batavia

Rick Mancuso is offering a reward for the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of a stolen utility cart from outside T.F. Brown's in Batavia.

The person in the surveillance pictures is a suspect. 

Mancuso will pay the person who provides information leading to arrest and recovery either $75 cash or a $100 T.F. Brown's gift card.

To provide information in the case, call Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350.

Press Release:

Photos from Genesee County Spartans' 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser on Saturday (July 6) at Ri-Dan’s Sports Park on West Main Street Road, Batavia. Twelve teams competed - six in the Youth Division and six in the Adult Division.

Press release:

Richmond Memorial Library will close at 1 pm on Monday, July 7 due to problems with the air conditioning system. 

Please check our website at batavialibrary.org for up to date information. 

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Monday & Tuesday, July 8 & 9, 2024 from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the general area of North of E. Main St. and East of Bank St. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.  These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area.  As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.  If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear.

This annual testing is essential to maintain the community class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes. Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settles in the water lines. Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel's knowledge of the hydrant locations. 

If you have any questions or should notice a hydrant needing repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

There are many hidden treasures in Genesee County. One beautiful gem is the Historic Batavia Cemetery.    

If you travel slowly down Harvester Avenue, look at the first cemetery on the left going south. A wrought iron fence and trees surround the cemetery. It is the home of our early leaders and pioneers from this area.   

I would bring my fourth-grade students to this living history book every year to learn about their local history. We would visit the various stones, and I would explain their relevance to Batavia’s early history. I could not wait to show them Joseph Ellicott’s Monument. As my students would sit on the grass looking at The Ellicott Plot, I would have them turn around and look toward Harvester Avenue.   They would see nothing in front of this monument but a beautiful lane lined with trees over 100 years old. I would then tell them about this brilliant man and his family. 

If you wanted to buy land and settle in this region, you purchased your land from Joseph Ellicott, founder of Batavia. He was the first surveyor and local agent of the Holland Land Company. Joseph was entitled by his contract to select a piece of land for his residence and land office. He claimed the land on West Main Street, opposite Walnut Street. His land occupied the areas we know as Thomas Avenue, Porter Avenue, and Washington Avenue. 

In 1802, the east wing of Ellicott’s mansion was built as his residence. In 1815, the Holland Land Office was completed across the street from his mansion, which remains the Holland Land Office Museum today. 

In 1818, the three-story structure of his home was finished. It included a large main building with two wings and additions to the rear of his house.   Behind his home were a pasture, barn, and a large flower garden. If you were fortunate enough to be a guest in Joseph’s mansion, you would have dinner on blue and gold English china. If you were overnight guests, a bed warmer warmed your sheets. A bed warmer consisted of a metal container, usually fitted with a handle shaped like a modern frying pan, with a solid or finely perforated lid. The pan would be filled with hot coals and placed under the covers of a bed to warm it up. A servant would then run the bed warmer between the sheets to warm them.          

Please visit the Holland Land Office Museum and enter the room where Joseph sold land to our early settlers. The museum has Ellicott’s China, a bed warmer, and a cabinet donated by the Ellicott-Evans family. Also, stop by the Historic Batavia Cemetery and find Joseph’s monument and other famous Batavians resting on Harvester Avenue.

Last week, the Yankees of the Batavia Youth Baseball League defeated the Mets in the 10-U championship game, 6-5.

The sun was out and people were in a happy place in Downtown Batavia on Saturday for the 2024 Batavia Ramble Music & Arts Fest, which was spread out over Jackson Street, School Street, and, of course, in Jackson Square.

For a lot of people and musicians, the festival was their first experience with the new stage in the square.

It received rave reviews for visibility and acoustics. The soundman said it was a big improvement, with the metal ceiling providing a great acoustic reflection.

The stage was funded by a state grant as part of a larger city of Batavia project to transform Jackson Street into a more attractive public square.  The total grant was for $750,000 with the stage being just one component of the costs.

Twenty-five acts performed on two stages, including the stage on Jackson Street.

Canadian rock band April Wine headlined a packed crowd in the Friday night summer concert series at Batavia Downs Casino on Friday evening. 

Members formed the band in 1969, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From its inception, the band was led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn, who died in 2023. Brian Greenway now fronts the band.

On Record, an album released in 1972, reached the Top 40 in Canada and yielded two hit singles: a cover of Elton John's "Bad Side of the Moon” and a cover of Hot Chocolates' “You Could Have Been a Lady.”

Currently on a US and Canadian tour through the summer, you can find more details on their website www.aprilwine.ca

To view or purchase photos, click here.

A spot of rain didn't send everyone scurrying from Jackson Square following the open mic in Jackson Square on Friday evening.

A couple of dozen people stuck around to dance to the beats and take in the vibes of DJ Scotty D (Scotty D'Martino of Batavia), Esdee Entertainment.

See also: Ramble weekend kicked off on Friday with open mic and open art in Jackson Square

Photos by Howard Owens

A new event that many who attended, including the organizers, hope will return in future years premiered in Jackson Square on Friday night, the night before the Ramble Music and Arts Fest.

It was an open mic for local musicians and an open art session for local visual artists.

More than 200 people attended, and more musicians than time available signed up to sing and play.

Jo David Arts and Iburi Photography presented the event.

Jo David Arts is a partnership between local artists Mary Jo Whitman and Brian Kemp.  Iburi is a photography studio on Jackson Street that started hosting increasingly popular open mic sessions about five months ago.

"We're excited to bring this event to Jackson Square," Whitman said. "This is a great opportunity for local performers and artists to showcase their work and connect with the community in a fun and supportive environment."

The open art night is an extension of the First Fridays Open Art event at GO ART!, which was created by Kemp, who compared the event to a pick-up game of basketball.

"You just get together," Kemp said. "Like, I never got together with anybody and done art before until I had this idea, 'Well, I play basketball with other people, why can't I do art with people?' We're all working on our own thing, but sometimes we'll do collabs where somebody works on something that somebody else works on the same thing."

The Ramble started at 10 a.m. on Saturday and runs until 10 p.m., with music on two stages -- Jackson Square and Jackson Street. There will also be art and artists, activities, and food and beverages.

For a lineup of musical acts playing the Ramble this year, click here.

To view or purchase photos, click, here.

Press Release:

Northgate Church is thrilled to announce the dedication and grand opening of the Northgate Playground on July 14 at noon. We warmly invite the community to join us at Northgate’s North Campus, 8160 Bank Street Road, for this special event.

The Northgate Playground is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, with the exception of Sundays from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. This new playground offers a safe and fun environment for children and families to enjoy. For more information, please contact the Northgate office at 585-343-4011 or visit our website at northgatefmc.com.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

A 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser to benefit the Genesee County Spartans is scheduled for this Saturday, July 6 at Ri-Dan’s Sports Park on West Main Street Road, Batavia.

Youth competition (three age groups) was set for 9 a.m. to noon with adult competition (18+) set for noon to 3 p.m.

The Spartans, 3-1, play again on July 13, traveling to Lockport - hoping to avenge a June 1 loss to the Wildcats.

More than 150 runners and walkers participated in the annual Batavia Kiwanis Independence Day 5K at Centennial Park in Batavia. 

The top male winner was Justin Vrooman from Batavia with a time of 17:05.  The top female winner was Becca Galanti from Alden with a time of 23:44.

To view all results, click here.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Bella Nugent, a 12-year-old from Batavia, did her friend a favor at Wednesday's Batavia Muckdogs baseball game.

She drew a picture of an eagle in hopes of winning the Harley-Benton ST-style guitar The Batavian was offering as a prize in its eagle-drawing contest.

Bella's drawing was among the 20 staff picks of favorite drawings and was randomly selected from those 20 entries to win the grand prize.

She was so overcome by the surprise of winning that when she got to The Batavian's booth, she had to sit down.

Then she gave the guitar to her friend, Brooklynn Dewe, who has been learning to play guitar and was equally thrilled by the gift.

The Batavian staff also selected three honorable mentions by Miranda Tamburlin, 16, from Batavia; Annaliede Evans, 15, from Chili; and Laya Laite, 15, from Batavia.  They each received a gift certificate to Dave's Ice Cream.

As first explained a year ago when The Batavian launched this contest:

An eagle is the primary essence of The Batavian’s logo, borrowed from the Upton Monument, which sits at the intersection of routes 5 and 63 in downtown Batavia. Publisher Howard Owens wanted to capture that symbol along with the name of this city he now holds dear after setting down roots more than 15 years ago.

“The Upton Monument is our community's most important and significant landmark, and the eagle that sits atop of it represents independence and courage, two characteristics of good news organizations,” Owens said.  "When planning our new logo, the eagle seems a natural way to represent our commitment to the community and to fearless and honest journalism."

The guitar contests are something Owens said he wanted to do to give back to the community to promote an appreciation for the magic and beauty of music among its youth.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Batavia erased a two-run deficit in the sixth inning of Wednesday's home game against Geneva in front of a capacity crowd on an Independence celebration fireworks night and beat Geneva 7-5.

The Muckdogs improved to a 18-4-1 on the season.

Garrett Brunstetter, who pitched an inning of hitless and scoreless ball, picked up the win. 

Starter Ty Woods went five innings, surrendering four hits and three runs (one earned).

James Bolton, a SUNY Cortland student from Webster, was the offensive star of the game, going 2-4 with two RBIs and a walk.

Trevor Dutra also picked up a pair of RBIs, going 1-4.

The Muckdogs are in first place in the PGCBL West Division, four games ahead of the Auburn Double Days.

Their July 4 game is away against the Niagara Falls Americans.

Photos by Philip Casper.

It’s been more than a year since Savarino Companies announced it was closing, altering the Ellicott Station plans for dozens of prospective tenants, city and county officials, downtown businesses, and the community at large. And although officials sounded hopeful out of the gate, there's still a lack of answers for who will take care of this mess one year later.

Recent work at the site was a tease, at least for some, that the company would continue with the project at 50-56 Ellicott St., Batavia. But in the latest response to The Batavian’s ongoing coverage and questions, Savarino indicated that the work was to satisfy a city request.

“Owner Ellicott Station LLC, its lender and Contractor Savarino Companies LLC continued work to complete the exterior and secure the residential building as requested by the City and HCR, among others,” company owner Sam Savarino said by email Tuesday.

It was apparently not nearly enough, according to City Manager Rachael Tabelski, who noted the overgrown shrubs and foliage surrounding the property.

“Property is an eyesore,” she said. “As owner of the site, they need to cut the grass. They will be cited.”

When asked if he would possibly continue work or do so with another developer, he went back to July 13, 2023, when the Genesee County Economic Development Center served him notice that “the project was in default of its agreement for sales tax exemption and PILOT” and the agency “refused to extend the extant sales tax exemption.”

“The GCEDC reaffirmed its declaration on July 31, 2023, and is attempting to claw back funds. Without the sales tax exemption and PILOT, the project is imperiled and endangered. This includes the commercial project as well as the residential project,” he said. “Ellicott Station LLC has formally and vigorously opposed the basis of the GCEDC action and reserves rights for resulting damages.”

To date, Savarino has not paid the 2023 school taxes or 2024 city or county taxes, and owes $20,000 on the three Ellicott Street parcels, Tabelski said. She did not reply to the question about whether the city has any leads from interested developers for the project. 

But then again, as the property owner, Savarino really remains the one who has the question, and he, too, has declined to answer it.

The Batavian asked newly promoted GCEDC CEO Mark Masse if there was any possibility that, given the time and money already invested by Savarino, if his agency would consider working with him to complete the Ellicott Station project.

 “So the board made its decision based on the factors presented before them to terminate those benefits,” Masse said. “If there was a change in the project or there was going to be something different, he's more than welcome to submit another application for the board's consideration. We have not received any applications from him or any other companies.”

And as far as that or any other project on the Ellicott Street property, do you have any leads? Are you working with any developers at this point?

“We have not received any applications from any companies looking to participate in that project,” he said.

Are you actively leading the charge or involved in it, or who would you say is at this point?

“That I don’t know. You’d have to talk with Sam,” Masse said.

As far as the clawback, at what point are you in that process?

“So we took the necessary steps to terminate the agreements, and then we submitted the information to the necessary agencies, who would be the ones to consider potential clawback on the funds,” he said.

He said that EDC is out of the situation now. The Batavian asked him, as CEO of the agency that touted this project as a boon to the city and county, for an overall comment about what it means to see the complex sitting there and the property’s surroundings not in great upkeep.

“At this point, it’s a private project, and we generally don’t comment on private projects,” he said, adding that to his knowledge, the agency has not been in contact with the Office of Homes and Community Renewal, which also provided tax credits to Savarino.

As for the city’s focus, housing certainly has been on the list by providing grants for rehabilitating current eligible homes and seeking ways to fulfill its designation as a pro-housing community. One way is to apply for a grant, along with Batavia Development Corp., to prepare for the redevelopment of Brisbane Mansion into a future boutique hotel or small-scale apartment complex. The city wouldn’t actually be doing the renovations, but rather, some developer with the right project proposal would hopefully take on that work and expense.

The grant application also covers a portion of Batavia City Centre — the concourse in particular, with a goal to increase the usability of public space by making it “more inviting and functional for the community.” The stage that has been in the concourse for years has been removed as one measure toward updating the site’s interior. Four of the centre’s entrances, known as silos, are being replaced. 

Now, if only the multi-level, 55-unit apartment complex smack in the middle of downtown could get some attention from somebody.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

The Ramble Team is once again partnering with the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) to bring the Batavia Ramble and Explore Art Festival to Jackson Square and Jackson Street, on Saturday, July 6, from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. 

This fun-filled festival has something for everyone, including 25+ bands performing on two stages, an Explore Art tent for kids, street performances, food, and much more!

The Festival Team thanks local sponsors, Casella, Cedar Street Sales & Rentals, Edward Jones, ESL Federal Credit Union, Genesee Production Group, R.A. Haitz, L & L Transmission, Logan Music, and OATKA Milk Products for their generous support. 

GO ART! also receives grant funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, Rochester Area Community Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts to support our Explore Art activities. 

Stephen Kowalcyk, Ramble Coordinator, says, “We are looking forward to another great year! We have a lot of returning bands from last year as well as some new acts performing at The Ramble for the very first time.” 

Ramble performer David Knaudt says, “The Ramble never disappoints! Such a fun time and how lucky are we in Batavia to have a music festival.” 

In the time-honored Ramble tradition, local and regional classic and newer bands will entertain from morning to night. 

This year’s lineup includes The Royal Halls, Sons Of Luther, Bad Sign, Prospect, Dave Knaudt, Indigo Flow, David Holnbeck, Don Thomas, Steve Fisher, Tom Ryan and Friends, Distant View, Groove, The Real News, Lonesome Road, Driven, The Cowboy Vampires, GumShoe, Surging Motion, Soulshine Band, Paul K Almeter, PD3, The Remediators, Jack Waite, Shotgun Pauly, and The Rock-A-Bully’s. 

For decades, the Ramble has been an annual reunion to welcome musicians back who once called Batavia home, while celebrating our continued local and regional musical talents.

From the festival start to 5 p.m., the Explore Art tent will offer hands-on workshops in diverse arts, crafts, and dance, with several mini-concerts and demos. Come make your own bracelet with Ukrainian beadworker and pysanky artist, Irene Grassman (10:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.), or craft a clay medallion of Arabic calligraphy and designs with Nada Odeh (11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.).

You’ll see a colorful and exciting demo of Afro Panamanian dance at 11:00 a.m., followed by a workshop at 12:30 p.m. to create a Carnival mask or headdress with the artists from Grupo Cultural Latinos en Rochester. 

Local favorites, Troupe Nisaa, will present Middle Eastern dancing at noon. Try easy and fun old-time dancing at 1 p.m. with the Orleans County String Band, who will continue afterwards with a mini concert. 

To cap off the day, the Allegany River Seneca Dancers will show and teach you how to do a traditional hoop dance at 2:30 p.m., with a cornhusk doll making workshop at 3:45 p.m.

Everyone is invited to help create our new Explore Art banner throughout the day. Created by local artist, Jill Pettigrew, the banner features dozens of famous artworks in coloring-book design, ready for you to color in to your imagination’s delight. All of our Explore Art activities are family friendly and can accommodate all ages.

Arts vendors on Jackson Street will offer a variety of handcrafted wares including woodcrafts, jewelry, painting, health and beauty products, home decor, ceramics, paper arts, and needlecrafts. Attendees can enjoy caricatures and face painting as well. 

Street food includes hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, chicken fingers and ice cream, with neighborhood restaurants and customary beverages available.

Put Saturday, July 6 on your calendar and come down for a few hours–or the whole day–to enjoy music, arts, food, and fun.