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

It was no accident that brought together a group of caring people at 50 Oak St., Batavia, on Saturday, said Pastor Vern Saile before blessing the new home of Terry Smith and his family.

"What strikes me is how many people came together to make this possible for you," Saile said. "I believe that God brought those people together for you. You know, the Bible says, 'Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.' I have no doubt that the Lord has built this house for you, Terry. And it's his love that started this project. It is his love that carried it through, and it is his love that will carry it forward."

Smith started the home acquisition process with Genesee County Habitat for Humanity nearly five years ago.  It meant a lot to him, he said, to provide a home for his children, one they can count on as permanent for the rest of their childhoods. 

The house was a tax-lien foreclosure by the City of Batavia that the city transferred to Habitat rather than put it up for auction.

"The ability of the City of Batavia to encourage rehabilitation of houses and promotion of single-family home ownership is enhanced by the strategy to move foreclosed properties into a program like Habitat for Humanity,"  said City Manager Rachael J. Tabelski. "The restoration of homes, and the ability to match families, who are ready to make the move to home ownership, and adds exponential value to neighborhoods, as opposed to auctioning the property into the rental market.”

Jaylene Smith-Kilner, executive director of Habitat, thanked a long list of people who made this home, Habitat's 26th build, possible, from government officials and agencies to small business owners and local volunteers and donors.

Smith said that effort that help was a  blessing and that he is excited for his kids.

He's watched Habitat, along with his own labor as part of the process, transform an old house into a beautiful home.

"Seeing the process from it being completely gutted to how it is now, it's just so crazy process," Smith said. "It's a crazy process, and they did a good job. I got mad love for all the Habitat family community."

Marianne Newmark, with USDA Rural Development, discussed how her agency assists potential Habitat for Humanity homeowners get the financing necessary to close on their house.

They help the homeowner secure low-interest, longer-term loans so they have affordable house payments.

"We love partnering with Habitat for that, and that Habitat takes these houses and makes them beautiful, and really renovates them to the point where the homeowners don't have to worry about, 'Oh no, I just bought this house, and I have to do so much work on top of my new mortgage payment,'" Newmark said. "They take a lot of that stress out of the way in the beginning."

Colton Yasses threw five innings of one-hit ball as Oakfield-Alabama beat Elba on Saturday 13-0.

Brayden Smith went 3-3 with four RBIs, scoring three runs. Aiden Warner was 2-3 with two runs scored. David Schnaufer was 1-2 with a walk and five RBIs. Austin Pangrazio was 2-3 with a run scored.

The Hornets are 8-1.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

There's one team left in Section V that is undefeated in the 2023 baseball season.  That team is Notre Dame, at 9-0.

While the Irish offensive has piled up runs, the pitching has been phenomenal, with no earned runs allowed all season. Overall, only five opposing runners have scored against Notre Dame over 54 innings of play. The pitchers have fanned 111 batters.

On Saturday, Bryceton Berry threw a perfect game to pick up his fourth win of the season. 

In the past three games, the Irish pitchers have tossed a no-hitter and a one-hitter.

Saturday's win came over Alexander, 8-0. 

The Fighting Irish picked up wins on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, the team beat Geneseo 11-1.

Jaden Sherwood tossed a complete-game one-hitter, notching 12 Ks and allowing one walk.

Offensively on Frixay:

• Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2-3, two RBIs, two runs scored
• Bryceton Berry, 2-3, two RBIs two runs scored
• Jaden Sherwood, 2-,4 two RBIs one run scored

Submitted photos and information.

If you’ve ever had health or safety concerns about certain aspects of your household, but didn’t know who to call, don’t worry: help is coming your way with the Healthy Neighborhoods Program. And there might even be some free goodies thrown in for participating.

That is, if you live in Wards Two or Five in the City of Batavia. Genesee County Health Department staff will be going door-to-door based on census tracts, and this year it’s those two wards, environmental health professional Karen Schmidt said during a recent presentation to City Council.

“The Healthy Neighborhoods program is a grant from the New York State Department of Health. It's a five-year grant and runs from 2020 to 2027. So we just started our second year … health department staff make home visits to people. It's for renters and homeowners, it doesn't matter. And our target area right now is the town and the city of Batavia. Our goal is 200 visits per year,” Schmidt said.

Staff goes door-to-door to survey certain potential health issues, such as smoking and asthma. If anyone in the home smokes or has asthma, “we have more information for those people,” she said. But it’s not all about one’s direct personal health, she said.

“We check for fire safety in the home, for working smoke detectors, windows and doors that are accessible in an emergency, that there’s not a lot of clutter that would prevent you from being able to leave,” she said. “We check for lead hazards in homes that were built before 1978 because that is the year that they banned lead from consumer paint. So for that, we look for deteriorated paint because it’s the dust or the particles that are the hazard.”

Mind you, this doesn’t take off from the initial visit from a stranger at the door. They typically leave a hanger packet of information and set up an appointment if the homeowner is interested in this health and safety review. It also includes indoor air quality, checking to see if anyone smokes inside, and if so, encouraging them to take it outside.

“And then just the general condition of the house, are there major roof leaks, plumbing leaks, are the floors, the stairs, the railings in good condition,” she said. “And we have a referral sheet that’s to agencies or providers of services that might be applicable. We don’t have the budget to do repairs ourselves, or we can try to refer them to community groups to help, and then we have the free supplies (top photo of smoke detector, fire extinguisher, radon test kit, first aid kit, cleaning supplies).”

For those with asthma, staff helps to educate them about potential triggers, the importance of talking to their doctor, when to take their meds, and what to take in an emergency to avoid a trip to the emergency room. Senior citizens may be referred to Office for the Aging to receive assistance for their particular needs, such as handrails or advice for family issues. Staff also can point people to food pantries, the community closet and other resources, she said.

The Batavian asked follow-up questions, and Schmidt and Public Information Officer Kaitlin Pettine gave the following responses.

Does staff give demonstrations of how to use wellness equipment?
“If possible, we want the equipment installed before we leave. We are working with the City of Batavia Fire Department to install smoke detectors going forward. We also make sure that carbon monoxide detectors are activated and discuss the proper placement. For fire extinguishers, we provide a brochure on usage and give brief instructions,” they said.

Why would they want to take a few minutes to listen?
“Most people could use a quick check of hazards to look for in their homes. It is better to be aware and plan for an emergency, than to be caught off guard.”

 What time period are you going out in Batavia?
"We do not have a set schedule for when we go out, and the time changes each week based on the weather, staff availability, etc. However, we try to go into the community several hours a week. We try to alternate between areas and time of day. As the weather gets better and we get into late spring and summer, we hope to spend more time going door-to-door. We also plan to attend community events to spread awareness about the program."

Will you be moving into other areas after the city? If so, where?
"This year, we are going door to door in census tracts 9507 (Ward 5) and 9508 (Ward 2) in the City of Batavia. However, any resident of the City or Town of Batavia is eligible for the program and we accept referrals at any time."  

Will you be distinguishable, so that people will know it's you and not a salesperson?
"When we go door-to-door, staff wear Genesee County Health Department badges and identify themselves as health department employees when someone opens the door,” they said. “If someone is hesitant, we encourage them to go to GOHealthNY.org to get some more information. There they can fill out a referral form online if they are interested in the program. Staff will then schedule an appointment that is at a convenient time for the resident.”

What's the overall message that you hope to convey to families?
"The Healthy Neighborhoods Program can make a difference by reducing housing related illness and injury through home inspections and prevention. Staff will identify problems that exist and refer residents to local agencies or programs when it is appropriate."

The Genesee County Health Department received $477,000 in funding from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to implement the Healthy Neighborhoods Program (HNP) for the years 2022 to 2027.

For more information or to make a referral to the program, call Genesee County HNP staff at 585-344-2580, Ext. 5519, or visit www.GOHealthNY.org.

Photo of free items given during home visits from GO HealthNY.

The economic development efforts of Genesee County and the region and the state are closely aligned, said two officials who spoke at GCEDC's annual meeting Friday at Batavia Downs.

Ryan Silva, executive director of the NYS Economic Development Council (top photo), first gave an overview of the investments New York made in 2022 in economic development. Among them:

• A $200 million investment program;
• A $250 brownfield development program;
• A $500 million tax recredit program designed to attract semiconductor manufacturers.

"All told, over the last 12 months, there has been $1.2 billion dollars in new economic development initiatives and funding dedicated to New York State," Silva said.

Silva applauded the accomplishments of GCEDC.

"Since the Steve Hyde era began in 2003, I was just amazed to hear some of those stats that you referenced, Steve -- 527 projects, $2 billion in capital, $5 million square feet of space and 5,000 jobs."

He added, "What does that say about how we can grow our economies? What we have to do is continue to build shovel-ready sites all across the state to attract and grow key industries. What does that say about Genesee County? To me, it says you're leveraging your strengths and your assets. Communities are stepping up and helping achieve their own goals, and GCEDC is setting the way. And then what does this mean for our future? It means better careers and outcomes for the families and the communities that we serve and remains revitalized downtown that will attract the next generation of workforce."

 Laura Fox O'Sullivan, regional director of Empire State Development’s Finger Lakes Regional Office (second photo), visited Downtown Batavia during her visit to Genesee County and took note of the efforts to revitalize the city core during a lunch at Eli Fish, where she heard more about how the city is putting to work its $10 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant award.

"The Batavia DRI project to me felt like such a microcosm of how Genesee County works," O'Sullivan said. "There are really strong partnerships, people know each other, and they really care about each other. And something that I've really been impressed by with Genesee County is that they have these long-standing partnerships, and they're really coming to fruition right now. It's such an exciting time to be here."

Photos by Howard Owens.

During his speech Steve Hyde, CEO of GCEDC, thanked all of the agencies partners, such as the Town of Alabama, Town of Pembroke, Town of Batavia, the City of Batavia and the Genesee County Legislature, as well as the agencies throughout the state that help the agency attract businesses to the county's shovel-ready industrial parks.

"It's also important to keep this growing," Hyde said. "Industrial development agencies oftentimes specifically are under attack legislatively at the state level, because they have legislation that gets launched that's narrowly focused and misguided. And that, if it passed, actually negatively impacts the competitiveness in New York State."

The Town of Pembroke, represented by Supervisor Thomas Schneider Jr., was honored as GCEDC development partner of the year.

We appreciate it greatly, but we also don't do what we do in Pembroke for accolades," Schneider said. "We do it for the betterment of the community. We do appreciate it. We've got a strong team behind us that also deserve recognition for getting the award. With all the development going on -- it's just all of the sudden sparked off like I couldn't imagine within a year."

Middle of the photo, Pete Zeliff, chairman of the GCEDC board of directors, and Shelley Stein, chair of the Genesee County Legislature.

When Steve Hyde asked audience members partnering with the county's workforce development efforts to raise their hands, among them Kevin MacDonald, superintendent of Genesee Valley BOCES.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) was just one of the many Assembly members welcoming West Point cadets in the Assembly Chamber as Albany celebrated its annual West Point Day. Hawley, a staunch advocate for past, present and future members of the armed forces, was honored and glad to celebrate these cadets.

“New York’s history of service to the nation is unmatched, thanks in no small part to our excellent military academy in West Point,” Hawley said. “Like many of their predecessors, these cadets are some of the best and brightest our state and nation have to offer, and I was honored to welcome them to Albany and recognize their outstanding achievements. I want to wish these cadets well in their future endeavors and commit to working for their best interests as I work to do for all our men and women in uniform.”

Submitted Photo: West Point Cadets visit the State Assembly Chamber with Lt. General Steve Galland.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C -Batavia) is disappointed with the proposed “conceptual budget” following a review of the proposals released by the governor’s office. The proposal, which has yet to be finalized for debate on the Assembly Floor, suggests a spending count of $229 billion, much of which goes to downstate-exclusive endeavors like spending on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and free buses for New York City. Hawley is unsurprised upstate New York is once again forgotten come budget time.

“It’s, of course, disappointing, but it’s not surprising; the downstate majority always puts its needs before those of the entire state,” Hawley said. “The spending proposal is not just a lot, it’s egregious. It’s more than what either Texas or Florida spends despite both states having larger populations than New York. Whoever recommended this unsustainable spending calendar clearly does not know what New York needs to succeed.”

“The answers to stop our overspending problem and manage our state’s debts are straightforward, yet this majority party continues to ignore them. And as they do, they continue to drive people away from New York,” Hawley concluded.

During the downtown annual beer walk, an out-of-town participant won a gift card, which not only brought her back, but she had her whole family in tow. They shopped at Empire Hemp and booked a massage at The Spa at Artemis, promising to return for dinner and stop into Valle Jewelers to browse and hopefully purchase some of the shop’s dazzling items on display.

That is perhaps the epitome of what a Business Improvement District event is all about, and Executive Director Shanon Maute shared that visitor’s excitement of winning and exploring downtown Batavia during BID’s annual awards get-together Thursday evening.

“The events, and what they mean to our community — where do I start? Let’s start with the Wine Walk, Beer Walk and the newly added Cider Walk. These events may not seem that impactful, but on a typical walk, they get over 600 people downtown and into our businesses,” Maute said at Center Street Smokehouse. “We are not only getting locals, but we are seeing more and more people from out of town. The reactions we get from them are great. They tell us how much they love our downtown and had no idea that some of these businesses were here — sad but true. We do see a lot of repeat business from these walks.”

That one winning participant and her family, on their return trip, had lunch at one restaurant and dessert at another before shopping and getting a pampering treatment at Artemis, Maute said. They took advantage of much that downtown retailers and eateries had to offer, with no time left to even complete their to-do list during one visit.

“I call that a success!” Maute added.

That might make one wonder if locals look at downtown with similar fresh-eyed excitement of a visitor or take for granted those shopping and eating opportunities. Maute doesn't, and hopes to increase the attention drawn to inner-city offerings.

“I have not lost my excitement for our downtown and look forward to our upcoming events. The Board of Directors, the committees, and our volunteers have been amazing and have really supported my ideas, and I greatly appreciate each and every one of them,” Maute said. “The committee members have become my extended family, and I could not have done these events without them, so thank you.”

She announced the newly added event this year that will be coming up in about six weeks: the inaugural Cider Walk on June 17. Italian Fest and the Boxcar Derby are being tweaked to be "bigger and better than ever," doubling in size, she said.

Other events include:

• Friday night Jackson Square concerts resume on July 7
• Thursday concerts on July 13 and 20, August 10 and 17
• Italian Festival and a Classic Car Show is set for July 29
• BID Boxcar Derby on August 26
• Scarecrow Contest in September
• Wine Walk on October 7
• Shop Local in November
• Christmas in the City December 2
• Febrewary Beer Walk has been slated for February 24

Maute then presented awards to the Volunteer of the Year, Lauren Becht, for being “one of the nicest, most positive people I have met” and for serving on every committee, always being available and willing to help out — whether it’s racing Maute down a hill in a Big Wheel to test the hill before the Box Car Derby or stuff her car full of pumpkins for the Paint Your Pumpkins Pink breast cancer campaign — Becht was there.

“And she does it all with a smile,” Maute said. “I know I can always count on her for anything.”

Next up was Business of the Year, and that went to Judy Hysek for her vegan restaurant that began as an incubator trial inside of Eli Fish Brewery on Main Street. The concept and place — Eden Cafe and Bake Shop — grew and became popular enough to move out on its own, which it did nearly a year ago.

The site has its own brick-and-mortar location at 242 Ellicott St., and Maute is “very happy to say this was a success story” that she could announce.

“The award for Business of the Year is actually a business that I am very proud of and have personally been there since the beginning and watched them grow,” Maute said. “I highly recommend stopping in. Tell them Shannon sent you; it won’t get you anything. I just think it would be funny.”

BID's goals include continuing to cross-promote each other’s businesses; create relationships amongst all BID businesses; increase their online presence; target events toward the “next generation to bring vitality back to downtown.”

The BID is made up of board officers Derek Geib as president, John Roche, vice president, Glenn Liucci, treasurer, Kourtney Kunichika, secretary; and members Rachael Tabelski, city manager, Peter Casey, Ken Mistler, Patti Pacino, Marty Macdonald, Carrie Lawrence, Shelly Wolanske, Peter Hunt, Lauren Becht, Patrick Burk, Cregg Paul and Sara Tenney.

Top Photo of people mingling during the annual BID awards get-together Thursday at Center Street Smoke House in Batavia, by Howard Owens; Volunteer of the Year Lauren Becht and BID Executive Director Shannon Maute, and Business of the Year Eden Cafe and Bake Shop, left, Thomas Shaw, line cook, Shannon Maute, owner Judy Hysek, and chef manager Nicole DellaPenna; and the unofficial Best Dressed Award went to My Cut Barbershop, presented to owner Zach Watts. seen also with Victor Thomas, Connor Hyde-Hamilton and Ray Williams; and no ID available for the speaker, all courtesy of BID. Live musical duo entertains during the evening, by Howard Owens. 

Press Release:

Genesee Community College is thrilled to announce that Kristen Schuth has been awarded the NJCAA 2023 George Killian Award of Excellence. Kristen, who serves as the Assistant Vice President of Student Engagement and Inclusion and Director of Athletics at GCC, has been recognized for her outstanding commitment to voluntarism, achievement, service, leadership, and excellence.

Kristen has been a driving force behind GCC's athletic programs since she was named Director of Athletics in 2013. Under her leadership, the college has achieved incredible success on the field, capturing two national championships, 12 regional titles, and 17 conference titles. The athletic department has produced numerous All-Americans and academic award winners, a testament to Schuth's dedication to both athletics and academics.

Beyond her contributions to GCC, Kristen has also become involved at the regional and national levels, serving as the NJCAA Region 3 Women's Director and NJCAA Region 3 Board of Regents member. She chairs several NJCAA Division III committees and has played a crucial role in hosting several regional and national championship events at GCC.

"I am incredibly honored and humbled to receive the NJCAA 2023 George Killian Award of Excellence. This award represents the values that I strive to embody every day - voluntarism, achievement, service, leadership, and excellence. I share this recognition with the outstanding coaches, staff, and student-athletes at Genesee Community College who have worked tirelessly to achieve success on and off the field," said Schuth.

The George E. Killian Award of Excellence is a prestigious honor within the NJCAA, and Schuth's selection is a testament to her outstanding contributions to the association and the college community. We congratulate Kristen on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to her continued leadership and success at Genesee Community College.

Photo courtesy of GCC.

Local New York State politicians are speaking out against a report that Democratic legislators and Gov. Kathy Hochul are considering changes to the structure of the board of directors of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, all Republicans, issued statements Thursday and today, indicating their opposition to what they believe is a proposal to eliminate individual counties’ authority to select WROTB directors.

Press release from Tenney:

“For 50 years, Western Regional Off Track Betting has shared operational control between 15 county governments and the Cities of Rochester and Buffalo. Under this established system, Western Regional OTB has brought jobs, tax revenue, and entertainment to Western New York. Over the past two years, Western OTB returned over $13.9 million to offset local county taxes across Western New York,

“County leaders throughout New York’s 24^th district have reached out concerned about efforts to dismantle, politicize, and disadvantage rural communities within Western Regional OTB. When ‘Home Rule’ created the ownership of Western Regional OTB, member counties were given equal representation. NYS Senate Bill 7855 would strip rural counties of their 50-year established authority of this public-private sector partnership in favor of Governor Hochul and left-wing legislators in Albany.

“I stand with local leaders across the district in calling on Kathy Hochul to drop this misguided plan. It should be dead on arrival during budget negotiations in the Albany sewer. With a budget that is nearly four weeks late, a crime surge, and historic mass outmigration, Albany Democrats should leave Western OTB alone and focus on the real problems facing New Yorkers.”

Press release from Borrello:

“Although they already control the major levers of power in Albany, that hasn’t stopped Democrat One-Party Rule for brazenly and continually hunting for more opportunities to conquer and silence those outside their control. Their latest power grab targets Western Regional Off-Track Betting which has operated for five decades under a model of shared operational control between 15 county governments and the Cities of Rochester and Buffalo.

"However, changes under consideration right now would eliminate this cooperative structure of the past 50 years and replace it with a politicized board that would do Albany’s bidding. The voices of our rural counties would be silenced and the jobs and revenue they depend on put at risk.

"I am fiercely opposed to this last-minute attempt to slide this controversial proposal into the budget as the final details come together. It is another shameful attempt at rigging the system for political purposes and should be rejected.”

Statement from Hawley:

Hawley called the proposal "a power grab trying to diminish the influence of smaller, less populated counties."

"It's called Western New York OTB, not Erie County OTB," he said, responding to a text message from The Batavian. "This is similar to what Western New York complains about in the State Legislature. Excessive control by New York City. Shameful and wrong."

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek, contacted today, said he and Board Chair Richard Bianchi are monitoring the situation.

“We are waiting to find out what the actual language of the proposed legislation is before making an official statement,” Wojtaszek said.

Currently, the individuals serving on WROTB’s 17-member board, which represents its 17-member municipalities, are appointed by their county or city (Buffalo and Rochester) legislative bodies.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R , C-Batavia) is disappointed that the Assembly Majority has moved to block his legislation, A.2062, from passing in the Assembly chamber. The bill would have eliminated the registration fee for Gold Star Mothers and Gold Star Family Members for their distinctive license plates. Gold Star Family Members are families of veterans that served in the military and made the ultimate sacrifice, and Hawley has always been an ardent supporter of showing those families the respect they deserve.

“It’s really disappointing and frustrating that the Assembly Majority cannot vote on something that would go such a long way for families who deserve our support,” Hawley said. “The blocking of this bill tells me that despite whatever the Majority may say in regard to supporting our families of veterans, they don’t really care when it comes to meaningful action.”

The blocking of this bill recalls an issue several years ago that Hawley also championed, which was the granting of free college tuition to Gold Star Family members that also faced questionable pushback from the Assembly Majority. Hawley believes New York can do better for its Gold Star families.

“There’s not much to say other than it’s another example of New York failing to show up for those who showed up for New York. It suggests our state government needs a real re-evaluation of values and character,” Hawley concluded.

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens.

An open house and special celebration at Liberty Pumps Thursday meant as much to employee Dylan Mackey as it did for any of the top brass speaking on stage in the newly debuted Link Building.

Mackey, 27, has been with the company since 2013, going from part-time in fabrication, earning his degree at Genesee Community College and eventually moving into a full-time information technology position as supervisor.

The announcement of another expansion — an 80,000-square-foot warehouse and 30,000-square-foot Link Building — was good news for everyone, Mackey said.

“Working at Liberty Pumps is wonderful. Everybody is very kind. There's no arguments in the workplace. Everybody knows we're all on the same team. We're all doing the same thing,” he said. “Tonight … it’s definitely a celebration for sure.”

Employees watched a video about the company’s growth along with an audience of several hundred visitors and local officials. Mackey said that not everything goes smoothly with each attempt, but seeing this expansion “and seeing the changes made to it and seeing the new parts of the company added into that, it’s a sense of pride, right?”

“It's a hey, I'm part of that, there's a ton of us that are a part of that,” he said. “That's really what it is.”

This is the third expansion for Liberty, located at 7000 Apple Tree Ave., Bergen. The last one was in 2016, when it “literally felt like we had a sea of space that was going to meet our needs for a very long time,” President and CEO Robyn Brookhart said.

“But as we introduced new products and expanded existing lines, and have been ultra fortunate to experience steady and solid growth, our building was busting at the seams,” she said. “So the building expansion team was assembled, and the planning began. And here we are 18 months later in this beautiful and seemingly enormous new space.”

The cavernous Link Building temporarily featured tables and chairs for guests, a photo booth, serving stations for beverages and hors d’oeuvres and a stage for the speakers and musical entertainment. Other open house activities included a self-guided tour with a map and QR codes to learn more about several areas, such as accounting, the cafeteria, customer support, product engineering, a fitness center, machine shop, purchasing, sales and marketing, shipping and technical customer support.

A few guests were late to the special presentation, and staff member Jenna graciously seated them in a golf cart to zip them through the spacious plant, zig-zagging left and right down lanes, to party central — the Link Building.

Genesee County Economic Development Center was given a nod for having been involved in the early inception days of Liberty Pumps, and CEO Steve Hyde asked, “where would you rather be but right here right now, celebrating your guys' collective success?”

“This has just been a great story. I’ve been working with (Board Chairman Charlie Cook) now, and our paths have connected in so many ways. He was the chairman of the GCEDC board for a few years and did a great job. I worked with him on the Regional Economic Development Councils, and we’re nothing but thrilled to be a small part of participating in their ongoing growth,” Hyde said. “And you see a company like Liberty Pumps just growing like they have. I’ve been in this position 20 years now, and I’ve been here for three of those major expansions. When I got the role Charlie, you just finished your first 60,000 square feet. And now look at it today. You’re five times bigger … six times larger employment than back in 2003.”

When the company broke ground for the project, the employee total was at 300, with an expected 30 more to be added. At that time, Cook said it will “relieve congestion in our current structure and free up much-needed manufacturing space for large pump systems. That’s become a significant part of our business, and we’re pleased to better support our customers with this addition.”

Since opening in 1965, Liberty Pumps has become a leading manufacturer of sump, effluent, and sewage pumps and systems for residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial applications.

The 185-acre business park developed by the GCEDC has approximately 350,000 square feet of facilities at Apple Tree Acres.

“Your success is going to continue to roll, and we look forward to being there for you the next time you're ready to expand,” Hyde said. “Thank you, Robyn. Thank you, Charlie. Thank you, team. We're thrilled to be here tonight.”

Genesee County Legislators Christian Yunker, Shelley Stein and Gregg Torrey attended the event. Torrey took a tour of the massive facility and saw nothing but positives everywhere.

“It just means a tremendous amount for just the jobs it creates. It’s a homegrown company that’s created 350, 330 jobs. It's amazing. And I see all these employees here at this event, and it’s like 600 people here for this cutting edge facility, and they’re on a continual path to increase the square foot and growing the company, it’s just a great local story for Genesee County,” he said. “It’s really impressive. Everything is state of the art. It’s probably the cleanest manufacturing facility I’ve ever seen, it’s just beautiful.”

Top Photo: President and CEO Robyn Brookhart welcomes guests and announces the expansion project during an open house at Liberty PumpsThursday evening; guests tour the facility in Bergen, watch demonstrations, and enjoy refreshments, and live musical entertainment. Photos by Howard Owens.