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Law and Order: Person accused of twice pulling fire alarm when there was no emergency at DePaul

By Howard B. Owens

Jonathan P. Balaz, 41, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with falsely reporting an incident, 2nd. Balaz is accused of intentionally pulling a fire alarm at the DePaul Housing Complex on East Main Street at 12:43 p.m. Wednesday causing an emergency response by Batavia fire when there was no emergency. He is also accused of the same crime, with the same charge, at 9:17 p.m. Friday.

Dawn M. Orlando, 48, of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Orlando is accused of hitting another person in an incident reported at 12:30 p.m. March 25.

Marcus L. Speed, 30, of Hawthorne Court, Elmira, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an appearance ticket. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Walter B. Hale Jr., 40, of East Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant related to a charge of criminal contempt, 2nd. He posted bail and was released.

Cathleen Joan Mills, 48, of Route 333, Campbell, is charged possessing for sale or transport more than 10,000 unstamped cigarettes. Mills was charged as a result of an investigation by Deputy Robert Henning of a report of a person buying a large quantity of cigarettes.

Luis Gabriel Lopez, 21, of 7 Fairway St., Macedon, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 3rd. Lopez was charged after he was allegedly found in possession of marijuana with an aggregate weight of more than eight ounces during a vehicle checkpoint at 4:59 p.m. Saturday on Route 33, Bergen, by Deputy Matthew Bailey and Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Curtis Rashaad Beaty, 20, of Winbourne Road, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, unlawful possession of marijuana, and driving without a valid vehicle inspection. Beaty was charged following a stop by Deputy Ryan DeLong and Matthew Bailey at a vehicle checkpoint at 4:59 p.m. Saturday on Route 33.

Dartanyon A. Robinson, 47, of Rochester, is charged with driving under the influence of drugs, driving without an interlock device, aggravated unlicensed operation and speeding. Robinson was stopped at 7:39 a.m. Friday on the Thruway in the Town of Batavia by State Police.

Bradley W. Polle, 40, of Spencerport, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Polle was arrested by State Police in Bethany.

David J. Zauner, 50, of Darien Center, is charged with grand larceny, 3rd, falsifying business records, and filing a false instrument. Zauner was arrested by State Police. No further details released.

Benito Hernandez-Vega, 37, of Le Roy, is charged with felony driving under the influence of drugs, felony aggravated DWI with a child in the vehicle, and endangering the welfare of a child. Hernandez-Vega was stopped at 1:14 p.m. Wednesday on Route 5 in Stafford by State Police.

Red Wings CEO says organization shocked and surprised by comments about their management of the Muckdogs

By Howard B. Owens

The president and CEO of the Rochester Red Wings, the organization that ran the Batavia Muckdogs operations for the past 10 years, has no reason to believe the playing conditions of the field at Dwyer Stadium are poor.

She also disputes the implication that team management left things at Dwyer in a way that would make it hard for new management to take over operations.

Naomi Silver also said any equipment or furniture removed from the stadium by Red Wings staff was equipment or furniture purchased and owned by the Red Wings. The staff inventoried everything that was removed so that whoever took over operations, if anybody, knew what needed to be replaced.

Silver spoke with The Batavian this afternoon to offer a response to remarks by the team's new general manager, Dave Chase, published yesterday.

Chase portrayed a situation at Dwyer where the field wasn't up to professional standards; the clubhouse and office were filled with junk and trash and nothing workable; and that previous management hadn't run the organization in a professional manner.

Silver defended her staff and said the field was up to Major League standards, which Chase said wasn't level and that the pitcher's rubber mat didn't align with home plate.

"Major League Baseball, just last year, came and did an audit and they found zero wrong with the field," Silver said. "That's really kind of an unusual situation where they wouldn't find something wrong and they found nothing. That was just last season. When they came in August they said everything was fine."

Whereas Chase was seemingly critical of the team's former groundskeeper, Don Rock, Silver praised Rock and said she would hire him again in Batavia if it was her decision.

She also praised former General Manager Travis Sick, who is now working for the Red Wings in Rochester.

"Don Rock was a phenomenal employee of ours," Silver said. "He and Travis made that operation work. He was a hard worker. He was there day in and day out and I can't criticize him for anything. I don't want to see him take any of the criticism there. It wouldn't be fair to him or to Travis."

About Sick, she said, "Our general manager did an excellent job and he worked hard at it and he worked long hours. He did what I would call a very, very good job."

When the Red Wings were vacating Dwyer Stadium, Silver said, the Red Wings didn't think there would be another season of professional baseball in Batavia, but nevertheless retained the paperwork any future operator would need, such as advertising contracts, the list of season ticket holders, and payroll information, so the new operator could know the team's salary structure.

All of that was shared with Chase, she said.

"We have done everything we can to cooperate," Silver said. "We've answered every question they've had. We want them to succeed."

She said Red Wings staff met with Chase just yesterday morning to ensure he had the information he needed about operations.

She expressed surprise and disappointment at the comments Chase made to local media about how the Muckdogs had been run in recent years.

"We were shocked to read his comments, frankly," Silver said. "We have in good faith put our souls into the operation in Batavia. We cared about it and we cared about its success. We wouldn't have done it if we didn't care. We felt we ran the operation in a way that we can walk away and feel proud of what we did for baseball in Batavia."

She added at the end of the conversation, "It was disappointing to read those comments. We never said a disparaging word coming into the operation or leaving the operation. I was surprised there were disparaging comments about us."

Sponsored Post: Don't be fooled, this property is a must see - 147 Pearl Street Road

By Lisa Ace


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The outside features an extra wide drive and a double lot with a nice back deck...Inexpensive utilities and no flood insurance. What more do you want? Check it out!

Call Lynn Bezon today at Reliant Real Estate or click here for more information on this listing.

GCEDC board approves projects for Genesee Lumber and Corfu grocery store

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) approved incentives for two projects that would result in $1.3 million in capital investment, the creation of 10 new jobs and retention of 29 jobs at its March 29th board meeting.

The GCEDC also accepted an application for assistance that would result in a capital investment of approximately $800,000 that would create six new jobs and retain 14 jobs.

Genesee Lumber Company was approved to receive approximately $57,000 in sales and mortgage tax exemptions. The company plans to demolish an existing structure to make way for a new 7,158-square-foot warehouse in the City of Batavia.

The new warehouse will store lumber and other building products to better serve customers in Genesee County and surrounding regions.

Genesee Lumber will make a $300,000 capital investment creating three new jobs and retaining 29 jobs. The project in turn will contribute to the Batavia to Prosperity (B2P) and Reinvestment Fund.

Town Center Plaza LLC was approved for approximately $77,000 in sales, property and mortgage tax exemptions in order to build a new grocery store in the Village of Corfu on a site that was a former grocery store that has been closed for several years. The new 20,000-square-foot facility is a $1 million investment that will create seven new jobs.

While the grocery store is a retail project, it qualified for financial incentives because the store will be located adjacent to a highly distressed census tract. Both the Village of Corfu and Town of Pembroke passed resolutions supporting the project.

The GCEDC board also voted to accept an application from Xylem (formerly Godwin Pumps). The company is proposing to expand its existing facility of 18,282 to 26,382 square feet. The expansion would result in a capital investment of approximately $800,000.

Total incentives being sought are approximately $100,000 and as such would require a public hearing. Xylem is planning to consolidate Rochester operations into Batavia as well. It is estimated that for every one dollar of public benefit, that Xylem will invest $63.80 into the local economy.

“These projects are the foundation for our local economy and just some of the many local business success stories across Genesee County,” said Chris Suozzi, vice president of Business Development, GCEDC.

Jackson Square concert series lineup announced, kicks off June 22

By Billie Owens

The lineup has just been released for the 2018 Downtown Batavia Concert Series in Jackson Square, according to the Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District.

Live music will be featured on Friday evenings from 7 to 9 in the square, located between Center and Jackson streets, bring your own chair. Admission is free thanks to the generosity of sponsors for the concert series.

Here's the lineup:

  • June 22 -- Red Creek (Party Rock)
  • June 29 -- Don Newcomb Band (Country)
  • July 6 -- Old Hippies (Acoustic & Original)
  • July 13 -- The Josie Waverly Band (Contemporary Country)
  • July 20 -- The Grove Street Band (Classic Rock / R & B)
  • July 27 -- The Ohms Band (Classic Rock)
  • Aug. 3 -- Mitty & The Followers (Motown)
  • Aug. 10 -- Ghost Riders (Hardcore Country)
  • Aug. 17 -- Something Else ('80s / '90s Pop Rock)
  • Aug. 24 -- Bluesway Band (Blues)

Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle honors Batavia City School District as a 2018 Top Workplace

By Billie Owens

Batavia City School District Superintendent Christopher J. Dailey.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Batavia City School District has been awarded a 2018 Top Workplaces honor by the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester.

The award is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage LLC (formerly WorkplaceDynamics), a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools.

The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

“Top Workplaces is more than just recognition,” said Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. “Our research shows organizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover, and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture that supports employee engagement.” 

For Superintendent of Schools Christopher J. Dailey, the anonymous survey confirmed what he already believed to be true: “Our administration, faculty, and staff are second to none," he said.

“They are dedicated to improving all students in every aspect of their growth while enrolled at BCSD. In addition, our Board of Education, backed by our community, supports the administration in creating a positive environment for our students and staff to work, learn, and grow.”

The future, he noted, will hold more of the same. 

“This independent survey of all of our employees is an excellent recognition that defines our district as a great place to have a career that makes a difference in our world,” Dailey said. “We offer outstanding benefits to our employees and excellent professional development opportunities for continued improvement in all aspects of our district.

"BCSD also has tremendous facilities for our employees to impact the lives of our students. Our 2020 Vision Capital Project will enhance all aspects of our employee and student lives.” 

Claffey said, “Becoming a Top Workplace isn’t something organizations can buy. It’s an achievement organizations have worked for and a distinction that gives them a competitive advantage. It’s a big deal.”

BATAVIA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT 

MISSION:
The Batavia City School District is committed to empowering students to achieve their maximum potential, while becoming socially responsible citizens.

VISION:
The Batavia City School District, in partnership with the Batavia community, will provide a safe and nurturing environment to develop students with high moral character who are able to successfully meet life's challenges.

Mr. Batavia presents check to Crossroads House

By Howard B. Owens

Joe Marchese, on the right, winner of Mr. Batavia 2018, presented a $2,200 check yesterday to Crossroads House, his chosen charity for the annual fundraiser at Batavia High School. Accepting the check are Jeff Allen, director of the Crossroads House, and Peg Patterson-Case, director of development.

Photo submitted by Lisa Robinson.

Sponsored Post: Think Spring and visit the Home Show April 6th-8th

By Lisa Ace


It’s been a long cold winter and now it’s time to “think spring.” And there’s no way better way to beat those winter blues than by attending the fifth annual Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Home Show. The Home Show will be held at Falleti Ice Arena in Batavia Friday through Sunday, April 6th - 8th.

Here’s your chance to talk face to face with more than 60 area businesses attending this year’s Home Show for help with your home ideas and projects. And while you’re there, make sure you register for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate, complements of Tompkins Bank of Castile/Tompkins Insurance, from the Home Show vendor business of your choice. The winner will be drawn at the conclusion of the Home Show and you do not need to be present to win.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Home Show will be open Friday, April 6th from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, April 7th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 8th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. And if you’re hungry, the concessions are being run by Alex’s Place, so you know the food will be excellent!

Admission is only $3 per person and children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is free at the Falleti Ice Arena. Coupons good for $1 off all admissions are available at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce office, 8276 Park Road, Batavia, or at any of the participating businesses.

For a complete list of participating businesses go to www.geneseeny.com. For more information, call the Chamber office at 343-7440.

Everything is fine at Ascension Parish after report of basement flooding

By Howard B. Owens

Last night we reported a call for flooding in the basement accat Ascension Parish. This morning, received this update from the Parish office:

There was a small amount of water in the basement of the church due to a clogged storm drain on Swan Street.

No services were affected.

Weekend services will take place as scheduled:

  • Good Friday Passion of the Lord 2 p.m., March 30
  • Easter Vigil Mass at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 31
  • Easter Mass 9 a.m. and 11 a.m Sunday, April 1

Batavia Muckdogs new GM shocked by poor condition of Dwyer Stadium

By Howard B. Owens

It has occurred to Dave Chase that when he agreed to become the new general manager of the Batavia Muckdogs after the New York-Penn League took over ownership of the venerable franchise, the situation at Dwyer Stadium is much worse than he anticipated.

Maybe, he thought, this isn't the right job at the right time.

“I have my moments when I wonder, 'is this the mission or not?' " Chase said during a tour for the media yesterday of the stadium. "The fans, the people I’ve talked to, have convinced me, it is an important mission. The fact is, I have 40 years, Brenden has 18 years, the ongoing theme is, we’re going to give this our best shot.”

Brenden is Brendan Kelly, who is experienced in baseball operations, including a nearly eight-year stint with the Buffalo Bisons, and whose wife is a schoolteacher in Batavia. He's the new assistant general manager for the Muckdogs, one of three recent full-time hires by Chase, who has had to rebuild the Muckdogs' staff after the Rochester Red Wings lost its contract to run the team.

The new management team comes into a situation that has them scrambling to get ready for the season, which opens June 18. The office was stripped of all useful equipment and furniture and what Chase first walked into was an office and clubhouses filled with broken chairs, tables, miscellaneous junk, no ticketing system, and disconnected phone lines.

"I’m blown away by how filthy it was," Chase said. There was trash everywhere, a lot of broken things. We discovered that if it has a plug on it and it’s still here, it’s broken."

The city has painted the offices and clubhouse and put down new carpet -- part of anticipated maintenance for Dwyer and included in the city's budget -- but everything else is up to the league to handle.

"It’s a good thing we open on June 18 instead of April 6, that’s for sure," Chase said.

The Batavian has received calls and emails over the past week or so from fans trying to find out when they can buy tickets. With the phone disconnected, they can't get through to the office; and the website, run by Minor League Baseball, hasn't been updated.  

Chase is still putting together the promotional calendar (firework nights will be on Saturdays this season, meaning eight shows, which Chase says is in response to fan feedback) and he's still looking for a sponsor for pocket calendars. He may need to get those printed without a sponsor, he said.

It's really only been the past four days that Muckdogs' office has been staffed but there has been a steady stream of fans coming in, Chase said. He said fans will need to be patient while staff gets operations reestablished.

"I say we’re starting (baseball operations) at zero and we started six months late," Chase said. "Someone else said, ‘you’re not starting at zero. You’re starting at minus three and six months late.’ So people need to be patient. If they want the same old routine, disorganized unprofessional approach, we could probably do that today, but we’re going to bring in better standards and a more professional approach to what we do and that takes time.”

Chase said he's received a lot of fan feedback that they were dissatisfied with the baseball experience at Dwyer, that things seemed disorganized and not focused on the in-game experience. That will change this season, Chase said.

“I want to change the mentality of the ballpark," Chase said. "When those gates open on June 18 at six o’clock, Brenden and I are going to be at the gate. When the game is over on the 18th, we’re going to be at the gate. I got a lot of complaints that in-game presentation was sloppy; (they) weren’t paying attention — there’s got to be a professional attitude and that’s what we’re going to bring here. I don’t think it’s been here in 10 or 20 years, by the way.”

Muckdogs staff probably won't be able to sell tickets until the beginning of May but the new, lower season ticket price is only $175 if paid before June 1.

That's the fan experience, but Chase also needs to be concerned about the player experience, and player safety, and the quality of the game the young professionals who walk onto the Dwyer field are able to perform.

As bad as things are on the operations side of Dwyer, the field is perhaps even worse, Chase said.

The pitcher's rubber and home plate are not aligned. If a pitcher used the rubber as a guide, a properly thrown pitch would zip five feet behind the back of a left-handed hitter. 

Second base is aligned with neither the rubber nor home plate.

The grass in front of the pitcher's mound was repaired before last season but the repair didn't take because it was right before opening day, according to Chase.

The infield isn't level -- the visual evidence during our tour is the large puddles of water on the first base side, and a person standing in the outfield can see a small rise in the dirt to the left of second base.

The lip of the back of the infield, where the grass meets the dirt, is higher than it should be, and the entire back of the infield slopes down into the outfield at an elevation of more than nine inches in places.

That just isn't acceptable on a professional field, Chase said. 

The outfield looks flat from the stands but when you stand on it, the small dips and raises in the sod are clearly visible. The grass itself is not suitable for baseball.

"It’s like walking on golf balls," Chase said. "Right now, if you were to hit a ball on this field, if it wasn’t muddy, if it wasn’t soft, you’re probably going to get it in the chops, and the whole outfield is that way."

Longtime groundskeeper Don Rock, who has publicly lobbied for his old job back after the league took over ownership, and has received fan support, won't be coming back, Chase said. He acknowledged that Rock was probably not given the proper equipment to do the job but said the league needs to bring in a grounds crew with more knowledge and experience.

The league and a consultant are assisting in the search for a new head groundskeeper.

As soon as the field is dry enough and when it looks like there will be at least a 10-day period of dry enough weather, work will begin to fix all the problems with the field, Chase said.

The infield dirt will be replaced with same dirt used at Marlins Park in Miami (the parent club of the Muckdogs). The lip will either be lowered or extended to make it level with the outfield. And the pitcher's rubber and second base will be aligned with home plate. The city is going to roll the outfield and the grass will be overseeded, which hopefully with make fielding groundballs a little less treacherous.

Sponsorship signage in the outfield, Chase also revealed, will be brought up to modern Minor League park standards.

Part of the city's scheduled maintenance for Dwyer has been the replacement of the roof of the front of the stadium and fixing the outfield scoreboard.

Although one problem for Chase with the scoreboard is there's no longer a computer with the proper software in the Wayne Fuller Press Box to run it. That's just one more thing he will need to figure out before opening day.

Chase just returned from a four-day meeting of NYPL executives, which was his chance to update them on the situation in Batavia.

"My mission there was really to get them to understand what’s going on here," Chase said. "For them, for everybody, it’s a weird situation, that the league owns the team. So when I tell them, ‘I have nothing.’ I don’t have a tape dispenser. I don’t have a stapler. I have nothing. I didn’t have a desk until a couple of days ago. They didn’t understand what is going on, so I was trying to get them up to speed, and then the punchline is, ‘I’m spending your money.’ They don’t like to hear that.”

For all the troubles that need attention at Dwyer, Chase said it's the response of the fans that make it all worthwhile.

"The community has been fantastic," Chase said. "The people that I’ve met are very nice. They’re cordial and they express an excitement about baseball. A lot of them have told me they’re relieved to know baseball is back. From that point of view, it’s great. The condition of the facility is shocking."

Batavia Players and GO ART! to show locally filmed 'Macbeth' April 7

By Billie Owens

Batavia Players and GO ART! present the film screening of "Macbeth" on Saturday, April 7, at GO ART! , 201 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

Join them for the screening of this locally produced, full-length feature film of "Macbeth" directed by Adam Dixson and Mallory Ann Flanagan. It was shot entirely in the City of Batavia.

And, celebrate the Grand Opening Weekend of GO ART!’s Tavern 2.o.1 -- a beer and wine bar.

Only 40 tickets available for "MacBeth," $20 per ticket.

Bar opens at 4 p.m.; hor d’oeuvres served at 7 p.m.

"Macbeth" begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets available at  www.Bataviaplayers.org

Batavia and Bergen students inducted into Golden Key Honor Society at SUNY Geneseo

By Billie Owens

The SUNY Geneseo chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society recently inducted students into the organization during a campus ceremony. Sophomores, juniors or seniors with a grade point average that places them in the top 15 percent of their class are eligible for membership.

The following students from this area were inducted:

  • Thomas Grammatico from Batavia;
  • Ashley Montgomery from Bergen.

SUNY Geneseo is a premiere public liberal arts college dedicated to developing socially responsible citizens with skills and values for a productive life.

Collaborative effort turning hog pens into bike racks for Downtown Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

About a year ago, after Brooks Hawley moved into a family home in the Town of Batavia, with the help of Brian Kemp, Kemp asked if there was anything on the old farm that might be suitable as bike racks for Downtown Batavia.

Two weeks later, Hawley showed up at Kemp's shop with four hog farrowing pens in his pickup truck.

Kemp, co-owner of T-Shirts Etc., is an artist who specializes in turning found objects into art and he thought the pens just might work.

Kemp started talking to anybody he could about helping out with the project. He knew he needed people who could work with metal and weld and had the equipment to do it.

"As with all of my projects, mention it to enough people and sure enough, someone will bite," Kemp said.

One day, Tim Gleba, a machine shop instructor at Batavia CTE (BOCES) came into Kemp's shop to pick monogrammed shirts and Kemp told him about the bike rack project.

Gleba immediately saw the potential for the school to get involved, so for the past several weeks, students in four different programs have been converting the pens into bike racks to be placed around downtown Batavia.

The project brings together students from the machine shop, welding, auto body, and conservation.

James Roggow, a student from Byron-Bergen, designed and fabricated finials to cap the bench arms, and other students are fabricating other parts for the racks and bench, including filigree end pieces for the bench (only one of the racks will have a park bench attached); welding is putting the pieces together; auto body students will paint the metal; and the conservation students logged a tree and made planks from it for the bench seat and back.

Auto body instructor Jeff Fronk saw the project as a perfect community contribution for his students.

"I thought it was cool," Fronk said. "These are going to be around the city for a long time. When these guys become young adults and have families of their own they can say, you know what, I did that. We did that in our class."

Fronk said he's really into color and what colors mean. He said he's always associated the color blue with Batavia, so the benches, he said, will be painted in a metallic blue that fades into a metallic orange.  Blue, because it symbolizes peace, harmony and unity, and orange because it symbolizes balance and warmth.

Kemp said he's looking forward to seeing the bike racks installed Downtown.

"I’m excited to see the progress of this project, along with the amount of collaboration it has taken to pull this together," Kemp said. "We are blessed to live in a community like this."

Graham Manufacturing is also assisting with the project.

Top photo: Three of the machine shop students who worked on the project with the first bench that is near completion, Arden Schadt, left, Evan Bartz, and James Roggow.

Below, one of the finials for the bench and a picture of the design on a computer.

This is what the pen looked like when it arrived at the machine shop (photo courtesy Tim Gleba).

Law and Order: BPD makes three warrant arrests

By Howard B. Owens

Nicole R. Elmore, 29, of Jackson Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. She was jailed on $500 bail.

Dilek Kahraman Mehmet, 42, of Meadowbrook Road, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on traffic tickets, including aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. He was jailed on $250 bail.

Anthony L. Vanelli, 40, of Thorpe Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. He was ordered held on bail.

Javaris A. Owens, 24, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. Owens was stopped at 3:19 p.m. Monday on Route 33 in Stafford by State Police.

St. Joseph School inducts 10 new students into National Junior Honor Society

By Billie Owens

Submitted photo and press release:

St. Joseph Catholic School is proud to announce that it has inducted 10 new students into its National Junior Honor Society (NJHS).

Parents, family and friends gathered at St. Joe’s earlier this month for this special ceremony to recognize select students for their outstanding efforts.

Matthew Landfried, Todd Bowman, Karen Green and the current NJHS members welcomed these new members with a ceremony sharing what the NJHS is all about. They shared that not only is the society about academics but it also serves to honor students that have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, character and citizenship.

The students in eighth grade that were honored this year were: Jayce Ashton, Michael Cianfrini, Camden King and Amanda Nguyen.

The students in seventh grade that were honored were: Veronica Bochicchio, Maylee Green, Kaylie Kratz, Amelia McCulley, Arabella Rogers and Aaron Treleaven.

Joseph Scanlan, Ph.D., shared some special words of encouragement and congratulations to end out the evening. Congratulations to all these hardworking students!

Sydney Loria of Batavia earned Dean's Award with Distinction at Colgate University

By Billie Owens

Sydney Loria, a member of the Colgate University Class of 2018, has earned the fall 2017 Dean's Award with Distinction.

Loria is a graduate of Batavia High School, from Batavia. Loria's current major is Chemistry.

Students who receive a term grade-point average of 3.6 or higher while completing at least three courses during the fall 2017 semester earn the Dean's Award with Distinction.

Colgate University is a highly selective residential liberal arts institution distinguished by its commitment to global engagement, student-faculty research, off-campus study, sustainable practices, and utilizing technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience.

Colgate offers 55 majors to a diverse student body of approximately 2,900 undergraduate students, and supports 25 Division I athletic teams. Since 1819, the university's campus in rural central New York has been renowned for its beauty and for the important role it plays in the student experience.

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