batavia

A line down the sidewalk.

That’s all anybody could hope for, and Empire Hemp founder Chris VanDusen and his eight suppliers — cannabis cultivators and processors bringing in product for the 204 E. Main St., Batavia Empire Hemp store beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday — will happily and hopefully be watching the street side form with customers.

“For us, it's a huge thing for us. People always ask -- they want our THC products, and we haven't been able to sell to them because we're not allowed to. So to be able to have this opportunity is really great,” VanDusen said during a busy Monday of preparing for opening day of the Cannabis Growers Showcase. “So we have a range of products, flower products, prerolls, you know, a lot of whole flower from … all the other vendors are cultivators. So it's all their stuff. We're hoping that we have a line down the sidewalk is what we're really hoping for. We're just just hoping for a really big turnout. We just found out last week we got approved to do it, so you know we've been scrambling to get everything out there.”

Greenside Cannabis, in partnership with Dank, Buffalo’s first licensed adult-use dispensary, and Empire Hemp Co., is hosting the WNY Cannabis Growers Showcase, a pop-up adult-use dispensary for licensed cultivators of high-quality cannabis products, which will run from 1 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday through Dec. 30. 

Not only will it provide local shoppers with opportunity to purchase certified cannabis products, but the showcase opens the door for Empire Hemp to sell its THC products as well. Typically, the industry doesn’t allow for one company to be grower, processor and retailer, VanDusen said, and this will allow his company to sell his products through Dank as the retailer set up within Empire Hemp. 

He’s got three flavors of THC gummies and three flavors of vape cartridges, plus more being developed in the lab to be launched soon, he said. Other participating cultivators and processors include Greenside Cannabis, Tarot Tokes, Flwr City, and House of Sacci, vendors “all the way from Jamestown to Niagara Falls to Rochester and everywhere in between,” he said, with a range of flower, edibles and vape products.

All participants are licensed by the state Office of Cannabis Management and are therefore authorized to sell directly to consumers. Would he have liked a larger window of more hours and days? Yes, of course, VanDusen said, but the OCM worked this out and adjusted the schedule to make it six hours a day for five days a week, “and we said, ‘no problem, that works,’” he said.

“But to be able to sell, so what it's gonna be is, we're partnered with Dank as the dispensary (from Buffalo), and they have set up their cash registers within our store. So they’re like a dispensary within our CBD store,” he said. “I think what it's going to be is, right now, they're looking at is like after January 1, there won't be any more, but if they don't get enough dispensaries opened by that time, I think they will extend it because it's the only way small brands can survive.”

Dank has been operating at 501 Main St., Buffalo, for six weeks and has been doing “excellent, way better than we thought we’d do,” owner Aaron Vancamp said. Not that he didn’t see the big influx at the start, but then expected traffic to ease up a bit after that, Vancamp said, and that’s not what’s happened.

“But it's actually increased and been increasing a little after that. So it's been really good,” he said. “We've become more efficient, though. So like, we're getting the customers, we still have the line. But then it's just like the rest, learning the payment processing and things like that to just get the customers out quicker.”

So they’ll be bringing those lessons to Batavia for some brisk sales in what VanDusen said will be a two-part process of checking IDs at one station and then cashing people out at the second one. Overall, Vancamp believes this showcase might just be a lifesaver for those in the cannabis business.

“It could be something that possibly saves the industry. It’s in dire straits, with the amount of stores that are open and the fresh crop coming in, people really need outlets to take care of that fresh crop if we could get a lot of these open and places like Batavia, where there’s like a good solid population, and Batavia’s been very welcoming of us, it wasn’t really tough, they were very glad to have us, and double the amount of revenue that we’re going to generate for them,” he said. “So basically, we think this could be something that saves you on the street for the time being until they can get more stores open and get things organized on the retail side.”

What are the benefits of these pop-ups? Convenience, established hours and locations for point-of-sale, and a coded product that a consumer can check to get the breakdown of how many milligrams it contains of THC or CBD, he said. 

“That’s especially helpful in dealing with the vapes or the edibles because you can actually break down your dosage and figure out what exactly you need,” Vancamp said. “In the other market, you don’t know what you’re getting. Sometimes it could be better. Sometimes it could be worse. Sometimes it could be something horrible. They’re dealing with old products or something like that. And you’re just better off with a more safe route here.”

How can customers trust the product? It’s all been lab tested, and each product has a certificate of analysis (COA) to prove that every one of them has been tested and is safe to consume, VanDusen said.

Police are investigating what appears to be a case of gunshots fired on Oak Street at around 10:50 p.m. on Monday night.

Witnesses said they heard five or six shots but that whoever was involved fled the scene quickly.

At about 10:50 p.m., dispatchers asked a patrol officer to switch to LE Secure (the encrypted channel for police communications), and another officer responded that he had heard gunshots while he was still inside the police station. 

The dispatcher said the 9-1-1 Center had received multiple calls.

A short time later, an officer reported that he had a person in custody, but a police source said that information was incorrect.

There is currently no official source of information available, and a police source said it is too early in the investigation to release much information.

A source said there are no reported injuries at this time.

There are City PD and Sheriff's patrols on scene on Oak Street, between La Cross Avenue/Charles Street and Allen Street.  There are also patrols strategically placed elsewhere in the city, but we've been unable to confirm that a suspect or suspects are still at large.

There were no injuries, not to the residents, firefighters, nor to the family pets in a fire at 10 Prune St., Batavia, this evening, but there was significant damage to the residence, said City Fire Chief Josh Graham.

The garage, where the fire started, is a total loss.

"There is significant damage to the second story," Graham said. "It's pretty well a total loss, and there is a lot of water and smoke damage on the first floor."

Graham said City Fire received a call at about 6:22 p.m. of smoke coming from the garage.

"Crews saw smoke as soon as they pulled out of the fire station (on Evans Street)," Graham said. "When they got on scene, the garage was fully involved with an extension into the house. They declared a second alarm, and the Town of Batavia responded, Elba responded."

The residents were out of the house, and a dog and cat also escaped safely, Graham said.

The streets are narrow, and houses are close together in the Prune Street neighborhood. The Tully's parking lot was right behind the house. That made it tight quarters to maneuver trucks and fight the fire.

Unloading hoses quickly and getting them into place quickly was difficult.

"One thing I will say is there's a house down here with a 16-year-old that came out and saw us struggling to pull a hose down, and he grabbed ahold of that hose and helped pull the hose down," Graham said. "Moving all that hose, getting everything in place with everything else around in the house was the hardest part."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A neighboring house sustained some heat damage.

Property tax records indicate the house is owned by James and Peggy Benedict. It was built in 1900 and remodeled in 1970. 

(Initial Report)

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Photos below by Frank Capuano.

A garage fire is reported at on Prune Street at South Spruce, Batavia.

Flames could be seen coming from the structure.

City Fire is on scene.

Press Release: 

"Tea and Spirits" at the Holland Land Office Museum(HLOM) was visited by Dean Richmond, Mary Richmond, and Eli Fish, famous residents of the Historic Batavia Cemetery. They entertained the crowd at a 200th-anniversary tea party on Sunday, August 20. Tales of their lives, accomplishments, and local, state, and national influence were told and enjoyed by all in attendance. 

One more "Tea and Spirits" with sweet treats and savory bites is scheduled for September 17 at 2 p.m. Famous Civil War General John Martindale, Fouierist and social reformer Albert Brisbane, and poet Reverend John Yates will be in attendance. Reservations are required, tickets may be obtained by calling the museum at 343-4727. Tickets are $20 for HLOM members and $25 for non-members. Hurry, space is limited!

More than 300 people turned out Sunday afternoon at Batavia Country Club for a free concert by the Ghost Riders, celebrating the group's 30 years of providing Genesee County with a hardcore country soundtrack.

Previously: For the love of the music: Ghost Riders still kickin' 30 years into their career

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Tuesday, August 29, and Wednesday, August 30 from approximately 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the general area of South of E. Main St. and West of Jackson 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 communities' 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 in need of repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

When you look like Elvis -- to the point that people have a tendency to stop you in the street unless you wear a bit of a disguise -- and can sing like the King, there's a natural path to take in life, especially if you're already living in the entertainment capital of the world.

That's the situation former singing bartender and Niagara Falls native Rick Alviti found himself in more than 20 years ago when his career as an Elvis impersonator started in Hollywood.

That life path brings him and his show, "That's the Way It Was," to Batavia Downs at 7 p.m. Sept. 9.

"I like the people I meet," said Alviti when asked what he enjoys about his career. "I meet the nicest people. They're always so kind to me.  When I'm out in stores or restaurants, people come up to me because I have this Elvis resemblance, and sometimes I wear a hat when I'm out, but when they come up to me, I always give them a card and invite them to a show. That's what I do for a living. 

"Meeting people, especially the people who love Elvis, is the best part. They're excited to meet because they love Elvis.  I'm fortunate to have that connection, and to me, that's a good thing."

After attending North Tonawanda High School, Alviti moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.  He landed a job at Dimples, a bar across from the NBC Studio that was a favorite entertainment industry hangout.  His gimmick was signing while he poured drinks, and already a huge Elvis Presley fan, he sang a lot of Elvis songs.  But Alviti had a beard, so nobody yet noticed his resemblance to Tupolo's most famous son.

He landed an acting job and had to cut his hair and shave his beard.  That's when, he said, everyone started calling him "Elvis."

He decided to get an agent and began getting serious about studying Elvis Presley's moves, watching his movies, and learning his songs. He got some gigs in Las Vegas and then the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority sponsored him on a national tour.

After his parents moved to Myrtle Beach, he visited them knowing, too, that J.D. Sumner and the Stamps (Sumner was long associated with Presley), had a long-term residency at a theater in Myrtle Beach. That led to meeting the theater owner, and after Sumner's death, Alviti got an offer to set up an Elvis tribute show at the theater. 

That was a residency with a 12-piece band that lasted for years.

Doing two shows a day really helped him refine his Elvis impersonation, he said.

His career has led to shows all over the U.S. and several in Las Vegas, including at the Winn, the Mirage, and the Gold Coast. 

That's where he met the Jordinairs (once backup singers to Elvis), he said. They became friends, and he performed with them.  He's also performed with the Stamps.

He also played a birthday party for a playmate at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, where he met  Hefner, whom he said was a nice guy. He was provided one of the mansion's many bathrooms (he guessed 27) as a changing room but kept getting interrupted by people wanting to use it for "one of two things," as he put it.

As for acting, being Elvis has opened doors there, too.  He played in a production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and was cast as Elvis in episodes of “ER” and “One Tree Hill.” He also played Elvis is a Rusty Wallace commercial for Miller Lite.

Alviti now splits time between Buffalo and South Carolina.  When he's in the northeast, he tours with a five-piece band of guys mostly based in and around New York City.  In South Carolina, he has another band, though when he's in the Nashville area, his band is led by the son of DJ Fontana (Presley's former drummer).

Tribute bands are a big deal now, but until Elvis impersonators, as they were called then, came along in the 1980s, musicians either played in cover bands or bands that played their own songs.

Impersonating some other act to the point of trying to sound exactly like that act and putting on their costumes was an industry waiting to be born.

"When I started out, there were maybe nine guys who did an Elvis tribute," Alviti said. "You had to look the part and sing the part and entertain the audience. Now there's probably 9,000 guys doing it."

He said it's probably for Elvis impersonators to get a start now, and a lot of guys doing it for "$200 and just to have fun. They just want to be Elvis for a bit.  What I do is a professional production." 

When he first started out, the Elvis Presley Estate was also much more concerned about Elvis impersonators, and he was contacted by representatives of Graceland.  He said he told them that he wasn't trying to convince people he was Elvis. He was performing as Rick Alviti.

"You're allowed to do a tribute to anybody. That's in law," Alviti said. 

When he was contacted, he said he told them, "I'm not saying I'm Elvis. I'm Rick Alviti. I happen to resemble him, but I'm not pretending to be Elvis."

He makes a point of calling his show "That's the Way It Was" without claiming to be Elvis Presley so he doesn't violate the estate's intellectual property rights. People who go to the show know they're seeing an Elvis tribute and not a substitute Elvis.

"Now. I think they've embraced tributes because it's helping keep the image alive," Alviti said.

He said his show is different from most Elvis tributes because it's interactive. He gets the audience involved.  He performs many of the songs it expects to hear, such as "Suspicious Minds" and "A Little Less Conversation," and his set can change on the fly.

"I try to gauge the audience," Alviti said. "If I'm doing too many ballads, I'll add in some faster things, stuff that gets everybody going.  I think I have a good sense of what the audience wants to hear."

While this show will be the "jumpsuit Elvis," he does do the "leather Elvis" at some of his appearances when the show includes an intermission.

"Elvis is great because there's four eras," Alviti said.  "There's the early Elvis, the movie-era Elvis, the leather-wearing comeback-era Elvis, and the Vegas years."

This will be Alviti's first appearance in Batavia.

"I invite everybody to come out and enjoy themselves," Alviti said. "We will have a wonderful time. That's what it's all about, making people happy and making sure everybody enjoys the music of Elvis."

A transformer has reportedly blown in the area of 5155 East Main Road, Batavia.

There is arcing and sparking, and now a report of a fire in the front yard of a residence. 

Town of Batavia Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 9:29 p.m.: National Grid is reporting 2,462 customers are without power.  The power outage area is from State Street in the city to nearly Seven Springs Road on the east, and from East Main Street Road going north into Byron.  ETA for power restoration is 11:30 p.m.

Sleekly painted derby cars -- all 44 of them -- had personalities befitting their child drivers, from cheetahs and police cars to a super flash, and all in a bid to win during the second annual Batavia Business Improvement District (BID) Boxcar Derby on Ellicott Avenue Saturday.

The event has grown from last year into something that derby committee member Jim Krencik could hardly describe, he said. 

“It was bigger, faster, better, any adjective you can think of. This was a huge success,” Krencik said. “We’re so excited for our 44 racers. I think the way the race was set up, the speed they went; these kids had the thrill of their lives.”

The soapbox derby-style cars came in two parts: one that resembles a surfboard, which has all the mechanicals on it, and the other part, the shell of the car itself, according to Krencik. Then, the kids assembled the vehicles “almost, kind of the same way you were fabricating something, installing the wheels and the wheel pins.”

The derby cars are “powered” by a slight slope and gravity, with the aid of “leaning forward” to give gravity a helping hand and “a bit of ducking their head down to pick up speed,” Krencik said. Each car came with a brake the children could push to slow them down, he said. 

“You saw some of the kids kind of flying off the start, so you see the care that went into building them," he said. "Tightening up the vehicle really made a difference.”

Made with a type of fiberglass and hard plastic shell, the kids had about a month and a half to decorate and do what they wanted with their car, he said. Afterward, build days allowed the kids to learn how to put the cars together. 

“It was great. We had so much fun,” said Shannon Maute, executive director of BID. “The kids were so cute. We had little ones, we had like three-year-olds with the power drills drilling in the wheels. It was so cute.” 

Part of the idea behind using those power tools is to introduce kids to skilled trades, which can offer "hugely rewarding" careers, Krencik said. 

“You see kids who are 19 years old getting into apprenticeships making 30-40-50-bucks-an-hour right out of a training program,” he said.

“Really, the kids, they don’t realize it. So if this was the thing that sparked their inspiration, they are going to have such a good life because they are going to have a step ahead of every kid who was ‘too cool’ for the trades," he said.

It was especially rewarding to see those creations representing their drivers and rolling past the finish line, Krencik said.

“You just see the cars coming in, you see so many great designs,” he said “That’s the excitement. It’s not just ‘okay, I’m painting my car blue or red’, they are putting their personalities onto these boxcars."

Maute agreed. The kids put their "hearts and souls" into these boxcars, she said.

“They took pride in that and that’s what we love,” Maute said. “And we talk about it and talk about it, but until you see it, you do not understand how fabulous these kids are. 

“They’ve been talking about it for weeks and then when they got here … I think that they could not have imagined how big it was going to be, so it was pretty fantastic," she said. "And the whole goal was to create memories, and I think that definitely, that we succeeded.”

BID sponsored the event with the Greater Rochester Soapbox Derby as partner and security, plus additional sponsors Alex’s Place, Graham Manufacturing, Western New York Concrete, and Sheet Metal Workers Local 46.

According to organizers, many of the cars will be going to Oakfield for its boxcar derby to be held next weekend for its Labor Daze festival. Afterwards, the derby cars will be kept in storage until next year's derby.

Photos by Photo by Julia Ferrini.

After trailing the entire game, Batavia PD staged a comeback win in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the third meeting in a charity baseball game between the police department and the City of Batavia Fire Department.

The final score was 14-13 on Saturday evening at Dwyer Stadium.

Proceeds benefited the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The state Office of Homes and Community Renewal has and will be involved with the Batavia-based Ellicott Station project, which has been thrown into some doubt recently after developer Sam Savarino announced he was shutting down his development firm, Savarino Companies.

An agency spokesperson responded to The Batavian’s request for comment, given that HCR initially awarded Savarino $1.2 million per year of low-income housing tax credits for 10 years based on his ability to secure investors, and more recently awarded Savarino $5.7 million in low-income housing tax credits for the downtown apartment project.

"HCR has been actively monitoring the progress of the construction of Ellicott Station and will continue to do so as we work to ensure completion of this critical project and deliver 55 affordable homes to Batavia,” the spokesperson said Friday. 

The Batavian had asked HCR about its role in the Ellicott Station project, the requirements of receiving the tax credits and if they could be transferred to another developer if Savarino walked off the job. 

The agency further added that:

• No tax credit funds are disbursed until a project is 100 percent completed.
• As with any HCR-financed affordable housing development, a new sponsor will be required to implement the terms of affordability in the existing regulatory agreement. 

It is unclear as to whether the apartment complex will remain in the current very low to low-income level, as per application guidelines on the Ellicott Station website, as city officials have been discussing the possibility of getting those levels raised to include workforce income levels. 

City Manager Rachael Tabelski said Thursday that city officials will be meeting with HCR to further discuss the current situation of Savarino’s company closing and the apartment complex’s income levels and future at a meeting in September. 

Savarino has not responded to requests for further comment since issuing a statement regarding the closing on Tuesday. As is posted on the company website, Savarino Companies, LLC, a full-service construction firm located in Buffalo, New York, will be winding down and ceasing operations.

"The primary factors governing the firm’s decision are ongoing and increasing costs related to a project the company’s surety was forced to complete at Alfred State College, a recent termination of work and the company’s inability to obtain surety bonding or acceptance of alternative performance guarantees for $110 million of 2023 work which the company would otherwise have had underway at this time," the site states. "Without that work, it would not be possible for the company to operate profitably.

"Savarino Properties, LLC, which is an independent company and provides property management services throughout Western New York, will not be impacted."

As of late Thursday afternoon, no one from Savarino Companies had reached out to the city about the fate of Ellicott Station, though there has been some apparent work activity noted at the 50 Ellicott St. site.

Press Release: 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) denounced the state government’s recent decision to require background checks for all ammunition purchases in New York. While the current system allows for free customer background checks for firearm purchases, this initiative would hand over this duty to the New York State Police.

Once this new system goes into effect, customers will be charged an additional fee of $9 for firearms and $2.50 for ammunition in order to cover the cost of a background check. Hawley is disappointed the state government is once again disregarding New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights.

“This new plan to require background checks for ammunition purchases is completely outrageous,” said Hawley. “Not only does this infringe on our Second Amendment rights, but they’re making responsible, law-abiding gun owners foot the bill. Actual criminals are not going to go through the process of doing a background check and pay an additional fee on top of that. This will only deter law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional rights,” continued Hawley.

“As New Yorkers, we shouldn’t have to worry about career politicians in Albany picking away at our rights piece by piece. As your assemblyman, I’ll do everything within my power to make sure our Second Amendment rights are safe and secure.”

Suffice it to say that the name Savarino will be the word of the day for some time to come, as working through the recent company’s closure and what that means for Ellicott Station will be “a long process,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said Thursday.

The Batavian had reached out to Tabelski late Tuesday about any updates on the closure of Savarino Companies and how that may impact the work-in-progress at the Southside apartment complex known as Ellicott Station. 

Tabelski responded on Thursday to say that company President Sam Savarino has not been in touch with the city since the publication of the news and that city officials are continuing to work on the situation. 

“There’s been no contact from the company,” Tabelski said. “We’re trying to gather as much information as we can. We don’t have answers yet, and we’ll be working on it. And looking to get those answers for everybody in the community, what next steps might be and what that might look like.”

She confirmed that prospective developers have contacted the city expressing interest in the project and that no vendors or subcontractors have called with concerns or complaints at this point.

City officials plan to meet with staff from the New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal in September, which has been in the works since the city learned about lower-than-expected income requirements at Ellicott Station.

First promised as market rate, then workforce housing, the apartment complex's application surprised city officials earlier this year with low to very low-income levels, prompting them to reach out to HCR for assistance to see what could be done to raise those income levels to allow for workforce housing tenants. 

Apparently, in addition to the apartment complex, on-site work has also included preparation for a brewery, which had been discussed in original plans but had fallen through with the one company, Buffalo-based Resurgence Brewing. Savarino had later said that he still intended to follow through with the plan for a restaurant and/or brewery, whether it be another vendor or his own company. 

The developer owns the property at 30-50 Ellicott St. as part of a deal brokered by Batavia Development Corp. in an effort to throw a spark onto an underutilized piece of “brownfield” property that needed a remediation and economic boost.

New York State’s Office of Homes and Community Renewal promised $1.2 million per year for 10 years in low-income housing tax credits -- incentives that were tied to the developer securing an investor or investors to back the project.

He requested approximately $3.6 million in economic incentives, with a $2,105,792 property tax exemption, a $790,512 sales tax exemption, and a $180,792 mortgage tax exemption. The bulk of the incentives are only realized by the developer after the compilation of a project.

Genesee County Economic Development Center CEO Steve Hyde said Wednesday that the agency is working to determine the next steps to be taken and that the agency had already found the company to be in default of its financial agreement. 

Savarino was awarded $425,000 of the city’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant money and $5.7 million of HCR’s low-income housing tax credits.

In 2017 and 2018, the city also awarded his company two grants: one from Empire State Development called the Restore New York grant for $500,000 to rehab the old electric building that’s on the site and a $250,000 National Grid grant to enhance the Ellicott Trail on the property area right behind the Savarino campus. 

Savarino stated at the start of the project that the estimated construction costs at the time were more than $22.5 million.  The total of awarded grants, incentives, and tax credits is about $11.6 million. With the project incomplete, Savarino has not yet realized the full value of those incentives, grants, and tax credits.

The Batavian has reached out to Savarino for further details about the closure and future of Ellicott Station and its 55 previously confirmed tenants; and to HCR for comments about the agency's ongoing role and responsibility in this situation and will provide an update when/if a response is provided.

Previously:

• Apartment application reveals for first time, Section 8 vouchers accepted at Ellicott Station
• City leaders surprised by Ellicott Station's income levels, ask developer to raise them
• Ellicott Station developer, GCEDC excited about project for tenants to 'live, work and play'
• Ellicott Station is going up, city leaders ask for income levels to do likewise
• Lottery drawing selects 55 tenants for Ellicott Station, Savarino says
• One woman's dream comes true as first one chosen for Ellicott Station
• Savarino Companies going out of business, leave Ellicott Station up in the air
• Documents say Savarino defaulted on financial agreements, GCEDC and city work on 'next steps'
• Savarino explains reason for business closure

Press Release:

Save the date!  Saturday, September 16, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., the Genesee County Master Gardeners will be hosting their annual Fall Garden Gala and Plant Sale at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 East Main Street in Batavia.

This plant sale features hardy garden perennials, most of which are grown by Master Gardeners.  Fall is a good time to plant many perennials as there is still time for them to grow a strong root system before winter. A wide variety of house plants will also be available for sale.

Learn how to artfully arrange flowers fresh from the garden, as talented Master Gardeners create arrangements and bouquets right before your eyes! These beautiful flower arrangements will be available for sale.

Don’t forget to stop inside for the Basket Auction. You never know what treasures may appear. The Basket Auction drawing will begin at 12:30 p.m.

The Master Gardener Helpline will be open to answer your gardening questions.  Not sure what your garden soil pH is? Bring in a soil sample for FREE pH testing.

Don’t miss your chance to pick up some great plants at great prices. Arrive at 10 a.m. for the best plant selection.  No early birds, please.

Proceeds from the sale benefit the educational outreach of the Genesee County Master Gardener Program.

For more information contact Jan Beglinger at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, (585) 343-3040, ext. 132, 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 other Master Gardener program updates https://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee.

Press Release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced the on-sale dates for several upcoming events taking place this fall at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel.

On Friday, September 22, the Ricky Palermo Foundation Comedy Night will be held inside Park Place. Attendees will receive admission to a night of comedy, a free drink, a buffet dinner, and $25 in Free Play. Tickets can be purchased at rickypalermofoundation.org.

Monday, September 25 will be Batavia Downs’ Oktoberfest featuring music from Fritz’s Polka Band. This free event will run from Noon - 3 p.m. The Homestretch Grill doors will be open and several Polish food specials will be available.

On Saturday, September 30, the 3rd annual Vodka & Gin Fest, presented by Deep Eddy Vodka and Ford’s Gin will take place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. For $40, attendees will have access to vodka and gin sampling as well as grazing stations and receive $25 in free play as well as a free program and $5 wager on that evening’s races at Batavia Downs. Designated Driver tickets will also be available. $35 early bird tickets are now on sale at BataviaConcerts.com for a limited time.

WBBZ’s popular show, Polka Buzz, will tape their show inside the Park Place Room on Thursday, October 5 – tickets and details will be available at a later date.

Batavia Downs’ famous Family Fun Day & Wiener Dog Races will take place on Sunday, October 15. Family-related activities will also take place including on-site entertainers, kettle corn stand, pumpkin decorating for kids 15 and under, carriage rides, and pony rides will take place from 12 - 2 p.m. with the wiener dog races commencing at 2 p.m. The time was moved up to accommodate guests who want to make sure they don’t miss the Buffalo Football game at 8:20 p.m. that evening.

The Batavia Bacchus Wine Festival will be happening on Sunday, November 5 from 1 - 3:30 p.m.  For $35, attendees will have access to wine sampling from local and national wineries as well as grazing stations. All attendees will receive $25 in free play. Designated Driver tickets will also be available. Tickets for this event will be on sale later in the fall. This event will take place well ahead of that night’s Buffalo Football game at 8:20 p.m. giving attendees time to watch the game after the event.

“Our event schedule remains jam-packed for the fall,” said Henry Wojtaszek, President and CEO of Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. “We pride ourselves on providing a diverse variety of events for the people of Western New York.  Our guests will find that these events are fun, well run, and affordable.”

Tickets for other previously announced September events like the Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift Tribute show, the Elvis Tribute Show, and the Silent Disco are on sale now at BataviaConcerts.com.

Press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs have agreed to terms with current Manager and coach Joey “Skip” Martinez for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.  Skip Martinez took over in 2021, the first season CAN-USA Sports took over ownership of the Muckdogs.  The Florida native and former Detroit Tigers draft pick has come to know Batavia as a second home these past few years.            

Since taking over, Martinez has led the Dogs to the playoffs in two of his first three seasons. The Muckdogs won the West Division in 2022 and fell just 1 game short of winning the PGCBL Championship that season. Under Martinez, the Muckdogs claimed the #1 seed in the regular season in both 2022 and 2023. 

"Joey has done a great job for us here in Batavia, and we are pleased to have him back," said Muckdogs Owner Robbie Nichols. 

“I am very happy to be back to my second home and continue to be part of the Nichols family and our Muckdogs Mafia, I hope to be here amongst family for a long time. Thank you for the continued support for our organization, We will be back, and we will be better,” said Martinez.

Season tickets are on sale as low as $99 for the 2024 season.  If you are interested in tickets, sponsoring the Muckdogs, or hosting a group event next year at Dwyer Stadium, call 585-524-2260.  For the latest news throughout the offseason, check out their website at www.canusamuckdogs.com. The Muckdogs will be hosting the Battle of the Badges this Saturday at 6 p.m. at Dwyer Stadium and will be hosting Muckdogs Trick or Treat on Saturday, October 21st 3 to 6 p.m.