batavia

As an active member of First Presbyterian Church while also singing in the choir and serving on the Personnel Committee, David Van Scoy was a “dear friend in Christ” to the Rev. Roula Alkhouri for nearly 17 years, she says. 

She shared about his deep faith and love for God, often reflected in community service through many local organizations, mirrored the way of Jesus — “which is all about unconditional love,” Alkhouri said.

“He was always grateful for the gift of life as he had a brush with death many years ago. He had a sense of joy about him that sparkled with God's light,” she said. “Whether he was playing the ukulele or having a serious meeting, Dave always knew how to put love first. Even when there was a conflict that needed to be addressed, Dave was gracious because he saw everyone as a child of God who deserved to be treated with dignity and care.”

Van Scoy died Sept. 10, 2024 at the age of 82 after many years of a distinguished career in education and dedication to serving the needs of others, including at the church. His insights were always deep and wise, Alkhouri said.

“Yet, he was also humble about it and always used his gifts to serve others and to love his community. Dave had incredible wisdom, which he blessed so many of us with,” she said. “He was a very generous man in spirit and in giving. He embodied the teachings of Christ about loving our neighbors as ourselves. Dave also left us an amazing example of loving his family and loving God's creation. I am so grateful to have known Dave as a friend. He has enriched my life and helped me become a better person.”

He also helped her professionally to become a better leader, she said, through his encouragement and guidance “whenever I needed it.” 

“I knew that I could count on Dave's honesty and integrity. I remember coming back one time from a leadership development workshop when I met with the Personnel Committee to ask them to help me figure out my workload; Dave simply said, ‘Trust yourself, and do the work as you see God is calling you to do it, and we will support you,’” she said. “These words have stayed with me and have guided me through many challenges.

“I am very sad for losing Dave, yet in faith, I know that our bond is eternal and that Dave will continue cheering us on through the Spirit of God's love,” she said. “One day we will meet again.”

Van Scoy had been a math teacher, assistant principal, principal and superintendent at other school districts before settling into the superintendent position at Batavia City Schools from the early 1980s to 1998. At the Batavia district, he crossed paths with three people in three different capacities, all of whom remember him fondly.

Alice Benedict was elected to the Board of Education in 1995 and learned that the district’s leader was “a gentle and positive person,” she said.

“He showed genuine kindness and caring to the students of the district. He expressed to the Board the importance of giving the students the best education the district could afford. He was very supportive of the teaching staff,” Benedict said.  “Dr Van Scoy led the school district with strong authority but in a non-aggressive manner. He had a positive support attitude and respected the Board’s opinions. He had a strong working relationship with administrators and he fostered a collaborative culture throughout the district.”

It wasn’t just colleagues who admired him, though, as Jason Smith, now a superintendent himself but a student in the 1980s, has nice memories of Van Scoy, who was always present at concerts, he said.

“My mother would often remark to me how she enjoyed seeing him at concerts playing his ukulele,” Smith said. “I can recall him working at the Pageant of Bands with the Band Boosters, as his son Shawn (who is also a superintendent of schools) was in the band as well.”

Smith shared a story that many people from back then remember, he said, about Van Scoy's methods for calling snow days well before the days of the Internet. He would  simply go outside, take a look, put a ruler in the ground, and make the call!

“I saw Dr. Van Scoy recently at Ken Hay's funeral, where we had a nice ‘superintendent to superintendent’ chat with his trademark witty humor,” Smith said. “It is a personal and professional honor to serve in the same role once held by Dr. Van Scoy, a legendary Batavia City School District Superintendent of Schools, who served us so well for 19 years.”  

Van Scoy hired Julia Rogers as a Spanish teacher in 1993, and although he was an obvious dedicated leader in Batavia, she also recognized his many other attributes, she said. He was “visible and approachable and was passionate about learning,” while also giving people a supportive nudge to pursue their strengths.

“He supported learning opportunities for his students and encouraged continuous learning and growth for his staff, even granting sabbaticals to people looking to go into administration (like my Dad),” she said.  “When he saw good things occurring, he offered genuine praise to the person.”

And as with First Presbyterian Church, Van Scoy also helped out at the Lions Club, selling hotdogs at Batavia High and Notre Dame High School football games and at the BHS Class of 1988 Project Graduation event, Rogers said. He was always there, she said, but not always as an administrator. He was a father, too.

“His son Shawn was in my class, and at the Project Graduation event, Dr. Van Scoy made it known to us he was there as Shawn's dad. A couple of us teased him, and instead of saying Dr., said ‘Ok, Mr. Van Scoy,’ and he laughed,” she said. “He was at Batavia Clippers' games on various occasions, but especially at the annual Lions Club night raffling off bikes to Batavia children.”

Still helping his Batavia community, he served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board as well.  They spoke recently at a Salvation Army board meeting, and “he told me how proud he was of me and was glad he hired me and wished me well in my venture at Notre Dame,” she said.

“He was very involved in our community since day one, but to his family, he was so much more,” she said. “My deepest sympathies go out to Mrs. Van Scoy, his sons, Shawn and Mark, and their families.”

Pastor Marty Macdonald, founder of City Church in Batavia, is unequivocally denying allegations stemming from events 40 years ago that he sexually abused a teenage girl.

Melissa Hobson, formerly of Batavia, made the allegations public this past week, and her charges were repeated in a video interview with another local pastor.

Macdonald, through his son Ryan Macdonald (also asked to be part of the interview) declined an interview request from The Batavian and referred questions to his attorney, Anjan Ganguly, who issued the following official statement that was also sent to members of City Church: 

“These allegations simply repeat decades-old accusations from a woman who alleges she was sexually abused by Pastor Marty approximately 40 years ago, when she was a minor. Pastor Marty absolutely denies sexually abusing this person. He absolutely denies ever having sexually abused anyone, especially a child,” the letter states. “It must be stressed that these are accusations, not proven facts. There has been ample opportunity for these accusations to be brought in a court of law, where Pastor Marty would have the opportunity to vindicate himself. Instead, the accusations are being made on the internet and, even worse, from the pulpit. It should also be stressed that the alleged misconduct is not connected to The City Church or any of its related ministries. The alleged misconduct allegedly occurred at a different church, long before The City Church was founded.”

The City Church web page for “Meet the Pastor”  is currently a broken link. Macdonald is also not currently listed on the site's staff page. His son, Ryan Macdonald, is listed as "lead pastor."

The Batavian called Ganguly Wednesday and left a message to comment on Marty Macdonald’s current status at City Church. Ganguly has not responded to this specific question.

City Church has been a member of the Association of Related Churches, but City Church is not listed on the website’s church directory.  A representative of ARC has not responded to a request for comment.

Hobson, who disclosed the accusations to a reporter in Batavia more than two decades ago but then declined to cooperate with a story, confirmed on Tuesday night that she did go on the record with Dee Parsons, editor of the Wartburg Watch, an online publication that covers allegations of sexual misconduct in churches.

Ganguly said he wondered why Hobson was coming out publicly with this now after all these years.

According to a post published on the site on Sept. 11, Hobson came forward and offered her story to Wartburg Watch at the prompting of Cindy Clemishire, a woman whose own story of abuse at a church made national news because it involved Pastor Robert Morris, of Texas, who has been an evangelical adviser to former President Donald Trump. NPR reported the story, and Morris resigned from his church, admitting to “inappropriate sexual behavior.”

Clemishire's story is similar to Hobson's. In the 1980s, she was 12 years old when she first came in contact with Morris. Wartburg Watch first reported the story. Morris was never charged with a crime.

Hobson’s version of events began in 1983 when the 12-year-old moved to Batavia with her family from Olathe, Kan., and her father became pastor at New Hope Ministries.

New Hope was located at 8020 Bank Street Road, now Cornerstone Church's location.  

Marty Macdonald was then an assistant pastor at New Hope.

The family soon became friends with Marty Macdonald and his family. Macdonald was a farmer who served in a volunteer leadership position in the church. Macdonald was eventually installed as the assistant pastor at New Hope Ministries.

According to the report in Wartburg Watch, which Hobson confirmed accurately portrays what she told the website’s editor, things started to become uncomfortable early on.

In 1983, Melissa she started babysitting Macdonald’s two boys, she said.

“I remember the first time I noticed something was off,” she said.

She was making lunch for the children, she claims. Macdonald, covered in dust,  came home from working on the farm. He entered the door and stood in the open foyer, in plain view of Melissa in the kitchen. He said that he needed to remove his coveralls and proceeded to strip them off in front of her. He has on his white T-shirt and underpants. She said he then went to shower and emerged with a towel wrapped around his bottom.

As time progressed, she said, he went out of his way to be “so kind” to her. He would often hug her while affirming her, which boosted her self-esteem.

During this time, the Smith and Macdonald families became close. Once hired full-time at the church, MacDonald spent much time interacting with the church’s child care center staff, where Melissa also worked. 

The families began to vacation together as well. Melissa lived next door to the church, where Macdonald worked full-time, so there was close contact between Melissa and the young pastor. When she babysat, he would always be the one to take her home. He began calling her his ‘little sister” and would frequently hug her, she said.

As time progressed, she alleges, he would often " come out of the shower with a towel” whenever the wife was not home. He arranged to be with her more frequently while assisting with the remodel of her family’s home. He would offer to pick her up at school, where things would accelerate.

She said that by age 14, she felt she had a romantic relationship with him.

According to the Wartburg article, Hobson’s sister remarked on Macdonald’s charismatic personality while making an important observation.

"I remember staying with the Macdonalds when my parents were out of town preaching," Hobson's sister said, according to the article. "Melissa and I were sleeping together. I woke up to find Macdonald kneeling next to my sister in the bed. He told me that Melissa was sick and that she would be staying home from school. I recall being irritated because she stayed home sick a lot. Sometimes I even felt jealous of all the attention Macdonald paid to her."

Hobson said Macdonald was physically with her on those drives home from babysitting. He would put his hand on her thigh," Hobson alleges. Then, he began to pull off the road, and they would go “parking.” Hobson said she got so much validation from him that she wanted to spend time alone. This parking involved making out, petting, and him putting his hands in her pants and, she alleges, digitally penetrating her.

As she fell in love with him, he would warn her not to say anything about what they were doing. He said it would “destroy her parents’ ministry.”

After she turned 18 in 1989, she said she began to feel shame about the relationship and took a children’s pastor position at her father’s church. She stopped all intimacy with Macdonald and met and married her husband in 1992.

Hobson said she talked to her parents in 2000, and her dad asked for advice from his overseers, who said there was no legal recourse by then and that he should forgive Macdonald. Two other local overseers were brought in, and Hobson said that Macdonald allegedly confessed to an affair to them and his staff but did not disclose her age.

Paul Doyle, pastor of Cornerstone Church, has been outspoken about the issue recently, calling on Macdonald to repent. He said that he was present when Pastor Robert Smith, Hobson's father, confronted Macdonald in 2000 about the allegations.  The Batavian spoke to Doyle on Wednesday for clarification about the conversation.

The meeting included Smith, Doyle, and Macdonald, who brought his wife, Patti, Doyle said. They met at Austin Park in Batavia. Smith said, according to Doyle, "I'm here to tell you I know you molested my daughter, and I'm here to forgive you and release you as my spiritual son."

There were a lot of head nods, as if he was taking his punishment, Doyle said of Macdonald. 

"He had guilt all over him. There was no doubt in my mind he was guilty," Doyle said, adding that at no time did Macdonald ever deny the accusation or say that he never did anything like that. "He was sucking it up and taking his punishment. The cover-up was blatant. Nobody cared because it was Marty."

Doyle said that he has a forgiving heart but that this was never dealt with, and a family was destroyed in the process. 

"I saw the devastation it did to a girl and her family," he said. "You're talking about a sexual predator that's preaching from the pulpit. I have no doubt this happened."

After providing The Batavian with Macdonald’s statement denying the allegations, Ganguly agreed to answer a few limited questions from The Batavian.

Did Macdonald know Hobson?
Yes, they were familiar with one another through the ministry at New Hope, he said.

Why would she either make this up or hang onto this accusation from decades ago if it was not true?
“So you know, I've had this conversation with my clients, and look, I've done a lot of Child Victims Act defense work on behalf of churches and ministers and whatever. And I always ask, where's this coming from? Yeah, sometimes it's coming from the fact that it happened, right? And no bones about it, right? And sometimes it's coming from somebody who needs a sense of closure, of justice, and I understand that. I will say what I'm a little confused by, and I mean this not derisively. I mean, it in a very legitimate way, why didn't she bring a Child Victims Act lawsuit during the two or three-year window when the statute was open in New York?” he said. “Again, I am scratching my head, and my clients are scratching their heads as to why this is coming up right now. I've had dozens of child victims act defense side cases against churches from allegations 20, 30, 40, and 50, my oldest one 60 years ago. Why didn't she bring a lawsuit she could have not only could have had her claims hypothetically vindicated, she could have received damages and, conversely, my client could have had his defense, you know, he should have had himself vindicated. Why is it coming up now? I don't know. Again, I'm perplexed by that.”

Does Marty agree with the part of the story where two overseers—Pastor Ron Domina and Tommy Reid—were involved with him and Melissa?
“So, in a very informal way, Reverend Domina and I know less about Reverend Tommy Reid, but I understand they had, let's say, some spiritual guidance role over pastor Marty, and so in their let's call it internal conflict resolution process the complainant reaches out to these people and says, I want this addressed. But my understanding is the allegations were levied, and there were discussions, and whatever resolution was to be had … I understand the complainant doesn't feel that way. I think the complainant alleges that these ministers swept it under the rug,” he said. “They didn't have any legal authority over Pastor Marty or anybody; they were, and they had some kind of spiritual advisory type.”

Was there a confession or agreement during these talks?
“In these talks, they reached a resolution where there was a confession or any agreement that something happened? I will say that I don't know,” he said. “But as to confession, I'll just rely on my client's statement that he categorically denies the allegations of sexual misconduct.”

Hobson, 52, said she isn’t seeking anything from Macdonald.  She said shared her story now because she wanted to encourage victims of abuse to come forward just as Clemishire did.

“I want other victims to have a voice, you know, I want them to feel supported, brave enough to speak out. Cindy shared her story for me to know and understand that it's not okay, and it's not their fault, and I hope that I can empower others to have a voice by having a voice. I was silenced,” Hobson said .“I want to help others be brave and say, ‘You know what? This is not okay. ‘You can have a voice, you can speak, you can speak up, and you can come forward because that's where healing comes from, is being able to speak and being able to tell your story.”

Rumors had circulated about the abuse several years ago, but they didn’t go anywhere. Hobson and her husband Harlan said she wasn’t emotionally ready to go through any legal process. She claims that she was groomed — a type of conditioning to gain the trust of one’s victim before the abuse evolves — and abused, she alleges, from age 12 to 18. 

She was made to feel as though she was to blame, she said, and she was left feeling discredited in the process. She also alleges that Ryan Macdonald accused her of seducing his father. She moved away from Batavia in 2011 after trying to share her story in the face of disbelief, shaming and name-calling, she said. 

 “At that time in my life, I had been groomed; I was convinced this was my fault. I carried an enormous amount of guilt and shame. It was a long time before I ever told anybody,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of therapy and a lot of spiritual support. God has truly sustained me.”

Her husband, Harlan, was on the phone with Hobson and The Batavian during the interview.

Harlan said he shared this difficult journey of recovery with his wife since they were married.

“I’ve walked through this with my wife for decades, and I know her heart and her desire to have other people find hope and for victims to find their voice. So, like she said, I want to echo that this is not okay, and the fact that it is so prevalent in our country, it's not okay. And when she was talking about doing her story, that's what that was. She said I want my voice to matter,” he said. “And anybody that's ever been around victims and been through therapy or trauma therapy, or anything like that, understands that the silencing of a victim's voice can actually be more traumatizing than the actual abuse that took place. I've watched that. I've seen that and the power within my wife when she can speak out.

“And the fact that she has still kept her faith in God and that she has still been an incredible mother and grandmother and through all the things that we’ve been through, amazes me every day, and that is the sincere focus of her heart,” he said. “This is very little about Macdonald and more about Melissa and her finally having the courage to speak up, to have a voice and really want to help others.”

The accusations didn't receive a public airing until June, when -- without mentioning Macdonald by name -- evangelist Mario Murillo held what was scheduled as a two-day tent revival meeting at Cornerstone. However, on the second day of the meetings, he cut them short, citing unrepentant sin in the Batavia area as the reason.

He said he came to Western New York because he believed God led him here to light a revival that would spread to the nation.

He said, “I laid before God, and I cried out to God, and I said to God send revival to Batavia. And the Lord said, ‘No.’ And I said, ‘What? I’ve never heard you say, no.’ But the Holy Spirit said, ‘No.’ He told me that he was grieved. The spirit of God said, ‘I’m grieved.’ I said, ‘You’re grieved?’ Every word I’m about to tell you I’m speaking out of mercy, broken heart.  I went to chapter five of First Corinthians, and there was sexual immorality in the Corinthians. Paul said that you are puffed up because the individual who is guilty of this particular sin is being celebrated among you.

He went on to say that something happened years ago, and it is grieving the Holy Spirit.  A young girl was assaulted, he said, by a minister, and it was somewhat covered up because of the popularity of the man.

He said the individual responsible was never fully required to repent.

“The Lord has told me to warn that man of God, ‘Get right because the media is going to come after you.”

In a separate interview with Renee Ricco, a woman who calls herself a “citizen journalist,” Doyle claims he knows Hobson very well and that they are very close. He reveals he knew the details of the allegations against Macdonald long before Murillo’s tent revivals.

He said he has always been close to Hobson and was close to her father, who was also his minister at New Hope. Doyle said he was present when Melissa’s father confronted Macdonald about the allegations.

As the allegations reached more members of the New Hope congregation, it became a controversy.

“When we discovered it had happened, Pastor Marty was long gone when we learned about it, so nobody in our church could hold him accountable,” Doyle said. “He had already had his own ministry. He has his own overseers. He was already well established in the Western New York church community but we didn't see the outrage there, and I personally never saw it. And it's like they just wanted this to go away.”

Doyle said many people at the time, including church leadership, said the issue should be forgotten.

“Not only was he not dealt with, but it was also almost covered up,” Doyle said. “There was a proverbial sweeping under the rug of the issue. And as the outrage continued within our church, it began to turn back on us that we weren't forgiving, that we needed to let bygones be bygones. They would talk about my pastor, that he had a forgiveness problem. And this came from higher-ups in the Western New York, I guess, church oversight levels and so we we basically felt like we had to tuck tail it and run.”

Doyle said after the issue became known in the church, New Hope membership dropped from 350 to about a dozen (he did not specify the period of time). He hopes the issue being brought to light publicly will help bring more healing to Hobson and her family.

“This is an issue in her own words that she’s never been able to talk about,” Doyle said. “She’s gone through a tremendous amount of healing in herself. It’s amazing how God has helped her. But the issue is still there.”

Ganguly steadfastly maintains that Macdonald didn’t harm Hobson and he blames “third parties” (not Hobson) for raising the allegations.  He wants the false allegations removed from the web.

“So, if they have people saying this church (City Church)  is harboring a child molester, how does a congregation trust church leadership?” he said. “They (City Church) do need the false statements to be taken down. The burden is on the plaintiff to prove a case. One, it didn’t happen, and two, you had ample opportunity to go to court with evidence. We don’t even know if Melissa is behind this. We have third parties making these allegations.”

The official statement going out to the church also includes the following disclaimer:

Furthermore, The City Church’s leadership has never received any allegation of sexual abuse of a child in connection to any Church ministry or activity or by any Church staff member or volunteer. If you become aware of any such misconduct, please immediately report it to a church staff member. We will take swift and appropriate action, including referring the matter to law enforcement as necessary.

Howard Owens contributed to this story.

Press Release:

Officials at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel are asking for entrants into their Annual Dachshund Races, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 13.

Up to 80 dachshunds will be racing for the crown of fastest wiener dog in Western New York. Each “heat” winner will receive free play and the top 3 finishers in the championship race will receive free play, food vouchers and a free hotel stay.

Family related activities will also take place including; on site entertainers including face painting, balloon artists and magicians as well as a kettle corn stand, pumpkin decorating, carriage rides, pony rides.  Those events will take place from Noon to 2 p.m. 

The wiener dog races will commence at 2 p.m. With the Buffalo Football team not playing until Monday Night, patrons won’t have to worry about missing their favorite football team play on Sunday.

If you have a pure-bred dachshund and would like to enter your dog to participate, please call or email Arna Tygart at 585-343-3750 ex 6437 or email at atygart@bataviagaming.com.

Admission and Parking is free.

“Our Annual Family Fun Day and Wiener Dog Races are a staple of the fall here at Batavia Downs,” said President and CEO, Henry Wojtaszek. “We look forward to welcoming families and the community back to our facility for all the activities we have planned.”

Press Release:

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County Board of Directors meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on September 24.

Weather permitting, the meeting will be held at the Batavia Community Garden, 12 MacArthur Dr., Batavia, and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Peck at ydp3@cornell.edu or 585-343-3040 x123.

Press Release:

The Batavia City School District (BCSD) is proud to announce that our state-of-the-art facility at VanDetta Stadium will once again be hosting athletic events during the 2024-25 school year.

We continue to make safety our number one priority for students, staff, and community members attending events at VanDetta Stadium. We’re anticipating large crowds throughout the season, and we want to make you aware of the enhanced safety protocols, guidelines, and expectations when attending our Varsity Football games:

• All attendees will be wand-checked by our security team to ensure no prohibited items are brought into the facility.
• VanDetta Stadium is located in a neighborhood, so please be courteous and do not block driveways, throw trash on the ground, or use foul language. Please be a good neighbor. Parking regulations will be strictly enforced by the Batavia Police Department.
• All students ages 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult.
• We will charge adults a $2 admission fee for all Varsity Football games. Students and seniors aged 62 and over will have free admission.
• We suggest you arrive early to avoid security delays upon entry.

We’ll also continue to have a security presence around the stadium during events. We’re once again collaborating with Armor Security this year to help support our administrators, athletic event workers, and the Batavia Police Department to make sure safety remains a priority at our events. We’ll also have additional security in our parking lots.

We cannot wait to welcome you back to VanDetta Stadium for another exciting season of Blue Devil events and cheer on our wonderful student-athletes. Let’s all do our part to keep our school grounds, students, faculty, staff, and community safe. 

A school bus on Bank Street near North in Batavia is stopped after smoke was spotted coming from the tail pipe. 

A police officer responded and confirmed the smoke.  City Fire requested to the scene to investigate further. 

All students and the driver are off the bus and on the sidewalk 

Press Release:

Every year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with local communities to hold Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs this year from September 15 - 21. The annual safety week ends with National Seat Check Saturday, a day for parents and caregivers to receive free instruction on how to correctly install and use the right car seats for their children. 

The City of Batavia Fire Department announced today that certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be offering free car seat safety checks on Saturday, September 21 beginning at 10 a.m. at City of Batavia Headquarters. Technicians will check car seats, let caregivers know if their children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, and show them how to install the right seats correctly.

Unfortunately, many parents are overconfident about their car seats. They think they’re protecting their kids, but almost half of car seats are either the wrong seat for the child’s age and size, or the seats are installed incorrectly. That puts children at risk. According to NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children. 

Every day in 2022, an average of three children 14 and younger were killed in crashes, and another 429 were injured. We know parents love their kids, so they’ll do everything in their power to protect them. An easy way to do that is to double-check their car seats — it’s worth making sure.

According to NHTSA, more than a third (39%) of children 14 and younger who died in crashes in 2022 in cars, pickups, vans, and SUVs were unbuckled. 

The safety agency wants caregivers to know that it’s never safe to ride unbuckled in a passenger vehicle — no matter how short the trip or how big the vehicle. More than half (52%) of the child passengers 14 and younger killed in pickup trucks in 2022 were unrestrained — more than any other vehicle category. Bigger vehicles don’t protect child passengers, but car seats, booster seats, and seat belts do.

When it comes to child passengers, there is a right seat for every age and developmental stage — from infants to teens. Whether it’s a rear-facing car seat, a forward-facing car seat installed with a tether, a booster seat, or a seat belt, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to correctly install that seat in their vehicle. 

Children should stay in each seat and position until they outgrow those limits, and it’s important for all children under 13 to ride in the back seat.

If Saturday’s times don’t work for your schedule, but you’d still like to have your car seats checked, contact the City of Batavia Fire Department at 585-345-6375 to schedule an appointment.

NHTSA.gov also has free resources available to caregivers. Learn about the different car seat types, read NHTSA’s research-based recommendations, and find and compare car seats.

It’s also important for caregivers to register their car seats with the manufacturer so they can be notified in the event of a recall. Download NHTSA’s SaferCar app, which allows users to save their vehicle, car seat, and tire info in a virtual garage. If any of the saved equipment is included in a safety recall, the app will send a notification.

For more information on child car seat safety, as well as how to find other car seat check events, go to
www.nhtsa.gov/therightseat.

Or Contact Car Seat Program Coordinator Lt. Bob Tedford at 585-345-6375.

The history of Sacred Heart Church began in 1904 when Reverend Peter Pitass was assigned to organize a new parish that would serve the Polish people on the south side of Batavia. 

Father Pitass bought a house on the corner of South Jackson Street. The first floor was rebuilt into a sanctuary, and the second floor was a residence for the priest. A barn was rebuilt for the school. 

The parish grew and needed a new home. 

In 1917, the Church moved to the corner of Sumner Street and Swan Street. He purchased about half an acre of land on that corner from Edward Suttell, enough for a church, a school and a social hall. 

Building materials were so expensive the parish built only the basement. That was then used as a church until a better one could be built. 

Starting in December 1928, Reverend Stanislaus Cichowski served as pastor for the next 26 years. 

During March 1942, Tonawanda Creek rose in the worst flood in Batavia's history. The Church was underwater for weeks, destroying everything except the cement foundation. Reverend Alexander Jankowski succeeded Father Cichowski in building and rebuilding the Church and school. 

In 1954, Reverend Leo Smith blessed the cornerstone of the Church, which was to be built on the foundation that had been in place since 1915. 

In 1966, the congregation burned the mortgage they had taken out to fund the Church and surrounding buildings. 

There was also a large open play area to hold Sacred Heart’s Lawn Fete in July. 

In 1974 the school closed, and the parish men built a large social hall on the north side, transforming the former school building into the Sacred Heart Community Center. 

The little Church that took many years to build is now facing the last chapter of its life as the doors will be closed permanently.  

When this happens to your church, you lose the memories of baptisms, Holy Communions, Confirmations, weddings, anniversaries, and funerals. 

One memory I will always treasure was going to Mass with my father-in-law, Henry Starowitz. I was so proud to walk down the aisle with him. By this time, he was legally blind, but somehow, he would stop at every pew and say hello to a fellow parishioner. He counted the pews. 

Sacred Heart is my church. 

My Mass was at 4 p.m., and I always sat in the pew near the Paul Starowitz stained glass window. That is where my mother-in-law and father-in-law sat. Most people had a pew they called their pew.

Sacred Heart Church was where I would sit in front of my friend, often called St. Patty. I always looked forward to seeing her at Mass. I would go to the Sacred Heart Statue and light my weekly candles with a Peca-Starowitz tag on my candle. 

This church was where our grandchildren were baptized. 

The Easter season was when, years ago, a life-sized statue of our lord was laid out on its side during the Easter Vigil. I have to admit that it was a little scary, especially for our daughters. 

We loved the Sacred Heart Lawn Fete because it was a lawn fete run by the parishioners. It featured a golumpki dinner, waffles, Polish and Italian sausage, and the best beer tent. My father-in-law was always in the garage, in charge of the money. 

Since I live on the south side, I am privy to hearing the real church bells ring five minutes before and on the hour. I tried to imagine that years ago, those bells called churchgoers to church.

I am writing to ask the parishioners to share their memories of the little church on the south side of Batavia. The one thing we all have in common is the sadness we feel. Sacred Heart Church was just remodeled; financially, it is a secure church. Today, I went by the church to take a picture of my church, and a gentleman was mowing the lawn. He looked at me and asked me to hold on; he would move so I could take a picture. 

I say this with tears in my eyes and sadness in my heart. Goodbye, Sacred Heart; our loss saddens our hearts. 

No one knows the church’s fate and the surrounding building, except we will not have our church on Sumner Street as our church.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Police Department has been made aware of social media posts circulating that are threatening violence at schools. The investigation into this matter has deemed that there is no credible threat to the Batavia City School District at this time. We are working alongside our Local, State and Federal partners to determine the origin of the posts. We have communicated with BCSD about the posts and will continue to monitor the situation. 

We ask that anyone with further information contact the Police Department's Detective Bureau at 585-345-6350. Furthermore, if you see a suspicious post, contact your local law enforcement and do not re-post, share, message or place it on any other social media site, as this can create unnecessary panic and hamper law enforcement's ability to investigate.

NOTE: We asked Chief Shawn Heubusch if the threat came from somebody local and specifically targeted Batavia. He said it's unknown who exactly made the threat. He said there is no specific information regarding Batavia.

Press Release:

IGNITE took off at the Genesee Community College (GCC) campus in Batavia! 

Mirroring the LIVES college experience program at SUNY Geneseo, IGNITE is Arc GLOW’s newest Community Prevocational program in the northern region of Arc GLOW. It’s also a great acronym, suggested to Arc GLOW by GCC, “Inspiring Growth and Nurturing Independence Through Education.” 

“It has certainly inspired me and the rest of our new IGNITE team, including IGNITE Day Habilitation Manager Emily Mault, and our two direct support staff, Dan Crofts and Kevin Fisher,” said Kelly Anstey, senior director of day and employment services. “In the last few weeks we have been researching, discussing our developing curriculum, planning activities and classes, looking for integration opportunities and finally arranging our home base on campus which is simply and affectionately dubbed ‘D360.’”

IGNITE is a two-year inclusive higher education opportunity, a true college-like experience, in exploring all of the class’ employment and other life dreams while supporting them in gaining skills in the areas of: relationship building, money management and budgeting, exploring careers, focusing on good health and wellness, and gaining an expansive community awareness. 

On opening day, August 28, the group of four students purchased various GCC items in the campus bookstore, checked out the lounge and student union areas, and trekked around the outside space on campus. Upon returning to D360, the four began to make plans for “Friday free swims” in the pool and shared their job aspirations, including: zookeeper, film maker, police officer, rock star, animatronic designer, music producer, and “work with people and be happy!”

“GCC is proud to partner with Arc GLOW on this important initiative. IGNITE students enrich our campus community, and their enthusiasm and passion are inspiring,” said GCC President, Dr. Craig Lamb. “We look forward to continued collaboration in support of students enhancing their educational and life skills here at GCC.” 

Anstey said the GCC faculty and staff have been so welcoming. “We truly feel like part of the college as we intermingle with everyone on campus,” she said. “We have frequent ‘guests’ as GCC faculty and staff pop into our room, or engage us in other arenas on campus to discuss collaborative ideas for our students. On opening day, while watching the last few weeks of focused work become a program reality, I feel like I am living my dream job.”

However, as Arc GLOW moves forward with this new initiative, it is done without Dawn Scott, the LIVES and newly assigned IGNITE coordinator who passed away this past July. 

“She was a true inspiration, and the vision she shared in the past year was beyond instrumental in shaping IGNITE,” Anstey said. “We dedicate this semester to Dawn.”

More information and a sample curriculum can be found online at ArcGLOW.org under programs and services and college experiences.

Press Release:

Manufacturing is coming back to the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, September 24. Since its inception in 2019, the program has welcomed over 5,000 students. This year’s event features over 1,000 students from 30 school districts across the GLOW region arriving at the fairgrounds for the day-long career exploration event.

Over 70 businesses will provide hands-on activities and simulations in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, skilled trades sectors as well as the various branches of the military. Students will have the opportunity to learn about career opportunities in their own backyard that offer good-paying opportunities immediately after high school graduation.

“Collaboration between educators, workforce experts, and local companies have created a workforce development blueprint that is connecting our students to in-demand careers right here in the GLOW Region,” said Karyn Winters, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair. “The thousands of students that have experienced GLOW With Your Hands leave with a profound understanding of the opportunities and pathways available to good-paying, hands-on careers.”

Platinum Sponsors LandPro Equipment, National Grid, and Rochester Davis-Fetch lead dozens of event supporters bringing hands-on experiences students look forward to participating in annually.

Among the new companies attending for the first time include Lakeland Concrete Products, a construction company based in Lima, IK Systems, a leading supplier of integrated surveillance & security systems out of Victor, and Zoldaz, a trucking contractor in Alden. 

“Various groups and organizations are working collaboratively to help alleviate workforce shortages in the GLOW region, which is a national phenomenon,” said Angela Grouse, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair. “Private sector investment by companies across the region continues to flourish resulting in a strong demand by employers to fill jobs as a result of this growth.”

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands, visit glowwithyourhands.com.

Press Release:

Dollar General is excited to announce it recently remodeled its store at 2666 Main St. in Batavia. In addition to the same categories, brands, and products customers trust Dollar General to carry,  the store now provides customers with an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“At Dollar General, we strive to be a positive business partner and good community neighbor in Batavia,” said Matthew Simonsen, Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and store development. “Although we are not a grocery store, we believe the addition of produce in our Batavia store highlights our commitment to deliver a pleasant shopping experience that includes affordable prices on quality products in a convenient location.”

Photos by Jason Smith.

Eli Fish hosted its annual Octoberfest on Saturday evening in Jackson Square.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Genesee County Republican Committee, led by Scott German, officially opened its campaign headquarters for 2024 on Saturday in the former Time Buyers dealership location across from CVS on West Main Street, Batavia.

On hand were candidates Claudia Tenney (Congress), George Borrello (State Senate), Steve Hawley (State Assembly), Joesph Graff (Sheriff) and Keven Andrews (County Treasurer).

German opened the event by thanking Time Buyers for donations of use of the building and Steve Hawley for finding the location.

"I'm very happy to have such a great building that is spacious and super location," German said.

Each candidate then made a brief statement.

"Thank you to everyone who's serving, everyone who's here, everyone who's part of this process," Tenney said. "We are only going to win if we get people to understand that their right to vote is the most profound expression of our self-governance, what our founders envisioned for us. It's the opposite of authoritarianism and communism, which, by the way, is on the ballot this year, especially on the presidential side."

Borrello, who is running unopposed, thanks Tenney and Hawley for their service, noted the difficulty of representing such a large district as the 57th

He also raised alarms about a proposition on the November ballot, the Equal Rights Amendment, which has been controversial for its language and the process used to place it on the ballot.  The amendment to the state Constitution was introduced as an attempt to secure abortion rights in the state. Republicans object that it goes too far by classifying several identity groups as new classes protected from discrimination.  In his statement, Borrello made several unsubstantiated claims about the measure's potential impact. Still, the non-partisan Albany-based think tank Empire Center faults the measure for its vagueness, sanctioning government discrimination, and potential to unleash legal chaos in the state.

Borrello's statement, with unsubstantiated claims, included: "I want to take this moment to once again reiterate the importance of voting against Prop 1. It is perhaps the most evil and damaging piece of legislation ever proposed in the state of New York, and that's saying something. If you want illegal immigrants voting in our elections, support Proposition 1. If you want parents to lose their control over their children's health decisions, vote for Proposition 1. Okay, if you want to ensure that a man can walk into a lady's locker room at will, vote for Proposition 1. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Proposition 1 needs to go down. And the scary part is right now, most uninformed New Yorkers will vote yes, so we need to spread the word. It is the single most important mission in this election."

Hawley noted that he and the other candidates represent one of the best parts of Genesee County: teamwork.

"We've got two new folks who are running for office here locally, and we're seeing a changing of the guard and new people coming in with new ideas and also concentrating on teamwork," Hawley said. "We have Joe Graff, who's been with the Genesee County Sheriff's Department for many, many years. He's stepping forward as Sheriff (Bill) Sharon retires. We have Kevin Andrews, who serves as my campaign treasurer, which he will probably have to give up because he's running to replace my friend Scott German as Genesee County Treasurer. So, working all together is what it's all about. And it's town level as well city. We need to continue to work for the things that make not only America great but part of one of the 50 states, hopefully bringing New York back to be a friendly place for businesses and neighborhoods in terms of public safety."

Graff said it was goal to keep in place the teamwork that currently exists among Genesee County's various law enforcement agencies.

"I've been with the Sheriff's office for over 20 years. There are some former Batavia City police officers in here, and I've worked with them throughout the years. And I think what we have in Genesee County is a great coalition of law enforcement that works together throughout all the agencies. I think we truly need to support the men and women who work in law enforcement so they can effectively do their jobs so we can live in the safe community that we do enjoy. As Sheriff, I look to continue the mission of the Sheriff's Office and the standard of service that has been afforded to this county by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office."

Andrews, who has worked in the county's treasurer's office for a decade, thanked German for his leadership and mentorship.

"I want to thank you for allowing me to work with you as deputy for these past almost ten years and giving me that chance to prove myself and to gain that experience I hope to carry forward," Andrews said.