Press Release:

The next “We’ve Only Just Begun” Sr. Luncheon's theme will be FALL. On Tuesday, October 15 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the South Alabama Firehall, Route 63 (2230 Judge Road, Oakfield). 

We will be starting lunch promptly at 11:45am to give our speakers more time. We are open to the public and welcome all!  

Our speaker this month will be Gregory P. Kinal, former History teacher at Pembroke Central School.  

He will be speaking about “DAY’S THAT SHOOK AMERICA” a program that touches on major news stories from 1900 to present.  

This fast-paced program covers a multitude of tragedies as well as triumphs experienced in the USA. You won’t want to miss this informative program this month!  

Bring your favorite dish-to-pass OR make a donation at the door! Come and enjoy lunch and an afternoon of fun with old and new friends. Co-chairpersons: Michael Hamm and LaNora Thompson.  

For more information contact LaNora Thompson at (630)-888-8966.

Press Release:

A human case of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in Orleans County.

“West Nile Virus is most commonly spread by the bite of an infected mosquito,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “The best protection against West Nile Virus and other mosquito-related illnesses is to prevent mosquito bites.”

Residents are encouraged to practice the following precautions:

• Use an EPA-registered insect repellant and follow product label instructions. To find the best repellant for you, visit https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents.
• Minimize exposed skin by wearing protective clothing like long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks, especially when outdoors at dusk or dawn when mosquitos are most active.
• Wear clothing and gear treated with permethrin.
• Reduce mosquito population around your home and property by removing any standing water, such as by emptying buckets, containers, pots, planters, and pool covers.

West Nile Virus infections occur most often during summer and early fall. Most people who are infected with West Nile Virus do not show any symptoms. 

According to the New York State Department of Health, roughly 20% of infected individuals will develop mild symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, nausea, diarrhea, and rash. 

Severe illness may cause high fever, headache, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, disorientation, paralysis, and, in some cases, death. Individuals over the age of 50 are at highest risk for serious illness.

For more information on West Nile Virus, visit the New York State Department of Health.

For more information about GO Health Programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or contact your local health department at:

• Genesee County: 585-344-2580 ext. 5555
• Orleans County: 585-589-3278

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Instagram and X at GOHealthNY.

Press Release:

On Thursday, September 19, Byron-Bergen Elementary School kicked off the second year of its New York State School Board Association (NYSSBA) Champions of Change award-winning compost program. A partnership with Impact Earth, the composting program began in January of 2024 and by the end of the school year had redirected 6,786 pounds of food waste from the landfill to become nutrient-rich soil.

“The students did a great job with this program last year,” said Elementary School Principal Kristin Loftus. “We just completed a refresher presentation with Doug Carney (Education Manager at Impact Earth) to remind our returning students and introduce our new students to what food items we compost and why so that we can start the new year successfully.”

According to Carney, the compost program at Byron-Bergen Elementary School was the most successful elementary school launch he had ever been part of. 

He commented, “On our end, we got almost no contamination, the bins were full every day, it all just worked. The student-led initiative went a long way to the program’s success and it’s a testament to the leadership at Byron-Bergen. I’m excited for the future of this program.” 

Loftus added, “We were also really excited to receive this special award from NYSSBA and we are going to display it proudly in our cafeteria.”

The Compost Crew was awarded the NYSSBA Champions of Change Recognition earlier in 2024. The award highlights programs which bring positive, meaningful change to the students, communities and districts across New York State.

There are events and projects that happened in Batavia years ago that folks talk about, question, and criticize to this day. Urban Renewal and the destruction of downtown’s grand buildings in lieu of more modern structures such as Genesee Country Mall has been a big one.

Ellicott Station, the four-floor apartment complex that has been stalled now since summer of 2023, is another of those projects begging questions of how it came to be a visual doorstop in the middle of downtown Batavia. 

And The Batavian has attempted to conduct forensic research and interviews to look back at all that took place leading up to the standstill, not to belabor the point but to establish and document the transactions as matters of historical importance, just as records about the mall-turned-Batavia City Centre are important to understand for anyone wanting to move forward.

The Batavian first assembled a timeline based on public documents of involved agencies -- the city of Batavia, Genesee Economic Development Center, and NYS Housing and Community Renewal. In addition to contracts and reports, The Batavian received hundreds of emails from key stakeholders such as City Manager Rachael Tabelski, GCEDC CEO Mark Masse and former CED Steve Hyde, HCR officials, and Ellicott Station property owner Sam Savarino. After the publication of those findings, The Batavian requested interviews with Tabelski, Masse and Savarino about the project, and Tabelski and Masse declined to discuss the issue further.

“Thank you for your inquiry. I have no further comments on the timeline.  Right now, the City is doing its job to address code violations on the property and doing all we can to see this parcel redeveloped,” Tabelski said. “Along with the BDC, we continue to try to connect interested developers, not only with the stalled apartment building but also the DellaPenna building, which is a separate parcel.”

Masse appreciated The Batavian reaching out and our interest in this story, he said.

“The GCEDC is no longer involved in this project, and I have no comment on the story,” he said.

Savarino did answer a few questions and provided a document with additional details regarding a prior communication with GCEDC that he believes further validates his claim that the agency cost him and the community the project’s timely completion. 

So where are we now is that Ellicott Station is swinging in the wind, so to speak? City officials have said a couple of developers have expressed interest, and The Batavian is aware of an unofficial list of prospective developers.

Are you or have you been working with any developers about potentially taking over the project?
"Yes,” Savarino said. “Ellicott Station LLC has communicated and continues to communicate with potential successor sponsors for the residential portion of the project.”

What do you think went wrong with this deal? And who do you believe bears the responsibility for that complex sitting idle? 
“As your recent reporting indicates, the actions of the GCEDC disabled the project. The Ellicott Station project – both the commercial and residential components – are not feasible without the GCEDC benefits,” Savarino said. “The sponsor and funders would not have proceeded with the project without the GCEDC inducement. The GCEDC’s breach of its agreement preceded and precipitated any alleged non-performance of the sponsor.”

Do you have hindsight about what you could have done differently for another outcome? 
“No.” 

 Do you think GCEDC could have done something different? 
“Yes – not disable the project,” he said. 

Was it a matter of a misunderstanding or something deeper? If so, what? 
“The documents and correspondence between the parties speak for themselves,” he said.

Do you agree that the misusage of low income, workforce and affordable may have played a part in all of this for a misunderstanding between you and GCEDC/Batavia?
“There ought not to have been any misunderstanding,” Savarino said. “The documents and correspondence between the parties and the GCEDC’s own documents make clear the nature and details of the project (in particular the residential component) approved by GCEDC — whatever brand or description someone may attach to it.”

Where are you currently with the project, and are you working with HCR, other agencies/municipalities and developers to get Ellicott Station moving again? 
“Yes; however, the actions of the GCEDC have presented significant hurdles, disabled and impeded the project and added significant cost,” he said.

Savarino has stood by his sign-off to GCEDC then-President Steve Hyde in March 2023 in that “we are committed to making this project a success by every measure,” and contends that the only reason that has not happened to date is because EDC pulled back its offer, hamstringing Savarino’s financial abilities and overall efforts to move forward. 

He provided The Batavian with his own copies of documents received by The Batavian in its Freedom of Information Law requests as proof that he complied with every request from the industrial development agency, such as demographics about the 102 applicants — 82 were from Genesee County, eight from Orleans County, three from Erie, two from Wyoming, one from Bronx, two from Queens, and one each from Livingston, Monroe and out of state counties — to the number of 20 people receiving disability benefits, 31 people being 55 or older and 19 being 62 or older. 

There were details about how actual tenancy would work, including orientation and that it would cover an explanation of the terms and conditions of the lease agreement, rules and regulations, a demonstration of how appliances and equipment operate, information about community services, medical facilities, shopping areas, public transportation and such, explanation about energy conservation measures and about resident participation/cooperation in operational programs with trash and recycling, fire safety drills, snow removal, etc.

There were also topics for employees about how to handle grievances on site, termination of leases and evictions, security, insurance, locks and keys, utilities, payment of rent, criminal activity and smoking, routine inspections, and pets.

One letter from consultant Divitta Alexander to both Hyde and Savarino, dated Nov. 22, 2019, cited income ranges of $9 to $15.55 per hour for a one-bedroom apartment and $10.26 to $17.64 per hour for two-bedroom units. These hourly rates “would qualify for the project at the rents that both HCR and the market analyst expressed comfort with,” Alexander said.

“I think the project is properly characterized as mixed-use workforce housing,” Alexander said.

In an example used by The Batavian for a prior article published after the income levels were publicized by Ellicott Station LLC, two people each earning minimum wage, $14.20 an hour, were not eligible for a two-bedroom apartment at Ellicott Station because they would be earning too much (the maximum household income for two people in a two-bedroom apartment is $34,600, and two people working full-time at $14.20 would gross $59,072).

So, the numbers seem off in 2019. At $9 per hour, that could arguably be reasoned as lower income, with a $17,550 gross income per year, given the 37.5 hours per week, according to Alexander. Savarino has maintained that his understanding of the project’s target audience had not changed since the beginning, even though he used the term workforce with a reporter at least once.

As Savarino and Hyde continued to communicate about the project, Hyde expressed concern about the following issues:

1. Will the updated brochure-ware better emphasize “Workforce Housing” and de-emphasize “Vouchers Accepted” in future communications all while remaining compliant with Fair Housing Laws?
2. What does the on-site property management staff’s work schedule look like given domestic disturbance problems tend to occur in the evening after normal working hours?
3. Is there any night coverage or ability to have a property manager live at Ellicott Station?
4. It appears from the Tenant Selection Plan (attached) that fairly rigorous requirements will be effectuated that will confirm applicant incomes (hence, being employed) but discussion of preferences toward Genesee County residents weren’t addressed.  Can you please clarify if that is a possibility?
5. Will Savarino Companies commit to providing the Batavia City Manager and GCEDC President and CEO a copy of its annual report each year that includes housing achievements and occupancy statistics?

“I can confirm for you that there will be an office on-site that will be staffed for the day-to-day management of the facility, including timely responses to tenant needs for any maintenance as well as quality of living issues. During non-business hours when staff is not on site, there will be a direct, toll-free phone number and email for tenants to contact management with any off-hour issues or concerns,” Savarino said. “A safety plan will be developed that will meet all regulatory requirements and city codes in order to secure a certificate of occupancy for the building. Emergency exit signs, fire extinguishers and no smoking signs will be just some of the safety and health measures that will be installed and easily accessible and visible throughout the building. We will have interior and exterior video surveillance security cameras on the property at locations yet to be determined. The management office will have monitors to observe surveillance video in real time as well as record video for use if ever necessary. In addition, a state-of-the-art access system for tenants only will allow management to closely monitor who is entering the building.

“Savarino Companies will do all we can to make sure that Ellicott Station provides a safe and welcoming environment for residents and visitors, especially as we complete the construction of the retail structure and continue our efforts to secure a retail tenant or partner(s) to help make Ellicott Station a destination that is vibrant and has a positive economic impact on the City and region,” he said. “As you know, we are now advertising and accepting applications from individuals interested in tenancy. All applicants will be screened and will go through a rigorous vetting process within the bounds of New York State and federal law and regulation. Information on third party tenant screening systems that will be utilized for Ellicott Station were recently provided to GCEDC. As you may be aware we have conferred with the Genesee County Job Development Bureau and G.L.O.W. Workforce Development to actively reach out to prospective entry level workforce tenants who can take advantage of the quality, safe and proximate housing offered by Ellicott Station. Efforts will include revamped informational literature and participation in regional job fairs. We are also planning outreach to the senior community as Ellicott Station has much to offer independent seniors. We will share with you evidence of such outreach. (There was a color brochure with photos of workers and information about Ellicott Station distributed.)”

“You have requested specific information related to Savarino projects that are directly comparable to the Ellicott Station project. While Savarino has developed and constructed many mixed-use and residential projects including affordable housing projects and some providing affordable housing to senior, elderly, and special needs tenants we do not have a project that would directly to the Ellicott Station project,” he said. “We are happy to provide you what information we can on projects currently under Savarino management to the extent we can obtain sufficient formal assurance of confidentiality for any information provided and subject to approval of our counsel.”

There are several other documents, many of them quoted in the prior story, and Savarino believes that they put the blame squarely on the shoulders of GCEDC. 

Through all the strife and turmoil of his life, Joseph (Genesis, chapters 37-50) didn't lose faith.

He was hated by his brothers, sold into bondage in Egypt by his brothers, and wrongly imprisoned.

His faithfulness and ultimate role in saving countless lives, including those of his entire family and their descendants, which would have included Jesus Christ, is one of the themes of a conference on Oct. 12 at EverPresent Church in Batavia called "Armor Up, Hold the Line." 

The speakers are Pastor Matt Sassano of Fresh Start Church in Hornell and Phil Cappuccio, a former pastor and now an itinerate Christian teacher.

Pastor Jason Norton, EverPresent, said the conference is about Christians standing their ground and holding the line in difficult times.

"We want to encourage people to stay strong," Norton said. "There's just a lot of craziness going on in the world, and sometimes, in times like these, people with faith and conviction just need to show forth their faith by holding true to it rather than faltering and being weary or discouraged or fearful."

Sassano is taking his theme from the story of Joseph. 

Joseph was hated by his brothers first because he was favored by his father, but he also had a dream of his own future greatness, which he immodestly told his brothers, and his brothers hated him even more.

After his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, Joseph went through many trials, but his ability to interpret dreams eventually impressed the pharaoh. Because he correctly predicted a seven-year famine and provided the strategy for Egypt to survive it, the pharaoh gave Joseph a high office in charge of famine relief.

The long famine engulfed the entire Middle East. Without Joseph and his plan, much of the area's population would have been wiped out.

In his lofty and powerful role, Joseph eventually saved his entire family, including the brothers who had betrayed him.

The story of Joseph illustrates, Sassano told The Batavian, that God always has a plan.  It may not be apparent to you at the time. It may take years before the plan is revealed -- if it ever is -- but God is always in control. There are no coincidences.

"No matter how difficult things get, particularly as Christians -- this is how I operate, and in the realm I'm in --  no matter how difficult or bleak things look, there's always hope, there's always a future. There's always something that God has in store."

It's easy to get discouraged, Sassano suggested, because what God does, he doesn't necessarily do in our timeframe. 

"God doesn't see time like we do. We live by it, and he doesn't live in it, Sassano said. "There's a Bible verse that says 1,000 years is like a day, and a day is like 1,000 years to God (2 Peter 3:8). We understand it to mean God doesn't live in time. You're waiting five years or something, and it's a blip on the screen, you know? So, (my talk is) about not giving up on your dreams because Joseph did not give up; he eventually saw his dreams come to pass."

The theme of Cappuccio's talk is putting on the armor of Christ to deal with spiritual conflict. He's calling his talk, "Welcome to the War." 

The first key passage of scripture, he said, is  2 Timothy 2:3-4: "Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs but rather tries to please his commanding officer."

"I'm going to identify the reality of the Christian life in the New Testament, just identifying how there is a war," Cappuccio said. "I'm going to deal with three aspects of conflict. I will deal with the spiritual war, and that's identified in Ephesians 6:10-13.  I'm going to identify personal war that we can face as believers. 1 Peter 2:11 talks about the fleshy lusts that war against the soul. And I'm going to address the cultural war we presently find ourselves, which I call it, the war against truth. Just to give a scriptural reference, Isaiah 59:14-16.  It talks about judgment or judication being turned away, backward, meaning that it's reversed. Justice is far off because truth is falling in the street, and as a result, equity cannot enter in when there's not an absolute truth, the truth that God has set for all humanity."

Cappuccio said he wants those who attend the conference to better identify the times we're living in and to recognize that conflict is a normal part of Christian life. 

"I want them to be equipped," Cappuccio said, "to be equipped personally against spiritual warfare and to be victorious in the time we're living in."

Everpresent Church is located at 4 Batavia City Centre, Batavia. The Conference is on Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Pastor Jason Norton said the event is designed to feed adults. The cost is $21.50 or two people can attend together for $33.

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Requiems are a centuries-old art form.

The most famous, perhaps, is Mozart’s, which was left unfinished (though finished by other composers) at the time of his own death.

Typically, composers write eight or nine movements corresponding to the Catholic Mass for the Dead. A vocalist or chorus sings the mass in Latin.

Typically.

Thirty-five years ago, Laurence Tallman, a Genesee County resident, had a different idea. He became intrigued with the idea of composing a requiem that was purely orchestral—no singing, just the music, with the lyrics implied by the melody.

On September 28, Tallman's “Unsung Requiem” will have its world premiere at Genesee Community College, where the Genesee Symphony Orchestra will perform it.

"The piece was inspired by an experiencing Maurice Durufle’s Requiem with the Crane Chorus and Orchestra in Potsdam way back in 1989," Tallman said to The Batavian. "Even then, as a composition student, I thought it would be amazing to write a requiem using the form that would be just instruments. It's been mulling around in my head forever. Then, 200-some compositions later, and finally, the time and the inspiration were there, and so I constructed this piece, so based on an actual Requiem form, the nine movements that are typical in it, but there's no singing."

This isn't the first time GSO has performed a piece by Tallman, but this is a piece that Musical Director Shade Zajac encouraged Tallman to complete so the orchestra could perform it.

"The things he's done of mine have been very playful, very funny," Tallman said. "I get hired a lot for humor pieces and pieces that have a lot of moving parts to it. I told him about this, and I said, 'This has always been on the back burner, and I've got bits and pieces of it done.' I started showing him some sketches, and he's like, 'I love this. I love this idea. I think you should invest in this, and we'll get the group to do it.'" 

Tallman, who lives in Byron with his husband, is a retired music teacher. He taught at Byron-Bergen Central Schools. He is the music director for the First Presbyterian Church of Byron and plays contrabassoon and piano in the GSO. He received his B.M. and M.M. in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. He also has a certificate of compositional study from the Birmingham Conservatory of Music in Birmingham, England.

He said his requiem reflects the text and moods of the Mass for the Dead. 

"Some of them are very somber and pensive. Some of them are playful and joyful," Tallman said. "The lux aeterna is like the light that you know we're searching for. And then the in paradisum ends with this lovely kind of ascension into the Netherworld."

He said the last movement is composed through the lens of his own passing and he had some fun with it.

"(It is) what would it be like if I was in that state of transition and then, ideally, the ascension," Tallman said. "So that piece has a lot of musical allusions to some of my favorite works of music, and it just becomes this collage of sound. The agnus dei has this little repeated pattern that is a variation of a pop tune that is very obscure, and everything builds around that pattern. It's dedicated to a pop star I loved in the 1980s (Alison Moyet), who got me through a lot."

The concert is at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Stuart Steiner Theater at GCC. Tickets are $17 for adults, seniors $12, and students (with ID) may attend for free.

Additional works on the program: 

• Canzona per Sonare No. 2, Gabrieli
• Crisantemi for String Orchestra, Puccini
• Ritual Music, David Skidmore
• A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Britten (which Tallman will narrate).

For more information, click here.

The East Pembroke Grange celebrated its 90th anniversary on Saturday with a quarter carnival.

Previously: Bring your quarters to the 90th celebration of East Pembroke Junior Grange.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

The Batavia boys varsity soccer team beat Pal-Mac 6-2 on Saturday afternoon in a dominant showing, highlighted by two goals by Gavynn Trippany (#3), both assisted by Trevor Tryon (#8), two goals by Jaziah Ayala (#1), one assisted by Aiden Reimer (#14) and the other unassisted, one goal by Rylan Bohn (#24), assisted by Gavynn Trippany (#3), and one goal by Troy Hawley (#5), also assisted by Gavynn Trippany (#3). 

The Byron-Bergen Lady Bees traveled up Route 262 to take on the Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Lady Aggies on Saturday morning.  

The Bees won 2-0.  

Both goals for the Bees were scored by midfielder Mia Gray in the second half.  Her first goal was a header (assisted by a corner kick from Grace DiQuattro).  Her second goal was assisted by Elizabeth Starowitz. 

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

With record-holder Mike Richenberg on his trail, Oakfield's Brandon Rebert became the second man in the history of Arc of Genesee Orleans Friends and Family 5K in Elba to win six consecutive races.

He tied the record set by Richenberg in 2014.

Rebert posted a time of 19:19. Richenberg, of Corfu, came in second with a time of 19:42.

Neither man has won as many races as Oakfield's Kimberly Mills, who at 20:34, picked up at least her eighth title on Saturday in the Arc 5K, with her first coming in 2009. The online and The Batavian's records are incomplete, so we don't know if she might have more than eight wins. We can't account for two years of races. She said she doesn't keep count.

Rebert started his record-tying streak in 2018. There was no race in 2020 because of the pandemic.

In 2021, he recorded the race's fast time at 18:09.

For The Batavian's prior coverage of the annual race, click here.

The Pembroke Primary School community gathered Friday to celebrate the grand opening of a new playground, a project two years in the making. 

Students found it hard to contain their excitement as they anxiously waited for the big moment to take place at the entrance to the playground. 

 “Cut the ribbon, cut the ribbon,” they yelled out in unison while some also exclaimed that “this playground is awesome!”

Superintendent Matthew Calderon began the ceremony by reflecting on the legacy of the old playground, which was built 30 years ago with the help of the current students' parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. He also noted the assistance given to the district for the upgraded design of what they celebrated this week.

“Special thanks to everyone that helped us with the playground, especially Play By Design’s Lee Archen, SEI Design, Alleghany Services, Campus Construction," he said. "And you know you need to give it up for our Director of Facilities Jim Green and Principal (Patty) Zika."

Zika shared that the journey to the new playground began two years ago when current third graders were in first grade. Each student wrote a persuasive essay convincing her for a new playground, expressing concerns about broken equipment and safety hazards.

The students had many ideas for the new playground, and many of their suggestions were taken into consideration.

The community build took place over two weeks at the end of August, with Alleghany Services handling grading, laying stone, and mulching. Despite having only 72 volunteers, those who participated contributed significant hours to ensure the playground was completed on time.

Among the dedicated volunteers was Gordon Crosby, a retired optical technician who also helped build the previous playground. Crosby logged nearly 60 hours during the two-week project. 

The new playground features not only accessible swings and bars but also sensory areas, a spinning swing, animal tracking stations, and musical components. Zika emphasized that the playground will be open to the community outside of school hours from dawn to dusk. 

“Come and enjoy it, and please take care of it,” Zika said.

Looking ahead, they are planning on bringing the refurbished murals from the old playground back and installing a picnic area on the side. 

Facilities Director Jim Green praised the volunteers and donors who made the project possible. 

“My staff did a great job adapting to ensure we finished on time and that the schools were ready for the kids’ return,” Green said.

For prior coverage about the project, go HERE

Batavia put together an impressive air and ground game for its home opener on Friday, beating Rochester Prep 46-6.

Zailen Griffing ran for 105 yards and two TDs on 11 attempts. Isaac Varland threw for 106 yards and a TD, going 3-6, while Bronx Bucholz was 2-3 passing for 50 yards and a TD.

Carter Mullin had two receptions for 50 yards and a TD. Grayson Fix had two receptions for 96 yards. Maggio Buchholz had a rushing TD.

On defense, Lakoda Mruczek had seven tackles, and Da'Von Gallo-Williams had four tackles. Maggio Buchholz had six tackles and a tackle. Will Stevens had an interception. Jameson Motyka had two tackles and a sack.

Also in football on Friday, 

Alexander beat York/Pavilion 55-0. The Trojans compiled 400 total yards. QB Brody Heckman was 4-4 for 70 yards passing with 3 TDs.  RB Ryder Reichert carried 11 times for 167 yards and 2 TDs.  WR Kaden Torres had 2 TD Catches for a total of 39 yards.  TE/FB Damien Hale added 2 TDs on a run and on a reception. RB Kingston Woods and JR RB Duke Snyder each scored TDs.  Defensively Free Safety Duke Snyder had two interceptions for the Trojans, who have defensively posted back-to-back shutouts.  Melissa Sawyer added the PATs in the kicking game. Seven different Trojan defenders recorded a QB sack or tackles for loss.    The Trojans are 3-0 and will face undefeated Avon on Friday.

Football: Oakfield-Alabama/Elba falls to Avon

Le Roy/Cal-Mum lost to Bishop Timon 35-22

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Byron-Bergen/Elba beat Attica/Alexander in Boys Soccer on Friday, 4-2.

For the Bees, Jack Farner had a hat trick, Colin Rea had a goal and an assist, and Cole DiQuattro and Noah Clare also provided assists.

Josh Kubik scored both Attica/Alexander goals, assisted by Carter Gorski and Brandon Beal.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba ran into a tough Avon squad on Friday and lost 56-0.

OAE stats:

• Avery Watterson:  43 Yards Rushing,  11 Total Tackles
• Jack Cianfrini:  35 Yards Rushing,  11 Total Tackles, 1 TFL
• Carson Warner:   14 Total Tackles

"Nice win for Avon.  We did not come to play tonight," said Coach Tyler Winters. "Luckily, it's early.  We have a group that is learning every day, and there is plenty to learn from tonight.  We will look to get back on the path we know this group can take."

Photos by Debra Reilly.

This summer is seeing the return of Creed -- one of the biggest music acts of the late 1990s. The band has recently completed a pair of cruises and now embarks on an extensive tour that visits outdoor amphitheaters this summer and arenas in the fall.

It’s not the first time Creed has reunited. The first time, in 2009, the band’s reunion tour the following year saw fairly lackluster ticket sales. But this year, the cruises were instant sellouts and ticket sales for the tour have been robust. What’s more, the band’s 2004 greatest hits album has been re-released and is climbing the charts for multiple rock genres.

Guitarist Mark Tremonti offered his take on why Creed is enjoying this renewed wave of popularity.

“I think ’90s music in general is having a resurgence,” he said in an early July phone interview. “I think people want to go back and relive some of their younger years when they were going through college or whatever it was and want to get back out and relive those days. So I think people just want to get back together with their friends and go see the concert that they saw 20 years ago.”

It’s not just fans who bought some of the more-than-20 million copies of the first three Creed albums -- “My Own Prison,” “Human Clay” and “Weathered” -- that are snapping up tickets for the tour. A new generation of fans has discovered Creed on Tik Tok and other online sites, through the use of the Creed hit single “Higher” by last season’s Texas Rangers as the team’s theme song and via a popular Super Bowl ad that included Tremonti and singer Scott Stapp.

It turns out our largest fan base of the tickets that have been sold is between 25 and 35 years old,” Tremonti said, citing data the band receives from ticketing outlets. ‘Those are (mainly) people that wouldn't have quite been old enough to experience a Creed concert.”

Fans will be seeing the classic Creed lineup of Stapp, Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. That unit formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida, made a big splash with its 1997 debut CD, “My Own Prison,” which sold six million copies and spawned four number one hits on “Billboard” magazine’s Hot Mainstream Rock Hits chart.

The follow-up, 1999’s “Human Clay” (which is getting an expanded deluxe reissue in August) was an even bigger blockbuster, selling more than 10 million copies and producing multiple hits, including “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open.” That latter song won the 2001 Grammy for Best Rock Song. 

The third CD, “Weathered” became another big hit, selling six million copies, but after that CD was released in November 2001, things started to go off track for the band when Stapp was involved in a 2002 car accident that delayed a Creed tour. The singer then developed nodules on his vocal cords and was prescribed prednisone to combat the inflammation. Unfortunately, he began having anxiety issues as a side effect of the drug, and hoping to counteract his anxiety attacks, began drinking to excess.

A couple of embarrassing public incidents – the release of a sex tape he made with Kid Rock and some willing female participants and a drunken performance at a Creed show in December 2002 in Chicago – only made things worse, and in 2004 the band called it quits, with Tremonti, Marshall and Phillips moving on to form Alter Bridge with singer Myles Kennedy.

Tremonti said the four musicians are hoping this second reunion sticks, and there will be Creed albums and/or tours every few years. Creed’s activities will have to happen between other projects (Stapp and Tremonti both continue to release solo albums) and projects by Alter Bridge, which very much remains an active group. 

“I think at this point now we've all seen enough, we've all been in enough bands, we've all had all our projects, to know that we're all going to be busy doing all our own things throughout the years,” Tremonti said. “We're going make it a best effort to be able to continue to keep Creed active at least every few years.

“We just have to plan way ahead, just gotta make sure that everybody has all their T’s crossed and I’s dotted in advance so we can make sure that everybody's other projects have their time and a life as well,” the guitarist said.

For now, Creed will tour, and fans can expect to hear the songs they know and love.

“Our setlist will initially start out pretty similar to what we had done on the cruises, playing the hits along with some of the favorite album tracks,” Tremonti said. 

“As the tour goes on…(we’ll) probably dive into a handful of songs that we didn't play on the cruise and then from there as the tour goes on we'll just keep on adding songs.”

Creed plays at Darien Lake Amphitheater on Friday, September 27.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley and two busloads of veterans left on Hawley's annual Patriot Trip on Thursday morning.

The trip gives area veterans an opportunity to visit some of the most significant monuments and museums in Washington, D.C.

Submitted Photos.

Sometimes, circumstances align just enough to make it seem that your idea was destined to happen at the right time and place. 

That’s how the location of Shush Wine Bar LLC was found, Rob Credi says. With him as business manager for proprietor Bonnie Woodward, her two daughters Stephanie Mahoney and Karie Credi and daughter-in-law Michelle Woodward, the plan seemed to fall into place after Gilliana’s Diner closed permanently.

“Bonnie and I were talking since this spring and were looking for properties that made sense for what we wanted to do — open a nice meeting place for drinks — and we were looking for properties, just kind of keeping an eye on the market to see if anything came up that would make sense. And we looked at a couple other ones that came up but never really fit exactly what we were looking to do with it,” Credi said during an interview with The Batavian. “Then I saw Gilliana’s was closing online, and it was a surprise, but then I thought it was a perfect location. There are lots of bars but nobody focuses on wine. We are very aware of our demographic here. We want to cater to them so everyone can enjoy what we have to offer. So that was a big thing for us, to be able to bring something different with an elevated experience that’s not too posh or too expensive.”

The business partners worked with Gavin Townsend and pitched an offer to property owner Jack Waggoner for the former Gilliana’s diner spot, tucked between Michael Anthony’s Salon and Block, Longo, LaMarca & Brzezinski law offices, with a computer repair office and other tenants in adjacent properties, near the corner of Jackson and School streets in downtown Batavia. 

They struck a deal and are leasing the 52-by-20 spot for Shush Wine Bar LLC at 41 Jackson St.

Yes, downtown may seem like a popular niche for beer, but Credi, Woodward and her family believe there’s plenty of room for an assortment of good quality, affordable wines to sip in a cozy atmosphere, perhaps with some live soft jazz at some point down the road, and tasting events, no doubt.

Waggoner is working with Batavia Development Corp. Director Tammy Hathaway for a revolving loan/grant to do “a huge rehabilitation” project at the site, Credi said.

Work is to include taking down walls, upgrading the bathroom, which would include making it Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, putting in new flooring to replace the 60-year-old one that’s taken a severe beating, maybe relocating the kitchen for better workflow and rehabilitating the ceiling and its hidden tin-stamped treasure. They’re also mulling what to do with existing plastic with actual brick behind it and investigating some exposed options.

There will be seating for about 20 in what Bonnie Woodward describes as an intimate atmosphere with a small lounge where folks can stop in for a drink before heading to dinner. 

Credi said a chef will whip up some light fare tapas, appetizers and such to complement the higher-quality wine at affordable prices. His wife Karie said to think of cheese and meat boards and a chocolate board to feed those sweet tooths.

They will also work with Eli Fish to procure a proprietary craft brew for the menu, and will include non-alcoholic and sparkling wines and have applied for a full liquor license to serve cocktails. 

Bonnie is no stranger to the hospitality scene, having been an integral part of Alabama Hotel for decades, and returning to downtown is coming full circle for the family since Karie’s Uncle Pat Woodward owned the once popular Candlelight Restaurant up the street, a location  Bourbon & Burger now occupies. 

“This will be a little more elevated; it won’t be a cookie-cutter bar,” Credi said. “It’s a great alternative for people who don’t want the bar scene. And it will be educational too, for people who want to learn more about wines; we will have tasting events and opportunities for people who want to learn more.”

They still need to work out the details, but they believe Shush will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays to get things going. The Woodward family is excited about this new venture in Batavia, and Credi, who closed his ramen take-out on Harvester Avenue earlier this year,  is also looking forward to having another entertainment option for downtown, he said.

“It’s different, it’s classy,” he said. “It’s a great alternative for people who don’t want that typical bar scene, and it’s perfectly located amongst the busy places in town, like Eli Fish. I think they’ve done an incredible job with their space, and it definitely brings people downtown. So here’s something that’s not too far away for slightly different appeal, but the same quality.”