batavia

Press Release: 

We are pleased to announce that Holly Sharpe, a graduate of the LG Class of 2004, has been named Outstanding Alumnus 2023. Chris White ’06 and Jocelyn Sikorski ’07 nominated Holly sharing, “Holly has been a cheerleader and ambassador for Leadership Genesee in many capacities over the past 19 years and has volunteered for LG even before she was a member, helping with the group’s Outdoor Leadership Challenge.”

Holly shares, “As a lifelong community member, I thought I knew much of what happens in Genesee County and was surprised to see and hear there is much more than most people know or realize. I want to help others learn and experience this amazing program.” 

Holly served on LG’s Steering Committee for two terms, 2016-2022, serving as Co-Chair from 2020-2021. Leadership Genesee director, Peggy Marone LG ’02 shares, “Holly has been a close friend and advocate for all things community and Leadership Genesee. She has taught me a great deal about being an effective facilitator to find ways to help others grow in their abilities and confidence. That’s what leadership is all about and that is who Holly is.” She continues to facilitate LG’s Outdoor Leadership Challenge each year, one of the most impactful sessions in the year-long curriculum.

Holly has been a very active alumnus volunteering for LG, attending events and continued educational opportunities, as well as financially supporting the organization through alumni dues and donations. “I have not only learned and become more educated and aware of our community, but I have also made new connections and lifelong friendships,” said Holly.

Holly served on the CCE Board of Directors and the MHA Board of Directors, co-chairing their golf tournament. She served as a United Way Campaign Loan Executive and a City of Batavia School District volunteer. Professionally, Holly worked for the Genesee County YMCA as a fitness director and Associate Executive Director. During her tenure with the YMCA, she was recognized as a trainer of trainers for the YUSA.

Holly has her own training studio, Sharpe Training, LLC. She is a recognized and respected trainer traveling internationally for FitBodies, Inc. Group Exercise. 

When asked what Leadership Genesee means to her and what she’d say to someone interested in the program, her answer was simple, “Leadership Genesee means community, collaboration, connection, learning, and a valuable resource. Run, don’t walk, and apply, you will have zero regrets!” 

LG Director Marone is thrilled that she is being given the Outstanding Alumnus Award. “This award signifies someone who has worked not only to strengthen Leadership Genesee but who serves Genesee County generously as a true servant leader, a wonderful mentor for all of us.” 

Holly will be honored at the LG graduation on Thursday, Nov. 30 at Terry Hills. 

The Outstanding Alumnus Award is sponsored by Skip Helfrich of Human Energies.  Leadership Genesee is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. For more information about Leadership Genesee, please visit our website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/leadership-genesee.

For two longstanding, reputable businesses, even though they had been competitors, their futures were heading toward an intersection that both sides eventually knew was coming.

Business trends, staffing needs, customer spending habits and the pandemic all played a role in merging their paths.

“The big thing is that Gilmartin, and Marley's, and Eaton Watson have always had a stellar reputation in the communities that they serve. And we felt as if we did, too, or do, and from all parties’ standpoint, it seemed to make sense. The funeral business is not unlike any other industry. We're facing just immense staffing problems. And our staff are harder to come by because you have to be licensed. And that's not an easy process for folks.

And both of us recognized… that a staffing problem was imminent, and so that, coupled with the changing societal views of funeral services — people going more towards cremation and less towards casket burial — it just started to make sense that each side needed to do something in order to remain,” Steven Johnson said in an interview with The Batavian about H.E. Turner’s deal to buy Gilmartin Funeral Home & Cremation Company Inc. 

It wasn’t about a risk of going out of business, he said, “because that is certainly not the case.” But, rather, it was a desire of both Batavia-based businesses to “secure the legacies of all of our founders well into the future,” he said.

Turner, the oldest continuously operator-owned business in Genesee County, Johnson said, was founded in January 1910. Owners Johnson, Justin Calarco-Smith and Joshua Smith and Gilmartin owner T.J. Woodward completed the deal on Aug. 14, although perhaps no one’s the wiser because not much on the surface is changing, aside from some managerial details. 

Timothy “T.J.” Woodward, owner of Gilmartin at 329 West Main St., Batavia, said it was still a bit raw to talk about, as it was “a very, very difficult decision” to make. 

“It was a super emotional decision. My grandpa started the funeral home,” he said.

His grandfather, the late Darwin Gilmartin, founded the home in 1955. Timothy D. Woodward, T.J.’s dad, bought the business in 1986, and T.J., in turn, purchased it in 2011, which is when he also bought Eaton-Watson from his dad. The third-generation funeral director purchased Marley Funeral Home in Attica two years later. 

He began in the business at 19, and it has been the majority of his life. This decision seems about “10 to 15 years earlier than I had wanted,” he said.

“But I think it was inevitable one way or another, I think that they were either going to buy me out, or I was gonna buy them out at some point. So I think it was inevitable,” Woodward said. “I looked at the opportunity that I had in front of me and thought that it was best for myself and my family. And that's the direction I decided to go.”

Customers have been informed, and all of the prior licensed funeral directors will remain in place, including Turner’s other acquisitions of Marley Funeral Home and Eaton-Watson. That means that T.J. Woodward will still be at Gilmartin, Tom Bush will remain at Eaton-Watson and Zachary Curtis, a funeral director at Turner, will be managing the day-to-day operations of Marley and “taking that off T.J.’s plate,” Johnson said.

“We’re looking at this as a merger and sharing key staff. Each funeral home has to be managed by a different director. We have eight full-time licensed funeral directors. So I think what the public should know is that the service and the attention to detail that they have come to expect from each of the respective firms will not change. All of the people that they know and have come to trust and have friendships with throughout the years are still here,” Johnson said. “The only things that are changing are some sharing of staff. And some behind-the-scenes managerial things that no one would ever know about if we didn't say anything.

“So, we're not jacking prices, we're not playing any games, we're gonna continue to do things the way that we have always done them,” he said. “Both firms have enjoyed an extremely good reputation locally, in the Greater Western New York area, and in the state. We're active in the state and the national associations. T.J., Justin, Josh, Zach and I are not going anywhere.”   

Turner also employs three part-time licensed funeral directors and has one state-registered resident intern pursuing a license, plus unlicensed staff that assists with directing funerals, taking first calls, and performing housekeeping and maintenance duties.

Turner owns all of the eight properties, and the company, though a competitor with Gilmartin for decades, has always been on friendly terms, Johnson said. There just came a point about a year ago when both funeral home owners began to discuss options about Turner purchasing all three of Gilmartin’s funeral homes, Johnson and Woodward said.

Johnson stepped into the business in January 2011 and has been a part-owner since 2020, with an accumulated 20 years in the funeral business. One factor that really played a role in changing the industry was the pandemic shutdown and social distancing requirements, he said.

“I think there's always going to be people who want to bury, and I think there's always going to be people who want to cremate. But I don't ever see it going back closer to 50/50 like it was. We're closer to 65 percent cremation right now. And honestly, COVID very much exacerbated that. I mean, it dramatically increased after COVID. A huge part of that was that people couldn't have services,” Johnson said. “I do think that people still see a value in having a funeral or a celebration of life of some sort. I think that people still see value in viewing their loved ones. I do see the business changing or continuing to adapt or evolve.

'Funerals are not something that funeral directors invented as a way to make money. People want to have funerals. I mean, what we're looking for is for somebody to stand in the front of our family and friends and say something nice about the person that died. That's all we're looking for. And, you know, that's what we do. We facilitate that. And no matter what happens, the grief process doesn't end; it doesn't change. There's no way around it. The only way to get through grief is to go through it. And a funeral director’s job, truthfully, is to help facilitate healthy grief by having viewings and funerals, and ceremony of some sort.” 

He wants to assure those folks who have prepaid with any of the funeral homes that all of it remains safe and secure. “We are honoring any pre-arrangement,” he said. 

A little H.E. Turner history
This story, according to the company's website, begins in January of 1910, when Harry Ernest Turner, a native of Clarendon, and Harry D. Bartlett of Holley bought the Williamson Furniture and Undertaking Store. 

The furniture and funeral combination wasn’t unusual at the time. Historians believe early furniture stores carried coffins and other funeral accessories, which made them a natural link to the funeral business.

Turner, who worked ten years in a furniture store in Holley before purchasing the Batavia store, published a weekly newspaper, The Holley Standard, as a sideline. Bartlett served as Orleans County Clerk in the early 1900s, and the pair also had a joint interest in stores in Byron and Holley, which they sold a few years after they came to Batavia. 

H.E. Turner & Co. was operated at 111 Main St., the former Newberry Building, until 1921, when it was moved to the Cary Mansion at 211 East Main St. Fourteen years later, the firm moved to the Bean Mansion at 403 East Main St., where it remains today.

Harry Turner served as president until his death on January 30, 1949, when James B. McCulley and Harold J. Bishop took over. The furniture line was gone by the time Bishop assumed sole ownership of the business following McCulley’s death in 1953. 

Bishop continued the business with the help of new associates, Harold Kruger and Edward Canty, for a dozen years preceding his own death in 1965, at which time Canty became president of the funeral home. He and Kruger carried on the Turner tradition with the help of Amos Grefrath and George Patterson.

Mr. Canty retired in 1972, at which time Patterson took over as president. Kruger retired in 1975. Patterson died in December of 1976, and management became the responsibility of James F. Smith, Amos Grefrath and Ed Canty’s nephew, James Canty. 

Jim Smith worked at the former C.W. Bohm Mortuary before he came to Turner’s. He became president of the firm in 1977.

As the business grew, so did Smith’s desire to continue the Turner tradition of fine service to the community. He opened the funeral home in Bergen in July of 1988. 

Amos retired in 1986. Jim Canty retired in 1992, leaving Jim Smith the sole owner of the funeral home. 

In October 2012, Mr. Smith transferred ownership of the firm to his two sons, Justin D. Calarco-Smith, and Joshua J. Smith, along with his longtime trusted friend and employee, Randy W. McIntire. Jim Smith died on Aug. 9, 2023. 

In April of 2020, Randy W. McIntire transferred his interest in the firm to Steven L. Johnson, who has been with the firm since January 2011. Together the staff has more than 115 years of funeral service experience.

Marley Funeral Home was founded in 1921 by Ervin J. Marley as E.J. Marley Furniture & Undertaking. In 1949 Richard O. Merle and his wife, Alice, purchased the firm. David M. Sokol began working there in 1973 and together with his wife, Beth they purchased the firm in 1991. Dave sold to Gilmartin Funeral Home in 2012.

Eaton-Watson Funeral Home was founded on Lake Street in Perry by Stan Eaton prior to WW II. The firm was sold to Russ Watson in the 1950s, followed by Kathy Miller in the early to mid 1990s, who moved the firm to its North Main Street location in 1999. She sold the firm to Gilmartin Funeral Home in 2007. Tom Bush has been a funeral director at that funeral home since 2002 and the Managing Funeral Director since 2007.

Turner also owns Robinson and Hackemer Funeral Home in Warsaw, which it purchased three years ago.

Brian William Kennedy, 47, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, possession of burglary tools, and conspiracy 6th. Kennedy is accused of entering Dick's Sporting Goods at 2:49 p.m. on Nov. 6 and removing the security tag from a coat. He then allegedly left the store without paying for the coat. He was located by deputies inside Walmart a short time later. In the initial report, there was a possible second subject involved in the case. No second arrest has been announced by the Sheriff's Office. The deputies handling the case are Chad Cummings, Jenna Ferrando, and Richard Schildwaster.

John J. Saddler, Jr., 36, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Saddler is accused of stealing a bag of commissary items from the Genesee County Jail on Nov. 6 at 5:49 p.m. during commissary distribution. Saddler was issued an appearance ticket.

Sylvan Parker Grayson, 34, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd.  Grayson, an inmate at the Genesee County Jail, is accused of using shaving cream to obscure the view of a camera in the jail. He was arrested and returned to custody in the jail.

A Rochester resident has been accused of dealing drugs in Genesee County following a six-month-long investigation by the Local Drug Task Force into the possession, transportation, and sale of crack cocaine.

Alterique Day, 51, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony.

Day was taken into custody on Nov. 7 by deputies on a sealed grand jury indictment warrant issued by Genesee County Court. 

In late August, Day was accused of selling a quantity of fentanyl to an agent of the task force in the City of Batavia and taken into custody. He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and criminal possession of a weapon. He was initially held on bond but then released later in accordance with state bail laws.

On the new charges, he was arraigned in County Court and released on his own recognizance in accordance with state bail laws.

The task force was assisted by deputies, deputies from Livingston County, and the District Attorney's Office.

Press Release:

The Jerome Foundation, a Batavia-based organization that receives, manages and distributes non-profit funds for health-related purposes, donated $150,000 to Rochester Regional Health’s United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC), and specifically its plans for a new, state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU).  

The renovated ICU will triple in size and bring crucial medical care to patients who are often the sickest, most vulnerable, and most in need in Batavia and the surrounding communities. 

“Building a new, expanded and modern Intensive Care Unit is a priority project for United Memorial Medical Center, and another example of Rochester Regional Health’s unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of our rural residents.  It means in a time of crisis, our community can get lifesaving critical care right here at home, reducing the need for difficult trips to bigger cities,” said Dan Ireland, RRH President & Chief Operating Officer, Finger Lakes Rural Hospitals.  “We want to thank the Jerome Foundation for this generous donation, and for its continued support that allows us to provide world-class health care to our patients here in the Genesee County region.”

Over the years, the Jerome Foundation has supported several UMMC projects including the construction of a new Healthy Living Campus and new Radiology Department.

“The Jerome Foundation has a long history of supporting worthwhile organizations in our community and what can be more appropriate to our mission than continuing our financial assistance to United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC),” said Robert Balbick, The Jerome Foundation President.  “UMMC provides our community with invaluable professional medical services and its commitment to do so in the future in part depends upon contributions from our community. This $150,000 gift to UMMC is an investment in that future for every one of us in this community.”

The expanded ICU will triple in size from its current space and include:

• Ten private patient rooms with bathrooms
• One bed dedicated to pediatric patients
• Central nurses station, with workstations outside each room
• Cutting-edge technology in each room including integrated telemedicine and enhanced monitoring capabilities, and additional lift and transfer equipment in the rooms
• New ICU waiting room

UMMC is still completing all the future ICU’s design details and continues with its fundraising efforts. 

Press Release:

Join the Richmond Memorial Library on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. as Perry Ground shares “Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: A Native American Perspective on an American Holiday.” This program is free and open to all. Recommended for families with children in 4th grade or higher and all adults.

Much of what people ‘know’ about Thanksgiving is actually a blend of fiction, myth, and history that has become widely accepted as truth. But the events of what we call “the First Thanksgiving” are nothing like our traditions today.

The creation of this holiday has little to do with the feast that took place in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Indians. Storyteller and Cultural Educator, Perry Ground will give an overview of this very misunderstood holiday.

The presentation will discuss the actual events of 1621, including the feast, and the relationship between English settlers at Plymouth and the Wampanoag, the Native people who inhabited the area. The concept of Thanksgiving held by many Native Americans will be emphasized through the presentation. Learn the true story and re-think Thanksgiving- a great educational opportunity for all ages.

Presenter Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.  He has been telling stories for over 30 years as a means of educating people about the culture, beliefs, and history of the
Haudenosaunee. Perry learned many of the stories he shares from elders of Native American communities and feels that practicing and perpetuating the oral traditions of Native people is an important responsibility. 

Professionally, Perry has worked in several museums including The Children’s Museum of Houston, Sainte Marie among the Iroquois, and Ganondagan State Historic Site. He has shared stories at countless museums, libraries, classrooms, and festivals throughout the northeast and has guest lectured at numerous colleges. 

Perry is the former Project Director of the Native American Resource Center within the Rochester (NY) City School District and served as the Frederick H. Minett Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for the 2021-22 academic year.

For more information about Perry Ground, visit https://talkingturtlestories.com/ Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross Street in the City of Batavia. For more about the library, visit batavialibrary.org.

A serious injury pedestrian and car accident is reported on Route 5 and Batavia Stafford Townline Road in Batavia.

Traffic is being shutdown at Prole Road and at Seven Springs Road.

Mercy Flight was on standby but has been canceled.

Town of Batavia Firee and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Looking at the short row of veterans seated at the front of the Frank Owens auditorium Thursday morning, one might come to a conclusion that Air Force veteran Lurando Mata had already realized: the pool is decreasing. 

Mata and the other servicemen attended the annual Veterans Day ceremony hosted by Batavia High School. With each passing year, especially for older veterans of World War II and others of decades ago, those who were in the military are no longer here to share their stories.

Mata has lost a couple of buddies to COVID, he said, and his circle of comrades is definitely “shrinking.” 

Yet he continues to attend the high school event, which this year included a talk by state Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, patriotic songs performed by the chorus, band and string groups, and recognition of veterans in the audience. 

For Mata, his reason was simple as to why he wanted to be there. 

“I’m involved in the community,” the 71-year-old said. “I volunteer for Crossroads and Care-a-van, we do events for people.”

As a Native American veteran — his tribe is based in Monterey, California — Mata has experienced hate and judgment, and he just keeps pressing on. He grew up in Washington State and was drafted while in college.

He served in the U.S. Army and in the Air Force Reserves during the Vietnam War, working first on helicopters and then on tanks in corrosion control. 

He was with about a half dozen others who were asked to stand when their signature song for the Armed Forces was played. 

High School Principal Jenni Wesp welcomed and introduced each segment of the program, seeming awestruck with emotion at one point.

“Wow, it’s giving you all the feels,” she said.

Rocco Pellegrino, who attends every year at the request of his two granddaughters and grandson, stood up during the Navy anthem.

“I come every year,” he said, putting his hand to his heart. “It hits right there. It’s very emotional.  It just brings you back, you know. When I was in the service, it takes me back to when my brother served in Vietnam, he was in the infantry, and it was very trying moments, you know. “

Pellegrino, who came to Batavia from Italy when he was 10, wasn’t certain whether today’s youth can fully appreciate what this day is all about.

“I don’t think the kids really understand what we went through,” he said. “A lot of us were drafted. Some of us volunteered. My brother came back from Vietnam, and he says, ‘Rocco, whatever you do, if you get drafted, join the Air Force or the Navy, and see if you could stay out of ‘Nam.”

He was drafted and joined the Navy. It was “the best thing I ever did,” he said, “like they say, it made a man out of you.”

He was based in San Diego and enrolled in dental technician school, where he had the threat of being sent to Vietnam hanging over his head if he flunked out. “They put the fear of God in you,” he said.

“So it was up to you to make it, and then I came here to the East Coast. I was aboard the ship the USS Puget Sound for a year and a half. That was a destroyer tender,” he said. 

It’s the stories of those like Pellegrino and Mata that are important, Hawley said. He encouraged audience members to thank family members who serve or have served and ask them about their experiences. 

“I’m sure many of you have grown up with family members, parents, grandparents, moms, dads, aunts, and uncles who served as well. I'd encourage you, when you go home later today, to take some time, to first thank them for their service and talk to them. And most importantly, in everyday life, but on Veterans Day especially, when you're talking to a veteran, listen to them, listen to what they have to say. Because, hopefully, they're speaking from their heart and from their minds,” Hawley said. “And we need to remember why we're able to assemble here today, free to exchange ideas and free to speak freedom of speech. So please thank a veteran for their service. Not only can their stories inspire us, but veterans also carry an incredible ability to work hard and to contribute to their community right here in Genesee County and right here in Batavia. 

“We have one of the largest populations of veterans in all of New York State. And we can see that hard-working, determined spirit out in our own backyards,” he said. “This is the thing that makes Veterans Day so special; it isn't just about remembering the past. It’s about recognizing the heroes that are around us today. And every day.”

Click here to shop Oliver's Candies! Click here to visit the Sweet Life Country Store!

Press Release:

Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM ) (“Graham” or the “Company”), is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission-critical fluid, power, heat transfer, and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced a record level of monthly orders in October 2023. 

The Company received approximately $110 million in total orders in October 2023, primarily related to follow-on orders for critical U.S. Navy programs. These defense orders are expected to be recognized in revenue beginning in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 through early fiscal 2030. 

Daniel J. Thoren, President and CEO, commented, “We are proud to be a strategic supplier for the U.S. Navy providing highly valued vacuum, heat transfer, turbomachinery, and other critical equipment to support the U.S. Navy’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. The follow-on orders received this month continue to validate our key role in the Columbia Class submarine and Ford Class carrier programs. These programs are essential for the future safety and security of our country and the team at Graham recognizes the vital role our equipment plays and the necessity to deliver essential components to our customers.”

If you've been driving at night on Routes 5 or 33 and looked up at the Old County Courthouse, you've spotted the green-capped building already. Befitting of a patriotic theme, the lit cupola sits above the Upton Monument from the west, casting a faint lime green glow on the eagle.

While green may not seem so patriotic, it represents a yearly tradition that can't get any more red, white and blue, at least in spirit: Operation Green Light is all about offering up one's respect for veterans.

On Wednesday, the Genesee County Legislature proclaimed this time, which runs through Veteran's Day (Saturday) as an opportunity to place a green light in your home or business window to demonstrate "respect, admiration and the utmost gratitude for all of the men and women who have selflessly served their country and this community in the armed forces." 

The proclamation continues: 

WHEREAS, the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who served in the Armed Forces have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by our citizens, and

WHEREAS, Genesee County seeks to honor these individuals who have paid the high price for freedom by placing themselves in harm’s way for the good of all, and

WHEREAS, New York States Veteran Population has decreased by 44% over the last 20 years, and

WHEREAS, Veterans continue to serve their community in the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, church groups, civil service, and

WHEREAS, approximately 200,000 service members transition to civilian communities annually, and

WHEREAS, an estimated 20% increase of service members will transition to civilian life in the near future, and

WHEREAS, studies indicate that 44 percent to 72 percent of service members experience high levels of stress during the transition from military to civilian life, and

WHEREAS, active Military Service Members transitioning from military service are at a high risk for suicide during their first year after military service, and

WHEREAS, the Genesee County appreciates the sacrifices our United States Military Personnel made while defending freedom and believes accord them specific recognition in appreciation of their service and to demonstrate the honor and support they have earned. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, with designation as a Green Light for Military Service County, Genesee County hereby declares from October through Veterans Day, November 11 th, 2023, a time to salute and honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform transitioning from Active Service, and be it further

RESOLVED, that in observance of Operation Green Light, the Genesee County Legislature encourages its citizens in patriotic tradition to recognize the importance of honoring all those whose immeasurable sacrifices helped to preserve freedom by displaying a green light in a window of their place of business or residence.

Press Release: 

Each year, on Nov. 20, people worldwide take time to remember those lost to anti-transgender violence. This year, GLOW OUT will host four ceremonies in all GLOW counties simultaneously. 

In a broad sense, the phrase “transgender” means anyone whose gender identity or expression is outside of the norms that society ascribes to the gender someone was assigned at birth. Some might take medication or have surgery to align their body with their gender, while others might not. 

In the US, transgender people are more likely to be bullied, become homeless, go to jail, or experience violence than their cisgender (non-trans) peers. For these reasons and others, transgender people are also more likely to consider or attempt suicide.

Genesee County’s remembrance ceremony will take place at Old Batavia Courthouse on Main & Ellicott streets; the Zion Episcopal Church in Avon will host Livingston County’s vigil; the ceremony in Orleans County will be at the Rotary Park on Main Street in Medina; and the event in Wyoming County will be held on the street corner of Main & Borden in Perry. All of the vigils will begin at 7 p.m.

First officially observed in 1999, the International Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day of mourning initiated by a group of US transwomen. It began with a memorial service for Rita Hester, a Black transwoman who was killed in her Boston apartment, a murder that remains unsolved. 

Annually, the remembrance ceremony is held in a somber acknowledgment of the friends and loved ones taken too soon because of anti-transgender violence. 

Anti-transgender violence happens nationwide, resulting in a troubling number of murdered trans people every year. As transphobia intersects with sexism and racism, a large proportion of victims (every single year) are trans women of color - specifically, Black and Latina. 

Overall, the number of those killed in the US has declined since 2021 (59, with 41 in 2022). As of this writing, at least 25 transgender Americans have been killed in 2023. Because the Remembrance period begins in November, those killed in the Club Q anti-transgender mass shooting in Colorado in November 2022 will be included in the list read at the vigils. This list is likely incomplete, because of the misreporting and underreporting of these crimes. Some have been disrespected in death by using their “dead name”, the name they were assigned at birth.

Since 2009, November 13-19 has been recognized as Trans Awareness Week. This observation creates the opportunity to uplift joys and successes for our trans loved ones as well. This week allows us to remind our transgender community that their lives are more than tragedy. 

After all, we cannot wait for someone to die to give them their flowers. We owe it to their memory and to our future to recognize the importance of supporting and celebrating our transgender loved ones, community members, and friends – remembering them in death, yes, and loving them while they are alive.

Patricia McDonald, 37, of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and grand larceny 3rd after an investigation by Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi.  McDonald is accused of falsely reporting that her children were residing with her in order to obtain additional SNAP benefits in the amount of  $2,501.  McDonald was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.

James Harris, 63, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th and welfare fraud 4th after an investigation by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. Harris is accused of failing to report income from a job he had, resulting in him receiving $2,395 in SNAP benefits he was not entitled to.  Harris was arraigned in Town of  Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance.

Remy Lacey, 33, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with welfare fraud 3rd and grand larceny 3rd after an investigation by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. Lacey is accused of failing to report wages from a job he held, resulting in him receiving $3,326 in SNAP benefits he was not entitled to.  Lacey was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance.

Press Release:

As the holiday season approaches, a collaborative effort is underway to bring joy and support to underprivileged children and teenagers in Genesee County. 

On Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., "Stuff the Cruiser" will take place in Batavia, featuring the active involvement of many local law enforcement and social welfare agencies including the Genesee County Probation Department, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department, the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Genesee County Department of Social Services.

Residents and community members are encouraged to visit the Batavia Towne Center parking lot on Veterans Memorial Drive, where police cruisers from these agencies will be stationed. There is no need to avoid the area due to these vehicles; instead, we invite everyone to join this heartwarming event. 

The focus of "Stuff the Cruiser" is to collect gifts and essentials for children and teenagers aged eighteen and under throughout Genesee County. We seek your support in making this holiday season brighter for those in need. Donated items such as new toys, new clothing, small denomination gift cards, personal care gift sets, hats, gloves, accessories, and non-perishable food items are highly appreciated. 

All contributions will remain within Genesee County, ensuring they reach children and families who can benefit from these gifts during the holiday season. 

For further information, please contact Jason Mindler, Probation Supervisor at the Genesee County Probation Department, at 585-344-2550 ext. 2254 or Jason.Mindler@co.genesee.ny.us. 

Press Release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Annual will be hosting its Annual Membership Meeting on Nov. 16 at Terry Hills Golf Course & Banquet Facility, 5122 Clinton Street, Batavia. Registration begins at 11:30 am, and Buffet Lunch begins promptly at Noon, cost is $25 per person.

The Agenda for the Meeting will be a review of 2023, a look ahead into 2024 & Election of 2024 Chamber Board Members. To register directly online visit the Chamber’s Website www.geneseeny.com or call Kelly B. at 585-343-7440, ext. 1026. Deadline for registration is Nov. 10.

Press Release:

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist Julie Lambert on Tuesday, Nov. 14 starting at 7 p.m. at Go Art!/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. She will be demonstrating papermaking art. 

Non-members are welcome with a $5 fee. Light refreshments will be provided.  The Tavern 2.o.1. will be open for cash purchases.

Submitted photos of Julie Lambert's artwork.

A six-month investigation into the possession, transportation, and sale of crack cocaine in and around Genesee County has led to the rest of a 36-year-old Batavia resident.

Philp R. Chin, of McKinley Avenue, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

Chin was taken into custody on a sealed indictment warrant issued by Genesee County Court on Thursday evening following a traffic stop in the Village of Le Roy initiated by members of the Local Drug Task Force. 

He is accused of selling crack cocaine to an agent of the task force in Batavia on two separate occasions.

During the traffic stop, Chin was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine and attempted to conceal it from arresting officers.

Following arraignment in County Court, Chin was released on his own recognizance in accordance with current New York State bail laws.

The task force was assisted by uniformed deputies, Le Roy patrol officers, and the District Attorney's Office.