Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf, right, and former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jack Ham at a Legends & Stars event in February 2023 at Batavia Downs Gaming. Now a motivational speaker, Leaf is scheduled to speak at Genesee Community College on May 8. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
Press release:
“Twelve years ago today I woke up on the floor of a jail cell...with no hope or possible idea what could be! There was no possibility of this life, no love of my life, no career, no future, no family, no recovery," Leaf wrote on X. "You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending! There is Hope!” – Ryan Leaf, April 1, 2024.
In 1998, the San Diego Chargers selected Ryan Leaf, standout quarterback from Washington State University, as the No. 2 overall pick in the National Football League Draft behind Peyton Manning. A finalist for the Heisman Trophy following his junior year, the future looked bright for the Great Falls, Mont., native.
However, dreams of a storied NFL career turned into a nightmare for the strong-armed 6-foot5-inch, 235-pound signal caller as issues involving bad behavior, injuries, work ethic and focus -- beyond poor play – limited his time as a pro to four nonproductive years.
Leaf went into a downward spiral, eventually ending up in prison for burglary and drug-related offenses – a period of time he referred to in his statement above.
Although he wasn’t able to survive in the world of professional football, Leaf has turned his life around – carving out a respected space throughout the United States as a motivational speaker and ambassador for sobriety.
He said he has been in recovery from substance use disorder for the past 11 years, and has devoted his life to helping others overcome the stigma of mental health and addiction as a program ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community and CEO/President of RAM Consultant, Inc.
Leaf, 47, is coming to Batavia in May to share his experiences, both triumph and challenges, and offer invaluable lessons in resilience and the power of determination.
“Asking for help is the strongest thing you’ll ever do,” Leaf says, referring to those struggling with substance use.
Leaf also works as a college football analyst for the ESPN network.
UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) invites the public to attend his presentation, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 8 at Genesee Community College, Room T102.
The City of Batavia Police Department is pleased to announce a new partnership with Inmar Intelligence, a private company dedicated to the safe disposal of unused or unwanted medications.
We have installed new green bins inside the waiting area of the Police Station to accept unused or expired medications. These bins are designed to be safer for use by the public and safer for disposal by members of the police department.
Acceptable items include:
Unused or expired prescription medication - including controlled substances
Unused or expired over-the-counter medication
Not accepted items:
Any needle, syringe, or sharp
Illegal drugs
Aerosol cans or containers
The new bins will be accessible only during regular business hours of the Department (9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Friday).
If you are in need of disposing of medications outside of those times please check with your pharmacy for a location nearest you.
All sharps (needles, syringes, etc.) shall be disposed of at an appropriate location, currently, Rochester Regional Health at United Memorial Medical Center accepts these items for disposal. If you have any questions about the new disposal bins please contact our Detective Bureau by calling 585-345-6444.
"We want to give our residents the opportunity to safely dispose of expired and unwanted medications in the safest possible manner", stated Chief Shawn Heubusch, "This program will help make our community a safer place."
Have you ever wondered why someone vapes even after learning about the dangers and effects from it?
There are hidden facts behind the range of colors and flavors associated with e-cigarettes. From addictive nicotine to harmful chemicals, the dangers of vaping are real. It is time to clear the air and learn about the risks of vaping.
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, heat a liquid to create an aerosol, or mixture of tiny particles in the air.
There are many different names for e-cigarettes, including "electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)," "tank systems," "e-cigs," "e-hookahs," "mods" "vape pens," and "vapes."
The Public Health Law's Article 13-E, sometimes referred to as the Clean Indoor Air Act, has grown in New York State to ban smoking and vaping; and prohibit the sale or distribution of nicotine vapor products with unique flavors, such as e-cigarettes.
However, the use of e-cigarettes by teenagers is on the rise, and the sale of these devices to teenagers is illegal.
According to the 2021 CLYDE Survey administered in schools in Genesee and Orleans Counties by UConnectCare (formally GCASA), it was reported that 19.7% of 11th graders reported vaping with nicotine in the previous 30 days, and 11.1% reported vaping with marijuana during the same time period.
Vaping is dangerous and can have unknown long-term impacts:
Nicotine is in most e-cigarettes and is extremely addictive. Nicotine can damage adolescent brain development, which lasts into the early to mid-20s.
Youth who use nicotine have a higher chance of developing a substance use disorder.
Young people might see vaping as a way to cope with stress or anxiety. Yet, an addiction to nicotine can lead to stress.
Long-term e-cigarette use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by severely harming the body's blood vessel function.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, having symptoms of depression increases the likelihood of a teen using e-cigarettes. Using e-cigarettes is associated with worsening symptoms of depression.
Vaping devices may contain vitamin E acetate. According to research, inhaling vitamin E acetate may cause problems for normal lung function.
“Unlike cigarettes, vaping is often easy to hide due to its discrete nature, stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “The devices used for vaping sometimes look like USB drives or pens. E-cigarettes also do not have a lingering odor, making it easier for individuals to vape without drawing attention. This causes challenges to parents, teachers, and other authorities to detect and stop vaping.”
Signs that your child or someone you know might be vaping include:
Increased Thirst. Vaping is hydroscopic, which means that it dehydrates the skin of the throat and mouth. People who vape are left with a dry mouth as a result. The body naturally wants a drink to fight dehydration as a result.
Among teenagers, JUULs, which are slim devices that look like USB flash drives, and vape pens that mimic regular pens, are the most popular e-cigarettes. If you come across an odd-looking pen or USB drive, it could possibly be an e-cigarette.
Mood swings. After inhaling nicotine, users may get a brief rush, but this feeling quickly wears off making their mood less consistent.
Get Help Today
If you are interested in quitting, or someone you know needs help quitting, help is available:
Visit the New York State Smokers' Quitline for quit-smoking and quit-vaping programs, or call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487), to apply for a free starter kit of nicotine medications and to talk to a quit coach.
Talk to your healthcare provider about medications and counseling to help you manage cravings. Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover services to help you quit.
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.
Savanah Freeman, right, and Ariana Dinehart, and one of the murals she designed for the Le Roy Town Hall. Photo by Lynne Belluscio
Savanah Freeman, a Le Roy High School senior, needed to complete 15 hours of community service for graduation and contacted me as Le Roy Municipal Historian with an idea.
Savannah had painted store windows in Batavia and thought that maybe she could paint some windows in Le Roy.
I suggested that Savanah work on some ideas about the solar eclipse that could be put in the front windows of the Le Roy Town Hall.
Savannah showed me some of her artwork and immediately I knew that Savannah had the talent to design some unique murals, but wondered whether there was enough time to get them completed in time.
Savannah had never worked on anything that big, but she was excited about the prospect.
We decided it would be best for Savannah to paint the murals on huge pieces of paper so she could work on them at home.
In two weeks, Savannah completed two large murals. One was a brightly colored mural with the Le Roy Village Hall on one side, and the other was a black-and-white image of the solar eclipse barn on the Fort Hill Farm on Route 19.
Savannah says these murals are the biggest pieces of art she has ever done, but she has enjoyed the challenge of working on something new. She only wished that she had had more time so she could have added more detail.
Savannah worked on the designs and sketched them out on paper, and then she called for some help from her friend Ariana Dinehart to do some of the painting.
Both girls said they learned a lot about Le Roy history, especially about the Village Hall which is a focal point of the large color mural.
The girls are best friends and attended school in Rochester before moving to Le Roy in August.They said that the move to Le Roy has been the best thing that has happened to them.
“Everyone in Le Roy — the teachers and the other students — have been so wonderful,” Savannah said.
Savannah, who is related to the Lathan family, points out that her family has “been here forever.”
Savannah says that her mother has had the biggest influence on her art.
“She has done every form of art in some way or another, and she has shown me that I can make a career out of something I love to do,“ Savannah said.
On Thursday, Savannah’s two murals were put up in the Town Hall windows. Almost immediately, folks gathered outside to take a look at the unique murals. They will be on display until the end of April.
Then they might be included in the school’s art show. Savannah says, “I definitely would love them to go somewhere where they won’t collect dust.”
Will Savannah watch the eclipse?
“I am really stoked to see the eclipse,” she said “I don’t plan on going anywhere just because of how many people are coming to see it, but I will definitely be hoping for no clouds so I can sit in my backyard and watch.”
Left to Right pictured Ashley McKeown, Acorns Friends Group, Claudia Nusstein, program coordinator, Brad Nickerson, Acorns Friends Group preparing the public for many events at Genesee County Park
The first photo ever of the total solar eclipse was taken by Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski in Russia on July 28, 1851. Almost 200 years later, photographers throughout parts of the United States, including Western New York will have their own opportunity to capture their own picture of the rare astronomical event.
The rest of us will be content to slip on ISO 12312-2-rated sunglasses and take in the perhaps once-in-a-lifetime scene. (Be advised, your camera also needs a special filter to get photos of the eclipse, or you risk damaging the censor.)
One place eclipse gazers can go to enjoy the event is the Genesee County Park and Forest, which has prepared for many activities on Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.A partial eclipse starts at 2:06 p.m., with totality lasting from 3:19 to 3:23 p.m. The partial eclipse will then last until 4:30 p.m.
Claudia Nusstein, conservation education program coordinator, said memory lane will be one-way, and the public will have to enter off Bethany Center Road.
She suggested visitors start at the interpretive center, where some activities indoor and outdoor activities.
Pinhole viewers, a telescope to look through, slide shows, different clay and paper models to create, along with sundial, corona eclipse hat, bookmarks, and chalk art are to name some of the many activities throughout the day.
As you follow the trail around, there are six stations between the center and end at the Raymond Road exit. The parking fee is cash only and is $10.00 per vehicle; however, solar eclipse glasses will be available for free.
Areas Fleming, A, and B will also host events. There is a map and directions to follow at the gate, and staff will direct people.
A mobile eclipse solar system made out of paper and cardboard materials is one of the various things to make on eclipse day. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Do you want to provide fresh garden veggies or flowers for your family? Come grow with us, we need gardeners!
Emmanuel Baptist Church’s Community Garden is looking for green thumbs to come and grow! We have 20 raised 3X4 garden plots, water, tools, seeds, and fertilizer.
We will be having an informational meeting on Thursday, April 18 at 6 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church at 190 Oak Street Batavia for anyone interested.
The cost is $15 per plot. Call 585 343 4905 or email ebcbatavia@gmail.com to sign up!
Genesee Justice, a vital component of the Genesee County community, is pleased to announce its forthcoming relocation to a new office space at the state-of-the-art Genesee County Jail.
Effective Thursday, April 4, our new address will be:
Genesee Justice, 3839 West Main St Rd. Batavia.
We kindly request that all individuals who refer to our office note this address change to ensure seamless communication and service delivery.
For further inquiries, please contact 585-815-7821 or Genesee.Justice@co.genesee.ny.us
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) attended a press conference this morning with his colleagues in the state Assembly to call for public safety measures to be included in the final state budget agreement.
Last month, NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed in the line of duty by a suspect with 21 prior arrests during a routine traffic stop in Queens. This tragedy is a reminder of the consequences pro-criminal policies have on our law enforcement officers and all New Yorkers.
Hawley is a staunch advocate of law enforcement and has supported numerous initiatives to improve public safety and opposes the disastrous bail reform, the Clean Slate Act, Raise the Age, and other Majority-led, pro-criminal policies.
Public safety is one of the top concerns for everyday New Yorkers and it should be reflected in the state budget.
“It’s almost unbelievable how far the Majority has gone to create a criminals’ paradise in our state,” said Hawley. “We’ve essentially told people if they come to New York and break the law they can be released immediately on cashless bail, have their trial shifted in their favor through discovery reform and get their crimes wiped from their record thanks to the Clean Slate Act. Have these downstate politicians ever once considered these policies might be incentivizing crime instead of preventing it?”
“Last month we saw the news of Officer Jonathan Diller who was killed by a repeat offender over a simple traffic stop. Because of these so-called reforms, a family will have to continue on without a loving husband and father. Last year, I sponsored a proposal that would require a life sentence without the chance of parole for criminals convicted of murdering a police officer. This should be the law of the land. The Majority, however, wasted no time in making sure this initiative never saw the light of day. The Diller family deserves justice and New Yorkers deserve answers. It’s time to put our money where our mouth is and support our police officers,” Hawley concluded.
The Genesee County National Crime Victims’ Rights Committee is proud to announce the Voices For Justice Community Awareness Event, with a 2024 theme of human trafficking awareness and prevention.
This event, scheduled to coincide with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, will take place on April 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, 238 Vine St in Batavia.
Human trafficking is a pressing issue that affects communities worldwide, and Genesee County is no exception. This event aims to bring attention to the critical issue of crime victims’ rights while emphasizing the importance of empowering individuals to identify, prevent, and confront human trafficking within our local community.
The event will feature a lineup of distinguished speakers who will provide valuable insights, expertise, and personal experiences related to human trafficking:
Sarah Hendee, Director of Development at Project Mona’s House, will discuss anti-trafficking efforts in Western New York, focusing on prevention programs, survivor housing, and community outreach.
Gabriel Marcano, Human Trafficking Specialist at Worker’s Justice Center of NY, will delve into the basics of labor trafficking, shedding light on its prevalence and implications.
Special Agent Joshua Haslinger from Homeland Security Investigations will present Project iGuardian, offering valuable information on combatting online exploitation and trafficking.
Attendees will also hear from Chase Daniel Johnson, author of "The Chase of Authenticity," who will share his personal experiences as a sex trafficking survivor.
In addition to the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to network and interact with local service providers, who will be available at tables set up on the side of the event.
"We appreciate being able to help coordinate the event and to bring together our community to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights and human trafficking," said Diana Prinzi, Program Coordinator at Genesee Justice. "By educating, supporting, and empowering individuals, we can work together to combat this exploitation and create a safer community for all."
The event is free to the public, and light refreshments will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to register by April 19 either online at https://bit.ly/VoicesForJusticeGenesee or by phone at 585-815-7821.
Some students pictured above during K-6 Creative Arts Camp during April break with eclipse-themed art. Photo by Steve Ognibene
During Easter vacation, students enjoyed working on many eclipse-related projects during youth camp.
Jodi Fisher, program director of GO ART!, said the program had two dozen students create solar systems, landscape universe models, and transform chocolate-covered pretzels into aliens. They also worked on various planet projects, along with making solar systems out of clay and paper drawings.
Creativity and art kept the K-6 kids learning more about the upcoming eclipse, Fisher said.
Local artists displayed eclipse-themed art in the various galleries.
Carruba's Chicken BBQ is one of many events happening in Corfu this weekend.
All they are selling chicken barbecues for $15 each, which includes buttered spuds, coleslaw, and a roll.
When The Batavian stopped by, Jeromy Fincher said that they are only there until sell-out but they should have enough to last until 5 p.m.
All proceeds raised by this event will help benefit the horses at Cherry Hill Farm Sanctuary. For more information about Cherry Hill, visit their website here.
Corfu's next event is the Alien-Themed Parade starting at 6 p.m. It begins at the fire hall on Route 33 and ends at Pembroke Intermediate School on Route 77.
Scott, Lynn, and Tom Garlock. Photo by Joanne Beck.
While working as manager of Stafford Country Club a year and a half ago, Lynn Garlock first heard that the Pennysaver in Le Roy was being sold, and she and husband Scott shared their interest as prospective proprietors.
Owned by David and Danette Grayson for over 40 years, the weekly publication and printing company LP Graphics appealed to the Garlock couple and their son Tommy. However, that idea didn’t go anywhere for the next several months until the topic came back around in December of 2023, Scott said.
“So we just kind of put it on the back burner, like, we'll see. And it went a solid year, because it kind of got to where we kind of forgot about it until this past December. I found out by accident that they were going to be more than likely shutting down. So I called David and said, Hey, if you want to talk, we'll talk again, this is probably around the holidays. They wanted to retire. I mean, they're at that point, after 40 years, it was time to to call it. So they were interested in moving the business and moving it along,” he said. “So after the first of the year is when we started a little bit of back and forth. This was all taking place in the end of January, beginning of February. And by mid-February, it was accepted.”
That successful negotiation for LP Graphics put the Garlocks into the fourth generation of a family printing business that began with Scott’s grandfather in 1955. While the Pennysaver shut down, the Garlocks opened LP Graphics on March 1 and wanted to retain the name based on its longtime reputation and symbolic G of graphics to also stand for Garlock.
“It’s the same, other than the Pennysaver is gone. The product is the same, we do apparel screen printing and embroidery, promotional products, traditional printing, checks, full color printing, brochures, and sales collateral,” Scott said. “There are only a few things we won’t do, like wraps for cars.”
Tommy is the fourth generation of Garlock men to be involved in this type of business. He will handle sales and customer service, and “I bring joy to the office,” he said.
He oversees a portion of the ground floor that is devoted to Emergency Pride, a realization of something he’s wanted to do for the last several years to supply job shirts and other related items, such as jackets, hoodies, duffle bags, coolers, coffee mugs, koozies, hats, you name it, for fire departments and emergency responder units in Genesee and surrounding counties.
“Ever since 2015, I wanted to start my own company; I’ve been doing it on the side,” he said.
Creating their own designs of flags and logos, plus helping departments create their own designs is near and dear to his and dad Scott’s heart — they each serve as volunteer firefighters, with Tommy at Pavilion and Scott at the town of Batavia fire departments.
The company has a staff of four, including an embroidery artist, graphic artist, screen printer/social media manager, Tommy, and Scott as president. Lynn plans to help out when she can during golf season and then move over to work full-time during winter.
The brick building at 1 Church St., Le Roy, is enormous at 16,000 square feet and four floors deep, with two floors beneath the ground floor. One floor up is used for production, and one floor below is where they burn all the screens, Tommy said.
The name S.C. Wells is on the wall, indicating it was once used to make pharmaceuticals, and Brown Manufacturing took over at some point to make rat poison before the site became known as host to the Pennysaver for the last four decades.
The family has garnered plenty of experience as entrepreneurs, dating back to the late 1980s when Scott began working for his father at a print shop on Center Street in Batavia, and eventually moving a version of the business into his home, closing in 2004.
“I still saw my customers, but as a distributor, a broker, to maintain something. I've never stopped that. That's been going ever since in some fashion, even to this day, I mean, up until we started this. And then the fire departments and emergency services started becoming more and more what we were doing. And again, right out of the house, that was starting to become more and more what we were doing,” he said. “But again, then we were just planning, working, continuing that and trying to build that business up, when all of a sudden I get this phone call or I get the message that they're selling or they're closing. So that kind of changed things just like that.”
He and Lynn launched Grugnale’s Italian Market and Deli on Jackson Street in Batavia, and closed it in 2009 in lieu of Kravings, a cafe in Valu Plaza on the west end of the city. Three years later, on Thanksgiving eve, a beleaguered Scott was manning the shop, which was bustling, he said, but “it just wasn’t going the way I wanted.”
He had no idea earlier that day the decision he would end up making, he said.
“I went to the back room and decided to close. I told the employees ‘we’re done,’” he said.
He has been working at Sherwin Williams since 2016, and is now back in the driver’s seat, which, as any business owner knows, brings its share of anxiety along with the excitement.
I’m used to this, but it’s tough; it brings me back to the restaurant days when there was a lot of money going out, and I’m sure hoping it’s gonna come back, because, again, we jumped into it quick,” he said, sharing about the transition from the Graysons. “So in addition to trying to like pause, get orders ready for customers and take care of them. One day, it was their business and they were billing, the very next day we were here. And it was kind of funny because I think someone came in, and they were kind of joking, ‘Well that's your customer now.’”
Lynn added that “They were absolutely amazing to work with, it was a nice transition” as Scott finished the thought with “It was almost like flipping a light switch.”
Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 585-768-2201.
AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 1ST CITY OF BATAVIA 4-5 bedroom Duplex apartment with 1 Bedroom, Living room, laundry room, dining room, bathroom, and small kitchen on first floor. 4 bedrooms 2nd floor. Newly painted. Some new carpet. Basement storage. 1/2 garage use for storage/ not parking. Large yard. $1,100/month includes trash pickup, Refrigerator, Gas Stove. You pay gas, electric, water. No dogs. Good references required with background check. Pathstone approved. Near ARC. Mike 585-993-4002
