Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) attended a press conference with his colleagues to promote a proposal that would authorize school districts to submit a waiver to the commissioner of education allowing them to officially opt out of certain zero-emission school bus requirements being implemented statewide. Across New York, there are more than 700 school districts facing full implementation of the zero-emission school bus mandate by July 1, 2027. Hawley believes this mandate is unrealistic for rural school districts and will result in higher costs for local schools.
“The Majority’s plan to mandate the purchase of electric vehicles for all new school bus purchases is not only unrealistic, it’s completely unattainable,” said Hawley. “Our schools are already substantially underfunded yet this administration seems hell-bent on punishing rural districts in order to promote their radical climate agenda. These out-of-touch policies will not work for Western New York. We must take action now to protect our schools.”
GENESEE AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (GAHA) invites children to the to the The David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street on Saturday, February 22nd for a Try Hockey For Free Event as part of “ USA Hockey Week Across America.” Which will be celebrated at 285 ice areas across the entire United States.
Starting at 10:40 a.m. to Noon local youth, ages 4 to 9, are welcomed at the rink to experience getting on the ice, learning how to “skate”, get up after falling, basic skills with a hockey stick and shooting pucks into a hockey net (all by being guided by the head coach and on-ice helpers). The youngsters will have the experience of shooting on actual goalies.
“At our Fall USA Try Hockey for Free Event (November 2 nd ) we welcomed families to McCarthy Ice Rink from Batavia, Buffalo, Byron, Corfu, LeRoy, Nunda, East Bethany, Alexander, Byron, Brockport, Albion, Wyoming, Rochester, and Elba to try our great sport of ice hockey” said Sharon Gray, Coordinator of the “Try Hockey for Free” event. “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces and for the youngsters the on-ice experience.”
The head coach for this event will be Andres Manamon (this year’s Head Coach for our Timbit Beginners Program (which presently consists of 72 youngsters) and on-ice helpers who make up this year’s Batavia-Notre Dame United high school team along with their coaches – Marc Staley and John Kirkwood. The youngsters will also be assisted on the ice by other coaches and players from the GAHA organization.
The event is hosted by the Try Hockey for Free Coordinators – Sharon and Bob Gray and the GAHA Beginner Player Coordinator – Marcia Barnes on behalf of the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association who provided the ice and the McCarthy Rink Staff – Katie Murray (General Manager), Matt Gray (Rink Operating Manager) and their great staff.
It is the team’s goal to provide the hockey experience to area youngsters free of charge and encourage them to participate in the GAHA Timbit Beginner Program which starts the first week of October. The Beginner Program consists of two sessions (October to December and January to March) with a total of 15 on-ice hours per session.
USA Hockey’s Try Hockey program, with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge. Pure Hockey (sponsor of USA Hockey) will provide “free” USA Try Hockey jerseys to each child.
What to bring: We encourage those who have equipment to bring it. If you do not have any equipment, you will need to bring:
A loose-fitting pair of sweatpants or snow pants
A pair of gloves (they don’t need to be hockey gloves – mittens or winter gloves are fine)
A helmet (hockey or bike) – we’ll have some “extras” available!
A SMILE
What we provide: Rental Skates will be provided for “free”, courtesy of David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena. Hockey sticks will be given out for use but MUST BE RETURNED.
ON-ICE EXPERIENCE: We will have plenty of coaches on hand to give your child a great youth hockey experience. They will get an opportunity to learn the basic skills of youth hockey. Your child does not need to know how to skate – we’ll have them up on their feet by the end of the session.
Registration is OPEN. Please register at: TRY HOCKEY FOR FREE.COM (Zip Code 14020). Registration limited to 40 participants. For more information contact svgray@rochester.rr.com or 585-344-2248.
Four $1,000 scholarships will be awarded through the annual UConnectCare Foundation Scholarship program in 2025.
The program, initiated several years ago, provides financial support to individuals pursuing their education at an institution of higher learning in the fields of human services or social services for the purpose of contributing to improving community health.
Scholarships will be given to one Genesee County high school student, one Orleans County high school student, one adult student pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and one technical/trade school student.
Applications are available on the UConnectCare website – www.uconnectcare.org – or can be obtained by contacting Diane Klos at Diane Klos at 585-815-1883 or dklos@unconnectcare.org. Completed applications must be received via email or postmarked by March 7.
The scholarships will be awarded at the agency’s annual membership meeting in May.
“We take great pleasure in being able to continue this important program,” said John Bennett, UConnectCare chief executive officer. “More than ever, substance use and alcohol use treatment and prevention agencies are seeking qualified, educated and dedicated employees.”
Students enrolled in a Genesee or Orleans County school can apply for the scholarship even if their primary residence is in another county.
Other pertinent scholarship information is as follows:
Applicant must be accepted at an accredited college or university and enrolled in or matriculated in an eligible program/major.
Eligible programs or majors include Social Work, Nursing, Health Science, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, or Human Services.
Current UConnectCare employees, board members and UConnectCare Foundation board members are NOT eligible.
Relatives of UConnectCare employees, board members and UConnectCare Foundation board members ARE eligible.
Applicant must provide academic history such as high school and/or college transcripts.
Applicant must provide two letters of recommendation from someone who knows the applicant’s work/volunteer/academic history. Letters from relatives will not be accepted.
Applicant must provide a resume or personal biography including work history, volunteer experiences, and extra-curricular activities.
Applicant must provide an essay that addresses educational and employment objectives as they relate to the mission of UConnectCare. Financial need, volunteerism, employment history and civic involvement will be given careful consideration.
The scholarship monies will be awarded upon completion of the fall semester. The award recipient must provide a copy of their transcript demonstrating at least a 2.0 GPA.
Applicant may be invited for an interview before final awards are made.
A still from the video of Batavia City Council's Jan. 27 meeting during the discussion of $500 gym memberships for city employees and City Council members.
City Council President Eugene Jankowski backpedaled Monday evening on a proposal to provide council members with a $500 annual stipend for gym memberships.
He blamed a news outlet for "mishandling" a report of the Jan. 27 conference meeting where the city manager first raised the issue.
During Monday’s conference session, Jankowski said, "Why council got dragged into this, maybe it was clickbait? Maybe people thought it was something to scream about? I got a lot of people screaming about it. I don’t recall us worrying about us being involved. I think we were talking about the employees. Correct me if I’m wrong on that."
Jankowski said Monday that the $500 was off the table, but there would be a $50 increase for employees to the current $100 allowance toward gym memberships included in the new budget.
The video recording of the Jan. 27 meeting substantiates that council members were included in the original proposal and that Jankowski endorsed it.
Here are the relevant portions of the transcript:
At 1:00:55 in the video (the link to the video above is timestamped to the start of the discussion), Tabelski said: “I’ve had many employees come to me, council members come to me, saying wouldn't it be great if we could provide some kind of membership or incentive towards using the new facility, so I went and looked at this year's budget. We have interest in earnings right now at about $24,000 that might top out around $50,000, so we could cover the majority of employees and council members if they were to sign up for this incentive, so I leave it to you to discuss and determine if this is something you'd like to move forward with.”
The only concern raised by any council member was a suggestion of discrimination against other gyms by providing $500 to YMCA and only $100 to other city gyms. The objection was raised by Councilman Bob Bialkowski.
Tabelski said, “We could go get rid of the $100 and just, I mean, force them to join the Y. It was just an offering. You're actually the council member who asked me about joining.”
Jankowski said during the discussion, “Right, so now it's not a good idea? Well, I think it's a great idea.”
Later, he said, “I like the idea, I like where we're going with it because in the long run, when you stay healthy, it saves us money on the other end on healthcare,” adding later, “I think as it’s written, I think it looks pretty good.”
“It’s a great perk for the employees,” Councilwoman Kathy Briggs said.
Bialkowski countered with offering $200 versus the $500.
Tabelski said, “Employees would have the option for the $100 reimbursement, which they already have today, or if they'd like to join the Y, we'd give a benefit of $500. Again, specifically, I was asked from employees, from unions, what can you do to help us with covering costs of the new YMCA, so nobody asked me to join any other gyms, so I think it's a good idea.”
Council voted by 6-1 to move the proposal to its next business meeting. Bialkowski voted no and Briggs, Jankowski, Al McGinnis, Rich Richmond, David Twichell and Derek Geib voted yes.
Jankowski: "Okay, so that gets moved to the business meeting for a final vote, and then if anybody has any concerns, we can rediscuss that.”
The support for the proposal on Jan. 27 was not apparent on Monday.
By a unanimous vote of 9-0 Monday evening, City Council said no to offering city employees or council members $500 toward a YMCA gym membership and opted instead to raise the current perk of $100 to $150 for the new downtown facility.
Jankowski emphasized that the health benefit will be for city employees only and will not include council members. Although initially discussed as one option, the $500 allowance was taken off the table in lieu of an agreement for $50 incremental increases on a yearly basis, he said.
“I know I can speak for many of my colleagues here. We all listen to the ideas, and they never end up the way they start out because everyone weighs in, and it gets balanced and moved around. So, what we’ve come up with in the budget is to add the $50 stipend. It will apply to all those individuals who are on the city’s self-insured health care plan, which doesn’t include council, because we are not on that plan, so we’re out of it,” Jankowski said during the conference meeting at City Hall. “Out of 150 employees, we only have 15 people presently taking part in this program, and I'd like to see an increase in their benefit and for our health benefit; our health costs can go down when people are healthier. So that's how we're going to do it. We're going to start it off, slightly increase, see how it works, and maybe talk about it again in future budgets going forward.”
The $50 per city employee has been put into the budget but did not alter the expected 50-cent tax rate decrease, city officials said. That is still projected to be $8.46 per $1,000 assessed value, down from the current $8.96 per $1,000.
A resolution was in council’s packet for the $500 per employee allowance for a gym membership, and council was instructed that a no vote would defeat the resolution as initially proposed. Passage of the budget would then enact the $50 increase for employees instead, effective April 1.
Of 150 city employees, only 15 currently participate in the program.
A full slate of members, including Kathy Briggs, Tammy Schmidt, Al McGinnis, David Twichell, Paul Viele, Rich Richmond, Derek Geib, Bob Bialkowski and Jankowski voted no.
“It’s an incentive for people to be healthy,” Richmond said. “They’re going to have to prove they’re using it.”
Jason Ostrowski putting on an Elton John show at Batavia Downs in November 2022. On Feb. 27, Ostrowski returns to Batavia Downs with a rock and roll piano showcase of the music of John and his idol Billy Joel. File Photo by Howard Owens.
Jason Ostrowski is definitely excited about his upcoming concert at Batavia Downs.
Why? He loves playing rock and roll. He loves Elton John and Billy Joel. With a background in musical theater, he loves performing. He loves meeting people. And, he won't be far from his hometown, Rochester.
More than once during an interview with The Batavian about his Feb. 27 show (doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.), Ostrowski said about performing, "I love it. I absolutely love it.
Ostrowski isn't sure where this love for music and performance came from but it started young.
"Nobody in my family is in entertainment at all," Ostrowski said. "(Starting in) kindergarten, I was bothering my parents for lessons, and then I took classical for about six years. I hated taking it. I loved my teacher, but I hated classical piano. And then I learned rock and roll."
In high school, at Greece Athena, he discovered musical theater. He was inspired to get his degree from SUNY Fredonia in musical theater and he chased a career as an actor.
His resume includes roles on Broadway, cast on national tours for major Broadway productions, and regional musical theater. His TV roles include co-starring roles on FBI: Most Wanted, Bull, The Detour, WeCrashed, and A Crime to Remember.
"I've been very lucky working for as long as I have in the entertainment industry and being able to support myself," Ostrowski said. "And the piano playing has always been there for me."
Ostrowski's path toward doing concerts featuring the music of the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel began when he was on Broadway in a show where cast members played their own instruments; then, on his own, he started playing more rock and roll on piano.
"I always thought, 'Oh, that would be fun to do for people. But I guess I was a little too shy or something," Ostrowski said. "In 2014, I learned how to do dueling pianos in Orlando, Florida. From there, I was just hooked on performing behind the piano."
Ostrowski was more of a Billy Joel fan (he's even met him a couple of times) but people always told him he looked like Elton John, so he explored his music and found it compelling, so he developed a live act around John's music. He said it's not exactly a tribute show.
"I started putting on my Nana's costume jewelry and some sparkly clothes and doing an Elton John show," Ostrowski said. "It's not an impersonator show because you already know it's not him. I look enough like the guy. I'm not going to try to pretend to be him but to capture the essence of his music and performance. What I do live hopefully translates, and that gives people an experience that, if they haven't seen him, can come close to what it would be like to hear that music live by him. And I love doing it. I love it."
The Feb. 27 show will feature both the music of John and his idol, Joel.
He said Joel is his biggest influence as a singer, piano player, and writer. Ostrowski has singles and EPs of his original music on streaming platforms and is anticipating releasing an album later in 2025.
"I've always written. I've always been, I guess, I've always been a little timid about it, like, uh, nobody's gonna like this or whatever," Ostrowski said. "But now, as I reach 50, I'm like, 'Well, who cares?' So I actually started work on an album in December, and in March, I'm going back to recording in New York City with this producer who was Bruce Hornsby's guitar player for 16 years, and he's worked with Dave Matthews and Ben Folds. He really likes my writing, so we started work on just a little album, four or five songs, but it's exciting, and it's gotten me excited about my own music again."
Ostrowski isn't surprised the music of legendary rockers like John and Joel remains popular, not just with the generation that grew up with John's songs on AM radio.
"I'm on ships quite a bit, and generally, the crowds are people who grew up with Elton John, but every now and then, I get young people and young teenagers out in the audience, and they're singing along to every single song," Ostrowski said. "There's some kind of magic in performing some of this music that's 56 years old now, much older than some of these people listening to it, and they know every single lyric. It really is a rush to just play this rock and roll music."
John, he said, is particularly thrilling.
"He's such a theatrical performer in how he dresses and presents himself," Ostrowski said. "So to be able to do that and sit behind the piano and play this amazing music with incredible bands is all I need. I love it. Absolutely love it."
7487 Fisher Road, Oakfield, New York 14125.One owner custom built home that was lovingly up-kept throughout the years and it shows! This ranch home has so much possibility for the new owners but can be immediately moved into as it is immaculate and freshly painted thruout and the hardwood floors shine! From walking into large breezeway entrance with parquet floors to the bright and homey large kitchen with plenty of cupboards and counter space you will be impressed with all the room thru out! The bedrooms are large with hardwood floors and closets and the oversized livingroom will make you just want to stay and relax! There are beautiful windows with gorgeous views and very pretty glass French doors to add to the charm. Downstairs adds an **ADDITIONAL almost 600 sq ft!** Clean and brite with cozy gas fireplace and walk out entrance to amazing back yard that boasts an **extra tax ID included with sale that adds an additional 7.4 acres and TWO barns!!**Taxes and assessment reflect both parcels Additionally there is central vac a tear off roof(2014) and charming Eternal Gas lite outside!! Come take a walk and enjoy all of this and more!! Call Reliant Real Estate today for more information, call 585-344-HOME (4663)
The Batavia Society of Artist is hosting artist Karen Crittenden on Tuesday February 11 from 7 - 9 p.m. at Go-Art/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. Karen will be demonstrating and doing a hands on presentation. Non-members welcome for a $5 fee or become a member! New members are always welcome from all mediums and artistic levels, $30 Single, $50 Couple, and $10 for Students & Veterans. There will be light refreshments and the Tavern 2.o.1. is open for cash sales.
Come join us for an evening of fun! Karen will be using gelly plates, paints and other items (some will be surprising) to create collage fodder. We will demonstrate the use of gelly plates and acrylic paints and offer suggestions as to the use of collage fodder. Then you will have the opportunity to try this out for yourself. You will be able to take away what you create. Please be mindful of your clothing and shoes as acrylic paints, once dry does not come out.
Karen's Bio:
I have been doing art for my whole life. Different forms at different times, but art. I like to work in several art forms, sometimes even mixing those forms to push myself and my understanding of what makes art, work for me. Photograpy provides a single snapshot of a single moment in time, capturing something that is emotional both to me and to the viewer. It isn't always the same kind of emotion, but the experience of some emotion is what I strive for. Ink, paint and paper provide another means for expression that gives an experience to the viewer and the maker of art. If the viewer does not like what they see, it is still an experience. The best happens when both viewer and maker have the same experience. That is my ultimate goal.
Tommy Slenker, Damian Hargrave, and Alton Rupp. Photo by Howard Owens.
What do three lifelong friends who enjoy cutting hair do when the opportunity arises -- they open a barbershop together, of course.
The Local Barbershop is located at 466 Ellicott St., Batavia. It was previously Canzoneri's Barbershop. The former owner Joe Canzoneri left to pursue a business opportunity in Buffalo.
The new owners are Alton Rupp, Tommy Slenker, and Damian Hargrave.
"We all went to Alexander High School, so we wanted to collectively own something one day," Rupp said. "It's just a matter of when the opportunity came up, we jumped on it, and it's been a good time, man. It's been a lot of fun."
All three emphasized that they like the idea of community, that they're doing something for the community, and they're offering a community. Their open casual floor plan with couches and chairs in the middle and a beer cooler on one wall is inviting.
"We want to bring back that home-like atmosphere," Rupp said. "Come in, hang out, have some fun. More than anything— and I'm not saying the other ones don't have that— I think what we have going here in the middle, a centralized location, is that clients come in, hang out, and chat with each other. We've had a lot of clients intermingle already, so it's been awesome."
Slenker also thinks the location is conducive to getting attention and building community.
"The space itself -- we got plenty of eyes on us, with (Route) 63 being right here in the outskirts of Batavia, so we're not right in the thick of things, but we like having plenty of parking, and the building's definitely identifiable," Slenker said.
Hargrave said that comes with being one of the owners, where the business can reflect who they are. Otherwise, it's business as usual.
"Honestly, it feels like same old, same old, you know, you're kind of just cutting hair," Hargrave said. "It's been nice to get a lot of love and feedback from the community. What I like most is just being able to make it what we want, just making it how it is, and controlling the dynamic, you know, whether the TV's on, the music's going, everything that people see, just making it a better experience and being in control of that compared to when you're just a barber in another shop, you might not have a say in that kind of stuff."
The Local Barbershop can be reached at 585-483-3060.
Retired County Treasurer Scott German with a gag gift from current Treasurer Kevin Andrews, an old sock to symbolize an opposition write-in vote from one of German's runs for re-election. Photo by Howard Owens.
There were plenty of jokes at Scott German's retirement party at Batavia Downs on Saturday night along with kudos for a job well done during his 21 years as county treasurer.
German retired four months shy of being Genesee County's longest serving treasurer, the culmination of 31 years total working in the treasurer's office.
But the goodbye was also a hello because German has taken the part-time job of Republican Election Commissioner at the Board of Elections.
"I'm happy that he's staying with county government," said County Manager Matt Landers, who started working for the county 21 years ago as German's deputy treasurer. "He's gonna help us out on the election side. So it's interesting. It's a retirement bash and going away, and I'll give him a big hug at the end of the night and say, 'I'll see you on Monday.'"
Kevin Andrews, the new county treasurer, got in a few zingers while roasting his former boss.
German only faced an election opponent once over his five terms, in the first year, he stood for election (after being appointed mid-term by then Gov. George Pataki). That doesn't mean, however, that there weren't write-in votes.
"I honestly can't remember which year this happened, but Scott shared with me that one year when he ran for office, one of the write-in votes against him for county treasurer was an old sock," Andrews said.
So, Andrews wrapped up one of his old socks and gave it to him as a present. Just so he would have a moment of that write-in vote (top photo).
Andrews also praised his mentor.
"Sincerely, though, you've always been supportive of me, especially when I have been overly self-critical," Andrews said. "I appreciate the many conversations that we've had over the years where you've offered advice or encouragement when I've needed it personally; Scott, I want to say that it has been a pleasure and honor working with you."
Legislature Chairwoman Shelley Stein praised German for the millions of taxpayer dollars his diligent work has saved the county and the millions he earned for the county through wise investments.
"You've been passionate and you have been aggressive in your approach to county government," Stein said.
Garrett Macdonald, a consultant with Three+1 based in Rochester (Macdonald is also a Genesee County resident and a second cousin of German's, though they never met until they started working together), helped provide German with the strategy to invest the county's cash reserves.
"There's very few treasurers where you walk into their office, and they look at you dead in the eyes, and they say, 'I want to do everything I possibly can to earn and save and help my taxpayers,' and that has been a stamp on Scott's legacy for Genesee County, doing whatever he possibly can to take care of his constituents and taxpayers," Macdonald said.
When German closed out the evening, he put some hard numbers on those accomplishments. He said the county, by investing reserves, has earned $21 million for the general fund and more than $28 million overall.
"In 2004, the county's fund balance was $5.4 million, and at the end of 2023 the fund balance is $22.2 million," German said. "The total fund equity in 2004 was $11.8 million, but at the end of 2023, fund equity was over $84 million. Personally, I am very proud of those numbers, and I have turned over to Kevin accounting that is in a very strong financial state. So Kevin, don't screw it up."
Hawley took note of all the praise for German's handling of the county's finances and mused that it would be nice if state government could do as well.
"We've heard about the fact that you saved taxpayers millions and millions of dollars," Hawley said. "You've also earned the county millions and millions of dollars. And we wish that some of your philosophy of governing and finances would translate to the state of New York, I'll give Kathy Hochul your best and tell her to read your upcoming book on how to make money and not have to spend money just because it's there."
Photo by Howard Owens.
County Manager Matt Landers, who served as deputy treasurer for German's first 10 years in office. Photo by Howard Owens.
County Legislature Chairwoman Shelley Stein Photo by Howard Owens.
County Treasurer Kevin Andrews. Photo by Howard Owens
Bethany Fire Department held it's annual installation of officers banquet saturday evening. Photo by Steve Ognibene
On Saturday evening, Fire Chief Jeff Fluker of Bethany Fire Department led as the master of ceremonies at Bethany’s annual awards and installation of officer’s banquet.
More than 80 people attended, including VIP guests from other area fire departments, including Alexander, Attica, Elba, Pavilion, Stafford, and Wyoming.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley and County Legislator Gregg Torrey were also among the guests.
Steve Breckenridge and Emergency Coordinator Tim Yaeger gave opening remarks on the evening.
Jeff Fluker presented the installation of officers for 2025.
Steve Breckenridge presented the President's Award to Bethany Fire Department Treasurer Debbie Donnelly.
Jeff Fluker and John Szymkowiak announced the Firefighter of the Year award to EMS Captain, Gail Smith.
Jeff Fluker and John Szymkowiak presented the Chiefs award for the year to second assistant and training officer, Will Thurley.
Gregg Torrey presented the years of service awards to the members present.
The memorial service, led by Pastor Walter Wenhold, honored Robert Alwardt, (Divider NY) Don Frank, who passed away in 2024 and all deceased members of the department.
The department responded to 146 total calls in 2024.
The top responders were:
Will Thurley, 82 calls
Brian Bitton, 75 calls
Gail Smith, 62 calls
Glenn Adams, 55 calls
Peggy Johnson, 42 calls
Jeff Wolak, 40 calls
Carl Hyde Jr., 37 calls
Jeff Fluker, 35 calls
John Szymkowiak, 35 calls
Vicki Wolak, 34 calls
If anyone is interested in joining or learning more, contact Chief Jeff Fluker at 585-300-8153 or come to the fire hall any Monday at 7 p.m.
Photos by Steve Ognibene
Treasurer Debbie Donnelly, received the presidents award. Photo by Steve Ognibene
EMS Captain, Gail Smith, received the firefighter of the year award. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Second assistant and training officer, Will Thurley, received the chiefs award. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Members of Bethany fire department who were in the top 10 of attendning calls during the year. Photo by Steve Ognibene
A couple members in attendance recieved years of service awards. Photo by Steve Ognibene
A moment of silence for two members in 2024 and past members of the Bethany fire department who have passed away. Photo by Steve Ognibene
In a special second-annual battle of hometown rivals, Batavia topped Notre Dame in Boys Basketball at GCC on Saturday, 63-53.
Hoops for Hopes benefits the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.
Batavia's Buddy Brasky, head coach, conceived of the idea for the tournament in 2024 and after a successful tournament last year, the foundation hosted it again for 2025.
Batavia scoring:
Carter Mullen, 22 points
Gavin White, 16 points
Justin Smith, 10 points
Notre Dame scoring:
TJ Cephus, 19 points
Aiden Bellavia, 15 points
Chase Antinore, 8 points
The Blue Devils are now 12-4 on the season. The Fighting Irish are 10-6.
Notre Dame beat Batavia 44-22 in Girls Basketball at GCC on Saturday in a match-up that benefited the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.
All proceeds from the Hoops for Hopes Tournament, which matches all eight Batavia and Notre Dame basketball teams (boys and girls, JV and varsity), go to fighting pediatric cancer.
This was the second year the schools participated in the tournament.
“This is a special night in our community to remember Michael Napoleone and raise money for pediatric cancer with a hometown rivalry,” said Notre Dame coach Vinny Falleti.
Sofia Falleti led the Irish with a game-high 15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks. Gianna Falleti scored 14 points and had three steals. Also contributing was Shirley Thompson with 7 points, Lucia Fiorentino 4 points 10 rebounds, and Penny Jo Thompson 4 points.
Byron-Bergen beat Lyndonville in Girls Basketball on Saturday 49-43.
"We played a nice first half, taking a 30 to 23 lead into halftime" said Bees Coach Rick Krzewinski. "Only scoring four in the third quarter almost cost us the game. Fortunately, we put up 15 in the fourth quarter to pull out the 49-43 win. With the win, we move to 13-2 with Senior Night against Holley coming up on Tuesday."
For the Bees, Janessa Amesbury scored 24 points. Riley Shallenberger scored 12.
Addison Dillenbeck scored 16 points for Lyndonville.
Thea Anderson, front, Rebecca Graham, and Jodi Fisher will receive awards for their artwork in a new GO ART! Members/Staff Exhibit during a closing reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at 201 E. Main St., Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens
When Thea Anderson was working through her recovery program more than a year ago, she wasn’t thinking about claiming an award for the art. She was learning to relieve stress.
Yet Zentangle — a structured drawing method of creating repetitive patterns and intricate designs — served the purpose of helping her relax, focus and produce something that others have come to appreciate. In fact, her piece, “Recovery Tryptic,” won the People’s Choice Award at a new GO ART! Members/Staff Exhibit.
“These pieces kind of represent how far I’ve come in my life,” Anderson said during an interview with The Batavian. “And it’s pretty amazing to have been chosen by a lot of people.”
Anderson is one of three artists to be presented with an award this weekend. The public is invited for a free closing reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday to view the artwork, meet her and artists Rebecca Graham and Jodi Fisher, and help celebrate their awards. This event is at GO ART!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. Refreshments will be served.
A resident of Batavia, Anderson decided to enter a 28-day rehab program, and during that time, she rediscovered her love of art. While she had pursued acrylics previously, she said her latest medium is pen-and-ink. This three-piece work, the tryptic, fits together in one matted frame of a large white flower against a Zentangle background design.
“So I discovered Zentangle. It’s a form of art and meditation, and I really liked that because I was going through the recovery process, which I’m still doing. So these pieces kind of helped me with my anxiety and depression. I was an alcoholic. So it was an addiction. I was in a program to get well, and I've been sober for about, I think, 15 months now. I didn't do art for a really long time when I was sick in my addiction, and then as I got better, I started to realize how it was helping me with my anxiety and with dealing with a mental health disorder.”
She wants to share some of her story with hope that it might encourage others to seek help if they are struggling as she did. Anderson is proud of her sobriety as she remembers how she felt 15 months ago. It’s also how to describe her artwork.
“A blank white flower is how I felt,” she said. “It was like I was rediscovering and also creating a new me.”
It took her 20 hours per individual piece, for a total of 60 hours working at her makeshift studio space at her dining room table. She became a GO ART! member a year ago and also volunteered along with her fiancé, Kyle Moore. They befriended Executive Director Gregory Hallock, she said.
Visitors to the exhibit were asked to vote on a favorite for the People’s Choice from Dec. 12 to Jan. 31. Anderson was “honored” to be selected out of several pieces, she said.
“So many opportunities have opened for us because of GO ART!,” she said. “We’re very grateful for Gregory, for taking a chance on us. I was shocked, I was so happy to have created something that I wanted to share with people. I had no thoughts of winning anything.
“Like I said, it represents how far I've come, and to have a tangible creation to show for the time that I spent kind of doing the work, the inner work, all the stuff that you have to go through and explore when you're in the process of recovery,” she said. “Even to have something to show was such an amazing accomplishment for me, and then winning. It's just, it's amazing.”
She and Moore have a work in progress on the second floor of the nonprofit, she said. They are painting a small ceiling area with a floral scene that will eventually be lit. Since beginning recovery, she has strengthened confidence, stronger focus and steadier hands, she said.
“When people are in addiction, they try to fix the problem with substance,” she said. “Sometimes, it was an undiagnosed mental health disorder. I chose to medicate. I think that’s what people need to understand, that people who are in recovery or addicts, you have to address all those mental health issues … the person is just trying to get through life.”
GO ART! President Linda Knipe chose Rebecca Graham’s black and white portrait of “Indian Girl” for the President’s Award. A page filled largely with a child’s eyes and rounded cheeks, this genre is challenging, Graham said.
“Children are especially hard to get that child look to them without looking alien,” she said.
She won a few awards in high school, and that fueled her continued interest in the arts, with an affinity for graphite, charcoal or colored pencil, and trying to get more comfortable with mixed media, including paints.
She won an award in school also for a pen-and-ink of a sports car, and enjoys that kind of three-dimensional detail work, she said. A respiratory therapist who has enjoyed the healthcare field for the last 30 years, Graham looks forward to having her artwork as a “nice hobby” at some point in semi-retirement.
“I am able to challenge myself to see if you practice enough, you’ll get better,” she said. “It’s a challenging thing to see how good I can get. Once I’m able to spend more time, I’ll be able to take commissions.”
A resident of Le Roy, she likes to do people and pet portraits and would like to get back to those eventually while exploring various mediums, she said. The competition was stiff with some amazing members for this exhibit, she said.
“You’re hopeful, and you think it’s good, but it’s like the lottery,” she said. “My sister has been a big inspiration. Some of the work I had done when I was in high school, she’s confiscated it and it hangs in her house. It’s sort of like, well, she definitely thinks I do good, and she’s intelligent, so I thought it’s worth continuing, right? It validates that feeling of its worthiness.”
The Curator’s Award went to Jodi Fisher of Batavia, who is both a member and GO ART!’s program director and statewide regrant co-coordinator.
Fisher’s work was yet in another medium — photography. She captured the scene two years ago while at Genesee Country Village Museum during a yuletide dinner and tour by candlelight. The scenario depicted a Scottish American home with no electricity, which provided the luminescent glow and shadows that Fisher is drawn to, she said.
“So that was really exciting, I got to see a place that I hadn't been in, but they were talking about their Scottish celebration for New Year's Eve, and I saw the shadows on the table with the lanterns. And it just was, I don't know, it really resonated with me,” she said. “When I put in I didn’t realize it was going to be judged, I just brought in some of my work because it was a staff and member show. So it was actually a surprise to me when (staff) told me that I had won an award.”
Her main art is in the literary field, with poetry and prose, and she only more recently began snapping photos with her iPhone 13 mini.
“I really love the vibrancy of nature. I would consider myself mostly a nature photographer. I love light and shadows and color, and when I see something to me that looks very vibrant and alive, I like to try and capture that and share that with other people,” she said, describing why the table scene drew her attention. “The shadows and the simplicity of pre-electricity there’s a lot of depth and meaning in it.”
The photo is simple enough, but also with details that strike against the darkness and a smooth linen tablecloth set with two lanterns. Shadows emerge from varying positions around the lanterns and a coffee mug, and there seems to be a faint stream of light possibly from a nearby window.
Fisher had a show two years ago combining both of her passions, prose and photos, and would “love to show my work more,” she said. There may also be a book of her poems in the future.
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