While some events come and go, others such as the Oatka Festival just keep on returning — and growing — year after year. Spoiler alert: The array of edible treats this year has been significant enough to compete for event Chair Kate Flint’s attention.

“I’m so excited about the food,” Flint said during an interview with The Batavian. “We have 12 food vendors; we only had seven last year.”

Waffles are making a comeback, and there will be hotdogs, hamburgers, taffy, lemonade, cotton candy, french fries, Italian sausage, salt potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, beef on weck, pizza, bratwurst, funnel cakes, kettle corn, chicken barbecue, ice cream, bubble tea and baked goods.

This year's festival lands in Le Roy Saturday and Sunday.

See Also: Oatka Festival parade to include special banner to remember past chairman 'Sully'

Also new to accommodate this gastronomical bounty, organizers are carving out a food niche all its own so that all food vendors will be in one central area and not separated as in past years, she said. 

There are “a ton of arts and crafts vendors,” or more specifically, a respectable 79 vendors with everything from woodwork and jewelry to traditional crafts that make festival-shopping so much fun. 

The library will be running its annual book sale, and the local churches are collaborating for an ecumenical service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday under the big tent. That typically draws about 25 people, and Flint would “like to see it grow,” she said.

What’s her favorite part, aside from all of the flavorful treats?

“I just like watching it grow and the community come together and support it and it’s a fun weekend,” she said. “And all of the food vendors (mostly nonprofits) use it as a fundraiser, it’s usually their biggest fundraiser of the year.”

Last year was a learning curve for many first-time volunteers, she said, and now “everyone’s grown into their positions.” 

“I think it’s growing in the right direction. We’ve got a lot this year, and I think it can keep getting bigger each year,” she said. “I’m a transplant, from Pavilion, but I used to come to the festival as a kid, it has always been a great festival … I’d like to see it all the way up Main Street one day.”

Other festival activities include:

• The parade is set for 11 a.m. Saturday (see related article), and the car cruise is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday on Wolcott Street.
• Oatka Creek Children’s Fishing Derby is from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday for age groups from under 4, 4 to 6; 7 to 9; 10 to 12 and 13 to 15. Winners of each group and drawings will be announced at 1 p.m.
• Our Space Yoga & Wellness will be offering a yoga class at 9 a.m. Sunday.
• There will be a scavenger hunt — get a worksheet at the table next to the kids entertainment tent and find the nine images on your sheet around the kid’s areas on the festival grounds. Once you find a picture, write the password below the picture on the worksheet and return it to the table where you got it from. Winners will be drawn at 5 p.m. Saturday: two winners of age 8 and under and two 9 and above.

All of the bands are new, Flint said, and will be on the Main Stage and gazebo. 

The lineup for Saturday:

• Noon to 2 p.m. is Remedy Three on the main stage and Lambert-Iten at the gazebo
• 2 to 3 p.m. Funk Yard Brass Band on the Steps
• 3 to 5 p.m. Matt Seidel Band on the main stage and The Pearlz Band at the gazebo

On Sunday:

• 10 to 11 a.m. Knight n Gaels on the main stage and Swinging Knights at the gazebo
• Noon to 2 p.m. Grove Street on the main stage and Mood Swing Duo at the gazebo
• 2 to 3 p.m. Warren Paul on the steps
• 3 to 5 p.m. Batavia Swing Band on the main stage and Side Project at the gazebo

The children’s Free Play area will feature water and sand tables; bubbles and chalk; coloring, boondoggle, and bracelet making; yard games.

Kid events will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, including an inflatable obstacle course and bounce house, Mr. Scribbles, mini golf and the Free Play area. 

Face painting and hair tinsel will go from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and the scavenger hunt will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

As if that’s not enough, Mega Bubble Man is scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m., Emmalee’s Memories Princess Show from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. and the Prehistoric World Reptile Show from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. all on Saturday.

Sunday will serve up The Art of Many from 10 to 11 a.m. for ages 2 to 6 and 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for ages 7 and up (pre-register for these); Cara Weinman is offering a dance/movement class from 1 to 1:30 p.m., Emmalee’s Memories superhero show from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. and a magic show from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The Duck Pluck will return to the water this year, and that’s set for 5 p.m. Sunday.

Good news for all of you walkers and runners, the free Oatka 5K is back. It’s set for 8 a.m. Saturday.

For more information about these events, go to https://www.oatkafestival.org

There are many hidden treasures in Genesee County. One beautiful gem is the Historic Batavia Cemetery.    

If you travel slowly down Harvester Avenue, look at the first cemetery on the left going south. A wrought iron fence and trees surround the cemetery. It is the home of our early leaders and pioneers from this area.   

I would bring my fourth-grade students to this living history book every year to learn about their local history. We would visit the various stones, and I would explain their relevance to Batavia’s early history. I could not wait to show them Joseph Ellicott’s Monument. As my students would sit on the grass looking at The Ellicott Plot, I would have them turn around and look toward Harvester Avenue.   They would see nothing in front of this monument but a beautiful lane lined with trees over 100 years old. I would then tell them about this brilliant man and his family. 

If you wanted to buy land and settle in this region, you purchased your land from Joseph Ellicott, founder of Batavia. He was the first surveyor and local agent of the Holland Land Company. Joseph was entitled by his contract to select a piece of land for his residence and land office. He claimed the land on West Main Street, opposite Walnut Street. His land occupied the areas we know as Thomas Avenue, Porter Avenue, and Washington Avenue. 

In 1802, the east wing of Ellicott’s mansion was built as his residence. In 1815, the Holland Land Office was completed across the street from his mansion, which remains the Holland Land Office Museum today. 

In 1818, the three-story structure of his home was finished. It included a large main building with two wings and additions to the rear of his house.   Behind his home were a pasture, barn, and a large flower garden. If you were fortunate enough to be a guest in Joseph’s mansion, you would have dinner on blue and gold English china. If you were overnight guests, a bed warmer warmed your sheets. A bed warmer consisted of a metal container, usually fitted with a handle shaped like a modern frying pan, with a solid or finely perforated lid. The pan would be filled with hot coals and placed under the covers of a bed to warm it up. A servant would then run the bed warmer between the sheets to warm them.          

Please visit the Holland Land Office Museum and enter the room where Joseph sold land to our early settlers. The museum has Ellicott’s China, a bed warmer, and a cabinet donated by the Ellicott-Evans family. Also, stop by the Historic Batavia Cemetery and find Joseph’s monument and other famous Batavians resting on Harvester Avenue.

Judy Schildwaster took these photos of two sandhill cranes in a field off of Le Roy East Bethany Road, Le Roy.

Last week, the Yankees of the Batavia Youth Baseball League defeated the Mets in the 10-U championship game, 6-5.

Following an 11-0 game 1 victory, the Muckdogs are ready for game 2 against Auburn. 

Benedict (BAT) v.s. Catron (AUB)

#GoDogs

A pivotal mid-season matchup happens in Auburn as these two teams square off for the first game of a doubleheader. The first place Muckdogs lead 3.5 games over the second place Auburn Doubledays,

Misiti (BAT) v.s. Rucci (AUB)

#GoDogs

The sun was out and people were in a happy place in Downtown Batavia on Saturday for the 2024 Batavia Ramble Music & Arts Fest, which was spread out over Jackson Street, School Street, and, of course, in Jackson Square.

For a lot of people and musicians, the festival was their first experience with the new stage in the square.

It received rave reviews for visibility and acoustics. The soundman said it was a big improvement, with the metal ceiling providing a great acoustic reflection.

The stage was funded by a state grant as part of a larger city of Batavia project to transform Jackson Street into a more attractive public square.  The total grant was for $750,000 with the stage being just one component of the costs.

Twenty-five acts performed on two stages, including the stage on Jackson Street.

Canadian rock band April Wine headlined a packed crowd in the Friday night summer concert series at Batavia Downs Casino on Friday evening. 

Members formed the band in 1969, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From its inception, the band was led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn, who died in 2023. Brian Greenway now fronts the band.

On Record, an album released in 1972, reached the Top 40 in Canada and yielded two hit singles: a cover of Elton John's "Bad Side of the Moon” and a cover of Hot Chocolates' “You Could Have Been a Lady.”

Currently on a US and Canadian tour through the summer, you can find more details on their website www.aprilwine.ca

To view or purchase photos, click here.

A spot of rain didn't send everyone scurrying from Jackson Square following the open mic in Jackson Square on Friday evening.

A couple of dozen people stuck around to dance to the beats and take in the vibes of DJ Scotty D (Scotty D'Martino of Batavia), Esdee Entertainment.

See also: Ramble weekend kicked off on Friday with open mic and open art in Jackson Square

Photos by Howard Owens

A new event that many who attended, including the organizers, hope will return in future years premiered in Jackson Square on Friday night, the night before the Ramble Music and Arts Fest.

It was an open mic for local musicians and an open art session for local visual artists.

More than 200 people attended, and more musicians than time available signed up to sing and play.

Jo David Arts and Iburi Photography presented the event.

Jo David Arts is a partnership between local artists Mary Jo Whitman and Brian Kemp.  Iburi is a photography studio on Jackson Street that started hosting increasingly popular open mic sessions about five months ago.

"We're excited to bring this event to Jackson Square," Whitman said. "This is a great opportunity for local performers and artists to showcase their work and connect with the community in a fun and supportive environment."

The open art night is an extension of the First Fridays Open Art event at GO ART!, which was created by Kemp, who compared the event to a pick-up game of basketball.

"You just get together," Kemp said. "Like, I never got together with anybody and done art before until I had this idea, 'Well, I play basketball with other people, why can't I do art with people?' We're all working on our own thing, but sometimes we'll do collabs where somebody works on something that somebody else works on the same thing."

The Ramble started at 10 a.m. on Saturday and runs until 10 p.m., with music on two stages -- Jackson Square and Jackson Street. There will also be art and artists, activities, and food and beverages.

For a lineup of musical acts playing the Ramble this year, click here.

To view or purchase photos, click, here.

Another none league game for the Muckdogs, this time against the Olean Oilers. 

Martin (OL) v.s. Cozzi (BAT) 

#GoDogs

Press Release:

Library users are invited to participate in Nioga Library System’s “Library Adventure Map” program this summer! This program is open to all patrons and community members within Niagara, Genesee and Orleans Counties. A library card is not required to participate in the program!

Library Adventure Maps can be picked up at any Nioga library. Visit any of the libraries on the map and get a unique library-specific sticker. Each sticker is like a passport stamp! 

Those with a map who get a sticker will also get a raffle prize ticket for the chance to win a Kindle Fire and a $50 Amazon gift card. Certain libraries may also offer additional prizes or have challenges to complete.

The six Genesee County libraries are also working together to offer a special incentive. Participants who visit each public library in Genesee County will have a chance to win one of six gift cards to great local businesses!

• $50 to PapaRoni's provided by Hollwedel Memorial Library
• $50 to Greg'ry's Bakery provided by Byron-Bergen Public Library
• $50 to Oliver's Candies provided by Richmond Memorial Library
• $50 to Caryville Inn provided by Haxton Memorial Public Library
• $50 to Sprinkles Creamery provided by Corfu Public Library
• $40 to Mama Chavez's Taqueria PLUS four passes to the JELL-O Museum thanks to Woodward Memorial Library!

Get your stickers to complete your map by August 31! The winners will be announced in early September. Info about all the libraries can be found on the Adventure Map and also at niogalibrary.org/member-libraries. Questions? Call your local Nioga library or the reference desk at Richmond Memorial Library at 585-343-9550 x3.

Press Release:

Northgate Church is thrilled to announce the dedication and grand opening of the Northgate Playground on July 14 at noon. We warmly invite the community to join us at Northgate’s North Campus, 8160 Bank Street Road, for this special event.

The Northgate Playground is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, with the exception of Sundays from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. This new playground offers a safe and fun environment for children and families to enjoy. For more information, please contact the Northgate office at 585-343-4011 or visit our website at northgatefmc.com.

Submitted photos.

All connections of horses pointed towards racing at Batavia Downs this year should note that a new text line has been established to relay vital information regarding draws and racing action for the upcoming meet that will start on Saturday, July 27.

Horsemen and women can sign up for this service by texting bataviadowns to 732-363-7700. Subscribing to this service will be advantageous to all when it comes to filling races or having immediate knowledge of any changes in schedule, so all are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

Press Release:

A 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser to benefit the Genesee County Spartans is scheduled for this Saturday, July 6 at Ri-Dan’s Sports Park on West Main Street Road, Batavia.

Youth competition (three age groups) was set for 9 a.m. to noon with adult competition (18+) set for noon to 3 p.m.

The Spartans, 3-1, play again on July 13, traveling to Lockport - hoping to avenge a June 1 loss to the Wildcats.

There will be no political considerations in the search for new executive leadership of Western Regional Off-Track Betting, said Board Chairman Dennis Bassett on Friday afternoon in an interview with The Batavian.

The Batavian asked about political considerations in searching for a CEO to replace Henry Wojtaszek. We asked if there will be a background check on candidates' voter registration or if candidates would be asked to disclose if they are members of a political party.

"I can say, unequivocally, they will not," Bassett said. We are looking for people who can take Western OTB to the next level. Henry Wojtaszek is on the right side of the aisle, and I'm on the left side of the aisle. I have the utmost respect for Henry Wojtaszek and the way he ran this organization. We're looking for solid business people."

At the June board meeting, the majority of board members backed a resolution to provide severance packages to Wojtaszek, CFO Jackie Leach, and VP of Operations William White. This is essentially a buyout of contracts that will terminate their employment before the previously negotiated employment contracts expire.

Bassett became chairman of the board in October for a four-year term after the state legislature approved a bill terminating the board members at the time and giving greater voting power to the representatives from Monroe, Niagara, and Erie Counties, relegating the rural counties to minority status on the board.

There are 17 municipalities, including Genesee County, that co-own the OTB and receive revenue from the gaming operation's profits. The operation includes harness racing and video lottery terminals at Batavia Downs and remote facilities where race fans can place bets.

"There are a number of municipalities that need Batavia Downs to be successful," Bassett said. "I mean, their budgets need for us to continue to generate revenues for them so we can help them do things that they would like to do in their own municipalities. They are not interested in us playing politics. They need for us to make good business decisions. As long as I'm the board chair and I will be chair for the next three and a half years, we are going to look at the right business decisions and how we can move this organization forward. And that's not going to be politically motivated."

Bassett has selected the executive search committee, and the members represent a balance between urban and rural municipalities.

The members are Mike Horton, Steuben County; Mark Burr, Cattaraugus County; Ed Morgan, Orleans County; Elliott Winter, Niagara County; and Dennis Bassett, city of Rochester.

The committee will meet soon to establish the qualifications and experience they seek in a new CEO.

"I have been a part of several high-level searches of senior executives in my 51 years in corporate America and on boards outside Western OTB, and I think we are capable of conducting a national search in a very timely and effective manner," Bassett said.

Bassett suggested that politics played a role in buying out Wojtaszek's contract.

Wojtaszek has been singled out by political opponents in Niagara and Erie counties, most notably former State Sen. George Maziarz, who was once passed over for the CEO job. 

Several controversies have surrounded Western OTB in the past few years, including questions about health care insurance for OTB board members, the accounting of VIP tickets for sporting events in Buffalo, and Wojtaszek's use of a take-home vehicle.

The newest controversy involving Wojtaszek is the severance package he, Leach and White received.  An online news source in Buffalo published a one-sided report that apparently wasn't fact-checked, quoting Erie Democrats alleging the severance packages were illegal.

Bassett also addressed these latest allegations in his interview with The Batavian.

Reading from a statement prepared by OTB Attorney Terry Connors, Bassett made three points:

• The allegations were based on a reading of NYS Public Authority Law Section 43-A, which deals with severance packages for at-will employees of public authorities and limits the payout of any severance to three months of salary. The law, he noted, explicitly excludes entities such as Western OTB that were not created under that statute.
• Western OTB is a public benefit corporation organized under the NYS Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law;
• So, the Public Authority Law does not apply to Western OTB and severance payouts.

"The severance pay limits only apply to employees under Chapter 43-a," Bassett said. "The same is true of Henry Wojtaszek. As such, the New York State Severance Pay Limitations Act does not apply to Mr. White Miss Leach, or to Mr. Henry Wojtaszek."

State law and prior case law, notably Civil Service Forum vs. New York City Transit Authority, a 1957 case, gives government entities in the state, such as authorities and public benefit corporations, the ability to operate as any American corporation would, offering competitive benefits, perks, and incentives to employees and board members, and to do "all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purpose." 

The court found that "unlike other agencies performing government functions, (it) is required to run the transit system like a business, in that its facilities must be operated on a self-sustaining basis. Recognized business practices should be permitted."

This is also why the health care benefits once provided to board members were not illegal.

The severance packages to Wojtaszek, Leach, and White:

• Wojtaszek will leave his job on Dec. 31. In exchange for foregoing the remaining time on his contract, he will receive a full year's salary.  He must also agree not to take a job or engage with any other entity in the gaming business through 2026.  
• Leach will leave her position after her sick, vacation, and compensation time, if any, in early spring 2025. She will remain on-premises through Jan. 31, 2025, and will split time between home and office in February. She will be paid half her annual salary for the remaining time on her employment contract.
• White will continue working through April 30.   He will use up any remaining sick leave and vacation time at that time. He will receive half of a full year's salary.

Bassett said these severance packages are right in line with common business practices in corporate America.

"I would say that, in my 51 years of corporate America, this is (in line with standard business practice)," Bassett said. "What a business is trying to do is, we're talking about an individual, these individuals, who were really a part of a very successful business. And right or wrong, we are trying to move the needle forward in a positive manner. And I would be less than honest if I didn't say that, yes, politics gets in the way of that. But we are running this organization. As long as I'm on the board, we will run it as much like a business as we can. I felt, and I convinced the board, that it's important for us if we're going to face the challenges of tomorrow, we need to move forward with new leadership. We and we rewarded, or we didn't reward. Yes, we did (reward). We addressed situations of people who were very successful in helping this organization go to the next level. Over the last two years, we had record earnings."

A new program by the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern (GCMOC) is designed to bring a much-needed benefit to school children in Orleans and Genesee counties.

Jami Allport, executive director of GOMOC, is excited about their new Back to School Program and hopes it will prove to be very successful.

She explained her agency used to do school supplies, but it has been evident that most schools are now providing the necessary supplies to children, so the need there is not as great as it used to be.

At a recent staff meeting, Allport said "Rose Friedl, newly appointed youth coordinator, came up with the idea of providing new sneakers and clothing to school children. Friedl was formerly with GOMOC’s furniture program, and this is her first big event as youth coordinator."

Previously, GOMOC provided clothing and gifts for children at Christmas time, but they realized that many other organizations step up at that time also, including Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Medina Area Association of Churches, the Salvation Army, and local churches. But, other than doing backpack programs, no one does anything for going back to school.

Allport said GOMOC provided gifts and clothing for 137 children last Christmas, so she knows the need is out there.

“We hope this program will bridge that gap,” Allport said “If we can help 100 children – 50 in in Genesee County and 50 in Orleans, I will be happy.”

To take advantage of the program, families must visit GOMOC’s office in the First Presbyterian Church of Albion and make out an intake form, and provide the size, ages, color, and a list of what their children would like. The entrance to the office in the church basement is off Platt or East State Street. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. They are closed on the Fourth of July.

Allport stressed how important it is for a child of any age to have nice clothing for school.

“We want kids to feel confident and happy when they go back to school, and sometimes having a new shirt or pair of sneakers will do that,” Allport said. “Many children have never had a new pair of shoes or outfit. Even kids at pre-K level are aware of how the others look.”

Allport is asking the community to step up and donate money or gift cards so they can purchase what these children need. If donating clothing or footwear, the tags must be on them. The public is also encouraged to adopt a family, and either shop for what is on their list or donate money so the items can be purchased.

For more information, contact GOMOC at (585) 589-9210. The drive will run through August 22.

“The program will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and if we are able to surpass 100 children, that would be wonderful,” Allport said, “We want to help as many kids as possible.”