Yesterday I set out to take a look at the new bridge over the railroad tracks off of East Main Street Road on the eastern end of the Ellicott Street Trail, which is expected to open late in the fall.

It was a pretty scenic spot so I ended up walking the length of the trail from the bridge to West Main Street Road, where a crossing is being installed. Then I went over to DeWitt Recreation Area to see where a bridge is being installed at the back of the park.  

Article and photos by Larry Barnes, historian, City of Batavia

Our community was founded in 1801 by Joseph Ellicott, chief surveyor and resident land agent for the Holland Land Company. The collection of buildings that grew into the City of Batavia stood on land owned by the Holland Land Company. In fact, beginning in 1797, these Dutch investors were the owners of most of Western New York after purchasing well over three million acres from Robert Morris. (Note that the purchase involved granting $100,000 to the Seneca Indians and the establishment of several Indian reservations.)

The homeland of the Dutch investors was the country that today we call “the Netherlands,” but back then was known as the “Republic of Batavia.” (Here's a Wikipedia link about it.) Our community’s name was chosen as a way of recognizing and honoring the investors’ homeland. Since then, at least eight other American communities have come into existence with the name, “Batavia.” They are located in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas, Montana, and California. However, none of these other places had anything to do with the Holland Land Company.

As City Historian for our Batavia, I have been visiting the other Batavias to learn their history, to visit with their residents, to discover the origin of their names, and to take photographs. My first such trip was to Batavia, Ill., in the spring of 2011. Two weeks ago, I visited Batavia, Mont., the final community on my “bucket list.”

The Batavias range from an incorporated community with 27,000 people in Illinois to unincorporated communities with only a “handful” of people. Batavia, Mont., located in Flathead County, is among the latter. In the 2010 Federal Census, the population was reported to be only 385 individuals.

In every other instance, I have been able to learn about the Batavias in question by visiting local libraries and/or museums and historical societies. To my surprise, such sources were of no use with this final Batavia. When I visited the county library in Kalispell, the county seat and a short five miles away from Batavia, Mont., the librarian in charge of the local history collection claimed not to have heard of the community.

And, when I visited the local history museum, also in Kalispell, the staff was aware of Batavia but had no pictures or other material connected to it. Consequently, I have had to rely on what I could discover primarily through Google and census data from 2010.

According to the federal census, Batavia, Mont., covers an area of 1.79 square miles. Highway 2, the principal highway spanning northern Montana runs through the center of the community. A paved cycling and walking trail built on an abandoned railroad right of way parallels the highway. Also parallel to Highway 2 is Ashley Creek.

Both housing and commercial operations are distributed across the area in a manner that leads to an absence of any concentration.

Strangely, there is also no signage indicating when one has entered Batavia. Together, these two things create a situation where there is an absence of a clearly defined community; and that may account for why the librarian with whom I spoke claimed not to know about its existence. I was able to tell where the community’s boundaries are located only by referring to a census map.

In Batavia, Mont., there is a handful of commercial enterprises that include a single gas station combined with a convenience store. The most prominent business sells tractors and other agricultural and/or construction implements. Most of these businesses are located on Highway 2. An exception is an enterprise named “Batavia Self Storage & Truck Rental” located on a side road named “Batavia Lane.”

Most of the houses are located on the several side roads that intersect with Highway 2. By our standards, the housing is expensive with the average value well in excess of $200,000. And, in contrast with our Batavia, the great majority is owner-occupied. One home that was under construction, and I found rather fascinating, resembled a castle.

There is also one school in Batavia, Mont. It serves K-8. An “old-timer” told me that it once bore the Batavia name, but it is now named “Smith Valley School.” It stands at the intersection of Highway 2 and Batavia Lane.

The most interesting feature of the community is the Batavia Waterfowl Production Area, which exists under the auspices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. Ashley Creek flows through it. Created in 1975, it consists of 340 acres of upland and 170 acres of wetlands and marsh. There are several artificial impoundments with nesting islands and man-made dikes. It is said to be an especially good habitat for Canada Geese.

Finally, there are a few things of particular note that I learned about the residents of Batavia, Mont. They are 96-percent white. Somewhat over half are male and the median age is around 35. Among those age 25 or older, about 12 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

As with residents of our area, they appear to be comparatively conservative in their political views. Residents of Flathead County have consistently voted Republican in presidential elections. In 2016, nearly two-thirds of county residents voted for Trump; and there is no reason to think the Batavians would have been any different.

Almost 70 percent of the county residents in 2010 reported no religious affiliation and I suspect, again, that the Batavians would not have differed significantly from the county residents over all.

In closing, I wish I could, with certainty, explain how Batavia, Mont.,came to have its name. Of the nine Batavias in the United States, only this one on Montana and the one in California are a total mystery. My best guess is that, as was the case with several other Batavias, someone from our part of the world was an early settler.

Press release:

A water main break on Pearl Street at approximately 5 a.m. has resulted in water service interruption in an area between 40 Pearl St. and the City Line.

Crews are preparing to make repairs and replace the pipe. Water service will be restored as soon as is possible.

Byron resident James Thorman has seen the adverse effects of mental health issues, having lost two of his children to suicide in 2011.

“I am a surviving parent of teenager suicide; in our case, the suicide death of our 14-year-old daughter led to the suicide death of our 23-year-old daughter,” Thorman told Batavia City Council members Monday night during the public comments portion of the board’s meeting at City Hall.

The tragic events took place within six weeks of each other, Thorman told this reporter. His daughter, Caroline, 14, died on May 3, and his daughter, Amber, 23, succumbed on June 14.

He has a son, Adam, who is Amber’s twin.

Now, Thorman, via what he calls a Planning Committee of Parents and Teenager teams, is reaching out to the public and business sector to “discuss strategies for a set of projects, including enrichment and suicide prevention.”

Thorman informed Council members that he wishes to advance this committee into school districts and mental health systems in an effort to bring to light the ever-increasing grip of mental health disorders.

“Our goal is to have this committee represent parents and teenagers (to) organize projects they would like to see given community support,” he said. “There are good strategies which will end with being a help to other families and provide added resources for the mental health and well-being of persons in treatment plans.”

Thorman’s hope is that the community – not only, Batavia, but Genesee County as well -- will partner with his committee through governmental, civic and business support.

“I am looking for small business owners to display this sign (about the committee meeting times) for two weeks, then change the location to a different small business,” he said. “I have tried to get help from the franchises and corporations, with no one willing or able to do this.”

He said the planning committee is scheduled to meet every third Thursday at 6 p.m. at Richmond Memorial Library, adding that all – including those who have no family mental health history – are welcome to attend.

Thorman also has drafted a letter to the Genesee County Legislature that also includes reaching out to veterans with mental health needs.

“The delivery system that should work well with teenagers but (also with veterans) in the same way because there are the same relationships within the family,” he said. “It conveys the motive or intent of saying ‘you mean a lot to us’ to the person suffering with mental health issues."

Thorman also noted that any projects put forth by the planning committee could be used by mental health agencies in their programming.

“Hopefully, this will provide future value to social workers,” he said. "It's along the lines of mining the data."

His comments at Monday’s meeting were well-received by City Council.

“Please bring your projects in front of Council, case by case, and we will do what we can to help you,” said Council President Eugene Jankowski.

Photo: A sign that currently is being displayed at The Spa at Artemis on Main Street, Batavia. It will be moved to another business in two weeks.

[myteam@kidsnet.us planning committee -- 4 teenaged issues solutions]

The Batavia City Council tonight, with new Councilman At-Large Jeremy Karas on board, voted to accept a $46,000 bid from Catenary Construction Corp. of Rochester to repair the deteriorating pillars at the south end of Redfield Parkway.

The vote was 8-1 in favor, with Rose Mary Christian casting the negative vote.

The accepted bid from Catenary is $24,000 less than what Council set aside to rehabilitate the city-owned structure.

Matt Worth, Department of Public Works director, reported that Catenary will remove about 30 percent of the existing stone and all of the border work.

A memo to Worth from Kurt Schnarr of In.Site: Architecture of Perry indicates that a third of the existing stone is damaged and will be removed and replaced with new stone to match. The existing exposed electrical conduit will be removed and rerouted to be concealed within the pillar cavity, and the existing light fixtures will be removed, salvaged and reinstalled.

Schnarr recommended Catenary, as did Councilman Robert Bialkowski, who said the Catenary is a “highly respected masonry company … and I feel they’ll do a good job.”

Christian said it was “wrong taking taxpayers’ money for this” and suggested that Redfield Parkway residents should pay for it, noting that they receive free tickets from Batavia Downs.

Council President objected, questioning that “because they get income from some private entity” they should have to pay?

“It is city property … we own it and are responsible for it,” he said.

Before official business commenced, Karas, a resident of Union Street, was sworn in to replace fellow Republican Adam Tabelski, who recently stepped down after his wife, Rachael, was hired as the assistant city manager.

Following the meeting, Karas, service manager for Temp-Press Inc. of Rochester, said he moved to Batavia about 15 years ago. Prior to that, as an Elba resident, he said he was involved in local government committees and the volunteer fire department and hoped that eventually he could become a public servant.

Karas, 40, said he is “very excited to see a lot of the downtown revitalization initiatives that have been coming into light recently … as a fairly young member of the community with young children as well, I plan on being here a long time and I look forward to helping them out, trying to shape the future of Batavia and make this a great place for many other families to live for years to come.”

Karas and his wife, Andrea, a kindergarten teacher at Oakfield-Alabama Central School, have two boys, both of them pupils at St. Joseph’s School in Batavia.

In other action, Council:

-- Voted unanimously to approve a pair of $20,000 grant request from the City’s Revolving Loan Fund to assist projects of Guy Clark, owner of Cedar Street Sales & Rentals, and Stephen Valle and Carrie and John Lawrence, owners of a hair salon/apartment building at 242 Ellicott St. (at the corner of Liberty Street).

Clark is expanding his business with a building across the street from his existing business and the grant money would be used to add an attractive and functional front porch façade to the new bulding, while Valle/Lawrence is renovating their 3,400-square-foot building, with the City grant to be used to complete the entire façade and renovate one of the two upstairs apartments.

-- Voted 9-0 to waive the residency requirement for City Firefighter Ferdinando Papalia, citing circumstances that would create an undue hardship for the employee.

Photos at top -- The Batavia 9-10-year-old Little League team was honored with a proclamation for winning the district and sectional titles and advancing to the state tournament. In back row are coaches Paul Viele, Mark Fitzpatrick and Scott Nemer; front from left, Chase Antinore, Champ Buchholz, Dominic Viele, Parker Lazarony, Casey Mazur, Ty Gioia, Grady Hemer, Julius Santiago, Connor Malone, Evan Fitzpatrick and Finn Davies. Unable to attend were players Will Stevens and Jonah Motyka, Head Coach Sam Antinore and Assistant Coach Ben Buchholz. In second photo, Charles "Chuck" Neilans is honored upon his retirement after 30 years of service as the chief operator of water for the city. Council member Kathleen Briggs reads the proclamation. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

The Batavia City Council tonight is expected to appoint Jeremy Karas, a longtime active member of the City Republican Committee, to the Councilperson-at-Large seat recently vacated by Adam Tabelski.

Karas, service manager for Temp-Press Inc. of Rochester and a former field service technician for Graham Manufacturing, was selected by the committee last month.

The seat became available when Tabelski resigned due to the hiring of his wife, Rachael, as the city’s assistant manager.

“Jeremy has been a member of the Republican Party and City (Republican) Committee for quite a while and has been very active,” said City Council President Eugene Jankowski, who served on the selection committee. “He’s just a hard-working guy.”

City Republican Committee Chair David Saleh concurred.

"I've worked with Jeremy over the last several years and was really excited when he said he was interested in the seat," Saleh said. "He is a very thoughtful person -- with a very good mind -- and he will make a great addition to City Council."

Upon his appointment, Karas would be eligible to serve on the board until the November 2020 election. With a victory next year, he then would have to run again in November 2021 as all three City Council at-large seats will be up for election.

Tonight’s City Council Business meeting is scheduled for 7 o’clock at the City Centre Council Board Room.

Rachel M. Grace, 30, of 638 N. Buckeye St., Wooster, Ohio, and Jeremy R. Triesler, 39, of 9318 Lincoln Way East, Orrville, Ohio, were arrested at Darien Lake Theme Park on Alleghany Road in the Town of Darien on Sept. 7. At 7:20 p.m. deputies responded to a criminal mischief complaint. It is alleged that Grace became angry and threw a bucket of water at a food service employee, causing $594.15 in damages. Triesler allegedly became belligerent and used obscene language, which caused a disturbance at the theme park; then he allegedly shoved a security officer when they attempted to intervene. Grace is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Triesler is charged with second-degree harassment and disorderly conduct. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Brock Cummins, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

James Darrell Hooten Sr., 30, of Sunset Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration, second-degree harassment and disorderly conduct. At 5:35 p.m. on Sept. 7, while attempting to arrest another subject on a warrant on Sunset Parkway in Oakfield, Hooten Sr. was arrested. He allegedly attempted to prevent the arrest of another person. He is also accused of threatening Genesee County Sheriff's deputies and Probation officers and using obscene language in public. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Oakfield Town Court on Oct. 7. The case was handled by Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Nancy M. Storms, 46, of Perry Road, Pavilion, is charged with second-degree harassment -- physical contact. At 7:45 p.m. on Sept. 2, Storms was arrested on North Street in Batavia for allegedly pushing another person during an altercation. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jordan McGinnis, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Lakeisha A. Gibson, 33, of Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. On Sept. 3 at 6:42 p.m. Batavia police responded to Lewis Place for a complaint of criminal mischief. Gibson was arrested for allegedly damaging a vehicle window. She was issued an appearance ticket for Sept. 17 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Brian E. Freeman, 46, of Genesee Park, Monroe, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; aggravated DWI -- a BAC of .18 or more; and speeding. Freeman was arrested at 12:37 a.m. on Aug. 31 on Oak Street in Batavia following a traffic stop. He was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 11. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Joshua M. Gaudioso, 30, of Albion Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. At 6:42 on Aug. 15, Gaudioso was arrested following a larceny complaint in the Village of Oakfield. He allegedly stole a NYS license plate that did not belong to him. Following his arrest, he was taken to jail then released on an appearance ticket. He is due in Corfu Village Court on Oct. 7. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Ebony S. Sanders, 41, of Lake Avenue, Rochester, is charged with possession of marijuana in the second degree and speeding. On Sept. 3 at 10:30 a.m., Sanders was stopped on Interstate 490 in the Town of Le Roy following the alleged observation of a vehicle/traffic violation. Upon conducting a roadside interview with Sanders, the odor of burnt marijuana was allegedly detected. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Le Roy Town Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong, assisted by Deputy Chad Minuto.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.56, down a penny from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.85. The New York State average is $2.74 – down 3 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.71 (down 5 cents since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.71 (down 3 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.64 (down 4 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.71 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Rome -- $2.74 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.60 (down 3 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.70 (down 2 cents since last week)

With the fall driving season on the horizon, lower demand -- even amid reduced stock levels – will likely help to push pump prices lower. Winter blend fuel is also cheaper to produce.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, oil prices settled at $56.52 – up slightly. Oil prices started the day lower due to continued market concerns over the U.S.-China trade war. If tensions between the countries escalate and result in more tariffs, market observers are concerned that oil demand from the two largest oil-consuming countries will decline.

Earlier this week, domestic crude prices rose after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that total domestic crude inventories fell by 4.8 million barrels last week. At 423 million barrels, stocks are approximately 21.5 million barrels higher than were they were at the end of August 2018. The higher inventory level has contributed to cheaper crude prices, helping to keep gas prices less expensive than last summer.

If crude inventories remain high, especially as gasoline demand drops with the fall driving season, pump prices could be as cheap as $2.40 this fall.

Press release:

The days might be turning cooler and children are headed back to school, but The Salvation Army is holding on to the last days of warmth by hosting our Chicken BBQ and Harvest Festival Auction on Saturday.

The Sept. 14th event will take place at The Salvation Army’s facility at 529 E. Main St. in Batavia.

“We have had such a wonderful outpouring of support from the community each year and we are thrilled to see the same positive success again this year,” said Capt. Rachel Moore who, along with her husband, Lt. Bradley Moore, are the local leaders of The Salvation Army of Batavia and Greater Genesee County.

“When we host fundraisers we are generating support for our outreach and programs for children, adults and senior citizens in our area, and we can’t accomplish any of that without help from the community.”

Capt. Moore said that they have already received several donations from local businesses of all kinds including spas, auto shops, restaurants, and car dealerships to be auctioned off during a live auction.

“We also have received a number of gift certificates, appliances and furniture items from local business,” she said. “The items will be a great fit if you're looking for a gift for anyone of any age.”

The Chicken BBQ will be available for $10 between 12 and 4 p.m. with the Silent Auction beginning at 5 p.m. and Live Auction beginning at 6 o'clock.

All ages are welcome for a family friendly event and credit, cash or check payment will be accepted for items bid on during the auction.

Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance at our office or at the door.

 “We are so grateful for the support we have already received from the community,” Capt. Moore said. “Participation in the auction will be a wonderful opportunity to support the work of The Salvation Army and help us continue to do the most good throughout Genesee County.”

Capt. Moore and Lt. Moore are excitedly hoping for a wonderful turn out of visitors to the auction and sponsorships range from $25 to $100. To sponsor or donate items for the auction, or for general questions regarding the event, call (585)343-6284 or email rachel.moore@use.salvationarmy.org.

Press release:

PathStone is now accepting applications for the Genesee County Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Applications are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at 30 Jefferson Square (Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union building) in Batavia. Please use the side entrance that faces toward the mall.

All applicants will need to have complete names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for everyone that would be in the household if assistance is approved. In addition, one of the following proofs of residency is required and must show the name and current address of the applicant:

• Current Lease (DSS landlord statements are not acceptable)
• Most recent fuel and/or electric bills
• Federal or New York State award letter (Social Security, SSD, SSI, DSS, SNAP)
• Most recent bank statements
• 2018 Federal and State tax returns

For further information, please call (585) 343-3861, ext. 115, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Submitted photos and press release:

LE ROY --Two open houses will introduce a new business at 43 Main St., Le Roy, on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13-14.

The Photography Co-Op will offer a gallery, a camera room and meeting space for events and classes.

The open houses are on Friday, Sept. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All are welcome.

This is the third business venture for Jim DeLooze on Main Street in Le Roy. After working at Kodak in the research labs for 16 years, he took an early buyout and opened a photography studio specializing in weddings and portraits. After retiring, he ran “58 on Main,” which was a gallery and coffee shop.

The Photography Co-Op offers photographers a space to show their work and to use a camera room at affordable prices; the gallery is commission-free.

Participants can rent gallery space and the camera room/studio for a month at a time or on a yearly basis and have the option to use the meeting area for show openings, classes or other events.

Upcoming events include “Travelog: Alaska” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, featuring the photography of Linda Keister. On Friday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., Jim Dusen will present a 3-D Photography Show.

Both of these are free and open to the public. Please e-mail Delouse at jim@delooze.com to reserve a space for Oct. 18.

Photography classes are being planned and will include a basic photo class on the Exposure Triangle and a Drop-In Shoot for tabletop photography where photographers can work along with Jim on getting the best still-life photographs. Future classes will include crafting with photos.

More information is available at delooze.com and by e-mailing Jim at jim@delooze.com. Information on classes and events is also on the Facebook group “Photography Enthusiasts of Western NY.”

Press release:

The Batavia High School Class of 1989 will celebrate its 30th class reunion at Center Street Smokehouse, located at 20 Center St. in Batavia, on Saturday, Oct. 12.

The event starts at 7 p.m.

Ticket prices are $15 per person, which includes appetizers and money to use toward purchasing a brick that will be placed at the new Daniel A. VanDetta Stadium at Woodward Field in our class name.

If you are interested in attending, you may purchase a ticket by Venmo @Melissa-Kasmarek or paying at the door.

There will be a cash bar.

Please feel free to bring any old high school memorabilia to include on our memorabilia tables.

For more information go to the Class of '89 Facebook page here.

An adult male bicyclist is being transported by Mercy medics to UMMC for evaluation of possible minor injuries after he collided with a car in front of Tops Market on West Main Street a short time ago.

City police, fire and medics responded.

A first responder said it appears the bicyclist T-boned the driver's side of a vehicle, knocking off the side mirror.

Check out the great big football tailgate party Sunday, Sept. 22, hosted by the American Warrior Festival and The Original Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford.

Wear your favorite team's apparel and join the all-American fun in the restaurant's parking lot, 6492 E. Main St. (Route 5), Stafford.

Event starts at noon and goes until it stops! Rain or shine!

Here's what will be offered:

• All you-can-eat smoked buffet for $25, featuring smoked chicken wings, smoked BBQ ribs, smoked pulled pork, plus prime rib chili, cajun corn, salt potatoes and mac salad;
• Live football games on up to three large-screen TVs;
• Live acoustic music by local musicians;
• VA Vet Center services (veteran benefits);
• Smoke and donate cigars to Cigars for Warriors;
• Beer tasting with Dublin Corners Farm Brewery;
• Bourbon tasting;
• Wine tasting;
• Two 42-inch television raffles, with half the proceeds going to WNYHeroes.org and Mission 22 in association with The Firing Pin LLC in Bergen;
• Beer Garden;
• Classic Raiders vs. Bills games playing all day;
• Raiders and Bills merchandise.

With QB 1 Colin McCulley out of action for six weeks after suffering a broken collar bone in a preseason scrimmage, Notre Dame called on Gabe Macdonald on short notice to take over the reins of the team's offense and Macdonald delivered in a 35-16 win at home Saturday over York/Pavilion.

Macdonald, taking snaps for the first time in a regular-season game, was 6 for 7 passing for 153 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 37 yards on eight carries and scored a two-point conversion.

Jed Reese and Mark Sanders also helped pick up the offense. Reese rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns on 22 attempts. Sanders caught two passes for 127 yards and two TDs and rushed three times for 39 yards and a TD. He also had an interception on defense and eight tackles.

Macdonald had nine tackles and two interceptions on defense.

The Fighting Irish surged to an early 19-0 lead but in the middle of the third quarter, York/Pavilion made some adjustments stopped ND's momentum, making the score a more competitive 19-16 at the half.

Reese also sat out several minutes of game time during this stretch with an injury.

"We came out so high and we have high expectations and they were doing a great job early on," Head Coach Joe Zambito said. "Then Judd got a little nicked up and it hurt us a little bit there for awhile but he came back, and he's a tough kid, and he came back into the game.

"York did a good job. I told their coach they could have quit and hats off to him because they did an awesome job and we just came out and our kids played a good football game in the second half."

The Notre Dame game was the only local game on Saturday.

On Friday:

Alexander beat Lyons 48-14. Hayden Walton had 11 carries for 86 yards and two TDs. Jay Morrison, six carries, 72 yards and a TD. Ty Woods, seven carries, 54 yards, and two TDs plus 25 yards receiving. Dylan Busch 4-for-4 and 127 yards passing, with two TDs. Devin Dean had 10 tackles and two sacks. Nick Kramer, eight tackles, one fumble recovery. Eric Cline 6-for-7 on PATs.

Batavia 42, Wayne 12 (click here for game coverage)

Le Roy 46, Wellsville 14: Andrew Englerth carried the ball for 88 yards on nine rushes and scored at TD. Nate Andrews, seven times on the ground for 75 yards and a TD. Kyler LaCarte, nine carries, 55 yards, and a TD. Alex Panepento, three carries, 34 yards, and a TD. Jake Hill was 5-6 passings for 82 yards and two TDs. Cody Lytle had two receptions for 14 yards and two TDs. Tom Saunders had 10 tackles.

St. Mary's School first grade 1952. Dave Reilly was sick that day and is not included in the photo. His infamous pal Charlie is fourth from the left in Row 2.

I'm sure there has been plenty of research done about memory. Why do some people have better memories than others? How do our memories change as we age? Why do some people have vivid memories of their childhood while others' recollections are scant at best?

Of my elementary school experience at St. Mary's School in Batavia, grades 1-8 from 1952 to 1960, I only seem to recall funny or unusual happenings. What we were taught, projects we did, and most day-to-day classroom experiences elude me.

It's the silly or odd stuff that somehow has remained in my brain all these years. I guess that might be some kind of clue about my personality, but that would be for the experts to figure out.

St. Mary's was still being constructed when I started there, so for first and second grade we were housed in the lower floor of Notre Dame High School next door, which itself had just been built.

I started first grade at the age of 5 and didn't turn 6 until January. My teacher was a nun, a Sister of the Holy Cross, and that was the case seven of my eight years at St. Mary's. I do not remember her name or that of my second-, fourth- or sixth-grade teachers either.

I missed the first week of first grade due to illness. Not only did I not get to know the teacher and kids, I apparently also was left out of a group class photo taken on the steps of the school. We didn't have on uniforms, but we subsequently had to wear them.

A Howdy Doody Lunchbox and Terrifying Teens

For some reason on my first day of first grade (Maybe my mom brought me for my grand entrance later in the morning?), the nun sent me to the lunchroom all by myself.

So, there I was -- probably in a striped shirt with a clip-on bow tie and dark blue corduroy pants carrying my Howdy Doody lunchbox -- surrounded by high school kids. I do recall being intimidated by those huge, adult-like creatures and staring at them with a wide-eyed kind of terror.

I still can't believe the sister sent me alone. Knowing how shy I was I bet my mom had to work some magic to get me back there the next day.

Second grade (inset photo, left) is also a blur except for the time I got sick. I must have had a fever and recall shaking with the chills. Nonetheless, I was too afraid to tell the sister. When it came time to go to lunch, the nun lined us up and off we went down the hall.

I must have sneaked to the end of the line and as the class went one way, I went the other. Out the door I flew and on down the street.

It was probably about a mile from the school on Union Street to our house on Thomas Avenue, but despite being ill I made it. Imagine my mom's surprise (good thing she was home) when I walked in the door. “What in the world...?”, she probably said.

It's fortunate that she wasn't prone to any profanity until her elder years. After I was put to bed she must have called the school and reported my escape. I should have saved that skill for high school when I could have used it more beneficially.

The Lifelong Influence of Miss Marguerite Horgan

For Grade 3 we got to move into our now completed school. This was my only year with a secular teacher and it was my best and favorite one. Our teacher was the kind and gentle Miss Marguerite Horgan. Every day she would read to us and I enjoyed that. I like to think that she was a big influence on my lifelong love of reading.

When I became a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher myself for 33 years I made sure that every day after lunch I would try to choose some good example of children's literature and read an excerpt to my class.

The beginning of fourth grade is kind of foggy, but I think the nun who was supposed to be our teacher became incapacitated and as a result the fourth and fifth grades had to be combined.

Anyone who attended Catholic School in the '50s and '60s remembers that we always had classes numbering more than 40 students. I wish I had a class photo from that year because we must have been bursting at the seams with two classes joined together.

At lunchtime we were allowed to go outside to get some fresh air and play.

Fighting Dirty

That year some kind of construction was still going on and there was a big hill of dirt on the Union Street side of the school. This mound turned into a battleground of “king of the hill” between the fourth- and fifth-grade boys.

After about a week of torn and dirty clothes, bruises, cuts, several fistfights and most likely a bunch of parent phone calls, the principal put us on lockdown. Eventually the dirt hill was removed and we got to see the light of day again.

First and Lasting Impression

My only real memory of fifth grade happened on the first day before class even began. As we were milling about in the hall greeting our friends and looking for our classroom we heard some kind of commotion. Voices were rising, kids were laughing, and the queue of children and parents parted like the Red Sea.

But instead of Moses and the Israelites coming through, it was our classmate named Lenny. He had a wide grin on his face and a cigarette dangling from his lips.

Lenny didn't get too far before one of the nuns swooped in like a giant hawk and grabbed the cigarette in one hand and the collar of Lenny's shirt in the other. Away he went never to smoke up the halls of St. Mary's again. It was off to public school for him.

I was a student for 17 years and a teacher for 33 and absolutely no one ever made a more memorable entrance than Lenny.

Sixth grade must have been the year of boredom. One thing we had to do was memorize the Catholic catechism. The nun put a "Jeopardy!" like spin on this activity though by giving us the answer and we had to respond with the question.

A Pencil to Pass Time

To make the long day go by faster, I came up with a game to play. Did you realize that a pencil has six sides? Well, I made mine into a rolling die (as in the plural dice).

On a piece of paper I made a horseracing track divided into lanes of equal length. I would assign a famous horse (Citation, Whirlaway, Swaps) to a numbered lane and then roll the pencil to advance one to six spaces. I don't recall getting caught, but my mother had to have me tutored in math that year, so I guess one to six was my limit mathematically.

Grade seven (inset photo, left, doing homework) went pretty well for most of the year. Sister Mary Lourdes was young and seemed to convey a more relaxed and understanding atmosphere than my previous nun teachers. I really liked her and I think I started to actually enjoy school.

But, at some time in the spring that feeling went bad in a hurry.

One day we were playing outside at lunch and my friends Anthony, John and I wanted to know how much time was left. Not having a watch, we went around on the Woodrow Road side of the school to look in the window of our classroom and see the clock.

When we got back to the room, Sister Lourdes had a very sour look on her face.

As we took our seats she explained that she was horrified someone committed a grave sin by stealing the money we had been collecting for the “Missions” (poor Catholics in Third World countries) out of the container on the shelf by the windows.

If that wasn't bad enough, she said that someone had told her that they saw Anthony, John and David out there by the windows during lunch.

“Did you take that money boys?” she queried. Of course, since we didn't, all three of us adamantly answered “NO!”

Charlie -- Esquire, and a Jury of Peers

Well, the sister must have smelled a great teaching moment in the air because she told the class that since she had evidence she was going to put us on trial and the class would be the jury.

I only remember two things about the trial.

One, my friend Charlie, the costar of several of my previous stories, finagled the job of being our defense attorney. As a precursor to his later getting a law degree from Syracuse University, Charlie won the case. I think the vote to acquit was unanimous. Two, this was mostly because sister's “evidence” was solely the testimony of the informer whom she would not identify.

Afterward the nun tried to apologize and say that she really believed we were innocent, but she wanted to teach the class a lesson. Maybe, but I wasn't having it.

For the rest of the term I was disillusioned and never trusted her again.

Eighth grade was not an enjoyable year for me, or probably my classmates either. Our teacher in retrospect was not well suited or happy in her job and took it out on us on a daily basis. In my stories I try to find humor in my nostalgic remembrances and there wasn't much of that in our final year at St. Mary's.

Inventive, Perhaps, Amusing, No

I do recall one instance when I tried to be funny, but classmate Susan, who sat in front of me, was not amused.

The sister was teaching a history lesson and asked, “Does anyone know who invented the steamboat?” I whispered to the girl, “Stanley Steamer.” Immediately she raised her hand and called it out.

Now, I will give Susan credit, because when the nun reprimanded her for such a ridiculous answer she didn't rat me out. Maybe Susan had mercy on me because I was seemingly already the teacher's whipping boy. I hope I apologized to my classmate for embarrassing her, and if I didn't, I should have.

In June 1960 my elementary school career came to a close and it was on to Notre Dame.

My poor recall of any significant learning in those eight years at St. Mary's is a mystery to me. My hope is that over my three-plus decades of teaching, I provided my students with more substantial memories that they can look back on with fondness.

(Photos courtesy of Dave Reilly.)