batavia

It may come as no surprise that the Community Garden in Batavia is filled with colorful flowers, vegetables and foliage.

That scenery, however, is a flow of artistry painted on each side of five panels displayed at the garden on MacArthur Drive. At 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide, the panels complement the 50 or so plots of land — dotted with colorful flowers and vegetables — being tended to by local residents and organizations.

Artist David Burke of Bergen was commissioned to do the paintings. He is pleased with the outcome and hopes that the public will visit the garden area to see them.

“I just wish I started doing what I'm doing 30 years ago or more, but just the last six, seven years I had a little more free time. I was homeschooling our kids for a while two years ago so I was just always kind of busy, but I just realized I loved painting,” Burke said during an interview at the garden. “And so about seven years ago I just got to do way more of it, and the more I do it, the better I get, and the more I enjoy it.”

Community Garden folks had planned — twice, actually — for an unveiling celebration at the site, however, Mother Nature, as she’s known to do on occasion, had other plans. Rain and wind forced organizers to postpone each unveiling, including a week ago. Jocelyn Sikorski, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, said that perhaps it will be moved to next spring.

In the meantime, spectators can view the artwork from the park side and the high school side. The project was grant-funded and the original idea was “to bring some art up to the garden,” garden committee secretary Richard Beatty said.

Beatty worked on the state grant application for $5,000, which was awarded through Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council in December 2021. The money was used for the purchase of materials and to hire Burke — through a committee application process — for 10 panels. They were going to be individual hangings, but discussions about strong winds and how to best place them resulted in five panels, with one mural on each side of tall wooden backboards just inside the southern fence.

The artwork took Burke about two and a half weeks to complete, beginning with one and then working his way down the line so that all 10 were a cohesive mural, as originally planned. A member of GO Art! and artist for both indoor and outside works at the East Main Street site, Bergen Library and Grass Roots, Burke’s muse was often nature — “we did a lot of landscaping and gardening” — he said about himself and his wife.

He recalled having done his first oil painting at 10, and that it was so much fun. As he grew older, though, it became more of an “off and on” thing, the 66-year-old said.

Burke has more recently gotten into abstract expressionism versus what’s in the garden: very large, colorful, unmistakable creations of nature. He wishes that he had taken more art classes at Genesee Community College, where he attended in the mid-70s, he said.

“I just really, really enjoy the tactile physical act of painting,” he said.

Working out the concerns of wind wreaking a little havoc with the artwork, and transfer of the garden from the city to Genesee County’s Cooperative Extension took a little time, Beatty said, but garden committee members are happy with the final layout.

“I think everything turned out very well. They look great,” he said. David is set up so that … they're a nice theme on both sides. So this year, you know, we'll see one side and next year we'll see the other side, and having a vantage point for the folks up at the ballgame.”

The painted panels are situated between a chainlink fence and an audience of pumpkins, vivid pink zinnias and cornstalks. Gardeners are planning to augment those with sunflowers next year, Beatty said.

Committee member and Master Gardener RaeAnn Engler appreciates the grassroots type of project the murals have become.

“The gardeners get to see it and it's colorful and it's cheerful, and I guess that's it. It just accentuates the garden, and in what we're doing here, and it's a mix of vegetables and flowers, and color. The garden itself is to see it when we first plant it is so it's so neat to watch it develop,” committee Engler said. “So far we've got corn growing in front of the panels, which are kind of, one could say they're blocking it, but others say it's accentuating it. It's just really neat how integrated it is.”

The city of Batavia was the original recipient of the grant since the garden was still under city ownership in 2021, however, earlier this year City Council voted to transfer the garden over to Cooperative Extension since it seemed more aligned with the Extension’s goals and Master Gardener program. That transfer has also opened up the garden and board memberships to anyone from Genesee County.

The Community Garden is “a very inexpensive proposition,” Beatty said, listing the prices for three different options ranging from $25 to $35.

“There's full water service. We have a whole bunch of master gardeners that are available for consultation for bugs and the various things that afflict one's garden. So the garden itself is great,” he said. “I have to admit, I was a little dubious of the whole artwork thing, but boy, it looks terrific. It really, really does.”

“A nice plus is to give David some more work … it helps an artist continue to be an artist,” Beatty said. “Sure, that's very important.”

Photos: Artist David Burke of Bergen shows the artwork he painted for the Community Garden in Batavia. The garden is on MacArthur Drive, next to the tennis courts behind Batavia High School. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Tropical Smoothie (the business name speaks for itself) and Jersey Mike's (a sub shop) are heading to Batavia, according to paperwork filed by Benderson Development with the Town of Batavia Planning Department. 

The food chains will be part of the two buildings planned for the currently vacant former Kmart parking lot, Code Enforcement Officer Daniel Lang informed the Town of Batavia Planning Board on Tuesday night.

After the meeting, Lang said he couldn't confirm that Starbucks is also one of the planned chains for the new development.  He said Benderson has yet to file any development plans that explicitly include Starbucks.

That's been the rumor, and a "coffee shop" is listed as the drive-thru occupant for one of the two planned buildings on the property, but Lang said in an interview after the meeting that he has nothing official to say that the coffee shop will be Starbucks.

Benderson is planning two buildings in the parking lot. Each will have a drive-thru and contain more than one business.  Benderson has so far indicated that one building will contain the coffee shop, Tropical Smoothie, and Jersey Mike's, but no occupants have been submitted yet for any portion of the other building on the property.

"They have approval for two outbuildings in front of the Kmart," Lang said.  "We only have the permitting right now, everything paperwork-wise for the building shell for the one building, and these are two of the uses going into that one building."

He told the board, "I don't have anything on the second one yet. Once I get it, I will advise you guys of what they are and we'll move forward."

There's no word yet on what might become of the hulk of the building that used to be Kmart on Lewiston Road.

City Fire responded to a report of a structure fire at 101 Washington Ave., Batavia, and upon arrival found smoke and flames coming out of the south side of the building.

The Victorian-era house has served as the office of Dr. Vladimir Frias for the past seven years, and before that, it was Present Tense Books, and before that, a photography studio.

The office was closed today but Frias stopped by this afternoon and found the fire.

"When I came into the office, I saw the smoke and called 911. There was smoke and there was fire, and I called 911 right away, and then they were here. I came in from the back, the fire seemed like it came in from the middle ... this is terrible," he said. "I love this building too, it's a historic landmark. It's not just a building to us."

Fire Chief Daniel Herberger said he doesn't believe the building is a total loss and may be able to be restored.  There is heavy fire damage in the reception area and heavy smoke damage throughout the building.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The house was built in 1874.

Previously: Structure fire reported on Washington Avenue, Batavia

Two photos above are by Marc Johnson, whose office, Millennium Computers, is on the other side of Washington Avenue.

A structure fire is reported at 101 Washington Ave., Batavia.

The building has been evacuated.

City Fire dispatched.

UPDATED 1:58 p.m.: The building houses the dentistry practice of Dr. Vladimir Frias, and he was at the scene during the fire rescue. The site was formerly Present Tense book store, which had been there for eight years, and Frias moved in and renovated it for his dental services nearly seven years ago. 

"When I came into the office, I saw the smoke and called 911. There was smoke and there was fire, and I called 911 right away, and then they were here. I came in from the back, the fire seemed like it came in from the middle ... this is terrible," he said. "I love this building too, it's a historic landmark. It's not just a building to us."

Top photo: Reader submitted. Above, by Howard Owens.

Oliver's Candies celebrated its 90th anniversary on Saturday.

Previously: At 90, Oliver's Candies remains a 'sweet business' that continues to expand

Photos by Howard Owens

Patrick Fava scored an ace on the 14th hole Saturday at Terry Hills during the Henry Mager Arctic Refrigeration Memorial Scholarship Tournament.

Fava was part of the Fava Brothers Lawn Care team.

Kyle John Stack, 36, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration, and aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd. Stack was stopped on Sept. 15 at 6:15 p.m on West Main Street, City of Batavia, by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush for an alleged traffic infraction. Stack reportedly fled on foot and fought deputies when caught.  He was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance. Stack was released on an appearance ticket.

(name redacted upon request), 19, of Batavia, is charged with strangulation 2nd, assault 3rd and petit larceny. xxxx is accused of assaulting a person in a parking lot on Cedar Street on Aug. 29 at 6:26 p.m. xxxxx was arraigned in City Court and ordered to return at 1 p.m. Sept. 14.

  Amber Turner xxxx

Amber L. Turner, 29, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 3rd and petit larceny, and in separate incidents, charged with two counts each of criminal possession of a forged instrument 2nd and petit larceny. Turner is accused of entering a business on Pearl Street, Batavia, on Aug. 23 at midnight with the intention of stealing from the location.  Turner is also accused of giving a person a forged check on Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. at a location on Pearl Street in exchange for money.  She is accused of presenting a forged check in exchange for money on Aug. 14 at 1:44 p.m. at a location on South Main Street, Batavia.

Timmy J. Frazier, 65, no permanent address, is charged with harassment 2nd, trespass and resisting arrest. Frazier is accused of trespassing at a local business on Sept. 10 at 12:18 a.m. When officers attempted to arrest him, he allegedly resisted and attempted to strike an officer.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Thomas Michael Tacito, 62, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th.  Tacito is accused of throwing a rock through a window On Sept. 14 at 1:45 a.m. at a location on West Main Street Road, Batavia. He was ordered to appear in Batavia Town Court on Sept. 27.

Anthony D. Rossi, 42, of Alfonso Drive, Greece, is charged with burglary 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Rossi is accused of entering a shed attached to a residence on Oak Orchard Road, Elba, on Sept. 14 at 4:27 p.m. with the intent to commit a crime inside the structure. He was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine at the time of his arrest. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail, arraigned in Town of Batavia Court, and ordered to return to Elba Town Court on Sept. 27.

Calvin Paul Doctor, 33, of Mitten Lane, Alabama, is charged with two counts of menacing 2nd. Doctor was arrested on a warrant stemming from an incident reported at 11 p.m., Sept. 12.  He was arraigned in Alabama Town Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Carlo Robert D'Angelo, 43, River Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. D'Angelo was taken into custody on a Federal arrest warrant and allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine at the time of his arrest on Sept 17 at 11:30 p.m. at a location on Park Road, Batavia.

Matthew S. Williams, 34, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd and resisting arrest. Williams allegedly resisted and fled on Sept. 15 at 10:41 a.m. when Batavia patrol officers attempted to detain him on pending warrants. He was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. He was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office on pending warrants. After processing at the jail, he was released and allegedly threw a cup of juice at a Batavia police officer leading the harassment charge. Williams was also arrested by State Police and charged with criminal contempt stemming from an incident reported on March 24 at 2:10 p.m. in the Town of Elba. He was released on his own recognizance on that arrest.

Nicole K. Dell, 36, of Warsaw, is charged with DWI/drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation, and inadequate lights. Dell was stopped on May 23 at 2:09 p.m. by a Batavia patrol officer on Ellicott Street Road, Batavia. She was arrested on Sept 13 and issued an appearance ticket.

Jamie S. Kraft, 37, no residence provided, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration, aggravated harassment and falsely reporting an incident. Kraft is accused of making numerous false reports and threatening phone calls to the Emergency Dispatch Center between Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.  Kraft was released on an appearance ticket.

Dylan J. Wilson, 26, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely. Wilson was stopped on Sept. 11 at 2:44 a.m. on West Main Street, Batavia, by a Batavia patrol officer.  Wilson was issued an appearance ticket.

Christina L. Holley, 19, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Holley is accused of striking another person during an argument on Sept. 10 at 3:28 p.m. at a location on Swan Street, Batavia. Holley was released on an appearance ticket.

Jarrod K. Fotiathis, 27, no permanent address, and Julie R. Richardson, 31, no permanent address, are charged with criminal trespass. Fotiathis and Richardson are accused of trespassing inside an abandoned residence.  They were issued an appearance ticket and released.

Cameron A. Coles, 29, of Batavia, is charged with Criminal Contempt 1st and Harassment 2nd. Coles is accused of threatening another person in violation of an order of protection on Aug. 26 at midnight at a location on Lincoln Avenue. Coles was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Jamie L. Broadbent, 39, no permanent address, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Broadbent is accused of stealing an E-bike on Sept. 8 at 6:45 p.m. at a location on Bank Street, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Ericc P. Doleman, 52, of Pembroke, is charged with burglary 3rd and petit larceny. Doleman is accused of entering a business and taking a packet from inside the business on Aug. 22 at 1:09 a.m.  Doleman was arraigned in City Court and ordered to return at a later date.

Matthew R. Taylor, 39, no permanent address, is charged with burglary 3rd and petit larceny. Taylor is accused of entering a business on West Main Street, Batavia on Sept. 12 at 9:43 p.m. and stealing alcohol. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Aaron T. Hendershot, 26 of Batavia (he is also listed as an Auburn resident), is charged with criminal mischief 3rd, obstructing governmental administration, criminal contempt 2nd, criminal trespass 2nd, and criminal mischief 2nd. Hendershot was arrested three times. He is accused of damaging property during a dispute on Ellsworth Avenue on Sept. 10 at 9:45 p.m. He was arrested again on criminal contempt and trespass changes for an incident reported on Sept. 11 at 7:57 p.m. at a location on Ellsworth Avenue. He is also accused of kicking both rear doors of a patrol car resulting in significant damage on Sept .11 at 8:39 a.m. On the criminal contempt charge, Hendershot was ordered held on bail.

Leonard E. Aguayo, 35, of Rochester, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Aguayo was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident reported on Sept. 17 at 6:47 p.m. in the Town of Batavia. Aguayo was issued an appearance ticket. No further details released.

Sugeiry Vazquez, 33, of Rochester, is charged with bail jumping 2nd. The charge is out of the Town of Batavia. He was arrested by State Police on Sept. 17 at 2:30 a.m. in the Town of Cheektowaga and ordered held on bail. No further details released.

Matthew J. Dahl, 30, of Pavilion, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Dahl was stopped by State Police on Sept. 14 at 7:44 p.m. in the Town of Alexander. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Click here for 36 North Lyon Street, Batavia.
Click here for 16 Walnut Street, Batavia.

To view all of listings, visit myreliantrealestate.com.

There’s a certain library director who bowls, collects cocktail paraphernalia and has taken a “deep dive” into trivia tournaments. This person is also about to head southeast toward Westchester County.

Give up? You won’t make his trivia team — a regional first place winner — any time soon then. The answer is Bob Conrad, head of Richmond Memorial Library for the last eight years.

Conrad has taken a position as director of Chappaqua Library. His last day is Oct 28, and he got a little teary while talking about his past experiences and present relationship with Richmond Memorial Library.

“It’s a fantastic job, a great library. I only hope I’ve maintained the standards,” Conrad said during an interview with The Batavian. “I have a very active, hands-on board. They’re going to really enjoy the process of appointing another director, and show them what’s needed. My transition when I started, the success of it, was due entirely to the extraordinary skill and competence of the staff that I inherited from the previous director.”

Catalogue of accomplishments
He listed what he believes have been “my best work,” including to commission new library cards and logos, helping to introduce the Dolly Parton Imagination program, plus ensure that it’s funded and expanded; write a $25,000 grant from Ralph Wilson Legacy Foundation to broaden the scope of recipients for the Library Visits program to include under age 60 and caregivers.

He launched the Richmond Library Foundation to better manage endowments and solicit additional funding.

The Foundation is funding the library’s student intern this fall, named named the Joe Zaso Student Internship, after a former president of the Friends of the Library. A long-term goal of the foundation is to raise and manage funds for the library's unspecified long-term needs, Conrad said.

He has appreciated the opportunity of working with community members such as city schools Superintendent Jason Smith, who was supportive of the library director, Conrad said. Ever since he began in July 2014, he has found welcoming people.

“It’s always a tremendous privilege to serve at a library in any capacity, but as director, with a board that supports my capacity … from the moment that I walked in these doors, I had friends. And the day I walk out, I'll be missing them.”

The slow metamorphosis
He took a walk way down memory lane, to his first library gig, and the missteps in between. Though, they weren’t really missteps at all, since he enjoyed his part-time jobs at record and book stores, and coffee shops along the way to getting official library jobs.

Conrad was born and raised in Irondequoit, and left for Chicago at 17 to study radio, TV and film at Northwestern University. His goal, he sheepishly admitted, was to find “the best and fanciest college I could get into.” And one that he could also afford, he said. He didn’t just want a degree, but also one from a prestigious-sounding college.

He mulled San Francisco and New York City schools, but his mom wouldn’t let the teenager move to either coast. He settled on Northwestern, which had the best education for a film degree, he said.

And so my second tier of choices were Boston University and Northwestern. Northwestern had the better financial aid package for me as a low-income student. If you say low income in the article, my mom will be so embarrassed. It's her. It's her shame. I have no shame. I tell everyone,” he said. “When I graduated, I didn't really have jobs lined up, or prospects. You know, despite how good the school is, you're still another filmmaker out there.”

A change of (a tell-tale) heart
While working his part-time jobs, he learned something about his goal for a film career.

“One of the things I learned was, I didn’t particularly want to do that any more,” he said.

Conrad, now 47, also took a writing certificate course that produced many successful writers out of his classmates. He pointed to a poster of Seth Meyers on his office wall as an example.

He “really liked my life” then, he said, working in Chicago. And all the while, colleagues would advise him to continue his education. They’d say things like “Bob, you’re a bright young man who doesn't know what he wants to do for the rest of his life, and you want a career that supports creative endeavors and ambitions, good work life balance,” suggesting that he stay in Chicago and get a master's degree in library science.

“‘You could make a career at this,’ they said. And then I pursued my master's in library science. And I thought I would, because I was working in an academic library, I thought that would be my career. And I worked a number of paraprofessional positions in many colleges around the Chicago area and I worked reference desk at community colleges,” he said. “If I sketched it all out in detail, it would horrify you, but that's what young people's lives are like, you know, I need more money.”

He ended up working at a number of branches throughout the Chicago area, including his alma mater Northwestern, Eckhart Park, Herald Bezazian, and Mayfair branches. There were learning lessons throughout it all: in his first weeks at Eckhart Park, ironically while reading a book about rats, he had to diagnose and solve a rat infestation at the library; and at Mayfair learning snippets of Arabic to communicate with patrons.

Things got real when he knew that he could go toe-to-toe with any librarian.

“As a branch manager I recognized also that my skills could could be put on the market nationwide. So I was really looking for jobs in the San Francisco Bay area where I have friends, and in the New York City area at the time, because I wouldn't have minded moving there at the time,” he said. “And the New York City jobs are listed on the same library job ad that the rest of New York State is listed.”

Conrad's choice
As he scouted ads for library vacancies in New York, he found two: one each in Ithaca and Batavia. Having grown up in Monroe County, he was familiar with Western New York and opted to apply to Richmond library. Although he initially thought the city would be more like a Rochester suburb, he discovered otherwise.

“I thought that for one stupid reason, because in high school, our track and cross country teams would race against Batavia. So I made the assumption that Batavia must be a Rochester suburb, like where I was from. But as soon as I got here for the interview, I came early enough to drive around to scope out the lay of the land, I instantly recognized that no, it was its own small city,” he said. “And I started to wonder, is it more of a Buffalo city or a Rochester City? And it did not take me long to figure out it's a little bit of both. I instantly recognized that Batavia was someplace special. It took me the next couple of years to appreciate who lives here. The source of wealth is really agriculture.”

Being a “joiner,” it didn’t take long for Conrad to immerse himself into the community — becoming a member of Kiwanis Club, a bowling team, and Leadership Genesee, and deeply embracing team trivia. His team has played all over the GLOW region, and one season became first place champs.

What’s a tip for being good at trivia? Read widely, he suggested. It was only through a random Roddy Doyle novel he had read that he recognized one of the details to know the answer was Ireland, he said. He fought his team to say the answer, as no one else thought he was right. It was quite unlikely, given the keyword seemed to point to Italy, but that novel earned him rights to do a little ‘I told you so’ strut, Conrad said.

He looks forward to what’s ahead for him, and he expects there to be an interim director while the board conducts interviews for the next director.

“I’m one of those people drawn to this field because I value what libraries value: the power of great ideas, good ideas, bad ideas, and stories,” he said. “Libraries make us better people, and better able to govern ourselves. And I feel like in Batavia, the people I dealt with through this job were the best people in the community.”

Richmond Memorial Library Director Bob Conrad will be leaving his post at the end of October, and going to Chappaqua Library. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Press release:

Richmond Memorial Library is gearing up for a month of programs in anticipation of the 2022 Richmond Reads Author Visit on Thursday, October 20 at 7 pm. This year’s program features a review contest, book discussions, a film screening and the main event with author Brendan Slocumb and his book The Violin Conspiracy. After two years of virtual programs, the committee is excited to host this year’s author in person!

The review contest has become a popular part of Richmond Reads. Each year, readers are invited to write a review of the chosen book and submit it for a chance to win a prize. This year’s contest runs from September 1- October 8. After anonymous review by the Richmond Reads committee, two winners will be chosen. This year’s prize? Dinner with the author and the Richmond Reads committee at a local restaurant prior to the author event on Thursday, October 20!

• Read "The Violin Conspiracy" by Brendan Slocumb
• Write a review of the book of 200 words or fewer.
• Submit your entry by 5:00 pm on Saturday, October 8.

 Instead of simply summarizing the book, consider the following as you write your review:

• How did this book impact you? Were you able to relate to any characters or situations?
• What were the most significant moments in the plot?
• What truths do you think were expressed through the ending?
• How does the setting affect the story?

Reviews will be judged on creativity, originality, and writing quality.

Entries must follow all contest rules and use contest entry forms, which can be found at the library or on the library’s website at batavialibrary.org/richmond-reads. Contest sponsored by the Friends of Richmond Memorial Library.

Other programs and events:

Book Discussions: Read "The Violin Conspiracy" and join a community discussion on Monday, October 3 at 6:30 pm, Wednesday, October 12 at 9 am or Saturday, October 15 at 10 am. The only requirement to attend is to read the book!

Reel Discussions: Thursday, October 6 at 6:30 pm. Watch the PBS Documentary "Violin Masters: Two Gentlemen of Cremona" and join the discussion to follow. “Everyone has heard of Antonio Stradivari, but few know the name Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. Through interviews with historians, experts, luthiers, and virtuosos, this documentary tells the story of these two masters of violinmaking and why today their stringed instruments are worth millions of dollars to musicians and collectors the world over.”

Author Visit: "The Violin Conspiracy" author Brendan Slocumb will be at Richmond Memorial Library on Thursday, October 20 at 7 pm for a reading, talk and signing. All are welcome. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the event for $20, cash or check.

Copies of the book are available to borrow from the library in regular print and large print, as well as in eBook or audiobook format on the Libby app. Copies are available to purchase at the library for $20, cash or check. The book was chosen with older teen and adult readers in mind.

Richmond Reads is sponsored by the Richmond Memorial Library and the Friends of Richmond Memorial Library. Visit batavialibrary.org/richmond-reads for all information. Questions may be directed to program coordinator Samantha Basile.

Press Release

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County Board of Directors meeting will be held
at 5:30 p.m. on September 27, 2022. The meeting will be held at the Association at 420 E. Main St. in
Batavia and is open to the public.

Any questions should be directed to Yvonne Peck at 585-343-3040, ext. 123.

4 East Avenue, Batavia. Nice city starter or down-sizer right in the heart of town, close to schools, library, hospital and shopping! There's a lot to appreciate here for someone on a budget-the furnace hot water tank and ductwork new in 2015 and central air new in 2020! Utilities are inexpensive and owner to leave appliances! Downstairs is open and spacious and has nice parquet floors. There is a great back entranceway mud room and 1/2 bath. Upstairs has 2 very large bedrooms and full bath. This one is affordably priced clean freshly painted and ready to move in! Click here for more information on this listing!

Press release:

The Genesee County Youth Bureau and the Office for the Aging are coming together to help complete our Halloween Costume Kit project.

The Youth Bureau creates costume kits for youth in the community who may otherwise not be able to afford a Halloween Costume. These kits include two or three pieces that make up various popular Halloween Costumes such as a “princess” and a “fireman.” Along with the costume kit, there will be a trick-or-treat bag for each child.

This is where we need your help!

On Monday, Oct. 3 we are looking for youth volunteers from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 2 Bank St., Batavia. During this time we want you to bring out your creative side to decorate these bags. A light dinner will be provided.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact the Youth Bureau at 585-344-3960 by Sept. 26.

The Batavia Blue Devils improved to 3-0 on the 2022 season with a 28-6 win at home on Thursday night against Monroe.

Javin McFollins was 7-10 behind center for 88 yards and a TD.

Cole Grazioplane made that 27-yard TD reception.

Cam McClinic scored once on 10 carries for 73 yards.

Garret Schmidt had 10 tackles.

To view or purchase prints, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Workers with National Grid, as part of the company's Day of Service, volunteered today at the Salvation Army in Batavia to create a community garden space, clearing grass from the plot and installing some raised beds.

This dog is apparently lost in the area of Route 33, near the corner of Wortendyke Road, Batavia.

The reader who submitted the picture said Sheriff's deputies were unable to catch it last night and it's still loose in the area this morning. 

Cassandra Elmore’s case was set for 1:30 p.m. today, and one thing was fairly certain: she would show since she was recently arrested on a warrant and put in jail. She had failed to show up two times previously.

After several other cases were brought before Judge Thomas Burns Thursday in City Court, Elmore was brought in, handcuffed and wearing a neon yellow jumpsuit with Livingston County Jail stamped on the back.

While waiting for her case to be called, Elmore turned to talk with her mother, Lisa, about posting bail, and made a one-fingered gesture to someone else in the gallery area. She was being represented by Assistant Public Defender Jamie Welch.

Judge Burns said that some correspondence was received from Volunteers For Animals, and it, in essence, asked for a “possible resolution to this case,” given that Oddey, Elmore’s dog that overdosed, has been sitting at the county shelter for more than two months.

Burns proposed adjourning the case for a week and set her next appearance for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 22.

Welch and Assistant District Attorney Jenna Bauer agreed. Burns instructed Elmore that, if she was to make bail, she needed to show up for her court date. 

Elmore has missed two prior court dates after initially asking for more time to hire an attorney. Her original charge was three counts of injuring an animal after her dog was found to have overdosed on some type of narcotics.

She failed to appear in court on Aug. 11 (when a friend reported a call from Elmore in the hospital) and Sept. 8 and was arrested in between, on Aug. 30 after a traffic stop. She was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, obstruction of governmental administration, aggravated unlicensed operation third, uninspected motor vehicle, and insufficient tail lamps.

After not showing in court on Sept. 8, a warrant was issued for her arrest, and Batavia Police Department caught up with her on Sept. 10 after a property dispute at 316 East Main St. called them to the scene. She was arrested on the spot.

In the meantime, while her case has been pending and continues to be postponed due to her being a no-show, Oddey awaits his fate at the shelter. He can’t be put up for adoption while it’s an open case.

Volunteers For Animals member Wendy Castleman said Thursday that the dog is doing well. She couldn't answer any questions pertaining to the correspondence because it's an open case, she said.

Joe Oliver in 1939

If not for the Great Depression, Joseph Boyd Oliver may never have left his home in Pennsylvania for Rochester, and then wander into Batavia looking for work and finding instead an opportunity in the small town. 

The opportunity: Turn a family tradition of making blanched peanuts into a business.

To blanch a peanut, you start with raw peanuts -- which Oliver obtained in Buffalo -- boil them in water for three minutes, then dip them in cold water before removing the red skin.  It's time-consuming, tedious work.

Batavians really went for the stark white peanuts, and Joseph and Edna Oliver found that they had started a real business with growth potential. So they looked for other ways to please the locals' unabated craving for snacks, adding peanut clusters to their repertoire and making their concoctions in their Montclair Avenue home.

"No, I had never made any candy before," Oliver said in a 1939 interview. "I learned it all the hard way. There were so many headaches with it, I couldn't begin to tell you what they were.  We just kept going, trying until we got what we wanted."

Blanched peanuts and peanut clusters were the beginning of Oliver's Candies, now in its 90th year. Oliver's will be having a birthday celebration Saturday at the store at 211 West Main St., Batavia.

Joe and Edna moved their business to that location in 1937, renting a house from Sheriff Forest Brown. They sold candy in the parlor and lived upstairs. Eventually, they bought the house and expanded the business until it took over the entire residence.

By the 1950s, Oliver's was selling candy in all 48 states.

Harold Oskamp acquired the business in 1960.  In 1977, he sold it to Dick Call, Bob Call, and Alvin Scroger, then owners of Genesee Farms. 

That ownership group sold Oliver's in 1998 to John Quincey, father of Jeremy Liles, the current owner.

When his parents asked Liles, whose background was in digital publishing, to get involved in the business, how could he say no? Of course, he couldn't.

"I mean, it's candy, it's retail, it's sweet business, really, you have no better words to pick there," Liles said.

Oliver's still makes candy the way Joe Oliver insisted it be made, Liles said -- real ingredients, the original recipes, no cutting corners, and as a result, the business has continued to grow.

Online ordering has given Oliver's a global reach. Liles has been able to expand the wholesale business since opening a plant in Elba, and that northern location also gives Oliver's a second storefront in the county.

It's no wonder that a business born in the Depression has weathered all kinds of economic storms, a world war, and even a pandemic.

"We're doing just fine. It's not like you don't have the generic brands of candy out there, Walmart, Tops, whatever. People's tastes have honed down. People want specialty coffees. They want specialty desserts. People are going to different places looking for these things," Liles said. "I think that's what's helping us tremendously because we are a specialty. We provide unique flavors. We make it fresh. It's made with butter and cream. We're not adding preservatives. It's not being shipped off to some warehouse and then sitting on a shelf forever. It comes from Elba, our factory six minutes up the road, and it's on our shelf ready for the customer."

One of the secrets of the success of Oliver's is employee loyalty.  From the time of Joe and Edna, employees have tended to stay with the company not just for years, but for decades. 

Bill Betteridge started with the business in its early days and made candy for 52 years. Ronald Drock, one of the former master candy makers, worked for Oliver's from the 1950s into the 1990s. The current master candy maker, Doug Pastecki, has been with Oliver's for 26 years.

In the top photo are long-time employees:

• Diana Cutitta (started 1983) - store associate/cashier
• Doug Pastecki (started 1995) - master candymaker
• Anna Liles (started 1999) - giftware associate
• Jeremy Liles (started 2001) - owner
• Julie Heale (started 2002) - packing line worker
• Mary Graham (started 2004) - enrober line worker
• Megan Palone (started 2006) - general manager
• Alec Frick (started 2014) - assistant candymaker

Not pictured is Beth Diegelman, hand dipper/decorator who started in1980).

"I guess, for the most part, my family, the families before us, we try to take care of the people who work for us. We're all a family. We try to treat everybody as a family. We're not a big corporate-backed store. We're just a locally owned business and, like anybody else, trying to survive each day," Liles said. "We had some great years of growth and we tried to take care of our employees during those times, and in turn, our employees take care of the business during tougher times, so it really becomes a complete family. Obviously, I couldn't do any of this without them. They are the backbone of this business."

Liles said he's proud to be at the helm of Oliver's as it marks 90 years in business, both for the stability such longevity represents, and the strength of the company to adapt to changing times.

"I love doing this," Liles said. "It's exciting. It doesn't get boring. That's the cool part about it. There are always changes and obviously, in the environment around us, there are changes. Social media, for example, has really been a change. You have gotta be so careful with it. It can help you or it can tear you apart. But that's where, if we keep striving for customer service, then the reviews online will stay five stars, and that's the way we want it to be. I mean, it's all about quality products and quality service. That's why I don't want to outgrow our britches, per se. We need to keep it real."