batavia

Press Release:

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series, presented by David Reilly. Since 2018 Dave Reilly has been writing stories for The Batavian about growing up in Batavia in the 1950s and ‘60s. 

He combined 20 of these stories into a book called “Small Town Talk: Growing up in Batavia in the 1950s & 1960s”. On Friday, July 19 Dave will be doing a book talk at the HLOM from 2 - 3 p.m.

He will have books available at that time for $20 and will be happy to sign a copy for you. The following day will be the 60th reunion of Dave’s Notre Dame Class of 1964 so he especially invites any of his classmates who are in town and still “above the grass” to attend. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

“This project is made possible with funds from the statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!”

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors will consider an initial resolution for Graham Corporation’s proposed new commercial production facility at its board meeting on Thursday, July 11.

Graham Corporation is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries. The project would add to the company’s existing location in the city of Batavia where the company has been headquartered since 1942.

The $17.6 million proposed investment includes the construction of a 28,867 sq. ft. expansion intended to reduce design and manufacturing costs and improve shipping capabilities. The project would create 24 new full-time equivalent (FTE) positions while retaining 367 current FTEs.

The initial resolution requests sales tax exemptions estimated at $383,546 and a property tax abatement estimated at $298,427 based on an incremental increase in assessed value totaling the proposed financial agreements to approximately $681,973. 

For every $1 of public benefit, Graham is investing $42 into the local economy resulting in a local economic impact of $19.5 million in wages and tax revenue. 

If the project application is accepted, a public hearing will be scheduled on the proposed project agreement in the city of Batavia. 

The July 11 GCEDC board meeting will be held at 4 p.m. at the MedTech Center’s Innovation Zone, 99 MedTech Drive, Batavia. Meeting materials and links to a live stream/on-demand recording of the meeting is available at www.gcedc.com.

Rick Mancuso is offering a reward for the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of a stolen utility cart from outside T.F. Brown's in Batavia.

The person in the surveillance pictures is a suspect. 

Mancuso will pay the person who provides information leading to arrest and recovery either $75 cash or a $100 T.F. Brown's gift card.

To provide information in the case, call Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350.

Press Release:

Photos from Genesee County Spartans' 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser on Saturday (July 6) at Ri-Dan’s Sports Park on West Main Street Road, Batavia. Twelve teams competed - six in the Youth Division and six in the Adult Division.

Press release:

Richmond Memorial Library will close at 1 pm on Monday, July 7 due to problems with the air conditioning system. 

Please check our website at batavialibrary.org for up to date information. 

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Monday & Tuesday, July 8 & 9, 2024 from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the general area of North of E. Main St. and East of Bank St. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.  These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area.  As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.  If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear.

This annual testing is essential to maintain the community class III Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification and to assure that fire hydrants are operating efficiently for fire protection purposes. Along with maintaining the fire rating, the test monitors the health of the city's water system, identifies weak areas in the system, and removes material that settles in the water lines. Checking each hydrant improves fire department personnel's knowledge of the hydrant locations. 

If you have any questions or should notice a hydrant needing repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

There are many hidden treasures in Genesee County. One beautiful gem is the Historic Batavia Cemetery.    

If you travel slowly down Harvester Avenue, look at the first cemetery on the left going south. A wrought iron fence and trees surround the cemetery. It is the home of our early leaders and pioneers from this area.   

I would bring my fourth-grade students to this living history book every year to learn about their local history. We would visit the various stones, and I would explain their relevance to Batavia’s early history. I could not wait to show them Joseph Ellicott’s Monument. As my students would sit on the grass looking at The Ellicott Plot, I would have them turn around and look toward Harvester Avenue.   They would see nothing in front of this monument but a beautiful lane lined with trees over 100 years old. I would then tell them about this brilliant man and his family. 

If you wanted to buy land and settle in this region, you purchased your land from Joseph Ellicott, founder of Batavia. He was the first surveyor and local agent of the Holland Land Company. Joseph was entitled by his contract to select a piece of land for his residence and land office. He claimed the land on West Main Street, opposite Walnut Street. His land occupied the areas we know as Thomas Avenue, Porter Avenue, and Washington Avenue. 

In 1802, the east wing of Ellicott’s mansion was built as his residence. In 1815, the Holland Land Office was completed across the street from his mansion, which remains the Holland Land Office Museum today. 

In 1818, the three-story structure of his home was finished. It included a large main building with two wings and additions to the rear of his house.   Behind his home were a pasture, barn, and a large flower garden. If you were fortunate enough to be a guest in Joseph’s mansion, you would have dinner on blue and gold English china. If you were overnight guests, a bed warmer warmed your sheets. A bed warmer consisted of a metal container, usually fitted with a handle shaped like a modern frying pan, with a solid or finely perforated lid. The pan would be filled with hot coals and placed under the covers of a bed to warm it up. A servant would then run the bed warmer between the sheets to warm them.          

Please visit the Holland Land Office Museum and enter the room where Joseph sold land to our early settlers. The museum has Ellicott’s China, a bed warmer, and a cabinet donated by the Ellicott-Evans family. Also, stop by the Historic Batavia Cemetery and find Joseph’s monument and other famous Batavians resting on Harvester Avenue.

Last week, the Yankees of the Batavia Youth Baseball League defeated the Mets in the 10-U championship game, 6-5.

The sun was out and people were in a happy place in Downtown Batavia on Saturday for the 2024 Batavia Ramble Music & Arts Fest, which was spread out over Jackson Street, School Street, and, of course, in Jackson Square.

For a lot of people and musicians, the festival was their first experience with the new stage in the square.

It received rave reviews for visibility and acoustics. The soundman said it was a big improvement, with the metal ceiling providing a great acoustic reflection.

The stage was funded by a state grant as part of a larger city of Batavia project to transform Jackson Street into a more attractive public square.  The total grant was for $750,000 with the stage being just one component of the costs.

Twenty-five acts performed on two stages, including the stage on Jackson Street.

Canadian rock band April Wine headlined a packed crowd in the Friday night summer concert series at Batavia Downs Casino on Friday evening. 

Members formed the band in 1969, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From its inception, the band was led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn, who died in 2023. Brian Greenway now fronts the band.

On Record, an album released in 1972, reached the Top 40 in Canada and yielded two hit singles: a cover of Elton John's "Bad Side of the Moon” and a cover of Hot Chocolates' “You Could Have Been a Lady.”

Currently on a US and Canadian tour through the summer, you can find more details on their website www.aprilwine.ca

To view or purchase photos, click here.

A spot of rain didn't send everyone scurrying from Jackson Square following the open mic in Jackson Square on Friday evening.

A couple of dozen people stuck around to dance to the beats and take in the vibes of DJ Scotty D (Scotty D'Martino of Batavia), Esdee Entertainment.

See also: Ramble weekend kicked off on Friday with open mic and open art in Jackson Square

Photos by Howard Owens

A new event that many who attended, including the organizers, hope will return in future years premiered in Jackson Square on Friday night, the night before the Ramble Music and Arts Fest.

It was an open mic for local musicians and an open art session for local visual artists.

More than 200 people attended, and more musicians than time available signed up to sing and play.

Jo David Arts and Iburi Photography presented the event.

Jo David Arts is a partnership between local artists Mary Jo Whitman and Brian Kemp.  Iburi is a photography studio on Jackson Street that started hosting increasingly popular open mic sessions about five months ago.

"We're excited to bring this event to Jackson Square," Whitman said. "This is a great opportunity for local performers and artists to showcase their work and connect with the community in a fun and supportive environment."

The open art night is an extension of the First Fridays Open Art event at GO ART!, which was created by Kemp, who compared the event to a pick-up game of basketball.

"You just get together," Kemp said. "Like, I never got together with anybody and done art before until I had this idea, 'Well, I play basketball with other people, why can't I do art with people?' We're all working on our own thing, but sometimes we'll do collabs where somebody works on something that somebody else works on the same thing."

The Ramble started at 10 a.m. on Saturday and runs until 10 p.m., with music on two stages -- Jackson Square and Jackson Street. There will also be art and artists, activities, and food and beverages.

For a lineup of musical acts playing the Ramble this year, click here.

To view or purchase photos, click, here.

Press Release:

Northgate Church is thrilled to announce the dedication and grand opening of the Northgate Playground on July 14 at noon. We warmly invite the community to join us at Northgate’s North Campus, 8160 Bank Street Road, for this special event.

The Northgate Playground is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, with the exception of Sundays from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. This new playground offers a safe and fun environment for children and families to enjoy. For more information, please contact the Northgate office at 585-343-4011 or visit our website at northgatefmc.com.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

A 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser to benefit the Genesee County Spartans is scheduled for this Saturday, July 6 at Ri-Dan’s Sports Park on West Main Street Road, Batavia.

Youth competition (three age groups) was set for 9 a.m. to noon with adult competition (18+) set for noon to 3 p.m.

The Spartans, 3-1, play again on July 13, traveling to Lockport - hoping to avenge a June 1 loss to the Wildcats.

More than 150 runners and walkers participated in the annual Batavia Kiwanis Independence Day 5K at Centennial Park in Batavia. 

The top male winner was Justin Vrooman from Batavia with a time of 17:05.  The top female winner was Becca Galanti from Alden with a time of 23:44.

To view all results, click here.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Bella Nugent, a 12-year-old from Batavia, did her friend a favor at Wednesday's Batavia Muckdogs baseball game.

She drew a picture of an eagle in hopes of winning the Harley-Benton ST-style guitar The Batavian was offering as a prize in its eagle-drawing contest.

Bella's drawing was among the 20 staff picks of favorite drawings and was randomly selected from those 20 entries to win the grand prize.

She was so overcome by the surprise of winning that when she got to The Batavian's booth, she had to sit down.

Then she gave the guitar to her friend, Brooklynn Dewe, who has been learning to play guitar and was equally thrilled by the gift.

The Batavian staff also selected three honorable mentions by Miranda Tamburlin, 16, from Batavia; Annaliede Evans, 15, from Chili; and Laya Laite, 15, from Batavia.  They each received a gift certificate to Dave's Ice Cream.

As first explained a year ago when The Batavian launched this contest:

An eagle is the primary essence of The Batavian’s logo, borrowed from the Upton Monument, which sits at the intersection of routes 5 and 63 in downtown Batavia. Publisher Howard Owens wanted to capture that symbol along with the name of this city he now holds dear after setting down roots more than 15 years ago.

“The Upton Monument is our community's most important and significant landmark, and the eagle that sits atop of it represents independence and courage, two characteristics of good news organizations,” Owens said.  "When planning our new logo, the eagle seems a natural way to represent our commitment to the community and to fearless and honest journalism."

The guitar contests are something Owens said he wanted to do to give back to the community to promote an appreciation for the magic and beauty of music among its youth.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Batavia erased a two-run deficit in the sixth inning of Wednesday's home game against Geneva in front of a capacity crowd on an Independence celebration fireworks night and beat Geneva 7-5.

The Muckdogs improved to a 18-4-1 on the season.

Garrett Brunstetter, who pitched an inning of hitless and scoreless ball, picked up the win. 

Starter Ty Woods went five innings, surrendering four hits and three runs (one earned).

James Bolton, a SUNY Cortland student from Webster, was the offensive star of the game, going 2-4 with two RBIs and a walk.

Trevor Dutra also picked up a pair of RBIs, going 1-4.

The Muckdogs are in first place in the PGCBL West Division, four games ahead of the Auburn Double Days.

Their July 4 game is away against the Niagara Falls Americans.

Photos by Philip Casper.