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Walk into the Rev. Cathy Dempesy-Sims’ office, and it becomes quickly evident why she would embrace an animal blessing event at St. James Episcopal Church.

Yes, perhaps she has a deeply embedded love of God’s creatures, so it would make sense that the church leader hosted the event Wednesday to provide comfort to those with pets and offer a memorial service for the ones that have died.

But to see her terrier Louie and pit bull-border collie mix Miss Maudie running around with balls and rubber bones amidst their comfy-looking pet beds — even one perched along the window cat-style — and jewel-toned metallic bowls (not two but three, because, you know, they may need treats), you know she means business.

“Pets are members of our family, and God, at the creation of humankind, told us to care for all of God’s creatures— we were even told to name all the animals (Genesis),” she said. “So I believe that God loves our pets and especially loves the bond between human and animal; it’s a sacred bond.” 

Unfortunately, only two humans came out to the blessing, each with a canine. Dempesy-Sims thought that maybe the sun-filled day and hot temperature kept people occupied doing other things. 

The blessing has been done on the weekend before, but she thought they would try it on the actual date of Oct. 4 this year, in honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, known for his care of all creatures.

As it was, Duke, a German shepherd-labrador retriever mix, and Bella, a pit bull-hound mix who had just been rescued and was in need of healing prayers to recover from worms, showed up. 

The blessing invoked a prayer, a reading from Genesis about it not being good for man to be alone, prompting God to make him a helper as his partner:

“So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.”

Participants were asked to care for their pets by feeding them, seeking out medical attention when needed, providing shelter from the weather, and protecting them in good times and bad, and continuing to love them and all creation as God continues to love the pet’s caretaker. 

Duke and Bella each received the blessing of St. Francis and God by name as a loyal companion.

Both of the reverend’s dogs are rescues, Louie from Buffalo Animal Shelter and Miss Maudie — she names all of her dogs after characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” — came from a rescue in Dunkirk. 

“I rescue dogs (and previously donkeys and goats) because every being —human and animal — deserves a second chance at happiness,” Dempesy-Sims said. “Every time I rescue an animal, I ask myself, who rescued whom? My dogs have always rescued me more than I, them!” 

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For the  second year on Tuesday, Batavia High School's volleyball teams, varsity and JV, hosted a "pink game" to raise money in support of Genesee Cancer Assistance.

The teams raised $2,200.

Statement provided by Sarah Gahagan:

Nick Grasso graciously accepted this donation on behalf of Genesee Cancer Assistance.  He reminded all spectators of how important it is to help out locally whenever possible. He reminded the spectators how expensive travel, treatment and other things people battling this disease need on a daily basis and how grateful our local recipients are to have events like this in their honor.

We would like to thank all of our local sponsors for donating baskets to support our team. 

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Three trucks were spotted at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning at the Ellicott Station construction project, which has stalled after developer Savarino Companies announced it was going out of business six weeks ago.

A supervisor said a work crew was on the roof completing a project. He said the work was being done because it needed to be completed and not in response to building code citations issued by the city, which The Batavian first reported about this morning.

At 11 a.m., the workers were seen departing the construction site.

There's also recently been some weed removal on the property.

After one resident of College Village in Batavia accused another resident Sept. 24 of sending a message via Facebook to her aunt, she and two other young women allegedly jumped the female victim.

The victim reported sustaining a head injury and bruised ribs.

The three suspects were all charged with assault in the second degree.

According to a deposition provided Deputy Jonathan Dimmig, who investigated the case with Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, the victim was in her dorm room at 8:05 p.m. on Sept. 24 when her roommate told her somebody was at the front door to see her.

According to police documents, the three women at the door were Diantha Danish Diarha Quandt, 19, whom the victim said she only knows as "DiDi," and Indya Denira Ford, 22, and Evedshardeny Sealliah Domacasse, 18.

All three were charged following an investigation and all three reportedly reside at College Village.

Ford claims the victim started the fight and that she and Domacasse tried to break it up.

The victim told Dimmig that she stepped outside, at the request of Quandt, to talk.  She said her statement, "DiDi kept asking me if I sent something to her aunt through Facebook. I told her no and that I didn't understand her."

At that point, the victim's roommate came out of the dorm room and the victim said she told her roommate that everything was fine and she could go back in side.

"The girls kept asking me if I sent DiDi's aunt messages, which denied," the victim stated. 

A third person reportedly told DiDi that the victim had contacted her aunt and Quandt got that person on a speaker phone and that person stated the victim did contact Quandt's aunt.

Quandt then, according to the statement, set her phone and other items on the window sill near where they were standing.

"I put my hands in my head," she said. "While I had my head in my hands, I was able to see DiDi raise her arm as though she was going to hit me.  I then felt something hit the back of my head repeatedly. When I felt the first hit, I dropped to my knees and shielded my head and neck. I felt multiple people kicking me and pulling my hair. I stayed quiet and didn't fight back.  I began to feel dizzy and then (the roommate) came back out and began to push the girls off me."

She continued, "All three girls began laughing and kicking my phone and other property."

That night, she went to ER at UMMC to get evaluated for a continuous headache, dizziness, and nausea. 

She was told she sustained a closed head injury and bruised ribs. 

After she returned home, she tried to sleep in a temporary dorm room but when she laid down, she realized she couldn't lay her head on her left side due to pain in her left ear and neck. 

"The following day, my body felt sore all over. I still had a headache, and I was still suffering from nausea and dizziness," she wrote.

According to police documents, Ford told Dimmig that she and her friends were playing Uno when "DiDi" looked at her phone and started crying and ran out the door. She and Domacasse followed her, according to the statement. She said they tried to calm her down. 

"She just kept saying, 'I wanna have a conversation with her,'" according to the document.

Ford reportedly told Dimmig that Quandt and the victim were talking and that for "30 seconds I was froze," and then, the victim, she said, jumped at Quandt. 

"In a blink of an eye, they were fighting."

She claimed that she and Domacasse tried to break up the fight.

Quandt, Domacasse, and Ford were arrested the following day. All three were arraigned and ordered held on bail.

Press Release:

Join Richmond Memorial Library staff from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 to watch the partial Annular Eclipse! We will have our Sun Spotter telescope available for viewing, and science stations to learn about citizen science and how you can help record data for NASA. 

The event will include lawn games and Genny the Cow from the Chamber of Commerce will be on hand for pictures. Each registered participant will receive a free pair of eclipse glasses, too!

An Annular Eclipse occurs when the Moon obscures all but an outer ring of the Sun. For this reason, glasses must always be worn for viewing, even in areas that are in the direct path. 

GeneSEEtheEclipse commemorative ISO-certified-safe eclipse glasses will be given to each participant. When you look up, do NOT remove eye protection at any point. The moon will partially cover the sun. Looking directly at the sun can cause serious damage to your eyesight or blindness.

This event is free to attend, but please register at batavialibrary.org/calendar. Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross Street in the City of Batavia.

Press Release:

Arc GLOW will be holding its annual Arc GLOW Fall Basket Raffle on Nov. 10 and 11.

Currently, Arc GLOW is seeking theme basket and gift card donations, with a starting value of $25. They can be dropped off at Arc GLOW Community Center, located at 38 Woodrow Road in Batavia, Arc GLOW’s Genesee County administrative office at 64 Walnut St. in Batavia, or at Arc GLOW’s headquarters at 18 Main St. in Mt. Morris.

Funds raised from the basket raffle help support Arc GLOW’s programs and services for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families across the agency’s four-county service area.

The basket raffle will be held at the Arc GLOW Community Center on November 10 from 4 - 6 p.m. and November 11 from 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. with drawings immediately following.

For questions, please contact Tracey Jones at TJones@ArcGLOW.org or (585) 343-1123 ext. 1735.

Visit our Facebook page for more information or order online here.

Press release:

Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) ("GHM" or the "Company"), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, today announced that it shipped the last of the first article units related to the Columbia Class submarine and Ford Class carrier programs. While the Company expects to continue to have first article programs in its backlog as it wins new programs and applications, the amount as a percentage of total backlog should be reduced moving forward.

Daniel J. Thoren, President and CEO commented, "Completing the first article U.S. Navy projects and delivering the final units this month on schedule was a great testament to the team we built at our Batavia facility. Without their dedication and commitment to our customers, we would not have been able to achieve this milestone. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their hard work. We built this team by committing to training welders in house, partnering with academic resources, and improving our operating processes in support of our strategic U.S. Navy programs. These investments in our people and operations have paid off given our recently announced strategic investment from a major defense customer to expand our capacity for future projects and we believe demonstrates our customers confidence in GHM as being a critical supplier to the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program."

During fiscal 2022, the Company chose to make significant investments to ensure it could deliver these and previous units on schedule and were the main source of the losses incurred that year.

City residents may recall a number of years ago when code enforcement officials tamped down on all things unsightly, from overgrown grass and garbage cans left by the curbside to missing address numbers on homes and other property maintenance issues gone awry.

No one is exempt from this policy, and Sam Savarino of Savarino Companies has apparently made the unkempt list for his parcels at 40 Ellicott St. that have apparently been abandoned by the now-defunct Buffalo-based company.

The developer of the stalled Ellicott Station apartment complex received a list of code violations in September, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

Code Enforcement Officer Douglas Randall sent a letter to Savarino informing him about the violations.

“After visiting the Ellicott Station project site, the Bureau of Inspections has determined that defects in the building envelop may result in weather deterioration of the wood frame structure and freezing damage to plumbing and/or mechanical systems that may contain water used to test newly installed piping.  We encourage you to take all precautions to winterize the residential building,” Randall said. “Please be aware there are building materials scattered throughout the grounds that present an attractive temptation for passersby and habitation opportunities for rodents and other animals. Access openings into the existing masonry building are unsecured and will likely attract unwanted intrusion through the fencing and onto these properties.”

A list of violations was attached that included cleaning up weeds, plants, grass, rank vegetation in excess of 8 inches, and other debris on the premises, and the need to perform some building site work to make sure the property is secure during the lapse in construction. 

Examples of needed work include “the exterior walls into the interior, the exterior finish system is incomplete, and the roof system in unsecured and loose along the top of the walls in various areas. The wood structure of this building must be protected from weather deterioration,” one violation stated. 

"Exterior walls shall be free from holes, breaks, and loose or rotting materials; and maintained weatherproof and properly surface-coated where required to prevent deterioration," another citation states. 

Yet another stated that “Vacant premises, structures and portions thereof, or vacant land shall be maintained by the owner in a clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition as provided herein so as not to cause a blighting problem or adversely affect the public health or safety.” Corrective action was recommended, given that the interior of this masonry building under reconstruction is open to the public and adverse weather, that the exterior doors and windows of this structure must be secured to prevent unauthorized entry and protect the building from further deterioration.”

Deadlines for taking corrective action began Sept 26 and continue into October, with fines starting at $250 for the city to take care of the necessary maintenance.

To her knowledge, those items have not been taken care of yet, Tabelski said.

“The clean-up has not been satisfied,” she said to The Batavian on Tuesday.

When asked if Savarino has been getting hit with fines, she said: "not yet."

"(It) has not gotten to court yet," she said.

Ellicott Station is a low-income housing development on the city’s Southside. Due to financial entanglements, company owner Sam Savarino announced earlier this summer that he was closing his company, which meant the ceasing of construction at Ellicott Station soon after. 

More recently, tenants who were selected for housing in the 55-unit complex received emails notifying them to consider alternate housing since there was no guarantee they would be getting a new home at Ellicott Station.

Tabelski has also been remaining in contact with other agencies, including the state Office of Homes and Community Renewal, which had contracted with Savarino for low-income housing tax credits upon completion of the apartment complex.

She has not heard back from HCR recently, she said, and has “no new information at this point.” The Batavian plans to provide periodic updates on the status of the four-story project as it sits idle on the sidelines of a busy Route 63. 

After some delay from waiting to hear about their major funding source for the city's new police station, city officials finally received word this week, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

The new police facility already approved for the corner of Alva Place and Bank Street parking lot will begin the process of going out for bid, with a final destination of completion for summer 2025, Tabelski said Tuesday.

"My good news for today is we are authorized to go to bid by USDA. And we'll be doing the bid process very soon; it’s about a six- or seven-week process, with the hopes of awarding the bids in January or February  … and then starting construction of the new police station as soon as winter breaks next year,” Tabelski said to The Batavian. 

In April, City Council voted to seek funding from the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Program as a potential funding source for the new police facility. The city had already been awarded a $2.5 million congressional grant, which is to be applied toward the cost of the facility to “address capacity concerns, building limitations, improve handicapped access and ensure quality police protection services now and into the future.”

As for payment of the remaining $13 million, the USDA resolution allowed the city to pursue funding of loan and/or grant funding extended to the city by the federal agency. Council also approved financing the cost of project construction of the police station with bond anticipation notes for the project with a maximum estimated cost of $15.5 million.

There will be a related presentation to City Council during its Nov. 13 meeting from Wyoming County consultant Rick Hauser. He had previously performed a reuse analysis of the current police station, the Brisbane Mansion, with suggestions and recommendations for what it may be best suited for. 

Tabelski said the city is considering either apartments or a boutique hotel, and given the Main Street site’s age, it probably would qualify for historic tax credits.

“So that’s good. Savvy developers know how to use those types of tax credits, and we’re hoping we do get some interest in the Brisbane,” she said. “I’ll be laying out the city’s potential process to RFP that building for a developer to come in and turn it into either apartments or a boutique hotel. And with that, keeping the historical elements of the mansion is one of the main goals of the reuse analysis.”

Hearing from the USDA about grant funds and long-term financing was the signal the city was waiting for to go out to bid on the police station, she said, which it did on Tuesday.

Google "most important living artists," and Cindy Sherman is on that list.

In fact, in 2013, she was touted as one of the six great living artists.  

Some of her works have sold for millions, setting records for photographic prints. 

That notoriety helps make Sherman interesting to Gerald Mead, who has acquired 23 of her pictures, but that's only, at best, half the reason he collects her work. Mead's interest in Sherman is both parochial and personal. Sherman and Mead both attended Buffalo State University (though about a decade apart), and Mead's passion and specialty is collecting the works of Western New York artists.

He has more than 1,700 pieces in his collection.

"She's really kind of an icon in Buffalo," Mead said. "Her name is known far and wide as one of the most significant photographers, and she has that connection to Western New York. I was really familiar with her whole body of work, and because I was a curator at the Burchfield Penny, we had her works in our collection. It just became a special interest of mine when I first started collecting."

Over the next six weeks, art lovers from the area won't need to travel to London, Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, or even Buffalo, to see examples of Sherman's work. They can just take a little trip to GO ART! at 201 East Main St., Batavia, to see a portion of Mead's collection on display.

The show's run starts today (Wednesday) and concludes on Nov. 25, with an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 19.

The show is a real coup for GO ART! said Mary Jo Whitman, education/SCR director for the arts council. She wrote her master's thesis on Sherman.

"I'm very excited to get to know a lot of people in this area who don't always get to travel out to the bigger museums to see this kind of work will get to see it," Whitman said. "It's exciting to be able to bring these works to people, essentially."

Whitman said Sherman's work is important to her because it speaks to her in a personal way, because in her work, Sherman presents herself as a chameleon, taking on different roles as the main subject of most of her photos.

Sherman started her rise in prominence with what is still probably her most famous body of work, Untitled Film Stills. 

The series was created mostly between 1977 and 1980, mostly in New York City, with the city as a backdrop, or in her apartment. The black and white prints mimic the kind of studio publicity shots that were once produced for film noir or French avante-garde movies. Sherman conceived of the shots -- only a few directly inspired by actual movies -- created the costumes, did her own makeup, and created the pose that seemed to capture the movie's star at a pivotal plot point. 

"I felt this immediate connection with her," Whitman said. "I think it's really this idea of, you know, the constructed identity that you can be so many different people. You're in social situations, you're in professional situations, and that kind of really dictates who you are at that moment and really how many different people you can be. I know, for myself, I feel that way. I grew up in a very small town as a country girl, and I went on to be an artist, I can be a crazy hippie at times, and I can be in galleries like this as the pretentious curator. So I play a lot of different roles. I think that I just kind of felt a kinship with her after seeing her work.

After Untitled Film Stills, Sherman moved on to other series that, again, feature her in various roles and characters, such as Fairy Tales, Disasters, Centerfolds, History Portraits, Clowns, and most recently, Instagram Portraits

Mead, whose collection started with "Letraset Art Sheet #1," a collage Sherman made from British clip art in 1966, which he won as a door prize at an afterparty in 1995 for the 20th Anniversary of Hallwalls Contemporary Art Gallery (which Sherman co-founded while at Buffalo State), said his goal has been to collect something of Sherman's from each of her eras and from each decade of her career.

"I've been able to do that over the course of 35 years," Mead said.

Sherman's work appeals to him, Mead said, for that same chameleon character that inspired Whitman to study her work.

"She's used herself as the subject, but she's converted and transformed herself into personalities, personas, characters," Mead said. "She doesn't consider them portraits of people generally because she's the subject of all of them. I think it can be fascinating to see how a person can use their own appearance and alter it to have such a wide spectrum of, again, personalities, personas characters."

Also, Mead said, each photo tells a story that also allows the viewer to help fill in the narrative.

"What's interesting about her work, too, is that it's meant to sort of evoke a response or a reaction because the person in it -- they're all actors or actresses, right? Is just being caught mid-performance. So when you're looking at it, you have to get out it, 'what happened before? What's going to happen right after?' She's telling the story. The interesting thing is, a lot of times, I think people sometimes look to see what the title is to figure out what exactly is going on, but they're all untitled. She intentionally has no title on them because she wants you to bring your own understanding and your own kind of reaction to it."

It's that nuance of story and character that is one reason people should come to see Sherman's work while its on display at GO ART!, Whitman said.

"It's just really cool," Whitman said. "She's got a great idea that's really unique. I mean, she plays all the roles. She is the artist. She's the model. She's the makeup artist. She's creating the work all based on herself. There's all these different guises that she has. It's really fascinating when you kind of break it down to what it took to make each individual work. You're gonna come in, and you're gonna see what looks like a portrait to you, but when you kind of break it down, like okay, this is her in every single portrait, and you will be able to tell it's the same person. So, it's just impressive."

Press Release:

The Jerome Foundation is seeking nominations for the Health and Humanitarian Award of Genesee County. This will be the 38th year the award has been presented. 

The first award was presented to Dr. Sydney McLouth. Award winners for the past four decades have included healthcare workers, builders, teachers, and many community volunteers.

The award recognizes outstanding men and women whose volunteer efforts have improved the physical, emotional or spiritual well-being of the greater Genesee County area. 

“We are fortunate to have many caring and committed volunteers devoted to the sick or to those in need, and helping build a stronger, healthier community for all of us”, said Justin Calarco-Smith, president of The Jerome Foundation.

Nomination forms are available online at www.thejeromefoundation.org or by calling 585-356-3419. Organizations or individuals may nominate candidates. Consideration will be given to actual accomplishments achieved through volunteer service and subsequent improvements to quality of life. 

Nominations should be submitted on or before October 13. The 2023 award winner will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, December 1 at Terry Hills Restaurant.

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5484 Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford. Solid and well maintained country ranch! Located on pretty rural road but close to everything you need-shopping, restaurants, and quick access to all major routes for quick commutes! Also located in Batavia School System and minutes from College. This 4 bedroom 2 bath brick ranch will sure to please and surprise you with its spacious layout and great homeyness! The kitchen is updated with great cupboard space, first floor laundry at your fingertips and large but cozy family room with wood burner overlooking private pretty backyard. There is also an enclosed 3 season back porch for peaceful evenings as well as sunny and welcoming front porch with trex decking to welcome your guests! There is a deep attached garage as well as 8x10 back shed for all your extra storage needs. This home is ready for immediate occupancy and is easy to slip in and see!

Members of the Batavia, Warsaw, and Pembroke-Corfu-Darien (PCD) Kiwanis clubs recently celebrated their accomplishments — and more importantly the lives they have impacted — with two centennial and one golden jubilee gatherings, respectively, for the international organizations.

“I am always excited to introduce new people to Kiwanis,” said Gene Scherline, Lt. Gov. Designate Genesee Division, during their dinner at Terry Hills restaurant in Batavia. “I’ve been in Kiwanis for 43 years. It is a very exciting time to have people just starting on their journey. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.”

Founded on Jan. 21, 1915, in Detroit, Mich., by a group of businessmen networking in a social club. It soon morphed into a community service organization. Kiwanis in Rochester was the fourth club organized and the first in NewYork State.  Its first meeting was in the home of George Dixon, the first president of Kiwanis International. 

In 1916 Kiwanis became an international organization with the charter of the Kiwanis club in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. At that time, it  limited its membership to the United States and Canada until 1962 when worldwide expansion was approved. There are now Kiwanis in seven different countries around the world. In 1986 women were accepted into the organization as members.

“Batavia Kiwanis is a longstanding organization that has been around for more than 100 years,” said Crystal Benjamin-Bafford, Lt. Gov. Genesee Division. “The work that the officers do to keep the club's vision and always keep moving forward, to do all the activities they do, to file reports. We appreciate the folks who stand up and volunteer and want to do this, it’s not paid but often is like a second job.”

Officers inducted at Thursday’s event into the Batavia Kiwanis include Dave Rumsey, president; Reita Fletcher, president elect; Jim Dillon, vice president; Vicky Muckle, secretary; and Jon Tretter, treasurer.

“Batavia’s club started first and sponsored Warsaw’s club, then 50 years later started the PCD club. So they’re basically our offspring -- father, son, and grandson,” said Peter Guppenberger, a 21-year member of Kiwanis.

Benjamin-Bafford said that monthly reports “are super important for people like me.”

“So later on, if I have comments, we can look back and see how much we raised, and without you we cannot really understand how we serve the community and how we help.  What you are to us is represented on this pin; it’s ‘you are the right stuff’.”

Batavia Kiwanis President Dave Rumsey presented three special awards. 

“It is [my] hope that the continuity and perseverance that has allowed this club and the Warsaw club to maintain 100 years and the Pembroke-Corfu-Darien club 50 years to look towards the next 100 years," Rumsey said.

The Presidential Appreciation Award was presented to Jon Tretter for his tireless assistance with the finances of the club. Vicky Muckle was also presented with the Presidential Appreciation Award for her dedication and assistance as secretary. 

“Her communication skills kept me in the loop, and she puts on a great chicken barbecue,” Rumsey said. “If I had speed-dial capability, I would have this individual’s number right on top,” he said. “As a new president, when problems arise, I would make a call to discuss the matter and, with the information provided, make an informed decision. This individual is also assisting with the coordination of many signature events for this club.”

The 2023 Kiwanis of the Year Award, which has been presented to members since 1967, was awarded to Guppenberger.

“Peter does everything with enthusiasm and confidence, and I swear he knows everybody in the community,” Rumsey said.

Legion of Honor and Merit awards are presented to those who have notable longevity within the Kiwanis clubs. As Guppenberger noted, the awards are significant because they chose not to give their time to their community but because they chose to invest their time in their community. 

“There’s a difference between giving and investing,” Guppenberger said.

The Legion of Merit recognizes those members who have at least five years and up to 20 years of consecutive membership.  This year’s recipients for members with five years up to 20 years are: Rumsey, five years; Jocelyn Sikorski, 10 years; Sue Maha, 10 years; and Mark Lewis, 15 years. Both Lewis and Sikorski are past presidents.

The Legion of Honor recognizes those members who have at least 25 years of consecutive membership. This year’s recipients are: Frank Ciaccia, 25 years; Gary Maha, 35 years; Patricia Forsyth, 35 years; George Arnold, 35 years; and Eric Adams, 45 years. Maha, Arnold and Adams are all past presidents, and Forsyth is a past secretary.

Warsaw Kiwanis, also celebrating 100 years, inducted new officers, including Lindsey Rissinger, president; Kevin Carlson, vice president; Gwen Carlson, secretary; and Richard Humphrey, treasurer.

Members inducted into the PCD Kiwanis, which is celebrating 50 years, include John Drogi, president; Penny Arnold, vice president; Debbie Krenzer-Lewter, secretary; and past Lt. Gov. Pat Weissend, treasurer.

The lifeblood of any organization is getting new members, they said. PCD had the opportunity to induct two new members in its organization: Casey Stocking and Megan Tocha.

“The hierarchy of Kiwanis exists because of its members,” said Lucien Giancursio, NY District Governor Designate. “Two new members mean two new people who have joined us. So you look around the room right now, and this is your family, this is who you turn to. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions. Because it’s the membership that makes things happen. It’s the members of Kiwanis who do the work. Leadership starts at the club and moves its way outward.”

The name Kiwanis stems from Nun Keewanis, an expression of a Native American tribe in the Detroit area where the organization was founded. It is loosely translated to “we serve.”

According to the International Kiwanis Club Website, Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time. 

“You’ll find clubs all around,” Guppenberger said. “You drive into town, and you see the ‘K’, and that means there’s a group of people that want to help that community. And everybody does things a little differently. It just depends on who the members are. The members drive the club. You’ve got a board of directors – a president, vice president and whatnot – and other members who all come together to come up with ideas on how to help the community - how to help the kids - with fundraisers like dinners and other events.” 

Part of Kiwanis is service, yet members are also getting together, having fun and building relationships, Warsaw Kiwanis Vice President Kevin Carlson said.

During its infancy, Kiwanis was a group of businessmen networking and servicing the community through volunteer work. However, over the past century, the organization has grown to be a real community-based organization.

“While there may be one or two members who actually work in the Pembroke area,” said John Drogi, PCD president. “The rest of us are community members. We are just people who want to make an impact in the community.”

Drogi joined the Batavia club in 1999 and, in 2009, joined the PCD club.

Currently, in Batavia, one of the projects is funding the Books for Babies program facilitated through the Richmond Memorial Library in conjunction with the hospital (United Memorial Medical Center). So when babies are born, they’re enrolled in a program through the library to encourage early reading.

Kiwanis Park, built in 1976, was a joint effort between Batavia Kiwanis and the town of Batavia. 

The Warsaw Kiwanis help raise money for the children's playground at Warsaw Village Park on Liberty Street in the village. The club helped get the project started and recruited other community members to help bring the playground into fruition. 

Events like the recent car show put on by PCD raised funds for projects such as Dolly Parton’s Books for Kids. Participants receive one book a month until they are five years old. The project was inspired by a member who worked for the health department in early childhood intervention, where she noticed many of the kids didn’t have books during home visits.

“We’ve been doing this for about six months and have around 70 kids signed up already,” Droji said. 

“That’s part of joining the club,” Carlson said. “You bring your ideas. Some get accepted, some don’t get accepted, but don’t get let down. It can be brought up again, and maybe it can get done.  A big part is enthusiasm. We have an enthusiastic group right here, and you can get a lot done.”

That’s the idea behind it. One may have an idea but think, “How am I going to get it done?” If one is a member of an organization like Kiwanis, it’s not just one person trying to get something accomplished. There is a group of people ready to help get a project done. According to Guppenberger, if it's an idea that resonates with the members, they will do everything to get it done.

To encourage future members, Kiwanis also has a presence in area schools, grades four through 12, via Service Leadership Programs (SLP). They include: the ‘K’ Kids, fourth through sixth grades; Builders Club, middle school; and the Key Club for high school students. There is also a club at the college level for those who are physically challenged.

“The kids run the programs. They decide what they are going to do,” Guppenberger said. “It’s building leadership; building service. They have their own officers, their own fundraisers, all under the umbrella of Kiwanis International.”

Initiated by Ashton Caney, the Batavia Kiwanis received its charter on Feb. 23, 1923, with 56 members of businessmen. Note ‘businessmen,’ said Guppenberger. 

“It has certainly changed since then, for the better, I may add,” he said. “We are honored and fortunate to have the second ever female inducted in the Kiwanis Club here tonight — Patricia Forsyth, who became a member in 1987.”

Since then, there have been approximately 12 female presidents in their clubs. The clubs at the time were mainly men’s clubs. It was “the old boys” club stereotype, says Forsyth. Yet women were just as much in business as men were.

The main focus is still service in the community; it is the backbone and strength of the Kiwanis community, members said. You are joining an organization that is dedicated and serving the local needs of the community and having fun doing it. 

City Council President Eugene Jankowski and Vice-Chair Genesee County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg read proclamations exalting the efforts of the Batavia club.

“I just want to say, as a lifelong resident of Batavia, I am the benefit of one of your investments. As a youth, I played in sports, and you guys supported our community way back when and has kept me out of trouble,” Jankowski said. “It kept me on the ball field instead of other activities. Thank you for that.”

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia is included in those community service projects in sponsorship of sports, construction and development of the many community parks, the Fresh Air Program, and three Richard Rung Memorial Scholarships a year. The scholarships are offered to graduating seniors at Batavia High, Notre Dame High School, and Genesee Valley BOCES.

The Fresh Air program was created to bring sponsored children from the cities to the country for a week, explained Clattenburg. In addition to sponsoring the development of Kiwanis Park in the town of Batavia, the club helped to convert the park so that it offers specialized equipment for children with developmental disabilities.

The Kiwanis Club offered holiday totes at Christmastime to families in need throughout the city, school district, and St. Joe's from 2015 to 2019. Totes included a holiday meal, books, mittens, and hats for each child, as well as supporting the Autism Trail at Letchworth (State Park) through fundraising efforts.

“I always thought 50 years was a long time,” said Ed Arnold, one of the founding members of the PCD club. “Doesn’t seem that long. When I think back on how great it is to have this many people ... Hank is the one who really pushed it for all of us to make it happen, and Hank did nothing but give a million percent to make sure that everybody would come [to meetings]. 

“The meals that he would give us… and it was every Tuesday night. Hank is gone. Greenwoods restaurant is gone - and the changes we have had. But you people should be so proud of what is here from 50 years ago of what it was.”

Guppenberger read a list of the Batavia club’s services, supports, and projects with the speed of an auctioneer, periodically taking a breath and asking the audience if he had forgotten anything from the scroll-like list of services, supportive efforts and projects. Most significantly, the club raised more than a quarter-million dollars for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center to be renovated.

“One of our sponsored clubs was the Golden K,” he said. “We used to do the Golden Olympics for I can’t remember how many years. All the county nursing homes, patients who wanted to participate, would come to Batavia, and we had the Golden Olympics and gave out ribbons, and the patients would put their ribbons on their beds. They were so proud of them. 

“We had a beanbag toss, bowling, wheelchair races and all kinds of crazy stuff like that. Unfortunately, it became difficult to continue the games because there wasn’t enough staff to bring the residents in. It was a cool thing to do, and as a kid, I loved helping my dad out with the Golden Olympics.”

Lucien Giancursio, NY District Governor Designate, congratulated the three clubs for their respective milestones.

“We are here because people were here before us,” he said. “So let's be the people here for someone behind us.”

Photos by Julia Ferrini.