batavia

Press Release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that tickets are on sale dates for two upcoming events taking place this August at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel’s Park Place Room.

A “Sock Hop” to benefit Mothers of Veteran Suicide will take place on Monday, August 7 from 2 - 6 p.m. Special musical guests Ruby Shooz will play from 3 - 5 p.m. and there will be 50/50 and Penny Raffles as well as Silent Auction Items.  Attendees are encouraged to wear their best “Grease” outfit for the costume contest. Tickets are $15 and you get back $15 in Free Play. Those with Military ID will receive a complimentary ticket. See all details on BataviaConcerts.com. 

Seltzers and Sulkies presented by White Claw Hard Seltzer and Bud Light Seltzer will be on Saturday, August 19. The cost is $40 and includes Seltzer Sampling, Grazing Stations, $20 in Free Play, and a $5 wager on Live Racing at Batavia Downs which is happening that night. The event will run from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Tickets for these events will be available at www.BataviaConcerts.com beginning on Friday, July 14 at 5 p.m. Hotel Deals for these events will go live on Monday, July 17.

“As we say in our commercials, we love you right back,” said Henry Wojtaszek, President and CEO of Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. “We are honored to host Michelle and her Mother’s Veterans Group here for their fundraiser. As with all charities and groups that have events onsite, we’ll be doing our best to help them raise awareness and much-needed funds for their cause.”

The 200-year history of the Historic Batavia Cemetery is on display at the Holland Land Office Museum in a show curated by HLOM Director Ryan Duffy and Cemetery Association President Sharon Burkel.

The display opened on Wednesday.

"All the people who founded this community are buried in there," Burkel said. "These people came from Connecticut, Massachusetts, in the late 1700s, early 1800s. They came in wagons, probably drawn by oxen and horses. I always ask people, would you do that? Would you leave your home in those areas and come this far, make your way through Indian Territory and everything else to establish a city? A lot of them were very influential nationally, like Dean Richmond. These people held a great deal of power. (The cemetery is) Also important when you look at all the streets in the city. All the names on the streets are all the people that are buried in that cemetery. And the reason that it's on the state national register -- because most of their homes and businesses are gone. And that was one of the main reasons we got designated."

Burkel said the city's first cemetery was on South Lyon Street, by the Tonawanda Creek, but when there were floods, bodies washed away, so they moved it over to what is now known as Harvester Avenue but was originally Cemetery Street. It was owned by the Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church.

In 1823, the Batavia Cemetery Association was formed and that not-for-profit organization took over ownership and still owns it today. 

Duffy said HLOM had some artifacts related to the cemetery, but the association loaned to the museum much of what is on display. 

"It was about creating a new space, but also shining light on another local hidden gem that people tend to forget about sometimes," Duffy said.

Preparing the display was an interesting task at times. He had to research what organizations some metal grave markers represented, and some of the artifacts the museum already had in its inventory hadn't necessarily been connected to the cemetery before. 

"There was a little bit of detective work going into some of this, which always makes it a little more exciting," Duffy said. "Going through things that are here in the museum, we didn't necessarily know they were connected to people in the cemetery because we hadn't really taken a deep look into them. So it uncovered a lot of things that we didn't even know we had."

Vette opened the Thursday Night concert series in Jackson Square yesterday.

The band consists of Kole Moore, lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Alex Fitzak, lead guitar, and on Thursday, the substitute rhythm section was Mike "Thunder" Warren on bass and Alex DeSmit on drums.

The next show is the band Free Beer on Thursday, followed by Qwister on Aug. 10 and Radio Relapse on Aug. 17.

The concerts are hosted by the Business Improvement District.

Akari Lewis-Iburi and Shin Iburi are mixing a keen eye for light and shadow and composition to capture the special moments and occasions of area families and couples.

Their success so far has made it possible for the brother and sister team to open a photography studio in Downtown Batavia.

They've been working together as photographers for more than a decade.

Akari Lewis-Iburi was always interested in photography, she said. She took her first photojournalism class in high school and continued photography as a hobby into college. 

It wasn’t until deep into her college career that her brother asked her to go photograph a wedding for the first time. 

“It was the summer of my senior year in college,” Akari recalled. “I was an English major, but I actually wanted to be a journalist. I was really interested in photojournalism. My brother got asked to shoot a wedding, and that was our first wedding together. From there, it kind of snowballed.” 

The pair now owns and operates a photography studio that specializes in weddings, engagements, senior photos, family photos and maternity shoots. Pulling from her journalistic roots, both Akari Lewis-Iburi and Shin Iburi mix the art of being a wallflower and staging engaging photos. Customers can expect to receive images that feel both beautiful and natural. 

Since moving into the new, larger studio space, the siblings hope to install a projector screen within the studio. The pair believes that it will help the couples reminisce about their wedding day in a new way. 

“I want them to feel what they felt on their wedding day,” Akari said. “I want them to look back on that moment and feel those feelings again. It’ll be a nice closure to our working relationship.” 

Akari also plans to make her new studio space a place for communal gatherings. Since experiencing live music has also been one of her passions, she foresees the studio place to host live music nights showcasing local bands and open mic nights. 

“When I was a kid growing up here, there was this cool coffee shop on main street,” she said. “I just want to give a space for original music.”

Iburi Photography is located at 35 Jackson St. in Batavia.

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The Muckdogs split a doubleheader at home with the Elmira Pioneers on Thursday, winning game one 11-4 and dropping the nightcap 5-3.

Victor Alongi, from Greece and a GCC student, led the offense in the first game, going 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Rashad Robinson was 2-2 with a walk, three runs scored, and two RBIs.

The winning pitcher was Jack Keeler, going four innings and giving up two hits, walking none while striking out six. He's now 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA.

In the second game, Robinson went 2-2 with a walk.

Julian Pichardo took the loss, going five innings and giving up four runs, three earned while striking out seven. He's now 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA.

Batavia is now 21-10 and still on top on the Western Division of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

The Knights of Columbus Kirby council 325 sponsored the night at the ballpark in honor of celebrating their 125th anniversary that was chartered on April 25th, 1898.  The assembly colorguard and members of the council attended the event.  They also held a 50/50 raffle where the winner took home $205.00.

At 6:35 p.m. tonight (Friday), the Muckdogs play a non-league game against Rochester at Dwyer Stadium.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

A two-car motor vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Ellicott Street Road and Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia.

The injuries are reportedly minor.

Town of Batavia Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 9:24 a.m.: A third Mercy ambulance requested to the scene.

City officials turned their thoughts to cannabis for a few moments this week as City Manager Rachael Tabelski described the plight of legal cultivators, locally Empire Hemp, which had originally been scheduled on City Council’s meeting agenda.

Company co-founders Chris Van Dusen and Shelly Wolanske were going to talk about an initiative to sell cannabis products at farmers markets, a concept being drafted in the Empire State for the summer season. However, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently squashed that move, which added yet another hindrance to a market that’s already suffered a slow roll-out of avenues to distribute and sell their products.

“(They) have been producing products in the legal market. Prior to cannabis being authorized by New York State was one that was authorized, they shifted to that market for cultivation. And they ramped up, and right now, they're sitting on over $300,000 worth of product and had to lay off four staff members because the Office of Cannabis Management cannot get retail licenses out quick enough. So there's over, I think it was 80, brands of cannabis that are certified by New York State, all sitting in warehouses full of cannabis, but only 10 legal retail outlets right now,” Tabelski said during this week’s council meeting. “And to get your product into the legal retail outlets, the majority being in New York City, you almost have to live in New York City or have a salesperson present down there. So anyone in the sales market knows you have to apply to those retail outlets to move your product. 

“So I want you to be aware of the emerging market. This is a business that has typically enjoyed the support of the city. They've stayed in the city, and they've purchased or leased more space to produce their products. And right now, they're very much hamstrung. So I just wanted to bring that to everyone's attention.”

Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said that he’s heard about the illegal retail sites “that keep popping up in the city, and people think they have a license” when they actually do not. 

“So you’re telling me no one in Genesee County, no one in this area, has a legal distribution license itself?” he said. 

That’s right, Tabelski said, “except if you’re on sovereign land.”

She’s referring to Tonawanda Indian Reservation, which does not have to abide by the same state regulations as other dispensaries. Van Dusen checked that site to see about the possibility of selling some product, but shop owners on tribal land wouldn’t pay what Empire Hemp, which deals with state taxes, charges, Van Dusen said.

He and Wolanske said they are disappointed with how things have happened with licensing — they were led to believe that some 30 dispensaries were to open in March — and with the prospective farmers market, however, they’re confidently looking forward. 

"Mainly down in New York City, there are only 10 dispensaries. And there's 80 brands that are trying to get on the shelves in these 10 dispensaries. So it's very challenging to maintain, and we're currently in half of those dispensaries. But there needs to be more to make this a successful program, especially in our area," Van Dusen said. "And we were held up with that court-ordered injunction with a lawsuit that just finally opened up, you know, in the Finger Lakes region in Western New York a little while ago. So now we're about six months behind New York City, and getting dispensaries opened up here. So the first one to open next week in Buffalo. And we will be in that one. We're really excited about that. Dang 716."

Another one, MJ Dispensary, is to open in Henrietta in about a month, with a few more following in the Buffalo area. It takes time to open a site and includes a final walk-through by the Office of Cannabis Management, “so once they get their license, you're looking at a good three to five months,” Wolanske said.”

One element of the industry affects another — it’s a trickle-down effect, she said — from the grower to processors and end product. Empire Hemp still has goods from 2022 “because there’s no outlets for these grow cultivators to sell at, there’s not enough dispensaries,” he said. “So the cultivators are really hurting because it’s harder for them to get it to go to the dispensaries and get on the shelves because it’s so competitive to get on the shelf space.”

“So if they had 50 dispensaries open, well then, it would change, the demand would be in our favor, we wouldn’t be selling out of everything, it wouldn’t even be a question,” he said. 

Tabelski ventured to guess what part of the problem is.

“I dare say that they're in over their head with the Office of Cannabis Management and the rollout of this program,” she said. Jankowski agreed, adding that, for what he understands the board makes — “in excess of hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries” — they’re not doing their jobs. 

The City of Batavia is far from alone in its assessment of the state agency’s efficiency. Rev. Kirsten John Foy, a spokesman for the Coalition for Access to Regulated & Safe Cannabis, called the OCM “ineffective at every turn.”

“Growers, CAURD (conditional adult-use retail dispensaries) licensees, disabled veterans, workers, consumers, medical cannabis patients and individuals harmed by cannabis prohibition are paying the price for its ineptitude — all while the illicit market booms,” Foy said in a New York Post article. 

Similarly to what Jankowski and Van Dusen have noted locally, albeit on a lower scale, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been tallying the number of illegal pot shops sprouting up in the absence of licensed dispensaries and manpower to close them down. In NYC, Adams’ count is 1,500, while Hochul’s office puts that number at 2,500, and law enforcement doubles that to 5,000 and estimates that illegal smoke shops are making $2,000 to $3,000 profits a day. While sites in smaller cities such as Batavia aren’t likely to claim such boons, is it a wonder why they’re popping up?

Empire Hemp will continue to operate by the book, as it has since the beginning, Van Dusen and Wolanske said. Their downtown retail store, which sells hemp products, is doing well and is self-sustaining, Wolanske said. In fact, “we’re doing better than last year,” she said. “We have a lot of faithful followers.”

And they look forward to finally seeing those promised 30 dispensaries, now to arrive in October, as they ride out a bumpy state cannabis program.

“So when that happens in this area, we will be set. So all that inventory is still good. It's not gone bad. So we could still sell that. And it's just a matter of getting these locations open,” Van Dusen said. “We’ve always done everything by the book, so we feel that it’ll be good that we did that. That will benefit us in the long run, because there will be less competition. Right now, we’re dealing with the illicit market. It’s really hard, especially when people are used to going into these smoke shops and paying a certain price.” 

Jose Luis Agosto Santiago, 39, of Ravine Avenue, Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Santiago is accused of stealing $1,384.90 in merchandise from Target in Batavia at 12:41 p.m. on July 6. He was issued an appearance ticket. Previously: Shoplifting suspect flees Target on foot with more than $2,000 in merchandise

David Lofton, Jr., 28, of Locust Street, Rochester, is charged with assault 2nd. Loften was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 1:28 p.m. on July 8,  in the Genesee County Jail. He was arraigned and returned to jail.

Jocolby S. Wallace, 34, of Bryan Street, Rochester, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, smoking cannabis while driving, and obstructed view. Wallace was stopped on Feb. 14 at an undisclosed location in the City of Batavia by Officer Wesley Rissinger. Following an investigation, he was arrested on July 4.  He was arraigned and released under supervision.

Dominic J. Taylor, 20, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with menacing 2nd and criminal possession of a weapon 4th. Taylor is accused of displaying a knife during an incident on Grandview Terrace on July 3. He was arraigned and ordered to appear in City Court at a later date. 

Tonya M. Weber, 39, of Highland Park, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Weber was arrested on a warrant on July 1 and allegedly found in possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. She was arraigned and ordered held in the Genesee County Jail.

Victor A. Rivera-Cotto, 55, no known address, is charged with aggravated DWI. Rivera-Cotto was arrested following a civilian traffic complaint on East Main Street in the City of Batavia. During the investigation, Officers Andrew Mruczek and Megan Crossett located a suspect vehicle and determined that Rivera-Cotto was allegedly operating the vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol. Rivera-Cotto was processed and released on appearance tickets. 

Heidi L. Klein, 48, of South Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Klein is accused of stealing from a business (Batavia PD did not release the name of the business) on June 22. She was issued an appearance ticket. UPDATE: The business was 7-Eleven on East Main Street, Batavia.

Adam B. Thomas, 34, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal Contempt 2nd.  On July 11, Thomas was allegedly driving a vehicle on July 11 on North Street with a passenger in the vehicle who is protected by an order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Mark S. Lucas, 41, of Gregory Street, Rochester, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant on June 29. Lucas was charged on April 8 with aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, driving with a suspended registration and operating with an expired inspection during a traffic stop on Main Street in Batavia. Lucas was issued several traffic tickets and released. The warrant was issued on June 14 after Lucas allegedly failed to appear in court. Lucas was arraigned and released on his own recognizance. The arrest was handled by Officer Stephen Quider.

Kimberly L. Blue, 34, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, was taken into custody on a bench warrant. Blue was initially arrested on Nov. 27, 2021, after she allegedly left four children under the age of 10 unsupervised for several hours. The warrant was issued on June 9, 2002, after Blue allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned and ordered to appear in court again at a later date.

Shelby L. Fryer, 27, of Prune Street, Batavia, was taken into custody on two warrants. The first is a bench warrant that stems from a traffic stop on East Main Street on Jan. 2. Fryer was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd. A warrant was issued for Fryer on April 5 after she allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arrested on that warrant on April 21. She was arraigned and released. The current warrant was issued on May 3 after Fryer allegedly failed to appear in court again. The second warrant stems from an incident on April 21. Fryer allegedly lied to police about her identity in order to avoid being arrested on the previous warrant. She was charged with criminal impersonation 2nd. She was issued an appearance ticket and released. An arrest warrant was issued on May 3 after she allegedly failed to appear in court. Fryer was arrested on June 20 when she was located during a traffic stop on Washington Avenue in Batavia. She was arraigned and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $500 cash bail, a $1,000 bond, or a $5,000 partially secured bond.

Christopher Joseph Tunney, 48, of Pierpoint Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Tunney is accused of possessing cocaine at the time of his arrest on a warrant out of Ontario County on July 7 at 10 p.m. at a location on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Cologeno Anthony Gallo, 19, of Calpin Parkway, Clarence, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Gallo is accused of stealing a backpack with contents valued at more than $1,000 while at Darien Lake Theme Park on July 4 at 9 p.m.

Rebeca Rochelle Fugate, 22, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd.  Fugate is accused of striking another person in the person's back with a bare hand at 6 p.m. on July 9 at a location on Lewiston Road, Batavia.

Maurice Richard McCoy, 70, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. McCoy was stopped at 6:13 p.m. on July 2 on Veterans Memorial Drive by Deputy Alexander Hadsall.

Josephine Barreto, 52, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Barreto is accused of stealing something from an undisclosed location in the Town of Batavia on July 6 at 9:25 a.m.  The State Police did not release further information. She was released on  an appearance ticket.

Zachary D. Leitten is indicted on three counts of aggravated DWI, a Class E felony,  DWI, a Class E felony, DWI, as a misdemeanor, and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, a misdemeanor. Leitten is accused of driving drunk with children less than 15 years old in the car on Jan. 17 in the Village of Corfu. His BAC at the time of his arrest was allegedly .08.

Kent L. Handy, Jr., is indicted on a count of DWI, a Class E felony. Handy is accused of driving drunk on Jan. 28 in the Town of Stafford while on the Thruway. The indictment alleges that Handy was previously convicted of DWI on Sept. 8, 2015, in the City of Rochester.

Ryan J. Wanike is indicted on counts of DWI, a Class D felony, and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, a Class D felony. Wanike is accused of driving drunk on Nov. 28 on Clinton Street Road in the Town of Stafford. His BAC was allegedly .08.  The indictment alleges that he had a prior DWI conviction on Sept. 24, 2015, in the Town of Gates.

Sarah L. Elmore is indicted on counts of aggravated DWI, a Class E felony, and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, a Class E. felony. Elmore is accused of driving with a BAC 0f .08 or greater with a child less than 15 years old in the vehicle on Sept. 10 in the Town of Bethany on Molasses Hill Road.

Joseph C. Jeffords is indicted on counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, a Class E felony, and petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor. Jeffords is accused of falsifying a bill of sale at Pawn King on Dec. 10 in order to conceal a theft from Dick's Sporting Goods.

Parker E. Payton is indicted on counts of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony, DWI, a Class E felony, and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, a Class E felony. Payton is accused of driving drunk while on a revoked license on Dec. 31 on South Street in the Village of Le Roy.

Dale W. Skaters, Jr., is indicted on one count of grand larceny in the fourth degree. Skates is accused of stealing property valued at more than $1,000 while at The Home Depot on Nov. 16.

Chad W. Main is indicted on counts of driving while ability impaired by drugs, a Class E felony, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a Class D felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor.  Main is accused of driving while impaired by drugs on Parmalee Road in the Town of Le Roy on Dec. 2 while his license was revoked. He is accused of possessing more than 500 milligrams of cocaine and of possessing methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Main had his driving privileges revoked on April 27, 2017.

Isaac D. Abrams is indicted on one count of robbery in the second degree, a Class C violent felony. Abrams is accused of using force on March 10 to steal money and a safe from a dispensary on Poodry Road in the Town of Alabama.

Matthew M. Keiffer is indicted on counts of burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony, two counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony, and criminal mischief in the third degree, a Class E felony. Kieffer is accused of breaking into a business in the Town of Pembroke on March 16, causing damage to the building, with the intent to commit a crime, and of stealing two credit cards.

Anthony F. Armstrong, Jr., is indicted on counts of burglary in the first degree, a Class B violent felony, unlawful imprisonment in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony, menacing in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and three counts of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Armstrong is accused of entering an apartment on Walnut Street, City of Batavia, on March 20, with the intent to commit a crime within, and of using a serrated blade knife to threaten another person and of unlawfully restraining that person. He is also accused of causing physical damage to the property.

Press Release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI and the Genesee County Youth Bureau are joining forces with the Batavia Muckdogs to host the annual STOP-DWI Night at the Ballpark on Tuesday, July 25 at Dwyer Stadium.

The Genesee County Youth Bureau has a limited supply of complimentary tickets available for youth and their families. Get your tickets by calling 585-344-3960. Throughout the night, families can take part in a variety of fun and interactive booths, receive numerous giveaways, and have a chance to win a bike from Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle.

STOP-DWI is looking for everyone’s help cheering on 2022 TOP COP Awardees, Genesee County’s Deputy Sheriff Investigator David Moore and LeRoy Police Department’s Officer Jordan Wolcott, as they kick off the night by throwing out the first pitches of the game. Investigator Moore and Officer Wolcott are both multi-year recipients of the program’s TOP COP award and play an essential role in protecting the roadways in Genesee County.

Gates open at 5:35 p.m. and the game starts at 6:35 p.m.

Event sponsors and contributors helping make this event possible include: Batavia Police Benevolent Association, GCASA, Leroy Moose Family Center, Salmon Orthodontics, The Red Osier landmark, WNY Association of Chiefs of Police, Batavia Lions Club, Chapin Manufacturing, Graham Corporation, Kiwanis of Batavia, Polish Falcons Nest #493, O-A Lions Club, Genesee County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Gerace Realty, Parise’s Auto & Towing and Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle.

Submitted photos

Press Release:

If you are 45 years old or older or have a family history of colorectal cancer, now is the time to talk with your primary care provider about what screening option is right for you. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and women.

It is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The CDC also notes that in New York State among all races and ethnicities, the age-adjusted rate of colon and rectum cancer was 32.8 per 100,000 people in 2020. (https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/AtAGlance/).

Colorectal (or colon) cancer is a disease where the cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control. The colon is the large intestine. The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus. When screening for colorectal cancer, providers are looking for abnormal growths called polyps, which may turn into cancer over time. Removing any polyps early on may decrease the risk of cancer.

For some people, there are no symptoms of colorectal cancer at first. Most colorectal cancers begin as precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum. “The only way to determine if a person has polyps or colorectal cancer is through regular screening,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).

“There are several types of screening (stool tests, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and CT colonography) and you should talk with your healthcare provider to determine which is best for you. Early detection is key in preventing colorectal cancer and also helps to reduce a person’s risk.”

Choosing to eat healthier has shown to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer as well as other chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. People are also encouraged to increase physical activity, keep a healthy weight, limit alcohol consumption and avoid the use of tobacco/nicotine. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can reduce your risk and when you should start screening for colorectal cancer.

For more information on Health Department programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at:

• Genesee County: 585-344-2580 ext. 5555
• Orleans County: 585-589-3278

The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League announced its mid-season All-Stars for each division and four players from the Batavia Muckdogs made the roster.

They are Julian Pichardo, Trey Bacon, Giuseppe Arcuri, and Adam Agresti.

We don't have a photo of Trey Bacon, of Santa Fe College. He is 1-1 with five saves, for the league lead, over eight innings pitched.  He hasn't given up an earned run and has nine strikeouts.

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When pastors Jason and Michelle Norton began their church at the local YMCA with one other attendee, they had no idea their church would grow. 

“It wasn’t really a church plant,” Jason described. “It was more like a church seedling.”

The church grew slowly. 

Jason recounts some of his stressors were if anyone would show up for that week. Soon one attendee turned into five. From there, the couple moved to the YMCA’s workout room in which they would set up and transform the ordinary gym to a place of worship every Sunday. For three years, the Norton’s called the YMCA their home church. 

Now, some 60 members later and growing, the church is in its permanent home in Batavia. But it wasn’t easy. The Nortons needed to buy the building in order to honor their mortgage plan. The pair decided to launch a building campaign in which locals and others could donate to their cause and help them buy the building. The goal was to raise a whopping $50,000 in two years. 

Through the donations of the local Batavian community and businesses, they were able to raise $20,000 in-house alone. Then, an unexpected donor came up with the balance -- Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliette, Tenn.

Locke is known for helping build and donate to Christian churches around the country. He heard about EverPresent’s need for their building and wrote a check for $31,000. 

“At this point now, the church technically has no debt. We own our own space.” Jason said. 

To celebrate the church’s tenure, EverPresent Church is planning on throwing a celebration on Sunday.  All in the community are welcome. Attendees can expect a regular service with guest worship leader Greg Skolaski, a dedication of various ministry leaders followed by hors d'oeuvres. 

“A huge thank you,” the Nortons said to those who would be unable to attend. “The businesses of Batavia over the years, prior to paying off the mortgage, have been very generous. We do basket raffles and fundraisers; they’ve always been super generous with supporting anything that we do. A super huge thank you to every business and all those who live in Batavia and all those who have done what they could to help us be successful.” 

Entering the bottom of the eighth inning in their game against the Geneva Red Wings at Dwyer Stadium on Tuesday, the Batavia Muckdogs were in danger of dropping their second game in a row for the first time since mid-June when the team rallied for four runs and a 5-2 win.

With one out, Cam Carignan reached base on a walk. Rashad Robinson followed with a double, driving in Carignan to tie the game. An infield single by Josh Leadem put runners at first and third. Lucas Lopez singled to right, driving in Robinson to give Batavia the lead at 3-2.  Lopez stole second.

With two outs after Adam Agresti struck out, the Red Wings gave Giuseppe Acuri a free pass. 

Trey Bacon walked, scoring Leadem.  Cristian Bernadini singled to center, scoring Lopez.  Arcuri was thrown out at the plate trying to score, ending the inning.

Jacob Bruning, from Gasport, recorded the final three outs in his first appearance of the season to get the save. He struck out two batters.

Michael Pedraza (3-1)  got the final out on a strikeout in the top of the eighth, making him the winning pitcher.

Alexander's Ty Woods started and went five innings, giving up two unearned runs, three hits and striking out six Red Wings.

Lopez was named Player of the Game, going 3-4 with a run scored, RBI, and stolen base.  Robinson was 2-3 with a run scored, RBI, and a double.

Arcuri was 1-2 with two walks.

Nicholas Franceschi took the loss for Geneva, giving up four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Geneva's starter Drew Mun went evening innings and fanned seven giving up only one run.

Batavia remains atop the Western Division of the PGCBL at 20-9, 2.5 games ahead of Jamestown.

After a day off today, Batavia plays at home on Thursday against Elmira.  Game time is 5 p.m.

For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.

Singer Melzie Case, accompanying herself on piano, and drummer Bob Chaplin, performed a free concert at Richmond Memorial Library on Tuesday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Police are investigating the shooting of a woman on Holland Avenue in the City of Batavia just after midnight on Wednesday.

The woman was found with a gunshot wound by officers after dispatchers received a report of a disturbance at 12:07 a.m. involving 10 to 15 people on Holland Avenue. There was a report of callers hearing gunshots. 

When officers arrived, multiple people fled. 

The woman was transported to ECMC by ground ambulance.  Police said the status of her injuries are not known.

Batavia PD states it will not release further information at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Matt Lutey at 585-345-6311, the Batavia Police Department's confidential tip line at 585-345-6370.

I've enjoyed walking the streets of Batavia this summer. I am going to take you on one of my walks. This walk is like taking a trip back to when I was young. Everything is jumbled, but certain places take me back to that time. 

Walking down Liberty Street, I stopped and looked at a small new park. That was the place where my favorite bakery stood, Pellegrino's. I loved their jelly doughnuts, bread, and pizza. I loved the smell of garlic and onion from the open windows as I walked to Mass at St. Anthony's Church.

Walking by St. Anthony's Church makes my heart so sad. I can imagine hearing children playing outside for recess or walking quietly into church for Mass. I remember being at my Aunt Maggie Worth's wedding and her wedding reception at the Community Center.  I never imagined St. Anthony's would close; I know more churches will follow. Back in the day, when those church doors opened, hundreds of people would pour out of the doors, another sad chapter. 

Walking by Kibbe Park, I remember taking our daughters swimming in the wading pool. If we needed a part for our television set, there was a neighborhood store on Jackson Street we could walk to for a part for our TV set.  

Now I'm walking by the Pok-A- Dot, and that reminds me of all the times our dad took us there to give our poor mom a break from her six kids. 

Southside Deli, the former Riccobono's, is where we bought Italian cheese for Sunday sauce. Joe Rose's novelty store on Ellicott Street was where you could buy all those crazy gadgets we loved. Was that where my brothers bought caps and Chinese handcuffs? They even sold fake poop and fake vomit.  

You can't forget Angie's Restaurant, located near Joe Rose's. 

I'm now on Main Street, which fills me with sadness like all my baby boomer friends. No sense rehashing what we lost, but we shared great memories from Main Street in its heyday.  

I'm now walking by St. Joseph's Church and the school I attended as a child. Those memories are filled with nuns, jump roping, and playing basketball on the tarmac. We didn't have a gym then, so we made our fun.   

I was trying to look into Quartley's store window on Washington Ave the other day. I remembered all the mom-and-pop stores on almost every street corner. The store closest to you was your favorite. When I was young, my store was Red and White on Ross Street. We would take our recyclable glass pop bottles to the store to get our change for making purchases from the penny candy box. 

Growing up on Evergreen Drive, John Kennedy School was in our backyard. We watched it being built. I remember roller skating with our ball-bearing skates on the sidewalks, hoping I would not lose the skate key. 

Now walking has taken me to our New Pool behind MacArthur Park. It was a summer filled with swimming and friends. We couldn't wait for the doors to open, pay our 25 cents, and get our key for our locker. We wore the key on our ankles.   

Every park I would walk by had another special memory because in the summer, our days were spent at our park, and our park would be competing in the Park Parade in August. 

Walking down Richmond Avenue, I stopped and looked at the hill at State Street Park, what we called it back in our day. Going down that hill in our flexible red flyer wooden sled was so much fun on Saturday afternoons. 

It seems now that I'm in my  70s, those cherished memories just bring a smile and sometimes tears to my eyes. There is one word that describes how I am feeling:  nostalgic. It was a slower lifestyle, surrounded by family and friends and creating our memories. I hope you can also feel that contentment of the 60s I am reliving on my daily walks! 

Photos by Anne Marie Starowitz.