John Roach’s question of what to do with newly found free time was answered Thursday after he was one of two candidates voted in for Richmond Memorial Library’s Board of Trustees.
Up to this year, Roach has been “very busy” the last 29 years helping out with the Boy Scouts, he said.
“It was every Wednesday helping out with a Boy Scout troop and one weekend every month, and then two weeks every summer. But we don’t have a charter any more, we don’t have enough boys to keep the troop going. So as of January I’ve had a lot of free time, and somebody saw that there was going to be two openings and mentioned this to me, and I said you know, I’ve got the time, why not?” he said to The Batavian Thursday. “I’ve always been a library supporter. Even in the age of computers, I still go to the library. I use the reading material, we’ve used the rooms for helping boys from the other troops with merit badges.
“I’ve gone head to head with the Libertarians, who believe that there should be no public libraries, they should be eliminated,” he said. “I’m a big supporter of the library.”
District residents gave candidate Felipe Oltramari top billing with 270 votes, followed by Roach with 159 and Christina Mortellaro 123.
They also approved the proposed 2024-25 budget of $1,696,912, an increase of $13,814 with a property tax levy of $1,395,283, with a vote of 225 yes to 69 no.
It’s the first time in quite awhile there has been a contested race for the library board, Roach said, which didn’t deter him from running. A native of Kenmore, he moved to Batavia in 1974 and has been active in local groups and committees, including having served on the city’s Charter Commission twice and the Mall Operating Committee for one term, and has been an outspoken city resident at City Council meetings.
Roach is a Vietnam War veteran and is retired from the state Department of Corrections as a senior counselor.
He said he believes the library “seems to be doing well,” with a 2024-25 budget increase of 1% and an expense line mostly attributed to medical and building contents insurance costs, he said.
In comparing the duties of a library board member to government entities, he sees his new responsibility slightly different.
“As far as the trustee job, basically you just oversee what's been going on; if the director thinks that there's a capital improvement or something that needs to be done, she comes and the trustees look at it and if that's a worthy project and they look and see if they have the money to do it. That's basically an oversight, a lot less than say, like City Council or the county Legislature where they're setting policies and everything,” he said. “They don't really seem to set as much policy as oversee the policies that are already there. I'll get to know a whole lot more once I start attending the meetings more regularly.”
The only downside so far is the date of when he will be sworn in for office. That is to happen in July.
“It’s on my wife’s birthday,” he said.
Oltramari said that he was very thankful and honored for the support of the people who came out to vote.
“My family and I have been regular patrons of the library, especially when my girls were little. My wife, Laurie, worked there in the past and so we know and care for many of the people who work there and who serve on the board of trustees,” he said. “I was recruited to run for the board because I had mentioned in the past that it would be an interesting position. We love libraries and I don’t have a particular agenda. I just hope to help the great people who work there serve the community and be a good steward of this wonderful community asset and the taxpayers’ dollars.”
Oltramari has been a resident of the city of Batavia for the past 17 years. Along with his wife, they have raised two daughters in Batavia. He has been the director of Planning for Genesee County for more than 20 years.
Rain or shine, the Genesee County Master Gardeners will be hosting their annual Spring Garden Gala on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 East Main Street in Batavia.
This annual plant sale features a variety of perennials, many of which are from the gardens of Master Gardeners. There will also be a selection of houseplants. The plant sale starts promptly at 10 a.m. No early birds, please.
Visit the Basket Auction for garden art, gift certificates, and a variety of themed baskets. Basket Auction drawing starts at 12:30 p.m. Gently used garden books will also be for sale.
Our garden shed sale was so popular last year, that we’re doing it again! We’ll have an assortment of gently used or maybe never used, gardening items such as containers, tools, signs, and garden decor. This will be set up in the parking lot area near the garden shed.
Bring in a soil sample from your garden or lawn for a free pH test. A half-cup sample of your garden soil in a clean container is needed for the test.
Master Gardeners will also be available to answer your gardening questions.
Don’t miss your chance to pick up some great plants at great prices, plus garden art and other interesting items. Arrive at 10 a.m. for the best plant selection. Proceeds from the sale benefit the educational outreach of the Genesee County Master Gardener Program.
For more information contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, at 585-343-3040, ext. 101, or stop by the Extension office at 420 East Main Street in Batavia.
Visit our website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events for more information. Like us on our Facebook page for Gala and Master Gardener program updates https://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee.
The Batavia Society of Artists is having its Spring Member's Art Exhibit for the month of May at the Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia.
Free opening reception in the Gallery Room on Tuesday, May 7 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
The Judge is Jill Pettigrew and the winners will be announced at 7 p.m. The Virginia Carr-Mumford Scholarship will be awarded then to GCC student Kathryn Blankenship.
Light refreshments will be served. Please come and enjoy this Free Art Show, all are welcome!
The staff of Smith's Great Outdoors: Ray Smith, Bayden Smith, Matt Welch, Kevin Corser, Randy DeMars. Photo by Howard Owens.
A better spot with more room was a strong incentive to change locations, said Ray Smith, owner of Smith's Great Outdoors, which sells most things any dedicated hunter or fisherman might need.
For the past few years, Smith's has been located at Lewiston Road and Veterans Memorial Drive, near Applebees.
The store is now at 8282 Park Road, Batavia. There will be a grand opening from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
"We've always enjoyed the outdoors on hunting, and so why not do it (own a store)" Smith said. "The kids work here so it's great. Brayden is in college. He helps out from college, and my two daughters help out here and there with this and that, and my wife helps. Then we've got a good group of employees to make it all happen."
The location also offers more parking, and the lot is easier to get in and out of, Smith said.
"The main thing here is more room, so we can expand some more and put in a range," Smith said.
He said the range is still early in the planning stages, but it will be inside. He's looking at a 40-yard range, but he's not sure how many targets yet.
"We're just kind of in the beginning stages of that," Smith said.
Smith's has a large selection of guns, bows, crossbows, accessories, reloading supplies, and bait and tackle.
There's no gunsmith at the store, but Smith said the staff can clean guns and do minor repairs.
"We got a new full-time archery kid starting in May," Smith said. "He'll be here all week long, and he'll be able to do any bow, fix just about whatever problems people have."
He invited everybody to come out to the grand opening on Saturday.
"We'll have the Elba High School track team here," Smith said. "They will be selling hotdogs and hamburgers, and we'll have a whole bunch of different reps from different product lines here and a whole bunch of specials, and we've got a bunch of good giveaways and stuff going to go on."
Buffalo-Native Timothy Onello has been named president and CEO of Chapin International, taking over from Jim Campbell, who is retiring.
Onello is taking over a company that now has production facilities in the U.S. and overseas but was founded in Oakfield 140 years ago.
The firm is celebrating its 140th anniversary in June.
From 2020 until February of this year, Onello was VP and general manager of ITW, a Fortune 200 company. He was based in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Prior to joining ITW, he spent nearly 12 years with JPW Industries in Nashville, rising to the position of VP and general manager.
He has MBAs from Thunderbird School of Global Management and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and a bachelor of science in marketing and psychology from Northern Michigan University.
He's also held positions at Hilti Tools, Positec Tools, and Irwin Industrial Tools.
GO ART! is running a 4 week Saturday morning kids Culinary class starting May 4.
This class is tailored to students in grades 1-6. Each week we will be baking, cooking or learning about proper safety in the kitchen. All supplies will be included.
Genesee County is upgrading essential infrastructure at County Building No. 1 and the Old County Courthouse to address water penetration concerns and ensure the safety of all occupants and visitors.
Project Details:
May 3 - Protective enclosures will be installed around entrances to County Building No. 1 to ensure safety during roof and exterior masonry work.
May 6 - Masonry work will commence on the parapet walls, followed by the roof recovery of County Building No. 1 and copper installation at the east entrance of the Old County Courthouse.
During the project, all entrances will remain accessible.
A protective enclosure for material storage will temporarily block off the central sidewalk, but access will still be available on both the east and west sides of the courtyard.
The projects are expected to be completed by the end of June with a 2-week additional window for inclement weather.
Although minimal disruption to daily operations is expected, a safe working zone is of top priority, and the following safety measures have been implemented:
Designated areas for materials and equipment storage.
Parking adjustments, including dumpsters in a street parking zone and coned-off contractor access to the lawn.
Protective enclosures around entrances to County Building No. 1
Please see the included staging plan for more details.
We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of all during this construction period.
Spring into action and mark your calendars for the 2024 Spring Consignment Auction starting May 1st and wrapping up on May 8th.
Get revved up to bid on an array of vehicles, equipment, trailers, farm implements, machinery, lawn & garden tools, power tools, building supplies, and much more! There are over 1000 lots on the auction block.
Don't miss out on the fun - hop online to bontragerauction.com to place your bids.
Swing by for a sneak peek at the auction on Saturday, May 4th, from 10 am to 12 pm. You'll find it at Bontrager's Auction Center, 8975 Wortendyke Rd, Batavia, NY.
Merchandise pick-up is scheduled from Thursday, May 9th through Saturday, May 11th.
Pictured left to right, YWCA Women of Inspiration award recipients Judy Fuller, Sue Gagne, Susie Ott and Sandy Wojtaszczyk. Photo by Steve Ognibene
You just never know when you’re going to make a difference in someone’s life, Sandy Wojtaszczyk says.
“We don’t always know what difference we make; no matter where you volunteer or what you do in your job, we never know. You never know what impact you have on anybody,” Wojtaszczyk said during this year’s Women of Inspiration Awards lunch at Batavia Downs.
In her line of work in Social Services, with 15 out of 25 years as supervisor of the Child Protective unit, she had to do some of the hardest jobs by removing kids from their home situations and then wondering if she made a positive difference.
She began her career at Genesee County Department of Social Services in 1998. In 2009, she became a department supervisor and was charged with training new workers in her unit regarding child abuse and the safety of children in Genesee County. In 2013, Wojtaszczyk received an award for her Outstanding Achievements in Law Enforcement. In 2021, she received the Leadership Genesee Outstanding Alumnus Award.
During her career, she collaborated with many agencies, including YWCA, CASA, Juvenile Justice, Genesee County Family Courts, Genesee County schools, and law enforcement to ensure the safety of the children she served.
“And I always hope that removing kids from a situation that's really, really bad. That is what can be done, knowing that I could have saved a child's life somewhere along the line. Will I ever know that? No,” she said. “I worked with teenagers for a period of time prior to being a supervisor. And I still am in contact with some of those girls. They sometimes call me, and they see me on the street … I still have Facebook friends, a lot of Facebook friends out there.
“But you know, I look at that, and I don't think that I have an impact, but I did have an impact on their lives,” she said. “They were in foster care, and they didn't have good role models. And hopefully, that's what I was for them.”
She also talked about being involved in volunteer activities, from the early days of Jerry Lewis telethons and 4-H walkathons to current Salvation Army food drives to help out families at Christmas.
It’s that giving spirit that she shares with the other recipients, including Judy Fuller, Susie Ott and Sue Gagne.
Fuller volunteers many hours coordinating and managing My Sisters Closet for the YWCA of Genesee County. She has taken this on as her own and is always trying to come up with new ideas to help the program grow and reach more people in the community. The Closet supports and provides clothing to women in the nonprofit’s Domestic Violence program.
Fuller said that her primary role has been to help victims of domestic violence access clothing and other items “that they might not have,” she said.
“And anybody who hasn’t worked comes in for a job interview, and they get free clothes, so I help anybody who needs it,” she said.
Ott is very active in the community, supporting many agencies and projects. She is currently the president of Batavia Rotary, chair of the United Way Day of Caring, treasurer of Batavia Job Development, board member of United Memorial Medical Center, and committee member of the Wings Over Batavia Air Show.
She has received several awards for her volunteer work and community support, including the 2011 Leadership Genesee Outstanding Alumnus Award, the 2007 and 2022 Rotary Club Paul Harris Award, the 2015 Geneseean of the Year and the 2017 United Way Barber Conable Award.
Ott shared a quote that echoed Wojtaszczyk’s sentiments: Your impact on other people is bigger than you think.
“Someone still giggles when they think of something funny that you said. Someone still smiles when they think of a compliment you gave them. Someone silently admires you. The advice you give has made a difference for people,” she said. “So I encourage everyone to continue giving back to the community and have fun while doing so. If you’re ever looking for ways to be involved, I have some ideas. And I’ll leave you with a quote by Les Brown: It’s in every day there are 1440 minutes. That means you have 1440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.”
Gagne has been a proactive human service advocate, volunteer and employee for decades. She has an extensive background in mental health, criminal justice and substance use disorders.
Early in her career, she worked at ARC and as an assistant for the Genesee County Mental Health Association, later becoming a director. She volunteered on the board of directors for NAMI NYS, The GOW Opioid Task Force and the Suicide Prevention Task Force for GOW. She was instrumental in the founding of the GCASA Recovery Station and worked as coordinator of the Recovery Station through COVID.
Gagne is currently the assistant director of Adult Services at Wyoming County Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Genesee County. While working, she completed her degree in nursing at GCC and received the Leadership Award. She is now furthering her education at Brockport State College.
She shared a tip that she has learned from author and speaker John Maxwell about being an inspirational leader. It has to do with performing a daily habit that includes others throughout one’s day.
“He wakes up every morning, looks over his calendar and starts thinking about who he will see that day and how he can add value to them. He’d intentional about it,” Gagne said. “In the Bible, the book of Ephesians tells us that we are God’s handiwork, and if we think about that, you might be the answer to somebody’s prayer. Remember, you have a gift to give this world.
Her final words were to encourage others, especially if anyone struggles with knowing “how special and unique you are.”
“Get around good people,” she said. “My pastor continually tells us the person you will be in five years depends on the books you read and the friends you keep. So get around people who will encourage you, value and help you grow.”
In recognition that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is hosting an Open House in our Reception Area from 9 - 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 16. It will take place at our office at 319 West Main Street in the Crickler Executive Business Center in Batavia.
The public is invited to stop by and learn how the Independent Living Center works with people who are facing mental health challenges.
For additional information, call Catherine DeMare at 585-815-8501, extension 400.
Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.
Chapin International would like to announce that Jim Campbell, longtime CEO and President of the company, will be retiring at the end of 2024. Jim has not just guided but rather propelled Chapin through tremendous growth over the last twenty years of management.
Since assuming the reins as CEO, Chapin has experienced exponential growth of over 400%, broadening its footprint with facilities in four states and two foreign countries, all under his visionary leadership.
Chapin's product portfolio has expanded from a market scope solely focused on sprayers to a multitude of adjacent categories, including lawn and salt spreaders, bird food and accessories, water and irrigation products, and custom blow molding. Chapin continues to develop new product offerings and expand within the market today.
When asked about retirement, Jim quickly acknowledges that his team and all the folks who work in Batavia and the outside businesses have been critical to Chapin's continued success.
“All good things happen because people pull together and make things happen,” said Campbell. “I am really proud to have worked with the men and women at Chapin. It is hard to leave as these are some of the best friends I have in the world. As I prepare to retire and join all my friends who have gone before me, I feel good about leaving the company in a very strong financial position, much larger, more resilient, and more diverse than when I started many years ago.”
Jim has been named to the Buffalo Business First List of the Power 250, recognizing the most influential people in Western New York's business community, for the last three years running.
Jim will continue to assist at Chapin from “time to time” in between fishing and working on his orchard.
We wish Jim a long and enjoyable retirement, which he has certainly earned. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and the indelible mark he has left on Chapin International.
A portion of this handicap sidewalk with railing at Dr. Joseph Canzoneri's office is to be removed as part of the new city police station construction, staff says, prompting the doctor to seek out a new temporary space for the next two years. Photo by Joanne Beck
John and Debbie Konieczny have been frequent fliers in the downtown medical community for the last twenty years, getting their dental, podiatry and chiropractic needs met there.
With physical challenges — he has ulcers on the bottom of his 68-year-old feet, and she has had two knee replacements, and both use canes to walk — they are now biding their time that adjacent handicapped parking will be restored next to their doctors’ offices.
“You can’t find parking on Washington, or if you do, you have to climb up the curb to get in, and it’s not safe when the grass is wet. We don’t know what the next step is, if he’s gonna have to be put in a wheelchair, if that’s the case, we won’t be coming,” Mrs. Konieczny, 72, said Monday while waiting for her appointment at Dr. Thomas Mazurkiewicz’s office at 184 Washington Ave. “I’m not making any decision because I know we both need his service, and my dentist is right next door. So there’s got to be something that can be done. They haven’t even broke ground yet, and they’ve got it all fenced off.”
She suggested that the city should have just taken the JC Penney building for a new police facility. However, that site was purchased quite awhile ago by a West Coast developer. According to consultant studies, the current police station at 10 W. Main St. has already been deemed too costly and awkward to retrofit for a police station that would work for all of the city’s needs.
She said Mr. Konieczny cannot get to Canzoneri’s office, though, given his issues, he cannot afford to stop seeking medical care.
To be clear, it was fairly easy to walk to Canzoneri’s office on Monday. But there is to be a fence installed right up to the sidewalk, and a portion of the walkway removed as construction progresses, staff said. At that point, no one will have a path for getting into the office as there is no second entrance, and the sidewalk from State Street has uneven blocks of the walk and a hill from the street up toward a more level portion, which will make it difficult for people with canes, crutches and wheelchairs, staff said.
Canzoneri posted a notice on his building door and sent out a press release Monday that stated his business, Advanced Podiatry Associates, is making every effort to accommodate patients during the construction of the city police station. The doctor is currently attempting to secure a new temporary location for his practice with plenty of handicap accessibility and ample parking for the next two years.
Meanwhile, a staff member said there have been several cancellations—about 15 a day—since construction and a lack of nearby parking began three weeks ago.
Mazurkiewicz’s office staff said his practice lost 10 to 15 patients in that same period, in addition to having more “no-shows.”
Next door is dentist Dr. Adam Gregor, who has been in the space since February 2022. He has a solid clientele of 3,000 people who have remained with him, though frustrated and late for appointments at times, he said.
“I think to a certain extent, I don't think I've dealt with the same hardships as some other businesses here. I haven't had patients that have had to cancel their appointments that I'm aware of. I think for the most part, some patients are coming in late, understandably so. But for the most part, the patients I have scheduled, I still am able to see them. It's just sometimes they're late. Oftentimes, they're frustrated. But we're getting through it.
I think most of us, as business owners, are on the same page. We're not trying to hang up this project, or delay this project, or stop the project, it's just a matter of, what was presented to us originally, is different than the current situation. If we had been aware of what the true situation would have been, I think we would have been able to give some input or try to prevent some of these problems from developing. So, mainly, it's just a patient safety issue. It's one thing for a healthy patient to make a little extended walk, but for these patients that need handicapped parking or have difficulty with mobility, those are the people we're trying to look out for the most.”
Business owners have met with city management and council members, and Gregor said he thinks “they are aware of our concerns.” He said that the owners have been vocal and issued a petition to garner support from patients and the public, which has at least 300 signatures. But now it seems to be a matter of timing.
“I think they understand how serious of a concern it can be, I think they are listening. It’s just a matter of these measures: how fast can we implement them? Like, we needed them yesterday,” he said. “So that’s the thing: we don’t know how long or what kind of timetable we’re looking at.”
The Batavian reached out to City Manager Rachael Tabelski for an update on the situation and to respond to a business owner’s contention that more parking spots were being removed in the Alva and Bank lot Monday morning.
“The fence has not moved today,” Tabelski said. “Updates in the next few days with parking accommodations.”
A patch of grass was being dug up alongside a sidewalk on the south side of the Washington Avenue buildings. Marc Johnson of Millennium Computer had previously offered use of his grassy property for a parking area, and Tabelski seemed to favor the idea. However, nothing official has been announced about that idea.
The bottom line for Gregor and Mazurkiewicz was to restore the first row of parking alongside the parking lot side of Washington Avenue businesses for handicapped parking. Other solutions that still put patients on Washington Avenue aren’t free from issues, such as what Kate, a paraplegic who didn’t want her last name used, deals with on a regular basis.
Kate goes to Mazurkiewicz in her modified truck with a door that opens up like a Lamborghini.
“And I usually require a handicap spot with the crosshatch lines. Well, of course, the Jerome Center doesn't have those handicapped ones; they only just have handicapped spots. That's it. So how the hell am I supposed to get out of my truck?" she said. "So now I’ve got to drive around trying to find an end spot to get out of my truck, then I have to take my button, go all the way around to my appointment, not to mention right in the middle of trying to get on the sidewalk. There's huge, ginormous stones. So I had to go over those, and one almost got in my tire and stuck in it."
Parking on the street would mean opening that big door onto the street side, she said. And she’s apprehensive about the way people drive while she’d attempt getting in and out of her vehicle if parked on Washington.
“Not on this street. Absolutely not. I wouldn't trust it in a heartbeat,” she said. “People are not paying attention like some of them run through (the stop sign) or just texting and driving or yelling at a kid or something. They're not paying attention.”
She is used to some inconveniences, such as ignorance about giving her vehicle adequate space and respecting handicap rules, and isn’t sure how this whole thing will shake out over the next 18 months.
“That's another thing I hate about people with those stickers because they're taken away from us. Like, it's just not fair. And then I have a thing on my door that says, I have a modified vehicle, you know, park at least 15 feet away. Nobody reads it. And just ignorance. So, like I said, I don't think there's a solution to this,” she said. “And I don't know how long it's gonna take, but I mean, it's definitely like I had to come, I don't know, 25 minutes earlier to this appointment. Usually, I'm in and out in five minutes.”
Beyond the city’s support, another group — the downtown Business Improvement District — has been oddly quiet, some city business owners, including former BID President Paul Marchese said.
All of the businesses involved in this issue pay BID property taxes and are members of the nonprofit group. Marchese emailed 33 BID members, encouraging them to unite and send a message to the city that what’s happening to those dozen businesses is not right and should be resolved.
A member of the Batavia Town Planning Board, Marchese is familiar with how state environmental quality reviews (SEQR) happen, and believes that perhaps this project didn’t merit a negative declaration, which means there would be no negative impact on the surrounding area and entities due to the project.
The city filed a negative SEQR. “This is as far from that as possible. We would like SEQRA reopened, and the declaration changed to a positive one. We also request the fencing be removed and replaced with the one shown originally to all affected that provided them with parking in the lot of their respective businesses,” he said.
He also wanted to make clear that “we also resolve we are in full support of the police and all other emergency workers” as opposed to statements made by city leaders implying otherwise. He implored BID members to take a stand and have a voice instead of remaining silent in the face of the ongoing battle between those 12 businesses and city management.
Marchese was not certain who the current BID president was. The Batavian contacted BID Executive Director Shannon Maute for a current list of board members and president and asked if BID was going to respond to the parking issue. She did not return the phone call or email a response as requested.
Advanced Podiatry Associates PLLC is making every effort to accommodate our patients during the construction of the city police station. We Sincerely appreciate your loyalty and patience during this time. Dr. Canzoneri is currently attempting to secure a new temporary location for his practice with plenty of handicap accessibility and ample parking for the next two years. We are doing everything we can to facilitate your continued trust and confidence in the care we provide.
File Photo of Kathy Panepento and Betty James at Crossroads House. Photo by Joanne Beck
Talk about dedication — as Kathy Panepento worked toward getting a comfort care home on its feet, one of its volunteer board members, Cindy Lowder, began alongside her before one was even established.
Lowder recalled how, when she was an Avon representative selling her cosmetics line, Panepento would fill her in on the pursuit for that perfect place to fill the void for a suitable hospice-type home.
“She had found the house, and she took me there one day. And she walked me through it, and I looked at it. And I looked at her, and I said, ‘You’ve got to be crazy girl. How are you ever going to get this house livable?’ It was really quite the disaster because it had been let go for quite a few years,” Lowder said to The Batavian. “But she had her dream, and she said I think we can make this work, we can make this work. And she certainly did. I mean, the house is a lovely, peaceful place now. You would never know, going through it now, what it looked like 20 — how many years? 25, 26 years?”
Not only was Lowder’s attention captured all those years ago, but so too was her heart, and she jumped on board, literally, for the next 16 years.
Even before they had the house, the first board meeting was in February of 1996, and fundraising began immediately for the legal fees to become incorporated and tax-exempt. A few months later, the board acquired a vacant home, formerly the manse for the Batavia First Presbyterian Church at 11 Liberty St., for a dollar a month rent. The church leadership had contemplated tearing the place down to make the parking lot bigger but believed in the Crossroads mission enough to make the generous offering.
Community donations of volunteer labor, including twice from local prisons, materials, services, furnishings, gardening supplies and green thumbs, remodeling, and ongoing fundraisers helped to renovate the house and grounds.
Staff was hired, volunteers were trained, the house was named, marketing had begun, and after enough funds were raised to open the doors and provide services two years later, Crossroads House accepted the first resident on Jan. 7, 1998.
“We now can provide the home-like setting to the dying while the staff and volunteers become the dying individual’s surrogate extended family in an atmosphere of love and support 24 hours a day,” Panepento said. “We are truly blessed and are deeply thankful for having such a supportive community, caring professional staff, dedicated selfless volunteers and an active working board of directors. Without all of these, Crossroads House would not be. Thank you to all of you who made my dream a reality.”
Throughout that time, there were countless fundraisers as that “disaster” turned into a warm and inviting home and haven for hundreds of terminally ill people to live out their remaining time with dignity and, oftentimes, fun, cookies, laughter, healing tears, and hugs.
After eight or so years at the nonprofit, Lowder’s own mother became a resident, which, she said, added another level of meaning to how people care and are cared for at 11 Liberty St. in Batavia.
“I always knew from a business standpoint what an asset Crossroads House was, but I learned from a very personal standpoint when my own mother passed there,” she said. “I got to be the daughter again and take take a break from the caretaker role. That is huge; that’s the best part about Crossroads House.”
Panepento’s vision reached a quarter-century marker for the site in January 2023 that she hadn’t imagined when the doors first opened, she said, and there’s a newly hired director, Tracy Ford, that she feels confident about. Throw in the fact that her husband Frank is also retiring this year — on the same day of June 28 along with his wife — and she’s actually able to let go of this place she’s held dear the last 25 years.
“I hope she does retire and let herself enjoy life. She’s such a hard worker,” Lowder said. “I think it’s going to be hard for her to distance herself from the caretaker role; it’s just her fabric. She laid down the groundwork. The house is in a good position: she has a phenomenal director. Tracy was the right person at the right time and the right place.”
Lowder loved her time on the board and believes “we made a lot of leaps and bounds” during it, she said. She wasn’t alone in thinking fondly about those early days of Crossroads. Betty James, a registered nurse, met Panepento seven years before the house was established.
“We were drawn together as good friends,” James said. “She’s a great teacher, she opened the door for me, I found my passion with hospice.”
James said that to someone who had a facial reaction of confusion about why anyone would want to work in a field of dying people. “People can’t get their head around it,” she said. “It isn't like you're happy they're dying. They don't understand that. It's just so fulfilling, and you get so close to the people. Because life is condensed at that time, they’d love to talk to somebody who cares and opens up. Sometimes they’re more comfortable talking to the staff rather than their family because they don’t want to make them cray or unhappy. I’ve got those memories, but I am not that involved in it anymore.”
James was not only present when the nonprofit was founded but also experienced divine intervention when the name Crossroads House was whispered in her ear during a lunch meeting.
Nobody else heard it, mind you, which prompts James to refer to it as a “God wink,” but the name seemed befitting of the mission and rang true in a verse of Jeremiah: “Thus says the Lord, stop at the crossroads and look around you. Ask for the ancient paths, where the good ways, and walk in it. You will find rest for your souls.”
And the next two and a half decades and hundreds or thousands of volunteers and staff ever since have provided that rest for the souls that have stopped at the house.
So, what is next for Panepento?
“When growing up, I was debating whether to be a nurse or a truck driver,” she said. “And I became a nurse, but you know what, I think in my retirement, I’m gonna get my CDL license because I go and have surgeries at Cleveland Clinic and a hospital in New York City because of my rare connective tissue disorder. And after having 31 surgeries, I have to go to top-notch places for this, and many of them have these shuttle buses that go from the different areas within the main clinic … I’ve always loved driving; it’s very relaxing for me. And I said, I could do that in my retirement, and my husband goes, ‘yeah, that’s for sure. They’ll grab you because you’re a nurse.’”
On the more romantic side, she and Frank have a place at Fawn Lake in Bliss, where they plan to swim, walk, and recoup some lost time from busyness. A technology teacher at Batavia Middle School, Frank plans to retire right along with his wife on June 28, she said.
She will stay on with Crossroads as a consultant and trainer for the end-of-life doula program but has forewarned new Director Tracy Ford not to call her during the summer. That time will be spent with family, including grandsons Declan, 5, and Easton, 3.
She wants to pursue the interests she’s had little time for, such as photography, researching her ancestry, and activities other than “reading books on death and dying,” she said.
“So we’ll take the boys fishing and they’ve got tents and sleeping bags, and they want to do some camping,” she said. “And my mom is still alive; she’s 87, and so being around for her.”
Can Panepento really put her Crossroads interest on the shelf for at least the summer? It’s going to be a challenge, she said, but the natural Adirondack beauty of Fawn Lake and being a doting Oma and Pop Pop (Grandma and Grandpa), while also getting those grandparents “back into shape,” is pretty good motivation, she said.
Has there been one major accomplishment or the accumulation of people that you have helped that you feel best about?
“I think the accumulation and being the only comfort care home in Genesee County. I guess I take it for granted. I believe that every human being needs a beautiful death at the end. And, people say, ‘Well, look what you did,’ and it's like, but, you know, I had the dream, and I started it, but I have people helping. You know, it says it takes a village, and it does. We have tons of volunteers, I had many staff members that helped bring my dream to fruition. And that it continues, I had no idea we’d get up to 25 years. I just didn't even think that far,” she said. “But now what I'm happy about is bringing the end-of-life doula program in, and we're going into the community to provide end-of-life doulas in the community. And I was hoping to do that. That was one of the things I wanted to do.”
There is one regret: “I wish I would have been able to open up another comfort care home because there's not enough in Genesee County,” she said. “And maybe now, as a consultant and being on the board, we can work towards that, and maybe within five years, we'll have another one.
2015 File Photo of Kathy Panepento, second from left, when she received the 2015 Women of Distinction Award for Peace. Photo by Howard Owens
As of April 30, Pediatric Associates will join Oak Orchard Health (OOH) in Batavia. Drs. Muhammad S. Idrees, a Board Certified Pediatrician, and Nashiha Shahid, Board Certified in Family Medicine and Geriatrics, will be seeing patients at Oak Orchard’s location at 319 West Main Street, Batavia.
“Oak Orchard Health is pleased to have two experienced physicians join our staff in Batavia. Drs. Idrees and Shahid are both dedicated to their patients and share so many of our core values that it made it an easy decision to add them to our panel of providers,” said Karen Kinter, EO, Oak Orchard Health.
Submitted photo of Dr. Muhammad S. Idrees, a Board Certified Pediatrician.
“I am incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity to embark on this journey at Oak Orchard Health. As a pediatrician, empathy and compassion are at the core of how I interact with my young patients and their families. I strive to understand the full impact of illness on their lives, both physically and emotionally. Oak Orchard Health shares my values of patient-centeredness and helps people from all walks of life. Dr. Shahid and I are looking forward to working at Oak Orchard Health,” said Dr. Muhammad Idrees, pediatrician, Oak Orchard Health (formerly at Pediatric Associates of Batavia).
Submitted photo of Dr. Nashiha Shahid, Board Certified in Family Medicine and Geriatrics.
“Oak Orchard Health shares my belief to serve everyone, no matter their situation. Joining a community health center is another way for me and Dr. Idrees to continue to make a difference and contribute to the well-being of the people in this community. At Oak Orchard Health we’ll be able to give our patients access to additional services such as behavioral health, dental, and vision care. In addition, their care management team helps people overcome obstacles to accessing medical care. This is all a plus for our patients,” said Dr. Shahid, Oak Orchard Health (formerly at Pediatric Associates of Batavia).
Drs. Idrees and Shahid will be joining Oak Orchard providers Mohammadreza Azadfard, MD, Christina Sobczak, PNP, Lauren Rogers, PA, Emily Hein, PNP, and Megan Krebs, LMSW (Behavioral Health).
For more information or to make an appointment, contact Oak Orchard Health at Batavia at 585-599-6446 or visit our website at www.OakOrchardHealth.org.
June 2023 File Photo on opening day of the Genesee Country Farmers Market. Photo by Howard Owens
This year’s Genesee Country Farmers Market will relocate to the corner of School and Jackson streets, across from O’Lacy’s Pub, management announced via social media.
This is perhaps no surprise, given the commotion of a new police facility construction in the lot at Alva Place and Bank Street, staging and redirecting staff and customers to park in other areas, including the parking lot near the JC Penney building where the market has been these past years.
Taking a positive approach, market management also said that the new site will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays beginning in May, before beginning its regular schedule in June. That schedule will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday through November.
“The market is excited about this move and we want you to be as well,” the post stated. “Please spread the positive word and stay tuned for updates.”
Anna Varland carries the ball 60 yards on the opening drive. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Two undefeated Flag Football teams battled it out Wednesday evening for the top spot in Section V Girls Flag Football, and Batavia defeated Monroe by a score of 26-0 at VanDetta Stadium.
On the opening drive, Anna Varland turned a quarterback sneak into a 60-yard TD.
With 3:07 left in the first half, Varland connected with Isabella Walsh for a touchdown. The extra point was good and Batavia was up 14-0.
A couple of possessions later, with 23 seconds left in the half, Nicole Doeringer snags an interception and Walsh scores again for Batavia making it 20-0.
Varland scored Batavia's final TD with 13 minutes left in the game.
Stats:
Anna Varland, 114 yards passing, two TDs, three interceptions, 74 yards rushing, two rushing TDs
Isabella Walsh, 4 carries, 91 Yards two TDs
Jaimin Mcdonald, 8 flag pulls
Aleeza idrees, 4 flag pulls
Kylee Brennan, 11 flag pulls
Grace Parker, 2 interceptions
Nicole Doeringer, 3 interceptions
"Monroe is an extremely tough team, and our girls were up for the task tonight," Coach Ben Bucholtz said. "Defensively, we had Kylee Brennan and Jaimin Macdonald play really well, and then our secondary Nicole Doeringer, Grace Parker and Anna Stevens combined for six interceptions."
Batavia, at 7-0, next plays on Monday at home against Greece Olympia-Odyssey. Game time is 7 p.m.
The Rev. Deacon Diane Cox of Batavia with Bishop Sean Rowe. Submitted Photo
Diane Cox of Batavia seemed to always know her life was headed into nursing, though it was a crooked path by way of working in clerical and as a candy striper and pursuing health education before becoming a registered and faith community nurse, she says.
Cox, who grew up in Albion the daughter and first-generation college student of what she calls a multicultural household — a Polish dad and American Indian mom — obtained her master’s in health education before someone suggested that she go into nursing.
“I wanted to go into health education because I wanted to work with people who really want to make a behavior modification change, and their decision to physically make some changes emotionally, make some changes socially, make some changes spiritually, make some changes in their life, to have a complete model of overall health and wellness. And so I went into education for that,” she said, moving on to what came after she became a nurse. “I worked for six years as a chemo nurse at a private clinic practice. And, you know, having that cancer diagnosis to begin with is a nightmare. And then the hope that these patients give, and you're there a part of their journey, to bring them their hope, and provide them their hope. And sometimes the hope comes to an end, and then you help them cross that journey over to their next spiritual life. I had a spiritual moment. And so from there, I was called to the ordained ministry.”
Her work in both of those fields — the combined effort of those fields — have made Cox one of Rochester Business Journal’s Women of Excellence 2024 Awards honorees. All of them will be recognized during an awards dinner on May 14 at the Riverside Convention Center, 123 E. Main St., Rochester.
As a teenager, Cox was drawn to the human services field and be a support to patients, “to hold their hand” and effect tangible change in their lives, she said. However, after getting her master’s in health education, there weren’t jobs available for what she really wanted to do, so she ended up going to BOCES for her licensed practical nurse degree and then obtained her registered nurse degree from Brockport State College.
Cox had also been a lay person in the Episcopal church and was being called for many duties. It was during this time period that she had a revelation.
“When they say the Holy Spirit comes to you, the Holy Spirit does come to you,” she said. “It is a process spiritually, where you walk through this journey of prayerfulness.”
That process becomes more regimented, in that a committee of people get involved, including the bishop, “who talks to you and works with you spiritually with God, and you make a decision to be ordained,” she said.
Cox made that decision to become an ordained deacon, which precedes becoming a priest, bishop and then presiding bishop for those that choose those next steps. Cox’s heart was pulled toward serving through pastoral care and as a faith community nurse, with ultimate goals to support the underserved, feed the poor and take care of children and the oppressed, and people who don’t otherwise have a voice in the world, “so we advocate for them,” she said.
She began to work at Genesee County Jail in 2016 as a nurse and as a deacon, believing “we’re all children of God.”
“How you believe or what you believe, it’s not for me to decide. I don’t see the biases in the color of people’s skin or language. I’ve worked with people of Pakistan at Rochester General; they did not speak English. It’s just through eye contact and body language. You can still give love and hope and compassion to people; it doesn’t matter whether you speak English, there’s a way to communicate.”
Despite working with many incarcerated individuals, “I’ve never felt unsafe,” she said. Inmates have treated her respectfully, and in return, even when she’s known their criminal records, “I step back, and they’re human beings.”
“A lot of times I do know their crimes; that’s not my job, my job is to see they’re medically taken care of, and spiritually taken care of, and to be treated as a human being with dignity,” she said.
Jail Superintendent William Zipfel has worked with Cox since she was a nurse there, and watched as she filled in when the full-time RN retired in May 2022. She was a “true local angel of mercy,” he said.
“This meant that Diane was our only nurse, serving what is typically a rather medically needy population of jail inmates. She served a population of anywhere from 45 to 70 inmates on a daily basis. This included doing intake health assessments, daily sick calls, making appointments for x-rays, medical specialists, dentist visits and a host of other needs. This also was during the period of the beginning of the COVID pandemic,” he said. “Diane worked daily with our inmate population and our staff to ensure the best quality response to their health care needs and safety. She did daily COVID testing of symptomatic inmates and those coming in on intake. She helped develop our response plan and oversaw the care of those inmates that tested positive. When she herself tested positive she worked from home to ensure appointments were make and kept and necessary prescriptions were ordered.
A cross made by an incarcerated individual for Diane Cox, she says. Photo submitted.
“When COVID hit, visitation, church services and other programs were closed down at the jail,” he said. “With those services shut down, Diane stepped up and, with her ecumenical training and ordination in the Episcopal Church, ministered to the inmates spiritual needs as well. She held church services and helped council inmates who wished to have spiritual guidance.”
Cox works with end-of-life patients throughout Genesee and Wyoming counties under the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, in addition to being subcontracted per diem by Genesee County Jail.
“Since ordination, Deacon Diane has combined her role in the church with her role as a healthcare provider, providing counsel to a number of people in various stages of life, with special attention to the chronically ill and dying. Diane has taken a congregation in Stafford New York through significant losses and has earned their trust as they grieve their losses,” The Rev. Cathy Dempesy-Sims, Canon for Pastoral Care and Congregational Support, said. “Deacon Diane is a testament to the diaconate and her medical knowledge provides comfort and advice to scores of people in the Genesee Region.”
Cox also works part-time for Marktec Products in Batavia, where her husband Bill is CEO. He is “very proud of Diane for her accomplishments and this recognition by the RBJ,” he said.
“She spends many volunteer hours each week fulfilling her role of deacon, as well as her RN work at the County Jail, and at Marktec,” he said. “She is also a great wife.”
How does she manage her own emotions while dealing with death and the intensity of inmate issues? Dogs, food and entertaining, for starters.
“I am an avid chef, I can make you a gourmet hotdog if you want … I can put on a seven-course dinner and not be stressed. I like cooking, gardening, I exercise, go on retreats. I have three rescue dogs,” she said. “I do take me time.”
She plans to further her education by studying to become an end-of-life doula, someone that can help people at the end of their lives just as birthing doulas help with the beginning.
“So, bringing people awareness of what end of life care is and how, no, it’s not easy, but it can be talked about, like planning a birth and everybody’s excited for the birth process, and there are birthing doulas, and so we’re now coming full circle to have dying or death doulas. It’s a preparation.”
Her mom will be 92 and has a seat in the audience to watch her daughter receive this award. It's a humbling and "wow" moment, and not what Cox does it for, she said.
"I just do what I'm called to do, I listen to my heart," she said. "My mom will be quite honored to see my achievements."
Bishop Sean Rowe, Diane and Bill Cox during her ordination. Submitted Photo
2023 File Photo of Diana Leiker and Diane Cox, deacons at St. James Episcopal Church. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Genesee County Office for the Aging invites you to an exciting Open House event on Tuesday, May 14, from 2 - 4 p.m. at 2 Bank Street, Batavia.
Come meet our dedicated staff and learn about our comprehensive programs and services, which positively impact residents of Genesee County. Engage with our team, ask questions, and explore the resources designed to enhance the quality of life for older adults, individuals living with disabilities in our community, and their caregivers.
Enjoy light refreshments and participate in fun activities with chances to win exciting prizes throughout the event!
We encourage everyone to attend and discover the valuable resources available through the Genesee County Office for the Aging. Save the date for May 14 and join us at our Open House!
For more information, please contact Maureen Estabrooks at 585-343-1611 or Maureen.Estabrooks@co.genesee.ny.us.
