Capt. Greg Ireland, of the City of Batavia Fire Department, applauds first-grader Adam Laska after he arrived at St. Joseph's school this morning. Adam got to ride to school in Engine 11 because he was one of the winners of the firefighter's annual fire safety poster contest.
Adam and his family: Mike Laska, Adam, Ewan, Amy, Randy and Nilsson.
Local commuters found it was a foggy drive through Batavia this morning.
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) approved a revised PILOT -- Payment In Lieu Of Taxes -- for the Ellicott Station development project and incentives for the construction of a spec building at the Gateway II Corporate Park in the Town of Batavia.
The Ellicott Station project in the City of Batavia is a mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project including adaptive reuse and new construction of a blighted property in a key gateway to Downtown Batavia.
The GCEDC Board approved a $22.5 million PILOT for Savarino Companies, the developer of the project, to meet the financing needed for the project’s expanded scope and scale. Incentives are an estimated $3.25 million, including property tax abatements and sales and mortgage tax exemptions.
When fully developed, Ellicott Station will create 68 full-time equivalent jobs and will include the construction of 99,000 square feet of brewery, restaurant and beer garden, a five-story apartment building with 55 apartments and class-A office space.
The Board approved an $18,000 mortgage tax exemption for Gateway GS, LLC for the first of five planned 27,000-square-foot spec buildings the company is building at the Gateway II Corporate Park in the Town of Batavia.
The $2.6 million project, which is being managed by Gallina Development Corporation, has previously received approval for property and sales tax exemptions.
In a very tight sectional semifinal class D3 matchup Notre Dame of Batavia edged CG Finney last evening in five sets 25-20, 21-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20 at Wayland Cohocton High School.
Notre Dame took the first set win but CG Finney came on strong catching the Irish down two sets to one. Lots of energy flowed from play to play for Finney, which carried the momentum into the fourth but the Irish delivered with some key kills and digs to force a deciding set.
The Irish got off their heels and back in the game in the fifth to win it and send them to the finals against Hammondsport, who they play at SUNY Geneseo college tomorrow at 3 p.m. There was a lot of heart played by both teams especially the underdogs CG Finney.
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A motor-vehicle accident is reported, possibly two, on West Main Street at Bogue Avenue, with minor injuries.
City fire and Mercy EMS responding.
David J. Somerton, 36, of Kelsey Road, Batavia, (in photo above) is charged with five felony counts of disseminating indecent material to a minor. Somerton was arrested and arraigned on Oct. 31 following an investigation into an offense that occurred on Kelsey Road in the Town of Batavia on Oct. 13. Additional charges are pending. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Howard Carlson, assisted by Investigator/Youth Officer Timothy Westcott. The Genesee County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division was assisted by the FBI Buffalo field office.
Victoria Lynn Jacques, 49, of Seward Road, Alexander, is charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, with a BAC of .18 or higher, and DWI -- first offense. Jacques was arrrested at 8:42 p.m. Oct. 27 on Broadway Road in Bethany. She was operating a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle cited in a traffic offense complaint called into the Emergency Dispatch Center. Genesee County Sheriff's deputies pulled her vehicle over and allegedly determined she was intoxicated. She was transported to Genesee County Jail and released on appearance tickets for Town of Bethany Court Nov. 22. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.
A bit of rain didn't stop 2-year-old Braxton going out trick-or-treating for the first time with his father Russell Schmidt, of Batavia.
Below are photos from Washington Avenue, Ellicott Avenue, Summit Street, and City Church's Halloween party at St. Anthony's.
The second picture is Officer Kevin DeFelice right after he ran out of candy for the kids on Ellicott. DeFelice said BJ's donated candy and he had 20 pounds to give out. He gave two pieces to each child and ran out in two hours.
A group of youths was reportedly smashing pumpkins and yelling at people before possibly entering a blue house near the intersection of East Avenue and Vine Street in the city. Batavia police are responding.
A minor-injury, two-car accident is reported at Richmond Avenue and Oak Street, Batavia.
City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
Crews have been working on removing a large tree from the front of 113 Jackson St. for a couple of days. Today, they had a crane out to help as the tree was cut into sections and lowered to the ground.
Press release:
On Monday, Nov. 12, at noon Genesee Community College will host a special Veterans Day Honor Ceremony at the Batavia Campus, including featured speaker Michael H. Ranzenhofer, New York State Senator from District 61. The ceremony will follow the College's annual Open House event, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. 'til noon.
The honor ceremony will be live-streamed in each of the College's seven campus locations and online for added convenience. The public is encouraged to attend at any of the following locations:
GCC will have approximately 25 front-row, handicap-accessible parking spots reserved for veterans on Nov. 12.
The Genesee County Joint Honor Guard opens the ceremony at 12 p.m. performing a salute to the flag on the stage of the centrally located William W. Stuart Forum. With Jim Simon, GCC's associate dean of the Orleans County Campus Centers acting as emcee, audiences will hear from GCC's College President, James M. Sunser, Ed.D., who will welcome guests and introduce Senator Razenhofer.
Following Senator Razenhofer's speech will be a series of short, special presentations by GCC student veterans. Featured speakers include Specialist Ricky Henderson and Corporal Laura Bukowski both of the Marine Corps; Ace Strickland of the Army, who will read a poem about the meaning of Veterans Day; and Jessica Cary, of the Navy who will sign a special veteran's version of "Hallelujah."
Audiences will also enjoy musical arrangements by members of the Batavia High School Band.
"For 20 years, GCC has made this ceremony a tradition, but it is also a privilege," says Jim Simon, a veteran serving 22 years in the Air Force. "Coming together to recognize, honor, and celebrate the veterans of this country and their families is a demonstration of the very rights earned by their sacrifices."
All veterans and their families in attendance are invited to join GCC in a special lunch at 1 p.m. provided in the Wolcott J. Humphrey III Student Union.
In addition, representatives from the Veterans One-stop Center of WNY Inc. (VOC of WNY) will be onsite welcoming our veterans and their families and providing information about the many services and opportunities available to them. The VOC of WNY provides veterans and their families' access to a holistic range of social and health services designed to assist in the transition to civilian life and the accomplishment of their goals.
GCC is proud to have representation from the VOC of WNY at this ceremony and encourages all veterans and family members in attendance to meet with representatives and explore their options.
For more information regarding the Veterans Day Honor Ceremony, contact Director of the Adult Educational Opportunity Center Kate Trombley at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6285, or via email: kbtrombley@genesee.edu.
The K-Kids were on hand at St. Joe's today to help the Batavia Kiwanis Club promote its annual Pancake Day, which will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at the school.
Tickets are $6 for an adult and $4 for children and seniors.
Pudgie’s Class/Event List • 3646 W. Main St., Batavia • 343-8352
Seasonal Classes
East Pembroke fire has been dispatched to the Apple Grove Mobile Home Park on Pratt Road, Batavia, to assist a man whose leg has become stuck in a sinkhole.
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) will consider approving incentives for two projects at the agency’s Nov. 1st board meeting.
The Ellicott Station Project in the City of Batavia is a mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project including adaptive re-use and new construction of a blighted property in a key gateway to downtown Batavia.
Savarino Companies, the project’s developer, has requested a PILOT agreement for the $22.5 million project be expanded to meet the financing needed for the project’s expanded scope and scale. A revised incentives package is valued at an estimated $3.25 million, including a property tax abatements and sales and mortgage tax exemptions.
The Ellicott Station project is anticipated to create 68 full-time equivalent jobs, the construction of a 99,000-square-foot brewery, including a restaurant and beer garden, and the construction of a five-story apartment building with 55 apartments and class-A office space.
Gateway GS LLC is seeking an $18,000 mortgage tax exemption for the first of five planned 27,000-square-foot spec buildings to be constructed at the Gateway II Corporate Park in the town of Batavia.
The $2.6 million project, which is being done by Gallina Development Corporation, has previously received approval for property and sales tax abatements.
We get a lot of questions about the construction project off of State Street next to the Thruway in Batavia.
The project is a new 30,000-square-foot warehouse and service center for Freightliner & Western Star of Batavia, LLC. The company is expanding beyond its current West Seneca location.
The company wanted a location close to the BOCES campus and plans to create at least 30 new jobs.
The Genesee County Economic Development Center approved $437,652 in sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions for the $4.35 million project.
The project also received a $465,000 state grant because of the educational component of the facility.
Construction finally began just over a week ago on a new four-story, 64-room hotel on Federal Drive in the Gateway II project.
The hotel will be operated by Oakfield Hospitality LLC, a company headed by Ash Patel, and branded as a Fairfield Inn.
While Oakfield Hospitality acquired the property from Genesee County Economic Development Center, the project has not received any incentives from the IDA.
Tom Turnbull, president of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, said the new hotel will help bring more visitors to Batavia.
"The addition of the Fairfield Inn to Genesee County’s inventory of hotel properties adds one of the only large flagship chains – Marriott – not represented in our county," Turnbull said. "The familiarity of the Marriott name and the loyalty to its brand by its customers means even more people will be staying in Genesee County hotels.
"That means not only more revenue for the hotels but also from restaurants, retail shops and other ancillary businesses in our area. More tourism revenue also means more sales tax revenue from sources outside of the county, which should help reduce the burden on county taxpayers."
Students at Notre Dame walked through the school's neighborhood today in support of their effort to raise funds so a school in Uganda can have clean, safe drinking water.
The students raised $4,635.30 through donations from friends and family. Mary Vandenbosch, a senior, raised the most money, $955. Sophomore MacKenzy Nenni raised $312.
Fifth Ward City Council Representative Kathy Briggs was with John Roach this afternoon walking the area around Thorpe Street to better see for herself, she said, what a proposal to make Thorpe one-way would mean for the neighborhood.
Briggs said she stopped to talk with local residents, especially those living on Thorpe, about the idea.
The plan is to make Thorpe one-way for southbound traffic and allow parking on one side of the street. Thorpe was apparently one-way many years ago and nobody knows how or when it changed, Briggs said.
There will be a public hearing on the proposal Nov. 26 and Briggs hopes for a City Council vote on the change at its Dec. 10 meeting.
"The folks on Thorpe (she spoke to today) like it a lot," Briggs said. "At my ward meetings they've been complaining about traffic that zooms down Thorpe Street and it’s so narrow and kids are out playing so they’re excited about this."
Let's talk about French fries.
The lowly fry. Can you really kick it up a notch?
Cooking a gourmet fry is actually no secret. Any competent chef can do it. But it's a lot of work.
The new chef at Terry Hills, John Steward, is ready to do the work.
It's a four-day process that consists of blanching, drying, blanching again, more drying, freezing and then frying.
The result is a fry that has a veneer of crunch and a soft, fluffy center, like a perfectly cooked baked potato or a mouthful of savory clouds.
We told Steward we were going to write about his fries and that some people might find that odd. He agreed.
"People will be like 'oh, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about, talking about good French fries,' " Steward said. "A fry is a fry, you know. But at the same time, people feel like, 'oh, why is this fry so good? What's so different?' And that's what we need right now. We need people talking about Terry Hills. So many times I hear that people forget that Terry Hills is a restaurant."
A native of Rochester, Steward, is a new father, current resident of Le Roy and the former sous chef at Farmer's Creekside Tavern & Inn.
Terry Hills isn't his first head chef's job, but it may be his most important. It's a chance, he said, not only to take Terry Hills to the next level but also to better establish his name and provide his staff with the training necessary to help advance their careers. Those are his goals.
They're ambitious for a guy who a little over six years ago started in the restaurant business as a dishwasher and quickly moved through his first kitchen, entirely self taught, to be ready to run a kitchen himself a few years later -- La Luna, in Rochester.
"Yeah, I never went to a culinary college or school," Steward said. "Everything I've learned, I've learned on the job. I've done a lot of research on my own, watched a lot of shows, read a lot. When I first started, I would go to the public market and buy a bag full of potatoes and sit in my apartment working on knife cuts."
Danielle Rotondo, VP, and co-owner of Terry Hills, said Steward was just what management was looking for -- young and ambitious and eager to take the dining experience for lunch, dinners, and banquets to the next level. He came out on top after three rounds of interviews and several reference checks.
"We want to grow; we want to do more; we want to show Batavia that we're not just a golf course," Rotondo said. "You know we have our golf course, our restaurant, our banquet facility, we have all of that here, and, yes, we want to show that there are some different things out here and there are different ways to do it. Yes, it's Batavia, but we can also go on the edge a little bit and try something else."
To show off how Terry Hills will take it to the next level, a couple of weeks ago the restaurant hosted a chef's menu night for a few dozens guests both to introduce some new dishes and as a kind of soft opening on how things are changing.
It was at that chef's menu night that we tried those crisp, fluffy fries. But Steward also introduced diners to his gnocchi carbonara, like everything that night, made from scratch, consisting of hand-rolled, house-made ricotta in a rich and thick carbonara sauce with diced ham and peas.
Steward also served a dry-aged strip steak, a pan-seared salmon, chicken roulade, to go along with a wedge salad, a Caesar salad, and a grain medley.
Many of these dishes -- particularly, say, the fries and the gnocchi -- take substantial prep time but Steward said there's no reason he and his line staff aren't up to the demands of the extra effort.
"As you're organized, you always have lists going; then it should be executable," Steward said. "There's no reason why it shouldn't be executable."
Steward said what makes a good dining experience is fresh ingredients, scratch cooking, and service. It's his job to oversee all aspects of a guest's experience at Terry Hills now, and he plans to pay attention to those details.
"Even if I go to a diner, or if I go to a finer place, you can see if the food is taken care of, if people care about quality," Steward said. "I think that is what makes a good meal -- making sure you use fresh ingredients, you use the proper techniques, execute the proper techniques. Your execution is what makes a good meal."
He said he expects the care of the kitchen staff to be carried out into the dining room by the servers.
"Nothing frustrates me more when I go to a place, and I ask a server a question about the menu, and the server is like, 'I don't know,' Steward said. "You should, you should. To me, I feel like it's your job to know the menu to know what the chef is trying to cook.
"There's going to be time and money invested to ensure our staff is trained properly."
The one thing Steward didn't change for the night was Terry Hill's famous seafood bisque.
"The only thing I might change is the garnish and change the saltines to oyster crackers," Steward said. "I think a seafood bisque should have oyster crackers."
While upgrading the sit-down lunch and dinner menus for Terry Hills is high on the agenda, Steward said he also plans to revamp the banquet service.
"I'm not knocking the former chefs here, but some of these recipes are outdated," Steward said, "by like 25 years."
That doesn't necessarily mean there will be big changes in menu choices. He already considers Terry Hills the premier banquet facility in Batavia. He thinks a few changes to how things are done will make it even better.
"I understand that like I can completely get everything off the menu," Steward said. "But, again, some of the techniques we're using here again are outdated. No one uses them anymore so. Therefore, we need to update our techniques to make a better product. The quality of the product will improve but still essentially be the same, they will have the same ingredients, but it's just going to be a better product overall because it's done better."
Steward said the chef's that inspire him include: Massimo Bottura, owner of Osteria Francescana in Italy, now ranked the #1 restaurant in the world (Bottura was the subject of the first episode of Chef's Table on Netflix); Thomas Keller, a chef and restauranteur in California; and, Wylie Dufresne, a chef in Manhattan.
"I pride myself working hard, putting in the hours," Steward said. "I think anyone who does that is going to do well in any field."
Steward thinks he can take what he's learned on his own and use that knowledge to help make his line cooks better. He would like to be known as a chef who helps his staff advance their careers.
"I really want to make really good food," Steward said. "In that process, I want to teach the guys that are here, too. As I said from day one, my goal is for you guys, whenever your time is up here, is to walk into any kitchen (and) be the best cook that walks in that kitchen because you've got trained by me."
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