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After what’s approaching a two-year lag in the Ellicott Station apartment project in downtown Batavia, there is apparently an interested sponsor in the process of working with the state Office of Homes and Community Renewal and Ellicott Station LLC, property owner Sam Savarino says.

Savarino confirmed Friday that the LLC “has been actively working with another entity to sponsor the project.” Two sources who asked not to be identified, including one close to the project, have disclosed that the sponsor is PathStone Development Corporation.

When asked for comment about this apparent development, Batavia Development Corp. Executive Director Tammy Hathaway said “Personally, PathStone has been my first choice from the initial notice that the current owner could no longer continue the project’s development.”

“Knowing the property will continue to be restricted to affordable housing guidelines, PathStone is the operative organization as they come well-equipped with decades of experience in housing development and management,” Hathaway said Saturday.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski could not confirm that PathStone is taking on the Ellicott Street complex left uncompleted in summer 2023, but she said she would “welcome a professional housing organization like PathStone’s to take over the project, finish building and rent to quality tenants,” she said.

“Supposedly it was discussed at a county housing meeting, I was not in attendance, but had some city staff there,” Tabelski said. “I haven’t been contacted by PathStone’s CEO or HCR lately.”  

The Batavian also called and emailed PathStone President Jason Sackett for comment, with no reply by publication. 

Ellicott Station was on its way to completion with four floors up, tenants selected by lottery, and grant funds, PILOTS, tax credits and exemptions in place by the state, Genesee County Economic Development Center and HCR. 

Later in 2023 Savarino Companies closed for business due to a financial battle with the state Dormitory Authority and stopped work at Ellicott Station, and GCEDC performed a clawback of exemptions and tax credits, claiming that the company didn’t abide by its contract obligations. 

Savarino still maintains that GCEDC’s action is what disabled the project and prevented it from continuing. 

Press Release:

Genesee Community College's (GCC's) Fashion Business Program is proud to unveil the theme for its highly anticipated 44th Annual Fashion Show: "Masterpiece Unfolding." The show will take place on Saturday, May 3, at 5 p.m. in the Richard C. Call Arena, promising an unforgettable evening where fashion and fine art converge.

Throughout history, art has been a driving force of inspiration, shaping culture, design, and personal expression. "Masterpiece Unfolding" will bring these artistic influences to life on the runway, showcasing designs that pay homage to artistic movements throughout history.

"Fashion, like art, tells a story," said Laura Taylor, Associate Professor of Fashion Business and Merchandising. "This year, our students will translate the essence of legendary artistic styles into wearable masterpieces, celebrating the creative evolution that continues to inspire designers today."

Attendees can expect an immersive experience where fashion becomes a canvas, and each design serves as a tribute to the artists of the past and present. Through fabric, texture, and design, "Masterpiece Unfolding" will transform the runway into a gallery of living art.

Join us on Saturday, May 3 at 5 p.m. at the Richard C. Call Arena for a night where fashion meets fine art in a breathtaking celebration of creativity.

For ticket information and sponsorship opportunities, please email fashionshow@genesee.edu or visit gccfashionshow.com.

For more information, contact Vice President of Development, Admissions and External Affairs, Justin Johnston, at 585-345-6809 or via email at jmjohnston@genesee.edu.

Malachi J Nix, 20, of Tonawanda, is charged with burglary 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 2nd, grand larceny 3rd, criminal mischief 3rd, and conspiracy 4th. Nix and another person allegedly broke into Barrett's Batavia Marine on May 27 and stole firearms. He was arrested on Jan. 21, arraigned in City Court and was remanded to the Genesee County Jail.

Clint J. Towne, 44, of Phelps Road, Batavia, and Steven M. Morales, 49, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, are charged with four counts each of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, tampering with physical evidence, criminally using drug paraphernalia 2nd, and aggravated unlicensed operation (Morales). Towne and Morales were arrested on Feb. 13. The was the result of an investigation into the location of a wanted suspect. During a traffic stop, Towne and Morales were allegedly found in possession of 50 grams of cocaine, an ounce of fentanyl, alprazolam tables, 46 sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone strips, and mannitol. Towne is suspected of attempting to destroy evidence. Both were held pending arraignment. The investigation was conducted by Sgt. Andrew Hale, deputies Nicholas Chamoun, Alexander Hasdall, Mason Schultz, Jon Dimming, Zachary Hoy, and Nicholas Jennings.

Marc Christopher James Cook, Jr., no age provided, of Lockport Road, Alabama, was arrested on Feb. 6 on eight separate warrants by members of the Batavia Emergency Response Team (consisting of members of the Sheriff's Office and Batavia PD). The warrants were related to charges of criminal possession of a weapon 3rd and 4th, bail jumping 2nd, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, bail jumping 3rd, criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd, and violation of a family court act. Cook was arraigned and held without bail.

Robert Maynard Smith, 73, of North Street, Blasdell, is charged with menacing 2nd.  Smith is accused of wielding a box cutter knife, threatening a worker at Eagle Star Housing, 2620 West Main St., Batavia, at 6:06 p.m. on Feb. 14. Smith was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Nathan Lee Dunn, 20, of Prospect Avenue, Medina, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .108 or greater, aggravated unlicensed opeatertion 1st, unregistered motor vehicle, driving without financial security.  At 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 2, Deputy Zachary Hoy responded to the parking lot at Batavia Downs to investigate a motor vehicle accident, as a result, Dunn was taken into custody. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Chad Matthew Winkelman, 32, of Fullington Road, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, moving from lane unafely, and drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle. Winkelman was arrested by Deputy Jacob Kipler following a report of a motor vehicle accident at 11:42 p.m. on Feb. 2 on Sandpit Road, Alexander. He was processed at the Genesee Jail and released.

Kenneth G. Muckle, 56, of Franklin Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. Muckle is accused of stealing merchandise from a store (the Sheriff's Office withheld the name of the store) on Veterans Memorial Drive on Feb. 5. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Charles Phillip Stevens, 38, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Stevens was allegedly found in possession of buprenorphine/naloxone and cocaine during a traffic stop on Feb. 10 by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Christopher Earl Merrell, 62, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, and moving from lane unsafely. Merrell was arrested by Deputy James Stack following an investigation into a motor vehicle accident reported at 6:37 a.m. on Feb. 15 on Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Lakeisha A Gibson, 38, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Gibson is accused of hitting another person multiple times during a fight on Bank Street on Jan. 21. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Christina M. Corde, 39, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Dordes is accused of shoplifting from Dollar General on Jan. 15. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Jennifer C. Moscicki, 48, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Moscicki is accused of stealing property from another person on Central Avenue in January 2022. She was arraigned in City Court and released.

Julie L. Dutton, 29, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Dutton is accused of using a counterfeit $100 bill to receive change at a local business on Jan. 20. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Donovan I. Reese, 18, of Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing. Reese is accused of grabbing another person and applying pressure around the person's neck during a fight on Sumner Street on Jan. 16. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Thomas J. Mitchell, 35, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Mitchell was allegedly found in possession of cocaine on Nov. 8 while being arrested on an unrelated matter. He was arrested on Jan. 16 on the drug charge and issued an appearance ticket.

Hailee N. Callicutt, 24, of Batavia, was arrested on Jan. 12 on three warrants. Two warrants were related to traffic stops. She was also charged with bail jumping 3rd. She was arraigned and released.

Jacob J. Frayne, 27, of Darien, was arrested on Jan. 17 on a warrant. He allegedly failed to appear on a prior DWI arrest. He was arraigned and released.

If you’re interested in learning more about how CBD and hemp products can ease pain, anxiety, and various skin conditions, there’s a new place in Batavia with business owners who want to help, Gregg Boose says.

He and partners Anthony Session, Dalton Lamay and Roger Grazioplene hope that the Hemp Lodge, while not a brand itself, can be a local marketplace for “your go-to, high-quality CBD and hemp products.”

"So, we don't carry our own products. We shop around everywhere in New York, outside New York a little bit as well. But we want to keep it more in state, you know, to push other people's products and let everybody know the fundamentals and what it could actually do for you and everything,” Boose said during an interview Thursday at the store at 10 Batavia City Centre. “So it's more like, it's just a big market for people, for health, for chronic issues, for pain, surgical pains, athletic surgeries, and stuff like that.”

Their focus is on “healing our community” by providing CBD-based solutions for chronic pain, post-surgery recovery and sports injuries. Products include full spectrum CBD oils, salves, balms, Outer Space touted for damaged skin to fight fine lines and wrinkles, redness and inflammation; broad spectrum CBD gummies; Aches & Pains Joint Buddy balm stick; suntan lotions; organic menthol balm; bagged and prerolled hemp; handmade beaded CBD joint holders; tinctures; and a pet line of CBD cat and dog chews and treats.

“We’ve got topical creams, we’ll have full spectrum and broad spectrum creams. And usually when somebody comes in, the first thing I’ll do is I’ll ask them, ‘why are you here today?’ I want to know why you’re here. I just don’t want to give you something off the shelf that’s without what you need just to make a sale,” Grazioplene said. “A lot of the roll-ons have what will be for the joints, in the back muscles and stuff like that. We have a couple kinds now, the only reason we have a couple kinds, and they’re different from everybody else, is because, like Gregg was saying, we like to source what works, not just one white label, like a lot of people would buy and just have a generic item in the store to sell with.

“These are all products that have been tested, and they do work. It’s basically like a Bio-Freeze infused with CBD or CBN or CBG,” he said. “Like I said, when somebody comes in, they tell me exactly what is going on with them and I can line up what actual CBD derivative will be actually good for you.”

He offered his own testimony of how the products have helped him with nicotine withdrawal when he quit smoking, for inflamed gums during dental issues and as a more low key alternative than marijuana.

“Now we have CBD flower for people that used to like to smoke pot, but, you know, pot’s so strong. Now people are getting paranoid over it. I get anxious when I smoke it, too,” he said. “So we have flower for an alternative, so people can still smoke and partake and be part of the group, but you're not getting high.”

How does one get involved in this type of business? 

“Honestly, it kind of happened out of nowhere,” Boose said. “We were talking, we’re really good buzz, and we’re really big on helping people. So, the best way to help people is to be able to help them on the inside, and the outside.

“We’re mainly focusing on this right now because a lot of people aren't focusing on helping people. It's all about the money. You know, you shouldn't be about that,” he said. “It should be about ... You should wake up feeling good and go have a good day.”

There will be a public ribbon-cutting at noon Feb. 24.

For more information, go to Hemp Lodge or call 585-201-7063.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Due to deteriorating weather and the resulting track conditions, Batavia Downs has cancelled live racing for Thursday (Feb. 13) afternoon due to an abundance of caution for the safety of all the horses and horse people.

Racing will resume at the Downs on Monday (Feb. 17) at 3:00 p.m. with a $4,251 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta in the 11th race. There are only three more live racing dates in the 2025 winter meet, which concludes on Monday, February 24.

Free full card past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.

Press Release:

The American Heart Association and Rochester Regional Health (RRH) to host free Hands-Only CPR demonstration on Wednesday, February 12.

The American Heart Association and Rochester Regional Health are teaming up to create a Nation of Lifesavers. Trainers will teach Hands-Only CPR to local religious leaders, who can then share this life-saving skill with the community. 

The event will take place at the Rochester Regional Health Healthy Living Campus, located at 211 East Main Street, Batavia. 

The demonstrations for local religious leaders will be held from 2 to 3 p.m., followed by Hands-Only CPR demonstrations open to the public from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

The American Heart Association is challenging everyone to join the Nation of Lifesavers and commit to learning CPR during American Heart Month in February. 

More than 350,0000 people experiencing cardiac arrests outside of a hospital, including 23,000 children. CPR is a critical skill that kids as young as 9 years old can learn.

CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest ictim’s chance of survival – which is key since nearly 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. Nearly 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home, so it is likely that the person who needs CPR will be a family member or friend.

Knowing CPR is an essential skill anyone can perform, and it could mean the difference between life and death.

The was an overcast day at Swain with a hard, slick, packed powder racecourse on Swain's Wheels Run. Saturday, February 8 was the regular season finale of the Southern Tier Race League. 2 runs of Giant Slalom, 1 run of Slalom.

While Batavia High School's Alpine ski team did not get the team results that were desired, the young team (mostly sophomores and freshman) and Senior Abby Bestine had some highlights. Setting up the underclassmen for a bright future.

Abby Bestine (12th Grade) - Last regular season race of her HS career. 16th place finish in Giant Slalom.

Nolan Radley (10th Grade) - 6th place finish in the morning's first GS run.

Lucas DeVay (9th Grade) - Consistently finished races and has established himself as Batavia's number# 2 skier going into sectionals. 15th place in Slalom.

Gunnar Pietrzykowski (10th Grade) - Much improved ski racer, hopes to win the rail jam at Swain's winterfest.

Brody Ditzel (10th Grade) - Good athlete and first year racer showing promise for the future.

Emersyn Mager (8th Grade, modified) - 9th Place in Slalom, 6th place in Giant Slalom.

Press Release:

GENESEE AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (GAHA) invites children to the to the The David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street on Saturday, February 22nd for a Try Hockey For Free Event as part of “ USA Hockey Week Across America.” Which will be celebrated at 285 ice areas across the entire United States. 

Starting at 10:40 a.m. to Noon local youth, ages 4 to 9, are welcomed at the rink to experience getting on the ice, learning how to “skate”, get up after falling, basic skills with a hockey stick and shooting pucks into a hockey net (all by being guided by the head coach and on-ice helpers). The youngsters will have the experience of shooting on actual goalies.

“At our Fall USA Try Hockey for Free Event (November 2 nd ) we welcomed families to McCarthy Ice Rink from Batavia, Buffalo, Byron, Corfu, LeRoy, Nunda, East Bethany, Alexander, Byron, Brockport, Albion, Wyoming, Rochester, and Elba to try our great sport of ice hockey” said Sharon Gray, Coordinator of the “Try Hockey for Free” event. “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces and for the youngsters the on-ice experience.”

The head coach for this event will be Andres Manamon (this year’s Head Coach for our Timbit Beginners Program (which presently consists of 72 youngsters) and on-ice helpers who make up this year’s Batavia-Notre Dame United high school team along with their coaches – Marc Staley and John Kirkwood. The youngsters will also be assisted on the ice by other coaches and players from the GAHA organization. 

The event is hosted by the Try Hockey for Free Coordinators – Sharon and Bob Gray and the GAHA Beginner Player Coordinator – Marcia Barnes on behalf of the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association who provided the ice and the McCarthy Rink Staff – Katie Murray (General Manager), Matt Gray (Rink Operating Manager) and their great staff. 

It is the team’s goal to provide the hockey experience to area youngsters free of charge and encourage them to participate in the GAHA Timbit Beginner Program which starts the first week of October. The Beginner Program consists of two sessions (October to December and January to March) with a total of 15 on-ice hours per session. 

USA Hockey’s Try Hockey program, with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge. Pure Hockey (sponsor of USA Hockey) will provide “free” USA Try Hockey jerseys to each child.

What to bring: We encourage those who have equipment to bring it. If you do not have any equipment, you will need to bring:

• A loose-fitting pair of sweatpants or snow pants
• A pair of gloves (they don’t need to be hockey gloves – mittens or winter gloves are fine)
• A helmet (hockey or bike) – we’ll have some “extras” available!
• A SMILE

What we provide: Rental Skates will be provided for “free”, courtesy of David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena. Hockey sticks will be given out for use but MUST BE RETURNED.

ON-ICE EXPERIENCE: We will have plenty of coaches on hand to give your child a great youth hockey experience. They will get an opportunity to learn the basic skills of youth hockey. Your child does not need to know how to skate – we’ll have them up on their feet by the end of the session.

Registration is OPEN. Please register at: TRY HOCKEY FOR FREE.COM (Zip Code 14020). Registration limited to 40 participants. For more information contact svgray@rochester.rr.com or 585-344-2248.

Submitted photos.

Shop Oliver's Candies online or visit our Facebook page! Shop the Sweet Life Country Store in Elba or visit our facebook page.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski backpedaled Monday evening on a proposal to provide council members with a $500 annual stipend for gym memberships.

He blamed a news outlet for "mishandling" a report of the Jan. 27 conference meeting where the city manager first raised the issue.

During Monday’s conference session, Jankowski said, "Why council got dragged into this, maybe it was clickbait? Maybe people thought it was something to scream about? I got a lot of people screaming about it. I don’t recall us worrying about us being involved.  I think we were talking about the employees. Correct me if I’m wrong on that."

Jankowski said Monday that the $500 was off the table, but there would be a $50 increase for employees to the current $100 allowance toward gym memberships included in the new budget. 

The Batavian, the only local news source to report on the topic, stands behind its story. (City Council considers increasing gym perk to $500 for employees, council members)

The video recording of the Jan. 27 meeting substantiates that council members were included in the original proposal and that Jankowski endorsed it.

Here are the relevant portions of the transcript:

At 1:00:55 in the video (the link to the video above is timestamped to the start of the discussion), Tabelski said: “I’ve had many employees come to me, council members come to me, saying wouldn't it be great if we could provide some kind of membership or incentive towards using the new facility, so I went and looked at this year's budget. We have interest in earnings right now at about $24,000 that might top out around $50,000, so we could cover the majority of employees and council members if they were to sign up for this incentive, so I leave it to you to discuss and determine if this is something you'd like to move forward with.”

The only concern raised by any council member was a suggestion of discrimination against other gyms by providing $500 to YMCA and only $100 to other city gyms. The objection was raised by Councilman Bob Bialkowski. 

Tabelski said, “We could go get rid of the $100 and just, I mean, force them to join the Y. It was just an offering. You're actually the council member who asked me about joining.”

Jankowski said during the discussion, “Right, so now it's not a good idea? Well, I think it's a great idea.”

Later, he said, “I like the idea, I like where we're going with it because in the long run, when you stay healthy, it saves us money on the other end on healthcare,” adding later, “I think as it’s written, I think it looks pretty good.”

“It’s a great perk for the employees,” Councilwoman Kathy Briggs said. 

Bialkowski countered with offering $200 versus the $500. 

Tabelski said, “Employees would have the option for the $100 reimbursement, which they already have today, or if they'd like to join the Y, we'd give a benefit of $500. Again, specifically, I was asked from employees, from unions, what can you do to help us with covering costs of the new YMCA, so nobody asked me to join any other gyms, so I think it's a good idea.”

Council voted by 6-1 to move the proposal to its next business meeting. Bialkowski voted no and Briggs, Jankowski, Al McGinnis, Rich Richmond, David Twichell and Derek Geib voted yes.

Jankowski: "Okay, so that gets moved to the business meeting for a final vote, and then if anybody has any concerns, we can rediscuss that.”

The support for the proposal on Jan. 27 was not apparent on Monday.

By a unanimous vote of 9-0 Monday evening, City Council said no to offering city employees or council members $500 toward a YMCA gym membership and opted instead to raise the current perk of $100 to $150 for the new downtown facility. 

Jankowski emphasized that the health benefit will be for city employees only and will not include council members. Although initially discussed as one option, the $500 allowance was taken off the table in lieu of an agreement for $50 incremental increases on a yearly basis, he said. 

“I know I can speak for many of my colleagues here. We all listen to the ideas, and they never end up the way they start out because everyone weighs in, and it gets balanced and moved around. So, what we’ve come up with in the budget is to add the $50 stipend. It will apply to all those individuals who are on the city’s self-insured health care plan, which doesn’t include council, because we are not on that plan, so we’re out of it,” Jankowski said during the conference meeting at City Hall. “Out of 150 employees, we only have 15 people presently taking part in this program, and I'd like to see an increase in their benefit and for our health benefit; our health costs can go down when people are healthier. So that's how we're going to do it. We're going to start it off, slightly increase, see how it works, and maybe talk about it again in future budgets going forward.”

The $50 per city employee has been put into the budget but did not alter the expected 50-cent tax rate decrease, city officials said. That is still projected to be $8.46 per $1,000 assessed value, down from the current $8.96 per $1,000. 

A resolution was in council’s packet for the $500 per employee allowance for a gym membership, and council was instructed that a no vote would defeat the resolution as initially proposed. Passage of the budget would then enact the $50 increase for employees instead, effective April 1.

Of 150 city employees, only 15 currently participate in the program.

A full slate of members, including Kathy Briggs, Tammy Schmidt, Al McGinnis, David Twichell, Paul Viele, Rich Richmond, Derek Geib, Bob Bialkowski and Jankowski voted no. 

“It’s an incentive for people to be healthy,” Richmond said. “They’re going to have to prove they’re using it.”

Press Release:

The Batavia Society of Artist is hosting artist Karen Crittenden on Tuesday February 11 from 7 - 9 p.m. at Go-Art/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia.  Karen will be demonstrating and doing a hands on presentation. Non-members welcome for a $5 fee or become a member! New members are always welcome from all mediums and artistic levels, $30 Single, $50 Couple, and $10 for Students & Veterans. There will be light refreshments and the Tavern 2.o.1. is open for cash sales.

Come join us for an evening of fun!  Karen will be using gelly plates, paints and other items (some will be surprising) to create collage fodder. We will demonstrate the use of gelly plates and acrylic paints and offer suggestions as to the use of collage fodder. Then you will have the opportunity to try this out for yourself. You will be able to take away what you create. Please be mindful of your clothing and shoes as acrylic paints, once dry does not come out.

Karen's Bio:  

I have been doing art for my whole life. Different forms at different times, but art.  I like to work in several art forms, sometimes even mixing those forms to push myself and my understanding of what makes art, work for me.  Photograpy provides a single snapshot of a single moment in time, capturing something that is emotional both to me and to the viewer.  It isn't always the same kind of emotion, but the experience of some emotion is what I strive for.  Ink, paint and paper provide another means for expression that gives an experience to the viewer and the maker of art.  If the viewer does not like what they see, it is still an experience.  The best happens when both viewer and maker have the same experience.  That is my ultimate goal.

Submitted photos.

Show your love with a gift from Valle Jewelers! Shop online or visit our Facebook page 

What do three lifelong friends who enjoy cutting hair do when the opportunity arises -- they open a barbershop together, of course.

The Local Barbershop is located at 466 Ellicott St., Batavia. It was previously Canzoneri's Barbershop. The former owner Joe Canzoneri left to pursue a business opportunity in Buffalo.

The new owners are Alton Rupp, Tommy Slenker, and Damian Hargrave.

"We all went to Alexander High School, so we wanted to collectively own something one day," Rupp said. "It's just a matter of when the opportunity came up, we jumped on it, and it's been a good time, man. It's been a lot of fun."

All three emphasized that they like the idea of community, that they're doing something for the community, and they're offering a community.  Their open casual floor plan with couches and chairs in the middle and a beer cooler on one wall is inviting.

"We want to bring back that home-like atmosphere," Rupp said. "Come in, hang out, have some fun. More than anything— and I'm not saying the other ones don't have that— I think what we have going here in the middle, a centralized location, is that clients come in, hang out, and chat with each other. We've had a lot of clients intermingle already, so it's been awesome."

Slenker also thinks the location is conducive to getting attention and building community.

"The space itself -- we got plenty of eyes on us, with (Route) 63 being right here in the outskirts of Batavia, so we're not right in the thick of things, but we like having plenty of parking, and the building's definitely identifiable," Slenker said.

Hargrave said that comes with being one of the owners, where the business can reflect who they are.  Otherwise, it's business as usual.

"Honestly, it feels like same old, same old, you know, you're kind of just cutting hair," Hargrave said. "It's been nice to get a lot of love and feedback from the community. What I like most is just being able to make it what we want, just making it how it is, and controlling the dynamic, you know, whether the TV's on, the music's going, everything that people see, just making it a better experience and being in control of that compared to when you're just a barber in another shop, you might not have a say in that kind of stuff."

The Local Barbershop can be reached at 585-483-3060.

In a special second-annual battle of hometown rivals, Batavia topped Notre Dame in Boys Basketball at GCC on Saturday, 63-53.

Hoops for Hopes benefits the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

Batavia's Buddy Brasky, head coach, conceived of the idea for the tournament in 2024 and after a successful tournament last year, the foundation hosted it again for 2025.

Batavia scoring: 

• Carter Mullen, 22 points
• Gavin White, 16 points
• Justin Smith, 10 points

Notre Dame scoring:

• TJ Cephus, 19 points
• Aiden Bellavia, 15 points
• Chase Antinore, 8 points

The Blue Devils are now 12-4 on the season. The Fighting Irish are 10-6.

Photos by Pete Welker.