batavia

For 12 years, Anne Marie Starowitiz has brought history alive for area children as coordinator for the History Heroes program at the Holland Land Office Museum.

Saturday, with the end of this summer session, was her last day in the role.

Starowitz said even though she's stepping away from the program, "I'm sure it will continue."

This summer the children learned all about living in the 50s.  

On Saturday, they delivered a program for their parents. They shared important historical dates and ended the program by singing a song from the 50s.  

During the week they created a lemonade stand and made more than $160 for the Genesee County Animal Shelter.  

Starowitz thanked Tompkins Financial, Adam Miller, WBTA, Photos by Sue Meier, Ficarella’s, T-Shirts Etc, and The Batavian for support of the program. 

Submitted photos. 

By Khilna Samat

As an international student from Tanzania, Africa, attending Genesee Community College, I remember vividly how Cliff Scutella, the Director of Student Activities, constantly integrated international and domestic student populations to enhance mutual understanding and awareness.

Cliff’s office was in the Student Union. It was where people from different walks of life amalgamated so seamlessly because that was the environment that Cliff envisioned and created. He was naturally an affable person and as such, he taught us that nothing was impossible when we unified. It was the essence of the Student Union. Cliff was the epitome of hard work and fun! One day he was dressed in his professional attire and on another, he was wearing a tiara. Cliff often said he never worked a day in his life because being the student activities director allowed him to be a kid still and have fun coupled with his strong leadership capabilities. 

Cliff’s leadership skills were contagious as made evident by Lorraine Briggs, “Cliff Scutella was the man who inspired generations of college students. During my time at GCC, Cliff was the head of Student Activities. Before I joined the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and Student Government, I knew Cliff as the funny guy who dressed up for events and loved his hot dogs. He was a family man, too. He was open-minded and welcoming. Most appropriately, he was a simple man that loved his students. After several years of working side by side with Cliff, many trips to APCA, and lots of hours dedicated to event plans I interviewed for a position within the Student Activities Office. For another five years, I got to know Cliff even more. He inspired me to take on leadership roles and to JUST GO FOR IT. He taught me so much in the 10 years I was on the GCC grounds. I will always be grateful to have had the honor to work with Cliff. The world is a more inspiring place because of him.”

Cliff never spoke to anyone in a demeaning manner. He offered infinite kindness and was always positive with a “you can do it” attitude. His altruistic character and selflessness confirmed that it was all about the students and he immensely cared for them. It’s a sentiment that Molly Cole, Class of 2010, can relate to very well. “When I first met Cliff, I was a new student at GCC. His energy and joy reminded me of my dad, and he made me feel right at home. His joy was contagious! Cliff always went above and beyond for all his students, and I’ll never forget what he did for me. While I was a student at GCC, I suddenly lost a family member. I was devastated and lost. I could hardly function because I was heartbroken. Cliff saw that and made an extended effort to be there with me as I grieved. He checked in with me every day for almost two months. He even enlisted the whole office to support me during that time. That was the man he was. He was mine and so many others ‘Campus Dad’. My life has been forever changed by him. His life will be celebrated, and he will be truly missed.”

Cliff openly exhibited to all students how much we meant to him and encouraged us to take chances - that to make a mistake was not the end of the world, and he gave us confidence that we were valued as human beings. I graduated from GCC in May 2011, and I never saw Cliff again but never forgot him. I learned Cliff retired from GCC in the summer of 2019 and prematurely went to see his creator on Sunday, July 17, 2022. I hope that everyone, when such people cross their paths, never takes people like Cliff for granted. we certainly never did, and never will.

Press release:

The organizers of the GLOW Corporate Cup are happy to announce that over 750 participants have registered for this year’s event. The 5K run/walk will start on Thursday, Aug 4 at 6 p.m.

Due to construction on Richmond Avenue, this year the 5K run will start on Park Avenue at the bottom of Centennial Park near State Street. The course will go down State Street, turn left onto Washington Avenue, right on Vine Street, right on East Avenue, left on Ross Street, right on Washington Avenue, and finish on Ellicott Avenue.

Motorists and residents should know that Park Avenue will close traffic between Lincoln Avenue and State Street from 4:30 to 6:15 pm. Automobiles are encouraged to be parked in driveways along the entire course so that runners and walkers can pass unobstructed. 

With more than 20 fast food-type offerings in Batavia alone, Marc and Lauren Cordes wanted to shake things up with something radically different.

The East Bethany couple, joined by children Holden, 9, Haylee, 12, and 14-year-old Hayven, friends, family and eager customers, cut the official ribbon on Monday for that something different: Batavia Total Nutrition.

“People just fall in love with the taste once they try it,” Lauren said at the site in Valu Plaza. “We’ll have specialty menus and shakes of the month. Come in and give it a try first before you judge.”

The business makes and sells an assortment of beverages, from energy drinks to protein-packed shakes. Lauren said these are delicious, unlike some nutritional shakes, which have helped her on her weight loss journey. She and Marc had been thinking about opening a business, and after they both sampled the products, they agreed to open Batavia Total Nutrition, she said.

“We realized that Batavia actually has nothing, nutrition-wise, to offer, so we decided to bring this out here. And it tastes good, looks good and offers excellent nutrition. I lost weight and maintain my weight just doing the product myself.”

About a year ago she got involved in doing healthy protein shakes as meal replacements and energy bombs. She and her husband decided to bring the Herbalife products to the City of Batavia.

“There’s nothing like it here; we decided this might be a good business venture to bring to the area,” Marc said. “I know people are looking to eat more nutritious nowadays, and I thought this might be one avenue we thought we could bring to the community.”

The menu lists assorted energy bombs, meal replacement shakes, and protein snacks, and Lauren said there will be waffle Wednesdays and fitness classes at some point. Those classes will lead participants through cardio drumming, something that no one offers here, Lauren said.  As its name implies, participants drum on an inflatable ball and use their entire bodies to make it a cardio exercise, she said.

Energy Bombs come in a variety of combinations, such as the Batavia Rush, with “a whole lotta lemon” and blue raspberry; or flavors of orange, pineapple, strawberry and blue razz of a Tiki Refresher. These drinks boast zero to low sugar content with some caffeine for that extra boost. The protein shakes sound quite similar to an ice cream shop’s varieties, with caramel macchiato, cookie dough extreme, cheesecake batter, fruity pebbles, and banana split, to name a few. Stevia is used to help keep the calories and sugar content low.

The menu states that plant-based shakes are under 300 calories and provide up to 55 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbs, five grams of fat, and nine to 15 grams of sugar, plus 21 vitamins and minerals.

“Just because it says nutritious, that doesn’t mean it tastes bad,” Marc said.

Brandon Britton of Clarence was providing some hands-on support by making shakes and talking up the business. He and his family lived in a small Ohio town with three of these shops, and his family opted to move north and open more of them in Erie and Niagara counties. He met the Cordes when they went to Buffalo to try out the products.

“We’re supporting the community, and giving them healthier lifestyles,” he said. “We hope to make a positive difference wherever we go.”

After a bleak couple of years with business shutdowns, what does a business opening mean for Genesee County?

“I think it's a good sign,” Chamber of Commerce Interim President Tom Turnbull said. “It's a different type of niche business. I think because it is healthy eating. And I got a chance to sample a couple of the drinks here today, and they're really good.”

The Chamber’s Visitors Center sees its share of folks that stop by looking for places to eat, he said, and if they are seeking a healthy option, “this is one of the places we can send them to.”

“There's a couple of other places in town also we would recommend, but it's nice to have this,” he said. “I think it's a high-traffic area. I think they should do well here, they seem to have a good business plan.”

Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at 4152 West Main Street Road, Batavia. Click here for more information and the menu. You can text your order to (585) 432-5545.

Top photo: Marc and Lauren Cordes, with their children and other family and friends, celebrate the grand opening of Batavia Total Nutrition Monday at Valu Plaza, 4152 West Main Street Road, Batavia. Lauren serves a fudge brownie protein shake, and customers place their orders at the counter. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Press release:

The YWCA of Genesee County, Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), the grass-roots empowerment group GLOW (Genesee Livingston Orleans Wyoming) Women Rise, and The Rotary Club of Batavia are sponsoring this event on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Genesee Community College, One College Road, Batavia, Room T102, in-person only. It has two 15-minute breaks. Refreshments will be provided.

Writer and diversity trainer Nanette D. Massey of Buffalo believes we are well beyond holding hands when it comes to talking about race. Massey will present her take on the ideas in Robin DiAngelo’s New York Times Number One Best-Selling Book “White Fragility, Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism”. Attendees will have the chance to examine race from an unfiltered, real-world experience rather than theory. With frankness and practicality, Massey’s goal is to leave audiences with self-clarity, and the ability to participate in conversations about race with genuine confidence, humor, and humility. Preparation by reading the book before the session is expected.

This is an opportunity for Employers to fulfill cultural diversity training requirements.

Registration is $10 and it includes a copy of the book. You can register two ways. One option is to send a check to the YWCA of Genesee County, 301 North Street, Batavia, NY 14020. Please include your name, street address, city, state, zip code, phone number, and email. It is preferable that you register online using the Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/385666417637. Once registered, attendees can pick up their copy of the book at the YWCA at 301 North St, Batavia; Independent Living of the Genesee Region at 319 West Main St., Batavia; or GLOW Women Rise at 201 East Main St. Limited seating may be available on the day of the event.

A former participant stated: “I’ve attended several of Nanette’s Zoom sessions through Eventbrite.  The sessions take the book ‘White Fragility’ to another level.  Nanette creates a safe space for honest dialogue.  I’ve laughed and cried and everything in between.  Nanette gives so much of herself, and I’ve learned and grown through her generosity.  I am incredibly grateful and can’t recommend her sessions enough!”

One can read more about Nanette D. Massey at her website, nanettedmassey.com.

Click here for more information on this new listing!

Nolan Sparks put in 6 1/3 strong innings in the Muckdog's first-round playoff game against Elmira on Sunday, and the offense brought the lumber, leading to a 12-3 victory for the hometown team.

Sparks (top and second photos), a U of R junior, K'd six, surrendered only one earned run and only four hits to pick up his sixth win of 2022 and lower his ERA to 0.38.

Daniel Burroway and Alex Torres each had two RBIs.

The Muckdogs entered post-season play atop the Western Division over Utica by 3.5 games with a 30-15 record.

Manager Joey Martinez attributes the team's success both to player recruitment and the maturity of his players.

"They are a bunch of professionals," Martinez said. "Though they are not professionals yet, I think these guys are. They go about their business every day. They don't get too high, don't get too low. They are very steady-eddy. That's the way we've been playing all year. They have been pretty much very consistent. That's how these guys are, they're super consistent in everything they do -- their work ethic, the way they approach the game."

And they all get along.

"They're a tighter team than last year. These guys really love each other. Every time you have a culture like that, it breeds success."

The Muckdogs play for the Western Division championship against Utica at Dwyer tonight at 7 p.m. 

Photos by Howard Owens To view more photos or purchase prints, click here.

Manager Joey Martinez.

About 30 people turned out Saturday afternoon at Batavia City Hall for a short protest against the ReAwaken America Tour coming to Batavia on Aug. 12 and 13.

Cornerstone Church, on Bank Street Road, will host the event.

Rev. Roula Alkhouri of First Presbyterian Church of Batavia, told the assembled group she objected to the event coming to Batavia because it mispresents the community, which she described as peaceful and neighborly, and misrepresents Christianity, replacing the gospel of love with a message of hate and violence.

"We're not accusing anybody of being hateful," Alkhouri said. "We’re just listening to their words. Listening to how they're speaking, how they’re expressing themselves."

She quoted one of the scheduled speakers, Scott Mckay, who reportedly told an interviewer: 

"This is war. It’s gonna get bloody, and I’m going to get ugly too; no less ugly than any 1776 preacher that dropped his Bible on the lectern, grabbed his muzzleloader or musket, and went out and put balls and bullets inside people and watched blood flow on a battlefield. That’s what they had to do. That’s the name of Christ ... 

"Any of the minions, including the doctors and nurses who were part of it—knowingly or unknowingly, that’s not for me to sort out—but they need to know what is coming next."

 

 

Alkhouri added, "this is not American. They do not stand for Christianity, but they are using the guise of religion, which really hurts us, people of faith who believe that faith is about expanding our horizons to love, and they’re using it to become more exclusive, using it to divide Americans."

Previously:

• Cornerstone to host Reawaken America Tour next month
• ReAwaken America? Not here, say local Christian leaders planning protest
• Protest at Cornerstone delivers peaceful appeal to love not hate
• Genesee County officials weigh in about ReAwaken tour: traffic biggest concern

Listen To The Music (What the people need is a way to make them smile ... The Doobie Brothers)

Throughout my life music has been both a source of joy and a cause for regret. On thr positive side, I listen to or watch music every single day. It is one of the things I absolutely have to have in my life and I find it hard to imagine being without it. Going to see and hear live music is something I do all of the time, and I really missed it through the two years of the pandemic.

However, I constantly regret not ever learning to play an instrument and reading music. Like a lot of other things I didn’t do in my life, it was a result of shyness and insecurity mixed in with the lack of available resources. In elementary school (St. Mary’s) and high school (Notre Dame) we had no instrumental music instruction at all.

My brother Dan was a member of St. Joseph’s Drum Corps, and I was too shy to join. As an example of my reticence, when I was 9 or 10 my mother signed me up for swimming lessons at Godfrey’s Pond. When the time came to go, I hid in the closet, and she had to threaten to call the priest to get me out of there. Of course, once she got me there, I was fine and loved swimming.

When I think about being a little kid, I really don’t recall much about music then. I was more interested in sports: I can remember a football game I watched on TV in 1954 when I was 7. My parents, like everyone from the World War II era, loved Big Band music, so I probably heard some of that on the radio. My Aunts Kate and Peg wouldn’t miss “The Lawrence Welk Show” every Saturday night, but a kid wouldn’t admit to their friends that they watched that. Every weekday morning my mom had on the “Clint Buehlman Show” (“yours truly Buehly”) on WBEN Buffalo while we ate breakfast and got ready for school. But he was an avowed rock and roll hater and wouldn’t play any of that “noise.”

Vinyl Countdown

Eventually, I did start listening to some of the DJs, and I distinctly remember the first two records I ever bought. The first was “Singing The Blues” by Guy Mitchell in 1956, and then “Come Go With Me” by the Dell Vikings in 1957. I think they might have been 78 RPM records, but I’m not positive. The former was kind of country-ish and the latter was “Doo-Wop,” so I think my mom didn’t complain too much when I played them on our very basic record player.

A Christmas present which really made a big impression in my music life was a little red transistor radio with an earphone I got when I was 12 or 13. Up until then I had to share the family radio with my parents. The transistor meant I could listen to whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. And I could plug the earphone in and only I could hear what was being played.

At that time in the early '60s, WKBW 1520 on the AM dial from Buffalo was getting a reputation as a powerhouse of rock and roll broadcasting. DJs Tommy Shannon, Joey Reynolds, and Danny Neaverth were all “spinning the hits” for a wide audience, which definitely included me.

Tommy Shannon was one of the early cool DJ's who drove a Corvette and reputedly dated Ann Margaret. He wrote his own theme song which I'd bet many people could still sing today: “Top tunes ... news and weather. So glad we could ... get together. On the ... Tom Shannon show.” The group Rockin' Rebels did an instrumental version that became a top 10 hit in 1961.

Joey Reynolds (real name Joey Pinto), in between playing songs, was an early predecessor to “shock jocks” like Howard Stern. He would break records he didn't like, argue with callers, and just generally adopted an over-the-top persona. When he eventually got fired, he nailed his shoes to the station manager's door with a note that said, “Fill these!”

Danny Neaverth was a home town Buffalo boy who was on WKBW for 25 years. He made appearances at local schools including one time at a Notre Dame dance that I attended. At one point he asked for a volunteer to come up on stage, and I was too shy, but my “friends “ volunteered me by carrying me to the stage and dumping me up there. I don't recall what I had to do, but I'm sure my blushing face was as scarlet as a fire truck. Neaverth was also the public address announcer for the Buffalo Bills football and Braves basketball teams.

Regardless of their radio personalities, it was mostly these three DJ's who introduced me to Dion and The Belmonts, the Shirelles, the Beach Boys, and eventually to the English explosion of the Beatles, Dave Clark 5 and the Rolling Stones.

(L to R) Joey Reynolds, Tommy Shannon, and Danny Neaverth of WKBW 1520

Television Tunes

As far as seeing bands, the best place to do that was on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on TV. Of course, there was the infamous Elvis Presley swivel-hipped debut in 1956. Buddy Holly, The Four Seasons, and The Beach Boys all had appearances leading up to the debut of the Beatles in February 1964. I had just turned 17 and was in my senior year at Notre Dame, and I was watching with millions of others. My biggest memory of the show was an audience of screaming teenage girls who seemed to be having, in the words of “The Count Five” song a couple years later, “a psychotic reaction.” (As a side note, that crowd craziness was what caused the Beatles to give up playing live.)

There was also “American Bandstand” with Dick Clark. I think more girls watched that for the dancing. Plus, the songs were lip synced, not live. A funny part to me was when they'd choose a boy and a girl from the audience to rate a record. Practically every time one would say, “Dick, I'll give it a 10 because it's got a good beat to dance to.”

Then, in college years, there were two shows called “Shindig” and “Hullabaloo.” They had on all the famous bands (plus go-go dancers). Back then in college, no one had a TV in their dorm room; there was one in the lounge, but hardly anyone ever watched it except for when those shows came on. Then the room was packed.

Going Live

As far as actually seeing live music in person, we were pretty much limited to local teenage bands like Batavia High's Cryin' Strings in the basement of St. Mary's Church, or at school dances, due to not being old enough to drive. I have a friend I met in college who went to Toronto in 1964 and 1965 when she was in high school to see the Beatles, but that was way out of my league. She probably still suffers vocal chord problems from it.

In June 1964, though, a rock and roll show actually came to Batavia at the Mancuso Theater, and I wasn't going to miss that. I don't remember who I went with, but I'm hoping it was a girl. I did have a sort of girlfriend my senior year, but since I didn't have a driver's license or a car, I was lucky she tolerated me.

The headliners were The Searchers from England. Part of the “British Invasion,” they had a couple of hits with “Needles and Pins” and “Love Potion #9.” I remember thinking at the time, “Wow. A real English band in Batavia.” In doing some research for this story I heard from a woman (a young teenage girl then, of course) who said that she and some of her friends talked their way onto the tour bus and she kissed the drummer. There's a memory to last a lifetime! I bet she wishes “selfies” was a thing then.

Other bands on the bill were Ronnie Dio and The Prophets. I don't remember them, but years later he became the guitarist for Black Sabbath, The Dovells (a choreographed dancing boy band who had a hit with “Bristol Stomp”), and Dick and Dee Dee who sang “River Deep, Mountain High.” I was surprised to find out Dick had the high falsetto voice. There were two shows and five bands, so some of the groups must have done only two or three songs. It was emceed by Danny Neaverth, who seemed to be everywhere back then. I wouldn't put it anywhere in the top shows I've seen, but it's memorable for being the first.

The event that really turned things around for my music experience was going to college. In September 1964, I was off to St. John Fisher College (now University) in Rochester. Between the guys in the dorm and the girls at Nazareth just down the road, I became exposed to a lot of different tastes and genres. Eventually, between the two schools and being in Rochester, I got to see a lot of bands and groups. Nazareth had an especially nice theater which hosted some great shows.

When I came back home for the summer, Batavia really didn't have any national touring band venues, but about 15 miles north on Route 98 in Albion there was the Oak Orchard Lanes. For most of the week it was a bowling alley, and on weekends they covered the lanes with plywood and set up a stage and sound system. I didn't have a car yet, so I had to ride with friends who drove way too fast. Closing my eyes and gritting my teeth all the way there and back, I always thought it was worth it to see good bands.

Some of the groups I remember seeing there were The Association (“Cherish” and “Windy”), Shadows Of The Knight (“Gloria”), Los Bravos (“Black Is Black”) and the Swinging Medallions (there's a '60s name for you) which had a hit with “Double Shot Of My Baby's Love.”

There was a band from Toronto called The Mandala and dressed in gangster-styled suits and used strobe lights which I had never seen before. They had a minor U.S. hit with “ Love–itis.” All in all, no really long-lasting famous bands, but it was something to do and some pretty decent music. When I was researching this part of my story, a lady named Gail who used to frequent “The Lanes” back then had been there recently and took some photos that she shared.

Photo courtesy of Gail Williams

Burn Baby Burn

Another summer college destination was The Inferno, a big venue in Williamsville east of Buffalo. The main draw for going there was the weekly appearance of Wilmer Alexander and the Dukes. Wilmer was a black R&B singer from Geneva, fronting an all-white band. Immensely popular in the Western NY area, The Dukes drew sellout audiences wherever they played, with their signature crowd pleaser being a cover of The Four Tops’ “Reach Out.”

I also recall seeing Junior Walker and the All Stars there doing “Shotgun” and “Road Runner.” The night I saw the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, I was standing in the back watching an opening act, and glanced to my side and Butterfield was standing next to me in all of his black-leather-jacketed glory. What did I say to him? Well, it was me, so I just stood there pretending I didn't see him until he walked away. Again, an iPhone 13 would have come in handy.

Ironically, I was kind of a soul music/R&B fan at that point in the summer of 1967, and it was at that venue where soul was king that I had an experience that changed my whole musical taste. In addition to the main room at the Inferno, there was a another glass-enclosed smaller room which featured a second act. One night I didn't care for who was playing in the big room and decided to check out a band called Salvation Navy. I don't know who they were or where they were from, but the music they were playing blew me away.

That May the Beatles had released “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.” I was somewhat of a Beatles fan (who wasn't?), but hadn't seriously listened to that album yet. Well, the Salvation Navy, whoever they were, played that album note for note and chord for chord, and I don't see how the Beatles could have played it live any better themselves. I was entranced, and from then on my head went in a whole different direction in my musical taste.

Unfortunately in September 1968, The Inferno lived up to its name and burned to the ground, ending its several year reign as a go-to music venue.

A local Batavia spot I should mention — although most went there for the girls and drinking rather than the music — was Columbo's Clinton Lounge on Clinton Street Road. It was definitely misnamed, because you wouldn't go there to actually “lounge” or even drink out of a glass. But on Saturday nights, they regularly had a band from Rochester called King Arthur And The Knights. My clearest memory of them is the cover they did of The Four Seasons' “Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You,” which was great for some serious slow dancing with a certain girl.

In my final couple of years of college, and with getting a car, I really began to see a lot of big time bands, both in Rochester and elsewhere. After graduation I kept up my love of going to live music all through the '70s until the '80s when I had children. There were few shows in the next 20 years, but most of my time was taken up with child- centered activities, particularly softball.

When the kids got old enough to “fly from the nest,” and especially when I retired from a 33-year teaching career, I resumed going to concerts in earnest. I certainly don't pay $3-$5 for a ticket any more, like in the old days, but it's worth it to me to be entertained. It's also different than attending sporting events, because you don't leave sad if your team loses.

In recent years I have also become a poster and ticket collector of concerts that I have attended, and my apartment looks like a mini rock and roll hall of fame. It's fun to look back all those years ago and remember how my love of music started and developed, and grew into something that gives me so much happiness today.

I just keep asking myself one question though: why couldn't my mother have broken out the priest threat to get me to take music lessons instead of swimming?

It was a perfect day for 18 holes of golf yesterday at Terry Hills, which hosted the 27th Annual Genesee Cancer Assistance Golf Tournament.

Director Sue Underwood said the tournament last year raised $28,000 and this year they hoped to raise more than $30,000.

"We're hopeful we will be over 30, but we're thankful for whatever we make," she said.

The tournament is the non-profit's main fundraiser for the year. The funds are used to provide assistance to cancer patients.

This year 36 teams participated, and sponsorships increased from 52 a year ago to 62 this year.  There were more than 200 prizes, either door prizes or auction items, available to participants. 

Top photo: Ron Puccio stripes his ball down the middle of the fairway to get his tournament, and his team, off to a good start.  His team (next three photos) included Dan Voltura, Fred Hamilton, and Ed Priestley.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Bill Utter, in orange shirt, last year's 50-50 drawing winner, gets ready to draw the 2022 winner, while Sue Underwood and Chris Rumfola look on.

 

Story submitted by Thomas Pitcher

In early July of 1863, Henry Clay took a bayonet in the arm. 

Clay, a slave, was trying to escape the victorious Federal army at Gettysburg. His Confederate master had either been killed or also taken prisoner by the Union Army. Following the aftermath of this decisive battle, nearly 7,000 rebel prisoners were taken to Baltimore’s Fort McHenry. Less discussed is the 64 captured African American slaves, like Clay, brought into the war to cook and clean for the southern army.

Lynne Belluscio, LeRoy’s town historian, first mentioned “the other Henry Clay” in 1998 and then with a more detailed article in the LeRoy Pennysaver in 2014. Through her research, we learned that Clay was born in Washington County, Georgia in 1849.

While the information is scarce, Clay’s place in American history is nothing short of remarkable.  

Six months before the Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves “within the rebellious states.”  Despite the 4 million enslaved African Americans, the order’s immediate impact was only felt by the roughly 50,000 slaves in Confederate regions occupied by the Union Army. Gettysburg’s aftermath served as an important litmus test for Lincoln’s proclamation, specifically the treatment of Confederate slaves captured in battle.  

Five weeks after Gettysburg, the commissary general of prisoners in the U.S Army, Colonel William Hoffman, declared that “captured [African Americans] are ranked as camp followers and therefore prisoners of war.”  This meant that slaves like Clay would be returned to their masters as dictated through the prisoner exchange system.  
Colonel Peter A. Porter didn’t buy it.  He believed that captured slaves “be employed in the service of the Government as paid laborers – thus rendering service to the Government and avoiding the return to slavery .” Raising the stakes, Porter suggested that the decision was beyond Hoffman’s jurisdiction and that “it be forwarded to the Secretary of War.”  

The Union Army sided with Porter. Of the 64 slaves captured at Gettysburg, half of them chose freedom and remained in the north. Sixteen joined as cooks in the regiments stationed in Baltimore.  Henry Clay, only 14 years old at the time, joined Porter’s regiment as a cook in Company I, a group of men exclusively organized in Genesee County. 

I’ve been researching the 8th N.Y.H.A for fourteen years and up until Belluscio’s discovery hadn’t come across a documented former slave within the regiment’s ranks.

From that moment onward, Clay’s life would only get more interesting. He was modest about his role in the regiment.

“It wasn’t much to be a cook in the army. I could carry water and peel potatoes and do things like that.” 

But it appears he may have done much more. While not on official muster roles, Clay was counted amongst the soldiers in several reunions held for the regiment after the war. He’s also listed as the first African American Civil War veteran in Genesee County.

By the end of 1863, Clay had already been present at several battles leading up to Gettysburg while a servant in the Confederate Army.  Colonel Porter’s regiment left Baltimore for the field that following spring. Clay would now be dressed in blue for Ulysses S. Grant’s invasion of Virginia; battles such as Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, and the Siege of Petersburg.  

One battle stands out. On June 3, 1864, Porter’s regiment, along with several others, were ordered to charge confederate breastworks at Cold Harbor, Virginia. History has looked unkindly on Grant’s decision to send so many men to their death on that blistering hot Friday morning. Colonel Porter’s last words were “follow me boys” before he was riddled with bullets. The story concerning the recovery of his body by several members of the regiment, under heavy fire, was re-told countless times at every reunion.  According to different sources, there was either five or six men involved in that mission. As a result, one of them was awarded the Medal of Honor. Why the others were not held with similar praise is as large of a mystery now as it was when the medal was issued 34 years after the battle in 1898.

It’s not known if Henry Clay ever discussed what his role was at Cold Harbor while he was alive. However, one 1925 obituary needs attention.

“Mr. Clay was born a slave and was with Colonel’s Porter regiment when that gallant soldier laid down his life at Cold Harbor. He was a member of the detachment which retrieved Colonel Porter’s body.” 

There is a certain type of karma here that can’t be lost – one individual campaigns for the others' freedom while the latter, risks his life rescuing his dead body.   

After the war, Clay moved to Batavia, married and took jobs as a farmer, janitor, and bank teller. Through the individuals mentioned in his will, we learn that Henry Clay was born to Henry “Hugh” Mayweather and Caroline Williams, two slaves from Sparta, Georgia. They may have been sold to William Monroe Clay of Washington County sometime in the 1840s or 1850s.  He was a wealthy plantation owner who had three sons and a son-in-law who fought with the 49th Georgia, a confederate regiment at both Fredericksburg and Gettysburg where Clay was present.

In 1889, Clay returned to Georgia to visit family. Upon arriving there, he learned that his old slave master was dead. He didn’t provide a lot of details on the trip other than the fact that his “friends tried to persuade Henry to remain in Georgia, but his heart was in Batavia.”

Press release:

Kiwanis Club of Batavia will be hosting a Chicken BBQ on Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Town of Batavia Fire Department on Lewiston Road.  Tickets are $14 and can be purchased from any Kiwanian.  This is a Drive-thru only event.

Proceeds from the event will support Books for Babies at the Richmond Memorial Library.  Books for Babies provides every child born at United Memorial Medical Center (or anywhere in Genesee County, by request at the library) with a tote bag containing a new, age-appropriate board book; a nursing bib with the Read to Me graphic, so that any caregiver might see the bib and begin reading books to babies earlier; and a handout giving simple early literacy guidelines and milestones and pointers for new parents to other early literacy resources, and free registration instructions for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Press release:

All motorists, please be aware that Elm Street between Main Street and Fisher Park will experience traffic delays on Monday, August 1st from 7AM to 3PM for milling and patching operations.

While work is being performed in this area, the roadway will be closed to all through traffic. Local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays.

All residents/businesses within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during the operation.

This is weather-dependent work; if work is postponed, it shall progress to the next workday.

Please contact the Bureau of Maintenance at 585-345-6400 Option 1 if there are any questions.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Editor's note: This is a continuation of a series about what's happening in the city of Batavia.

So to recap: city officials have begun to replace the mall concourse roof and pursue a new design for the four silos, or entryways, and are creating a wish list for future projects.

While nearly a million dollars have been invested in the roof, the naysayers are bemoaning such wasteful spending. The question of why not tear it down has been answered — more than once — which means to shift perspective from giving up to leaning in and finding affordable options for making the concourse more attractive, appealing, and effective for drawing in customers, city leaders say.

One action item that’s free and can be useful is just what some city officials have been doing: brainstorming.

Batavia Development Corporation’s new director, Tammy Hathaway, said she’d first like to “trip right into a giant pot of money” for the ideas she could come up with for the mall. So far, though, there have been conversations with city management and real estate agents.

“I don’t think any one of us doesn’t have it as our own personal priority,” she said during a recent group interview with city officials and The Batavian. “You know, working in the city of Batavia, actually working in this building, we work here, so we see it every day. And so it’s definitely something we think about constantly.”

Money — or the lack thereof — sort of tables some brainstorming ideas because any structural or aesthetic changes will take money to happen. City Manager Rachael Tabelski is hoping that perhaps the Restore NY grant, overseen by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, might consider the mall concourse for funding.

“So we’re trying to determine whether the concourse would be eligible because it serves so many businesses for those grant funds, so that’s kind of in process now,” she said. “We’re looking to work with Empire State Development to see if we’re eligible.”

Has there been any progress with filling the former JC Penney building?

Hathaway said that the property has “gotten a lot of traction out there in the world,” and Genesee County Economic Development Center has been involved by talking to various companies with possible interest, she said. The property is owned by a developer in California and is being marketed by a real estate company in Rochester.

As for using the concourse, any interested organization or business can fill out an application to rent the space for $25 and put on a special event, Tabelski said.

“We hope that there's excitement growing in Batavia; there was the development project for the groundbreaking at the YMCA Healthy Living campus and Savarino (Ellicott Station project),” she said. “Because a lot of times those types of developments are seeing companies and developers, and it piques their interest to come to have a look at what the city has to offer, and it's certainly a very large space and a very prominent location in the city.”

A big part of the aesthetic shift will be with the silo work, Public Works Director Brett Frank said.

“That'll make it more inviting to have people come in,” he said. “And exterior renovations will make a huge difference. You know, eventually as funds are made available, redoing flooring, painting, anything like that. it will make a huge impact as well. It's just going to take a lot of sweat equity.”

Hathaway believes that once Theater 56 is fully built, and the “manicuring” of different pieces within the mall, it will be a similar experience to finally seeing City Hall take shape at the west end of the former Genesee Country Mall.

“I think we all felt a little bit of relief when we saw City Hall built at the end of it, like there’s something new,” she said.

What about those oddly shaped, carpet-covered pieces of — are they furniture? — throughout the concourse; will they be removed or altered?

“That's a good question; that's probably a bridge we'd have to cross when we get there,” Frank said. “But that's not something that necessarily can't be upcycled.”

Tabelski and Frank agreed that the entire property would probably lend well to mixed-use, with perhaps a second floor for apartments, the current businesses of retail and medical services, and, ideally another restaurant or coffee shop, more retail and possibly bringing the outdoor Farmers Market indoors.

“I think it's more successful as a mixed-use that definitely has medical and insurance as mainstays of the owners, and I do think there's still retail that's going to be necessary there to support the employees who work at these medical facilities, and who are at the theater as well,” Tabelski said.

“So to me, I think it's more attractive if there's a mix of uses going on at the center,” she said.

Water and Wastewater Superintendent Michael Ficarella is looking for “an overall revitalization, or modernization” of the downtown space.

“And we can have events that benefit the community,” he said. “I think we're going to do our best to maximize what we have here in existence, and take what was left from the past and make it usable for our future.”

Top file photo from 2020: renderings of City Centre mall entryways and concourse that were considered a couple of years ago. Courtesy of LaBella Associates and the City of Batavia. 2021 file photo of City Centre with a decorative bucket in March and fixed furniture pieces behind it. Photo by Howard Owens.

The Genesee County and Batavia youth bureaus hosted their annual Safe Summer Children’s Carnival at David M. McCarthy Ice Arena on Thursday.

The event featured entertainment and games that helped introduce the children to safety concepts.  Officers from Batavia PD along with City firefighters were on hand.  Multiple other local agencies also participated.

Photos by Howard Owens

Local artist Michelle Cryer is painting new murals on the fence at the south end of Oliver's Candies' parking lot.

Each mural is a reinterpretation of a classic work of art. 

"The idea is to take famous works of art and change the focus of the piece to be products from Oliver's," Cryer said. "So 'Jelly Belly Night' -- that's Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night." This is Picasso's "Child with a Dog" and I'm painting "Child with a Sundae."

Among the other artists to be featured are Banksy, Frida Kahlo, and Keith Haring.

"This next one is going to be Palmer Hayden's "Dreamer," Cryer said. "He's an African American artist. Instead of 'Dreamer' it's gonna be 'Sweet Dreamer,' and it's going to have candy in the stream bubble."

The murals will also be educational, Cryer said.  She's going to add QR codes so people can pull up links to the original works of art and learn more about the painting and the artist.

Press release:

To the Residents and Property Owners of the following streets:

• Seneca Avenue (Both sides of the street).
• Miller Avenue (Both sides of the street).
• Columbia Avenue (Both sides of the street).
• Chase Park (Portion of South side of the street).
• Fisher Park (Both sides of the street).

The properties in the above-listed areas will experience a sidewalk replacement project in the month of August. The work will involve sidewalk replacements as needed, curb ramp installation, and sidewalk passing zones (where there are four-foot walks). If the sidewalk replacements go through a driveway, the contractor (Master’s Edge) will provide the residents notice that they will not have driveway access for up to a week. This is so the sidewalks can set and cure to provide strength for vehicular traffic. During that time period, if you have lost driveway access, those residents are asked to park legally on the street. We have requested the Police Department to suspend the overnight parking ban for the impacted properties while this work is ongoing.

Work is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2022, on Columbia Avenue. Work will then move to the remaining streets involved in the project.

This is weather-dependent work, so some delays can be expected, but it is intended to be completed with this project by late September.

Contact the Department of Public Works and ask to speak to the Director at 585-345-6345 if you have any questions.

Thank you for your cooperation in advance. 

More than 75 volunteers from City Church were on Watson Street in Batavia on Tuesday morning cleaning up the street and the yards of residents -- doing whatever they could to improve the upkeep of the yards, the street, and the sidewalk.

The visit was part of a ministry called Eight Days of Hope.

A lot of times, noted Ryan Macdonald, a pastor at City Church, people who don't make a lot of money find it a lot harder to do the simple things to maintain their property, and Eight Days of Hope offers assistance without any judgment.

"As an example of what we're speaking about -- trash bags," Macdonald said. "Trash bags aren't cheap any more. And so if you can't afford to buy a pack of trash bags that puts you in a tough spot with trash, and so what we've been working on today is some cleanup, some pickup, and not pointing a finger. Just helping."

Eight Days of Hope just finished a project in Buffalo, where the organization, which works nationally, helped more than 1,000 people.

"Their mission is to help people, to love on people, to bless people," Macdonald said. "They care for people. They care for the nation. They care for neighborhoods that need a little extra help, and they just want to bless people." 

Top photo: Ryan Macdonald. Photos by Howard Owens. 

At a time when there’s a big focus on equal rights, even animals — from dogs and chickens to goats, horses, and even therapy animals — and their owners have to be considered.

That was one conclusion during Tuesday’s city Planning and Development Committee meeting.

After discussing and debating issues of what constitutes a nuisance, how to enforce restrictions, and which animal species should or should not be allowed in the city, the group covered a gamut of options and repercussions.

Animals prevailed, for the most part. In the end, the group agreed to put forth a recommendation to use City Manager Rachael Tabelski’s drafted resolution, plus a few alterations. That will go to City Council for review and eventual vote. There will be a public hearing set before a final decision is made, Committee Chairman Duane Preston said.

“We only make some recommendations to the City Council. At that point the public hearing will be open for anybody that would like to come and voice their concerns,” Preston said. “So they need to set a public hearing. Those who have animals that would like to attend can come and voice their opinions to City Council.”

Jill Turner and her Burke Drive neighbor Teresa Potrzebowski each believe they have a valid argument for one side of the matter or the other. They disagree on whether Turner’s goats should remain on her property.

Turner told The Batavian previously that when she moved into the westside neighborhood, there was no law pertaining to her four goats. Her daughters spend time with the goats, one is in 4-H and the other girl uses the animal for therapeutic purposes, Turner said. Furthermore, she doesn’t believe they are destructive or threatening to her neighbors as some have claimed.

That’s not Potrzebowski’s experience, she said before Tuesday’s meeting. When she moved in, there were no goats, and “I wouldn’t have moved in if there had been,” she said. There’s noise, bad smells and goats constantly getting out of their small shed, she said. Turner also has chickens and ducks, and all three farm animal types come into her yard.

“I came home bringing groceries and two big ones walked into my garage,” she said.

The goats have eaten neighbors’ flowers and relieved themselves on their properties, she said.

“It smells like you’re living next door to a farm,” she said.

City Councilman John Canale raised the issue during a recent council meeting, based on resident complaints of those goats. He attended the Planning and Development meeting, but would not comment because he will have to vote on a resolution in the future and lives in the neighborhood, he said.

Committee member Matt Gray did his own research on “a number of towns and cities in the same boat,” and found that a lot of those municipalities came to a decision to restrict animals.

“I found a lot of them leaning the same way we are,” he said.

About 17 out of 25 cities had restrictions, particularly on roosters, Gray said. He suggested adding them to a list of animals not allowed in the city. That brought up other issues about if animals are allowed, how many should be allowed? What measures would be put in place to ensure proper enforcement when the restrictions are violated?

“The city would be responsible for quite a bit in terms of enforcement,” member David Beatty said. “I think whatever we recommend, enforcement is the biggest thing. How do you enforce it? How do you get cooperation of people who own animals? How problematic would that be?”

At one point he offered the suggestion to not allow any animals in the city.

“There’d be an uprising,” Beatty said.

Code Enforcement Officer Doug Randall explained that a law cannot just pertain to one segment of the population. It has to cover everyone, he said. Right now, however, a dog owner can receive repeated tickets for its continuously barking dog if the issue hasn’t been resolved.

For a goat?

“No tickets. We don’t have a law for it,” Randall said.

About an hour later, the committee agreed to forward a resolution with the additions of limiting chickens to six, banning roosters from being kept in the city, and requiring city residents to register their animals by a certain date, to be determined by council if it adopts the recommendation, or not be allowed to keep the animal on their city properties. Registering the animals will allow folks that already have chickens, goats and the like to keep them, and should make it easier to track who has what and where, Randall said.

The resolution "restricts people from owning, bringing into, possessing, keeping, harboring or feeding farm animals, cloven-hoofed animals, equine or fowl, including but not limited to cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, swine, lamas, alpaca, ducks, turkey, geese, feral cats, ponies, donkeys, mules or any other farm or wild animal within city limits."

Exceptions include:

• Chickens, as long as they are penned appropriately, do not accumulate feces or cause odor or an unsightly or unsafe condition. The addition, if approved, would limit them to six.
• Harborage, including transport to and from race tracks and all associated grounds.
• Special events with the approval of an event application.
• Animals in transit through the city.
• Transport to and from veterinary hospitals/clinics, including short-term boarding for medical procedures/conditions.
• No person shall permit an accumulation of animal and/or fowl feces on any property resulting in a foul odor or unsightly condition that makes travel or residence in the vicinity uncomfortable, or which attracts flies or other insects of animals, thereby creating an unsanitary condition and may facilitate the spread of disease of which endangers the public comfort and repose.

The registration requirement would be for people already with farm animals on their properties. If they don’t register an animal by the deadline, it would have to go.

Potrzebowski doesn’t want to have issues with any neighbor, she said, but the recommendation didn’t fill her wish not to have to deal with the animals at all.

“It defeats the purpose to have to register them,” she said.

Top photo: City Planning & Development Committee members Matt Gray, left, David Beatty and Chairman Duane Preston discuss the possibilities Tuesday evening for what to do with farm animals kept in the city. File photo of Jill Turner, pictured with one of her daughters in front, is a city resident with goats, and some of her neighbors have complained that they don't want the smell and noise created by goats, chickens and other farm animals. Committee member David Beatty makes his case for restricting, or maybe even banning, farm animals from city properties. Photos by Joanne Beck.