From the City of Batavia Police Department:

The following people are wanted on warrants issued out of Batavia City Court. If you have any information on the whereaboute of these subjects, please contact the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350.

Do not make any attempt to apprehend these individuals on your own.

If you have an active warrant and want to avoid ending up on a WANTED list like this, the Batavia Police Department would be more than happy to assist you on resolving the warrant.

Ahdeosun "Nunu" Aiken, 20

Charges(s): Second-degree criminal contempt.

Notes: Wanted for allegedly violating an order of protection. Additional pending charge of third-degree bail jumping.

Nicole Casey, 25

Charge(s): Petit larceny

Notes: Wanted for allegedly shoplifting.

Heyward Clark Jr., 54

Charge(s): Multiple counts of third-degree burglary.

Notes: Wanted for allegedly forcefully breaking into several properties and stealing property.

Aisha Culver, 20

Charge(s): Aggravated unlicensed operator
of a motor vehicle
in the third degree; operating with suspended registration; operating without inspection "and additional."

Carey Culverhouse, 59

Charge(s): First-degree assault

Notes: Wanted for allegedly stabbing another person.

Allen Jerome Davis, 37

Charge(s): Sex offender registry

Notes: Wanted for allegedly moving out of his registered address without notice and without providing a new address.

Press release:

Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has shared his concerns with recently reintroduced legislation, the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act (S2837), in a letter to the bill’s Senate sponsor, Senator Jessica Ramos.

Senator Ranzenhofer is requesting that the bill’s sponsor garner feedback from the agriculture industry.

“For years, many local farmers have shared their fears regarding serious unintended consequences of this legislation,” said Ranzenhofer in the letter. “Agriculture is the largest industry in the state, and I believe it is critically important that local farmer concerns and the concerns of the greater agriculture community be heard.”

Senator Ranzenhofer believes that the proposal could have a devastating impact on local jobs and family farms.

“Simply put, the stakes have never been higher for farmers across New York State and additional employer mandates could have catastrophic consequences for many rural Upstate communities and consumers,” Ranzenhofer said.

CREAM OF THE CROP: Curtis Foss of Medina, left, receives the champion's plaque from Paul Spiotta, tournament director, following his victory Sunday in the Genesee Region USBC Masters at Scopano's Lanes in Oakfield. Foss now has five Masters titles, breaking the tie with Dave Montemarano Jr. of Batavia and Tim Rohl, formerly of Le Roy, for the most ever.

Setting a new standard for bowling excellence in the Genesee Region, Medina’s Curtis Foss captured an unprecedented fifth GRUSBC Masters Tournament crown Sunday in record-setting fashion at Scopano’s Lanes in Oakfield.

Foss, a high-revving power-player whose commitment to the sport in this area is second-to-none, averaged 254 during the eight-game match play finals yesterday and compiled 722 Peterson Points – both high-water marks in the event’s 58-year history.

When asked "what does winning a fifth Masters mean to you?" Foss simply replied “everything” before expressing that he wished to dedicate the victory to his father, Robert Jr., who passed away in October 2016, and his grandmother, Mildred Green, who died the day before this past Thanksgiving.

“They meant so much to me, and the fact that my mom (Sue), grandpa (Darrell Green) and sister (Cassidy) were here, means a lot to me, too.”

The 31-year-old right-hander entered the finals as the No. 1 seed based on his 1,030 score for four games of qualifying the day before (a 257.5 average) and picked up right where he left off by rolling back-to-back 269 games on Sunday.

First he defeated second-seeded and former champion Scott Culp of Honeoye Falls, 269-223, and then he knocked off third-seeded and defending champion Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw, 269-213, to leave little doubt as to who would emerge victorious.

He coasted from there, posting scores of 226, 245, 245, 246, 277 and 255 – losing only to Jake Rosenbeck of Medina, 268-245 in game four.

Foss earned $320 and a champion’s ring for his efforts, adding to his collection as a result of victories in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015.

In league play this season, Foss -- who bowls as a regular or sub every day of the week -- has registered five 800 series and four 300 games, and already has 27 800's and 40 300's for his career.

As would be expected, Foss came into the tournament with his confidence soaring.

“It’s been going well. My body is doing what it needs to do,” Foss said, noting that he has a “stay me” philosophy.

“That means that I want to do what I’m best at -- which is to stay smooth and don’t overthink the shot,” he said. “When I’m not forcing things and when I get to the place where I feel smooth (to the line) is when I’m at my best.”

Rosenbeck, a 32-year-old righty, enjoyed a successful Masters debut, placing second with 450 Peterson Points and averaging 231 for his 12 game. He earned $240.

Gray finished in third place with 291 points ($200), followed by Scott Allis of Medina (278 points, $160), Culp (205 points, $140), Mike Johnson of Batavia (185 points, $120), former champion Tom Rohl of Le Roy (146 points, $110) and Mike Pettinella of Batavia (64 points, $100).

In Peterson Point match play, bowlers receive 30 points for a victory and more or less points for their score in relation to 200.

High scores from Saturday’s qualifying round (the top eight out of 37 entrants advanced):

Foss, 1,030; Culp, 963; Gray Jr., 942; Allis, 919; Rosenbeck, 911; Johnson of Batavia, 910; Rohl, 892, Pettinella, 887. Devon Leach of Stafford was the alternate at 874.

Friends and family surrounded Kimberly Albanese and David Robb on Sunday evening in Elba with love and support as they mourned and remembered their mother, Teresa M. Norton, and brother, Thomas M. Norton, at the spot on Route 98 where they were killed eight days earlier.

Teresa, 53, and Thomas, 22, both of Albion, were northbound on Oak Orchard Road when the 2008 Suzuki SUV Teresa was driving hit a deep patch of snow that had blown across the roadway. The Suzuki slid sideways and was struck by a southbound pickup truck.

Both mother and son died at the scene of the accident.

"She was a great mom," Albanese said. "She tried her best. She was my best friend. I miss her so much. Every day I want to call her just to ask her if everything is great. I don't know how I'm going to raise my 2-year-old and my baby. I have a baby due in two months.

"That's when you need your mom the most. My kids are never going to know her. And my brother was only 22. His birthday is in two weeks and he just, he got cheated out of life so much. But what are you going to do? You just go day by day."

A GoFundMe online fundraiser also has been established to assist the family, which has not only suffered the loss of Teresa and Thomas but they are also dealing with the health issues faced by Roger Norton, Teresa's husband. He has been in intensive care at Strong Memorial Hospital since several weeks prior to the accident.

Write-up and photos submitted by Coach Matt Holman:

The regular season came to a close this past Saturday as the Southern Tier Race League marked senior day at Swain. After canceling a race on Wednesday due to freezing rain and warm temperatures, the conditions were hard and icy for a two-run GS, followed by a single slalom race.

The Batavia girls finished the regular season with a fifth-place finish in the afternoon race slalom led by Tess Cerefin, who capped her senior season with the best finishes of her career, a pair of 15th-place finishes. Lily Whiting finished in 18th place in slalom. The morning GS produced a fourth-place team finish, led by Aubrey Towner, who was 13th.

On the season, the girls finished in fourth place in the Southern Tier Race League, with all three girls collecting points for finishing in the top 15. Aubrey Towner was 16th place, Lily Whiting was 21st and Tess Cerefin was 22nd.

Zach Wagner finished the morning GS race in 23rd place, followed up by a 22nd-place finish in the afternoon slalom. He finished the season in 23rd place for the boys on the season.

The modified team finished the day with a pair of fifth-place finishes. In GS Ben Stone had the best individual finish, but Ethan Bradley was the top overall finisher at 21st and Lily Wagner at 22nd. In slalom, Ethan was the top finisher at 20th, followed by Lily at 22nd and Ben at 23rd.

The Varsity skiers will compete at sectionals at Swain on Tuesday the 12th for the boys and Wednesday the 13th for the girls.
 

Team photo: Lily Wagner, Lily Whiting, Zach Wagner, Tess Cerefin, Ben Stone, Ethan Bradley, Aubrey Towner.

Aubrey Towner

Zach Wagnerski

Tess Cerefinski

Lily Whiting

The 54-year-old right-hander rolled 32 out of a possible 36 strikes -- including the last 23 in a row -- for a sparkling 238-290-300--828 series on lanes 3-4 in the County Line Stone League.

Gibson said he got the ball a couple weeks ago and had it drilled by Tom Allis of Medina.

He had nine strikes in the first game and, following a nine-spare in the first frame of game two, he never missed the pocket -- and carried every shot -- the rest of the way.

The 828 is his second USBC-certified 800 series (the first was an 810 at Scopano's in November 2000) and he now has eight 300 games.

In other recent bowling action, Jerry Blair of Le Roy recorded a 299 game en route to a 740 series on Jan. 31 and followed that up with a 279--703 series on Feb. 7 in the Thursday Night Men's League at Legion Lanes, and Matt Balduf of South Byron posted a 290 game in the Toyota of Batavia League at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Watch for a report of Sunday's finals of the Genesee Region USBC Masters Tournament later today.

Press release (submitted photos):

Property conversions, rehabilitation, and building improvements are moving forward thanks to a strong partnership of the City of Batavia, Genesee County and the City of Batavia School District. All three taxing jurisdictions passed enabling local legislation to enact the Real Property Tax Exemption (RPTL) 485-a and 421-f. Property owners investing in Batavia may qualify for these programs.

Since these tax laws were passed locally, seven homeowners have taken advantage of the 421-f Home Rehab Program and five commercial building owners have converted buildings to mixed-use with the 485-a Mixed Use Conversion Program.

“When residents and business owners improve their property, it enhances the whole community,” said Eugene Jankowski, City Council president. “These programs are available and if you are thinking of investing the City is ready to help.”

The 421-f Home Rehab Program is a real property tax exemption that is applied to capital improvements to residential property. The exemption applies only to the increase in assessed value created by the improvement.

“If you are making improvements (reconstruction, alterations, improvements other than ordinary maintenance) to a one- or two-family residence you might be eligible to participate in the City of Batavia’s 421f,” said Martin Moore, City of Batavia manager.

The City of Batavia also adopted the New York State real property tax exemption known as the 485-a Residential-Commercial Urban Exemption for converting non-residential buildings to mixed-use. The 12-year exemption helps property owners realize a return on investment while advancing the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Revitalization Investment (DRI) Strategy.

The City’s public planning documents all emphasize the need to convert upper floor vacancies into market-ready residential abodes to provide a built-in market for downtown businesses and a new revenue source for property owners.

Every new household in Downtown Batavia will bring with it approximately $19,000 in demand for retail goods and services. Conversion of commercial downtown residential apartments on vacant second- and third-story buildings is one element to boost activity in Batavia’s downtown.

"This is another tool to turn underutilized properties into economic drivers that turnaround our downtown," said Rachael Tabelski, director of Economic Development for the Batavia Development Corporation.

"We know our building owners are ready and motivated to invest, and we want to make sure they know about City programs, help the Batavia Development Center can offer, as well as the Genesee County Economic Development Center."

By combining all three taxing jurisdictions, property owners could temporarily save upward of $42 per $1,000 value on an increased assessed value attributable to the mixed-use conversion. The former Carr's warehouse building on Jackson Square in Downtown Batavia was one of the first projects to take advantage of the 485a exemption under the ownership of Paul Thompson, owner of Thompson Builds of Churchville.

For more details about these real property tax incentives, contact the City of Batavia Assessor's Office at 585-345-6301 or the Batavia Development Corporation at 585-345-6380.

I was looking at our collection of Pat Burr’s drawings of old Batavia in the '60s and was amazed at all of the stores that dotted Main Street.

You really could walk down the street and beginning at one end, mail a letter, buy a car, smoke a cigar, look for a gold watch, buy plumbing supplies, pick up your dry cleaning, buy paint, order a drink, have your picture taken, see a movie, eat a doughnut, have your shoes repaired or buy a new pair of shoes. 

If it was afternoon you could have a drink, buy a sewing machine, smell the delicious aroma from freshly baked bread, pick up a prescription, buy a wedding gown (you might need another drink after the cost of the wedding gown), buy new shoes to go with the gown, order a man’s suit for the wedding, buy children’s clothing, have your eyes checked, buy new furniture, drink a cherry Coke, register for new china, and have a late lunch. 

Continuing west on Main Street, you could make a bank withdrawal for the wedding, buy more jewelry, possibly a wedding band, pick up some fresh produce, purchase a new hat and a real mink coat, pick up another prescription and buy more jewelry.

Now see if you can match the names of these establishments and their merchandise with their locations on Main Street going east from Jefferson to Bank Street.  In the '60s on the north side of the street, there was Mancuso’s Dealership, Chris’ Gifts, The Smoke Shop, William Maney’s Store, Marchese’s Produce, and six jewelry stores, Krtanik, Martin Berman’s, Valle’s, Francis and Mead, Rudolph’s and Brenner’s. 

Clothing stores were plentiful: Alexander’s, Town Shop, Helen’s Darlings, A.M. and M. Clothiers, and Smart Shop. Bon Ton and Bell Hat Shops, Humboldt’s Furriers, and Charles Men Shop were also located on that side of the street along with the beautiful Dipson Theater. There were two paint stores, Mosman’s and Sherwin Williams. There were many restaurants and drinking establishments: Mooney’s, Hamilton Hotel, Young’s Restaurant, Mike’s Hotel, Main Grill, Vic’s Grill, The Dagwood Restaurant and Jackie’s Donuts. A favorite bakery was Grundler’s. A soda shop and candy store was called Kustas’. The furniture store was Bern Furniture and the dry cleaner store was Jet Cleaners. Lawing Picture Studio, Singer Sewing, Genesee Hardware, Western Auto, and the drug stores of Whelan and Dean Drugs were located on different corners. There were four shoe stores, Ritchlin, Cultrara’s, Endicott and Johnson and C.E. Knox. The shoe repair was called Boston Shoe repair.

How many of you could match the store with its location?

If you were traveling down the opposite side of the street you would begin with the Courthouse and pass the County Building where a beautiful Christmas tree would be on the lawn. 

Eventually, you would hope to have a deed to your new home filed at the County Clerk’s Office. You couldn’t miss the Hotel Richmond on the corner that was now just an empty shell. Located within the building of the hotel was Rapid Dry Cleaners. Next, was the three-story J.C. Penney Co. Department Store. If you needed a uniform, there was The Uniform Shop at your disposal. Kinney’s Family Shoe Store was located next to the Camera Shop. Caito’s Liquor Store was followed by Beardsley’s Men’s Store, Sleght’s Book Store, Bank of Batavia, Sugar Bowl, S.S. Kresge’s five-and-dime store, Scott and Bean, Dean’s Drug, M & T Bank, Thomas and Dwyer, C.L. Carr’s Department Store, Marchese Produce, Good Friend Shop, Rudolph’s Jewelers, J.J. Newberry’s five-and-dime store, and WT Grant.

Imagining all these stores decorated for the holidays makes you nostalgic for the simpler times, slower pace when the highlight of your week was going to the city on a Friday night to meet friends and shop! 

Press release from AAA: 

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.28, up 2 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.58. The New York State average is $2.47 – down 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.76. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.47 (down 6 cents since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.51 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.34 (down 3 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.42 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Rome -- $2.45 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.36 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.43 (down 3 cents since last week)

National pump prices have inched up this week due to rising crude oil prices. The price gains have coincided with total gasoline stocks growing by approximately 500,000 barrels to 257.9 million barrels last week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, as a result of last week's frigid winter weather across the country, demand for gasoline fell sharply, after motorists stockpiled pre-storm, by approximately 500,000 barrels per day, according to EIA. 

When Heather Rosendale-Casper started planning Coffee Karma at 12 Center St., Batavia, she knew she wanted a place that would feel warm and welcoming to the community, a real community space, she said during our visit to her new coffee shop today.

"It's really meant to reach out to the community and say, 'hey, let's have this free space were we can exchange conversation, do fun things, start connecting with people once again,' " Rosendale-Casper said.

She's hung local art on the walls, installed a natural-wood coffee bar, uses organic coffee from a local distributor, and even hosts yoga sessions.

Opening Coffee Karma is the culmination of a 20-year-long ambition for Rosendale-Casper.

"Going back to high school and college (coffee shops) is where I fundamentally found myself through philosophy, great conversations, meeting people, networking in an environment that was open and free and I also happen to really love coffee," she said.

Users of The Batavian app, click here to view the video on thebatavian.com.

Contested elections for judicial seats are rare but voters in the City of Batavia are faced with one in 2019.

Durin Rogers and Ben Bonarigo are vying for the full-time City Court judge position, which becomes open next year because of the mandatory retirement of Judge Robert Balbick.

Saturday morning, Bonarigo officially kicked off his campaign in front of about 200 supporters at City Church's Generation Center on Center Street downtown.

"I think that I've got the experience," Bonarigo said when asked about his qualifications. "Thirty-six years practicing law in the trenches, representing people every day with various civil and criminal cases. I know the rules of evidence.

"I know how to behave in a courtroom, and I know how a judge should act. I've got the right temperament, the ability to listen, the ability to hear everybody who comes before you, to be impartial and fair."

If elected, Bonarigo promised that everybody who came before his bench would be treated fairly.

To get elected, he will have to beat Rogers, who is already a part-time City Court judge and has the City Republicans' endorsement.

But that endorsement doesn't guarantee Rogers the R-line in November.

Bonarigo and his campaign team, led by Nikki Calhoun, are planning a petition drive to force a Republican primary in June. The winner of that June 25th election will win the R-line in the November election.

If Bonarigo were to lose the primary, he could still face off against Rogers in November on the Democratic line.

Four-time champion Curtis Foss of Medina averaged 257.5 for four games today to lead the qualifying round of the 58th annual Genesee Region USBC Masters Tournament at Scopano's Lanes in Oakfield.

The powerful 31-year-old right-hander blistered the hall's "house shot" to the tune of 259-278-257-236 for a 1,030 total.

Foss, winner of the tournament in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015, outdistanced 2016 Masters champion Scott Culp of Honeoye Falls by 67 pins.

Culp's 963 was good for second place, followed by defending champion Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw, who posted 942.

Rounding out the top eight who will compete in a Peterson Point head-to-head, eight-game final round starting at 1 p.m. Sunday are Scott Allis of Medina, 919; Jake Rosenbeck of Medina, 911; Mike Johnson of Batavia, 910; two-time champion Tom Rohl of Le Roy, 892, and Mike Pettinella of Batavia, 887.

The field consists of five right-handers and three lefties (Gray Jr., Johnson and Rohl).

Devon Leach of Stafford posted 874 and is the alternate. Leach will bowl in case one of the finalists is unable to compete or withdraws during competition.

In Peterson Point match play, bowlers receive 30 points for a victory and additional points (or less points) for the score in relation to 200. For example, a bowler defeating his opponent with a 220 game receives 50 points for that game.

The bowler with the most Peterson Points after the eight games (including a tournament-ending position round) will be declared the champion.

The tournament drew 37 bowlers.

Submitted photo and press release:

BATAVIA -- Brittany Bozzer, Youth Engagement manager of Tobacco-Free Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties (TF-GLOW), took Reality Check youth leaders from both St. Joseph School and Notre Dame High School to the state Capitol this week.

They went to Albany on Monday for the Annual Tobacco Control Legislative Day.

Their mission: to show lawmakers the success of the work they’ve done in their community to lower the smoking rate. They also told state leaders about the challenges they face in trying to reduce tobacco use, particularly among vulnerable groups in including fellow youth, the poor and people dealing with mental health issues. 

The facts they shared

Cigarette smoking among New York’s high school youth declined 82 percent between 2000 and 2018, but from 2016 to 2018 the rate increased slightly for the first time since 2000. Even more alarming, electronic cigarette use among the state’s middle and high schoolers continues to rise.

Between 2014 and 2018, the rate increased fully 160 percent, from 10.5 percent to 27.4 percent, and studies show e-cigarettes can be a precursor to cigarette smoking in youth, even those who were not likely to smoke cigarettes. 

Not only has the youth smoking rate in New York State increased for the first time since 2000, but data reveals that more than 1 in 4 of New York’s high-schoolers is using electronic nicotine devices,” Bozzer said.

“With more than half of teens falsely believing e-cigarettes are harmless, adolescent nicotine exposure can cause addiction, it can harm the developing adolescent brain and it can increase the risk of adolescents starting and continuing smoking combustible cigarettes.”

Successes and troubles

St. Joe’s eighth-graders Cayla Hansen and Katie Kratz, as well as Notre Dame sophomores Ben Streeter, Krysta Hansen and junior Maddie Payton, don’t like what they see the tobacco industry doing to hook their friend and family members.

So for this year’s Tobacco Control Legislative Education Day, they wanted to show and tell their elected officials what they see. They created an interactive, life-sized board game called “Tobacco Trouble,” bringing lawmakers on board with the game between legislative sessions to learn about the group’s recent tobacco control successes and the continued fight they’re in with Big Tobacco, an industry that has overfilled their community's retail stores with tobacco products.

More troubling facts in NYS:

• Adults with poor mental health, less than a high school education or annual income less than $25,000 smoke at much higher rates than the general adult population in the state;
• About 280,000 kids now under 18 will die prematurely from smoking;
• E-cigarette use amongst youth has almost tripled from 2014 to 2018;
• E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product by youth—more than cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and hookah; 
• Studies show e-cigarettes can be a precursor to cigarette smoking in youth, even those who were not likely to smoke cigarettes;
• Using nicotine in adolescence may also increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.

Reality Check empowers youth to become leaders in their communities in exposing what they see as the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.

The organization’s members produce change in their communities through grassroots mobilization and education. Reality Check in this area is affiliated with Tobacco-Free Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties (TF-GLOW), a program managed by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To learn more about Reality Check, connect with Brittany Bozzer at 585-219-4064 or brittany.bozzer@roswellpark.org

Le Roy police are responding to a complaint of a dangerous condition at the Royal Apartments, Building #15, at 103 W. Main St. A male is riding around the building on a snowmobile.

Story courtesy of the Orleans Hub:

ELBA – A mother and her son who were killed in a car accident on Feb. 2 in Elba will be remembered with a vigil at the crash site on Sunday (Feb. 10).

The vigil will be at 5 p.m. for Teresa Norton, 53, and her son, Thomas Norton, 22.

Family friend Kamryn Nickel urges family and friends to attend the vigil and light a candle in their memory.

Nickel said she will bring the candles for the vigil.

A GoFundMe online fundraiser also has been established to assist the family during this difficult time. Karen Zok sent up the GoFundMe and said Teresa’s husband Roger was in intensive care at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for several weeks prior to the accident in Elba.

Teresa Norton was driving a 2008 Suzuki northbound with her son at about 1:30 p.m. last Saturday in Elba.

State Police say Norton lost control on the snow-covered roadway and slide sideways into the path of a 2011 Chevrolet pickup truck. The Chevrolet struck the passenger side of the Suzuki.

The Nortons were both declared deceased at the collision scene by Karen Lang, Genesee County coroner.

The accident happened on Route 98 between Edgerton Road and Batavia Elba Townline Road.

The Batavia High Lady Blue Devils, getting contributions from its entire roster, raised its Monroe County Division 4 girls' basketball record to 6-0 tonight with a 48-36 victory over visiting Greece Odyssey.

Batavia, now 15-2 overall, closes out the regular season against two divisional foes -- at Greece Olympia on Monday and home versus Pittsford Sutherland on Wednesday (Senior Night).

Coach Marty Hein’s squad is in position to grab the No. 1 seed in Class B1, with Midlakes and Hornell also in contention. Batavia’s first sectional tournament game will take place on Friday, Feb. 22.

Tonight’s game showcased the Lady Devils’ ball-hawking defense that forced 20 turnovers (including 10 steals) and produced 11 blocked shots, and an offense sparked by hard drives to the basket by senior guard Ryann Stefaniak and sophomore guard Mackenzie Reigle.

Batavia jumped out to a 7-0 lead but Odyssey, which came into the contest on a nine-game winning streak, rallied behind junior forward Treanna Blenman’s eight points to close within 14-12 after the first quarter.

The Lady Devils outscored the Leopards 12-6 in the second quarter and 10-6 in the third quarter to open a 12-point lead, which proved to be the margin of victory.

Stefaniak led Batavia with 18 points, along with five rebounds and three blocked shots, while Reigle had 12 points, six steals and three assists, and sophomore guard Bryn Wormley tallied 10 points.

Batavia also was sparked by senior guard Jenae Colkey, who filled the stat sheet with four points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists, and junior forward Emma Krolczyk, who had four points and five blocked shots.

Senior center Meghan Houseknecht and sophomores Tess Barone, Kennedy Kolb and Bella Houseknecht also saw significant minutes.

Blenman was the top scorer for Odyssey, 3-4 in the division and 13-6 overall, with 23 points – 14 in the first half and nine of the team’s 12 in the final period.

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel announced the official opening of its new Gatsby bar with a ribbon cutting on Friday at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. The Gatsby bar is located just outside Fortune’s restaurant and will feature high-end bourbons, gins and other spirits along with other handcrafted cocktails. 

“We’re excited for guests to check out the Gatsby Bar for quick drink or appetizer before dinner in Fortune’s,“ said Vice President of Operations Scott Kiedrowski. “Alternatively it’s a nice place to get a quiet drink if 34 Rush is busy with sports or live entertainment.”

The bar will also feature New York State Lottery Games like Quickdraw and will have a self-service terminal to place horse wagers.

“This is the first phase to open of our new expansion,“ said Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO. “This and those that follow will better serve our valued guests.”

Expansions for more seating at Thurman’s 34 Rush and Fortunes are due to open in the following months. A new look inside the “Park Place,” formerly known as the Paddock Room, is near completion.

“This is another banner day in the history of our facility,“ said COO Michael Nolan. “We pride ourselves on customer service and giving our guests what they want. Our expansions continue to make the facility a premier entertainment destination.”

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Park Road and Oak Street, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 7:33 p.m.: Two cars, three patients, one possible transport at this time, according to a first responder.

Downstairs has lots of room, great storage space and extra living /play area! Besides the attached garage, there is a great deep backyard with easy access to watching all the games! Easy to see! Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today 344-4663 or click for more details.