batavia

Photos by Howard Owens

There may have been at least one gunshot fired late this afternoon in the vicinity of 23 and 25 Vine St., Batavia, according to police.

The report of gunfire is unconfirmed.

Witnesses reported to police that a person fired a shot down the driveway between two houses.

There were apparently people outside at the time of the incident, according to Det. Sgt. Matt Lutey, who managed to take cover or otherwise avoid the gunfire.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

Since no building was struck, Lutey said, there is no physical evidence at this time to confirm that shots were fired.  

Lutey said police do not know at this time what type of weapon might have been involved. There is no suspect description available at this time.

There are multiple residents in the area, including small children.  The residents were discussing the incident among themselves, that it was "crazy" and that children and pets could have been hurt.

A dedication to family and friends and the Italian-American community in Batavia is why James Saraceni was recognized on Wednesday night at Batavia Downs as the Paolo Busti Foundation's Italian-American of the Year.

In his remarks, Saraceni spoke about his friends and family more than about himself and recalled the difficulties that immigrant Italians faced in trying to come to this country.

"Between 1880 and 1920, an estimated four million mostly southern Italians arrived on U.S. shores during these years," Saraceni said. "The Italians primarily came seeking economic opportunities they could not find at home. Southern Italy at the time suffered from a combination of unemployment, overpopulation and natural disaster -- natural disasters being earthquakes. Today, Americans of Italian ancestry are the nation's fifth-largest ethnic group."

On both sides of his family, his ancestors faced struggles to get to America. 

"My grandfather immigrated here, and it was nine years before he would see his wife and daughter again," Saraceni said.  "So when you hear about immigrants going through tough times trying to get into this country now, legal or not, a lot of you had the same story that it was not easy to do. And that just astonishing to me that they do that."

As part of the introduction of Saraceni, Board President Michele Fuller noted that Saraceni has served on the board for more than 15 years. He's served as treasurer and helped the organization in any way he could.

He was the board's unanimous choice for this year's award.

"We selected Jim because of his commitment to family," Fuller said. "You know how Italians feel about their families. I don't know anyone that is as loyal, caring and loving as he is to his family. He not only loves his children, he loves his nieces, his nephews."

His daughter is Alexandra Zelinsky. She said her father is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend.

"My father's motive in life -- he dedicates everything he does to enable a more successful future for his family and prides himself on being hardworking," Zelinsky said. "As long as I can remember, he has instilled a work ethic in our family. He works tirelessly to ensure everyone around him is taken care of - his family, his friends, and his customers, which often includes working late into the evenings and answering calls no matter the time of day."

A big part of the annual dinner is the Foundation's scholarship awards.

This year's award winners are Sean Czyryca, Le Roy, Michael Marchese, Batavia, Cooper Fix, Batavia, Aden Chua, Batavia, and Kaylie Kratz, Notre Dame. For more information on each of the winners, click here.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) joined fellow Minority assembly members today for a press conference calling for the holding of a bill that would seek to automatically seal criminal records after a predetermined period. 

Called “Clean Slate,” the bill has been pushed by the Assembly Majority in what is read as an effort to prioritize the welfare of criminals above law-abiding citizens.

“This measure will single-handedly make the review of convicted felons’ history much more difficult, inherently increasing threats to public safety,” Hawley said. “I don’t understand why this is the issue that has dominated the Majority’s focus at the end of our legislative session for 2023 when we’re in the midst of an affordability, public safety and immigration crisis.”

“For a victim of crime, the slate is never wiped clean, so the favoritism shown to former convicts astounds me. I call on my colleagues in the Majority to reject this proposal wholeheartedly,” Hawley concluded.

Press Release: 

As part of New York State's Path Through History, the Holland Land Office Museum will be hosting a War of 1812 Encampment on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The event features re-enactors, encampments, and other displays both inside and outside of the museum. The re-enactors are from the local Genesee Militia, which was stationed in Batavia.

Batavia was the location that U.S. forces and refugees from Buffalo retreated to after the village of Buffalo was burned in December 1813. 

The event is included with regular admission to the museum. You can find other great events happening during the Path Through History Weekend by following the link below https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/path-through-history/.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia is “All-In” to revitalize our city through economic development and housing programs that will raise our standard of living and make our community one of the most attractive places to live, work, and play. The City is considering applying for Federal grant assistance to help income-eligible owner-occupied single-family homeowners with essential home improvements.

Sometimes the smallest things we can do for our neighborhoods can have the biggest impact. Home improvements are a catalyst for changing the look and feel of a neighborhood and improving residents’ quality of life. 

Here in Batavia, Summit Street is a perfect example of a street brought back to life with vibrancy and is now a model for other transformations across our City. When one resident makes improvements to their home, others follow.

Grant funds would enable homeowners to make home repairs with grant and deferred loan funding.  Any single-family homeowner is encouraged to apply.

If you own a single-family home in need of repairs, please click on the Residential Rehabilitation Survey button on the City’s homepage at www.batavianewyork.com.  You can also pick up a survey in the City Manager’s office, on the second floor, at City Hall. Surveys will also be available at the Richmond Memorial Library. 

The City’s goals include the following:

1. Create a viable urban community with decent housing
2. Ensure a suitable living environment for all (safe, sanitary, and habitable dwellings)
3. Expanding opportunities for all, including persons of low to moderate incomes
4. Rehabilitate the City one building at a time.

The City of Batavia is requesting your full cooperation to help us obtain housing rehabilitation grant funding. Please complete and mail in or drop off the surveys to the City Manager’s Office, One Batavia City Centre, by July 7.

Calling all investors!! Click here for S. 46 Main Street, Batavia.

Click here for 44 S. Main Street, Batavia.

Click here for 117 State Street, Batavia.

Click here for 194 Washington Street, Batavia.

A child pedestrian has been involved in a motor vehicle accident in front of Batavia Middle School Thursday afternoon. The patient is breathing, conscious and alert.

The child was apparently crossing in the middle of a block on Washington Avenue near Ross Street when the accident occurred, according to city police Detective Eric Hill. It is not believed that the child sustained any serious injuries, and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital as a precaution, Hill said. 

Dispatchers have received a report of "multiple poles" taken down on Harvester Avenue.

A pole is reportedly down at Main and Harvester.

The cause of the accident is not stated.

City Fire responding.

UPDATED 3 p.m. by Joanne Beck: No poles are down on Harvester Avenue, and city fire is inspecting the poles on Harvester.

A tree-trimming truck seems to have caught some wires across Main Street and pulled them down. There are no poles down on Main Street, and the wires have been removed. Traffic is moving again along Main Street.

One city resident has apparently learned the hard way that Batavia’s new ordinance banning several types of farm animals is being taken seriously.

At least it is by her neighbors who were paying attention.

According to one witness, city police were called to the resident’s home after it was discovered she was still harboring a goat. The woman, Jill Turner of Batavia, had apparently hidden it in her house “so that no one knew she still had it” after the May 15 ordinance date took effect.

This witness heard the goat one particular morning, and fellow neighbors had seen it before someone reported it to the police.

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch confirmed that there are “multiple charges” against goat owner Jill Turner of Burke Drive. Witnesses have also told The Batavian that Turner was screaming at a neighbor, “You’re dead, I’m going to (expletive) kill you.” Names are being withheld for fear of retaliation.

Hardly the first go-round for this neighborhood, Turner, at one point, had at least four goats, one or more chickens, and other domestic pets at her home. Neighbors had complained last year about the noise, smell, mess and fear that the animals created for them. That was a primary reason for why discussions came up about having farm animals in the city.

After public discussions with City Council and a public hearing, council voted to adopt the new ordinance banning most farm animals from city limits.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski said the city’s Code Enforcement Department has not issued any citations as of yet and will follow up for any complaints received through the proper code violation process.

Heubusch said a press release for Turner's charges had not yet been approved, so it had not been sent out by late Wednesday evening. 

As a reminder, the amended zoning ordinance to restrict animals and fowl on city property includes:

A. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall own, bring into, possess, keep, harbor or feed farm animals, cloven-hoofed animals, equine or fowl including, but not limited to, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, swine, llamas, alpacas,  ducks, turkey, geese , ponies, donkeys, mules or any other farm animal within the City limits.

B. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall own, keep, harbor, or feed wild animals, wild fowl (ducks, turkey, or geese) within the City limit.

C. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall breed or maintain any farm animals, cloven-hoofed animals, equine or fowl including, but not limited to, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, swine, llamas, alpacas, ducks, turkey, geese, ponies, donkeys, mules or any other farm or wild animal within the City limit.

        Exceptions:

(a) A maximum of six (6) hen chickens may be kept as long as that they are penned appropriately, do not accumulate feces, cause odor, or an unsightly or unsafe condition.

(b)     Harborage, including transport to and from race tracks and all associated grounds

        (c)     Special events with the approval of an event application.

        (d)     Animals in transit through the City.

        (e)     Transport to and from veterinary hospitals/clinics, including short-term boarding for medical procedures/conditions.

D. No person shall permit an accumulation of animal and/or fowl feces on any property resulting in a foul odor or unsightly condition that makes travel or residence in the vicinity uncomfortable or which attracts flies or other insects or animals, thereby creating an unsanitary condition and may facilitate the spread of disease or which endangers the public comfort and repose.

The date of May 15 gave residents a six-month grace period from the time of adoption.

Press Release:

The Rotary Club of Batavia has awarded college scholarships of up to $6,000 to each of the three local students. This year's Rotary Scholarships were awarded to: Hannah Spencer, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (GVEP), LeRoy; Courtney Daniel, Notre Dame High School and Lauren Reimer, of Batavia High School. 25 applications were received for 2023 rewards, according to Andrea Aldinger, co-chairperson of the Rotary Scholarship Committee.

“Narrowing the selection down to three was close to impossible,” Aldinger said, “after all the interviews, it still was unclear as these students were so incredibly talented.” She noted that many of the students had already achieved their Associate's Degree before graduating high school.

The Rotary Scholarship program began more than 40 years ago. Each year one student is selected from Notre Dame HS, Batavia HS, and the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, formerly known as BOCES. Rotary awards each student $1,500 per year for four consecutive years as long as the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.0.

Committee Co-chair Mike Hodgins said at any one time, as many as 12 students are receiving annual awards totaling $18,000. The program is funded by various Rotary events throughout the year. The scholarships were awarded during a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Batavia. The students and their parents were invited to attend. 

Hannah Spencer, who attends LeRoy HS, told Rotarians that she studied with the Justice Academy at GVEP. She plans to pursue a Nursing Degree at GCC and transfer to another school for a Bachelor’s degree.

Scholarship winner Lauren Reimer of Batavia High School said she plans to pursue a medical degree at the University of Albany. She earned an unweighted cumulative high school average of 99.65%. Lauren will graduate high school with honors and has already earned an Associate’s Degree from GCC.

Courtney Daniels, Notre Dame’s awardee, is set to study Political Science at Fordham University. She was a member of the National Honor Society and attended The NY Governor’s Youth Council as a representative for Wyoming County. Her ultimate goal is to become a New York State senator.

Two previous winners attended this year's ceremony to update the club on how they were able to use their Rotary Scholarships. Carissa Kesler used her scholarship to buy a laptop computer in 2019 when the COVID pandemic hit.  She said it was her pipeline for remote learning at GCC and later at SUNY Brockport. “With the help of Rotary, I graduated with no student debt,” Carissa said.

Taylor Sanders attended Niagara University and is now pursuing her medical degree at LECOM in Bradenton, Florida.

Photos submitted by Dan Fischer

Press Release:

On Monday, June 5, 10 Batavia High School students signed with their perspective colleges for the fall. 

Photos submitted by Emily Benedict

The leaders of Minor League Baseball, and, by extension, Major League Baseball, didn't think Batavia could support a professional baseball team, and those Lords of the game looked for years for an opportunity to relocate the New York-Penn League's founding member to another city.

That search for new ownership and a new venue lasted until MLB just got tired of the entire MiLB structure and shut down the historic NYPL.

MLB and MiLB leaders blamed the fans of Batavia, the region, and Dwyer Stadium itself for the lack of fan interest in the teams they were putting on the field. 

After all, they were bringing "prospects" to Batavia; young men with at least some slim chance of getting in a few major league innings before they moved on to other careers.  And once in a while, if you came to Dwyer Stadium often enough, you might get to see a future star pass through.  That should be enough, was the seeming assumption of baseball executives.

Turns out, maybe the problem wasn't the fans after all. Nor the facility.  Maybe the problem was that assumption.  

Maybe the men and women brought in to run the team, the leaders of the leagues, and the management of the MLB affiliates, which included, in recent years, the Cardinals and the Marlins, just didn't do the right things to generate fan interest in the game.

After head groundskeeper Cooper Thomson turned the turf of Dwyer Stadium into an All-Star Game-worthy surface, it still wasn't enough to keep the team in Batavia, and fans seemed to know it. They continued to only attend home games sporadically.  A night of 1,000 people in the stands was a good night.  It usually took Friday night fireworks to pack in more than 1,500 people.

On Tuesday night, 2,877 baseball fans held tickets for a Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League between two teams with rosters filled with young players who are far less likely, on average, to ever play a professional game, let alone reach the major leagues.

On Sunday, attendance was 2,808.

For the home opener on Saturday, attendance was perhaps a record for organized baseball in Batavia: 3,711.

Perhaps Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, who oversaw the destruction of the minor league system, should talk without Robbie and Nellie Nichols, the current owners of the Muckdogs, about how to promote baseball in a small town.

The main difference between the affiliated Muckdogs and the collegiate Muckdogs, William Bardenwerper told The Batavian before Tuesday's game, is the collegiate players are fan-friendly. They're out in the community. They talk with fans at games. They're friendly with the kids, always.

And that's by design.  From the day he arrived in Batavia in 2021, Robbie Nichols has talked about wanting players on his team who are willing to make themselves part of the community for the two summer months they're in Batavia.

Manager Joey Martinez wants to recruit the best baseball talent he can, and he thinks he and his staff have built a special and talented team for 2023, but he told The Batavian in a pre-season interview that character is also part of the recruiting evaluation.

"We try to just get guys that are going to come into this community and be a part of it," Martinez said. "(We want them to) represent the Muckdogs name everywhere and every day."

Bardenwerper said that community commitment is obvious and it's paying dividends. 

"Robbie and Nellie, the owners, as well as Joey Martinez, as manager, have fostered a community spirit," Bardenwerper said. "It's part of their responsibility in the summer to do everything they can to be there for the community, to support the community.”

Bardenwerper is a non-fiction writer who is working on a book that will look at the demise of the New York Penn-League through the lens of the Batavia Muckdogs. 

He spent a good deal of time in Batavia last season, attending games, interviewing fans, and getting to know the community and its love of baseball.  He wasn't around in the affiliated-Muckdogs days, but he's seen the community embrace the collegiate Muckdogs.

He said professional minor league players tend to be more distant. They quickly grow accustomed to playing before larger crowds, so they're less engaged with the fans.

"These players (the current Muckdogs) love interacting with the fans," Bardenwerper said. "They're often from smaller schools where they might get 100 people in the stands. Now they're playing in front of thousands of people.”

There's no doubt, Bardenwerper said, the quality of play isn't the same.  There are fewer pitchers throwing 95 mph, fewer home runs, and more errors, but collegiate baseball at this level has its advantages for baseball fans, as well, the writer noted.

"Joe Maddon (former major league manager) wrote that 35 percent of the at-bats in major league games these days, you do not need anybody on the field except a pitcher, a catcher and a batter (because 35 percent of at-bats now end in a strikeout or a home run), and until this year, because of the pitch clock, baseball became slow," Bardenwerper said.  "This baseball, the kind you see at these games, is like a throwback to what you used to see at games.  You see steals. You see hit-and-runs.  You see more extra-base hits. 

Joey Martinez is an aggressive manager.  There's more action on the basepaths. There's nobody with statistics, a spreadsheet, and a computer telling the manager every decision he should make.  This is more like going back and watching a baseball game in the 1980s.  The players aren't as gifted, but you could make the argument that games are a lot more fun to watch."

If not for the pandemic, Bardenwerper wouldn't be writing about the Muckdogs.  In 2019, he pitched his publisher on writing a book about the Appalachian League. He was going to visit all those small towns in 2020, get to know them and their teams, and chronicle small-town baseball through that lens. But the 2020 season got canceled by COVID, and by 2021, neither the Appalachian League nor the New York-Penn League existed.

Eliminating those leagues, at least according to the explanations given by MLB leaders, Bardenwerper said, made little sense.  The excuse given was MLB wanted to protect their precious and expensive talent from 12-hour bus trips and substandard stadiums.  While those might be valid complaints in leagues out west, it wasn't true of leagues in the Northeast.  For the most part, even in the NYPL, which had expanded its boundaries in recent years, teams were within a few hours of each other, and with a couple of exceptions in the Appalachian League, playing conditions were good.

"The reasons offered for contraction were disingenuous and not consistent with the teams that were contracted," Bardenwerper said.

But what has become MLB's loss has become Batavia's gain, especially for young fans who are made more a part of the atmosphere at Dwyer Stadium. Kids can get autographs, baseballs, and batting gloves from players at any time, even while there's action on the field. Young fans are never told not to bother players in the dugouts and bullpens.  The players never act like they don't hear the kids, turn a cold shoulder and walk away.

And that's an important part of the connection with the community, Bardenwerper said.

"The kids don't know the difference between these college kids and the next Bryce Harper," Bardenwerper said. "They just see these guys in cool uniforms signing autographs."

Given the fan-friendly atmosphere at Dwyer these days, it's doubtful many fans walked away from Tuesday's game dissatisfied, even though the home team fell to 2-2 on the young season with a loss to Niagara Power, 3-1.

Photos by Howard Owens. For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.

Statement from Batavia City School District Superintendent Jason Smith:

Dear BCSD Families and Community, 

As you may have seen on the news, experts believe the air quality issues we’ve been experiencing due to the fires in Canada will continue in the coming days. 

Therefore, all BCSD outdoor activities are canceled on Wednesday, June 7

We are in talks with Section V regarding tomorrow’s Sectional Flag Football game. As of right now, the game is scheduled to go on as planned, but please keep an eye on our BCSD Facebook page for the most up-to-date information, as the status may change. 

We’ll continue to provide district-wide updates should the air quality issues continue. I’ve also discussed the situation with our Buildings and Grounds team, and they assure me there are no concerns with indoor air quality at this time. 

For additional information on the status of individual school-based activities, like class field trips, you will get more information from your child’s school directly. Please reach out to your child’s main office if you have any questions.  
 

Thank you.

Jason Smith

Superintendent of Schools

UPDATE 10:11 p.m.: The Batavian has asked other district superintendents for their plans for Wednesday. We will update this post and information is released to us.

• Le Roy: Superintendent Merritt Holly said that the district's participation in the Kinderfarmin event in Pavilion, an outside event, has been canceled. Also, physical education classes and recess activities will also remain inside unless the projected air quality levels improve.

UPDATE June 7 at 9 a.m.: 

• Oakfield-Alabama: Superintendent John Fisgus sent the following message to the school community: "The recent forest fires in Canada have significantly impacted the air quality in our WNY region. Based upon the guidance we have received from our various health and weather authorities and out of an abundance of caution, we will be limiting all outdoor activities today, Wednesday, June 7." Some information for today: The ES KInderfarming trip has been canceled. All outdoor activities (recess, PE classes) are canceled for today. Students will remain indoors. The HS Sports Awards Ceremony will continue tonight as scheduled.
• Elba: From Superintendent Gretchen Rosales, "We have been carefully monitoring the air quality index and have been in contact with the Department of Health regarding safe practices for our students and staff.  At this time, we have postponed one outdoor field trip and are holding PE and recess indoors today.  Otherwise, we are holding off on wider cancellations as the air quality index can fluctuate.  While we are taking a wait-and-see approach, we also encourage our Lancer family to always make the best decisions for their children; should any parent or guardian wish to have their child remain indoors for the time being, we will certainly honor their decision."

UPDATE 1:25 p.m.: Elba is holding all activities indoors.

For the second night in a row, the Batavia Muckdogs played a home game in front of a sellout crowd and got another win, this time beating Niagara Power, 807.

Ryan Kinney picked up the win, going three innings and striking out five hitters.

Rijnaldo Euson came up with the save, getting one strikeout in his one inning of work.  

Neither pitcher allowed a hit nor a run.

Josh Leadem went 1-2 with two walks, two runs scored and three stolen bases.

Giuseppe Arcuri went 3-3 with one run, two RBIs, and a Walk.

The Muckdogs, now 2-1, take on Power again tonight at 6:35 p.m. There is currently no plan to reschedule the game.
 

The worst fire season on record in Canada, according to news reports, is causing a decline in air quality throughout large parts of the United States, including Western New York.

As a result, Batavia City Schools are canceling all outdoor activities for the rest of the day, on the advice of the County Health Department, Superintendent Jason Smith announced.

"There are no concerns with indoor air quality at this time," Smith said.

The cancellation includes the annual color run at John Kennedy Intermediate School.

In Canada, more than 6.7 million acres have already burned in 2023.

In Quebec, around 14,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes. More than 150 fires are still burning in the province, according to CBC News. In Nova Scotia, officials said Sunday one wildfire covers nearly 100 square miles, was still burning out of control, The Associated Press reported.

UPDATE 1:03 p.m.: The Batavia Girls Flag Football sectional semifinal game scheduled for tonight has been postponed until 7 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, at 7 p.m., at Van Detta Stadium.  Tickets already purchased for the game can be used tomorrow.

UPDATE 2:10 p.m.: We asked other school superintendents for updates on their districts' plans.  Here is what we currently know:

• Oakfield-Alabama: Nothing scheduled, no cancelations plans currently.
• Pavilion: No after-school activities scheduled, so nothing has been canceled, and Superintendent Mary Kate Hoffman notes: "We have shared information with our faculty about current air quality conditions and appropriate precautions. ...We will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary precautions."
• Byron-Bergen:  The following statement was issued to parents: "Due to outdoor air quality advisories, Byron-Bergen schools are limiting outdoor activities for the remainder of the day. This includes after-school outdoor activities and sports."

Photos and information submitted by Jason Smith.

Fourteen young people from Ascension and Resurrection parishes in Batavia were confirmed by Bishop Michael Fisher during Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo. 

Confirmation is one of the seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church.  

The newly confirmed were sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to the faith of the Church, signified when the Bishop makes the sign of the cross with chrism oil on their foreheads.  

The sacrament of Confirmation represents full entry into the Catholic Church. Each candidate also chooses a sponsor to support them in their faith journey.