Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. officials today said they will be honoring former director Batavian Richard Siebert for his many years of service to Batavia Downs and Batavia Downs Gaming.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek, at today’s board meeting at the Park Road facility, said that Siebert will be recognized at a noon reception on March 28 with a plaque in the newly remodeled Genesee banquet room on the second floor of Batavia Downs Gaming.

Siebert (photo at right) served on the board for 29 years until resigning in early May after it was announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul that the governing body would be dismantled and restructured.

Wojtaszek said that he’s contacted Siebert about the recognition.

“Dick said he’s going to try to bring his family,” he said. “He was very touched, and he definitely wants to be here.”

Wojtaszek also raved over changes that are being made to what had been known as the Grandstands banquet room.

“Our staff did a great job,” he said. “We’re expanding our catering services … and the room looks fantastic. It’s not done yet, but we’re pretty close to it.”

In other developments from the meeting:

-- Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach reported five-year earnings and surcharge distribution figures totaling $28,387,714.

“With Western OTB, if we have losses in a year, we cannot offset future earnings with those losses. So, for really a four-year period (not including 2020 when there were no earnings), we've distributed $28.4 million, which I feel for a small venue is extremely impressive,” she said.

WROTB distributed $5.8 million in surcharge and earnings to its 17 member municipalities in 2021, a year after having only 722,740 in surcharge distributions, due to the pandemic.

The number jumped to $8.4 million in 2022 and $9.7 million last year, including fourth-quarter earnings distributions of just shy of $1.9 million.

Genesee County received $208,114 in surcharge and earnings distributions in 2023, up from $179,105 in 2022.

Looking forward, she said the corporation is aiming for a net win (money left in the video lottery terminals after payouts) in 2024 of $89 million.

“If that’s the case, it could very well (exceed $9.7 million),” she said.

Leach pointed out that “back in the day, when our pari-mutuel (horse race wagering) was, like 1990 when it was $200 million, our surcharge distributions were close to $4 million.”

“That’s not the case anymore, but our earnings distribution – $9.1 million for 2023 – was the highest in the corporation’s history,” she noted.

-- Board Chair Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) said that the company’s internal investigation into a lawsuit by three former bartenders at Batavia Downs Gaming is ongoing.

“We talked about it in executive session and our investigation continues, but I have nothing new to report,” he said, adding that he hasn’t heard anything more from attorneys representing Tara Sweet of Elba, Corrine Armison of Batavia and Brooklynn Cline of Belmont.

The trio is suing the corporation, claiming wage theft by supervisors who kept a share of pooled tips. Also, Sweet is alleging sexual harassment against Chief Operating Officer Scott Kiedrowski and Director of Security Daniel Wood.

Kiedrowski and Wood are named as defendants, along with WROTB and Batavia Downs Gaming, in the suit that was filed in Supreme Court in Genesee County. Both Kiedrowski and Wood are working while the lawsuit unfolds.

-- The board voted to amend a pair of resolutions authorizing the purchase of concert tickets and parking passes for all shows at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in 2024 and for Buffalo Bills’ licensing fees, tickets and a suite through 2026.

The Darien Lake cost went up from $30,000 to $35,000 while the cost for the Bills’ games has been set at $157,202.90 in 2024, $163,413.05 in 2025 and $165,733.70 in 2026.

When asked about the value received for these expenses, Bassett firmly defended the need to continue this practice.

“I will stand up in front of anybody. We’re an organization that is competing against the municipalities around us, competing against other people for their time and we have to treat our special customers special,” he said.

“We have a benefit of having a winning football team in our presence. And I've been on the board 14 years, and it hasn't been a winning football team all the time. As a matter of fact, when I first came on the board, we couldn't give the Buffalo Bills tickets away.”

Bassett acknowledged that WROTB has gotten “slammed for entertainment,” but added that directors have put processes in place to identify who is attending.

“We provide host, and the host entertains our customers. And as far as I know, it's a good investment for us to entertain our what I consider our special customers. And were going to continue that.”

File photo by Joanne Beck.

The District Attorney's Office will not appeal the dismissal of a DWI charge against a Bethany resident over a procedural error by prosecutors, Assistant District Attorney William Zickl says.

The case was dismissed on appeal by County Court Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini, upholding an earlier ruling by City Court Judge Durin R. Rogers that a defendant's right to a speedy trial was violated because of the procedural error.

Zickl told The Batavian in a statement that filing an appeal would require the DA's office to convince judges at the appellate level that a question of law -- not facts -- was in dispute.  A state appeals court taking on such a case is rare and far from automatic, Zickl said, so the DA's office would need to make a compelling case that the law was improperly applied in dismissing the charge.

"I believe there is a substantial threshold issue presented in this case regarding whether such a pure question of law exists to allow the Court of Appeals to entertain the matter," Zickl said. "Based upon the foregoing procedural backdrop and the fact that this decision will not have broad application due to its highly unusual fact pattern, we have decided not to attempt to gain leave to appeal the decision of the County Court to the Court of Appeals."

Rogers dismissed the case, according to a court document, because the DA's office was not ready for trial more than a year after the arrest of the defendant. The Sixth Amendment guarantees those accused of a crime the right to a speedy trial.

Background
On July 3, 2021, Gregory R. Solomonidis was arrested in the city of Batavia following a traffic stop on East Main Street. Solomonidis was accused of driving with a BAC of .08 or greater.

On Aug. 26, 2021, at a City Court hearing on the case, ADA Joseph Robinson filed with the court what is known as a Certificate of Compliance, which is a document that informs the court and the defense that all material in possession of the prosecution that the defendant has a right to review has been turned over to the defense.  The defense has a right to review all material relevant to the charges, including material that might aid the accused.

On Sept. 17, the defense filed a motion seeking dismissal because the prosecution did not provide a copy of the dispatch center recording of police transmissions relevant to the arrest of Solomonidis. The prosecution countered that the discovery material included notice that the recording existed with instructions on acquiring a copy of the recording if the defense wished to listen to it. 

According to court documents, ADA Jenna Bauer, who took over the case at this time, argued in court that as a former dispatcher, she understood the difficulty in retrieving recordings given the limitations of the communication system in the dispatch center and that retrieving recordings took considerable time for a dispatcher.

On Nov. 30, 2021, the court held a hearing to examine the evidence in the case and the arresting officer was called to the stand.  During cross-examination, the officer was asked about his prior employment as a part-time police officer in the village of Perry. The officer testified that he had left the job because he believed he had violated the department's social media policy with a post or posts on Snapchat.  In court documents, this is called "the Snapchat incident." 

The officer said the department did not discipline him due to this incident.  Batavia PD subsequently hired him, and he remains a Batavia police officer.

Even so, the defense argued that this incident, which was apparently not discussed in detail during the hearing, constituted "50-a" material, or material in an officer's personnel file that could conceivably impeach the officer's credibility. 

The court gave the prosecution -- in keeping the existing case law -- more time to comply with the discovery requirements.

At a hearing on March 1, 2022, Bauer informed that no effort had been made to obtain information on the "Snapchat incident."  On March 17, she requested more time to obtain the information. 

"I have started my inquiry with the Perry Police Department," she told the court.

On March 28, the DA's office received a letter from the village of Perry clerk regarding the incident, and that letter was provided to the defense.

A month later, Rogers dismissed the charge against Solomonidis.

Appeal to County Court
In her ruling, Cianfrini overturned Rogers on the issue of the dispatch center recording. She determined the DA's office had complied with discovery rules by informing the defense the recording existed and providing instructions on how to obtain it and that once the defense made a request in court, the DA's office produced the recording within two days.

Cianfrini did find, however, that prosecutors failed to exercise "due diligence" in trying to acquire documents from the Perry Police Department regarding the "Snapchat incident." 

Cianfrini compared prosecutors' actions with a ruling in another case, People vs. Godfred, where a prosecutor provided extensive details on how she tried to obtain discovery material but could not.  The documentation provided to the court in that case demonstrated "due diligence" and "reasonable effort" as required by the law.

"... the Appellant's Brief is absolutely silent as to the steps the various prosecutors assigned to this case took to ensure that it had ascertained the existence of all discoverable information as it relates to impeachment materials, most notably the "Snapchat incident," Cianfrini wrote. "There is no explanation as to why the People were unaware of these potential impeachment materials. It is nearly impossible for this Court to gauge how obvious the missing materials would have been, given the dearth of information provided by the People. Moreover, the People provided a letter from the Perry Village Clerk. No letter was received from the PPD itself."

And she continues, "Unlike the prosecutor in Godfred, no clear record was made by any of the prosecutors assigned to this case as to specifically whom at the PPD was contacted to obtain the information (such as the police chief or supervising officer), method(s) of contact and attempted contact, or if they even spoke with the Officer himself about the violation after learning about it."

Cianfrini is a former first district attorney in Genesee County and noted in a footnote that the lack of due diligence could result from multiple ADAs handling the case, which led to the procedural issue being overlooked. 

"Given the lack of record of the efforts taken to ascertain the existence of the Snapchat incident, this Court is constrained to find that the prosecutors did not exercise due diligence or make reasonable inquiries to discover the existence of the same," Cianfrini ruled. "Thus, the initial COC and any subsequently filed COC were illusory, and the People were not ready for trial."

The COC is the Certificate of Compliance that all discovery has been turned over.  If evidence is missing, the legal term for the defect is "illusory." 

The lack of readiness for trial denied Solomonidis his right to a speedy trial, Cianfrini ruled. Thus, she upheld the dismissal of the DWI charge.

Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch expressed dismay at the case's outcome, saying that the officer in question is a valued law enforcement officer.  He issued the following statement:

A recent ruling by a Genesee County Court dismissed a DWI charge made by a Batavia Police Department officer because of a prosecutorial error. 

The Court determined that the prosecution did not disclose that the arresting officer resigned from his position as a part-time officer with the Village of Perry Police Department over a social media matter. The officer resigned and subsequently joined the Batavia Police Department.

Our officer fully disclosed this matter during his interview with us. The Batavia Police Department fully supports our officer, and he has an exemplary service record.

City of Batavia businessman Derek Geib confirmed to The Batavian Thursday that he's applying for a liquor license for O'Lacy's Irish Pub as part of a transaction to purchase the School Street bar and restaurant.

The site has been vacant since former owner Roger Christiano announced in November 2023 that he was closing due to family illness. 

Geib, who owns other successful downtown places, including Coffee Press, Bourbon & Burger, and Roman's, said that "in the next few weeks, the deal will be closed, and then we'll go onto the next phase" of re-opening the pub. He could not give a definite date as to when that will be as of yet, he said. 

Avoid the rush and get your GeneSEEtheEclipse commemorative ISO certified-safe eclipse viewing glasses now! Stop into the Genesee County Visitor Center in Batavia today to purchase your glasses, order online at ShopGeneseeTheEclipse.com for pick up at the Visitor Center, or to ship direct to you.

Online orders can be shipped through March 15th cut-off date.  We have a limited supply, so don’t delay!

A federal Housing and Urban Development grant of more than $1.1 million for Genesee Orleans Health Department will put money right into the homes that need help to combat everything from infectious pests and noxious materials to fire hazards and ventilation obstructions, says Kaitlin Pettine, director of Health Promotion.

The grant of $1,182,681 was announced this week as part of a larger $39 million package for 15 states, including three recipients in New York counties of Albany, Madison and Genesee.

Families can own or rent a residence and would qualify by having some type of health and safety hazard, Pettine said. They would be assessed for radon, lead, mold, fire, trip, fall and fire hazards, ventilation and pest issues, asthma triggers, and “anything else that can reduce health and safety for residents,” she said.

“Funding from the program will be used to hire contractors and purchase supplies to remediate hazards found in the home,” she said to The Batavian Wednesday. “Many of these families disproportionately face disease and injuries in the home because of housing-related health hazards but are unable to remediate the hazards themselves. The ability to fix these health and safety hazards will help families, especially children, older adults, and people with disabilities, to live healthier, safer, and more independently in the home.” 

For example, radon can negatively affect one’s health, and GLOW counties have a high average indoor radon level, she said. This program may help to mitigate that substance in those eligible homes. 

Once a household qualifies, staff would then complete a “Healthy Homes” inspection, and if problems are detected, staff would complete a scope of work and coordinate with contractors to finish the project. Owner-occupied residents and landlords with eligible tenants are able to apply for the program.

“Another example would be if a ramp is needed for a resident to safely get up porch steps,” she said. “The grant may be able to help pay to get a ramp installed to prevent fall hazards.”

Pettine expects the local program to begin in mid-April for the GLOW region, as it is open to Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming county families that meet low-income eligibility of at or below 80 percent of the area median income level. It will run for 42 months, and GO Health staff is hoping to renew the grant for another term after this one ends, she said. 

“We are pleased so many local and non-profit leaders are interested in participating in this grant program in order to make the homes of low-income people safer and healthier,” HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said in a press release. “Our partners are acting to intentionally address home health and safety hazards, and HUD is proud to support them.” 

Officials said that these investments will protect low-income families and children by eliminating significant health and safety hazards in more than 2,400 homes nationwide, including 55 families in the GLOW region, provide resources to build capacity for healthy home interventions and support the development of local workforces to hire housing renovation contractors and healthy housing practitioners to complete critical healthy homes work.  

For more about GO Health's community health services, go to www.GOHealthNY.org.

Hard to believe, but nearly two years have passed since the groundbreaking for the new Genesee County Jail, and officials are now talking about its completion being on time for this spring.

"I took a tour of the jail. Things look really good," Legislator Gary Maha said during this week's Public Service meeting.

Beyond aesthetics, crews have been on site ensuring that safety, infrastructure and technology have also been properly put in place since construction began in May 2022 after several years of the county's initial planning and saving for the $70 million, 184-bed facility. 

Regular updates by The Pike Company Senior Project Manager Carl York have kept legislators apprised about change orders, on-site tasks, weather issues, supply chain delays, worker injuries (there have been few), and the expected timeline with each passing month.

About 100 oversized cement pods made news in January 2023 as they were slowly hauled down Route 5 to the site of the new jail at 3839 West Main Street Road, Batavia. A ceremonial beam signing took place in July 2023 as work crews continued to put the pieces together for what York has continuously labeled a financially on-target and on-schedule project.

True, there have been supply chain issues and change orders throughout the construction process, but all the while York said spending was on budget. At one point, the timeline lost seven days due to rain, but the project remained on course, he said, and that still holds true for a March 15 deadline.

Legislature Chairwoman Shelley Stein asked if there would be tours available for remaining legislators, and Deputy Highway Superintendent Paul Osborn said most likely by April. The prison is expected to be up and running in June or July.

Once, when she was lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul was dispatched to Genesee Community College to deliver then Gov. Andrew Hochul's message to local leaders on that year's state budget.

Now as governor, Hochul has assigned state department heads to deliver the budget message in Genesee County.

On Tuesday, state Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon told a couple of dozen people attending the briefing that the governor's proposed 2024-25 state budget will not add a fiscal burden to New Yorkers, and that the budget is balanced while increasing spending on fighting crime, ensuring New York's economic competitiveness, fixing broken infrastructure, fighting climate change, supporting education, addressing the migrant crisis, making advancements on housing, and improving access to mental health care.

The total spending plan is $233 billion, a 4 percent, or $6 billion, increase over the current budget.

The budget "does not increase income taxes and comes without cuts to services," Reardon said.

"Fighting crime remains a top priority in this budget," Reardon said. "The governor is proposing to make record investments and improvements in the justice system. The endgame here is to make New York a safer place to live, work and visit. Her plan allocates $40 million to crack down on retail theft, a recent issue that has impacted small businesses everywhere. The governor is also committing $40 million dollars to address domestic violence and $35 million to combat hate crimes across our great state."

The governor also wants to significantly increase spending on mental health issues. This will undo the wrongs of the past, Reardon suggested.

"We will rebuild our mental health system from top to bottom, which is needed after decades of underinvestment," Reardon said. "The governor's proposal earmarks $4.8 billion to overhaul the state's mental health continuum of care, and that is a 45 percent increase from 2022. Investments include $24 million for criminal justice-related programs, $37 million to help members of our homeless population who are struggling with mental health issues, and $43 million for supportive housing. This is a complex problem that requires a multi-pronged approach. The governor wants to devote $55 million to create 200 new inpatient psychiatric beds so New Yorkers can receive the care that they need. And we know that mental health also has a very significant impact on our youth, which is why she wants to commit $45 million to support services specifically for young New Yorkers. That funding will power school-based services and peer-to-peer counseling."

Reardon also said Hochul is proposing $35 billion in total school aid, which Reardon said is a $125 million increase from the prior fiscal year.

"In this region, school aid is increasing by $26 million to a total of more than $2.6 billion in funding," Reardon said.

What about creating jobs?
Prior to her talk, The Batavian was given an opportunity for a short, exclusive interview with the labor commissioner, so we asked how the state budget would help New York businesses hire more workers.

"As you know, the governor is really focused like a hawk on upstate economic development," Reardon said. "There are a lot of measures in the budget to help. There's the on-ramp program that ESD (Economic State Development) is running. There will be training centers along the I-90 corridor in support of the chip fab industry and advanced manufacturing. Also, she's got money in the budget for Geneseo and Brockport for the colleges. And obviously, there's a lot of infrastructure money for bridges, highways, potholes, all of that stuff. She's really focused on that."

The Department of Labor, Reardon noted, is really focused on helping people find careers "that they love."

"That is really one of the best things about the Department of Labor," Reardon said. "We do it every day. She's a huge supporter. She always has been and we work together very closely. She's working on targeted industries, but we help everybody. If you want to go to work in a chip fab or advanced manufacturing, we'll help you do that. But if you also want to work locally and stay here, we'll help you do that, you know, whatever your need is, we connect workers to training to employers to wraparound services if they need it. This is a really big priority for the governor."

As a follow-up question, we asked if we could expect any additional spending to assist business parks in Genesee County, such as WNY STAMP or the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. As Reardon said that was something she would need to look into and get the information to The Batavian, a staff member gave a head shake of, "No."

Press Release:

On Sunday, February 18, 2024, the City of Batavia Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 14 McKinley Ave. in the City of Batavia. Initial fire units arrived on-scene four minutes after the initial dispatch, reporting heavy fire from the front door of the residence, and requested a second alarm.

Crews stretched a hose line and made entry into the building for fire attack and searched for any occupants as other crews were securing a water source on McKinley. Crews quickly reported that the initial fire hydrant was inoperable and immediately began to look for another one in the area. While this water disruption was only for a brief amount of time, the high winds caused the fire to grow extremely fast resulting in the order to evacuate fire crews from the building and fight the fire defensively.

All residents were able to exit the structure prior to fire department arrival. One adult resident was transported by ambulance to Strong Memorial hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and burns to the lower legs. The house consisted of an upper and lower apartment, suffered significant fire damage and is considered a total loss, displacing seven people.

Fire investigators were able to determine the origin to be a downstairs bedroom in the center of the residence, in the area of a mattress. The cause is unknown.

The City of Batavia Fire Department checks the nearly 600 fire hydrants in the city annually. This consists of checking for proper operation, pressure, and greasing the caps. If a hydrant is deemed to be damaged or out of service, it is reported to the Water Department. The Water Department responds promptly and works very hard to ensure these hydrants are operational.

While the damage to the hydrant on McKinley is unknown, it could have been from a wide variety of causes. The Water Department was notified of this hydrant being out of service and since that time is now operational and in service. Currently the City has only one fire hydrant out of service, and crews are working to get that hydrant in service. It is important to note that even with multiple crews checking, and correcting hydrant issues as they arise, things can happen that are out of our control and unknown.

If anyone sees an issue with a hydrant, I urge you to contact the Fire Department so it can be checked and fixed.

The City of Batavia Fire Department was assisted by the City of Batavia Police, Water
Department, Codes Department and DPW, as well as the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center, the Town of Batavia Fire Department, the Elba Fire Department, Oakfield Fire Department, Stafford Fire Department, Leroy Fire Department, Mercy EMS, Genesee County Office of Emergency Management, Bergen Deputy Chief Garrett Dean, National Fuel, National Grid and the Salvation Army. Special thanks to Assistant City Manager Erik Fix and DPW Director Brett Frank for responding to assist and provide refreshments for responders.

Press Release:

Catholic Charities of Buffalo is looking for both older adults and volunteers to participate in its free Home Visitation and Friendly Phones programs in Genesee and Orleans counties. 

Both programs depend on dedicated volunteers to provide one-hour weekly visits or phone calls to isolated seniors aged 60 or older who have limited ability to leave their homes.

“Social isolation, especially during the cold and dreary winter months, can impact the health and well-being of older adults,” said Linda Chadderdon, program manager, of Catholic Charities. “Volunteers can help make a difference in alleviating some of the loneliness with regular conversations and socialization.”

During visits, participants and volunteers often engage in friendly conversation and partake in activities such as board games, puzzles, and crafts. Volunteers do not help with personal or medical care, banking, shopping, or transportation.

Interested volunteers must be at least 21 years old, and an interview, and background check are required. Training will be provided upon acceptance into the program.

The Home Visitation Program is funded through a grant from the Muriel H. Marshall Fund through the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

If interested, please call Catholic Charities at 585-343-0614 to request an application as a participant or for more information on volunteering.

Press Release:

Scott D. German, Chairman of the Genesee County Republican Committee, held a meeting on Feb. 15 to endorse candidates for the November Election.

All candidates were given the opportunity to address the Committee and the following were endorsed:

• Present Congresswoman Claudia Tenney 
• Present NYS Senator George Borrello
• Present NYS Assemblyman Stephen M. Hawley
• Present NYS Supreme Court Justice Debra Chines 
• Genesee County Sheriff candidate Joseph Graff
• Genesee County Treasurer candidate Kevin Andrews, present Deputy Treasurer 
• Genesee County Coroners Karen Lang, present Coroner and candidate Drew Klotzbach

With endorsements being made for the Republican candidates petitions will be circulated starting Feb. 27.

If you have any questions you can contact Chairman German at 585-409-4870 or email at GeneseeChair@yahoo.com

Press Release:

CAN-USA Sports is excited to announce the return of the Battle of the Badges, City of Batavia Police vs City of Batavia Fire. Sunday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at just $10 and proceeds benefit the David McCarthy Memorial Foundation.

The City of Batavia Police Department took the inaugural battle of the Badges Cup last year with the event raising over $3,000 for the David McCarthy Memorial Foundation. 

“We are looking forward to getting these two great departments together for the 2nd straight year. The David McCarthy Memorial Foundation has helped so many families in our community over the years and we are excited to donate the proceeds to such a meaningful organization again this year.” official quotes from Detective James DeFreze (Detective-City of Batavia Police) & Matt Morasco (City of Batavia Fire Department). 

Kids 12 & under are free to enter and tickets are just $10 with proceeds benefiting the foundation. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mccarthyicearena.com or in person at the Ice Arena.

POLICE ROSTER: 

• #11 - Jim DeFreze
• #13 - Steve Quider
• #15 - Connor Borchert
• #18 - Steven Cronmiller
• #20 - Chris Lindsay
• #36 - Adam Tucker
• #54 - John Gombos
• #57 - Matthew Smith
• #58 - Chance Hudson
• #62 - Eric Hill
• #69 - Aric Perkins
• #72 - Matt Lutey
• #74 - Brian Moscicki
• #76 - Felicia DeGroot
• #83 - Ricky Messmer
• #98 - Andrew Mruczek

FIRE ROSTER: 

• #7 - Josh McCarthy-CBFD
• #10 - Ryan Whitcombe-CBFD
• #12 - Chris Morasco-CBFD
• #15 - Matt Morasco-CBFD
• #19 - Zechariah Gowanlock- CBFD
• #31 - Steve Hammerl-Rochester FD
• #32 - Colin Cooper-CBFD
• #36 - Mark Sacheli-CBFD
• #37 - Bob Tedford-CBFD
• #39 - Mike Morris-CBFD
• #44 - Jeff Whitcombe-CBFD
• #51 - Brian Fix-CBFD
• #56 - Russ Borden-Town of Batavia FD
• #57 - Chad Brade -CBFD
• #59  - Allison Hubert-CBFD
• #67 - Karl Zufall-CBFD
• #96 - Andy LaForce-Buffalo Airport FD

If you or someone you know owns a local business that would like to help sponsor the event, please contact Marc Witt, General Manager/Ownership – CAN-USA Sports, mwitt.canusa@gmail.com for opportunities.

Low-key, unpretentious, cold beer at affordable prices -- that seems to be what keeps customers coming back to Kelly's Holland Inn on Evans Street in Batavia.

On Sunday, owner Gerry Potrzebowski celebrated the 50th anniversary of his father becoming the bar's owner.

Potrzebowski was still in high school when his father took on bar ownership on Feb. 17, 1994.  The young man started working there a couple of years later, when he turned 18 and bought it from his father 11 years later, and he has plans to celebrate his 40th year as a tavern owner in August 2025.

"When my father first opened in 74, Doehler's was down the road," Potrzebowski said. "There were three full shifts. I mean, Doehler's was one of the big industries here. Then they closed, and all that changed. We used to have a kitchen, but after they closed up, there was no need for it."

Today, the clientele is a lot of local residents, but hockey at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena is also a big draw. Potrzebowski himself played hockey for 40 years and was a long-time member of the Batavia Men's League. He's still involved with the league but stopped playing after back surgery a few years ago.  Kelly's is a frequent hangout for league members.

Potrzebowski figures Kelly's and The Harvester are the only two true neighborhood, or corner, bars left in the city of Batavia.

"People that come to the hockey games -- we get a lot of people from out of town -- they're like, 'Wow, this is like a place out of the past.' They remember a lot of places like this that were once in Buffalo and Rochester. They come in, and they're like, 'Wow, this is like the bar we grew up with.' There aren't a lot of bars like this anymore."

Steve Pies, co-owner of Max Pies, who is also a Southside resident and long-time member of the men's hockey league, said Kelly's is a local institution.

"Gerry Potrzebowski is one of the most genuine, kind-hearted people you'll ever meet," Pies said. "Kelly's Holland Inn attracts all walks of life, and the mystique atmosphere is always consistent.  The most inexpensive and coldest beer in Batavia.  A true gem to our community."

The kitchen may be gone -- replaced by a chip rack, or the "food court," as Potrzebowski said customers call it -- but nearly everything else has remained pretty consistent at Kelly's for these past 50 years. It's still a friendly place for a cold one and good company.  The biggest change recently, Potrzebowski said, is closing hours. Before the pandemic, bars stayed open until 2 a.m.  Now, most are closed by 10 p.m.  That's been driven by customer behavior, Potrzebowski suggested.

"I'd say 99 percent of the people who come in here have been hard-working people," Potrzebowski said. "That's what we cater to. We ain't no highfalutin place. It's pretty much, come in, have a couple of beers. The thing that is way different is from when I first started (the pandemic); bars were open until two o'clock every day, and that doesn't happen anymore.  People go home early. Everybody is home, and that's just the way the business is now."

Photos by Steve Ognibene. Steve Ognibene conducted the interviews for this story.

If you’re planning to visit Genesee County Park to see the total solar eclipse on April 8, you might want to take some refreshments, a blanket, and for certain — Alexander Hamilton.

County Highway officials have suggested charging $10 per vehicle for parking that day due to the expected surge in visitors and the need for additional staffing, overtime, traffic control, and related additional expenses. 

“So we're on the list with the Chamber of Commerce. We're also on the list with Rochester Museum and Science Center. We received a telescope from them, and then we also received eclipse glasses, 1,000 eclipse glasses to hand out, so we'll be doing that at the gate when we collect the fee to park,” Deputy Highway Superintendent Paul Osborn said during Tuesday’s Public Service meeting. “Since it's April 8, it's a month earlier than we normally would open the park, so we have to turn the water on ahead of time. Plus, we're going to have it at three o'clock when the actual event takes place. So we have staff that has to do traffic control and whatnot, so we're gonna have additional overtime.”

Parking will be directed to fill several lots, he said, and on Memory Lane, with no clearcut way to know just how many visitors will actually come to the park that day.

“There’s no perfect thing. I mean, we’re anticipating a quarter of a million people added to the county area, so we’re hoping that it could be less, it could be more,” he said. 

Assistant County Engineer Laura Wadhams added that the Chamber of Commerce staff has said to expect the day to be busy.

“The Chamber of Commerce is telling us they are expected to come to this region that day, they’ll be split up between Rochester and Buffalo and all those places, but Genesee County is in the path of totality,” she said.

The path of totality — when the moon completely covers the sun, creating a total eclipse -- will provide a few minutes of eerie and atypical darkness for the region, given it will be around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. 

The park’s path will be one-way in and out, from Bethany Center Road in and out the Raymond Road entrance, Osborn said. The parking fee is to generate $14,000 of revenue for the county park, which would offset that extra staffing expense, he said.

“So there has been a lengthy process with the Rochester Museum and Science Center and the Transportation Authority, looking at how many cars came into the one out west in 2017. And the traffic patterns in and the traffic patterns out, along with the fact that we are a day trip from the greatest population centers, and all of the hotels in Rochester and Buffalo are already booked out,” Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein said. “That kind of supports the math that has gone into their estimates.”

If you check out most charts of the path of totality for the impending eclipse, it travels from the southwest United States and hits nearby locales of Rochester and Buffalo, though Genesee County Chamber staffers have listed several local sites for viewing, including Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Corfu, East Bethany, Oakfield, Pembroke and Stafford.

For more information about the eclipse, additional viewing locations and related events, go HERE.

NEW LISTING!!! 151 Vine Street Batavia-City. Don’t pass by this great city home!! You will be pleasantly surprised as soon as you pull into drive and see the oversized 3 car garage with 4th pavilion style bay-perfect for your grill and picnic table. Your friends will be jealous! Inside the home features inviting large oak kitchen with loads of cupboard space, spacious dining area and large and bright living room. This home was made for large gatherings and entertaining! Not only is there a good size first floor bedroom and bath; there is also another large room which would make awesome office/playroom with pretty french doors leading to large and bright heated and fully glassed three season room! Featuring a cozy, free standing, fireplace to take the chill out! This room features sliding glass doors leading to a large deck, which also connects to side enclosed back porch which once held a busy -and still intact-barbershop! Before you go outside, don't forget that if you go upstairs there are THREE MORE big bedrooms and another full bath! There is plenty of storage and closets throughout the home, and don’t forget the large full dry basement! This home packs a lot in-you will be amazed! Delayed negotiations until Monday Feb. 26th Call Reliant Real Estate today, call 344-HOME (4663).

Update Feb. 24: Soul Food Brunch will be held at GO Art, at 201 E. Main Street, Batavia.

Press Release:

Chicken and waffles. Shrimp and grits. Greens. And lemon pound cake for dessert.

These traditional “soul foods” and much more are on the menu of the first Soul Food Brunch, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 27 at The Recovery Station, 5256 Clinton St. Rd., Batavia.

“What better way to bring folks together and celebrate Black History Month than with food and conversation?” said Kenyetta Reese, case manager at UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse). 

Reese is organizing the event, which is free and open to the public, while sisters Sheila Rolle-Smith and V.J. Rolle-Belle are coordinating the effort, along with others, to put the food on the table for all to enjoy.

“We’re delighted to be a part of this event,” said Rolle-Smith, a case manager at UConnectCare. “This gives us a chance not only to share our black history but to learn from each other in a festive setting. It’s really all about respect for one another.”

Reese is reaching out to the community for groups wanting to assist in making the brunch a success.

“Volunteers are definitely welcome. And we’re always looking for Black-owned businesses to showcase," she said.

To sign up for the event, go to The Recovery Station’s Facebook page or contact Reese at kreese@uconnectcare.org. The deadline to register is Feb. 23.

Oakfield-Alabama, coming in as the #3 seed, beat #14 seed Geneseo to open Class C1 sectional play on Tuesday 67-53.

Ryan Caitlin scored 20 points to lead the Hornets. Alea Groff scored 19, and Jess Sosnowski scored nine.

The Hornets jumped to a 22-11 lead in the first quarter and led at the half 38-22. Then Geneseo pulled to within five points in the third quarter but O-A held tight in the final quarter for the win.

O-A takes on Lyons at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Also in Girls Basketball on Tuesday:

• Notre Dame gets first-round win over Lyndonville in Girls Basketball
• Elba gets first-round win, Reilly tops 1K career points
• Alexander picks up first-round win in Girls Basketball
• Pembroke beat Red Creek, 56-40. Seneca Calderon scored 15 points and had five rebounds. Elle Peterson scored 11 points. Peyton Liss and Reagan Schneider each scored eight points.
• Byron-Bergen beat Holley 50-27
• Pavilion beat South Seneca 51-47

In Boys Basketball: Batavia lost to Geneva 55-40. Casey Mazur scored 13 points, and Carter Mullen scored nine points.

To view or purchase photos, click here.  

Notre Dame beat Lyndonville 31-26 in a first-round Class D sectional game on Tuesday.

Emma Sisson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five steals. Sofia Falleti scored eight points and had eight rebounds. 

Notre Dame is the #6 seed in the tournament and will play #3 seed Elba on Friday in Elba at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Photos by Pete Welker.

Sydney Reilly topped 1,000 career points in an Elba Lancers 98-32 win on Tuesday in a first-round, Class D sectional win over Romulus.

The Lancers are the #3 seed in the tournament and next take on Notre Dame (#6) on Friday at Elba at 6 p.m.

No stats were submitted for the game.

Photos by Debra Reilly.