Jo Coburn, who serves on Batavia Players executive board, and Jennifer Robinson, a co-chairperson for the fundraising committee, were definitely more about the treats than tricks with Joseph Robinson, 6, -- aka Batman! -- at Main St. Theater during the BID Trick-or-Treat event along downtown streets Saturday afternoon in Batavia. Photo by Joanne Beck
While 6-year-old Joseph Robinson continued to fill his Batman bag with sweet loot Saturday afternoon, his folks had the opportunity to learn about new places they hadn't seen before during the annual Business Improvement District Trick-or-Treat event in downtown Batavia.
Derek and Mary Beth Robinson, of Batavia, brought their son for some fun trick-or-treating, and also took a tour of the newly built Main St. Theater inside Batavia City Centre.
"It's really good, it's awesome," Mary Beth said. "We got the brochure, so we plan on coming back."
That was a cabaret to Coburn's ears, you could say. They had an estimated 200 visitors throughout the two-hour event, and some "didn't know we existed," she said.
"That's our reason for participating," she said. "That's our mission, to make theater accessible for people, and they can't attend if they don't know we exist."
She wanted to remind the public that a "Spooky Cabaret" is coming up in time for the season. It's at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1, and tickets are $10.
Just outside the theater, Matteo Spink was with his dad, Michael, from Oakfield. They believed this was their fourth year attending, and it was mainly about the fun more than learning about the merchants since his family's experience had already been "dipped" in many of the local businesses, he said.
"I have friends that work at some of these businesses, and my daughter has been in a youth program here," Michael said, motioning to the theater.
Nearly 40 BID merchants sponsored the event, which drew families from throughout Genesee County and beyond, including Batavia, Oakfield, Le Roy and Varysburg.
This family from Batavia had to include Theo the poodle, a therapy-dog-in-training, for Saturday's trick-or-treat fun. Photo by Joanne Beck
Not wanting to go the Disney route, this is just a pretty princess with some ghoulish characters. Photo by Joanne Beck
Maddox G., 5, was visiting with siblings Nash Holman, 2, and Knox Holman, 5, for what they think is one of the best holidays ever. Not pictured is their mom Erin Holman, all of Batavia. Photo by Joanne Beck
No, they're not the Beatles walking down the crosswalk, but a couple of Ariel mermaids, during Saturday's BID trick-or-treat fest in downtown Batavia. Photo by Joanne Beck
Matteo Spink and his dad Michael Spink, of Oakfield. Photo by Joanne Beck
From left, Aariyah Ammar, 8, GO ART! staff Jodi Fisher and board member Andrea Hofmaster, Enzo Ammar, 6, and Asha Ammar, 10, visit at the East Main Street site during the BID trick-or-treat event Saturday in Batavia. Photo by Joanne Beck
Some family members, including the Paw Patrols, came from Varysburg to visit Batavians who brought them downtown for some trick-or-treat fun. Photo by Joanne Beck
This little trick-or-treater has the best seat in the house, a little red wagon with comfy blankets and a pillow. Photo by Joanne Beck
Macy Paradise and Tiffanie Platt greet visitors at Flex Space in Batavia City Centre as salsa and chips during Saturday's trick-or-treat event. Photo by Kara Richenberg
Senior LB Carson Warner, Senior DL Ryan Stymus and Matt Kotarski also had big contributions from the defensive side of the ball.
“We are very proud of the way our guys were able to execute at a high level from the jump and not look back," said Caoch Tyler Winters. "We have been preaching fast starts the past few weeks, and tonight’s outcome was a byproduct of that exact mentality. The team is very happy to get a big win like this against a good Geneseo team on Senior night and close out the regular season with some momentum. Second season starts tomorrow.”
Also on Friday,
Batavia beat Rochester Prep 42-20. Bronx Bucholz was 5-10, passing for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Zailen Griffin rushed for 86 yards and two TDs on seven carries. Jon Smith, 10 carries, 92 yards, and a TD. Justin Smith, four receptions for 48 yards and a TD.
Owners Justin Calarco-Smith, Joshua Smith and Steven Johnson of H.E. Turner Funeral Home in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens
Owners of H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home already knew they were committed to the business and taking care of customers, and being named as a Selected Independent Funeral Homes member has solidified their belief that “we don’t just talk the talk; we walk the walk,” co-owner Steven Johnson says.
While the honor may seem to place a narrow focus on the world of morticians and their industry, this is something that lets all prospective customers know who they can trust, Johnson said.
“I think why it's important to them is that our invitation to join Selected and Independent, and it truly is by invitation only sort of association, our membership can give the community that we serve, the families that we serve, the confidence that we are truly a cut above your average everyday run-of-the-mill funeral home,” Johnson said during an interview with The Batavian Friday. “We had to submit ourselves to background checks to be considered for applicant or for membership. So they did a background check on us, plus on our business, and only firms that are known and proven to be reputable are invited to join. And I think that that is something that the community certainly should appreciate, given what has happened in this community in the past.”
Selected Independent Funeral Homes was founded in 1917 as the world’s oldest and largest association of independently owned funeral homes. It has 399 members across the country and 474 members internationally. All members are expected to operate according to specific standards and best practices to provide the public with reliable, high-quality funeral services and funeral-related information.
The Batavian asked Johnson and fellow owners Justin Calarco-Smith and Joshua Smith why the general public would care about this achievement, and all three pointed to the importance of being acknowledged for not only being successful in the industry but also for the role that Turner plays in its own backyard.
“In a world where a lot of family-run independent businesses, not even funeral homes, are being swallowed up by conglomerates and by people that don't really have any stake in the communities that they serve, I think it makes a difference for the public to know that it's still Steve, Joshua and Justin, no matter what number of rooftops that we own, it's still the three of us that own and operate this business on a daily basis, and we are the ones who decide how much money and where to divide all the money, you know, putting money back into the communities and into different organizations,” Calarco-Smith said. “You know, it doesn't go into somebody's pocket in Texas or Florida or California. Everything that we make stays sort of locally. And we do, we give a substantial amount of money back to our communities.”
As a local business, Turner constantly gets asked for contributions to nonprofits, and the typical response has been yes, whether it’s Genesee Cancer Assistance or Crossroads House or Gateway Home or others, Johnson said. That may not be the direct reason for this privilege of being named to Selected Independent; however, he said there is a strong connection between this newly named member and the community.
“Just like Justin said, we're not just taking people's money and then sending all of it to Houston, wherever, and so that's important because we're independent, and Justin, Josh and I are the owners, we do have a vested interest in our community, and so we want the community to trust us, which is also another reason why this is important,” Johnson said.
So what does this achievement actually mean? Turner was thoroughly reviewed for a background check of its business records, social media and online presence, and family satisfaction ratings, Johnson said. Every one of those 474 members gave a vote of yes to make the company a member of Selected Independent, and one vote would have hampered it from doing so. Membership is by invitation only and extended only after that review of character, service, performance and the facilities pass professional muster.
In turn, part of this membership means that Turner has taken a vow to abide by a Code of Good Practice, which is a set of principles for funeral homes to be transparent about pricing, functions, services, and responsibilities; to provide charges in writing and make no additions without prior approval of the customer; be fair and accurate, respect all faiths, creeds and customs; maintain qualified and competent staff, complete facilities and suitable equipment required for a comprehensive funeral service; be responsive to the needs of the financially strained; comply with federal trade regulations; and, perhaps most importantly, pledge to conduct themselves “in such a manner as to deserve the public trust.”
Selected Independent Executive Director and CEO Robert Paterkiewicz welcomed Turner to the association, emphasizing that affiliation with this membership is an honor “because of the high standards of funeral service required to receive an invitation to become a member.”
“As independently owned and operated firms, our members are truly in their communities,” he said. “H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home, like all our members, takes seriously their responsibility and dedication to providing the best possible funeral service to their friends and neighbors.”
Since he learned about this membership last month, Calarco-Smith has felt validated as a professional in a time-honored, long-running family business that his father, the late Jim Smith, proudly worked in and earned a similar membership for, he said.
“For me personally, is the solidification of knowing that we are still doing the right things and taking the right steps. Our dad was a member of the same organization. It had a different moniker back in the early 90s, and it was important to him because it garnered a lot of the ideas we still implement today, almost. You know, 30 years after his initial call into membership, I'd like to think that whatever we can gain from the group, we can in ways, give back to our public,” he said. “As far as helping our public out more, helping our families out more, offering more. You know, if there's different ways that we can continue to help our community and our families, that's why this is very important to me.
“At the end of the day, this is what it’s all about; it’s all about family and community,” he said. “And this community, if you will, of the group that we just were elected into, that’s a sense of community there, and if we can take what we garner and learn therefrom that community and give it back to the people that we see on a daily basis, only good or positive can come from that.”
Johnson added that meetings are not just about paying dues and showing up for attendance, but about involvement in active discussions and brainstorming for future use.
“I walked away from here with 30 different ideas of ways that we could better serve our community. Now, are we going to do all of them? No, but it’s an open, free-sharing, honest conversation amongst peers who specifically are not competitors. And so, back when it was National Selected Morticians, Jim (Smith’s) study group is what gave us the idea for our annual service of prayer and remembrance. And so now I hope that the study group that I was fortunate to be asked to join while I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago will feed something else that really will continue to put us apart so that we can better serve the community.”
Johnson believes that offshoots from that study group will eventually be implemented here to further benefit and strengthen the grieving process and serve the needs of families and individuals.
All three owners are humbled and honored for the designation, they said. Joshua Smith added that “it shows that the time and effort that we put in, we know it here and we see it here from everybody.”
“It's nice to see that it's recognized by others who have the same approach and the same ideas as far as what, why you're doing, what you do, why you spend time to get to develop relationships with the people that you meet,” Smith said. “We always try and we do the best, but having others recognize that from miles and miles away is a real honor.”
The Court Street entrance to County Building One, which provides access to multiple county departments, including the Genesee County Department of Motor Vehicles, will be closed to all pedestrian traffic, including employees and deliveries, on Wednesday, October 30, due to scheduled maintenance.
This closure is necessary to ensure the safety of all visitors, staff, and maintenance personnel.
During the closure, please use the alternative entrances on Main Street (Clerk’s Office entrance) and Ellicott Street (Courtyard entrance). Signage will be placed externally and internally to direct all foot traffic to these entry points.
The entrance will reopen once maintenance is complete. If you have appointments scheduled for October 30 with any department in County Building One, we encourage you to contact them in advance to confirm your access route. Thank you for your cooperation.
Senator George Borrello will partner with VA Western New York Healthcare System and VFW Post #1602 in Batavia to host a Veteran Outreach and Enrollment Event on Thursday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Senator Borrello underscored the importance of our Veterans to gain access to all the benefits they’ve earned through their service.
“Our veterans have given more to our country than we could ever repay. In return for their dedicated and selfless military service, our federal and state governments will continue to partner and provide information on access to VA healthcare and monetary compensation to our veterans and their families. Representatives from the VA will be available to answer questions about VA healthcare options and related issues for compensation. This event will be a great resource and one that highly I encourage area veterans and their families to attend and utilize,” said Senator Borrello.
Senator Borrello also noted that the federal PACT or “Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics” Act, which took effect in August of 2022, has eliminated previous phased-in timelines for VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. VA representatives will answer questions on this new change.
The outreach event will take place at the Veness-Strollo VFW Post #1602, located at 25 Edwards Street, Batavia. The event is free and registration is not required.
Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in New York, northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont, announced today that the company will once again offer military personnel and their immediate families an 11 percent discount off of their grocery bill this Veterans Day. This marks the 12th year Tops has been extending this discount to military personnel and their families.
On Monday, November 11 Tops Markets will honor an 11 percent discount off of a total order to all veterans and immediate family members in the same household, who shop at any Tops location. Customers should present proof of service that they, or an immediate family member are a U.S. Veteran, active duty, reserve or retired military personnel to automatically receive an 11 percent discount off of their total purchase that day.
"The respect and gratitude we feel for those who serve or have served in the military is beyond measure, and for that, we are eternally thankful," said Ron Ferri, president of Tops Friendly Markets. "This annual savings is just one of the many ways we wanted to give back to our local military community by honoring the associates and customers who have bravely defended our nation and made countless sacrifices through their service."
Additionally select Tops locations will be selling 4x6 US flags with a portion of its proceeds being donated back to Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight. Flags will be on sale through Veterans Day.
Tops is a longtime supporter of military associates and customers. The company’s support of military organizations includes, but is not limited to, support of the Wall that Heals, American Veterans Tribute Traveling Wall, Honor Flight Missions and golf tournaments, sending care packages for troops serving domestically and overseas, VA hospital visits, participation in veteran job fairs, parades and expos.
The Genesee County Department of Public Works announces the temporary closure of Junction Road between Hartwell Road and Covell Road in the Town of Pavilion, effective Monday, October 28. This closure is necessary for critical repairs to a steel deck bridge in the area.
The bridge repair is expected to take approximately four weeks. During this time, a section of the bridge will be removed, and no traffic will be able to cross the bridge. Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes and plan accordingly.
After all of the hopeful visions and dreams for developer Yong Guang Ye’s possible plans for the former JC Penney building, the site is now likely to go up for auction after going to foreclosure.
Ye’s former realtor, Jonathan Mauer of Pyramid Brokerage Co. in Fairport, no longer represents the California developer, who “didn’t really have a business plan” when he bought the department store property for $500,000, Maurer said. It was then put up for sale at a selling price of $750,000.
After the purchase became public, others chimed in with hopeful wishes that it could be turned into a boutique or micro hotel or a concert venue, citing its downtown location and midway point of Buffalo and Rochester as being a perfect setup for travelers. There were no takers for the property, apparently, and Ye let property taxes lapse into what may be eventual foreclosure, Maurer said. He wasn’t certain which out-of-state bank was the lender.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski briefly mentioned that it looked like the property was going up for auction during a recent City Council meeting. The Batavian requested further confirmation about the site's status at 40 Batavia City Centre on Friday afternoon.
"I believe they are one year out of back taxes, so foreclosure requires two years delinquent. I’ll need to check records to confirm," Tabelski said Friday. "I have heard that the lending company may be auctioning the property off. But I also have not found any details of this yet."
JC Penney closed its doors at City Centre in the fall of 2020 in an onslaught of closings due to corporate bankruptcy proceedings. Batavia’s site then sat quietly as local shoppers mourned the loss of another department store.
According to Genesee County assessment records, Yong Guang Ye of San Jose, Calif., purchased the 38,524-square-foot site on Feb. 2, 2021. The property has been assessed at $400,000.
JC Penney was built in 1978 along Alva Place and remained a strong anchor for the former Genesee Country Mall-turned-Batavia City Centre until its doors were permanently closed in late 2020.
Genesee County municipalities can expect a share of the half million dollars in mortgage tax that the county will distribute after the Legislature approved a resolution of payments this week.
The county clerk/treasurer reported that $504,734.48 is available from mortgage tax—the one-time tax paid when a mortgage is recorded—and the Legislature agreed during Wednesday’s meeting to distribute that lump sum of the respective mortgage tax amounts to the city of Batavia and each of the towns and villages within Genesee County.
The breakdown is as follows:
The city of Batavia will receive - $83,983
Town of Alabama - $11,275.13
Town of Alexander - $15,680.53
Town of Batavia - $50,704.70
Town of Bergen - $31,432.60
Town of Bethany - $7,805.15
Town of Byron - $23,154.70
Town of Darien - $14,484.98
Town of Elba - $12,676.74
Town of LeRoy - $30,712.91
Town of Oakfield - $16,642.28
Town of Pavilion - $20,423.81
Town of Pembroke - $136,785.84
Town of Stafford- $21,895.93
Village of Alexander - $1,410.28
Village of Attica - $484.87
Village of Bergen - $4,174.35
Village of Corfu - $7,870.05
Village of Elba - $1,542.34
Village of LeRoy - $8,932.81
Village of Oakfield - $2,661.48
The county has records of these payments since 2011, with a total of $264,130.74. The totals have been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, with a high of $636,882.14 in 2022, which decreased to $562,507.30 in 2023, and that fell again this year.
In other action, the Legislature also approved overtime costs of $100,000 for the Sheriff’s Office to cover a current shortage projected through the year-end. This is due to police services for outside agencies and the need for overtime pay and fringe expenses.
The overtime cost, plus $6,200 in social security tax, $1,450 for Medicare tax, and $23,200 in retirement expenses, will have a total budget impact of $130,850.
Starting the week of October 28, the Batavia City School District, in partnership with a certified arborist, will begin needed work on the beloved and historic willow tree on the front lawn of Batavia High School (260 State St. Batavia).
According to the arborist, while the tree appears healthy, several dead branches are adding too much weight to the trunks. Without this work, we run the risk of a strong storm irreparably damaging the tree.
Our goal is to proactively maintain the tree and preserve it for generations of Batavia High School students and staff to come.
Work on the tree should only last a few days and will not impact school arrivals or dismissals.
The City of Batavia Fire Department is proud to announce the winners of our 10th Annual Fire Prevention Coloring Contest. With over 400 entries from Batavia Schools, this contest was very difficult to judge.
Congratulations to the following winners:
Grade K-1:
First Place- Isabelle Herdlien - 1st Grade Jackson Elementary, Miss Wahr
Second Place- Massiah Ayala - Kindergarten St. Josephs Regional School, Mrs. Case
Third Place - Ada McCracken - 1st Grade Jackson Primary, Mrs. Harloff
Grades 2-3:
First Place- Amara-Lee Thomas - 3rd Grade John Kennedy, Mr. Coke
Second Place- Cecilia Dejaneiro - 2nd Grade John Kennedy School- Ms. Wirth
Third Place- Payton Ford - 3rd Grade St. Joseph's School- Ms. Dumuhosky
Grades 4-5:
First Place- Josie Varland - 4th Grade St Paul Lutheran School, Ms. Austin
Third Place - Blessing Brobey - 5th Grade Batavia Middle School, Mrs. Consagra
An awards luncheon will be held Saturday, October 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the City of Batavia Fire Station located at 18 Evans St. for all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The 1st place winner of each group will receive a ride to school on a City of Batavia Fire Engine. Congratulations to all the winners!
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