When flags start to fade in color or, especially, when they become torn and tattered, they are no longer serviceable and should be replaced, said Jerry Diskin, post adjutant for the American Legion Botts-Fiorito Post #576 in Le Roy.

The proper way to retire a flag that is no longer serviceable, he said, is to burn it.

"Some people have a little concern about, 'why are you burning a flag? That's sacrilegious.' But it's the only proper way to dispose of an American flag, in a ceremonial burn.

The Legion, along with participating veterans organizations, held a ceremonial flag burning on Sunday afternoon at the Northwoods Sportsman's Club on Gulf Road in Le Roy.

Congress approved ceremonial flag burning as the proper way to dispose of old flags in 1949.

"No one wants to see a flag in a landfill or a garbage truck or anything like that," Diskin said. "Unfortunately, you do see that sometimes. We will try to advertise (the flag disposal), and we'll start gathering again right now for next year."

Diskin estimates that more than 3,000 flags, from small cemetery flags to giant flags that flew outside of corporate offices in Le Roy, were piled on the pyre at the sportsman's club.

Diskin encourages businesses and residents to regularly replace flags that have lost their glory.

"Look at the cost of a new flag -- $20, $30 for a three-by-five flag," he said. "It's not a huge investment, and you can get a very decent flag for that price."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Five bands and punk rock fans gathered at Pavilion #2 in the Genesee County Park & Forest on Sunday for the Second Annual Punk Picnic, which featured five bands from Genesee County and Buffalo.

The bands were Privatized Air, Cowboy Vampires, Election Day, Space Cowboys, and Bastard Bastard Bastard.

Previously: 2nd Annual Punk Rock Picnic offers venue for music fans to hear original local music

Southern rock band 38 Special, as they did in 2022, once again packed the house at Batavia Downs on Friday evening.

Continuing the Friday night concert series in downtown Batavia was the Free Beer band that performed for a good crowd to captivate some music lovers for family and friends in Jackson Square.

In an ongoing effort to obtain information from city residents about water pipe materials, city officials have issued an open letter asking for assistance. Below is the letter from city Water and Wastewater Superintendent Tom Phelps:

Dear Residents of Batavia, 

The City of Batavia is reaching out to request your assistance in an important initiative to ensure the safety and health of our community.

We need your help to identify and replace pipes within our water system, specifically the buried service lines that connect the water mains in the streets to your homes. Regardless of the material your pipe is made of, it is crucial for us to gather this information to protect public health.

In the coming days, you will receive a letter from the City of Batavia Water Department regarding Home Lead Line Testing. We kindly ask that you take a few moments to complete the steps outlined in the letter and report the type of pipe that brings water into your home. Your timely response will greatly assist us in expediting the inventory process of the pipes within our city’s water system.

Additionally, some residents will receive a separate letter from our partner, ElectroScan. Their field crews will need to enter select homes to conduct a survey using a hand-held scanner at the water meter. This survey is expected to take about an hour, during which your water will be temporarily shut off, and your pipes will be flushed before service is restored. Please note that this service is provided free of charge, and no digging will be required. We encourage you to schedule the survey as soon as possible upon receiving the notification.

As part of a nationwide initiative mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all water systems in the country are required to complete an inventory of drinking water pipes from the mains to residences. The goal is to identify and ultimately eliminate any water service laterals containing lead. 

For any questions or additional information, please visit our website at https://www.batavianewyork.com/department-of-public-works/pages/lead-service or contact us via email at leadservice@batavianewyork.com. 

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to keeping Batavia a safe and healthy place to live.

The Pok-A-Dot is such an iconic location local filmmaker Andy Rich decided to shoot a scene on Saturday morning for a film he and a team of other local filmmakers are putting together for a film festival.

The festival, the 48-Hour Film Project, gives filmmakers just 48 hours to write a script, film it, edit it, and submit it to the contest.

The project can't begin before the Friday night of contest weekend because the team leader must receive two genres the filmmakers must choose from, the two characters that must be included, their professions, a prop and one line of dialogue that must be in the script.

This is the sixth year Rich's team has entered the contest.  They've previously made the Top 10 and been nominated for awards.

The Buffalo-area winners will be screened at an international film festival, Filmapolooza, at a location to be announced in 2025. Selected films from that festival will be screened in a special exhibit at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

"Every year, the film gets a little better," Rich said.

Rich likes filming in Genesee County.

"The thing about Genesee County is Genesee County has that feeling of comfort," Rich said.

He was grateful to Tim and Phyllis Beers for allowing the team to film a scene at the Pok-A-Dot.

"It feels like a place that everyone has been to wherever they are in America," Rich said. "It feels like places in small towns all over America."

You can view the 2019 entry here.

Previously: Le Roy actor offers opportunity, tools of the trade in free workshop

Photos by Howard Owens

Click here for more information on this listing!

Press Release:

The Batavia Country Club (BCC) concluded its 2024 Junior Golf Camp with impressive performances from young golfers in two age groups. The camp for ages 7-10 was held from July 29 to Aug. 2, and the camp for ages 11-15 was held from August 5 to 9. 

The camps featured instruction from experts, including Tom Tucker, a W.G.T.F. “Top 100 Golf Teacher,” Roxanne Noeth, a 14-time BCC Women’s Club Champion and Byron-Bergen H.S. Men's Basketball Coach, Dominic NiCastro, a single-digit handicap player, and Jada Fite, BCC Girls Junior Golf Camp Champion for 5 out of 6 years.

Ages 7-10: July 29 - Aug. 2

The camp for ages 7-10 saw enthusiastic participation and great weather. The week was highlighted by a shortened Friday tournament due to heavy rain, but the competition remained fierce.

Tournament Champions:

• Girls Champion: Macey D’Amico
• Boys Champion: Brady Ayres

D’Amico clinched the girls' title by two strokes in the one-hole tournament. The boys' tournament concluded in dramatic fashion, with Ayres winning a four-hole sudden-death playoff against Max Flannery. Flannery’s final putt just missed, allowing Ayres to secure the win.

Girls Medalists:

• Macey D’Amico (Champion)
• Payton Ford (Accuracy Putting, Lag Putting)
• Dakota Ford (Putting Contest, Chipping)
• Evie Lankford (Pitch Shot)

Boys Medalists: 

• Brady Ayres (Champion)
• Max Flannery (Putting Accuracy, Lag Putting, Putting Contest)
• Ryan Morasco (Chipping)
• Micheal Sexton (Pitch Shot)

Additional contests, including team scrambles and “putts for bucks,” kept the campers engaged and lightened Coach Tucker's wallet. Pictures courtesy of Coach Noeth can be found at 2024 Golf Camp Photos Ages 7-10

Ages 11-15: Aug. 5 - Aug. 9

The camp for ages 11-15 featured competitive play and camaraderie. Due to inclement weather on Friday, a four-hole tournament was held on Thursday. This adjustment ensured that the tournament continued smoothly despite the forecast.

Tournament Champions:

• Girls Champion: Melina Moscicki
• Boys Champion: Trent Darling

Moscicki excelled in a limited field, while Darling won the boys' competition decisively, showcasing impressive power with a nearly 275-yard drive on the long drive hole.

Girls Medalists:

• Melina Moscicki (Champion, Putting Contest, Chipping Contest, Pitch Shot Contest, Long Drive)
• Elizabeth Lankford (Lag Putting Contest, Aimline Accuracy, Closest to the Pin on Hole 17)

Boys Medalists: 

• Trent Darling (Champion, Long Drive Hole 15, Pitch Shot Contest)
• Eli Fancher (Chipping Contest)
• Xavier Vargas (Lag Putting Contest)
• Arlo Hoisington (Aimline Accuracy Contest)
• Lucas Hoisington (Putting Contest)
• Cal Fancher (Closest to the Pin Hole 17)

The campers enjoyed daily team scrambles and various skill contests, continuing the tradition of friendly competition, and "putts for bucks". Pictures courtesy of Coach Noeth can be found at 2024 Golf Camp Photos Ages 11-15.

Both groups had great weather, made new friends, and left with improved skills and cherished memories.

For more details on upcoming events and golf instruction, visit TomTuckerGolf.com.

When you find there isn't much of a punk rock scene in your hometown, you create your own. That's the DIY ethic of the punk movement, after all.

That's the inspiration behind the second annual Punk Rock Picnic on Sunday in Genesee County Park & Forest.

"We come from Batavia, and we don't really fit in the Rochester scene or the Buffalo scene," said Ronald Ratulowski, one of the organizers of the picnic. "I'm old enough to know we're not going to create a scene in Batavia so this our scene."

There will be five bands playing on Sunday, the two Ratulowski plays in, Cowboy Vampires and Election Day, plus two bands from Buffalo, Space Cowboys and Bastard Bastard Bastard, and a fifth band, Privatized Air.

"We've played with the bands in Buffalo and liked them and wanted them to join our party," Ratulowski said.

The picnic starts at 11 a.m. in Pavilion 2, with the first band taking the stage at 1 p.m.  Each band will play an hour-long set.

Ratulowski and fellow Cowboy Vampire Chris Humel worked together to organize the event.

There aren't many venues in Batavia that book bands playing original music so this is a chance for people to come out to the park and hear local bands playing their own songs, Ratulowski said.

"They can hear music they might not otherwise hear," Ratulowski said.

Submitted photos from 2023.

Press Release:

In the second quarter of 2024, ESL awarded 150 grants for a total of $7.4 million to local organizations that provide critical services and programs to individuals and families.

“The crucial work of our community partners is producing positive and measurable results that are having a direct impact on individuals and families throughout our community,” said Maureen Wolfe, executive vice president /director, human resource and community impact, ESL Federal Credit Union. “ESL is motivated and inspired to collaborate with our partners in order to help support the growth and prosperity of the Greater Rochester region.”

ESL and its Community Impact team partners with and reinvests in the community through philanthropic grants aligned with expanding individual opportunity through quality education and employment, building strong neighborhoods that are affordable and connected, and strengthening organizations. The team also works to share stories that highlight the positive, measurable outcomes of this important, benevolent work in the community.

“Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity’s 2024 Critical Home Repair Program built a mobility ramp for one of our clients who is preparing to age in place and has just secured his first electric scooter to make getting around easier.,” said Julie Allen, marketing and communications manager, Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity. “His daughter says ‘he refuses to accept help unless he really needs it, so he rides his scooter on the sidewalk down to the market. It gives him some independence that he’s not ready to give up. It’s a sight to see, but at least we know he’s got support. This ramp will make that independence more attainable, longer’.”

A sample of the organizations that received grant commitments from ESL include:

Organization: Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity

• Project Title: 2024 Critical Home Repair Program
• Grant Awarded: $458,800.00
• Description: Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity provides programs and services to support affordable, quality housing and critical repairs needed to ensure the longevity of those homes for hundreds of families in the region. In collaboration with community partners, these programs help build homes, strengthen communities, and foster hope.

Organization: Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board Inc.

• Project Title: Finger Lakes Regional Career Connections Coordinator
• Grant Awarded: $200,000.00
• Description: Funding for this year two-year regional coordinator position will help build and maintain training for employment programs among high school students preparing to enter work-based education and training programs. These programs are designed to lead directly to employment with partnering employers.

Organization: GLOW YMCA (Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Wyoming counties)

• Project Title: Summer Funding for Youth Development    
• Grant Awarded: $136,000.00
• Description: Serving four counties, GLOW YMCA provides summer programming to approximately 1,500 youth in the four-county region to support the continuing development and education of youth. 

Press release:

“Together we can” is the theme for this year’s International Overdose Awareness Day campaign – the annual observance that includes a local event from 3 - 7 p.m. August 28 at Austin Park in Batavia.

The world’s largest annual movement to end overdose, IOAD is dedicated to remembering without stigma those who have died and acknowledging the grief of family and friends left behind.

More than 200 community events have been scheduled across the United States and around the world during the month of August to raise awareness of one of society’s worst public health crises.

Initiated in 2001 by Sally J. Finn at The Salvation Army in St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia, IOAD spreads the message about the tragedy of drug overdose death and that drug overdose is preventable.

Goals of the campaign include:

Providing an opportunity for people to publicly mourn loved ones in a safe environment, some for the first time without feeling guilt or shame.

Including the greatest number of people in IOAD events and encourage non-denominational involvement.

Providing information about the issue of fatal and non-fatal overdose.

Sending a strong message to current and former people who use drugs that they are valued.

The GOW Opioid Task Force ceremony will feature several guest speakers, including Rob Kent, president of Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC, and former general counsel for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Other speakers scheduled include Lynda Battaglia, director of Genesee County Mental Health & Community Services; Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee & Orleans Health Departments; and Chris Budzinack, Supportive Living counselor at UConnectCare.

The event will feature live music, a petting zoo, ice cream truck, bounce house and free pizza and refreshments. Representatives of nonprofit agencies have been invited to set up booths at the park.

For more information about the Austin Park observance, contact Jay Baran at jbaran@uconnectcare.org.

Press Release:

Genesee County Spartans Head Coach Harry Rascoe is looking at two “keys” to knocking off the undefeated Lockport Wildcats this weekend and advancing to the championship game of the Northeastern Football Alliance semipro league.

“Not turning over the ball and pressuring their quarterback,” Rascoe replied when asked what the Spartans need to do to defeat the Wildcats in the Western Conference semifinal scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Lockport’s Outwater Memorial Park, 125 Outwater Drive.

The Spartans take a 6-2 record into the game, with both losses coming at the hands of Lockport, 8-0 in league play.

Genesee County lost to the Wildcats, 16-6, in their opening game (although the score was 8-6 with less than two minutes to play), and then fell, 36-14, to Lockport on July 13 in a game marred by six Spartans’ turnovers.

Rascoe, speaking during a practice session on Wednesday at Farrall Park in Batavia, said it’s imperative that the offense hold onto the ball.

“We’re going to have to sustain drives on offense – the defense can’t be on the field the whole time -- and we’ve got to contain (Lockport quarterback) Willie (Fair III).”

Fair, while completing less than half of his pass attempts, has thrown for about 850 yards and 11 touchdowns this season – with several of those TDs coming on long passes after broken plays.

“He’s got a great arm,” Rascoe said. “He can throw pretty much the length of the field so it’s hard to cover receivers on those broken plays. That’s why we have to win the battle in the trenches and get to him.”

Rascoe said he expects defensive back Jzhon Henderson to play on both sides of the ball – splitting the ball carrying duties with standout halfback Jed Reese (363 yards rushing in five games as three of the Spartans’ victories were by forfeit).

“This is the playoffs; there’s no more offense and defense. We’re going to put our best 11 guys on the field to compete with them. We know they (the Wildcats) are already overlooking us, so we’ll play the underdog.”

Quarterback Corey Turpin, who has thrown for 680 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions, said he has to be efficient for the Spartans to win.

“We can’t give them extra opportunities,” he said. “It’s up to me to not turn the ball over, to execute and go in there with confidence. I feel that this is the game where we put everything together.”

Defensive Coordinator Craig Tiberio said the Spartans match up well against Lockport in terms of talent, so it will come down to discipline.

“More than anything, it’s the attention to detail and everyone doing their job,” Tiberio said. “If we can clean up the missed tackles and the few potential interceptions that we dropped, we’ll be right there.”

Tiberio said the Spartans’ front four of Gunner Rapone, who has 6 ½ sacks thus far; Jalen White, Ryley Elliott and Steve Kowalczyk “is the best in the league.” He also praised linebacker Kaden Marucci, who leads the league in tackles and has two interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

“Marucci has had a super year and has been nominated for Defensive Player of the Year,” he said, noting that Rapone earned that honor in 2023.

Linebacker Marley English leads the team with three interceptions.

Genesee County Spartans' projected starting lineup for this Saturday’s game:

Offense

Quarterback: Corey Turpin; Running backs: Jed Reese, Jzon Henderson; Tight end: Rob Thurston Jr.; Wide receivers: Deyonci Farley, Rayshawn Huitt; Center: Tim King; Guards: Austyn Fernandez, Anthony Natrigo; Tackles, Baylee Vercruysse, Jordan Chambers. Kicker: Julia Petry.

Defense

Front four: Gunner Rapone, Jalen White, Ryley Elliott, Steve Kowalczyk; Linebackers: Nick Santos, Kaden Marucci, Marley English; Secondary: Max Rapone, Dontre Woods, Jzon Henderson, Cody Wenner or Amir Cleveland. Punter: Deyonci Farley.

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) sent a letter to Federal Election Commission Chairman Sean Cooksey and Vice Chair Ellen Weintraub demanding an investigation into the abnormal transaction activity related to donations to ActBlue, a fundraising platform used to support left-leaning and Democratic nonprofits and politicians.

This letter addresses reports of unusual transactions involving large sums of money through ActBlue. According to FEC data, many individuals have allegedly made numerous donations through the platform each year, often without realizing their names and addresses were being used for these donations.

"As the co-chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, I am deeply concerned about reports of fraudulent donations through ActBlue undermining the integrity of our elections," said Congresswoman Tenney. "ActBlue's decision not to require CVV numbers for donations raises serious concerns about the potential of fraudulent activity and foreign interference in our electoral system. This is on top of the extremely troubling reports of unauthorized use of individuals' names and addresses to create fraudulent accounts and make substantial donations without their knowledge. It is imperative that the FEC thoroughly investigates these claims and reviews ActBlue's security measures to ensure compliance with the law."

In the letter, Congresswoman Tenney demanded answers to the following questions:

1. Has the FEC already examined anomalous transaction activity or ActBlue's lax verification processes? If so, please provide a detailed summary of the results of that investigation.
2. If not, will the FEC commit to investigating potential fraudulent donations to ActBlue, as well as the organization's lack of verification guardrails?
3. Is ActBlue in compliance with federal rules as it relates to accepting online donations? 
4. Will the FEC consider the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration's August 5 request for emergency rulemaking to require political campaigns to verify the CVV of donors who contribute online?

Read the full text of the letter here.

Press Release:

Depending on the weather, aerial and hand distribution of oral rabies vaccine baits will take place in Western New York from August 12- August 17. Areas of New York State are once again taking part in a nationally coordinated effort to halt the spread of raccoon rabies in 16 states.  

Ongoing field evaluation of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) called ONRAB will occur in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Clinton, Erie, Essex, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and
Wyoming counties. 

These sites were selected in part because of ongoing collaborations with Quebec and Ontario, Canada in the fight against rabies to protect human and animal health and reduce significant cost associated with living with rabies across broad geographic areas.

“Rabies is a serious public health concern because if left untreated it is generally fatal. Costs associated with detection, prevention and control of rabies conservatively exceed 500 million annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, greater than 90 percent of reported rabies cases in the United States are in wildlife,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).  

The efforts are focused on controlling raccoon rabies, which ontinues to account for most of the reported wildlife rabies cases in the United States. 

Raccoon rabies occurs in all states east of the established ORV zone that extends from Maine to northeastern Ohio to central Alabama.  Continued access to oral vaccine and bait options that are effective in all target wildlife species remains critical to long-term success.

The ONRAB bait consists of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blister pack, containing the vaccine.

• To make the baits attractive, the blister packs are coated with a sweet attractant that includes vegetable-based fats, wax, icing sugar, vegetable oil, artificial marshmallow flavor, and dark-green food-grade dye.  
• While humans and pets cannot contract rabies from the bait, those who come across the bait directly should leave it undisturbed. Most bait packets are consumed within four days, and nearly all of the bait will be gone within a week.
• Please do not attempt to remove a bait from your dog’s mouth. The bait will not harm the dog and could lead to vaccine exposure.
• Should contact with baits occur, immediately rinse the contact area with warm water and soap and contact your local health department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 for Genesee County or 585-589-3278 for Orleans County.  

If you have additional questions related to the field evaluation in New York, please contact the Wildlife Services office in Rensselaer, NY at (518) 477- 4837.

Click here to view 46 Swan Street, Batavia
Click here to view 5158 East Main Street, Batavia

Press Release:

Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. announces the graduation of Correction Officers Kelsey Kasmarek, Trent Ryan, and Tyler Brown from the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy’s 28th Basic Course for Correction Officers.

These Correction Officers recently graduated in a class of 10. At the top of the class was C.O. Kasmarek who received the Academic Excellence Award and C.O. Ryan received the Defensive Tactics Award.

The 247-hour course included training in effective communications, essential services, use of force, NYS Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Inmate Transportation, Firearms, Pepper Spray, Taser and Defensive Tactics, and other topics pertaining to corrections.

“Congratulations to all three of these Correction Officers. We look forward to their future in Corrections at the Genesee County Jail,” stated Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its latest exhibit, “Don Carmichael: Ink in History.” The exhibit will open on Tuesday, August 13 and will be on display through December. “Don Carmichael: Inked in History” features over 50 pieces of artwork from Don Carmichael in various mediums from throughout his life. The works come from the museum’s collections alongside others loaned from Carmichael’s friends and family. 

The exhibit can be seen during the museum’s normal operating hours of Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Don Carmichael (1926-2005) was one of the most iconic artists from Genesee County in the 20th century and continues to grace the walls of homes and businesses across the County. Locally known for his famous pen-and-ink sketches, called “Memories of Historic Batavia.” 

Don Carmichael captured the historic essence Batavia and Genesee County offered, and many have loved them ever since and have proudly displayed them in their homes and offices. Luckily, Carmichael sketched dozens of the landmark structures before Urban Renewal tore them down in the 1970s, or he captured the structures through old photographs. Carmichael stated, “I’m fond of Batavia and Batavia history, it’s rapidly disappearing, so I decided to record it for posterity.” Before his iconic pen-and-ink drawings, Carmichael played a major role in the community by being the Director of advertising at The Daily News, Where he worked for over 30 years.

Press Release:

At the final concert of the Batavia Concert Band's Centennial Season, which concluded on August 7, the Band awarded two scholarships to band members and future music educators. 

Congratulations to John Antsey and Abigail Hoerbelt.

The Batavia Concert Band look forward to our next season, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.  We will see you in Centennial Park!

Press Release:

The Batavia Blue Devil Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is proud to announce the recently selected 20th Hall of Fame class. The 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees will be introduced at halftime of the Batavia vs Vertus Charter homecoming football game on Friday, October 18. Game time is at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, October 19, the committee will host the Hall of Fame Dinner at the Batavia Downs Banquet Facility. A social hour will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner served at 6 p.m. and the ceremony immediately following dinner.

The 2024 Inductees:

• Peter Arras - 1957 - Football, Basketball, Baseball (Contributor) 
• Tony Kasmarek - 1960 - Football, Wrestling, Baseball 
• George Galliford - 1961 
  • Athlete: Cross Country, Wrestling, Track & Field
  • Coach: Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field, Alpine Ski, Track & Field
• Trisha Lewandowski - 1996 - Alpine Ski
• Robert Darch - 2003 - Football, Wrestling, Baseball 
• Melissa Thurston - 2006 - Soccer, Basketball, Track & Field
• Jennifer Adams - 2008 - Soccer, Indoor Track & Field, Track & Field
• Ryan Darch - 2010 - Wrestling
• Batavia Ice Devils 2002-2003

If community members would like to attend the event, they can purchase Hall of Fame tickets in the Athletic Office at Batavia High School or send a check payable to The Batavia Coaches Association at the address above.

The cost of the Hall of Fame tickets is $40 per adult and $20 for children under 10.

Tickets must be purchased by Friday, October 11. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Athletic Director’s office, at 585-343-2480 ext. 2003.