batavia

Don't miss our Father's Day sale! One week only, June 13th - 20th; all regular priced men's footwear will be 20% off! Stop in and grab all of your dad's favorite brands like Saucony, Johnston and Murphy, and Florsheim! Visit us online or like us on Facebook - and stay up to date on sales!

Press release:

Father Dave Glasmire and Father Ivan Trujillo, pastors of Ascension and Resurrection Parishes, concelebrated Mass today at 9:15 at St Mary’s as part of commencing our combined Faith Formation program. 

In his homily, Father Dave called for all parishioners to offer their gifts and talents in this joint venture.   

Volunteers then gathered in St. Mary’s Hall for a kick-off meeting led by Ann Pratt and Jason Smith, Faith Formation coordinators of Ascension and Resurrection, respectively.   

Please contact Jason (Resurrectionff14020@yahoo.com) or Ann (mpg1731@gmail.com) if you are interested in volunteering.   

Talia enjoyed her visit to Harrington's Produce on Clinton Street Road in Batavia today.

Photo submitted by Paul Nichiporuk

A sunny Saturday brought out folks to eat, drink and be merry for the first-ever Eli Fish Carnival in downtown's Jackson Square, Batavia. The event included the brewery company's special craft creations and restaurant favorites, Matty's Pizza slices, live music, vendors and a guest with a few tricks up his sleeve, photo below. 

From left to right, Claire Isenga from New Haven, CT with her children, Henry, 1, and 3-year-old Isla Isenga, spend time with their grandfather, Terry Vanderberg from Batavia, as they watch Jim of Just Clowning Around do a magic trick with cards during the Eli Fish Carnival Saturday in Batavia. Photos by Nick Serrata.

 

Batavia High School's senior prom was attended by 160 students on Saturday evening at Van Detta Stadium.

There were games, a dance floor, food, photos, and a lot of happy students enjoying their big night out.

Austyn Fernandez was named Prom King, and Mackenzie Lavrey was Queen.

At least 100 people participate in the GLOW OUT! parade on Washington Avenue in Batavia. 

Spectators watch the GLOW OUT! parade Saturday on Bank Street in Batavia. The parade was followed by a festival in the parking lot at Alva and Bank streets.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Genesee County Park member Lewis Tandy, left, goes over the different kinds of bugs to be found in nature with Cassidy, 3, her mother Rebecca Nigro and daughter Indiana, 5, during the Family Outdoor Challenge Saturday at DeWitt Recreation Area in Batavia.

Genesee County Park Intern Amy McLaughlin, left, goes over the Family Outdoor Challenge information at DeWitt Recreation Area in Batavia.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Press release:

The Genesee County Fair Queen and Princess Pageant is looking for contestants ages 5 to 19. The Fair Queen and Princess Pageant is an opportunity for young women from across the county to come together for a fun and exciting experience. Contestants learn many valuable life skills by building courage by speaking publicly, showcasing their individual talents and become more confident in who they are as an individual. And most importantly, many of the ladies often walk away with new lifelong friends.

Throughout the program, all of our contestants have the chance to be part of special Fair events, including handing out awards to 4-H and Open Show Exhibitors and the annual Fair Parade. All of the newly crowned Fair Queen and her courts will represent the Genesee County Fair during our annual 8-day Fair!

This year's pageant will be held on two nights of Fair July 22nd at 6:00pm and July 24th at 1:00pm on the Entertainment Tent Stage. On July 22nd all contestants will do their public speaking and Talent. On Sunday, July 24th at 1 p.m. will be the crowning of the Contestants! 

For more information on the 2022 Genesee County Fair Queen Pageant, email geneseecountyfair.pageant.ny@gmail.com
 

Ricky Palermo, front center, talks about his Foundation during a "Rock With Ricky" fundraiser concert Friday at Batavia Downs Gaming in Batavia. Bruce in the USA, a tribute band to the boss and his E Street band, was the first concert of the season and the first time the Ricky Palermo Foundation partnered with Batavia Downs to further its cause of raising awareness and money for spinal cord research. Palermo's Foundation has raised and donated $1.7 million for the community and research at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.  Photo by Nick Serrata.

 

Dispatchers received a report of a large amount of smoke in the area of Oak and Richmond in Batavia.

A Batavia PD officer reported finding a resident on Oak burning a large amount of cardboard.

City Fire responded and a scene commander informed dispatchers, "approved containers. The homeowner was advised not to burn cardboard anymore."

City Fire is back in service.

Batavia native Matt Gray is making his way in the restaurant business, along with partners Matt Boyd and Jon Mager, and looks forward to circling back to serving a favorite dish from his childhood.

Matty’s Pizza, founded in 1997 and closing shop around 2008, is back in the restaurant scene, Gray says. It seemed to be a perfect fit for the empty Fresh Lab space in Eli Fish Brewing Company, he said.

“Pizza is very similar to pasta, where everyone has a favorite. And nobody's wrong. So, Matty’s has its own recipe, and we're very proud of it. It's unique, as they all are in Batavia,” he said during an interview Friday with The Batavian. What we do as far as making a pizza that we stress is that we make sure the toppings are plentiful, but also even and that everything is out to the crust.”

The thought of pizza rekindled a fond memory of going ice skating with his school friends and stopping by the former Pontillo’s to share a small pie and a dozen wings. He also absorbed some lessons from his Uncle Moose, who made pizzas alongside Sam Pontillo Sr., while his father helped out with deliveries. Gray liked to make his own pizzas and forged official territory when opening Matty’s in February 1997.

He left that business when he moved down south to Raleigh, NC, and open up the first of what is now five full restaurants under the name Buffalo Brothers Pizza and Wing Company. He and Boyd wanted to bring the authentic Buffalo-style chicken wings to the area, and they eventually caught on, Gray said.

He and Mager celebrated the opening of Eli Fish in March 2018. The Main Street building also housed two incubator food shops, Eden Vegan Cafe & Bakeshop and Eatwell Grill. After Eatwell moved out to occupy another space, the Eli team got together to mull what to do with that vacant space.

“And it was pretty unanimous around the table that they all wanted Matty’s pizza back,” Gray said. “Pizza’s always been a love of mine. And I've now been back in Batavia since 2007. My children were born after I moved home. They've never had a pizza that I've made other than the ones I made at home. I’ve been making pizza … for a while I was doing it full-time, especially while we were trying to get the recipe exactly right where we were before. To be honest, it's fun. I really enjoy it.”

Think pizza is just a piece of dough and some toppings? Not for Gray, who tested out a number of different flours before settling on the right one for the consistency and texture he wanted. Ovens had to be set up correctly, he said, and there was a trial period of pizza specials served at Eli Fish. Now that most of the details have been more fine-tuned, he and his partners are ready for business.

Matty’s serves a 10-inch, which is slightly bigger than a personal-sized pie, and the 14-inch large, which is available for take-out.  There will be a pizza of the week, and Gray looks forward to slicing up the special combinations of a crab rangoon, reuben, Greek, and hot piggies version, which includes everything from seafood, a ricotta and olive oil base with three different kinds of olives and artichoke hearts to a triple whammy of pepperoni, bacon and ham, hot cherry and jalapeño peppers with a hot honey drizzle, breaded eggplant, pepperoni, feta and mozzarella with roasted peppers, and other upscale varieties.

Take the chicken and waffles pizza, which Gray wasn’t initially keen about but ended up loving, he said. That one has a spicy maple drizzle, he said with a hungry smile. He's been having fun trying out new recipes and getting back into the pizza business, he said.

“Yeah, it means a lot to me to have Matty's Pizza back in Batavia. That's where I got my start,” he said. “And I always joke around with my kids that, you know, everything that we provide to each other and for everyone else is all because of pizza. So it's really like bringing everything full circle back to where it all began.”

Matty’s is at 109 Main St., Batavia, and is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and noon to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It’s closed Sunday and Monday. Matty’s Pizza and Eli Fish Brewing Company will have food items for sale at the Eli Fish Carnival, from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Jackson Square.

“We’re keeping it simple,” Gray said. “We’re really enjoying exploring what we can do with pizza,” he said. “There was a great response. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people remembered Matty’s in a positive way and expressed their excitement when they came in. It's been 14 years; that's a long time.”

Gray, who also owns Alex's Place, has scaled back his own hours in the pizza shop to a couple of shifts per week. He has hired a manager, Jeremy Totten of Elba, who is taking care of the day-to-day needs. Totten operated a casual dining restaurant for more than 10 years, Gray said, and had prior pizzeria experience as well. The shop is open for take-out and delivery, or patrons can order from the Eli Fish menu or through Door Dash.

For more information, go to mattyspizza.com or call (585) 345-9909.

Batavia native and business owner Matt Gray show off a freshly baked pizza with breaded eggplant and pepperoni at the new home of Matty's Pizza, 109 Main St., Batavia. Photos by Joanne Beck.

The ribbon is cut and UR Medicine's new Batavia campus is ready to receive patients for care in a variety of specialties that officials say will save them a trip to Rochester.

"What I learned is that the patients won't get the care unless the health care providers come to them, at least in the beginning," said neurosurgeon Dr. Webster H. Pilcher during opening remarks.

The campus will serve patients from Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties, and care will include adult and pediatric allergy/immunology, neurosurgery, oncology, otolaryngology and audiology, and urology, as well as providing primary care.

"Bringing specialty and primary care clinics under one roof allows for better care for our patients, as well as really helps us practice efficiently," said Kathleen Parrinello, COO of UR Medicine. "So there's a lot to be gained by having all of our clinicians together so that the people in this community can really appreciate the integrated Clinical Network at UR Medicine."

The new 24,455 square foot medical campus – located at 7995 Call Parkway – will centralize specialty clinics and primary care into one location, along with on-site lab services. 

UR Medicine Radiation Oncology will remain in its current Bank Street location.  Eric Wu, M.D., and the Batavia Ophthalmology practice are joining UR Medicine and will move to the Flaum Eye Institute’s location on Liberty Street on June 1, which will be expanded into space formerly occupied by primary care.

"We will continue our practice of staffing specialty clinics with providers who are either locally from here or are based consistently in Batavia in this community," Parrinello said. "Meaning that the people who receive care here will receive care from physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and staff who spend all of their work hours here."

“Almost 30 years ago, I started seeing patients out in Batavia and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience to serve the patients of that community,” Pilcher said. “It is often difficult for patients to negotiate a complex care system, especially if that means traveling to Rochester.  By bringing that care to them and simplifying the relationship between our patients and primary and specialized care, we can provide them with access to world-class care, right in their own community.”

Top photo: Ribbon cutting with Alexander K. Mandych, Dr. Webster H. Pilcher, Victoria Godwin Hines, COO and Vice President, Lily J. Snyder, faculty in the Department of Family Medicine.

Photos by Howard Owens

Check-out desks area for patients.

A nurse's workstation.

Lily Snyder in her office.

Joy Michaelides, assistant professor of clinical urology in a urology exam room.

Oncology center.

Press release:

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist Colette Savage Tuesday, June 14th at 7 p.m. at Go-Art/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia.  Colette will be demonstrating painting with pastels.  Non-members are welcome for a $5 fee.

We will also have a very affordable Art Supply and Frame sale before the demo starting at 6:30 p.m., at the break, and after the demo.  The supplies and frames have been donated by the Virginia Carr-Mumford Family to help with the cost of artist demonstrations.

Award-winning artist, Colette Savage, is a native Rochesterian whose love of the area in which she grew up is reflected in the art she produces.  A life-long artist, Colette has painted en plein air for 18 years.  Most of her work is done in pastel, a medium with incredible versatility.  Colette feels that there is always something new and exciting to be discovered when painting with pastel.

Colette received her BA from SUNY College at Brockport but feels that her greatest education has come from frequently working on location where the challenge to produce a finished painting before the light has changed has taught her to work faster, more accurately, and efficiently.

Colette is a member of Suburban Rochester Art Group, the Greater Rochester Plein Air Painters and the Pastel Society of Western NY.

You can see Colette’s extensive body of pastel paintings on the internet.  Colette maintains several websites: www.colettesavage.blogspot.com and www.colettesavage.weebly.com.  You can learn about Colette’s plein air process at www.pastelsenpleinair.blogspot.com/.  She has recently posted several videos on You Tube, demonstrating several pastel painting tutorials.   These can be viewed at (3) Colette Savage - YouTube

In addition to doing demonstrations and workshops, Colette teaches classes in pastel painting, drawing and plein air painting at the Art Stop and through Irondequoit Community Education.  Original paintings and prints can be purchased on her Etsy store at www.etsy.com/shop/ColetteSavage.

When not focusing on art, Colette works at Monroe 2 – Orleans BOCES as a Student Behavioral Assistant and job coach, working with young adults with developmental disabilities at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

 

Press release:

Genesee Cancer Assistance will hold its’ 27th Annual Golf Tournament Saturday, July 30th at Terry Hills Golf Course in Batavia. Join us for an 18 hole scramble, shotgun start at 1pm. $120 per golfer includes a cart, lunch, registration gift, dinner with awards, door prizes and raffles following golf! Registration deadline is July 22nd. We are already more than halfway full so don’t wait to register @ www.geneseecancerassistance.org/golf-tournament or call (585)345-0417

Genesee Cancer Assistance has assisted in helping hundreds of patients each year since its founding, offering services free of charge for those living in Genesee County. GCA relies on successful fundraisers like our annual golf tournament, donations and community support to continue their mission. Genesee Cancer Assistance offers each cancer patient $600 of financial assistance to help lessen the burden that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

For more information on this event and/or to sign up online at www.geneseecancerassistance.org/golf-tournament or call the office (585)345-0417 

Photo: File Photo from the 2016 tournament by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Genesee County officials and business leaders are joining forces to once again fill the Batavia skies with the one-of-a-kind excitement generated by a professional air show.

The “Wings Over Batavia” festival -- a family-oriented event that is looking to feature awe-inspiring aerobatic jet teams such as the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds or Snowbirds and patriotic displays of F16 and F22 fighter jets -- tentatively has been scheduled for Sept. 15-17, 2023, at the Genesee County Airport on Saile Drive.

“We are in the process of putting committees together to handle the various aspects of conducting a show of this magnitude,” said County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens, who also oversees operations at the airport. “We haven’t had an air show since 1998, and it’s long overdue.”

Hens has presided over two meetings attended by county emergency services department staff members as well as municipal and agency representatives. Plans are to offer “a successful and safe event,” he said, adding that the group has enlisted the services of Doreen Hillard of Fort Worth, Texas, who has years of experience in the air show industry throughout the United States.

Batavia entrepreneur Peter Zeliff has been selected to serve as the festival’s general chair, with assistance from Hillard.

At Wednesday’s meeting at the county Fire Training Center on State Street Road, Zeliff said the committee is pursuing an agreement with Dennis Dunbar of Berlin, Wis., director of Air Show Operations for EAA AirVenture and president of Dunbar Airshows, to be the show’s promoter.

“With Doreen and Dennis on board, we know that our show will be first-rate,” Zeliff said. “And with the community’s support, we believe this is something that can take place on an annual basis.”

Zeliff said he already has been in contact with leading aviation industry operations and Genesee County business owners regarding sponsorship of the show.

“It is going to take a lot of financial and volunteer support to make this happen, and we’re counting on the people of the GLOW region to come through,” Zeliff added.

Photo: file photo of Whiskey 7 by Howard Owens

The air festival is scheduled to take place in conjunction with the renewal of the Wing Ding event on Sept. 16 in the City of Batavia.

Residents interested in volunteering in the planning and on-site operations of the air show are asked to contact Hens at tim.hens@co.genesee.ny.us.

Arthur L. Golden, 63, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Golden is accused of stealing a bicycle from a neighbor on East Main Street at 6:36 p.m., May 20. The bicycle was recovered and returned to its owner. Golden was issued an appearance ticket.

Arthur L. Golden, 63, of Batavia, is charged with assault 3rd. Golden is accused of attempting to assault one of his neighbors in an apartment complex at 4:15 a.m., May 26.  Golden was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. He was issued an order of protection and ordered to return to court on June 16.

Luis Gilbert Torres, 42, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with assault 2nd, menacing 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon 3rd.  Torres was arrested on June 1 in the Village of Le Roy. Information on his alleged offense was not released. he was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and ordered jailed on $20,000, $40,000 bond, or $80,000 partially secured bond.  

Julious "Fatboy" Murphy, 69, of Jerome Place, Batavia, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance 3rd, and criminal possession of controlled substance 3rd. Murphy was arrested Sunday on a sealed Grand Jury indictment during a traffic stop by Batavia PD. Murphy is accused of selling crack cocaine to an agency of the Local Drug Task Force while in Batavia.  Murphy was arraigned in Genesee County Court and released under supervision.

Delonta Rashid Sharif Curry, 21, of Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Curry was stopped at 12:06 a.m., June 1, on Route 33 in Bergen, by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush. He was released on appearance tickets.

Logan Michael Biedrzycki, 19, Sunridge Drive, Rochester, is charged with three counts of reckless endangerment 1st, unlawful fleeing a police officer, acting in a manner injurious to a child, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless driving. Biedrzycki is accused of fleeing from Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush after the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop at 4:03 p.m., June 5, on Biedrzycki's vehicle. It's alleged there was a juvenile in the vehicle.  Biedrzycki was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and ordered to reappear on July 12.

Andrew Joseph Draper, 43, of Miller Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving while impaired by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, unlicensed driver, and inadequate headlights.  Draper was stopped at 11:26 p.m., Dec. 21, on West Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Morgan Ewert.  Draper was arrested on June 6.  He was arraigned in City Court and ordered to reappear on June 29.

Jacqueline Patrice Olsen, 60, no address released, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding.  Olsen was stopped at 10:12 p.m., June 1, on Ellicott Street Road, Bethany, by Deputy Trevor Sherwood. Olsen was ordered to appear in court on July 27.

Tarrence Y. Williams, 22, of Porter Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd and two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance 3rd. Williams was arrested on June 9 as the result of an investigation by the Local Drug Task Force into the transportation, sale, and possession of crack cocaine in the City of Batavia. Williams was arraigned in Genesee County Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Kimberly Ann Brodsky, 30, of County Complex Drive, Canandaigua, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th.  Brodsky is accused of stealing, in conjunction with an unidentified white male, merchandise from Kohl's Department Store at 7:46 p.m., May 25.  Brodsky was arrested by Deputy Andrew Mullen.  Brodsky is scheduled to appear in Town of Batavia Court on July 5.

Nikita N. Shook, 36, of Perry, is charged with petit larceny. Shook was arrested on a warrant in Wyoming Couty by State Police. The warrant was issued after an investigation by Batavia PD into an alleged theft on April 23. Shook is accused of stealing property from another person. Shook was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Mary I. Flick, 51, of Batavia, is charged with DWI/drugs, unlicensed operation, and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Flick was arrested on a warrant by Batavia in relation to an incident on June 2. She was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Erica M. Raphael, 37, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant.  Raphael was sentenced on the charges contained in the warrant. The charges were not specified in the release by Batavia. The sentence issued was not released by Batavia PD.

Alicia M. Lyons, 42 of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Lyons is accused of entering a business she had previously been told not to enter at 12:46 p.m., May 28. Lyons was issued an appearance ticket.

Yasier A. Castro Rivera, 34, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal impersonation, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, and aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd.  Castro Rivera was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer at 9:48 p.m., May 25, on Oak Street. Castro Rivera was issued an appearance ticket.

Dajuandrick C. Gardner, 45, of Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 2nd. Gardner is accused of failing to appear in court.  He was jailed without bail and ordered to return to court on June 16.

Robert J. Ritchey, 58, of Oakfield, is charged with forcible touching, sex abuse of a victim less than 13 years old, and acting in a manner injurious to a child. The alleged incident was reported at 10:04 a.m., April 5. This is a pending investigation.  Ritchey was arrested by State Police on June 8. He was ordered held.  No further details were released.

Dustin M. Locicero, 37, of Boliver, is charged with burglary and petit larceny. Locicero was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 8:56 p.m., June 5, in the Town of Darien.  He is also charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th and falsifying business records in connection with an incident reported at 11:47 a.m., June 6 at a location in the Town of Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.  No further information was released.

Joshua P. Martin, 38, of Basom, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd, two counts of criminal contempt 1st, and endangering the welfare of a child. Martin was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 7:27 p.m., June 8, in the Town of Batavia.  His release status is "cash bail."  No further details released.

Press Release

All motorists please be aware that Columbia Avenue, Seneca Avenue, and Miller Avenue will experience traffic delays on Friday, June 10th from 7AM to 3PM for cold milling operations.

While work is being performed in this area, the roadway will be closed to all through traffic. Local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays.

All residents/businesses within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during the operation.

This is weather dependent work; if work is postponed it shall progress the next workday.

Please contact the Bureau of Maintenance at 585-345-6400, Option 1 if there are any questions.

Editor's Note: This is part of an ongoing series about city updates and visions from city officials. 

If you ever have opportunity to shop Rodeo Drive, be prepared for personal attention, the feeling of luxury, and some mighty big pricetags.

While strolling down the ritzy commercial zone in Beverly Hills may seem an obscure comparison, it is something worth considering right here in Batavia, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

A shopping experience can happen anywhere, she says.

"So here, the retailers like, I think of the bicycle shop, or Charles Men's Shop, they make it an experience for the person shopping there. I do think we'd have what it takes, and will continue to be more and more attractive as these new investments come online. With the building rehabs (and expansion of the YMCA), all of that starts to build more momentum for people to be downtown,” Tabelski said during an interview with The Batavian. “And when you have people, then having the retail offerings comes naturally. So I do feel that we will succeed in bringing more retail back into our downtown, whether it's a large department store or in places like Saratoga Springs, where they have small shops that are like the Gap and Banana Republic. I would love to see that here someday, like specialty shops, specialty brands.”

As for why some of the more exclusive-type shops make it while others do not, she thinks it may be about timing. Pollyanna and Dot, for example, was a successful boutiquey shop with a hint of vintage, but “they hit the market before we were quite ready,” she said.

“But you know, they were on the front end of the momentum building,” she said. “I think as we continue, there's definitely going to be more opportunities for retail offerings. And then the other side of that is online ordering.”

She pointed to some retailers that seem to do a good job at those personal experiences, such as Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle shop, Charles Men's Shop and Valle Jewelers.

“They become successful because, it's not just ‘I’m running to get a suit,’ it’s ‘I’m going to see Dave and I'm going to talk to everyone there and I'm going to, you know, get measured for this and that and the other thing, and get dry cleaned all at the same time,” she said. “Or they're going to have nights where — Valle Jewelers is really good at this —  I think they have nights where you can come in and they have hors d'oeuvres, and then everyone stands around and chats, and you can do your shopping for your birthdays for the next few months there. Like I said, it makes it more of an experience than just a ‘I get to run in and get something at Wal-Mart.’ So I think that's the key to these retailers is finding niches of buyers; they need to operate online, but in person they need to offer these experiences for their customers. And I think a lot of them here do that. And those are the ones that have been successful.”

While we’re downtown, what’s happening with the new police station plans?
"Right now, the police station is under design. And we are just getting our first look at what's called a schematic design and potential pricing of the police station. So internally, we'll be reviewing that, we'll be looking to determine the affordability of all the elements, they kind of give all the elements you want in a building, and then they put it together and they give you a price and you're like, okay, well, now we'll move forward with that internally,” she said. “So we are looking forward to continuing the process with the architect and engineering firm we selected, which is Ashley McGraw out of Syracuse. And then they move once we've kind of settled on this, what they call final schematic design.”

From that point, the process moves into design-draft documents of the station. City officials hope that the project can be finalized and go out for bids on construction by the next calendar year, she said. Tabelski predicts that city police staff won’t be moving into new digs until summer of 2024, with an allotted 18-month construction period.

“So overall, I think the process is moving along. And we're getting through the design elements of the facility,” she said.

As for financing, a “level debt” payment plan that is paid into reserves, and a potential $2.5 million “direct spending request” submitted to senators Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Chris Jacobs are to assist with capital costs of the new facility, she said.

There is also a City Fire and Public Works departments project that will resume after being stalled during — you guessed it — COVID-19. City staff has “picked that back up” to finally get some work done that, up to now, has only been talked about “for many, many years,” she said.

A $1.1 million project focuses on the Bureau of Maintenance garage, which is to get a new air filtration system to ensure a safe space inside where gasoline-fueled vehicles operate. The fire station is slated for a new generator and boiler, handicap accessibility to the front of the building and parking bay apron and some improvements to the restrooms and locker rooms, she said.

On the other side of town, the new David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena was officially named, per a 10-year lease agreement with Guy Pellegrino for the naming rights. With the end of Firland Management’s involvement (the company announced previously it was not renewing its contract in June), the city has put out a request for proposals to find a new management company for the Evans Street site.

RFPs are to be into the city by Friday. What if a company wants to put its own name on the arena in addition to managing operations?

“If there was anyone that wanted to come in and rename the rink, it would have to be a renegotiation of that contract. I do not see us changing that in any way, shape, or form,” she said. “So I would consider the naming rights stable.”

The RFPs specify that the contract would be for the McCarthy arena, so a managing company would know up front that the name is in place, she said. As of Thursday, there have been five RFP "respondents" seeking additional information, she said. Some of them have contacted her for more details and/or requested tours of the ice rink.

“So there's definitely been an interest in operating at the rink. And I'm excited to see what those proposals look like. They’ll be scored internally. And then the recommendation will be brought to council. And we hope to have everything set by the July 11 meeting,” she said. “I’m very excited to see the interest in operating the rink. I think whoever comes in next is going to have the passion to maybe bring new things to the rink, and continue to operate it and work with the city. The city is responsible for the building and the capital improvements and needs to work hand in hand with the operator. And the operator needs to work hand in hand with GAHA (Genesee Amateur Hockey Association).”

Other groups that use the rink regularly include Batavia City Schools, Notre Dame’s hockey team and a local men’s league.

Overall, she is looking for an entity that would not only have great financial planning capability and business sense, but would also have “a great ability to communicate with all parties to make sure that the ring is being utilized as much as possible, and being put to use in our community,” she said.

“And there's a return on that to our businesses in the community because the more people we draw into our city for different things like hockey tournaments and hockey games, the more spin-off economic impact we have in our restaurants and our retail and other areas,” she said. “So there's definitely an economic impact to the rink, and the respondents are going to really need to highlight how they see themselves running this … and make it a lively and vibrant place similar to what Robbie Nichols Did with Dwyer Stadium. He has done phenomenal ever since, and promotions and involving the KMS dance team, involving Little League, involving the high school baseball team. He's really brought the community together at the stadium for a lot of different things.”

Next up is about city sidewalk and street repairs, with a map of sidewalk projects to date.

Top Photo: City Manager Rachael Tabelski in her office at City Hall. 2016 File Photo: Gov. Kathy Hochul during a prior visit with downtown retailers, including Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle on Center Street. 2022 File Photo: A crowd celebrates the official naming of the David M. McCarthy Ice Arena, which has great potential to be a booming ice complex, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says. Photos by Howard Owens.