Our Main Street in Batavia was decorated with festive lights, and shoppers lined the street. Walking down the street on a Friday night, you could visit with your friends and neighbors as you listened to Christmas music from CL Carr's outdoor speakers. Everything you needed for Christmas shopping you could buy on Main Street.  CL Carr's Department Store, JJ Newberry, WT Grant, Scott and Bean, and Alexander were some of my favorite stores.

After a day of shopping, you would go home where your house might smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree, or in our case, our living room had an aluminum tree. It was lit by a motorized magic color wheel that played Silent Night. The gifts were all nestled under the tree, waiting for Christmas morning. The homemade felt stockings mom had made hung from the fireplace mantle.  

We always had our manger set up, and we remember having our picture taken kneeling next to the figures. Then, we all gathered in the living room on Christmas morning to take turns opening our one special gift. 

Our next event was attending Christmas Mass and listening to the Christmas hymns from the organ loft. As we entered the pew, I remember my father separating me from my brother Tony for obvious reasons.  

After Mass, we would go home and wait for Grandma to arrive from Le Roy with our  25-pound turkey and her homemade pies. It was such a simple time.  At night we went for a ride in the family station wagon to look at the Christmas lights and always stopped at, as we called it, the Blind School to see the miniature Christmas Village. During Christmas vacation, we went sledding down state street hill, hoping to miss the one tree at the foot of the hill.

We would go skating at Macarthur Park on the tennis courts. We had snow from Thanksgiving until St. Patrick's Day, and we never saw grass until then.

Over the years, our Christmases have changed.  We all were blessed with children, and our parent's living room was filled with grandchildren. The grandchildren are grown up, some have moved away, and there are definite changes in our Christmases. We have lost the matriarch and patriarch of our family. Christmases will never be the same, but we will always have those cherished memories of sitting in our parent's living room with our aluminum tree, the manger, and mom and dad smiling at their six children and grandchildren.

As a footnote
Besides the memories of the 60s, the reality of living in the 60s can be seen in many ways. In 1960 you could buy a new house for $12,675. The average income was $5,199 rent was $98.   You could buy a gallon of gas for $.25. Back then, we never knew there would be the technology of texting a message; in the 60s, you mailed a letter, and a postage stamp cost four cents. And if you were lucky enough to have a Ford Mustang, it would've cost you $2,368. And you can't forget that $.25 burger!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year 2022-2023

Taylor McCabe, of McCabe Enterprises, an electrical contractor, was one of four contractors on a job site at Brickhouse Corners in Pembroke to introduce students to the building trades.

Owner and developer Randy Fancher said he and his brother thought their mixed-use development -- retail and apartments -- was a good job site to show young people what a construction site is like and hear about the kind of work available in different facets of construction.

Besides electrical, students -- and their parents and grandparents -- learned about drywall, HVAC, and plumbing.

"We're letting kids know there are opportunities in the building trades," Fancher said.

For more on the development, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Brian Stevens of DWC Mechanical talks about pipes with a group of students.

Cindy Merritt tries her hand at putting a screw into drywall.

Press release:

Resurrection and Ascension Roman Catholic Parishes had a joint Confirmation Commitment Mass today at 11:30 at St Joseph’s Church for our shared Confirmation candidates, to be confirmed this spring.  Parents and sponsors attended and participated as well.

Prior to Mass, families and students gathered as part of our joint Faith Formation program.

Submitted photos.

United carried a 2 - 1 lead into the third against McQuaid on Friday night but were unable to hang on for the victory at The McCarthy. 

Scoring for United were sophomores Jameson Motyka, and Ivan Milovidov. 

Goaltender Frankie Falleti made 21 saves on 24 shots.

McQuaid tied the game with just under nine minutes to play, knocking in a rebound goal to level the score at 2.  With only four minutes to play in the game, they struck again to take the lead, and eventually added an empty net goal to seal the game at 4-2.

Shots in the contest were virtually level at 25-24, with a slight advantage for McQuaid. 

BND was a perfect 4-4 on the penalty kill but was 0-2 on the Powerplay. 

“This is a good lesson for us early in the season," said Head Coach Marc Staley. "Against these top teams, all it takes is one or two mental mistakes, and they will punish you. We are learning.  3-1 through 4 games is not too bad.  But we were 8 minutes away from 4-0, with 2 huge wins on the road against state-ranked teams, that’s where the disappointment comes from.  But the good news is I don’t think I saw anybody handing any trophies out after the game last night. Our biggest games are still in front of us, this is going to make us better.”

BND will have Saturday and Sunday to rest, before returning to the ice for practice on Monday. 

“We have another tough test playing against Greece next Tuesday night at Lakeshore rinks in Rochester," Staley said. "Then we are very much looking forward to hosting the annual David McCarthy Memorial Christmas Tournament at our home rink next weekend.”

On Friday, Dec. 16, Iroquois Central (3-1) will face off against Niagara Wheatfield (4-0) at 6 p.m to kickoff the tournament. 

United (3-1) will face WFL Geneva (0-2) at 8 p.m.  The consolation game will be played at noon on Saturday, with the championship game set for 3 p.m. 

A special number-retiring ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. prior to the championship game.  Former captain David McCarthy’s #6 will be officially retired and hung in the arena.  Many of David’s family, friends, teammates, and coaches will be in attendance. 

“It’s going to be a very special and emotional afternoon, no doubt," Staley said. "Aside from Dave being a wonderful hockey player, and a great captain, he was a beloved son, brother, husband, and father to three amazing children.  He was a dear friend to my brother Jack and I, and this is something I’m honestly not looking forward to doing.  But it’s time to officially bring him back home.”  

Batavia opened up the basketball season on the road against Greece Odyssey and doubled their opponent's score 76-38.

Sawyer Siverling scored 19 points, hitting five three-point shots. Ja'vin McFollins scored 17 points and three a tres of threes. Aiden Bellavia scored 11 points, Carter McFollins, 9 points and Justin Smith, 8 points.

Batavia held Odyssey to 12 points in the first half and maintained a 20-plus point lead from the second quarter to the final buzzer.

Batavia plays Eastridge at home, next Friday at 7:15 p.m.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Armani, with Batavia police officer Connor Borchert and his mother Ashley Ayala, was among 30 children selected this year to "Shop with a Cop" at Walmart for Christmas.

The children each had $150 to spend on presents for themselves or for others.  The toy aisles were the most popular part of the store.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Armani and Ashley.

Ivy with Investigator Eric Hill.

Angelique with Batavia PD Assistant Chief Chris Camp

Deputy Jeremy McClellan with a nine-month-old on his first Christmas shopping trip to Walmart (mother asked that we not identify the child).

Deputy Jeremiah Gechell shops with Keaghen and his father, Chad Broskin of Brockport.

Deputy Kyle Tower joins Gechell, Chad, and Keaghen.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C, I-Batavia) today informed local fire departments about grant money being offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA has $90 million to award prior to the end of the year. The application period for these awards will begin between January 6 and 9 and will continue for 6 weeks, subject to change. For more information, contact the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program at 866-274-0960 or firegrants@fema.dhs.gov.

“This is an opportunity for those who tirelessly protect our communities to receive a significant amount of grant money,” Hawley said. “Our emergency employees are vital to our communities. I am proud of their hard work to keep us all safe and secure. Their valiant efforts to maintain safety in my district and throughout New York state should not go unnoticed.”

Press release:

This week, the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY) attended a special, behind-the-scenes tour of Empire Hemp Co.’s manufacturing facility with Chris Vandusen, CEO, and Shelly Wolanske, COO. 

CANY is the largest cannabis association in NY – with hundreds of members stretched across the supply chain from seed-to-sale and in every region of the state. They work to engage with the various communities of interest within the NY cannabis economy. Since their founding in 2019, they’ve helped draft multiple laws and countless regulations to build a cannabis industry that benefits small and midscale NYS businesses first.

As one of the first licensed cultivators and processors in the state, the team at Empire was thrilled to showcase their Adult-use THC line and all that goes into manufacturing and packaging these products with a strong focus on safety, compliance, and sustainability. One member noted, “The facility held much-advanced equipment, and we were very impressed with the cleanliness and documentation taken.”

Empire Hemp Co., located in Batavia been the go-to source for hemp-derived products for several years. With a strong devotion to all New York State-grown, pesticide-free hemp, their retail location on Main Street in Batavia quickly became the trusted source for Cannabidiol (CBD) tinctures, gummies, and their best-seller, “The Balm.” Luxury lotions and bath products - all infused with the therapeutic plant - line the walls of the boutique shop. 

Branching out into the THC world was a natural move for the company. Countless hours of research, paperwork, and manpower have gone into ensuring the entire process is handled in a legal and ethical manner. Flowers, pre-rolls, vape carts, and edibles will all be available to customers through legal, licensed dispensaries as they begin to open throughout the state. 

To learn more about Empire Hemp Co., visit EmpireHempCo.com or stop into their retail location at 204 East Main St. in Batavia.

Press release:

 

According to the CDC, 75 perent of the nearly 92,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2020 involved an opioid. Thankfully, opioid overdoses deaths can be prevented with the use of naloxone. Naloxone, also commonly called Narcan, is an emergency response medication used for the treatment of an opioid overdose. Individuals known to be at risk of experiencing or witnessing an overdose should have direct access to naloxone. Naloxone reverses the effects of an opioid overdose until emergency services can arrive.

Locally, in 2020, there were 15 fatal opioid overdoses (25.7 per 100,000). “For the last several years, Genesee County’s opioid overdose death rates have surpassed the state’s average as a whole, as well as excluding New York City averages,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “Unfortunately, this public health crisis is continuing in our community, and in an effort to increase access to naloxone to save lives, the Health Department is providing Naloxone Boxes for free to interested businesses and organizations to install at their location(s),” Pettit explained.

What is a Naloxone Box? It is a metal box that contains two doses of Narcan nasal spray. These boxes are intended to increase access to Naloxone at the time of a life-threatening emergency. They can be placed in a high-traffic area at your business/organization or alongside an AED, as both provide a life-saving resource and instructions for use.

“Currently, 8 Naloxone Boxes have been installed, which are all located within the City of Batavia. This is a great start but having these boxes at many locations, including every village and town, is the goal. We want to help save lives because the possibility of recovery is lost if the person is no longer with us. That is why I am calling for businesses and organizations to act and get involved by installing a box,” said Pettit.

If you are a business or organization located in Genesee County and are interested in receiving more information about having a Naloxone Box(es) at your location, contact: Kaitlin.Pettine@co.genesee.ny.us. To complete the Naloxone Box Application, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NaloxboxSiteApplication.

For information about Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also visit GO Health on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by searching @GOHealthNY.

Press release:

Leadership Genesee presented awards honoring the 19 members of the Class of 2022 at the Annual Graduation Celebration at Terry Hills on December 1.

The class includes members from the private sector including M&T Bank, Genesee Patrons Cooperative Insurance Co., Clark Patterson Lee, RRH United Memorial Hospital, Alleghany Farm Services, Liberty Pumps, Tompkins Financial, Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel, Freed, Maxick CPAs, P.C., and Warrior House of WNY. Also included from the public sector were members from Genesee County Department of Social Services, Highway and Health Departments, Genesee County Economic Development Center, BEST Center GCC, City of Batavia and Richmond Memorial Library.

Leadership Genesee Director Peggy Marone shared at graduation, “What I think about this class and why I love LG is that after everything this world has been through, you have shown the greatness of the human spirit, the best of yourselves and each other. Leadership Genesee is the unique opportunity and platform to practice and experiment with various subject matters, it’s a community education that encourages open dialogue where information builds on what came before, creating a new universe of community knowledge and the possibilities that could be. It’s a place where the fears from 11 months ago have become the collective confidence of LG 2022.”

The Class of 2023 is forming and will begin their journey in January. Leadership Genesee is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. For more information about Leadership Genesee, please visit our website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/leadership-genesee.

Photo by Laurie Pfaff, class of 2009 First row: Steph Parmenter, Christina Fetzer, Becky Prefontaine, Felicia Cecere, Stephanie Merkley; second row: Sheri Faggiano, Susan Zeliff, Justin Gerace, Wesley Bedford, Penny Kennett; third row:  Angelina Miconi, Jennifer Sweet, Christopher Camp, Jennifer Wakefield, Patrick Carr, Kaitlyn Pettine, Jeremy DeLyser, Nicholas Sperrazza, Jessica Zaremski

Press release:

With the holiday season upon us and the giving spirit roused, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone not to let their generosity contribute to them falling victim to one of many prevalent scams.  As a general rule, it is a best practice to never provide personal or financial information to anyone who calls you over the phone or contacts you via e-mail or text message who may purport themselves to be a representative from Law Enforcement, the Federal Government, a Bank/Financial Institution, or other business. 

• Scammers will often contact you pretending to be from a known organization such as the Sheriff’s Office, IRS, FBI, Microsoft, Pay Pal, Amazon, or countless other businesses/government entities.  The scammer may indicate that you have a problem with your account or there is a virus on your computer, and they need to assist you in rectifying the issue. 

Scammers may ask:

• you to click on a provided link
• for personal and banking information
• for remote access to your computer to assist in correcting the fictitious problem 
• The scammers may tell you that your daughter, son, husband, wife, grandchild, close friend or someone you know is in trouble with law enforcement and needs money for bail. 
• Scammers may indicate that you have won a sweepstakes and that they will be sending you a check to cash and then ask that a portion of the proceeds be sent back to them. 
• Scammers may ask for payment in the form of gift cards, electronic payments or ask that you send cash in the mail to a specified address.  Scammers may also indicate that they will send a currier to your residence to retrieve your payment. 

These perpetrators of scams will attempt to pressure you to act quickly by threatening that the problem will only get worse if you don’t act now or that you will be arrested if the issue is not immediately addressed. 

Please be suspicious of anyone asking for personal or financial information.  If you suspect something may not be legitimate, tell someone you trust what the situation is before you act and potentially suffer a financial loss that may not be recoverable or disclose personally-identifying information. 

If you fall victim to a scam, please report it to your local law enforcement agency.

Have a safe and secure Holiday Season!

Mercy Flight is receiving a $3,043,000 federal loan to purchase a new helicopter that will be modified for medical service operations and stationed at the Genesee County Airport in Batavia, the USDA announced this week.

Mercy Flight has not been able to station a helicopter in Batavia since a fatal crash in Elba in April.  The crash of the Bell 429 helicopter claimed the lives of pilot James E. Sauer, 60, of Churchville, and Stewart M. Dietrick, 60, of Prosper, Texas.

From the press from the U.S. Department of Agriculture announcing several funding initiatives in Upstate New York:

USDA Rural Development New York State Director Brian Murray announced investments totaling more than $46 million across 10 projects throughout the state to expand market opportunities for rural businesses and enterprises. This is part of a national announcement where U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Department is investing $981 million to help create new and better market opportunities and expand essential services for rural people, businesses and entrepreneurs in 47 states, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

“Rural people provide the everyday essentials our country depends on,” Murray said. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA is dedicated to helping people through job creation and expansion of entrepreneurial opportunities in the rural places they live. The partnerships we’re announcing today demonstrate USDA’s commitment to advocating for rural business owners and building brighter futures for residents and stakeholders in rural New York and throughout America.”

The funding will help keep resources and wealth made by rural people right at home through affordable financing and technical assistance. It will help rural Americans start businesses and allow small business owners to grow. It will also open the door to new economic opportunities for communities and people who historically have lacked access to critical resources and financing.  

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens of the Bell helicopter that crashed taken a few days prior to the accident during an emergency medical response in Batavia.

Press release:

The Byron-Bergen Senior High School proudly announces that every fall varsity Byron-Bergen sports team achieved the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Scholar-Athlete Team award. The fall sports teams are boys cross-country, girls cross-country, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, girls soccer, and girls volleyball.

“The District is very proud of these athletes for not only shining on the field or court, but working hard in the classroom,” said Byron-Bergen Athletic Director Rich Hannan. “It is phenomenal to have every sports team achieve a Scholar-Athlete Team award. Keep up the great work, Bees!”

The Scholar-Athlete program recognizes athletes for their academic success. NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team awards go to teams whose average GPA of 75% of the athletic team equals 90 or above.

Scholar-Athlete Team award recipients:

Cross Country – Boys
Cameron Carlson, Frank Henrsom, Samuel Hersom, Jackson Lundfelt, Lincoln McGrath, Bradley Pocock, Travis Shallenberg, Roman Smith, Solomon Smith, Gabriel Vallese

Cross Country – Girls
Cassidy Ball, Katelyn Ball, Dayanara Caballero, Hanna Loewke, Stephanie Onderdonk, Katherine Rogoyski, Zoey Shepard

Football
David Brumsted, Brendin Galves, Connor Moran, Malachi Smith, James Starowitz, Ruger Starowitz

Gymnastics
Samantha Copani Emily Salmonds

Soccer – Boys
Brody Baubie, Noah Clare, Kendan Dressler, Jack Farner, Colin Martin, Nathan Parsons, Haydin Perez, Brendan Pimm, Carter Prinzi, Colin Rea, Travis Shallenberg, Trent Sheard

Soccer – Girls
Grace Capostagno, Grace DiQuattro, Lea Donofrio, Gabrielle Graff, Ava Gray, Mia Gray, Mackenzie Hagen, Megan Jarkiwicz, Tori LaMar, Kendall Phillips, Novalee Pocock, Natalie Prinzi, Victoria Rogoyski, Elizabeth Starowitz, Emma Starowitz, Ashley Schlenker-Stephens Ava Wagoner, Julia Will, Rose Wilson, Megan Zwerka

Volleyball – Girls
Emma Balduf, Carlee Barons, Deborah Catalino, Chloe Gilbert, Makala Hoopengar, Ella Lewis, Lily Stalica, LIllian Walker

Santa and Mrs. Claus dropped in at 150 State St., Batavia, on Friday evening to hear from all the good boys and girls hoping for the best presents ever under their Christmas trees this year.

Angelina Pellegrino will host Santa again on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.

She said there are 60 Christmas trees on her property this year.

Photo by Howard Owens.  With Santa, Prince and YeeYee Viera.

Country music recording artist Claudia Hoyser, pictured left above with WBTA's Nici "Noir" Johnson, was at Mr. Wine & Liquor in Batavia on Friday evening to promote her coffee-whiskey blend, Drunken Bean Whiskey, during a special event at the store that included tastings of a variety of wine and spirits.

WBTA was on site for a live broadcast during the event.

Hoyser released a music video three months ago that was partially filmed at farms in Genesee County.

Photos by Howard Owens

City Fire, WBTA, Ken Barrett Chevrolet and Cadillac, along with the Salvation Army, teamed up again for their annual toy drive to benefit families in Genesee County who may not have the financial means to meet all of their kids' Christmas dreams.

Photo: Ryan Whitcombe, Nathan Kinne, Nici Johnson, Ken Barrett, and Todd Rapp. Photo by Howard Owens

Richard Ellingham won the "People's Choice Award" at the opening reception on Thusday for the Batavia Society of Artists annual Winter Show at the Richmond Memorial Library.

The show runs through Dec. 28.

Photos by Howard Owens

The big advantage of the new location of Licata Chiropractic at 542 East Main St. in Batavia, said owner Sandra Licata, is that she owns the real estate.

After years of renting, Licata was able to purchase the property in early 2020, just before the pandemic started. She was able to do business but held off on a grand opening until this week when she hosted the Chamber of Commerce for a Business After Hours and a ribbon-cutting.

With ownership comes her own parking lot.

"Where I was renting (off Court Street), we had the city parking lot," Licata said. "You didn't always know what space you're gonna get and here we have15 parking spaces. There's enough for staff, for clients, for Mike Grasso, and for my patients."

Mike Grasso is the massage therapist Licata has been working with for 21 years, a unique partnership in the chiropractic practice.

"Usually, I hear from colleagues that those relationships don't last that long," Licata said. "Usually, there's kind of a rotating door."

Licata said she's excited to have her own place where she has more control over the building and the grounds.

"We've updated the landscaping this year," Licata said. "We've updated the parking lot to add more lighting. It's nice to have my own place to do those things."

Photo by Howard Owens