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.
Batavia City School District’s students, faculty and staff have come together in the aftermath of a tragedy that took the life of one of their own this week, Superintendent Jason Smith says.
Three siblings were rescued from a fire that broke out at 3 Vine St., Batavia in the early morning hours of Thursday. Javarius-Gus, 10, did not survive. The Batavia school district readied personnel to be a source of support for students and staff as they learned the news.
“We have activated our counseling and support teams for our students. I was at BMS this morning, and teams were ready to support our students and staff,” Smith said Friday. “Our Trauma, Illness, and Grief team, consisting of mental health staff from Batavia High School, John Kennedy, and Jackson Primary, were on site to provide support to students and staff. We will have the same support available on Monday, February 10, and will continue to provide it for as long as necessary.
“Our students and staff are struggling with the loss of Javarius-Gus, and we are actively supporting them. I am most appreciative of our leadership team and counselors for their incredible response to this tragedy and to our teachers and staff for supporting and consoling our students,” Smith said. “We continue to keep Javarius-Gus and his family close in our hearts, as well as his siblings.”
The school community displayed a visual memorial on Friday, Smith said, and “students and staff wore blue today across the District, as blue was Javarius's favorite color.”
“And students honored him by memorializing his locker with kind words about what a special friend he was,” Smith said, adding a reminder to parents and guardians. “Over the weekend, if your child needs additional support, you can call the Care and Crisis hotline at (585) 283-5200 or text "talk" to 741741, and they will provide support.
Hey, golfers, snow and cold got you down? Tyler Crawford is ready and waiting to help you drive away those winter blues.
At the beginning of 2025, he opened The Sim, a shop in Batavia's City Centre where golfers can keep their game sharp even on the coldest of days.
He's providing a golf simulator for foursomes or practice rounds throughout the winter months and after dark in the summer.
"It's playing golf indoors," Crawford said. "You're hitting everything from a driver to a putter. Alot of these indoor facilities, you don't putt or you chip instead of using your putter. I think that's something that's nice and unique. Here, you use your putter. The main reason I wanted to do it was just to play golf indoors in the winter. I got into golf pretty heavily these last few years, maybe a league or two, and I can't afford to travel to play golf all winter long. Really, who can? So I figured I'm not the only one. It's been going good."
The Sim is open by appointment, Crawford said. You can call or text him at 585-356-9358 to book a tee time. He will take tee times as early as 6 a.m. and he's had golfers playing a round as late as 11 p.m., he said.
He said he expects to be open during the summer, either for the golfers who didn't get in enough holes during daylight or for parties and company events.
Currently, he sells memberships. A membership isn't required but membership does have its advantage, such as $10 off a round ($50 an hour for non-members, $40 for members). Non-members must book at least 24 hours ahead.
"As a member, you get to leave your bag in our members' bag room," Crawford said. "You don't have to lug the clubs in and out or leave them in the garage or in the car. And we're going to host a little Club Championship at the end of the year."
As for liquor, he's applied for a license for BYOB. For food, Everybody Eats is just a few doors down from Crawford's shop.
Crawford said he thinks the mall, with the renovation and growth plans in progress, and the current mix of property owners, is a good spot for his business.
"There's a lot going on in here, and I think there's more to come that we'll see here in the future," Crawford said. "I think food and drink will be readily available right outside the doors. And I definitely plan on marketing and planning to work with everyone who's in here serving food."
A coalition of 69 environmental, faith, human rights, and good governance groups from across New York State are demanding that three developers withdraw their applications to site a data center at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). In their letters, the groups cite the threat data centers pose to regional environmental quality, local quality of life, and the sovereignty and well-being of the federally recognized Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Reservation Territory abuts the parcel under consideration for a data center.
The letters assert the data center proposals are “not aligned with either New York state or international commitments to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and long-term stewardship.” Rather, placing a data center at STAMP would “move our state in the direction of further environmental injustice.”
Signatories include the Western New York Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Citizen Action of New York, Interfaith Climate Justice Community, and the NY Renews Coalition, which itself represents more than 400 environmental organizations across the state.
The coalition announces the delivery of these letters on the same day the Genesee Economic Development Center (GCEDC) plans to hold daytime public hearings on the three proposals. These hearings are required by Article 18-1 of the General Municipal Law and pertain to financial incentives proposed by GCEDC to each of the three applicants. GCEDC posted documents regarding these proposed incentives to their website at midday on Friday, January 31, which was also the deadline for the submission of written comments on said incentives.
To date, GCEDC has refused to disclose the identities of the companies represented by the investor group applicants. The financial incentive documents offer tax exemptions in the hundreds of millions of dollars to these unknown companies. To date, STAMP has already received more than $410 million in public monies.
“I am outraged at GCEDC’s utter failure of transparency and violation of the public trust. They scheduled ‘public’ hearings on these data centers in the middle of a workday with less than two weeks’ notice and then quietly buried information about proposed giveaways of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to an obscure part of their website on the last business day before hearing public comment on these subsidies - which, I’ll add, would be directed to operations that will harm our shared environment and destroy our local quality of life,” said Margaret Wooster, one of the letter drafters and a Board Member of the Western New York Environmental Alliance. “This is shameful. Clearly, GCEDC does not actually want to know what we think about these incentives. Subsidies to a data center will not benefit the public: every person who pays taxes, breathes air, and drinks water in Western New York should be angry.”
‘Data center’ is a generic term referring to operations ranging from cryptocurrency mining to Artificial Intelligence processing. As the coalition’s letter outlines, data centers are well known for their massive energy demands - in the case of the three applications under consideration, between 195-250 MW of electricity per year - and their use of vast quantities of water. One of the applicants, Project Rampart, would include a ten million gallon holding pond.
Data Centers produce continuous, jet-engine-like noise that can be heard up to eight miles away. Scientific research establishes a link between excessive noise exposure and harms to both public health and the health of wildlife. Data centers also produce significant air pollution and large quantities of e-waste. Their strain to the energy grid can increase the frequency of blackouts and brownouts. The building of new infrastructure needed to service data centers is associated with consumer energy rate increases. Data centers produce few permanent jobs and rarely remain in operation for more than 10-15 years.
Data centers face opposition from other WNY communities concerned about their noxious public health and environmental impacts. The proposed data center would be sited on a parcel of land characterized by wetlands and located immediately adjacent to the Reservation Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Council of Chiefs opposes STAMP.
At Wednesday's basketball game between Notre Dame and Oakfield-Alabama at O-A, a song with crude language was apparently played during a break in the action.
Videos provided to The Batavian indicate some sort of confrontation between a couple of adults who attended the game and O-A Superintendent John Fisgus. One video is blurry with no discernable audio, and the other is very short with no significant statements, so it's hard to say what happened.
A person who complained to The Batavian about the incident said the song contained racial slurs.
Fisgus issued the following letter to members of both school communities and in response to a request from The Batavian for a comment on the incident, provided it to The Batavian.
Dear Notre Dame High School and Oakfield-Alabama School Communities,
On behalf of the Oakfield-Alabama School District, I sincerely apologize for an event that occurred during the Varsity Men's Basketball game on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in our gymnasium. After the game concluded, I was approached by some concerned parents who brought to my attention the inappropriate lyrics of a song played during the contest.
Upon further investigating this situation, I confirmed that the song contained very inappropriate lyrics and language and should never have been played. Please know that this song's selection was unintentional, and I am utterly embarrassed that this occurred.
Again, my sincerest apologies to all the attendees and fans who showed up to root for their children and respective teams that evening. Our school and its environment is a place where everyone should feel respected, valued, and safe. Please know that we will have extra measures in place to prevent this situation from occurring again.
My sincerest apologies to anyone affected or hurt by these actions. We look forward to having the Notre Dame School Community at future events on our campus.
Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or the “Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced Wednesday key leadership changes as part of its established succession plan.
Daniel J. Thoren, President and Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman, effective June 10, 2025 and will remain active in the operations of the Company for the foreseeable future. As part of the transition, Mr. Thoren will serve as a strategic advisor, focusing on guiding strategy and helping the Company grow through business development. With this change, Jonathan W. Painter, Chairman of the Board of Directors, will transition to Lead Independent Director.
In alignment with this plan, the Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Matthew J. Malone as President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Mr. Thoren, effective February 5, 2025. In this role, Mr. Malone will oversee, guide and lead each of the Company’s business units. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Malone has served as Vice President and General Manager of Barber-Nichols since 2021. Concurrently, Michael E. Dixon, Director of Sales and Marketing of Barber-Nichols, will be promoted to General Manager of Barber-Nichols reporting to Mr. Malone, effective February 5, 2025.
The Company further announced its intention for Mr. Malone to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer on June 10, 2025, and the expectation of his appointment to the Board of Directors. At that time, Mr. Dixon is expected to assume the role of Vice President of Graham Corporation and General Manager of Barber-Nichols.
Jonathan W. Painter, Chairman of the Board of Directors said, “I am pleased to announce these leadership appointments in accordance with our planned succession strategy, which demonstrates the bench strength of our executive team and reflects Graham’s commitment to developing exceptional talent. I would like to personally thank Dan for his leadership and tremendous accomplishments while serving as CEO since August of 2021 and we look forward to continuing to work with him in this next chapter, while he steps back from the day-to-day demands of public company leadership.”
Mr. Thoren said, "I am grateful to have led Graham as CEO and am proud of the great work we have completed during my tenure. Today’s appointments further highlight the strong talent we have attracted and developed across the entire organization, and I am pleased with the opportunity this transition has created within the Company. Matt Malone has demonstrated outstanding leadership capabilities throughout his time with Barber-Nichols and Graham, and his deep understanding of our business makes him the ideal choice to lead the Company into its next chapter of growth. Similarly, Mike Dixon's promotion to lead Barber-Nichols reflects his deep industry knowledge, product expertise and institutional knowledge of Barber-Nichols. I look forward to working alongside Matt, Mike, and the rest of the executive team to ensure we achieve our long-term strategic objectives and have complete confidence that under this new leadership structure, our company will continue to thrive and create value for our stakeholders."
Matt Malone brings over 15 years of engineering and executive experience to his new role as President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Malone joined Barber-Nichols in 2015 as a Project Engineer focused on rocket engine turbopump design and development. He was promoted to Navy Program Manager in 2018, overseeing key U.S. Navy programs and was appointed Vice President of Operations at Barber-Nichols in 2020 and then General Manager in 2021. Earlier in his career, he held a variety of engineering and management positions at GE Transportation. Mr. Malone earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with honors in design optimization from Pennsylvania State University and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Mike Dixon has been an integral part of Barber-Nichols for the past six years, most recently serving as Director of Sales and Marketing. During his tenure, he has played a pivotal role in expanding the Company's technical capabilities and securing major contracts in the space and aerospace, and defense sectors. Prior to joining the Company, he held roles of increasing responsibility at Sundyne and began his career at ESS Metron. Mr. Dixon holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Illinois University.
James Barcomb, as Christopher Wren, and Leigh LeFevre as Mollie Ralston, run through a scene during a Thursday rehearsal for "Mousetrap" at Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia City Centre. Photo by Howard Owens.
Opening Friday at the Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia is the Batavia Players' production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap."
A murder mystery, it is Christie's most popular play and is directed by Sophie Houseman.
Set in a cozy guesthouse nestled in the snowy English countryside, run by a husband and wife new to the hospitality business, a group of strangers become trapped by a snowstorm. When a police detective arrives with chilling news—a killer is among them—secrets begin to unravel, and tensions rise. Everyone is a suspect in this classic whodunit, filled with Christie’s signature twists and turns.
Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $24 for adults at the door and $22 for students and seniors. Tickets are $2 cheaper if purchased online.
Photos by Howard Owens.
James Barcomb as Christopher Wren. Photo by Howard Owens
Elijah VanEpps gives a perplexed gaze as Giles Ralston. Photo by Howard Owens
Mollie Wadhams as Mrs. Boyle and Elijah VanEpps as Giles Ralston run through a scene during rehearsal. Photo by Howard Owens
Elijah VanEpps as Giles Ralston. Photo by Howard Owens
Amelia Schuster as Miss Casewell. Photo by Howard Owens
James Barcomb as Christopher Wren. Photo by Howard Owens
Leigh LeFevre as Mollie Ralston. Photo by Howard Owens
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