batavia

Young people today might not relate to the notion of a woman wearing a decorative bonnet that could have a bird perched in a nest atop the hat. 

A hat was a must to complete a woman's attire; every hat was unique. Especially at Easter, the beautiful and unusual head adornment could be seen at every church in Genesee County. The idea of having a unique Easter bonnet spread through America in the later part of the 19th century when the New York Easter parade became a big deal in the 1880s. Wearing a freshly trimmed bonnet to church on Easter was nothing new. Now, calling it an "Easter bonnet" started to catch on.

Although early in the 1900s, most hats were enormous and adorned with flowers, feathers, ribbons, and tulle, by the 1920s, women's hair had become much shorter with the shingle cut, and the cloche (a fitted, bell-shaped hat for women invented by milliner Caroline Reboux in 1908) became especially popular. It hugged the head like a helmet with a petite brim. 

According to an article in The Daily News, the ladies of Batavia looked forward to a spring opening at the millinery store of L.J. Tompkins. Tompkins' establishment had the reputation of being the largest millinery house in the county. The store was stocked with hat creations and employed the best-skilled milliner.

The favorite hat trimmings of that time were chiffons, malines (very fine silk net of gauze-like texture), liberty chiffons, Tucson braids, flowers, buckles, and ribbons. These trimmings were placed upon some of the hats on display. It was not unusual to see various hats marked "sold," proving that L.J. Tompkins' shop was trendy. 

An example of a one-of-a-kind hat for sale would have been a white chip hat with a liberty scarf and a gray bird for trimming. Another example was a hat with a pastel blue brim, made of tucked liberty chiffon with point lace over Tucson crown, finished with a bunch of foliage in pastel shades.

Millinery store display windows were show places, admired by all. The store carried appropriate morning apparel and the best productions of the world's markets. Paris and New York City styles and patterns were shown, and one case of trimmings was entirely of imported goods. Special attention was also given to the sale of hair goods.

In 1931, The Bon Ton Millinery Shop, located at 92 Main St., became incorporated by the Batavia Millinery Corporation. Three businessmen owned the business in Buffalo, NY.

Another millinery business was owned and operated by Miss Harriet L. Holter at 20 Bank St. She had conducted an exclusive millinery shop in Batavia for over 25 years, catering to the most discriminating. Miss Holter's shop was on the corner of Bank and Main streets for many years. Her window displays were so unusual that many tourists stopped to inspect her innovative millinery line.

Miss Holter always carried exclusive lines of millinery, particularly the famous Gage and Knox hats (brand names). In her shop's last few years, she added the well-known Dobbs and Stetson brands. Miss Holter moved her millinery business to 20 Bank St., an ideal location to serve the people of Batavia and surrounding towns.

Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein, in 1940, operated the Bon Ton Hat Shop at 92 Main St. In 1955, Dominic Mancuso bought the shop for his wife, Mary. Also involved with the newly-acquired Bon Ton were daughters-in-law, Mrs. Nathan Mancuso and Mrs. Vincent Mancuso. Mary Mancuso was the principal owner. 

Mrs. Sybil Porter, Mrs. Publia Polito, and Mrs. Emma Pontius were among the employees who worked at the store for many years. The oldest daughter, Sharon, recalls buying trips to Buffalo for hats: "Not a very exciting way for a teenager to spend a Sunday." Somebody must have noticed because this specialty store also started carrying other items. By 1968, Mary Mancuso's daughter, Mary Lou, accompanied her mother on buying trips to the Big Apple. One patron remembers buying a one-of-a-kind two-piece bathing suit, her favorite to this day, at the shop and hiding it from her father. 

Mrs. Mary Mancuso, who lived at 39 Ross St., operated the store for 14 years. In 1969, Donald W. Grefrath purchased the Bon Ton Millinery. The new ownership would remodel and also carry wigs. 

Today, you rarely see a woman wearing a hat unless she attends a function requiring a hat, such as the Kentucky Derby or a royal wedding in England. 

Happy Easter to all my readers! Remember when mom made you wear your new Easter Hat to church on Easter Sunday.

Genesee Community College's Child Care Center hosted a "Bunny Hop" for the program's children on Thursday in the GCC Forum.

The children got to visit the Easter Bunny and enjoy activities such as face painting and an Easter Egg Hunt.

Photos courtesy Genesee Community College.

The Albion Police Department is tracking leads regarding a missing 21-year-old man with ties to Batavia. They believe he may be in the town of Dennis in Massachusetts.

Cooper Karas, a resident of Greece, hasn't been seen by family members since Monday.

Officer Christopher J. Glogowski, Albion PD, said on Thursday that Karas's silver VW Jetta was observed by a plate reader near Clifton Springs, heading eastbound on I-90.

He previously held a job in Dennis.

"A previous employer stated that he was seen at his business in the Town of Dennis, Mass., around 9:30 a.m. today,"  Glogowski said. "Local law enforcement in the town of Dennis has been notified and is attempting to locate Cooper as well."

Cooper Karas was last seen wearing black sweatpants, a black hoodie, and a black NF jacket.  

At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, he drove his 2013 silver VW Jetta to his grandmother's house in Albion and left his dog in the fenced yard (the dog is fine) and left.

He is 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

He attended Batavia High School for a time a few years ago and has family in Batavia.

"As of right now, there have not been any new leads, but we are staying in contact with law enforcement in that general area," Glogowski said. 

Press Release:

Currently, the drug drop boxes located at the City of Batavia Police Department, 10 West Main Street, Batavia, are out of service as we work to upgrade and relocate them. 

Anyone looking to dispose of unwanted or outdated prescription medications can take them to any pharmacy that participates in a disposal program, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office located at 165 Park Road, or New York State Police Troop A Headquarters located on Saile Drive in the Town of Batavia.

Batavia City School’s board met earlier this week and discussed the latest proposed budget, which includes a 2.26 percent tax rate increase, the use of a mental health grant for five positions, and the prospective use of additional state aid for more personnel and/or to reduce the amount of reserves being used to offset expenses. 

To summarize the budget as of Monday evening, the board is expected to vote on a proposed $60,373,861 plan during its meeting on April 22. That’s a 2.38 percent increase, or about $1.4 million more than this year’s budget. This spending plan would include a tax levy of $20,339,336 for a tax rate increase of 39 cents per $1,000 assessed value. That would be an extra $48.75 a year on a home assessed at $125,000.

The Batavian reached out to Superintendent Jason Smith with some questions about the newly introduced mental health grant and other items, and here are his answers:

1. The five positions being added with the mental health grant: that remaining $1.1 million is expected to retain those positions for how long? Will the funding go toward salary, benefits and teacher retirement? What's the plan once that funding runs out? 

Answer: The District will plan to allocate as much of the funds as possible to cover all costs with these positions.  

Not all of them are “new” positions, however, as three of them are instructional coaches who currently provide valuable support to our students and teachers—these positions are, in essence, being retained. The remaining two new positions will provide Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programming to our students across the District.

Once the funding runs out, we can either pursue a new grant, consider placing some or all of these positions in the general fund, or combine the two. Another option would be to eliminate the positions upon the grant's expiration.

2. Can I please get a list of the types/locations of positions that aren't being retained at the district (similar, I believe, to what John Reigle requested), including the seven full-time that were COVID grant-funded, five reduced due to enrollment and four retirement/resigned positions?

Answer: Yes. That list is being developed and finalized as I write. Once I share it with the Board per their request and they have had time to review it, I will provide you with this information (likely next week).

3. If the district receives more state aid, and it's $300,000, how many teachers would that add, and how do you account for future expenses? Do you calculate cost per position for a year plus benefits and then hope to acquire more funding the next year, or calculate it for a few years out? 

Answer: Should this come to fruition, we could conceivably restore 2-3 teaching positions back into the budget. We estimate the costs per position and will need to plan accordingly in future budgets with respect to state aid projections, use of reserves, tax levies, or some combination thereof.

4. With decreasing enrollment projections and class sizes remaining at or around 20 according to staff and a board member's statements, why the need for more teachers? Are other types of staff needed according to the district?

Answer: To be clear, the request is not to add “more” teachers but rather to try to keep our existing staff as close to current levels as possible.  

While we are proud of our academic achievements, student needs continue to rise. As I have stated in previous articles, public schools currently provide a wealth of essential resources and services to our families across the community.

5. Do you feel the district has adequate staff coverage with the budget as it is?

Answer: I have been a Superintendent since 2012 and have consistently presented a budget to each Board with adequate staff coverage, which is fundamental to providing students with the quality education they deserve. Creating the district's budget is a comprehensive and collaborative effort involving close coordination between the District administration and the Board of Education. Our approach is holistic, aiming to balance the essential elements of student needs, staff levels, infrastructure maintenance, and innovative educational programming.

The current level of staffing was in part driven by COVID grant funding, which was designed to be used to close learning loss gaps through additional instructional support as well as to reduce class size.

We strive to make decisions that are not only educationally sound but also fiscally responsible to our tax-paying community. This necessitates a delicate balancing act, as our resources must be allocated in a way that maximizes educational outcomes while being mindful of our fiscal constraints.

The Board of Education ultimately has the responsibility of approving the budget, but this is done through discussions and a shared commitment to meeting our community's educational aspirations within our financial means. The question of staff coverage is not about adequacy in isolation but is one piece of a larger puzzle we diligently work to solve each year, aiming to strike a balance that serves the best interests of our students, staff, and community.

It's time once again for Batavia resident Angelina Pellegrino's annual yard sale to benefit a Habitat for Humanity homeowner, she says. Before that can happen, Pellegrino will be collecting items beginning now through the sale in May.

She has appreciated the contributions in past years, she said, and hopes that people will be as generous and anxious to do some spring cleaning to clear out their homes of treasures for someone else to use.

This year's yard sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 17 and 18 at 150 State St., Batavia. 

"They may drop off, or we can also do pick-ups," Pellegrino said about donations. "People can also reach out to me directly at 585-356-4867 or email at angelinapellegrino@ymail.com. We accept most items except for large furniture, such as couches, hutches, etc. As always, any and all proceeds go directly to the next Habitat homeowner."

Pellegrino has been holding this yard sale as a way to pay it forward since she was a recipient of the Habitat home ownership program. 

Raymond Stanley is indicted on counts of burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony, grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and criminal trespass in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Stanley is accused of entering a building on Lake Street, Le Roy, with the intent to commit a crime. He's accused of stealing property with a value in excess of $1,000. He is accused of possessing stolen property with the intent to benefit himself while impeding the recovery of the property by the rightful owner. He is accused of being on property owned by another without authorization.

Jacob J. Russell and Connor L. Andrews are indicted on counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. Both Russell and Andrews are accused of possessing brass knuckles while having been previously convicted of a crime on Dec. 23 in the city of Batavia. They're also accused of possessing cocaine.

Jennifer M. Shaffer is indicted on counts of aggravated driving while intoxicated, a Class E felony, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. Shaffer is accused of driving drunk and under the influence of drugs, a misdemeanor, in the city of Batavia on Oct. 10. Shaffer is accused of driving while impaired with a child age 15 or younger in the vehicle.

Susan A. Samanka is indicted on a count of failure to appear for a photo as a registered sex offender, a Class D felony. Samanka is a registered Level 2 sex offender and is accused of failure to provide a current photograph of herself within the time period provided for by law. She is also indicted on a count of sex offender failure to register change of address, a Class E felony.

Jarvis D. Seymore is indicted on counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a Class E felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Seymore is accused of possessing a 2008 Nissan Altima on Oct. 28, 2022, with the intent to deprive the vehicle's rightful owner of the property. He's also accused of possessing cocaine.

Amy M. Gambino is indicated on a count of criminal contempt in the first degree, a Class E felony. Gambino is accused of violating an order of protection at a location on Alleghany Raod in Darien on Aug. 28.

Shante C. Johnson is indicted on a count of burglary in the second degree, a Class C felony, and criminal mischief in the fourth degree. Johnson is accused of entering a residence on Thorp Street, Batavia, on Sept. 26 with the intent to commit a crime inside the building. Johnson is accused of intentionally damaging a door and door frame at the residence.

Jarrod K. Foriathis is indicated on a count of escape in the second degree, a Class D felony, attempted escape in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Foriathis, after being charged with a felony, allegedly escaped from custody at the Genesee County Jail on July 15. He is accused of attempting to escape. He is accused of damaging a wall at the jail.

Chad M. Johnston is indicated on counts of burglary in the second degree, a Class C violent felony, attempted burglary in the second degree, a Class D felony, and criminal mischief in the third degree, a Class E felony. Johnston is accused of entering a dwelling on Liberty Street on Dec. 6 with the intent to commit a crime inside. He is accused of attempting to enter the building. He's accused of damaging the property of another person with a value of more than $250.

Micahel J. Torres is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Torres is accused of possessing more than 500 milligrams of cocaine with the intent to sell it on July 12. He is accused of attempting to prevent a public servant from performing the servant's official duties.

Mark L. Frongetta is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony, and menacing in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Frongetta is accused of possessing a dangerous instrument with the intent to use it against another person in the town of Batavia on July 1. He allegedly placed another person in fear for his or her safety.

Paul Lee is indicted on counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a Class E felony, two counts of identify theft in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and two counts of petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor. Lee is accused of possessing a debit card belonging to another person with the intent to deprive the other person of possession of the property. He is accused of the identity of another person. He is accused of stealing property at a location in Batavia on Aug. 24.

Lavar V. McKnight is indicted on a count of criminal contempt in the first degree, a Class E felony. McKnight is accused of violating an order of protection at 8250 Park Road, Batavia, on May 25. He is accused of pushing the protected person.

Neikia D. Newton is indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a Class D felony, and aggravated unlicensed operation. Newton is accused of possessing with intent to sell more than a half ounce of cocaine in the city of Batavia on Sept. 27. Newton is accused of driving a 2012 Ford on Route 98 in Batavia on a revoked license.

Owen C. Scouten is indicted on counts of vehicular assault in the second degree, a Class E felony, DWI, a misdemeanor, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, a misdemeanor, endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, and unlawful dealing with a child in the first degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Scouten is accused of driving a vehicle on a public highway, Lewiston Road, Batavia, on Aug. 20 in such a way that it caused serious injury to another person. He is accused of acting in a way that knowingly endangered the physical, mental, or moral health of a child less than 17 years old. He is accused of providing alcohol to a child.

Terry J. Wickham is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a Class C felony, seven counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, and criminal possession of a rapid-fire modification device. Wickham is accused of possessing a loaded AR-15 firearm on Oct. 25 outside his home or business. He is accused of possessing an AR-15 with the ability to accept a detachable magazine, flash suppressor, muzzle break (sic) or muzzle compensator, folding or telescoping stock, and a pistol grip that extends conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. He is accused of possessing six clips capable of storing more than 10 rounds. He is accused of possessing a binary trigger system. 

Kiara A. Bates is indicted on two counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree. Bates is accused of possessing a stolen 2019 Accura with a value greater than $3,000 and of passing fragrances belonging to Ultra Beauty with a value in excess of $3,000.

City Church hosted an Easter Egg Hunt at St. Anthony's on Liberty Street in Batavia on Tuesday evening.

The church is planning another hunt for Easter Sunday at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony's.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

For the second time, the owners of Casper Farm, a farm and retail meat shop on Route 5 in Stafford, have made a substantial donation of steaks, roasts, ground beef, and other cuts of meat to Cornerstone Church in Batavia.

"This has been such a blessing," said Marianne Fish, a member of Cornerstone who helped pick up the donation at the farm on Tuesday evening. "We just started the Pantry of Blessings and were lacking in meat."

Fish said the pantry is open to anybody who needs food assistance. Many people in Batavia access the pantry, she said, and the church makes deliveries to people being housed in local hotels. There are also people from Rochester and Buffalo who come to the pantry for assistance. 

"They're helping the community tremendously," Fish said.

The Batavian just happened to be in the shop when the folks from Cornerstone stopped by to pick up the donation.

"We do this because we want to help the community with product we have an abundance of, and if this community is in need, we want to be able to help the community out," Crystal Casper said.

This donation had a retail value of $1,000.

"We feel that this is a good thing to do, to give back to our community," Casper said.

A 21-year-old man from Greece who is missing and was last seen two days ago in Albion has ties to Batavia, and family members are asking local residents for any help in locating him.

Cooper Karas was last seen wearing black sweatpants, a black hoodie, and a black NF jacket.  

At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, he drove his 2013 silver VW Jetta to his grandmother's house in Albion and left his dog in the fenced yard (the dog is fine) and left.

He has a history of mental health issues and may have been upset at the time he disappeared. 

He is 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

He attended Batavia High School for a time a few years ago and has family in Batavia.

If you have any information regarding Cooper’s location or safety, please call Orleans County Dispatch at 585-589-5527, the Albion Police Department at 585-589-5627 or Greece Police Department at 585-581-4033 or Genesee County Sheriff's Office at 585-343-5000.

Press Release:

Community Action is redoing the food pantry room and their shelves are outdated and bulky. 

Community Action reached out to Zonta International of Batavia for help.

The Zonta club was able to present them with a check for $500 towards these new shelves. This will help store food more efficiently for members of our community in need.  

Press Release:

The Spring 2024 session of Books Sandwiched In will take place on Wednesdays in April at Richmond Memorial Library! The theme for this series is “Remarkable Journeys,” as reflected in the book selections. 

First started in 1981, Books Sandwiched In is a program that invites guest speakers to review books, which are generally non-fiction. Each session will take place from 12:10 - 1 p.m. in the Reading Room and will include coffee, tea, and cookies. 

All who attend can enter for the door prize of a gift certificate to a local lunch spot. Feel free to bring your lunch. You do not need to read the books in order to attend!

Sessions will also be recorded and available to view on the library’s YouTube page following the presentations. The fourth session will feature a raffle of a signed copy of The Wager by David Grann!

Spring 2024 Lineup: 

Wednesday, April 3: Take a Journey to Space

Recent Batavian (and avid reader) Jessica Postle will review The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush.

“When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots - a group then made up exclusively of men - had the right stuff. It was an era in which women were steered away from jobs in science and deemed unqualified for space flight. 

Eventually, though, NASA recognized its blunder and opened the application process to a wider array of hopefuls, regardless of race or gender. From a candidate pool of 8,000 six elite women were selected in 1978--Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon.” (from publisher summary)

Wednesday, April 10: Take a Journey to Freedom

Holland Land Office Director Ryan Duffy will review Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo

“In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North. Along the way, they dodged slave traders, military officers, and even friends of their enslavers. The tale of their adventure soon made them celebrities, and generated headlines around the country. 

Americans could not get enough of this charismatic young couple, who traveled another 1,000 miles crisscrossing New England, drawing thunderous applause as they spoke alongside some of the greatest abolitionist luminaries of the day.” (from publisher summary) 

Wednesday, April 17: Take a Journey of Faith 

Retired teacher Jim Kelly reviews: Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim’s Route into Spain by Jack Hitt. Jim will also share about his own personal pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago!

“When Jack Hitt set out to walk the 500 miles from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, he submitted to the rigorous traditions of Europe's oldest form of packaged tour, a pilgrimage that has been walked by millions in the history of Christendom...Along the way, Jack Hitt finds himself persevering by day and bunking down by night with an unlikely and colorful cast of fellow pilgrims. In the day-to-day grind of walking under a hot Spanish sun, Jack Hitt and his cohorts not only find occasional good meals and dry shelter but they also stumble upon some fresh ideas about old-time zealotry and modern belief.” (from publisher summary) 

Wednesday, April 24: Take a Journey at Sea 

RML Media Services Librarian Laura Dumuhosky reviews The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann.

“On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon...it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers.” (from publisher summary)

This session will also feature a raffle for a signed copy of The Wager!

Press Release:

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m. In honor of the birthday of J. Robert Oppenheimer, our topic will be the Manhattan Project. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series. On Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m. we welcome avid bike rider and cycling historian Karen Lankeshofer, as she presents on Elsa Von Blumen, who first became a professional “race walker” in 1879 and was soon enticed to try high-wheel bicycle riding by bicycle manufacturer Albert Pope. She was a prominent figure on the bicycle-racing scene in the 1880s and competed throughout the Eastern United States ( including in Batavia). Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend. 

"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!"

The Holland Land Office is proud to announce the next edition of our Java with Joe E. On Thursday, April 25 at 9 a.m., Don Burkel will be presenting, “Who Was Philemon (Phil) Tracy & What Is He Doing Here?” With the use of personal letters and photographs, a PowerPoint program will provide an in-depth look into Philemon Tracy and his family. Philemon Tracy was a Major in the Confederate Army from Georgia who is buried in the Historic Batavia Cemetery. Admission is free with coffee and pastries.
Java with Joe E. is sponsored by Pub Hub Coffee for 2024.

Eli Fish Brewing Company celebrated its sixth anniversary with a fun relay race, plenty of craft drinks and frozen fish this past weekend in downtown Batavia. The relay took runners around a block from Jackson Square onto School, Center and Jackson streets and back again to the Square, where a DJ was entertaining participants and spectators alike.

Billy Buckenmeyer's team won their heat in the event, and befitting of the Main Street establishment's name, real fish were used in place of the more traditional baton that passed from runner to runner for the relay. Each team received eight drink tokens and the winning team won a grand prize of four Mug Club memberships for the 2024 season.

Monday’s latest round of city school board budget discussions ended with a theoretical question for the group: If the state provides $300,000 more in Foundation Aid for the district, how do you want to spend it?

Choices included putting the money toward reserves to lower the amount being put toward the 2024-25 expenses, lowering the tax levy and related 2.26 percent property tax increase, or shuttling it toward personnel to hire more teachers.

As it is, a mental health grant and five additional full-time positions have been added to the budget to be effective July 1, and three bus routes that had previously been cut to save money were put back in, Business Administrator Andrew Lang said, because of feedback about how those changes would lengthen the time for students to be on a bus and that could result in behavioral and disciplinary issues.

Still, it seems as though the most vocal board members have eyes for more staff.

As has been the case during each budget talk so far, Vice President John Reigle made no bones about his stance. He previously shared his disappointment and concern about losing seven full-time equivalent grant-funded positions that were added with COVID-19 funds given to the district to assist with post-pandemic measures, five full-time positions that were reduced due to decreased enrollment, and four positions that were not replaced for retired or resigned teachers.

“I’m trying to save some of these positions or to refill some of the retirements or grant positions. It’s a hard pill to swallow to see all the losses,” Reigle said.

Board member Jenn Lendvay agreed with Reigle about where any extra state aid should go.

Board member Alice Benedict suggested a dual purpose, putting the money toward hiring staff and also some into the reserve fund.

Smith said that he didn’t want to “give you false hope … but there have been intense lobbying efforts” at the state level to loosen the purse strings in Albany and free up more funding for school districts.

“There's more negotiations to happen just as we're doing here in this session, same thing, same kind of stuff there,” he said.

He introduced David Lowery, Area 1 director of the New York State School Boards Association representing school boards in Genesee, Erie, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Lowery urged board members to appeal to their legislators before the budget is finalized.

NYSSBA’s talking points include to:

• Reject executive proposal to eliminate the state’s save harmless provision by cutting Foundation Aid for 337 school districts. Save Harmless stipulates that districts could not lose money if their estimated need declined.
• Reject executive proposal to amend the inflationary factor in the Foundation Aid formula.
• Support Legislative proposals to provide a minimum 3% Foundation Aid increase for all districts.
• Support legislative proposals to provide funding to the State Education Department to conduct a study on the Foundation Aid formula.
• Reject executive proposal to freeze the school aid database and cap aid payments.
• Reject executive proposal to permanently shift certain CSE special education costs from the state to school districts.
• Support executive and Legislative proposals to exclude certain external funds from the calculation of transportation aid for zero-emission bus purchases.
• Support legislative proposals to fund a full universal school meals program.
• Support legislative proposals to increase career and technical education funding through increases in the BOCES aidable salary cap and special services aid.
• Support executive proposal to remove “supplement, not supplant” language from pre-k funding.
• Support legislative proposals to increase funding for pre-k full-day and half-day programs.
• Support Senate proposal to increase investments in preschool special education programs and special act school districts.

Lang said that if the district were to receive a conservative estimate of $200,000 more in Foundation aid, putting that toward the fund balance would reduce the amount being used for the budget from $3.7 million to $3.5 million.

“That still, in my opinion, as a school business official, that's still an exceedingly high number of appropriated fund balance,” he said. “I would be cautious as to continually appropriate that amount of funding and relying on it to balance the district's budget with a 1 to 2%. You'd have to go back to that allowance of considerably less than one out of that fund balance of about $1.2 million.”

The board needs to focus on the expenses side of the budget, he said, and move towards a vote to adopt that on April 22. Reigle asked for a list of what types of positions had been cut and where they were located within the district, such as a social sciences teacher in the middle school, “just so we can kind of have an idea of where we're looking at what we're talking about,” he said.

The question was asked how reducing staff affects class size. Molly Corey, executive director of curriculum and instruction, said that tools are used to assess such dynamics, and although the state says there can be 28 kids in a class, “we’re really not making super large class sizes anywhere,” she said.

Jackson Primary between 18 to 24 kids, John Kennedy Intermediate has 20 to 24, and Batavia Middle School has 24 to 28. Smith added, “We’re really trying to concentrate on classes at the lower grade levels for obvious reasons.”

“I think this school district has done really well at keeping class size under 20,” Benedict said.

Lang had previously reviewed overall enrollment projections, which are expected to gradually decline. Numbers had dipped to 2,006 in 2021-22, and then rose back up to 2,031 in 2022-23, 2,072 in 2023-24, and then slipped back down to 2,047 in 2024-25, and are projected to fall to 2,034 in 2025-26 hover around there in 2026-27, fall again to 2,022 in 2027-28 and bounce back to 2,046 in 2028-29.

Reducing the staff was still “a big concern of mine,” Reigle said.

A $1.4 million mental health grant that Corey said her staff didn’t know it was receiving in August 2022 and still has access to will allow the district to add five more full-time positions. The same number of positions were reduced due to declining enrollment. They will be added on in July this year.

“We are pleased to say we can look at a couple new positions for next year,” Smith said. “A purpose of the grant is to expand our services,” he said.

About $286,000 has been spent so far, with $1.1 million remaining for the staff expense, Lang said.

As of Monday evening, the board is expected to vote on a proposed $60,373,861 budget during its meeting on April 22. That’s a 2.38 percent increase, or about $1.4 million more than this year’s budget. This plan would include a tax levy of $20,339,336 for a tax rate increase of 2.26 percent or 39 cents per $1,000 assessed value. That would be an extra $48.75 a year on a home assessed at $125,000.

A public presentation is set for 6 p.m. on May 14, to be followed by a budget vote on May 21.

The young players who are learning the game as members of the Batavia Stingers, so Batavia High School's varsity softball team members coaching the Stingers players is good for both teams, said Rob Kersch.

Kersch is Batavia's varsity softball coach.

The Blue Devils hosted a clinic for Stingers players in the auxiliary gym at the high school on Saturday.

"I wanted to make sure our kids are giving back to the community," Kersch said. "They were all little softball players, you know, like they're teaching and coaching right now. I wanted to give back, and they're excited about it, too. They want to get involved with these kids. The other thing is, you're looking at future Batavia Blue Devils. We want to foster some a relationship with them, and help build them up, so when they come up to us, they will be much better players."

Saturday's clinic was all about hitting. Clinics scheduled for April 7 and April 21 will concentrate on fielding and base running.

Current Stingers Board President Michelle Gillard said, "This is a great opportunity for our young athletes to learn and be mentored by older players."

Matt Landers, one of the co-founders of the Stingers, helped facilitate the clinic and said he thinks there is demand for the Stingers program to grow in Batavia, but more parents need to get involved, especially as coaches.

"I think that we definitely have a need in the community and more interest in the community," Landers said. "We're thrilled to be able to do this, again to keep this program going. But we know we can get bigger and have more more kids play ball, but it all comes down to having more coaches."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Jasper Thomas found the Kiwanis Golden Easter Egg in Centennial Park on Monday, with a prize certificate in it for a chocolate Easter bunny from Oliver's Candies.

The Batavia Kiwanis Club is hiding a golden egg daily through Thursday. The ticket can be redeemed at the club's annual Easter Egg Hunt in Centennial Park at 9 a.m. sharp on Saturday.

Newstead Homes Kings beat Kelly's Holland Inn Stars, 6-1, on Sunday at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to win the Batavia Men's League Hockey Championship.

The Kings came out of the locker room hot, opening the first period with goals by Dan Eckerson, Evan Eckerson, and David Holtz. 

"We knew going in that they were going to come out flying, and we just had to play our game," Evan Eckerson said. "Gary (Schum), our goalie, he played a heck of a game, and you can't really ask anything else of him. He didn't allow a goal until 10 seconds left."

Eckerson said his team scored "not the greatest goal" to take a 1-0.

"But, hey, they all count. They all look the same on the score sheet. That got us on the board and that got us the momentum to keep going through the first period."

In the second period, the Kings took advantage of a penalty, with Shane Wiseman netting a power-play goal, assisted by Mitch Ernst.   

The Stars got some quality shots on Schum in the second and third period, but the goaltender was equal to the task.

"This team has been all about energy, checking the whole season long, and today they did a great job in front of me -- pressuring the puck and resolving the turnovers," Schum said. "Defensively, they were just great in our own zone today."

The Kings' netminder kept the Stars scoreless through four penalty kill opportunities in the third period until, with 9.3 seconds to play, Jason Hauesser scored for the Stars.

Evan Eckerson added two more goals late in the third period, getting the hat trick and securing the most valuable player award for the game.

Kings Coach Charlie O'Geen, the last original active member of the league, won his sixth championship.

"We won the championship with Charlie a couple of years ago," Eckerson said. "There's no better guy who deserves it more. He's one of the first ones. He's been here since the start, and he's still here, still winning championships, picking championship teams."

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Photos by Steve Ognibene