batavia

What do three lifelong friends who enjoy cutting hair do when the opportunity arises -- they open a barbershop together, of course.

The Local Barbershop is located at 466 Ellicott St., Batavia. It was previously Canzoneri's Barbershop. The former owner Joe Canzoneri left to pursue a business opportunity in Buffalo.

The new owners are Alton Rupp, Tommy Slenker, and Damian Hargrave.

"We all went to Alexander High School, so we wanted to collectively own something one day," Rupp said. "It's just a matter of when the opportunity came up, we jumped on it, and it's been a good time, man. It's been a lot of fun."

All three emphasized that they like the idea of community, that they're doing something for the community, and they're offering a community.  Their open casual floor plan with couches and chairs in the middle and a beer cooler on one wall is inviting.

"We want to bring back that home-like atmosphere," Rupp said. "Come in, hang out, have some fun. More than anything— and I'm not saying the other ones don't have that— I think what we have going here in the middle, a centralized location, is that clients come in, hang out, and chat with each other. We've had a lot of clients intermingle already, so it's been awesome."

Slenker also thinks the location is conducive to getting attention and building community.

"The space itself -- we got plenty of eyes on us, with (Route) 63 being right here in the outskirts of Batavia, so we're not right in the thick of things, but we like having plenty of parking, and the building's definitely identifiable," Slenker said.

Hargrave said that comes with being one of the owners, where the business can reflect who they are.  Otherwise, it's business as usual.

"Honestly, it feels like same old, same old, you know, you're kind of just cutting hair," Hargrave said. "It's been nice to get a lot of love and feedback from the community. What I like most is just being able to make it what we want, just making it how it is, and controlling the dynamic, you know, whether the TV's on, the music's going, everything that people see, just making it a better experience and being in control of that compared to when you're just a barber in another shop, you might not have a say in that kind of stuff."

The Local Barbershop can be reached at 585-483-3060.

In a special second-annual battle of hometown rivals, Batavia topped Notre Dame in Boys Basketball at GCC on Saturday, 63-53.

Hoops for Hopes benefits the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

Batavia's Buddy Brasky, head coach, conceived of the idea for the tournament in 2024 and after a successful tournament last year, the foundation hosted it again for 2025.

Batavia scoring: 

• Carter Mullen, 22 points
• Gavin White, 16 points
• Justin Smith, 10 points

Notre Dame scoring:

• TJ Cephus, 19 points
• Aiden Bellavia, 15 points
• Chase Antinore, 8 points

The Blue Devils are now 12-4 on the season. The Fighting Irish are 10-6.

Photos by Pete Welker.

Notre Dame beat Batavia 44-22 in Girls Basketball at GCC on Saturday in a match-up that benefited the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

All proceeds from the Hoops for Hopes Tournament, which matches all eight Batavia and Notre Dame basketball teams (boys and girls, JV and varsity), go to fighting pediatric cancer.

This was the second year the schools participated in the tournament.

“This is a special night in our community to remember Michael Napoleone and raise money for pediatric cancer with a hometown rivalry,” said Notre Dame coach Vinny Falleti.

Sofia Falleti led the Irish with a game-high 15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks. Gianna Falleti scored 14 points and had three steals. Also contributing was Shirley Thompson with 7 points, Lucia Fiorentino 4 points 10 rebounds, and Penny Jo Thompson 4 points.

Photos by Pete Welker.

When Thea Anderson was working through her recovery program more than a year ago, she wasn’t thinking about claiming an award for the art. She was learning to relieve stress.

Yet Zentangle — a structured drawing method of creating repetitive patterns and intricate designs — served the purpose of helping her relax, focus and produce something that others have come to appreciate. In fact, her piece, “Recovery Tryptic,” won the People’s Choice Award at a new GO ART! Members/Staff Exhibit.

“These pieces kind of represent how far I’ve come in my life,” Anderson said during an interview with The Batavian. “And it’s pretty amazing to have been chosen by a lot of people.”

Anderson is one of three artists to be presented with an award this weekend. The public is invited for a free closing reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday to view the artwork, meet her and artists Rebecca Graham and Jodi Fisher, and help celebrate their awards. This event is at GO ART!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. Refreshments will be served.

A resident of Batavia, Anderson decided to enter a 28-day rehab program, and during that time, she rediscovered her love of art. While she had pursued acrylics previously, she said her latest medium is pen-and-ink. This three-piece work, the tryptic, fits together in one matted frame of a large white flower against a Zentangle background design. 

“So I discovered Zentangle. It’s a form of art and meditation, and I really liked that because I was going through the recovery process, which I’m still doing. So these pieces kind of helped me with my anxiety and depression. I was an alcoholic. So it was an addiction. I was in a program to get well, and I've been sober for about, I think, 15 months now. I didn't do art for a really long time when I was sick in my addiction, and then as I got better, I started to realize how it was helping me with my anxiety and with dealing with a mental health disorder.”

She wants to share some of her story with hope that it might encourage others to seek help if they are struggling as she did. Anderson is proud of her sobriety as she remembers how she felt 15 months ago. It’s also how to describe her artwork.

“A blank white flower is how I felt,” she said. “It was like I was rediscovering and also creating a new me.”

It took her 20 hours per individual piece, for a total of 60 hours working at her makeshift studio space at her dining room table. She became a GO ART! member a year ago and also volunteered along with her fiancé, Kyle Moore. They befriended Executive Director Gregory Hallock, she said.

Visitors to the exhibit were asked to vote on a favorite for the People’s Choice from Dec. 12 to Jan. 31. Anderson was “honored” to be selected out of several pieces, she said. 

“So many opportunities have opened for us because of GO ART!,” she said. “We’re very grateful for Gregory, for taking a chance on us. I was shocked, I was so happy to have created something that I wanted to share with people. I had no thoughts of winning anything.

“Like I said, it represents how far I've come, and to have a tangible creation to show for the time that I spent kind of doing the work, the inner work, all the stuff that you have to go through and explore when you're in the process of recovery,” she said. “Even to have something to show was such an amazing accomplishment for me, and then winning. It's just, it's amazing.”

She and Moore have a work in progress on the second floor of the nonprofit, she said. They are painting a small ceiling area with a floral scene that will eventually be lit. Since beginning recovery, she has strengthened confidence, stronger focus and steadier hands, she said. 

“When people are in addiction, they try to fix the problem with substance,” she said. “Sometimes, it was an undiagnosed mental health disorder. I chose to medicate. I think that’s what people need to understand, that people who are in recovery or addicts, you have to address all those mental health issues … the person is just trying to get through life.”

GO ART! President Linda Knipe chose Rebecca Graham’s black and white portrait of “Indian Girl” for the President’s Award. A page filled largely with a child’s eyes and rounded cheeks, this genre is challenging, Graham said.

“Children are especially hard to get that child look to them without looking alien,” she said. 

She won a few awards in high school, and that fueled her continued interest in the arts, with an affinity for graphite, charcoal or colored pencil, and trying to get more comfortable with mixed media, including paints. 

She won an award in school also for a pen-and-ink of a sports car, and enjoys that kind of three-dimensional detail work, she said. A respiratory therapist who has enjoyed the healthcare field for the last 30 years, Graham looks forward to having her artwork as a “nice hobby” at some point in semi-retirement. 

“I am able to challenge myself to see if you practice enough, you’ll get better,” she said. “It’s a challenging thing to see how good I can get. Once I’m able to spend more time, I’ll be able to take commissions.”

A resident of Le Roy, she likes to do people and pet portraits and would like to get back to those eventually while exploring various mediums, she said. The competition was stiff with some amazing members for this exhibit, she said. 

“You’re hopeful, and you think it’s good, but it’s like the lottery,” she said. “My sister has been a big inspiration. Some of the work I had done when I was in high school, she’s confiscated it and it hangs in her house. It’s sort of like, well, she definitely thinks I do good, and she’s intelligent, so I thought it’s worth continuing, right? It validates that feeling of its worthiness.” 

The Curator’s Award went to Jodi Fisher of Batavia, who is both a member and GO ART!’s program director and statewide regrant co-coordinator. 

Fisher’s work was yet in another medium — photography. She captured the scene two years ago while at Genesee Country Village Museum during a yuletide dinner and tour by candlelight. The scenario depicted a Scottish American home with no electricity, which provided the luminescent glow and shadows that Fisher is drawn to, she said. 

“So that was really exciting, I got to see a place that I hadn't been in, but they were talking about their Scottish celebration for New Year's Eve, and I saw the shadows on the table with the lanterns. And it just was, I don't know, it really resonated with me,” she said. “When I put in I didn’t realize it was going to be judged, I just brought in some of my work because it was a staff and member show. So it was actually a surprise to me when (staff) told me that I had won an award.”

Her main art is in the literary field, with poetry and prose, and she only more recently began snapping photos with her iPhone 13 mini. 

“I really love the vibrancy of nature. I would consider myself mostly a nature photographer. I love light and shadows and color, and when I see something to me that looks very vibrant and alive, I like to try and capture that and share that with other people,” she said, describing why the table scene drew her attention. “The shadows and the simplicity of pre-electricity there’s a lot of depth and meaning in it.”

The photo is simple enough, but also with details that strike against the darkness and a smooth linen tablecloth set with two lanterns. Shadows emerge from varying positions around the lanterns and a coffee mug, and there seems to be a faint stream of light possibly from a nearby window. 

Fisher had a show two years ago combining both of her passions, prose and photos, and would “love to show my work more,” she said. There may also be a book of her poems in the future. 

Hey, golfers, snow and cold got you down? Tyler Crawford is ready and waiting to help you drive away those winter blues.

At the beginning of 2025, he opened The Sim, a shop in Batavia's City Centre where golfers can keep their game sharp even on the coldest of days.

He's providing a golf simulator for foursomes or practice rounds throughout the winter months and after dark in the summer.

"It's playing golf indoors," Crawford said. "You're hitting everything from a driver to a putter. Alot of these indoor facilities, you don't putt or you chip instead of using your putter. I think that's something that's nice and unique. Here, you use your putter. The main reason I wanted to do it was just to play golf indoors in the winter. I got into golf pretty heavily these last few years, maybe a league or two, and I can't afford to travel to play golf all winter long. Really, who can? So I figured I'm not the only one. It's been going good."

The Sim is open by appointment, Crawford said. You can call or text him at 585-356-9358 to book a tee time. He will take tee times as early as 6 a.m. and he's had golfers playing a round as late as 11 p.m., he said.

He said he expects to be open during the summer, either for the golfers who didn't get in enough holes during daylight or for parties and company events.

Currently, he sells memberships. A membership isn't required but membership does have its advantage, such as $10 off a round ($50 an hour for non-members, $40 for members). Non-members must book at least 24 hours ahead.

"As a member, you get to leave your bag in our members' bag room," Crawford said. "You don't have to lug the clubs in and out or leave them in the garage or in the car. And we're going to host a little Club Championship at the end of the year."

As for liquor, he's applied for a license for BYOB. For food, Everybody Eats is just a few doors down from Crawford's shop.

Crawford said he thinks the mall, with the renovation and growth plans in progress, and the current mix of property owners, is a good spot for his business.

"There's a lot going on in here, and I think there's more to come that we'll see here in the future," Crawford said. "I think food and drink will be readily available right outside the doors. And I definitely plan on marketing and planning to work with everyone who's in here serving food."

Press Release:

Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or the “Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced Wednesday key leadership changes as part of its established succession plan.

Daniel J. Thoren, President and Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman, effective June 10, 2025 and will remain active in the operations of the Company for the foreseeable future. As part of the transition, Mr. Thoren will serve as a strategic advisor, focusing on guiding strategy and helping the Company grow through business development. With this change, Jonathan W. Painter, Chairman of the Board of Directors, will transition to Lead Independent Director.

In alignment with this plan, the Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Matthew J. Malone as President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Mr. Thoren, effective February 5, 2025. In this role, Mr. Malone will oversee, guide and lead each of the Company’s business units. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Malone has served as Vice President and General Manager of Barber-Nichols since 2021. Concurrently, Michael E. Dixon, Director of Sales and Marketing of Barber-Nichols, will be promoted to General Manager of Barber-Nichols reporting to Mr. Malone, effective February 5, 2025.

The Company further announced its intention for Mr. Malone to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer on June 10, 2025, and the expectation of his appointment to the Board of Directors. At that time, Mr. Dixon is expected to assume the role of Vice President of Graham Corporation and General Manager of Barber-Nichols.

Jonathan W. Painter, Chairman of the Board of Directors said, “I am pleased to announce these leadership appointments in accordance with our planned succession strategy, which demonstrates the bench strength of our executive team and reflects Graham’s commitment to developing exceptional talent. I would like to personally thank Dan for his leadership and tremendous accomplishments while serving as CEO since August of 2021 and we look forward to continuing to work with him in this next chapter, while he steps back from the day-to-day demands of public company leadership.”

Mr. Thoren said, "I am grateful to have led Graham as CEO and am proud of the great work we have completed during my tenure. Today’s appointments further highlight the strong talent we have attracted and developed across the entire organization, and I am pleased with the opportunity this transition has created within the Company. Matt Malone has demonstrated outstanding leadership capabilities throughout his time with Barber-Nichols and Graham, and his deep understanding of our business makes him the ideal choice to lead the Company into its next chapter of growth. Similarly, Mike Dixon's promotion to lead Barber-Nichols reflects his deep industry knowledge, product expertise and institutional knowledge of Barber-Nichols. I look forward to working alongside Matt, Mike, and the rest of the executive team to ensure we achieve our long-term strategic objectives and have complete confidence that under this new leadership structure, our company will continue to thrive and create value for our stakeholders."

Matt Malone brings over 15 years of engineering and executive experience to his new role as President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Malone joined Barber-Nichols in 2015 as a Project Engineer focused on rocket engine turbopump design and development. He was promoted to Navy Program Manager in 2018, overseeing key U.S. Navy programs and was appointed Vice President of Operations at Barber-Nichols in 2020 and then General Manager in 2021. Earlier in his career, he held a variety of engineering and management positions at GE Transportation. Mr. Malone earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with honors in design optimization from Pennsylvania State University and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Mike Dixon has been an integral part of Barber-Nichols for the past six years, most recently serving as Director of Sales and Marketing. During his tenure, he has played a pivotal role in expanding the Company's technical capabilities and securing major contracts in the space and aerospace, and defense sectors. Prior to joining the Company, he held roles of increasing responsibility at Sundyne and began his career at ESS Metron. Mr. Dixon holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Illinois University.

Opening Friday at the Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia is the Batavia Players' production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap."

A murder mystery, it is Christie's most popular play and is directed by Sophie Houseman.

Set in a cozy guesthouse nestled in the snowy English countryside, run by a husband and wife new to the hospitality business, a group of strangers become trapped by a snowstorm. When a police detective arrives with chilling news—a killer is among them—secrets begin to unravel, and tensions rise.
Everyone is a suspect in this classic whodunit, filled with Christie’s signature twists and turns. 

Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $24 for adults at the door and $22 for students and seniors. Tickets are $2 cheaper if purchased online.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Visit us online or check out our Facebook page.

A 10-year-old who was rescued from a house fire at 3 Vine St., Batavia, early Thursday morning, has died, according to the Batavia Police Department.

The name of the child has not been released.

The child's two siblings, ages 4 and 12, are in critical condition at Strong Memorial Hospital.

The fire remains under investigation by Batavia PD and the Batavia Fire Department.

The fire was reported at about 12:30 a.m. when a downstairs neighbor heard the smoke alarms going off.  The neighbor, Dennis Say, said he called emergency dispatch and while the children were yelling that they were trapped, he tried to break down a locked door but was unsuccessful.

An initial fire crew was on scene and minutes and quickly extricated two children and a third child was located and carried from the house a short time later.  All three were quickly transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC before being transferred to Strong.

Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact Batavia PD at 585-345-6444.

Press release:

The city of Batavia Police Department and Fire Department are currently investigating a structure fire that occurred in the early morning hours on Thursday on Vine Street in the City of Batavia.

At approximately 12:45 a.m., the Genesee County 911 Emergency Dispatch Center received a call from the downstairs tenant of 3 Vine Street reporting a fire in the upper apartment with three children trapped inside. Upon arrival, city police officers observed flames coming from a second-story window. Officers made their way to the second floor in an attempt to enter the apartment but were pushed back by smoke and heat. City Fire arrived moments after police and made entry into the apartment, where they located and rescued three children, ages 4, 10 and 12.

The children were the only occupants of the apartment at the time of the fire. All three children were transported to UMMC and then to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. All three children are siblings and their conditions will be updated at a later time. 

The cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation. City Fire and City Police are working alongside each other as the investigation moves forward. More information will be released at a later date.

Two city police officers and one city fireman suffered minor injuries, but they were treated and resumed working. Assisting with the incident were Mercy EMS, the Town of Batavia Fire Department, the LeRoy Fire Department and the Genesee County 911 Emergency Dispatch Center.

Three children were rescued from a fire reported at 3 Vine St. in the city of Batavia at approximately 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Sgt. Kevin DeFelice of Batavia Police Department said. 

The Batavia City Fire Department and three ambulances from Mercy EMS arrived at the scene, and firefighters assisted the children out of the home, DeFelice said to The Batavian. A second alarm was put out for the town of Batavia. 

The fire was knocked down by 1:06 a.m. as the dwelling's downstairs neighbor, Dennis Say, heard a smoke alarm detector going off, he said, and he tried to contact the upstairs neighbor to find out if he had heard anything.

"Maybe he had toast burning or something, I don't know, and he wasn't, he's not answering his phone," Say said. And I came outside on my side of our porch, and the room above it was on fire, flames coming from the upstairs apartment," he said. "And I still couldn't get a hold of nobody. So I came to the front door, knocking and banging on the door, and the kids were yelling out the window that they were trapped and couldn't get out, and I was on the phone at the fire station, and I just couldn't get the door. I got all my family out downstairs and everybody I could out downstairs. And then the fire department came down. I think they might have come on the ladder with two of the kids and then only carried somebody out the front."

The three children were transported to to UMMC for evaluation and treatment.

DeFelice said a Batavia PD will put out a press release once they have more information about the fire.

Photos by Howard Owens

While it has grown over the years from a closet of cards and candy to a boutique of women’s resort wear, purses, florals, jewelry and much more, St. Jerome’s gift shop has endured several moves, raised lots of money to support the hospital and, maybe most importantly, been an unassuming solace for visitors.

“I was there today, and a lady came in … and I just listened. You just listen to them, because sometimes they just need to talk to somebody, and sometimes they need to smile and laugh. It's nice to be able to be there if somebody just needs a smile, maybe they've experienced something sad and maybe we can make them laugh,” St. Jerome Guild President Annette LaBarbera said to The Batavian. “We like to be there for people.”

The Guild, which celebrated its 100th birthday in October 2017, has nurtured and sustained the gift shop’s presence the last 50 years, no matter where it has landed in a series of moves over the years, LaBarbera said. The shop's latest setting is inside United Memorial Medical Center on North Street, Batavia. 

Many locals can likely recall visiting someone at the hospital in those earlier days and picking up some candy, a greeting card or magazine for a friend or family member in a hospital room above. With the dawning of online shopping, there were many more choices, which made it more challenging to draw customers, she said. 

Of course, there were enough obstacles since founders Rosalind “Roz” Pricola, Helen Krantz and Jane Wilson filled that small closet with goodies and set up shop on the first floor of St. Jerome’s Hospital on Bank Street. They worked very hard with Sister Gerard and were very proud of that accomplishment and offering to the community, said LaBarbera, who took over the shop with Joan Marchese about 20 years ago. 

Its locations have also included downstairs.

Hospital leaders gave them “a huge gift shop” as part of a newly built emergency room wing near the cafeteria. At that point, it was filled with many more items to draw not only hospital visitors but women shoppers, LaBarbera said. 

That wasn’t the last move for the Jerome Center Gift Shop. Genesee and St. Jerome hospitals merged on Jan. 1, 2000, and the gift shop went to the Growney Building for about 18 months before going back to the Jerome site, she said. Meanwhile, two years ago Guild members were asked if they could open a second gift shop to fill a void left when the North Street shop at UMMC closed. They obliged and operated a satellite shop.

Mind you, the shop had first been operating from 8 a.m. to closing — some 12 hours a day — fully dependent on volunteers, who were plentiful and willing to help out. 

“We raised quite a bit of money. Women liked to shop,” she said. “It was fun to see how it progressed. We sold cards and candy, that was it. Now we have women’s clothing, jewelry we call The Jerome Collection, toiletries, a lot of floral, plaques, wine decanters, lots of home goods, ponchos, cruise wear, scarves, a little bit of everything. We try to carry things you don’t find in Batavia.” 

As the years wore on, volunteers have become more scarce, and shop hours have had to be scaled down accordingly, she said. It just made better sense to move the whole operation over to North Street, she said. At least for now.

“We just moved everything over last week, in hopes that our next move is going to be the new building on 98, that they’re going to give us another gift shop,” she said. “People are welcome to volunteer; we’re looking for volunteers.”

The Guild’s other fundraising functions have included dinner dances, a Mother’s Day breakfast, Noel Nook Christmas sale, a spring fashion show, roast beef dinners, and basket raffles. They have raised money for a refrigerator to house COVID vaccines and to help boost women’s healthcare at the hospital’s maternity ward, as just two examples, LaBarbera said. 

“The guild worked very hard to raise money for the hospital, and this was one more step to raising money,” she said of the gift shop. 

For decades, the Guild’s members have selflessly given their time and energy, volunteering thousands of hours in service to others, Associate Chief Operating Officer Sonja Gonyea said. The impact of their work cannot be overstated—whether through fundraising, organizing events, or offering the perfect gift to patients and families, “the Guild has touched the lives of many,” Gonyea said in a message to the Rochester Regional Health team. 

“The St. Jerome Guild has been a cornerstone of our community for over a century, offering immeasurable contributions to the healthcare landscape and the lives of countless individuals. Through their unwavering dedication, the Guild has not only supported local healthcare initiatives but has also fostered a spirit of volunteerism and compassion that has inspired generations,” she said. “We are deeply grateful for their decades of hard work, generosity, and tireless support. The St. Jerome Guild’s contributions are woven into the very fabric of our community.”

The gift shop is now at  UMMC, 127 North St., Batavia. Gonyea invites the public to stop by and “join us … to express our thanks and support to the St. Jerome Guild for their service, dedication, and care.”

Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Photos by Howard Owens

It was senior night for the Batavia Ramparts 18U team at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena as they took on, and went on to beat, the Rochester Jr American 5-0.

There are 12 seniors on the team.

The team consists of juniors and seniors at schools in the region.

Goalie Trent Thomson recorded the shut-out on Sunday.

Scoring:

1. Evan Schwerthoffer, assist Trent Thomson

2. Colton Smith, assist Julian Hunsinger

3. Colton Smith, assists Julian Hunsinger and Carter Fix

4. Noah Korczak, assists Micah Flores and Gavin Zinkievich

5. Gavin Zinkievich, assist Tylor Lippert

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

Press Release:

Batavia Players, Inc. and Main St. 56 Theater are excited to kick off a brand-new season of theatrical performances, community events, and business partnerships. The organization recently held its Annual Board Meeting on Saturday, January 25, where new leadership was confirmed, committees were formed, and plans for the highly anticipated 2025 season were shared.

Election of Officers

The following officers were elected for 2025:

• President: Patrick D. Burk
• Vice President: Jodi Coburn
• Secretary: Norm Argulsky
• Treasurer: Dave Adams

2025 Season & Organizational Updates

• The 2025 Gala was a huge success, and the recent "Drag Me Home" fundraiser saw a strong turnout, helping to generate funds for the theater.
• Upcoming productions, including "The Mousetrap,” “Cupid's Stupid" and Shakespeare’s "The Winter’s Tale," are well underway, with rehearsals and ticket sales in progress.
• As part of its continued growth and development, Batavia Players has established five key committees to help oversee and improve various aspects of theater operations. These committees will work collaboratively to support the theater’s mission and ensure its long-term success:
  1. Administrative, Finance & Planning Committee – Oversees financial planning, budgeting, and administrative policies to ensure the smooth operation of the theater.
  2. Box Office & Fundraising Committee – Manages ticketing operations and spearheads fundraising initiatives to generate support from donors, sponsors, and community members.
  3. Membership & Volunteer Activation Committee – Focuses on recruitment, engagement, and retention of volunteers and members who are essential to the theater’s operations.
  4. Advertising, Promotions & Public Relations Committee – Handles all marketing efforts, social media, press relations, and promotional campaigns to increase visibility and audience engagement.
  5. Property, Maintenance & Care Committee – Ensures the upkeep, maintenance, and overall care of the theater’s physical space and technical equipment.

These committees are open theater members and community volunteers who wish to contribute their expertise and passion for the arts.

Exciting Lineup for the 2025 Season

Batavia Players has an incredible slate of productions planned for 2025, celebrating the theme "Pure Imagination." Audiences can look forward to a diverse mix of classic plays, musicals, and cabarets, including:

• February 7-9 – Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap
• February 14-15 – Cupid's Stupid: A Valentine's Day Cabaret
• March 21-23 – Shakespeare in Springtime: The Winter’s Tale
• April 11-13 – Lights, Camera, Action: A Cabaret
• May 16-18 – Jesus Christ Superstar
• July 18-19 – Summer Theater Camp: Frozen Jr.
• August 15-17 – Summer Youth Theater: Be More Chill
• September 12-14 – Laugh Tracks: A Musical Comedy Cabaret
• October 24-26 – Hedda Gabler
• December 12-14 – It’s A Wonderful Life

“This season is all about bringing creativity to life in unexpected ways,” said Patrick Burk, President of Batavia Players. “With Pure Imagination as our guiding theme, we are challenging ourselves to think outside the box—whether that means reimagining Shakespeare with a modern twist, putting a fresh spin on a beloved musical, or presenting classics in ways that will surprise and delight audiences. We’re giving our community a season filled with drama, laughter, and wonder, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”

Exclusive Business Soirée – February 18

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with the local business community, Main St. 56 Theater is hosting a Business Soirée on Tuesday, February 18, from 5 - 7 p.m.

This exclusive networking event is an opportunity for business owners, community leaders, and supporters of the arts to experience firsthand the transformative work happening at Main St. 56 Theater. Attendees will enjoy:

• Guided Tours – Explore the theater and see how it has become a cultural hub for the Batavia community.
• Live Performances – Enjoy two acts from a recent cabaret, showcasing the incredible talent that graces the Main St. 56 stage.
• Networking & Refreshments – Connect with fellow business owners, artists, and community members over delicious food and drinks.
• Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities – Learn about new sponsorship packages that provide businesses with unique marketing exposure while supporting local arts.

“This event is a chance for local businesses to see how they can be a part of the arts community,” said Jodi Coburn, Box Office Manager and Fundraising Committee Chair. “By partnering with Main St. 56 Theater, businesses not only support a vital nonprofit but also gain valuable visibility and goodwill within the community.”

RSVPs are requested by Saturday, February 15. To confirm attendance or for more information, contact Jodi Coburn at 585-813-4658 or boxoffice@bataviaplayers.org.

A Bright Future for Batavia Players & Main St. 56 Theater

With an ambitious 2025 season on the horizon and strong community engagement, Batavia Players is poised for an exciting year ahead.

For more information about upcoming productions, sponsorship opportunities, or ways to get involved, visit bataviaplayers.org or contact Heather Zerillo at admin@bataviaplayers.org.

Press Release:

The Batavia City School District (BCSD) is now accepting registration applications for universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) and kindergarten programs for the 2025-26 school year.

BCSD will offer five full-day UPK programs and two half-day programs for the upcoming school year. BCSD’s UPK program is located at Robert Morris (80 Union St.) and at one community-based organization. The BCSD kindergarten program is located at Jackson Primary (411 S. Jackson St.).  

UPK students must be four years old on or before December 1, 2025. Kindergarten students must be five years old on or before December 1, 2025.

For more information, including how to register online, visit bataviacsd.org/registration. You can also pick up and return your registration packet at the BCSD Registration Office located at 260 State Street, Batavia.

Hours of Operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. (excluding school holidays). For more information please contact registration@bataviacsd.org or 585-343-2480 ext. 1010.

The deadline to receive UPK applications for the 2025-26 school year is Thursday, May 1. There is no deadline to receive kindergarten applications.