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Press release:

Upcoming events hosted by the Alexander Fire Department:

The Alexander Fire Department is hosting its Annual Fall Gun Raffle at their Recreation Hall, 10708 Alexander Road, Attica, from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2nd.

Tickets are $20 per person. Main ticket prizes include 11 rifles, seven shotguns, two pistols and three cash prizes. Door and floor raffles will include eight additional guns.

Food, beer and pop included. Also 50-50 and bell jar available. Only 975 tickets sold.

Guns supplied by Sugarbush Armory, of Attica. Tickets available at the Alexander Country Deli or call Barbara at 585-507-9930.

The Alexander Fire Department is hosting a Harvest Dinner Dance at their rec hall at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

A buffet meal will include stuffed pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, squash, seasonal breads, dessert, coffee, tea, pop and water. Cash bar will be available.

Live music by Highway 31 will be from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Tickets are $15 per person and are limited to 250 persons. Reserved tickets only by calling Heidi at 585-813-6598.

The Alexander Fire Department is hosting their Annual Christmas Crafts and Vendor Show at the rec hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1. More than 80 tables available.

Admission is free and refreshments will be available. For table rental contact Barbara at 585-507-9930.

Notice of Public Hearing

Submitted photo and information:

This year the Lei-Ti Campground & Recreational Community's annual Labor Day Auction benefitted Genesee Cancer Assistance.

A total of $8,400 was raised and donated to the nonprofit Genesee Cancer Assistance Inc.

There were 110 gift cards donated by local businesses, and 239 baskets donated by campers. They also had eight large ticket items for the auction.

Lei-Ti is located at 9979 Francis Road in the Town of Bethany (its mailing address is in Batavia).

Press release:

On Saturday, Oct. 12, the sixth Annual Fall Harvest Dinner Dance to benefit Crossroads House will be held at Maximillian Kolbe Church hall, 8656 Church Street, East Pembroke.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided by Penna’s Catering from 5:15 to 7 p.m. The menu is stuffed chicken, pasta, twice-baked potato, veggies, tossed salad, rolls and desserts.

There will be music to follow, by the Dark Horse Run Band from 7 to 11 p.m.

The famous pie auction will take place as well as basket raffles.

Tickets for this event are $20 cash, presale only, and are available at Crossroads House, 11 Liberty St. in Batavia, or by contacting Bob at (585) 762-8585 or Penny at (585) 356-3413.

Thank you for supporting the very best in comfort care in Genesee, Wyoming, and surrounding counties!

Submitted photos and press release:

The excitement and intrigue of the new 2019-2020 academic year is not only happening in classrooms, labs and studios across Genesee Community College's seven campus locations, but in the Board of Trustees Conference Room as well. The following new members of the College's Board of Trustees have begun to serve their terms. 

Phillip DiMartino, of Batavia. After attending Genesee Community College in 1980, he began a career with Brunswick Bowling and Billiards, a national firm that once managed more than 100 bowling centers around the world, as well as sold both commercial and personal bowling equipment and products.

During his tenure, he achieved the Ring of Excellence honor for top sales performance and was a member of the Bowling Hall Fame-Batavia.He then joined the John Deere/Sentry Insurance in 1996, earning President Club status for top sales.

Now, as an independent insurance broker for Moore Insurance Agency, he specializes in insuring equipment and auto dealerships. DiMartino served on the United Memorial Medical Center Foundation Board for six years. He is a lifelong resident of Batavia, where he and his wife, Susan, raised their two children and most recently welcomed their first grandchild.

Sarah Noble-Moag, is a co-owner and manager of Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, a multifamily, seven-generation farm corporation. Noblehurst manages a dairy herd, cultivates acreage for dairy forage, is a proud member of Craigs Station Ventures producing Craigs Creamery Cheese, and operates a methane digester and food-recycling business that generates electricity to run the farm and Creamery located in Livingston, Genesee and Wyoming counties. Noble-Moag oversees human resource and personnel management of the farm staff and the Linwood Management Group connecting personnel with key resources, professional development and training opportunities, as well as industry events.

She is the past president of the Board of Education for the Pavilion Central Schools and continues to serve on the audit committee. She also serves on the Agricultural Affiliates Board of Directors providing leadership to build a strong agriculture workforce in the Northeastern United States, as well as on the Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation and the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation. She is a strong advocate for affordable, quality public education in rural communities.

She is a graduate of Cornell University's College of Human Ecology with a BS degree in Consumer Economics and Public Policy and a graduate of Class VI of LEAD New York. Noble-Moag is an elder in the Covington Presbyterian Church and was honored in 2016 as a "Woman of Faith" by the Presbyterian Church USA for building bridges of reconciliation. She and her husband, Timothy Moag, CPA have three grown children and five young and very active grandchildren.

Mary Alice Panek began her education at Genesee Community College with a degree in Humanities in 1977, and continued on to SUNY Brockport for a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Science degree in Education. She retired from Pembroke Central School District where she began teaching secondary English and continued at the elementary level. During her career, she trained teachers in technology as well as mainstreaming students into regular classroom as well as launched the elementary level STEM program at Pembroke.

In addition, Panek has presented best practices in technology at conferences across the United States. She served on the board of the Genesee Region Teachers' Center, the Stafford Historical Society and participated in veterans outreach programs.

She is the chairman of the Town of Stafford Republican Committee and a member of the Genesee County Republican Committee. Panek resides in Stafford with her husband, Ron, and they own Stafford Nurseries, a Christmas tree farm. 

Student Trustee

Neil F. Gillotti is the new student representative on the Board of Trustees for the 2019-2020 academic year. He is majoring in Computer Information Systems and anticipates graduating with an associate degree in May 2020. He is a nontraditional student, enrolling in Genesee Community College after many dynamic life experiences.

He served in the Air Force from 2007-2011, where his military training allowed him to earn college credit.

As a GCC student, he is involved in many activities outside of the classroom including being an officer of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, a member of the Student Government Association and the Campus Activities Board and Outdoor Adventure Club.

His work experience includes being a computer technician, a driver at Nut-tos Peanut Co., a Key Bank Call Center service specialist, and most recently a seasonal landscaper at Bergman Landscaping.

He resides in Middleport, and he says he is very passionate about extreme sports.

Press release:

Don’t know where to donate those still-like-new clothes you or your children have grown out of? Community Action of Orleans & Genesee gladly accepts your new and gently used clothing.

With a new school year started, and cold weather just around the corner, we are in need of warm-weather clothing and winter coats. Children’s clothing and coats of all sizes are especially needed.  

Please donate your gently used items to us, to be given to a child or adult in need.  

We happily accept clean items without stains or holes, please no broken zippers. We also accept sneakers, shoes, and boots in good condition.  

Please drop donations off at 5073 Clinton Street Road in Batavia Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

Receipts given for tax purposes.

Please call 585-343-7798 with any questions.

Thank you for your caring and consideration of our community in need.

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“I am proud to have fought against this unnecessary cash grab, and New Yorkers should be proud their voices and objections to this theft disguised as a necessity were heard. 

“This victory against tyranny and manipulation shows the governor and his Downstate puppets that if it’s your money they want, they better have good reason for it. The wallets of hard-working taxpayers have been bled dry for long enough.

“Gov. Cuomo’s decision to scrap his latest tax grab is a resounding triumph for taxpayers. The decision to instigate a $25 fee for new license plates, that cost no more than a few dollars to make, was an unfair and greedy money grab to fund the state’s lavish spending.

“The tax burden the people of New York are subject to already is preposterous. A state with $175 billion in tax revenue can easily afford to replace these plates without taking the hard-earned money from your pockets.

“I will continue to fight to keep your hard-earned money where it belongs. I devote myself to protecting the middle class against any unfair cash grabs, taxes or fees.”

UPDATE -- Late this afternoon, Senator Michael Ranzenhofer issued a statement about the issue:

The governor's license plate replacement plan hit a roadblock; facing a backlash, Cuomo put the brakes on his license plate replacement plan.

After weeks of defending his proposal to require the replacement of license plates over 10 years old, the Governor has decided not to move forward with the plan. The Governor and DMV had proposed requiring the replacement of all license plates over 10 years old.

As part of his mandatory replacement program, residents would be required to pay $25 for the new license plate and an additional $20 if they wished to keep their same plate number.

I voted against the legislation to allow for this charge when it passed in 2009 and I oppose the Governor’s most recent plan. In fact, I cosponsor legislation to prohibit charging additional fees for license plate replacements.

Perhaps most frustrating was the implication by the Governor that these charges were required when the law clearly gives authority to the Executive to charge less or waive the fee completely as has been done the last 10 years.

Facing tremendous backlash from myself and other representatives and overwhelming public opposition, the Governor announced that he would no longer require replacement. However, it remains unclear if he still plans to keep the proposed fee structure in place.  I assure you that I will continue to monitor this situation closely.

As I have stated many times before, New York State is simply too expensive and nickel-and-dime fees such as the Governor’s License Plate Tax only make matters worse. We should be advancing proposals that make New York more affordable – not increasing costs to support unsustainable spending.

See The Batavian's previous post about the license plate replacement fees here.

For the proposal as announced last month by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, click here.

         Eric Olverd

Eric James Olverd, 47, of Wallace Street, Batavia, (inset photo, right) is charged with: obstruction of governmental administration; resisting arrest; two counts of reckless endangerment; second-degree assault with injury to a victim over age 65; second-degree harassment; criminal mischief, and endangering the welfare of a child. Olverd was arrested at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15 on Wallace Street following a domestic incident. He was jailed in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond. He was due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Sean Wilson.

Darrell Smith, 52, of Highland Park, Batavia, is charged with third-degree assault. Smith was arrested at 9:33 p.m. on Sept. 16 on Highland Park. He allegedly punched a person in the face, causing injury. Smith was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on his own recognizance. He is due back in city court on Oct. 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

John Joseph Saddler Jr., 32, of Orange Grove Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt in the second degree and disorderly conduct. At 1:44 p.m. on Sept. 17, Saddler was arrested while standing in front of Judge Robert Balbick in Batavia City Court after being warned not to use obscene language in the courtroom. He allegedly continued to use obscene language, causing a disruption in the courtroom. Saddler was arraigned in city court by Judge Durin Rogers then put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $2,000 cash bail. He is due back in city court at 1 p.m. this afternoon (Sept. 18). The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Saile.

Michael S. Carter, 33, of Eagle Harbor Road, Albion, is charged with operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more, driving while intoxicated and failure to keep right. Batavia Police Officer Peter Post arrested Carter at 2:37 a.m. on Sept. 7 on East Main Street in the City of Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket for this morning (Sept. 18) in Batavia City Court but held at the Genesee County Jail on a violation of parole warrant. Officer Arick Perkins assisted in the case.

Jacqueline R. Garrett, 40, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with illegal use of toxic vapors. Garrett was arrested after she was allegedly observed inhaling a toxic substance while in public at 11:53 a.m. on Sept. 16. The incident location is Eastown Plaza on East Main Street in the City of Batavia. She was processed at Batavia Police Department and released on an appearance ticket. She is due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

A 17-year-old male who lives in Batavia was arrested on Sept. 14 by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post and charged with second-degree harassment. At 6:46 p.m. on Sept. 9 on Ellicott Street in Batavia, the male allegedly had unwanted contact with a person. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 24. Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence assisted with the case.

Randy S. Turner, 63, of Burke Drive, Batavia, is charged with having a dog that was running at large. He was arrested following an investigation of a complaint that he allegedly allowed his family's dogs to run at large at 6:15 p.m. on Aug. 29 onto a neighbor's property on Burke Drive. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 24. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson.

Kakeen K. Ithna-Asheri, 59, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. The defendant was arrested at 12:34 p.m. on Sept. 15 after he allegedly stole a package of batteries from a store on East Main Street in Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket and was due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Steve B. Nesbitt, 34, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with owning an unlicensed dog. He was arrested at 1:44 p.m. on Sept. 16 on Holland Avenue, then released on an appearance ticket. He is due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Jason Ivison.

Jesse Daniel Bowman, 27, of Vine Street, Batavia, turned himself at Batavia Police Department Sept. 15 on a warrant out of Batavia City Court. He was arraigned at 10:39 a.m. in city court, then released on his own recognizance. He is due to return to court on Oct. 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Jason Ivison.

LE ROY -- Botts-Fiorito Post #576, American Legion, Le Roy, announced with great pride and pleasure Bruno DeFazio as its selection for the 2019 “LeRoyan of the Year Award."

DeFazio has been a resident of Le Roy since his marriage to is wife Elizabeth (Lee) Costa, 46 years ago. They have two daughters, Christina (Tim) Carvel and Stacy (Jason) Wentworth, and six grandchildren, Brayden, Nolan, Matthew, Addison, Tyler and Dominic.

DeFazio is a graduate of Notre Dame High School and has a Associate of Applied Science degree from Genesee Community College.

He has been active with many school programs, including PTA and the Le Roy Sports Boosters. He was one the of the first coaches for the Le Roy Youth Soccer and also coached Le Roy Youth Football and Le Roy Little League. He has always been a strong supporter of Le Roy Athletics, supporting his daughters during their involvement, and still continuing to cheer on the local teams.

He has been a member and served on the board of the Le Roy Jaycees, Knights of Columbus Edward Powers Council 2936, the Le Roy Historical Society (currently oversees all the building maintenance ), and Le Roy Christian Community Project. He was also on the Oatka Festival Committee for several years.

He is an active member of the Our Lady of Mercy Parish.

DeFazio also serves his community by being elected as a councilman for Town of Le Roy and at one time was its deputy supervisor. He also serves as a member of the Genesee County Parks and Water Commission.

To honor him, the 51^th annual LeRoyan of the Year Award Dinner will be held on Oct. 26. Social hour is at 6 p.m. with dinner served at 6:45 p.m., at the American Legion at 53 W. Main St, Le Roy. Tickets are available at the American Legion or at Mickel’s Nickels, 80 Lake St., Le Roy. Cost is $25 per ticket.

Information and photo submitted by Joan Fernaays.

Press release and submitted photos:

The Oakfield-Alabama Alumni Hall of Fame Committee will be honoring the Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2019 during an Alumni Hall of Fame weekend scheduled for Oct. 10th-12th.

This year's honorees are: Daniel Hopkins ('70), Linda Baldwin Potter ('72), and Kim Wolcott ('72).

On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 12th, there will be a community dinner and ceremony to induct our newest members. The dinner will be held at the OACS High School cafeteria, located at 7001 Lewiston Road in Oakfield.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with appetizers for guests to enjoy and the dinner will begin at 6 o'clock.

Tickets are on sale only through Oct. 4th and are available at the high school attendance office or by contacting Committee Member Brandon Brummert through email at bbpennstate10@aol.com. Tickets are $25 each.

The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding OACS alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen field after high school through significant contributions to their career, community or through personal achievements. 

Dan Hopkins has a lifetime of service to the OACS community, with an excellent track record in business.

Beginning public service as a trustee on the Haxton Library Board, Dan continued on to be a village trustee and Mayor of Oakfield. In these roles he helped establish the current village offices and headed the project to improve water quality in the village.

An early advocacy of ARC group homes in the community helped earn him NYS ARC Public Official of the year and Genesee County Public Official of the year awards.

As a member of the Board of the Children's Home Association Dan helped allocate funds for underpriveleged children. Dan was also a fixture at Labor Daze and Oakfield Youth Baseball.

Dan worked at Batavia Metal Products before being given an opportunity to buy Kaplan Container in East Rochester. He ran Kaplan Container for several years before selling it, and returning to Batavia Metal Products, which had become Strong Forge, in a leadership role.

A multitude of interests and accomplishments highlight Linda Baldwin Potter's induction. Moving to Texas after graduation from OACS she received her AA from San Jacinto Junior College, her BBA from the University of Houston (including a Who’s Who in America listing for her academic excellence, extracurricular activities and community service), and her MBA from Rice University, where she studied International Business in China, Hong Kong and Mexico.

An early supporter of computers for students, Linda was instrumental in placing the first computers in Texas schoolrooms.  She also played key roles in helping the corporate world adapt to computerization and continual new technological advances. Linda received an award from the state of Texas for accomplishments in the War on Drugs.

While raising her two children, Linda also became deeply involved in public service in the Houston area, beginning with school and Girl Scout volunteer leadership roles, culminating in her 2017 role as head of the Hurricane Harvey Family Relief Shelter at NRG Center, and including several other past and ongoing volunteer and leadership roles.

She is the Global Shared Services manager at Powell Electrical Systems Inc. in Houston. Multiple charities in the Houston Area benefit from Linda's involvement through her role at Powell.

Linda has devoted her life to others in the Houston area. For this and her professional accomplishments, Linda Baldwin Potter is inducted into the OACS Alumni Hall of Fame.

Success in business and contributions to the community bring Kim Wolcott to the Hall of Fame.

Starting as an installer at Will's Wallpaper and Floor Covering in Batavia in 1974, Kim rose to the position of sales representative, president and part owner.

He continues in these roles today and has helped shape Will's Carpet One Floor & Home into one of Genesee County's leading businesses.

Kim's community involvement begins with the Oakfield Baptist Church as a youth group leader and trustee.

An active participant in Labor Daze, Kim also helped coach OACS's girls' soccer teams for many years.

We hope to see you there!

For more information about the Oakfield-Alabama Alumni Hall of Fame, click here. 

Submitted photo and press release:

John M. McGowan, Ph.D., of Batavia,  took leadership of Genesee Community College's BEST (Business and Employee Skills Training) Center effective Sept. 1.

This is an important transition time as the former director retired and the Center completed a critical analysis of its functionality, allowing McGowan to take the reins with some strategic new direction.

"Having been part of GCC for nearly 15 years and specifically, the last five as part of The BEST Center team, I am excited about the results of our FAR (Functional Area Review) assessment," said the new director of The BEST Center.

"In my new role, I will be able to implement changes to make program registration easier, allocate resources for new program development and so much more."

McGowan intends to use his creative staff to identify continuous improvement opportunities and pull together new and exciting training topics which are the lifeblood of community and workforce development.

The BEST Center offers hundreds of training courses throughout the year to individuals looking to enter a new field. For example, it offers the Dental Assisting Program, which prepares students for entry-level administrative jobs and serves as the ideal launching point into a Dental Hygienist program. You can advance a career through a number of Career Enrichment courses, or even take a class for leisure -- like any of the Drone courses.

In addition, The BEST Center provides Custom Workforce Solutions to support any business or organization looking to bolster employee and organizational performance and improve the bottom line. Businesses can contact the BEST Center for training needs assessments and consultations, work with skilled and experienced trainers to develop customized training plans and even count on the Center's equipped locations and laptops to deliver online and on-site custom training. 

McGowan earned his Doctor of Psychology with specialization in Sport and Performance Psychology from University of the Rockies in Denver in 2018. He earned a Master of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the SUNY College at Brockport in 2003 and 1994 respectively. He has an Associate Degree in Business Administration from GCC (1986). He is also a 2017 graduate of Leadership Genesee.

McGowan is a lifelong resident of Batavia and has four children (John Jr., Joseph, Michael and Jennifer) and seven grandchildren.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department along with other local agencies, will be offering free car seat inspections and education to parents and caregivers on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Fire Headquarters (18 Evans St.).

This event is part of National Car Seat Check Saturday, and will include instruction on how to choose the right car seats for children, with an emphasis on how to install them correctly.

Many parents and care givers assume they know how to choose and use the correct restraint for their child, but sadly these restraints are frequently used incorrectly. In fact, car crashes are a leading killer of children, and the latest research from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that nearly two out of three car seats are misused or installed improperly.

Beginning Nov. 1, all children age 2 and under will have to be secured in a rear-facing car seat per New York State Law.

It is recommended keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, up to the top height or weight allowed by their particular seats. It’s the best way to keep them safe.

Once a child outgrows the rear-facing seat, he or she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.

After outgrowing the forward-facing car seat, a child should ride in a booster seat until tall enough to fit in a seat belt properly.

The safest place for a child under the age of 13 is in the back seat.

National Seat Check Saturday is part of Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 15- 21). The week is dedicated to teaching caregivers and parents about the importance of correctly choosing, installing, and using car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.

Parents and caregivers will also be reminded of the importance of registering car seats with manufacturers so they can be notified in the event of a recall.

For further information please call the City of Batavia Fire Department at 585-345-6375.