batavia

Why would a few friends in and around their 20s with roots in and around Batavia come together to play the music of Fleetwood Mac, a band whose biggest-selling album, “Rumours,” came out when their parents were barely out of their teens themselves?

It's timeless music, they say. It's authentic. It's fun and challenging to play. And everybody knows and loves the songs, even their coworkers and friends.

The Songbirds is comprised of

• Dave Cocuzzi - Drums 
• Jeffrey Fischer - Bass/Keys/Vocals
• Christian Hehr - Guitar/Vocals
• Maryssa Peirick - Keys/Vocals 
• Julia Riley - Vocals/Aux Percussion/Ukulele 

The one person who connected all musicians together was Jeffrey Fischer, who met Peirick (the Christine McVie of the band) during high school in a summer musical theater camp and met Riley (Stevie Nicks) at an all-state chorus event while in high school, and Fischer played in various bands with Cocuzzi and Hehr.

All along, they all had a common love for Fleetwood Mac, but things didn't get rolling until Hehr posted on Facebook that he dreamed of playing in a Lindsay Buckingham/Fleetwood Mac tribute band.

Hehr, Fischer, and Cocuzzi joked around about it.  The talk got serious when they learned Peirick and Riley were moving back to the Batavia area.

"I kind of got roped into this," Peirick said. "Batavia is home to me, and I moved back in 2020 and reconnected with Jeff. At the same time, Julia moved back from Portland, Oregon. They sort of pitched the idea to me. Jeff and Dave were like, 'Hey, do you want to be in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band? I said, 'I'll try anything once, right?' I've loved Fleetwood Mac for a long time, but I didn't think it would take off like this. I'm very glad that it did, but I definitely kind of got pressured into it, if you will."

The band played its first gig in Attica in December 2021. They're now playing six to eight gigs a month. A lot of them are private parties, which Riley said also gives the band a chance to stretch out and explore other bands from the same period, such as the Eagles.

"The parties are fun for us because we get to expand beyond Fleetwood and into other high-energy rock. We're Mac-heads through and through, but with the talent and interests across our group, it's always fun to explore other styles," Riley said.

On Friday, they will play what is arguably their biggest gig in Batavia yet -- a concert in Jackson Square.  It's not their local debut -- they played a block party on South Swan last summer -- but Jackson Square shows always draw a lot of local music fans.

Buckingham to Nicks and McVey
Hehr doesn't shy away from being called a Fleetwood Mac nerd.  He's the guy who tracks down every possible live recording, watches all of the documentaries, and reads the books and articles. He's just the guy a tribute band needs to bring some historical context to the act and also the musical knowledge to help the band get inside the heads of the artists they're emulating.

"I like studying the parts and finding the patterns in the songwriting -- so, like how Stevie writes versus how Lindsay writes, and identifying those elements in it," Hehr said. "So when we bring it into practice, if we're having trouble figuring out a certain part, I can contribute and say, 'well, knowing Stevie, her chord progressions are very simple and very back and forth, so chances are, it's this chord.'"

Hehr's love of Fleetwood Mac started with guitar. He started playing when he was 13, but it wasn't long before he abandoned picks. He preferred early on playing with his fingers, and this led to an appreciation of fingerstyle guitar, an area where Lindsey Buckingham is a master.

"I just had an affinity for Fleetwood Mac through Lindsey Buckingham's playing," Hehr said. "There was one song I always vowed to myself that if I could ever play it, I would consider that I've made it as a guitar player, and that was 'Never Going Back Again.'"

"He uses Travis picking often," Hehr explained. "'Never Going Back Again' is a good example of him using compound rhythms. He's playing quarter notes with his thumb, but he's doing triplets with his other fingers at the same time, and somehow it works out. It's just incredible.

"When I was finally able to play that song, I was like, I felt so good about myself. I felt very accomplished because that song is very intense and very complicated. I loved the challenge of it, and it was gratifying to finally get it."

Early Mac
While most of the band gravitates to the era of Fleetwood Mac that featured Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, Jeffrey Fischer is more of a Peter Green-era Mac fan.

Peter Green was the original lead guitarist and a bit of a mythical figure among guitar aficionados because he accomplished so much in such a few years before apparently losing his mind to LSD.

"Peter Green, in my opinion, was the most progressive, in the weirdest experimental way, pushing the boundaries of what blues is, and it's just great to listen to. It's more psychedelic. It's breaking all the rules in the best ways," Fischer said.

And because the Songbirds are a group of top-notch musicians, they love including some of those early Mac tunes in their sets.

"It's really an opportunity for myself and the other instrumentalists to jam out and show off our chops," Fischer said.

But what he appreciates most about being in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, he said, are the close harmonies.  Since he's the bass player, the John McVie of the band, and McVie isn't known for overly complicated bass parts, it gives Fischer a chance to sit back, in a manner of speaking, and enjoy the vocals.

"I've always wanted to be in a band that was able to sing very tight together," Fischer said. "I would say my chorus teacher in high school really instilled this love of harmony in me. The Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers, the Eagles, all of these bands that are able to sing so close, even the Beatles, he instilled in me how beautiful harmonies can be. And not only just in terms of music but in terms of like a life philosophy, how it is just great to harmonize with one another."

The Songbirds have been a chance for Peirick to get back to musical performance, something she studied for two years at SUNY Fredonia but took a break from for a few years to take on a nursing career.

"It definitely scratched that itch for me," Peirick said. "When they asked me to come back to do this, it had been approximately eight years since I'd touched a piano. And I guess they weren't lying when they said it's like riding a bike."

The live music experience
While some tribute bands put their own touches on classic songs, and others try to precisely reproduce what audiences are used to hearing from studio recordings, the Songbirds have studied Fleetwood Mac's live recordings and try to bring that energy and vitality to their performances.

"There are a lot of tribute bands that recreate the studio tracks," Hehr said. "That alone is super duper challenging. You're compensating for layers and layers of tracks (recorded in the studio). I think one of the areas we excel in is being able to listen to Fleetwood Mac and ask, 'How did they do it live? How would they have done it back in 1976? And what parts were they prioritizing?' And then that clues us into what they were thinking about -- what was the most important part of that song for them to do? Why is Lindsey not playing this part? Why is Stevie not singing this part? So, in that way, we are trying to recreate that live Fleetwood Mac feel."

Fischer likes trying to recreate the Fleetwood Mac experience as a live band because that is what it was like going to see the band in concert back in the 1970s. That discovery of something new is why people paid for a ticket in the first place.

"It carries on that torch," Fischer said. "It carries on that tradition, that live music is something you can't experience anywhere else. Every live show is different, and you're getting something unique at each show."

Peirick said the Songbirds, with their play-it-live ethos, bring something new to the tribute band concept.

And she isn't surprised to see people across generations going for it.

We all know the songs
Everybody, she said, loves the music.

"It was just the golden era of California music," Peirick said. "(Rumours) was the perfect summer album that people can just pick up at any point and say, 'Wow, this is really catchy and really good.' I think that it stood the test of time because of that. I think that a lot of people, regardless of age, find it really agreeable."

She recalled talking to a trainee at work recently. She mentioned she played in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. 

"Fleetwood Mac? Who's that," the trainee asked.

So she played her three songs -- "Go Your Own Way," "Dreams," and "Everywhere." 

"And she said, 'Oh, these are all Fleetwood Mac. I definitely know Fleetwood Mac.' So I think that's part of the appeal, too, right? It's the music that we all know, that we're all familiar with. But we (the Songbirds) sort of bring new energy to it because we're doing the live versions of the way they perform the songs instead of the studio versions. So it's a fresh twist on an old favorite."

Fischer is pleased to see things working out so well for a young band that started out with a half-joke of "Let's start a Fleetwood Mac tribute band."

"We're receiving a lot more attention than I ever thought we would," Fischer said. "We're playing venues that bands who have been together for years and years have not had the opportunity to play. We're just really excited to see where it takes us."

Songbirds play this Friday, Aug. 11, in Jackson Square from 7 to 9 p.m. and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at Triangle Park in Oakfield. Admission is free.

Sometimes you might wonder if all the grunt work of digging, planting, watering and weeding is worth it for some seasonal vegetables. 

Well folks at Emmanuel Baptist Church know the answer at their community garden. It’s a resounding yes.

“We have zucchini coming up, and also tomatoes, peppers, radishes, herbs, beans, and much more!,” Rev. Tom Tharp said Tuesday, sending photos as proof of the bounty. “The planters are full and flourishing!”

The property in back of the Oak Street church had a much different, albeit promising, look, with rows of empty wooden boxes awaiting their soil and seedlings at the end of May.

Tharp was busily mixing coconut chips and water with soil to deposit into the boxes for what he was hoping would be a rich harvest just a few months later. 

The church membership initially built a community garden to help feed homeless people that were being housed in nearby hotels, before those places were shut down. 

But then, as Tharp explained in May, “we still thought that there was a need, that the community is nearby the neighborhood, especially down Gateway, Noonan, Oak Street, that people might want to partake of growing their own food, and we might meet some of the additional costs that are coming up, over and over, at the grocery stores.”

A grant and donations of goods and volunteer time made it possible to purchase or otherwise have 20 garden plots, soil for planting, a 1,000-gallon water tank, donated by Norton Dairy, assorted vegetable seeds, and tools for people to use. 

Tharp then put the word out that plots were available for purchase to those that weren’t able to fill a garden plot themselves. Anyone, even with the slightest bit of green thumb, was invited to participate. 

And now they’re reaping the fruits — or veggies — of their labor. 

A reader submitted this photo and video of a large load leaving the Graham Corp. facility in Batavia today and heading down Clinton Street.

The Batavian attempted today to get more information about the shipment from a contact at Graham but did not get a response.

Press Release:

Join Batavian Tony Johnson on Saturday, August 12 at 10 a.m. in the Reading Room at Richmond Memorial Library for a book talk and signing. 

Tony will discuss his epic fantasy series, "The Story of Evil." The event will include a talk, Q&A, and book signing. There will be book giveaways, cookies made by Simply Scrumptious, customized bookmarks, and more!

Books in the series include "Heroes of the Siege," "Escape from Celestial," "Three Visions," "The Cursed King," and "Battle for the Kingdom." Tony published the first volume in the series in 2013.

Copies of the book will be available to purchase and will also be available to check out from Richmond Memorial Library.

Tony Johnson is the author of "The Story of Evil," a five-part epic fantasy saga. Tony is an avid reader who enjoys fantasy, classics, and Christian literature. He is a fan of movies, video games, and football, and loves being a husband and father. 

This event is free to attend and all are welcome. 

Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St., Batavia. For more information about the library, visit batavialibrary.org.

There were rainbows along with a pretty nice sunset in Genesee County for photographers to enjoy on Monday.

The most anticipated division of New York Sire Stake horses will be at Batavia Downs on Tuesday (August 8). That’s when the 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings will assemble for one, $119,800 dash that headlines a 14-race card beginning at 6 p.m. 

The track handicapper has given the nod to Metal Man as the early choice, a horse that has shown some great speed this year, but also inconsistency. 

Metal Man (Huntsville-Apple Delight) was unraced at two, but started his 3-year-old season a winner in an overnight at the Meadowlands in 1:52.3. In his next start he broke and then was subsequently scratched in back-to-back races. He qualified back after five weeks off and then won back to back overnight races at Yonkers, one in 1:52.4 over the hilltop half mile. Since that time he has made consecutive breaks again and was forced to qualify on July 12. He just won his last outing in another overnight at Yonkers in 1:53.2, but he has yet to win a NYSS event. 

Jim Morrill Jr. will be up behind Metal Man for the first time for trainer Travis Alexander and has drawn post five. 

It’s A Me Mario (American Ideal-Nf Salsa) is one of only two horses in this race that has won a NYSS event this year and has already faced the best 3-year-olds in the country. After starting the year with four straight wins at Yonkers, It’s A Me Mario won his first NYSS event at Vernon in a lifetime best 1:49.4 effort to run his streak to five. He then headed to the Grand Circuit and had some bad draw and racing luck. In the Messenger at Yonkers he drew post seven and was 11-¼ lengths off the leader at the quarter before taking air for almost the rest of the mile. Then in the Meadowlands Pace elimination, he drew post seven again but was able to finish a very impressive third, timed in 1:48.3. Then in that final, It’s A Me Mario drew post eight, was tenth at the half and chased an impossible :52.2 back half and :25.4 last quarter set by Confederate. His next outing was a NYSS race at Monticello where he drew post seven and was interfered with before the quarter, but still was able to grab a check. 

He still drew post six in here, but It’s A Me Mario looks for some better racing luck this week for driver Lauren Tritton who will steer for trainer Shane Tritton.  

The other NYSS winner from this year is Duval Street (Huntsville-Native Bride) who got that 1:52.4 tally at Saratoga on June 24, but that wasn’t his best outing of the season. Duval Street has a pair of 1:50.2 victories; one at the Meadows in a 7-½ length romp and one at Mohegan Sun Pocono. He finished third in his last two starts, which were both NYSS events, behind Thunder Hunter Joe and Storm The Court, neither of which are entered here this week. His versatility allows him to either leave or race from behind, giving him a big advantage if the inside speed develops early. 

Regular driver Jason Bartlett is back behind Duval Street for trainer Ed Hart and they will start from post three. 

There are also three $20,000 NYSS Excelsior divisions on the program and those splits will be contested in races six, seven, and eight. The NYSS main event is carded as race 10. 

Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.

Press Release:

The Fargo Road Bridge Replacement Project is set to commence on August 14, bringing essential improvements to the bridge located over Black Creek near Route 63 and Little Canada Extension.

The current 11-foot-wide jack arch bridge will be replaced with a modern 28-foot precast concrete arch bridge to meet hydraulic capacity requirements. This upgrade is crucial for maintaining smooth truck routes, as Fargo Road serves as a superload route within the County.

The project is locally funded, with Ravi Engineering in Rochester leading as the Engineer and LC Whitford as the Contractor. Construction is planned to continue diligently until the end of November.

Fargo Road will be closed during the construction period for the safety of motorists and construction workers. However, a well-marked detour will be in place to guide motorists and trucks efficiently.

Seven-on-seven flag football returns to Batavia on Aug. 27 for a cash-prize tournament for teams of seven to 13 players.

The tournament is being organized by Ray Williams, Thomas Ognibene, and Noah Talone.

Team sign-ups are being accepted up until the week of the tournament, and the cost is $650 per team.

The total cash prize for the winning team will be announced once organizers know how many teams are participating.  In the past, the first-place prize has been $2,500.

Participants receive a team shirt.

For more information, call Ray at 585-356-5956, Thomas at 585-297-9409, or Noah at 585-813-8733.

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist Karen Crittenden at 7 p.m. this Tuesday at GO ART!/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. 

Karen will be doing a hands-On Gelli Plates and Alcohol Inks demonstration.  All materials will be provided at no cost.  Refreshments are provided.  Non-members are welcome for a $5 fee.  The 2.o.1. Tavern will be open for cash purchases. 

Please join us for a fun and interesting evening of making art!  Any questions, please call Teresa Tamfer at 585-506-2465.

Press Release:

Notre Dame High School is proud to announce its 2023 Sports Hall of Fame Class. The Induction program will be held on Saturday, November 18 on the Notre Dame campus.

The program will begin with a social hour and dinner with the Induction recognition portion to follow.

Inductees to be honored on November 18, 2023 are:

• Jimmy Fanara '67 Coach & Contributor
• John Borrelli '86 Athlete
• Jeff “Bingo” Messina '87 Athlete
• Margaret Dwyer Niedzwiecki '88 Athlete
• Carolyn Dwyer Babcock '91 Athlete
• Maura Flynn Sprague '00 Athlete
• 1999 NYSPHSAA NYS and NYS Federation Girls Basketball State Championship Team

Ticket information for the November 18th Induction Program will be announced shortly.

Press Release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are offering free drive-thru rabies vaccination clinic in August.

The Genesee County Rabies Vaccination Clinic will be held on August 10 from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia)

Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Animals must be at least 3 months old. Each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. Limit 4 pets per car maximum.

“Rabies continues to be a public health issue in Genesee and Orleans Counties,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health. “We urge pet owners to take this opportunity to ensure their pets are protected against rabies.”

For more information on GO Health’s programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact the Genesee County health department at 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us.

New Listing - 3473 W. Main St. Road, Batavia (Town). Great opportunity and great home for the person who is looking for move-in ready home – whether starting out or downsizing! This solid three bedroom home is located in the Town of Batavia, and the Pembroke School System, and minutes from all the shopping and restaurants! This home has a great remodeled large kitchen with huge center island for the cook or just to gather around! Tons of cupboards and a large pantry closet. There is also pretty tongue and groove full dining room with slider door to awesome yard! Large living room, first floor bedroom, first floor laundry, and first floor bath and attached powder room!! Two bedrooms are located on second floor. 200 Amp electrical system, central air, public water & sewer are a definite bonus and besides awesome location! This home sits on pretty and deep lot with detached garag, a large Amish built barn that has heat, electric with loft area and is perfect for the hobbyist or great place to just hang out!! Priced affordably and ready to go! Easy to see immediately. Call Reliant Real Estate now, call 585-344-4663.

When the runners take the line today for the 10th GLOW Corporate Cup at Centennial Park Thursday evening, at least a dozen of the participants will share the rare distinction of being the only ones to take to the track every year of the event.

That will make them part of a fundraiser that will surpass this year's $200,000 in cumulative donations to the GLOW YMCA since 2014.

Close to 800 runners and walkers are expected to complete the 5K track, said race organizer Steve Tufts.

Tufts has organized the race since the first year, because Merrill Lynch office partner John Riter approached him about organizing a corporate challenge style 5K more than a decade ago.  Riter came to Tufts because Tufts had experience laying out courses and ensuring they obtain 5K certification.

"The thing that makes the GLOW Cup unique is we entertain people," Tufts said. "We bring live music. This year it's Groove, a local band, and it's always a local band, and most of the teams bring their own food, have it catered, or cook right on site. It's like a corporate picnic built right into Centennial Park."

A twist this year to the race is the "couples challenge," or as it's known at the Corporate Cup, the "CUPles Challenge." The three married couples with the lowest cumulative times will win prizes, with a random drawing prize that all couples, regardless of time, are eligible to win.

Tufts said some smaller companies now use the Corporate Cup as their company's annual picnic, saving the expense of doing a separate event. One local company used to set up their own horseshoe pits each year.

"It's different things to different people," Tufts told The Batavian last week while visiting the Media Center at the Genesee County Fair. "But I think the thing that makes it successful is it's the GLOW region, and people do enjoy a night where they're not heading all the way over to the Rochester or Buffalo areas. This is in our back yard. From a runner's perspective, people do like the course because it's super fast. It is accurate. It's a certified course, which means it's an accurate distance, but it's not eligible for World Records, I'm sorry to say, because it's got a little bit too much down elevation for the distance. That is because we start out by the Blind School, and it goes down the hill down to Northside Deli and then turns left, and then it's pretty flat after that. So, just a little bit too much down for USA Track and Field Conference."

The certification expires in 2024, so Tufts plans to alter the course to start closer to State Street and end the race further up Ellicott Avenue, which should solve the elevation problem, just in case anybody wants to try and set a world record for his or age bracket.

Merrill Lynch chose the GLOW YMCA because the Y, like the Batavia Merrill Lynch office, serves the entire GLOW region.

The bonus is, the Y comes with a built-in set of volunteers.

"Right now, I'd say I wouldn't want it any other way," Tufts said. "I'm not sure how long I would get 70 people out on my course keeping people safe (without the Y). So it's been a great partnership."

Corporate sponsors help cover event expenses, which ensures all of the $25 entry fees go to the Y, Tufts said. Because of corporate sponsors, the organizers have been able to maintain the $25 entry fee, so it remains affordable for small businesses and individuals.

In the first year of the race, Tufts said they were expecting about 350 participants. They had more than 400.  It went up every year until more than 800 in 2019, the last race before the pandemic. There was no race in 2020, and in 2021 numbers were down.  In 2021, there were more than 700 again, but Tufts doesn't expect to exceed 800 this year because race participation across the nation, he said, is down since the pandemic.

The event has drawn a lot of sponsor support this year, and with anticipated participation from runners and walkers, Tufts expects to raise more than $25,000 for the Y this year, stopping the 2019 record of $23,005.

Last year was the second-best year at $22,963.

Going into this year, the cumulative total was nearly $180,000 raised.

The race starts at 6 p.m. today (Thursday).

In 2019, The Msgr. Kirby Knights of Columbus Council 325 graciously offered to start a yearly scholarship fund to celebrate and recognize some of St. Joseph Regional School's students.  The recipients are nominated by the school staff and the awards are presented at the End of the Year Awards Ceremony.  Two students are chosen in grades K-6 and are nominated using the following criteria:

The Knights of Columbus have supported Notre Dame High School and her wonderful students for over 30 years.  Most recently their contributions have helped with building improvements, classroom and technology upgrades, beautification of our campus, and most importantly, tuition support scholarships.

The scholarships provided by the Knights support our mission that the incredibly unique and wonderful Notre Dame experience should be available to all families throughout the region regardless of their financial position.  These scholarships have helped over 100 students graduate from Notre Dame that otherwise would not have been able to attend.  The results of this investment in Notre Dame students can be seen daily here on campus with the many happy faces currently attending, as well as out in the community where Knights-funded Notre Dame graduates are making a positive daily impact throughout the Genesee Region.

At Notre Dame High School we take great pride in being the #1 Ranked High School in the entire GLOW Region, and we have equal pride in our longstanding relationship with the Knights of Columbus.

Information above by Karen Green, principal of St. Joseph School, and Business Administrator Thomas Rapone of Notre Dame High School.