system,” he said.

Pettit and the purchasing director reviewed the only bid that was submitted. They recommended accepting a bid of $44,500 for the analyzer from Random Laboratories-US. This expense is within the budget, according to the resolution, and is funded by The Healing Communities grant.

Members of the Human Services Committee asked various questions about how this equipment would be used and for what purpose. The bottom line is that it would offer a more immediate answer as to what drugs were involved in the overdose that led to the person’s death.

The committee approved the resolution, which will go onto the Ways & Means Committee and finally to the full Legislature for a vote.

Photo: File photo by Joanne Beck of Paul Pettit and Legislator Gregg Torrey.

Press Release:

Did you know that May is Asthma Awareness Month? Asthma is a medical condition that affects the airways in our lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 8 people will be diagnosed with asthma during their lifetime. Symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, coughing, and wheezing.

Additionally, symptoms may get worse at night and wake the person up.

From 2018 to 2020, residents of the City and Town of Batavia went to an emergency department for asthma symptoms 169 times, according to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Asthma Dashboard. This was almost half of the emergency visits for asthma in all of Genesee County. The medical cost of these trips can be expensive, but family members also lose money from missed time at work and school and the cost of transportation. The medical and indirect costs can be thousands of dollars each year for a person with asthma, according to the CDC AsthmaStats. However, there are ways to control asthma symptoms and reduce these costs. People with well-controlled asthma are less likely to have attacks that need emergency treatment. Asthma may be controlled by:

• Taking a daily controller medication
• Avoiding triggers such as mold, dust, cigarette smoke, or scented products
• Using an inhaler before exercising

It is important to pay attention to the warning signs of an asthma attack. These include a runny or stuffy nose, increased mucus, an itchy neck or chin, and feeling tired. Children may say their tummy hurts, have dark circles under their eyes, seem more tired or irritable than normal, and have pale skin or red cheeks. Many people with asthma will be prescribed both a daily medicine and a quick-relief medicine to use during an asthma attack. It is important to talk to your primary care provider (PCP) about when to take medications and to create an asthma action plan. An asthma action plan is a written plan that lists steps to take during an asthma attack. The plan notes what symptoms trigger using a quick-relief medicine and how long to wait before taking an extra dose or trying another medication to stop the attack. It lists when to call your PCP and when to seek emergency care.

The Genesee County Healthy Neighborhoods Program (HNP) offers free home assessments to residents of the City and Town of Batavia. These assessments look for conditions that could worsen asthma, along with other safety risks in the home. Participants who have been diagnosed with asthma receive education on asthma symptoms and triggers. For more information on the Healthy Neighborhoods Program, call 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 or visit www.GOHealthNY.org.

Press Release:

With a roster of 55 players and about a dozen sponsors in hand, the Genesee County Spartans organization is moving full speed ahead toward competing in the Northeastern Football Alliance this summer.

“We’re into the third week of training camp, preparing for an intrasquad scrimmage at 1 p.m. on May 7 at Kibbe Park (which is open to the public at no charge),” said Head Coach Harry Rascoe. “It’s a very competitive environment for starting positions on the team.”

The Spartans are practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at Farrall Park in preparation for a May 20 scrimmage at the Watertown Red and Black, which plays in the Gridiron Developmental Football League.

Rascoe’s squad is on the road for its first three NFA games – at Auburn on June 3 and at Lockport on June 10 – before hosting Ithaca on June 17.

The remainder of the schedule: June 24 vs. Broome County; July 15 at Broome County; July 22 vs. Lockport; Aug. 5 at Ithaca; Aug. 12 vs. Auburn.

Rascoe said the team is finalizing arrangements to play its home games at Genesee Community College.

Team sponsors include Iron Reps gym, R.A. Haitz, Dan’s Tire & Auto, The Brick Gym, Eli Fish, Batavia Downs Gaming, Liberty Pumps, Los Compadres Mexican Restaurant, Get Sealed and Village Restaurant.

For more information about the team, including how to become a sponsor, go to the team’s Genesee County Spartans Facebook page or contact Rascoe at rascoeh@yahoo.com.

Submitted photos.  Top photo: Head Coach Harry Rascoe, football in hand, calls out a play for the offensive line as the Genesee Spartans prepare for their season this summer.  Bottom photo: Assistant coach Craig Tiberio conducts a drill for defensive backs at a recent Genesee Spartans football practice.

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Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is investigating a robbery that occurred in the 7-Eleven convenience store on April 25 at 3:34 am. 

The suspect was armed with a hammer when the robbery occurred. 

The suspect was described as being a black male, approximately 5’7”, and having a slim to average build. He was also described as wearing dark-colored clothing with a maroon-colored flat-brim hat. The male is believed to have left the area on foot. 

There are also photographs of two other possible witnesses (1 male and 1 female) who were in the store prior to the robbery occurring, that police are attempting to identify. The female was walking a dog, possibly a tan/brown and white colored pit-bull. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Matt Lutey at (585)345-6311, the Batavia Police Department at (585)345-6350, the Batavia Police Department's confidential tip line at (585)345-6370.

Press Release:

April proved to be a busy month at the Genesee County Fire Training Center, with over 100 students completing classes.

20 students completed 79 hours of instruction in the Basic Exterior Fire Operation (BEFO) course. This entry-level program prepares students to respond to emergencies as exterior firefighters as they received instruction in fire extinguishers, building construction, forcible entry, ladder deployment, incident command, drafting operations and hazardous materials operations levels. Students were trained in ropes and knots as well as first aid/CPR. Participants who completed the BEFO course on April 20 were:

ALABAMA

• Mark Smith

ALBION

• Madison M. Meyers

TOWN OF BATAVIA

• Jonathan P. Parker

BERGEN

• Ashton W. Gavenda
• Olivia M. N. Best
• Tyler G. Holland

BETHANY

• Jakob J. Howland
• Jason A. Howland

BYRON

• Michael A. Alexander

EAST PEMBROKE

• Molly A. Chatley
• Ajay R. King
• Jonah A. Martin
• Joseph Gibson
• Lily E. Martin

ELBA

• Colton B. Walczak
• Holden L. Brinkman

INDIAN FALLS

• Maxwell D. Olsen

LEROY

• Riann M. Ledford

SCOTTSVILLE

• Chase J. Kress
• Harold M. Schlicker

Fire Sprinkler Systems for the Fire Service, a six-hour course held on two consecutive Mondays in April at the Genesee County Fire Training Center, provided students with an overview of fire sprinkler systems and the roles and responsibilities of the fire department when responding to buildings having systems in service. Fifty emergency response personnel completed this course on April 10:

ALEXANDER

• Thomas M. Green

CITY OF BATAVIA 

• Mark S. Holley

TOWN OF BATAVIA

• Scott T. Maloy
• Paul G. Barrett
• Brian D. Bentley
• James W. Bouton
• Thomas G. Cunningham
• Paul R. Dibble
• Gary D. Diegelman
• Dwayne J. Fonda Jr.
• Clayton A. Gorski
• Robert J. Hunt
• Daniel P. Jacques
• Christopher L. Jager
• Stephen A. Kowalcyk
• Thomas E. Marlowe
• Jonathan P. Parker
• Taylor J. Rivenburgh
• Michael J. Rottenbeck
• Ian A. SanFratello
• Tyler J. Stewart
• James J. Ward

BERGEN

• Scott R. Mayne
• Colin W. Willis

BYRON

• Michael A. Alexander
• Chase A. Cone
• Zachary C. Johnson
• Cory J. Russell
• Jacob M. Schultz

COUNTY OF ORLEANS

• Peter D. Hendrickson Jr.

EAST PEMBROKE 

• James R. Gayton
• Donald E. Newton Jr.

ELBA

• Jayden T. Allport
• Nathan J. Tabor
• Bradley R. Chaddock
• Michael R. Davis
• Nicholas J. Esten
• Garrett Heale
• Michael G. Heale
• Mike J. Schad Jr.

COUNTY OF GENESEE

• Robert H. Tripp

LEROY

• Scott A. Newman

MURRAY JOINT FIRE DISTRICT

• Jeffrey R. Elsenheimer Jr.
• Nathaniel C. Smith
• Colton J. Tuttle

RIDGE ROAD FIRE DISTRICT

• Kevin P. Dann

SOUTH BYRON

• Nicole M. Boldt
• Vitorrio J. Muoio
• Jeremie J. Rassel
• Katrina Rassel

38 emergency response personnel now have a better understanding of fire alarm systems after completing the 6-hour Fire Alarm Systems for the Fire Service course held at the Genesee County Fire Training Center on April 17 and 24. The course reviewed the technology of alarm systems, from smoke alarms to fully addressable systems which control features of buildings. Students were instructed in the responsibilities of fire department personnel responding to buildings with alarm systems. Participants in this course included:

ALEXANDER

• Thomas M. Green

CITY OF BATAVIA

• Mark S. Holley

TOWN OF BATAVIA

• Scott T. Maloy
• Brian D. Bentley
• James W. Bouton
• Paul R. Dibble
• Gary D. Diegelman
• Dwayne J. Fonda Jr.
• Clayton A. Gorski
• Robert J. Hunt
• Daniel P. Jacques
• Stephen A. Kowalcyk
• Jonathan P. Parker
• Taylor J. Rivenburgh
• Michael J. Rottenbeck
• Ian A. SanFratello
• Tyler J. Stewart
• James J. Ward

BERGEN

• Joe E. MacConnell
• Scott R. Mayne

BYRON

• Michael A. Alexander
• Zachary C. Johnson
• Cory J. Russell
• Jacob M. Schultz

EAST PEMBROKE

• James R. Gayton
• Donald E. Newton Jr.

ELBA

• Nathan J. Tabor
• Jennifer A. Cardinali
• Bradley R. Chaddock
• Nicholas J. Esten
• Garrett Heale
• Michael G. Heale
• Timothy J. Hoffarth
• Mike J. Schad Jr.

COUNTY OF GENESEE

• Robert H. Tripp

MURRAY JOINT FIRE DISTRICT

• Nathaniel C. Smith

TOWN OF MURRAY

• Colton J. Tuttle

RIDGE ROAD FIRE DISTRICT

• Kevin P. Dann

Emergency Response personnel regularly participate in training programs to maintain, learn or build the skills and knowledge to perform their job proficiently – protecting the lives and property of the citizens of the community they serve. 

Joining the fire/EMS service not only provides you the opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to your community but allows you to develop (free) professional skills, and form lifelong friendships and positive relationships. Visit your local fire department to find out more about volunteer opportunities in your community.

A local newspaper reported that GT&E's total assets at the year-end in 1961 were nearly $2.4 billion, which placed it at number 13 among the top corporations in the country. In addition, revenues and sales for 1961 exceeded $1.2 billion.

Sylvania Electronics merged with General Telephone to form General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) in 1959. 

In 1956 and 1962, the plant was enlarged, but in 1969, a dark cloud was forming over the Sylvania plant in Batavia. There was news that a large plant was being built in Smithfield, North Carolina, and fear arose that the company might move!

In 1970, the company suffered losses from trade competition, and in October of the same year, the color television production moved to Smithfield, NC.

It was announced in 1976 that Sylvania, one of the world's largest television receiver manufacturing plants, was closing its doors. It was a sad day for Batavia's economy, especially for all the employees fortunate enough to work there.

Sylvania wasn't just a company. It was a place where friends worked together, new friends were made, and for some, they met their future wives or husbands.

Richard Oddo was one of the many employees who worked for 28 years at the plant on Ellicott St. Rd.   He began working there right out of high school. 

I interviewed Dick to learn about his feelings about being employed at Sylvania. He worked in the Service Department as an electronic technician. Sylvania also trained him to be on board with the ever-changing technology in the '50s right up to the plant's closing. The Employees Sales Store was a gift to this area. If a set was damaged in transit, it would be fixed in his department and then put up for sale. Some of the company's upper echelons took a new set home on trial to observe firsthand the quality of the picture of the television set. After the trial observation, the set was put into the Employee Store for sale. Dick was one of the people to see a "new" TV set.

He described his years at Sylvania as a wonderful experience. He said it was a joy to go to work every day. It was a well-organized company, clean, and everyone worked together. It had good health benefits and was very family oriented. For example, there would be a Christmas party for the employees' children and summer family picnics. Sylvania Employees Association also hosted annual dinners. In addition, Sylvania sponsored three sports teams, bowling, softball, and golf.  

Sylvania always wanted to be on the cutting edge with its products. To learn about competitors, it would purchase a television set from another country or company, have its engineers tear it down, and examine the contents.   One of the first TV sets to be explored was a set from Japan. After the set was examined, it was put back together and sold in the Employee Store. Dick was the fortunate one to buy that particular set. He was one of the first people in Batavia to own a color TV set. I was also the lucky one to live next door to the Oddos.  When Dick was at his second job, I would go to his house and watch the marvelous small-screen invention of a color TV set with his wife and children.         

In the '60s and 70s, just about every family in the area owned a Sylvania TV. They also could have owned a Sylvania transistor radio and, later on, a turntable, receiver, speakers, and a VCR. You could listen to possibly five albums simultaneously on the turntable.   You could rattle the windows if you had a good set of speakers. 

Another memory was the long piece of furniture that sat in your living room that contained a color television and a high-fidelity stereo system. There were many choices of designs, from Mediterranean or French Provincial to Colonial. Another early advertisement read, "23-inch console model, multi-function wireless remote control. The remote tuner turns the set on and off, changes channels, and adjusts volume using a transistorized hand control."

Over the years, the technology kept improving. After one year, a new model would appear better than the previous year. Today the iPod shuffle has taken the place of our Walkman; a DVR has taken the place of the VCR and the CDs and CD players, our albums and stereo receiver. You can't forget our cell phones that can do everything in one small device. Trying to explain to the younger set what it was like in the early years of technology is challenging.  

I, for one, would not change a thing about living in the '60s. There was just something exceptional about listening to the Beatles sing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on your high-fidelity stereo system. The one theme remains the same: people like to listen to music and watch movies and TV shows. The only thing that has changed is the size of the electric device and the cost. How lucky the people in Genesee County and surrounding areas were to have had the Sylvania plant in their backyard.  

It was a sad day when Sylvanias closed its doors in Batavia for the last time and moved to another state.

Today, the word Sylvania is just a memory to those who worked there and to the many customers who knew someone who worked there. 

Press Release:

GO ART! Invites Community Members to Submit Nominations for the Annual Genean Awards  

Do you know an artist or organization from Genesee or Orleans County that deserves recognition for their accomplishments in 2022?  GO ART! is inviting community members to submit nominations for the Annual Genean Awards. 

“Why “Genean” you ask?” says Executive Director, Gregory Hallock, “Well, simply put, we decided that we needed to have our own unique awards (like the Oscars or Tony awards) for GENesee and OrlEANs counties, to recognize a few of the amazing people and organizations we have within our counties.”

The categories for nomination are as follows:

Organization of the Year - This award honors a not-for-profit or for-profit arts organization for its outstanding achievements in 2022

Individual Artist of the Year - This award honors an individual artist in any discipline for their achievements in 2022 or career-long body of work

Arts and Culture Supporter of the Year - This award honors an individual or an organization outside of the arts and cultural sector for their work directly aiding in the arts and/or cultural sector during 2022.

To submit a nomination visit www.goart.org/genean.  All nominations are due by May 9.

Pronipoti, meaning great-grandchildren or descendants in Italian, according to organizer Carmen DelPlato, has an important meaning for many local families with Italian heritage wanting to gather and make new connections during a special type of reunion.

Descendants from Valva, Italy -- an Italian town and municipality in the Province of Salerno in the southwestern region of Campania -- will be meeting for a second time to share stories and to make those connections from 3 to 5 p.m. May 27 at Roman’s restaurant in the downstairs lounge.

"Just to give you a little insight, many families immigrated to Batavia from Valva," DelPlato said. "In some social circles, Batavia was referred to as Little Valva!"

This group first met just before COVID in 2019, DelPlato said.  Participants are asked to bring a copy of their family trees to share with others.  

The cost is $10 at the door.  Light appetizers will be served, and there will be a cash bar.

Roman's is located at 59 Main St., Batavia. Space will be limited, so RSVP by May 17 to BataviaValva2023@gmail.com

Submitted photos of the inaugural get-together of Valva, Italy descendants.

Press Release:

The 23rd Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Tournament will take place Saturday, May 5th, at Dwyer Stadium.

Attica will play Batavia in the first game at 11 a.m., followed by Oakfield-Alabama vs. Notre Dame at 2 p.m. 

The winners of those two contests will play in the championship game under the lights starting at 7 p.m.

Admission is $5 for an adult all-day pass and $3 for a student or senior all-day pass. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

 

For someone who has starred in several TV shows and on Broadway in classics, including “Damn Yankees” and his most recent tour with “Wicked,” it wouldn’t seem at all surprising that actor John Bolton would be a name-dropper.

Yet, the names were all so locally familiar: Ben Mancuso, Don Iwanicki, Wanda Frank, Linda Blanchet. 

Bolton, who first dipped his toe in the theater waters by moving sets in a Batavia Rotary show, just kept walking in -- from ankle to calf to knee, as he put it -- until he’s been fully immersed — and successfully so — making a living as an affable and prolific actor while enjoying his life in midtown Manhattan.

His first 10 years growing up were in Rochester, followed by living in Le Roy.

"Because my dad's job was out here and was here until sophomore year of college. I went to GCC for first-year college, graduated from Le Roy High School and then went to St. John Fisher, which is now St. John Fisher University for Journalism,” Bolton said during an interview with The Batavian on the new stage-in-progress at Theater 56. 

“And once a year, my dad's company would have a thing in New York, and we would see a Broadway show, he would get to bring my mom and me. And occasionally, I could drag a lot of friends, and we would see a Broadway show as part of the trip to New York. And it was my introduction to it, and there was no other theater in Le Roy … but eight miles down the road, there was Batavia Players doing two shows a year and Batavia Rotary doing a big Broadway scale musical with a full orchestra and big sets and costumes and great, amazing, talented performers. And so I sort of dove into that.”

And dove he did. Bolton saved the playbills, memorized the names, and, as a senior in high school, learned how connections can get you places. In his case, his dad knew a Rotary director and mentioned that John “would love to become a part of the show.” So, Ben Mancuso, well known for his boisterous lead in “Fiddler on the Roof” and many other Rotary performances, asked if the young Bolton would want to move sets.

“So I moved sets for Batavia Players’ production of ‘Bells are Ringing,’ and I thought I'd hit the big time. I would kneel offstage and just watch shows. So, because I was a senior in high school, I turned 17, my senior year, and kneeling in the wings, waiting for my cue to come out and move this massive set. And I would just get so lost in these amazing local performers, who to me were just stars … they did full-scale Golden Age musicals, ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ ‘King and I,’ and I knew Ben Mancuso.

"So that was like knowing a star because he was Tevye. And I remember being at the mall here and saying to my mom, ‘Look, it's the king. And it was Don Iwanicki who played the king in The  King and I, and these were stars to me," Boltons said. "And then all of a sudden, I'm working with them, and not calling them Mr. Mancuso or Mr. Iwanicki, I’m beginning to call them Don and Ben. It was just such a great, great crew of talented welcoming adults.”

Fast forward a bit from this awestruck teenager to a star on Broadway and TV in his own right, having played Horace Vandergelder in “Hello, Dolly!” in 17 cities across the country; completing a two-year run as Vlad in Broadway’s “Anastasia” and in the original cast of the three Tony Award-winning Best Musicals: “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “Contact,” and “Titanic.”

He played alongside Jerry Lewis in “Damn Yankees” and received impressive nominations for his acting and dancing talents, capturing three Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical awards for his roles in “Anastasia,” and “A Christmas Story.” As for his television credits, Bolton has been on “Madam Secretary,” “Blue Bloods,” “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “The Good Wife,” “Gossip Girl” and others, plus he headlined for the NY Pops and NY Philharmonic.

So it’s safe to say that he can do more than move sets. He made great friends and mentors of sorts during those virgin theater years, and was proud to be part of a show, he said.

“And I went from moving the set, I did props for a show. And then I was in one, and then I was in the one the next summer, and in between, I'm in the Rotary shows, and I just felt like I'd hit the big time. I'd never considered it as a career. It was just like something I love to do. And once I was at Fisher, I really dove into Rochester community theater, Pittsford musicals, Brighton Theatre Guild, Webster Theatre Guild, Geva Theater would hire me for small roles, and I got my equity card there a few years later, and then it became an option of well, maybe I move to New York and or at least visit New York and audition and see how it goes,” he said. “And I booked a summer gig, a summer theatre gig in the Atlantic near Atlantic City. And that led to working with a director that led to working with who recommended me for another show who read, then someone in that show recommended me for this show where an agent saw me, so one thing just sort of led to another in a freakishly lucky, wonderful serendipitous way, and now it's 40 years later.”

What brought him to Batavia?
Bolton was invited to stop into a fundraising event for Batavia Players if he happened to be in the area. He knows a lot of people and stayed with some friends in Stafford for a few days and then went to Rochester to visit with his brother. In between, he made a stop for the fundraiser event, and returned to teach a master actors class and for an interview with The Batavian.

So what does he teach actors that are just dipping their toes in the water?
"I would tell them to follow your heart. As long as it's something you love, it has become much more of a viable career. There are many, many good universities that offer degrees. And if you don't wind up on stage, there are so many positions to be in, from producing, to designing, to musicians, to publicity to agents to managers, that it's a huge industry, and it is based right here in New York State,” he said.

If he hasn’t made it clear enough yet, Bolton has a warm feeling about community theater, from how it draws in folks you may not otherwise connect to the stage — “Look, the history teacher can sing, the dentist can design sets, look, your babysitter is an amazing dancer,” he said as examples.

“It’s just that’s what community theater is. And you’re all working for one thing, and you usually put on a very good show,” he said. “And the behind-the-scenes is just as important. And they're having a blast, and we'd all go on about that. We'd go out for drinks at Sunny's afterward, and it was all just family and no judgments. And everyone's welcome. And I was just this kid being welcomed, and just discovering a new family and a new thing I love to do

"It's the best team sport. I grew up around team sports, and I was like, Oh no, this is a team sport. It takes athleticism and cooperation and plans and, you know, respect for each other and camaraderie,” he said.

What has been his favorite role so far?  
“I always say my favorite role is the next one. What has surprised me the most is, and then I'm so proud of myself as longevity that I'm still here and that they're still calling me to do this. And I'm like, okay, and TV's calling me more and more. That's something I never thought I'd do," he said. "The residuals that resulted from that really got us through a lot of COVID, you know, because people were locked in their homes, and all of a sudden they're streaming my seven episodes of this show or that six episodes of that show, and all of a sudden the checks are coming in. It's like, thank you, people. Thank you, TV."

And what does it take to get those recurring calls for roles?
When he performed in "Damn Yankees," he worked with "great stars Victor Garber, Bebe Neuwirth and Jerry Lewis," who knew everyone's names the first day of rehearsal. That was like "Wow," he said. 

"I'm part of this, I get to be one of the guys up here. And I think that was a moment where I was like, I'm in a Broadway show. I'm so lucky right now. And I teach my students this: being talented and lucky, extremely lucky, will get you hired. Being talented and nice to work with will keep you hired. Because work begets work. If you are good to work with, they'll remember you, and they'll call you in for this."

He seems comfortably settled into Manhattan, living with partner Sean McKnight, tending to a garden and enjoying his dogs during those precious free moments in between gigs. Bolton just shot a TV show that, by contract, he could not disclose, he said. Boo. It would be fun to see him after he graced Batavia with a visit, so keep your eyes open. 

He remembers his early years fondly.

“And with such affection, that I came here to do this, and because I'm such a believer in community theater. We're not all going to go into this industry, but it's a great outlet,” he said. “And look at the best of the greatest cities in the world: New York, Chicago, Paris, London, they're loaded with the arts. The arts are a key part to the success of any city, and even the city the size of Batavia, and let's bring it back."

Broadway and TV actor John Bolton talks about his career, growing up in Genesee County from age 10 until he went to college, his memories of Batavia Players and Rotary shows, and what he shares with novice actors looking for success in the industry during an exclusive interview with The Batavian. Photos by Howard Owens. 

Out of all the recognitions cited during Stafford Fire Department’s annual banquet, one of them featured a guest in the audience who has never donned a firefighter’s full gear or raced into a burning building.

In fact, quite the opposite. Charm Robinson, who lives in Stafford, was the recipient of the department’s finest when a fire broke out in a hay field adjacent to Robinson’s home. Toward the end of the banquet Saturday at Batavia Country Club, she thanked the firefighters from Stafford and other fire departments that showed up that day in July 2021, and for being volunteers.

“We appreciate everything that you do to help the people in our communities,” she said. “You are awesome.”

Robinson further explained to The Batavian what happened and what it meant to her to express her appreciation in person.

“Two years ago, I was at Crossroads House, and they were getting ready for their annual garage sale. And I got two phone calls. My brother called me up, and he goes, 'it looks like there's a fire at your house,' and then a neighbor called me up and said the same thing. 

"And there was a fire, a big hay fire in the field on the north side of my house in about five acres burned,” she said. “They all worked hard, and they put that fire out, and it was coming up towards my house. And it was coming up towards the barn that's next to my house. And the firemen saved my house. All these people are all volunteers, and they did that, and how much it meant to me, and how much I wanted to say thank you to them.”

While numbers and statistics may be important to gather and review, she said, it’s the faces of people who are affected by the dedication of firefighters, including her nephew James Call, a City of Batavia firefighter and volunteer at Stafford, on a daily basis, she said.

There were other fire units alongside Stafford that day, she said, and “I tried to go out and thank all of the firemen.”

Chief Timothy Eckdahl shared similar sentiments. He thanked all of the firefighters for their past year of service.

“As we honor a few members tonight, I want to acknowledge that ever has played a part in the success of the Stafford Fire Department this past year,” he said.

Training is one of the most important tasks that they do throughout the year, he said. And this year, the department completed 1,329 training man-hours for both EMS and fire.

Third Assistant Chief Brian Breemes presented the top fire training hour recipient award for a year with 1,188 completed man hours of fire training, topics from SCBA confidence, hose line skills, ladder training, ventilation, gas emergencies, EVOC, bus extrication and other topics for public emergencies.

That award went to Chad Rambach.

The Top 10 responders were named from the 10th up to number one, with a tie of Kari Breemes and Don Hall 10th spot; Brian Pocock for ninth; Ashley Swartzenberg eighth; Jason Smith seventh; Mark Dougherty sixth; Chris Penkszyk fourth; Tim Eckdahl third; Randall Henning second; and Brian Breemes earned the top responder spot.

Stafford Fire Department responded to 298 calls, up from last year’s 271, with 60 percent being EMS and the remaining being structure fires, motor vehicle collisions, good intent, gas leaks, water problems, CO alarms and providing mutual assistance to neighboring districts.

There were 141 total man-hours of EMS training, with topics from CPR and blood pathogens to first aid, patient extrication and many other topics and tasks, including filling out the paperwork necessary for EMS calls.

Julie Bobo was named top EMS training hour recipient.

The final award for the evening went to Matt Hendershott as 2022 Firefighter of the Year for his “truly remarkable” leadership during the pandemic. He was also presented with a proclamation delivered by state Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Hendershott was credited for being willing to help train and share his knowledge with others, guiding the department and keeping all responders safe while responding to calls throughout the unknowns of COVID-19 and pandemic protocols.

Not one for the spotlight, Hendershott said he did what he was supposed to do. He was chief at the time, serving from 2020 to about six months into 2022, and a member of the fire service in Genesee County for 15 years.

He would talk about working alongside his fellow department members, since serving is about getting the job done, he said.

“The membership is the only reason I was successful at all. They responded well to a doer that wants to be out front leading, and who's not afraid to speak his mind and tell them what he's seeing. I think in the county, especially here, we need more of that,” he said. “And there's a lot of good chiefs that are coming up now that are taking those roles on more where they're not just a command. They're actually a doer, they're gearing up with their guys for mutual aid calls. 

"They're leading from the front instead of managing, and that's something that I did that my department responded to," Hendershott said. "And they responded well, and we were very successful.”

Top Photo of Charm Robinson with her nephew, Stafford volunteer firefighter James "Jamie" Call; Matt Hendershott was named 2022 Firefighter of the Year for his “truly remarkable” leadership during the pandemic; the Top 10 responders were named from the 10th up to number one, with a tie for Kari Breemes and Don Hall 10th spot; Brian Pocock for ninth; Ashley Swartzenberg eighth; Jason Smith seventh; Mark Dougherty sixth; Chris Penkszyk fourth; Tim Eckdahl third; Randall Henning second; and Brian Breemes earned the top responder spot; several firefighters were sworn in during a brief installation ceremony; the top fire training hour recipient award went to Chad Rambach for a year with 1,188 completed man hours of fire training, topics from SCBA confidence, hose line skills, ladder training, ventilation, gas emergencies, EVOC, bus extrication and other topics for public emergencies; and James Call served as Master of Ceremonies. Top photo by Joanne Beck, remaining photos by Howard Owens.

After the scheduled opponent for Elba/Oakfield-Alabama on Saturday for a golf match failed to show up with enough players, the team played a round anyway.

It turned out to be a momentous day for EOA's Jake Walczak, who aced Hole 7, a 177-yard Par 3, for his first career hole-in-one.

It's the first hole-in-one for the team since 2016. 

Coach Mike Cintorino said, "Walczak felt as though he hit a great shot when it came off the face of his 7-iron. As it landed and went toward the hole, the excitement level in the group raised. The crescendo was hit when they all saw the ball disappear next to the flag. When the foursome of Walczak, Brayden Smith, Aiden Warner, and Eli Loysen walked up to the pin, their excitement was validated as Walczak reached down to pull his Titleist Pro-V1 out of the cup. This was Walczak’s first ever hole-in-one and quite a moment for the senior golfer who has been on the team since 7th grade."

The match against Keshequa will be rescheduled.

Photo by Kristin Smith.

Submitted photos and game report.

A three-run sixth for Alexander broke a 3-3 tie and propelled the Trojans to a 10-4 win over Notre Dame in Girls Softball on Saturday at GCC.

With a runner on, Madison Boyce tripled to make it 4-3.  Makenna Boyce and Carley Shepard knocked in two more runs, and Alexander lead 6-3 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.  

Notre Dame’s Kaydence Stehlar hit her second home run of the day over the centerfield fence to get the Irish back within two runs.  

In the top of the seventh, a walk issued to Alexander’s Boyce loaded the bases for Emily Pietrzykowski.  Pietrzykowski didn’t miss the second pitch of the at-bat. She blasted it deep over the centerfield fence for a grand slam making it 10-4.  

It was Alexander's 100th team hit of the season.

Pietrzykowski (top photo) earned the win for Alexander, allowing four earned runs on seven hits over seven innings, walking three and striking out a trio of Irish.

Madison Boyce was 3-4 on the day with a triple, a double and two RBIs.  Carley Shepard, Olivia Delelys, and Ava Yax had multiple hits in the contest.  

As a team, Alexander collected 14 hits on the day.

 For Notre Dame: Sonji Warner had a homerun to center and Kaydence Stehlar had two homeruns to center.

"We went into this game knowing that Notre Dame is a well-coached and talented team, so we had to play sound ball to win," said Alexander's head coach, John Goodenbury. "Pietrzykowski pitched well and kept us in the game on the rubber with excellent defensive support from all positions.  Our team never got down on themselves despite losing the early lead.  We have a very young team, but they showed today they are scrappy and won’t go down without a fight.  Our motto this year is 'Go ahead, doubt us' because we like to feel like we are the underdog in every game.  This keeps the girls humble and hungry.  They play for each other instead of themselves, and I  couldn’t be more proud of them.”

 Next up for Alexander is a 5 p.m. dual with Kendall at home on Monday. 

Today marks two important events for The Batavian.

It is our 15th Anniversary.  The Batavian’s official first day of publication was May 1, 2008.

We’ve come a long way from those early days when we were thrilled the first time 1,000 people checked out the site in a day to now reaching 10,000 to 14,000 people per day.

We’re also launching a new website.  The look isn’t changing as much as the important steps we're taking to improve our community coverage and the overall efficiency of the site.

We’re also asking readers to take a more direct role in helping to fund local journalism by becoming supporters through our new Early Access Pass. Those who do sign up for Early Access will be able to read selected bylined stories as soon as they are published. Those who don’t will need to wait four hours before getting access to the full story.

New Logo
As part of our forward-looking effort, we’re introducing a new logo.

The Upton Monument is Genesee County’s most distinctive landmark, and the Eagle at its pinnacle is a symbol of ambition and freedom, so I’ve long wanted to incorporate the Eagle into our masthead.  We also decided to go after a more modern, forward-looking design.  The Batavian remains locally owned, and we steadfastly maintain our independence.  We also are deeply rooted in our community.

The new logo (designed by Lisa Ace, our creative manager), we think, symbolizes our community and our independence, and with a clean, modern design and an eagle eye -- we can look forward and outward in an effort to be up on the latest in current and breaking news right here in Genesee County.  

Site Design
The software The Batavian runs on was getting dated, so it was time for a significant upgrade.  We saw that as a time to slightly tweak our design.

We know some people think our site design isn’t very sophisticated with full stories and all the ads on the home page.  But here’s the thing: what we do works. We often hear from readers how easy our site is to use. Readers tell us they like all the ads of local businesses on the home page.  It acts like a local business directory.  Local business owners love it because they know their ad is being displayed to thousands of local residents every day.

Early Access Pass
I’ve been publishing The Batavian for 15 years.  It’s been hard, grueling, and stressful work at times. I can’t charge forward with the same energy I once had.  I rely more on people helping me, especially with recent changes in my life circumstances. 

We now have three hard-working and talented full-time employees and some wonderful freelancers, and we need to be able to hire more help.  We simply can’t cover all the news in Genesee County without your help.

Covering local news is time-consuming and that makes it expensive and difficult to get to everything of interest or importance.  There is no cheap way to do it.  News can’t remain free forever.

So, we’re going to ask our most loyal supporters to take a more direct role in funding local journalism.  

We’ve come up with a unique, perhaps first-of-its-kind program in the news industry: The Early Access Pass. It’s unique in that it won’t force you to pay to read the news.  It’s simply a reminder on freshly published stories that we need your help to continue to bring to you the news of your community. When you click a link for a story published within the previous four hours, you will be provided an option to sign up for Early Access, or you can come back four hours later to read it. The choice is yours.

The Batavian has long dominated Genesee County news by publishing most of the news of Genesee County first.  That’s still our mission.  With Early Access, you can become among the first to know about important news while everybody else waits.  Early Access will apply only to original reporting, stories with a byline, and not to press releases, posts primarily of photos, or scanner reports. 

We’ve kept the cost of Early Access extremely low, so all of our loyal supporters can afford to sign up -- $8 per month or $80 per year. If you're interested in a group rate, email me: howard@thebatavian.com.

Local news is essential to the health of a community, and we hope you value what we do enough to support us as we endeavor to do more of it.  We work hard to cover our community, and we appreciate our readers.  Please support our efforts by signing up for Early Access today.

There is a vehicle into the median in the area of mile marker 402, eastbound, on the Thruway.

Unknown injuries.

Pembroke Fire and Indian Falls fire departments, along with Mercy EMS responding.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Batavia Sports Park, operated by Batavia Turf in the town of Batavia, is hosting the Metro East Regional Championships for Ultimate Frisbee Football.

The tournament, which features teams from colleges and universities from throughout the region, was originally slated for fields in New Jersey, but the owner of that facility decided at pretty much the last minute they really didn't have enough space to host the event.

Jack Richards, president of the RIT team and tournament director, was able to move the event to Batavia.

Ultimate Frisbee Football is a 7-on-7 competition that involves flinging a frisbee downfield in an attempt to score a goal.  Players cannot run with the Frisbee.  When a player catches the disk, the player must stop running and find a teammate to toss it to.  The player is being guarded by a defender, and the player's teammates are guarded (defenses, like basketball, can be man-on-man or zone).  Defenders can knock down a flung Frisbee, which leads to a change of position at the position in the field where the Frisbee falls.

The top men's team and the top women's team from this weekend's tournament will advance to the national finals.

Ultimate Frisbee Football is now recognized by the International Olympic Committee and will be part of the 2028 Olympics.

Photos by Howard Owens