Captain Brian Bentley, Firefighter of the Year, and Chief Christopher Strathearn. Photo by Howard Owens.
Town of Batavia Fire held its annual awards and installation dinner on Saturday at Terry Hills.
At the start of the evening, the department held a moment of silence in remembrance of Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, who died in the line of duty on March 10, 2024, shortly after then of last year's dinner. Town volunteers responded to Batavia Downs for that incident.
Line officers sworn in:
Chief Christopher Strathearn
Deputy Chief Robert Hunt
1st Assistant Chief Joshua Boyle
2nd Assistant Chief Clayton Gorski
Captain Brian Bentley
Lieutenant Tyler Stewart
Safety Officer Paul Dibble
The department responded to 500 calls in 2024, including 233 fire alarms.
Dwayne Fonda, who is now a firefighter with the City of Batavia Fire Department, received the President's Award from President Thomas Cunningham. Photo by Howard Owens.
Chief Christopher Strathearn. Photo by Howard Owens.
Gary Diegalman was honored for 50 years of volunteer service. Photo by Howard Owens.
T.J. Woodward, owner of West Main Wine & Spirits, and Chris Saraceni, store manager. Photo by Howard Owens.
T.J. Woodward acquired West Main Wine & Spirits from Chris Blossom 2 1/2 years ago with an eye toward eventually moving into the retail space next door.
Now located at 343 West Main St., Batavia, the move has enabled Woodward to expand the shop's inventory and upgrade the store's appearance.
"We've added a lot of new products and expanded some of the lines," Woodward said on Saturday during the store's grand opening in the new location. "We've had an opportunity to grow, for sure, in a new space because it's two and a half or three times the size of the old one.
The move was slowed by red tape, Woodward said.
"It took forever because the state was really difficult to get everything lined up with the state as far as permits and then doing all the work," Woodward said. So, it took a lot longer than we thought, but finally, we got through all that paperwork."
Woodward owns the building, which was a key factor in his decision to purchase West Main Wine & Liquor.
"I wasn't necessarily looking to get into the liquor business as much as it was, I own the building, and Chris was looking to sell," Woodward said. "I thought it made sense to buy it. I knew that NAPA (auto parts) was eventually planning on moving out, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to take the liquor store and move it over."
Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The phone number is 585-344-2717.
Most of us live consciously or unconsciously with the illusion that we’re going to live forever, as we push away the fact that this life is going to end sooner or later, Dale Goldstein says.
Even with aging bodies and minds, it can be difficult to accept that reality, yet living in denial means “we don’t realize how precious every moment is because we never know if it’s our last moment,” says Goldstein, director of the Heartwork Institute in Rochester.
“We don't value the mystery of why these branches are blowing outside my window. You know, we don't really appreciate the moment. Most of the time, we're living in the future. Okay, what do I have to do when I get this done? I'm looking forward to the football game on Saturday,” he said during an interview with The Batavian. “So when you really love something, you're really paying close attention to it.
"Here’s a thought: if we paid close attention to everything, we would love everything, and we would live in a state of love and appreciation and gratitude," he said. "So I want people to appreciate their lives.”
Batavia First Presbyterian Church invites all to attend Goldstein’s workshop, “If I Had But One Year to Live.” He plans to take participants through a series of experiential exercises to find their own answers to the question, “If my life is getting cut short, in what ways might I change how I am living right now?”
Goldstein will help people explore what is truly meaningful in their lives, what is in the way of them getting to what they truly want, and how to move through those barriers, he said.
The workshop is free and runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon March 15 at the church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.
“Human beings tend to not want to face our mortality, and because we avoid dealing with this existential issue, we miss much of our actual life in the moment,” he said. “There is a fear deep in our unconscious that prevents us from being fully present in our lives, so we don’t live completely, we don’t love completely, we don’t enjoy completely.
“We can't experience the depth and breadth of being a real human being," he said. "In this workshop, we will come to grips with this ultimate truth of our existence and realize that, knowing when that final moment will come. We need to live each moment fully so we have no regrets when we die.”
He suggests that folks bring a loved one with them to experience the workshop together if possible. Goldstein, who has a master's in social work, will provide guidance along the way as he prompts participants with “some very important questions,” which they will write down to ensure their privacy. The questions are somewhat deep, such as, do you feel fulfilled, and by how much in life? Do you feel alive? There will also be a bit of meditation.
“By facing death, you come to life in a new way,” he said. “And most importantly, for most people, actually, it really helps you get your priorities straight. What's really important is how much of your time you spend doing things that are just a waste of time.”
He didn’t want to give the whole workshop away but hinted that “something beautiful happens at the end.” After more than two dozen of these sessions, people haven’t felt it was a downer of any kind, but instead, “it’s really about seeing clearly what is important to you,” he said.
“It opens your heart to yourself and to life and to others. I call it heart work because it gets to the heart of the matter, and birth and death gets to the heart of the matter,” he said. “It’s beautiful, it really is. That’s why I’ve done it 26 times. It’s really a beautiful little workshop that has a punch to it.”
Who may be an ideal candidate for this workshop? Anyone who wants to enjoy life more, he said.
Goldstein has been doing what he calls heart work since 1980 and has 55 years of experience as a practicing therapist. He is also a teacher of personal-spiritual growth and a nationally known workshop facilitator.
After recognizing the potential limitations of strictly one or the other—cognitive, spiritual, or meditative forms of therapy—he discovered the process of using a combination of tools to open the heart and mind.
For more information, call 585-343-0505 or go HERE
Every solid business venture starts with one thing - a pitch! Whether making a sale or convincing an investor, your business idea pitch has to be organized, well-thought out, powerful and convincing! Genesee Community College (GCC) is here to help get you prepared!
If you have a passion you would like to turn into a business, but you aren't sure if anyone else will think it's a good idea, consider participating in GCC's 7th Annual Business Idea Pitch Competition on Thursday, April 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building at Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus.
The competition is free and open to the public and prizes of $100 for first place and $75 for second place will be awarded to the most outstanding competitors in the "most likely to succeed" and "most creative" categories. Pitches will be judged by local business leaders.
"A solid business idea pitch is essential for every startup. This competition offers participants a valuable opportunity to acquire the skills needed to structure, refine, and present a compelling and persuasive business pitch.," said Dr. Lina LaMattina, director of Business Programs at GCC.
To participate in this event, please register for our Business Idea Pitch Competition by emailing Dr. Lina LaMattina, GCC director of Business Programs at lmlamattina@genesee.edu no later than Friday, April 4.
Among the leading causes for a new business startup failure is a lack of basic business experience. In lieu of losing thousands of investment dollars, today's entrepreneurs have found another way to gain that experience before launching their startup - education. Genesee Community College offers degree, certificate and micro-credential programs in Entrepreneurship to prepare emerging business owners and investors for success.
For more information contact Vice President, Development, Admissions and External Affairs Justin Johnston at 585-345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.
Batavia Downs President & CEO Byron Brown, today announced the lineup for events taking place onsite alongside the 3 Triple Crown Races this spring as well as upcoming concerts.
The Kentucky Derby Gala returns on the first Saturday in May – May 3. Cost is $149 per person and includes Buffet Dinner, Open Bar, a $20 Wager on the Derby, Derby Glass, Derby T-shirt, $60 in Free Play and bourbon sampling from Woodford Reserve, the official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.
Hotel specials are available on that day – The special is $469 and includes 2 entries to the party and a hotel room that evening. Be sure to visit the Hotel Deals page at BataviaDownsGaming.com to book.
“Our Triple Crown events continue to increase in popularity,” said Brown. “Our events calendar is jam-packed. With more events than ever before we are excited to welcome guests here for these outstanding experiences.”
On that same day, the Park Place Room will be host to the Superfecta Special – which includes a $25 Free Play, $5 Wager on the Derby, Derby Program, and a 1/2 BBQ Chicken Lunch. The cost is $35 per person and attendees can pay at the door.
On Preakness Stakes Day - Saturday, May 17, the 4th Annual Tacos and Tequila event sponsored by Teremana takes place inside the Park Place Room. The cost is $35 and includes Tequila Sampling from multiple vendors, a Taco Bar, $20 in Free Play, a $5 wager on the Preakness Stakes, and a gift to take home. Early Bird Tickets will be available for $30 online.
The final jewel of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes, this year it is once again in Saratoga, on Saturday, June 7. That same day inside Park Place is the Bourbon and Whiskey Fest presented by Jack Daniel’s. Cost is $35 and includes Bourbon and Whiskey Sampling, Grazing Stations, $20 in Free Play and a $5 wager on the Belmont Stakes. Early Bird Tickets will be available for $30 online.
If you are unable to make it to Batavia Downs on any of the Triple Crown race dates, be sure to visit our OTB Branches or EZ Bet locations – a list can be found at: https://www.westernotb.com/locations/. Guests can also watch wager and win online at BataviaBets.com.
Prior to the Triple Crown, other Spring events announced by Batavia Downs include:
The 2nd Handicapping Contest of 2025 will take place on Wood Memorial Day, Saturday, April 5 in the Batavia Downs Clubhouse. For a $20 Entry, guests will enter into a contest where they will pick horses from Aqueduct and Keeneland. The top prize will take home 50% of the entry monies up to $2,000. Details will be posted on the Batavia Downs Facebook page soon.
Also on Saturday, April 5 the Niagara Wine Trail hosts their annual “Vino at the Casino” event inside Park Place. General Admission Tickets are $40 presale and include tasting from 2-5pm, a souvenir wine glass, $25 fee play from Batavia Downs and a discount on a food purchase that day at Batavia Downs.
On Friday, April 18, the Batavia Downs Bar Hop welcomes guests in for a beer crawl inside the gaming facility. Tickets are just $25 and you get $10 back in Free Play along with a drink ticket for each of Batavia Downs’ 4 bars that are open that day. Attendees will be able to get a drink while they enjoy live music and take in the Free Nerds Gone Wild Concert that will be taking place that evening inside Park Place.
On Monday, April 21, Batavia Downs holds their annual Dyngus Day Celebration inside of Park Place with music from Fritz’s Polka Band. This FREE event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Polish Platter specials will be available at the Homestretch Grill.
KISS THIS returns to Batavia Downs on Saturday, April 26! Western New York’s Premier Tribute to KISS brings all of theatrics and bombast of a classic KISS show to their performance. Tickets are $15 and attendees receive $10 in Free Play on the day of the show. This performance is standing room only.
Tickets for these events are available at www.BataviaConcerts.com or at the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop in the Lobby.
Tickets are also on sale on BataviaConcerts.com for: Music of the Stars, Al Green & Marvin Gaye Tribute and the entire Rockin’ The Downs Summer Concert Series.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) My HealtheVet online patient portal allows Veterans to access their medical records, refill prescriptions, manage appointments, communicate with their healthcare team, and track their health information all in one place; essentially acting as their personal health record within the VA system.
The sign-in to access to the online portal has moved to a simpler, more modern sign-in experience with two secure sign-in account options: Login.gov and ID.me.
Veterans are no longer able to sign in to VA.gov, VA mobile apps, or other VA online services with a My HealtheVet user ID and password.
To assist Veterans who have not set up a Login.gov or ID.me, the VA Western New York Healthcare System (VAWNYHS) Virtual Health Resource Center (VHRC) team is hosting a My HealtheVet sign-in assistance seminar at the Batavia VA.
The My HealtheVet sign-in assistance seminar will take place on Thursday, March 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Batavia VA, located at 222 Richmond Ave, Batavia. The seminar will be held in the first-floor lobby near Telehealth, Room 144.
Veterans should bring two forms of ID, A state issued driver’s license OR non-driver’s license and one of the following:
Social Security card
Voter registration card
DD214
For more information on the My HealtheVet log in change, Veterans can call the Virtual Health Resource Center at 716-862-7886, Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or e-mail VHAWNYVHRC@va.gov.
NEW! Click here to view 6544 Miller Road Elba. 32 YOUNG Ranch home on quiet rural road situated on 4.2 acres in Elba School District! This is a one owner home ready for new owners to make it their own. Updated throughout the years this home is in move in condition with spacious first floor plan. Kitchen has plenty of cupboards and good sized pantry closet and 1/2 bath for your guests upon entry. Living/dining room is large and brite with pretty hardwood floors and cozy wood stove with hearth to take the chill off! There are also two good sized bedrooms and full bath -everything all within reach on main floor! Attached two car garage leads to extra large partially finished full basement that offers so much extra space to putter around or fully finish off for extra spread out room if wanted! The yard is just waiting for you and SPRING to arrive and enjoy!
NEW! Click here to view West Main Street Road, Batavia (Town). SHOVEL READY!! This property is ready for you to hit the ground running when you are READY TO BUILD as current owner has DONE ALL THE DETAIL WORK already!!Site work completed with survey, perc test/wastewater treatment plan, building plan, building permit AND housing blueprints should you want!! This 1+ acre lot is conveniently located to all major routes and two thruway exits not to mention shopping restaurants and more-ALSO located in Pembroke School System as an added bonus!!
The soon-to-be Genesee County Commissioner of Public Works Laura Wadhams, approved to fill the position to be vacated by Tim Hens in June. Photo by Howard Owens
Similar to many women in the workplace, Laura Wadhams keeps different pairs of shoes in her office, but not because she may need a wardrobe change throughout the day or for an evening out.
She never knows when she might need a pair of steel-toed work boots to check out a project.
Wadhams will be the newly promoted commissioner of Genesee County’s Public Works Department to fill the vacancy left by retiring Commissioner Tim Hens in June.
"I’m very much a Type A, technical person. I loved math and science, so I always kind of knew that engineering or healthcare was in my future. My mom (Jean Lichtenthal) was a healthcare professional, but when I got a little deeper into healthcare, I was like, nope, this is not my calling. So engineering it was, and I love civil engineering,” Wadhams said during an interview at the county highway department on Cedar Street. “I definitely was drawn to civil engineering because I just love being outside … I’m definitely drawn to civil engineering because of that, just building things and being outside and all of that, which not all engineering disciplines get to do.”
This is the first in a series for Women's History Month, which recognizes and honors "the societal, cultural, and historical influences women have made (and continue to make) in the United States," especially in our own backyard.
Wadhams has worked as a civil, staff, and transportation engineer and transportation construction inspector for the New York State Department of Transportation. She was working in the private sector for LaBella Associates when she got a call from Commissioner Tim Hens who was looking to fill the assistant county engineer job in late 2018.
A native of Batavia who graduated from Batavia High School in 2008 and watched her dad, Tom Lichtenthal, work his way to town highway superintendent, Wadhams had a nostalgic tug to her hometown: “If I'm gonna go back to the public sector, I'd rather be at home, and bring all these talents back here to Genesee County and do this work here in Genesee County,” she said.
And Hens was ready to take her.
“She was a perfect candidate to replace me,” said Hens, who is planning his retirement this June after 27 years. “She has done an amazing job in so many different areas, from award-winning bridge projects to airport work, facilities projects and managing the construction of the new county jail. She is an excellent communicator and has the demeanor to work with different agencies, contractors, community leaders, and people.”
A younger Wadhams remembers playing with Matchbox cars on her dad’s Interchange plans to spread out at home, giving her an early head start on her future career. She went on to Clarkson University for a bachelor’s in civil engineering, surrounded by about 80% of the men in the class.
Once out in the consulting world, that split between men and women was more around 60-40, she said, and in Genesee County, there have been “a handful of women” doing this type of work. People ask her about it all the time, and it’s all part of the job, she said.
“That’s not something that phases me anymore. I think, especially civil engineering, it seems like the women in civil engineering can’t be afraid to take up space or own their seat at the table because you've got civil engineers that work with architects on architecture projects, but then civil engineers sometimes are the project manager standalone. So you have to be able to hold your own in that sense. And I learned to do that definitely early on, I did internships at the DOT, I was out by myself on sign crews and striping crews and setting up work zones, dealing with the public who didn’t want the work zone set up on Route 104 during the day."
As Hens mentioned, she’s taken on big projects, with the $70 million new county jail being her largest one so far. Wadhams was on site working alongside contractors and a team of corrections officers learning the inner and outer details of how a jail operates.
“Paul (Osborn) and I spent hours and hours and hours out there; that was a big project for the county, and it was a very public project for the county,” she said. “We wanted to make sure that the county’s interests were protected, as well as getting the things done and moved along in order to get inmates in there, because at the end of the day, that's what the end goal was,” she said.
What did you learn that you maybe didn’t expect of the experience? “I’ve done a lot of schools and lots of other higher education projects and bridge projects and things like that, but the security aspect and the jail perspective of that was way more than I ever thought it was going to be. But we were super lucky to have a jail transition team that we worked with every single day to be able to get through those things,” she said. “There were four corrections officers out there full time. So we got to learn a lot from each other, we were teaching them how to read plans, and they were teaching me how to do keys for jail. So we learned a lot from each other. It was a really great team.”
The jail process took her throughout her whole time with the county, beginning in her first two months of hire in 2018 with the design phase, a break during the Covid pandemic period in 2021, and construction for two years, with completion in 2024.
Her other biggest project was the South Lyon Street bridge, which earned an award and was a collaboration with the city of Batavia, where the bridge is located.
“I was a project manager for that one; that was a lot of time out in the field. We're lucky to be able to work with great consultants and engineers and contractors,” she said. “So for us, it's more making sure the county's goals are achieved. It was a big one, definitely the biggest bridge project the county had ever done.”
What did you do? “So my role as a project manager was basically to oversee the contractors and consultants and make sure we're keeping things on time and on schedule and on budget, for sure. So, if they had issues out in the field, I'd go out in the field and be like, ‘okay, how do we come up with a plan to solve them?’” she said. “Or, let's figure out a solution to this situation that we're running into, or there's a power line that needs to get moved. Let's coordinate with National Grid, things like that, day to day.”
She understands that her role, especially as commissioner, evolves into “some level of a diplomat” because this position serves as a go-between for the highly technical folks drafting plans and county legislators giving approvals. Many times throughout both projects, either Hens or Wadhams presented updates during legislator committee meetings and answered questions.
“You have to be a decent people person at the end of the day and have conversations,” she said.
She and her husband Andy are parents to “amazing” 4-year-old Emma, born in the thick of Covid in May 2020, and Wadhams loves spending time with her family. This totally unbiased mom said that her daughter is “super fun” and apparently a chip off the block — enjoying building tasks already with Magnetiles and Legos — and will be entering kindergarten this fall.
Her family also includes her sister Jennifer, an emergency room physician’s assistant in Pennsylvania, and her brother Andrew, an aeronautical engineer in Colorado.
When not changing her heels for heavy-duty boots, Wadhams spends her free time reading, using her mad engineering skills on DIY home projects, and spending time at a family member’s Conesus Lake cottage during warmer weather.
That doesn’t mean she’ll have all downtime during the summer, as the Engine House is about 60% complete and is on the chores list, with three bridges, roads and culverts. Up next will be the county’s Animal Shelter and Holland Land Office Museum for summer 2026.
She has spoken at career days and will ask kids what they think an engineer looks like, surmising they probably imagine a man with white hair and a pocket protector, she said.
“But my daughter sees me, so to me, that says a lot right there, you know? And if I go to St Joe's and do the Career Day or things like that, I think it's just kind of showing people that it's not one size fits all,” she said. “And that's important to me for people to see, because everyone has different interests, little girls and little boys all play with Legos and … (they might think) I don't know if I could do that for a career. Yeah, you can. You totally can.”
The commissioner’s role oversees seven divisions, 57 full-time and 11 seasonal or part-time employees within the department, including highways and bridges; fleet management; engineering; facility management; parks and forestry; Genesee County Airport; countywide water; and environmental health, which means engineering reviews for water, septic, campgrounds and pools. Her predecessor has built a “great group” here, and Wadhams is excited for this next step, she said.
“He’s the last 27 years. The stuff that he's done and provided for the county has been amazing. I think we did the math once, and 30 to 40% of the structures, the culverts and bridges, have been replaced since he's been here. Like that alone is huge,” she said. “Even the work that he's done for the public water supply and environmental health and things like that, I mean, it's been amazing, so just getting to continue that on is going to be exciting. And then whatever challenges come our way for the next 20 years, we'll take them in stride. I'm excited to do that and kind of leave my mark on our community too, just like he has the last 20 years.”
He's the proprietor of Uncle Jon's Diner at Hartshorn Road and Pearl Street Road in West Batavia. It's the former location of The Family Diner, which closed a year ago.
"I grew up right here in Hartshorn Road, right up the street from the restaurant," Tesch said. "I came here as a kid all the time with my grandparents. I worked here for a little bit for Brian and LeeAnn when they owned it previously, and it was always the most fun job I had. Ever since I was a little kid, I've always wanted to open a restaurant. So, it's always been a dream of mine to actually open this very place."
Uncle Jon's was a diner before and it's a diner now but Tesch said he has some ideas of his own to help draw people in.
This Easter, the Easter Bunny will visit and there will be an Easter egg hunt.
"I want to do an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving and Christmas, too," he said.
So far, he said, the customer feedback has been encouraging.
"Everybody's been real happy, and we have a real great customer base and a lot of new customers every day who are becoming our regulars," Tesch said.
Lady Devils team heading to NY State Championship this weekend. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Press release:
The Batavia Indoor Track team is in the final weeks of a very impressive winter season, with the New York State Championships on the horizon this coming weekend.
The meet is being held on Saturday, March 8, at the Ocean Breeze Athletic facility on Staten Island in New York City.Batavia has 18 athletes who have qualified for this event and we are very excited to compete this weekend at this competitive meet!
Batavia will again be well represented in the throws circle, with two seniors competing in states.Sheldon Siverling broke his own school record and became the first Blue Devil to throw over 60 feet in Shot Put with a winning throw of 60' - 2.25" at State Qualifiers.He also impressively won the Weight Throw with a distance of 63' - 6".He will enter the State meet ranked 3rd in the state for Shot Put with a great opportunity to come home with another State Championship.Ava Wierda also had a terrific meet, winning the Weight Throw with a distance of 49' - 1.5" and will compete for the 2nd year in a row at the State meet in this event.
Cooper Konieczny has shattered the record books for Batavia and will represent the Blue Devils at the State Meet in Pole Vault.He cleared 14' - 0" at the State Qualifier meet and will look to improve his school record this weekend.
Not to be outdone, the Blue Devil distance crew is in the midst of arguably their best season ever, with multiple school records broken and multiple athletes competing at states in individual events and both the men's and women's 4x800 Relays.
Cameron Garofalo has earned himself a spot amongst the best distance runners ever to compete for Batavia, having broken the school records in the 3200m, the 1600m, and finally the 1000m, all during this winter season. He ran a 2:32.64 in the 1000m last weekend, breaking a school record from 1998, and he will compete in this event at the State Championship.He will also anchor the Boys 4x800 Relay along with E'Nhazje Carter, Grant Gahagan, and Nate Kinsey.Their time of 8:26.50 won the State Qualifier meet ahead of 2nd place Marcus Whitman and is less than 7 seconds away from the existing school record (8:20.24).
For our Lady Devils, Campbell Riley will also compete at Indoor States for the 2nd year in a row in the 1000m, having won this event at the State qualifier meet with a time of 3:00.58.She is one of the most decorated Batavia female athletes of all time and will compete in three events at the State meet, anchoring the 4x400 relay, and the 4x800 relay as well.The 4x400 Relay also includes Ady O'Donnell, Ava Anderson, and Karizma Wescott, and they will be seeded to medal at states after finishing first last week with a time of 4:10.76.
The girl's 4x800 Relay was arguably the race of the night at State Qualifiers, with our four athletes breaking the school record, which was previously established in 2003. Mallory Boyce led off the relay with an incredible first leg, placing the Blue Devils in first. We never looked back through the rest of the event. Jenna Higginsran 2nd, Amelia Tripp 3rd, with Campbell Riley anchoring the relay to its 1st place finish and new school record of 9:56.69.
It is with great pride that we are bringing 18 athletes with us this season to finish the Indoor Track and Field season at the New York State Championships.The Blue Devils have embraced our tough reputation across Section V and want to add their own chapter to our storied history and traditions.We are very excited to compete and represent Batavia at States this weekend!
Batavia boys team heading to NY State Championship this weekend. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Press The Batavia City School District (BCSD) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Musicians of Note honor.
Each year, BCSD recognizes alumni and retired music educators for their accomplishments in the field of music. Batavia has many alumni who have had successful careers in music performance, music education, musical theater, and audio recording.
Honorees will be recognized in a future ceremony with a video presentation and performance ensembles to celebrate their achievements. A plaque featuring their accomplishments will be displayed on the Musicians of Note wall at Batavia High School.
Criteria for nominations include:
Recipients should be/have been an active performer or music educator.
Recipients must be at least ten years out of high school.
Recipients should have/had a successful musical career in either performance, composition, education, theater, or audio recording.
Nominations to posthumously honor deceased musicians/educators from BCSD will be accepted as well.
To nominate an alumnus or retired BCSD music educator who fits the criteria, click here.
Honorees and 2025 ceremony information will be announced at a later date. For any questions, please contact Batavia City School District Music Department Chair Melanie Case at mlcase@bataviacsd.org.
CAN-USA Sports has teamed up with the Batavia Community Schools Foundation for their annual Blue vs White Charity Hockey Game. Sunday, March 9 at 5 p.m. with doors opening at 4 p.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena.
This years hockey game will include special guest appearances from BHS Drum Line, BMS Girls Acapella Group, John Kennedy Musical Group, and mascots.
The game will feature local business owners, Batavia City School District Alumni, and local youth hockey leaders.
“Last year we had some fun on the ice, helped support the Foundation, and had lots of support from our local community leaders. We really want everyone to come out this year and watch an exciting game featuring local people you know in your community for a good cause,” said Zack Korzelius, Batavia Foundation President.
A full roster will be released at the event, but see below the current players signed up to participate.
Steve Pie’s, Owner – Max Pies Furniture and Batavia Hockey Alumni
Nick Harris - SBFR Partners LLP and Notre Dame Hockey Alumni
Dan Calkins – 2006 Sectional Championship team, Batavia Alumni, and Ramparts Coach
Anthony Consiglio - Batavia City School District Faculty Member
If you or someone you know owns a local business who would like to help sponsor either or both of the events please contact Marc Witt, General Manager/Ownership – CAN-USA Sports, mwitt.canusa@gmail.com for opportunities.
Tickets for the event start at just $10 with proceeds benefiting the Batavia Community Schools Foundations. Tickets can be bought online (LINK - HERE) or in person at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena box office.
St. Paul Lutheran School students display items ready for bidding at the schools Annual 'Live Auction & Basket Raffle on March 15.
This is the schools largest fundraiser. Browsing begins at 3:30 p.m. and the 'live auction begins at 4 p.m. with auctioneer David Kent, of William Kent Auctioneers. A 50-50 raffle will also be held during the event and refreshments will be available for purchase.
Come join in on a fun afternoon that benefits the school.
Batavia business owner Matt Gray talks about the potential for his and partner Matthew Boyd's recent purchase of the former J.C. Penney store at Batavia City Centre. Photo by Howard Owens
Walking into the former JCPenney department store == only now without all the clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories -- the 38,000 square-foot space seems even more expansive and pliable for a ripe imagination.
Batavia businessman Matt Gray, who purchased and recently closed on the downtown building with partner Matthew Boyd, sees it as an opportunity for a number of different possibilities, from what it was previously as a mid-size department store or smaller shops subdivided within the main showroom and adjacent storage room and beauty salon to one large venue for some type of entertainment or activity. Or perhaps, on the more costly side, going the route of second and/or third-floor market-rate apartments above with an interior courtyard to provide windows for all tenants.
“We’re investigating right now whether or not this building would support upper floors. As you know, the zoning for C3 requires any residential would be by special use permit upstairs,” Gray said Wednesday during a tour of the site with The Batavian.
City officials had an open house last fall with renderings illustrating how the building could potentially look as a mixed-use site with housing. Gray saw those sketches, and “it all plays into the larger picture that everyone seems to be supporting, from a municipal standpoint,” he said.
That may be a longer-range plan as the partners have begun the process of entering a broker agreement with Mancuso Commercial Realty to list the property for lease. They acquired the site, which was assessed for $400,000 according to county online records, at a bank mortgage foreclosure auction in January for $175,000.
What’s your primary goal, to lease it out versus developing, or all of it? “We are open to any and all ideas with the property. As somebody who works right across the street, it’s something that we want to see full and vibrant and brings people into the area,” he said. “You know, to us and everyone else, that's downtown. It's sat vacant for a long time. So we'd like to see something in here that brings people in.”
Along those lines, they’ve had “a couple of very casual conversations” with people with possible interest in the space, but nothing concrete at this time, he said. The agreement with Mancuso will begin the formal way for folks to inquire about the property, he said.
Given the amount of time that the building has been sitting unoccupied — Penney closed in October 2020 and was purchased in February 2021 by California developer Yong Guang Ye, but nothing materialized from that, and Ye defaulted on payments — Gray was surprised that it was in as good condition that it was, he said.
“There are a couple of leaks that we knew, we expected that there would be a couple of leaks, given the age of the structure, and we did see the satellite photos from Google, so we knew that there was a potential there. There are a number of leaks. None of them seem to be all that serious, and there doesn't appear to be any structural damage,” Gray said. “We have a local roofing company coming out next week to take a look. We're under the impression that with some repair work, we can get a few more years out of it before we need to do the whole roof, which will buy us some time in order to get some income coming in to support it.”
There are spots on the ceiling tiles with rusty brown areas showing water damage, and there were a couple of more active leaks, he said, but nothing terribly alarming. Everything, including ceiling tiles and walls, would be replaced anyway before anyone moved in to use the space, he said.
Sections of the partially carpeted floor, set off by tile, are filled with empty store fixtures used to hang clothing, jewelry and accessories. Those are for sale, Gray said, either individually or in lots, and will likely go up for auction at some point. Anyone interested can contact him at Eli Fish.
One of the more interesting things discovered on the premises was a safe room, which contained another safe. The only items left behind were 1970s papers from when the original store was built. There were letters, memos and construction guidelines from corporate in copies of what looked to be typed on an old-fashioned clickety-clack typewriter. Gray noted that the men’s and women’s bathrooms were left in good condition, and the beauty salon has a sink, shelving, and mirrors.
A back stock room has fabulously huge shelves to store one’s business or home goods, maybe? Or the space is also large enough for another entire shop or enterprise.
Because it's kind of divided right now, are you thinking walls could come down, or are you looking at pretty much the showroom as far as the space for development? “We’re working with Olive Architecture out of Raleigh to determine what walls could come down and what would need to stay. We're under the impression right now that with the 16 columns that you see here, and we believe there's another four inside the walls, that those are holding most of the weight. So, outside of those columns, it seems like almost everything else could come out. And it's pretty modular,” he said.
How do you feel about owning a piece of City Centre? “Now that the entrances are fixed and the concourse no longer has any leaking issues, and the city has told us that they are working towards concourse improvements, it all seems to be going in the right direction,” he said. “We would love to find a potential tenant that would have some synergy with a Game of Throws and a Sim, something that is an entertainment area that we think that's a great use for the space. “There's a lot of good ideas of things that could go downtown that would be a benefit.
“We had long conversations, Matt Boyd and I, and one of the overarching concerns is this piece seems to be kind of the key piece in a lot of this block’s development. And if this piece were to have not gone to a local user, and if it were to have gone back to the bank, we were afraid that it would be tied up in real estate owned by the bank for another three, five years,” he said. “You have no idea how long they would keep it dark without potentially not even marketing it. So at the price that it went for, we thought there was enough opportunity there for us to be okay with what it is and to take the risk on it ourselves and to ensure that it just didn't sit here.”
This isn’t Gray’s first rodeo: he and his partners have gone through renovations with Eli Fish Brewing Company on Main Street, the former Newberry’s, and he also owns Alex’s Place on the west side of town and the McCarthy ice arena. His resume boosted the confidence of city officials and Batavia Development Corp. Executive Director Tammy Hathaway when he walked away with the top bid earlier this year.
“I mean, Matty is successful in his endeavors; he’s proven that. So I could not even find a complaint if I wanted to,” Hathaway had said at the courthouse while Gray was wrapping up the deal.
Photos by Howard Owens
Cash registers were left behind. Photo by Howard Owens
Tall shelving units in the stock room now sit empty. Photo by Howard Owens
This area is wet with an active leak. Photo by Howard Owens
Dozens of fixtures left behind are available for purchase. Photo by Howard Owens
After jumping to an early lead, East High dominated the Batavia Blue Devils through four quarters of the Section V Class A semifinal at Finger Lakes Community College on Monday.
Elizabeth Jarnot of Batavia is the first homeowner to complete a home repair project through a new PathStone Self Help home repair program. Ms. Jarnot remodeled two bathrooms, installed new flooring, replaced windows and made other improvements to the home she shares with her 4-year-old son. PathStone, through its affiliate Rural Housing Opportunities Corp, provided all the materials for the job, loaned her the needed tools and provided hands-on training and support with completing all the work.
“This has been such a wonderful program to be a part of -- it really has been life-changing for me and my son,” said Ms. Jarnot. “Not only were we able to make needed repairs that I couldn't have done alone but I also got help from the most amazing people who really care about their community. On top of all that, I learned about home repair and responsible homeownership. I am so thankful that this resource exists because it's going to have such lasting and positive impacts for so many -- I know it did for my family!”
PathStone received a 2-year grant from USDA Rural Development to complete 20 similar home repair projects in Genesee and Orleans Counties. Eligible households must earn below 80% of the median income for the area by household size, agree to do most of the work themselves and meet other requirements.
“We’ve been operating home repair programs in the area for 30 years and the demand for our limited government grant funds is so high, we decided to add the Self Help program as a way to serve more families in need. Our regular home repair grant program has a 3-5 year waiting list but now folks can jump to the top of the list if they qualify for Self Help and are willing and able to do most of the work themselves with our help,” said John Wiltse, senior operations director at PathStone and president of Rural Housing Opportunities Corp.
Participant households can enlist the help of family and friends to meet their labor contribution. Eligible work must address building deficiencies and health and safety concerns such as plumbing and electrical problems, lead-based paint and obsolete fixtures and finishes.
Low and moderate income homeowners in Genesee and Orleans Counties who want to learn more about the program, please call 585-546-3700 ext. 3026 or email homerehab@pathstone.org.
Batavia Muckdogs, and CAN-USA Sports Ownership are back for their fifth season at Dwyer Stadium and are incredibly excited to announce plans for the upcoming summer!
The 2025 PGCBL schedule has been released with the Muckdogs home opener scheduled for Saturday, May 31 at 6:35 p.m. vs the Elmira Pioneers. The PGCBL welcomes a new opponent north of the border, as the city of St. Catherines in Ontario Canada will have a new franchise for 2025.
Batavia will host 4 fireworks nights this season. Be on the lookout for our 2025 promotional schedule and be sure to check out our social media pages for more updates.
If you are interested in bringing your group or business out to a game at Dwyer Stadium, email General Manager Marc Witt (mwitt.canusa@gmail.com). A complete schedule is available at www.canusamuckdogs.com.
The Muckdogs finished in first place during the regular season for the third season in a row in 2024. Batavia finished with a franchise record .802-win percentage posting an incredible 34-8 record. The record setting season was cut short in the PGCBL Western Conference Championship game as the Muckdogs fell to Elmira.
“Last season we enjoyed so much success on and off the field in the community and I am so grateful and proud of what this team did here in Batavia. I know Skip Martinez can’t wait to get the Muckdogs back on the field in 2025 and bring this city a championship” – Owner Robbie Nichols.
If you have not bought season tickets, make sure to get them by calling their offices at 585-524-2260 or www.canusamuckdogs.com. Season tickets start at just $99!
CAN-USA Sports is also excited to announce the return of Xtreme International Ice Racing on Saturday March 29 at 7 p.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena presented by Casella Waste Systems.
XiiR (Xtreme International Ice Racing) is a motorcycle racing tour…ON ICE! Man and machine going from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, with speedway bikes and quads that are modified to compete on an indoor ice arena. There are over 2000 metal studs added to the tires and there are no brakes. It is the fastest sport on ice and one of the fastest sports in the world. The event will be making its third appearance to Batavia and each year’s event sold out at the McCarthy Ice Arena so get your tickets early online at www.mccarthyicearena.com or in person at the rink (22 Evans Street Batavia).
Ty Gioia sinks a 3-point bucket with 5.6 seconds left in regulation to give Batavia the victory 54-52 Friday evening at Batavia High School. Photo by Steve Ognibene
With 5.6 seconds left and the Blue Devils down by a point, 52-51, Ty Gioia sank a three-pointer to give the #4 seed Batavia a win in a Section V Class A quarterfinals game on Friday.
Batavia beat the #5 seed, Pittsford-Sutherland 54-52.
"I can take no credit for that last shot," said Coach Buddy Brasky. "I mean, Ty just stepped up, got the ball, and he's a kid who hasn't been getting a lot of playing time a sophomore, and Brady (Mazur) fouled out, and he stepped up and did it. So I can't take any credit for that. But you know what I was telling them, basically, is to follow our principles, follow our defensive principles, get stops, and we can win this game. We got some key stops down the stretch."
Steve Johnson, Justin Calarco-Smith, and Josh Smith at H.E. Turner in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens
NOTE: This is the seventh of seven stories The Batavian will publish today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) about this year's Chamber of Commerce award winners. The awards will be presented on Saturday evening at Batavia Downs. Tickets are still available for the event.
Steve Johnson clearly remembered the time he was working with a family whose loved one had died when his professional role as a funeral director became very personal.
His own father died during that time. He continued to carry out that family’s requests. There were two days of calling hours, and another director walked in carrying a card. Johnson wondered why he didn’t just put it into the box with the others, but instead, the card was handed to Johnson.
“He said, ‘you should read it now.’ It was a sympathy card from the other family,” a teary-eyed Johnson said during an interview at H.E. Turner in Batavia. “Every time I see her, I get a huge hug. We really do start to become friends. It’s kind of nice to have a personal relationship with them. I think fundamentally, losing Dad made me a better funeral director.”
It’s stories like that — likely hundreds of them over the years — stories of how something like a funeral business can forge bonds, deeper understandings, insight, and friendships well past when the casket has closed.
Those relationships and related service are what have earned H.E. Turner, the oldest continuously operator-owned business in Genesee County, the Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award, to be presented Saturday evening at Batavia Downs.
Turner was founded 115 years ago and continues today with owners Johnson, Justin Calarco-Smith and Joshua Smith.
While family clients will always see the directors impeccably dressed and ready to serve the varied requests — which have included wearing a particular jeans-and-shirt outfit and putting certain candy atop the casket —these guys might be hustling around in their socks with no shoes on vacuuming and prepping the West Main Street site for the next set of calling hours.
They don’t want anything to be askew or troubling for the family, even when that might mean nervously waiting for an urn to arrive when it wasn’t delivered as promised or having a company switch the top and bottom of a casket with another on-site so that they match perfectly for the order.
“It has to be perfect, 100% of the time,” Johnson said. “We have high expectations; we cannot overstate our expectations.”
Unlike his two colleagues, Johnson is a first-generation funeral director who has known he wanted to get involved in this industry since he was a teen. He watched how a director handled the death of his grandpa — in a way that was “dignified and healing” — and that clinched the deal.
“I knew this is what I was going to do with my life,” said Johnson, who has been at this for 18 years full-time. “It’s strange to say this career path is rewarding given what we’re doing here, but it is rewarding because our most fundamental job is to facilitate grief. It used to be the reverend or the reverend clergy who facilitated the grief, and now, with the emergence of people falling away from church, we are the keepers of the rituals. So, our most fundamental task when a family comes to us is to facilitate grief.
“The family who, believe it or not, only spent three days with you, maybe they don’t remember any of it,” Johnson said. “But the next time they have a need, they don’t just pick up the phone and call Turner’s; they pick up the phone and call Steve, and that is very rewarding.”
Former owner Jim Smith died in August 2023 and transferred ownership to his two sons, Justin and Josh, along with trusted friend and employee Randy McIntire, who has since transferred his interest to Johnson.
Similar to Johnson’s personal experience with the death of a loved one, Justin said that it altered his perspective of the process.
“I have a better understanding now when they’re sitting over there, across the desk, on the other side of the table, in dealing with other families and going forward,” he said.
When Justin graduated from high school and went to Geneseo State College, he had no intentions to return to the area or get involved in his father’s business. Then, a guy named Bob Bailey asked what his dad did for a living, and he told him.
“He said, ‘Didn't you ever consider doing this?’ I said no. He said, ‘I think you'd be good at it.’ I called my dad from college. I said, ‘I’m thinking about wanting to enter the business. What do you think about that?” he said. “And this was in my spring semester, my freshman year. And so I came home over college break during Christmas, and I worked my first funeral; the rest is kind of history. I worked the winter break of 1991, came home after my freshman year and worked here for him part-time. And then I also worked at Darien Lake that summer. And then, from that point forward, this is the only job I've ever had.”
He didn’t want to get too cliche but he really does feel as though it was a calling — a profession and passion meant for him now for more than 28 years.
“I think this job was chosen for me,” he said. “I generally love what I do. I enjoy getting up and coming to work most mornings … Every day has been unique and different around here. Because the basic principle of what we do is that we help people at their absolute lowest, darkest, worst times and we’re able to kind of allow them to take steps forward in their grief journey.”
Back to the rewards — it’s about allowing families to move through that process and then be able to just breathe and talk after all of those funeral arrangements are done, Josh said. Yes, it’s about forming a connection with a little something extra.
“Whether you see this family member six months or six years after the service, they remember something. They come give you a hug. They come give you a handshake. I like the conversations with families after calling hours or a funeral ends when you can just talk. They talk about the day, they talk about the week,” he said. “You kind of get them away from the business side of it, where we're sitting across making arrangements, and just get to know them, get to know a little bit more about their family. They ask you about yours. It's the relationships that you develop with these people that's very, very rewarding. I keep on saying that it is the handshake or the hugs you get at the end of the day that make it worth it.”
The H.E. Turner story began in January of 1910, when Harry Ernest Turner, a native of Clarendon, and Harry D. Bartlett of Holley bought the Williamson Furniture and Undertaking Store.
The furniture and funeral combination wasn’t unusual at the time. Historians believe early furniture stores carried coffins and other funeral accessories, which made them a natural link to the funeral business.
Turner, who worked 10 years in a furniture store in Holley before purchasing the Batavia store, published a weekly newspaper, The Holley Standard, as a sideline. Bartlett served as Orleans County Clerk in the early 1900s, and the pair also had a joint interest in stores in Byron and Holley, which they sold a few years after they came to Batavia.
H.E. Turner & Co. was operated at 111 Main St., the former Newberry Building, until 1921, when it was moved to the Cary Mansion at 211 East Main St. Fourteen years later, the firm moved to the Bean Mansion at 403 East Main St., where it remains today.
In August 2023, Turner’s owners completed a deal with T.J. Woodward to take on Gilmartin Funeral Home & Cremation Company, Inc., leaving Woodward in place as funeral director at Gilmartin and others to retain their roles at Eaton-Watson and Marley funeral homes as part of the deal. Turner also owns Robinson and Hackemer Funeral Home in Warsaw.
Owners of H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home was named as a Selected Independent Funeral Homes member in October 2024, an honor that “lets all prospective customers know who they can trust,” Johnson had said at the time.
It would seem as though the Chamber’s selection committee agrees.
NOTE: This is the sixth of seven stories The Batavian will publish today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) about this year's Chamber of Commerce award winners. The awards will be presented on Saturday evening at Batavia Downs. Tickets are still available for the event.
For the 4-H Critter Crew learning isn't just something that takes place in a book or through a lecture. It's hands-on. It's fun.
That certainly was the case this past week during the crew's monthly meeting at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Batavia where they made coffee cakes.
Why coffee cakes? Because this year's learning theme is rainforests and coffee and cinnamon both come from rainforests.
"It's a lot of fun, a lot more ingredients for us to explore," said Stephanee Surabian, founder and leader of the 4-H Critter Crew. "We'll be doing different projects involving, like, flamingos. We have an exotic pet guy coming in with snakes and reptiles geared more toward an educational rainforest theme. So it's a perfect pairing for what we're doing this year."
The Critter Crew is a service and educational club attached to the Cornell Cooperative Extension for younger age 5 to 18. It's being recognized this year by the Chamber of Commerce with a Special Service Recognition Award.
By the fall of 2022, Surabian and the children of the world had been through a lot. As she was preparing to give birth to her fourth child, she was diagnosed with cancer (she's in good health now), and it was also the final months of the pandemic. She figured kids needed activities to help them get out of the house and reconnect with people. She also thought 4-H could use a program that went beyond dealing with livestock.
"I was seeing a need for the kids to have just that normalcy again right after the peak of COVID," Surabian said.
The club is more than making things and learning about nature. The crew also focuses on serving the community.
For example, there is the reverse trick-or-treat in October, which involves visits to the Manor House. The kids dress up in costumes, entertain the residents, and hand out candy and other treats.
"It makes everyone feel young at heart and fills the hearts of those who are not able to be near their grandchildren," said Joseph Burke, one of the people who nominated Critter Crew for the service award.
They also have the Adopt a Grandparent program for the holidays when they deliver gift bags filled with essential items. They also hand out Christmas cookies and sing Christmas carols.
"It warms the hearts of everyone who is present," said Burke. "They do a great job of bringing smiles to the residents’ faces."
Surabian said they have an outreach program for widows on Valentine's Day. They create and deliver cards, picture frames, and other knick-knacks to nominated widows. They're planning their first Easter Bunny visit to the Manor House this spring.
Another project involves collecting expired food products and converting them to livestock feed. In the past year, they collected more than 200 pounds of food.
Last year, collectively, they performed more than 300 hours of community service.
"Having the kids make those community ties and hands-on relationships really bridges that gap," Surabian said. "When they get older, they'll already be very much integrated and blended into the community. So I think that's a big, big step in navigating life."
Craft projects include making birds wings (again, related to the rainforest theme), which they will wear in the Memorial Day Parade. There are also guest speakers scheduled.
On the fun side (that also includes learning) in the works for the club is a visit to the Wild Center, in Tupper Lake.
"My goal toward the end of the summer is to take an educational field trip to explore the tree tops to get a forest canopy perspective, maybe do some zip lining through the forest," said Surabian. "Then there are some underwater cavern tours with underground waterfalls, which some people don't know are in a rainforest, so I thought it would be perfect to mix with the crafting and baking and then that hands-on learning, too."
Surabian is originally from Arizona. Her husband is from Batavia. They have four children. She has an associates degree and was working toward her bachelor's when she was diagnosed with cancer.
"I kind of took a left turn and put all my focus and energy into volunteering," Surabian said. "I absolutely love being busy. I thrive on it. Prior to my volunteer work, I was a compliance officer, so I stayed very busy working and staffing nurses all over the country."
All four of her children, Gavin, 13, Morgan, 11, Kensley, 6, and Lincoln, 3, participate in Critter Crew.
She's clearly energized by working with the kids in the club and she said she loves it.
"I think my favorite is seeing how they engage with the elderly," Surabian said. "That is the most rewarding experience outside of the fun that they have. Actually, I lied. Okay, so the food, I'm sorry. I just reminded myself -- the food, I think, is probably the most fun because, surprisingly, I try to keep it very basic, but there's so many things that we've done that kids have never even tried before, so that is a whole level of fun for me, to be able to broaden their food horizons."
