Stories from

A two-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at 4119 Broadway Road (Route 20) in Alexander. Alexander Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The location is between Browns Mill and Molasses Hill roads.

A first responder on scene reports injuries appear to be minor and says medics can continue in non-emergency mode. There is a lot of debris in the roadway and traffic control is needed until it can be removed.

UPDATE 10:02 a.m.: "Looks like we'll have sign-offs, minor glass cuts," says a first responder. Mercy medics are put back in service.

A burglary in progress was reported at Dave's Ice Cream, 3872 W. Main Street Road, Town of Batavia, about 25 minutes ago. Several Sheriff's deputies responded initially and found the front door secure, but noted there was forced entry through the back door.

Dispatchers were told the cash register drawer was on the floor, and a light was on in a portion of the building.

No one was located inside; the building was deemed secure.

A security camera at one point, briefly, showed an individual on the premises.

The suspect is described as wearing all black, including a hoodie and gloves.

A search for the suspect by law enforcement is underway and includes Batavia police and NYS Troopers. They are establishing a perimeter for the search area.

Press release:

In collaboration with St. Joseph Regional School and in the spirit of maintaining and ultimately enhancing the vibrancy of Catholic Education in the GLOW Region, the St. Joe's seventh- and eighth-grade classes will be transitioned to Notre Dame High School beginning this September.

Both schools are very excited about engaging in a unified approach to maximize continuous improvements and long-term vibrancy.

Press release:

Rochester Regional Health is continuing to reopen clinics and resume outpatient services as part of a phased, coordinated plan that aligns with state and county health guidance.

On Monday, June 22, Rochester Regional Health will resume lab services at our Le Roy Medical Campus, located at 3 Tountas Ave., on a limited basis as follows:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday  –  7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Phone is (585) 768-6530.

The Le Roy Campus is also accepting Primary Care and Orthopedic patients.

Please know, as our facilities reopen, the health and safety of our patients and community are our top priorities.

We have diligently put new safety measures and processes in place to protect patients.

While care may look different, please rest assured that we are delivering the same high-quality care we always have.

To learn more about our Le Roy Medical Campus or the ways we are safely transforming healthcare delivery, please visit rochesterregional.org.

Press release:

All City of Batavia playground equipment will be open for use Monday, June 22. Please continue to take safety measures and continue to observe all public health guidelines related to COVID-19 to reduce risk of transmission.

At this time, the City of Batavia will continue to evaluate the New York State Department of Health Guidance in an effort to reopen the City’s splash pad and pavilion rentals, but they remain closed this time. 

“The City of Batavia is also encouraging sports organizations, including youth baseball and softball, to submit their event application and insurance paperwork if they would like to utilize City playing fields this summer,” said Rachael Tabelski, assistant city manager.

“Along with the event application sports organizations will need to follow the New York State Department of Health Interim Guidance for Sports and Recreation during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and provide the City of Batavia with a copy of their Safety Plan,” Tabelski said.

Event Application (PDF)

NYS DOH Sports & Recreation Guidance (PDF)

NYS Safety Plan Template (PDF)

The City encourages all residents to continue to take safety measures as they use common touch facilities like playground equipment and public bathrooms.

Please continue to observe all public health guidelines related to COVID-19 to reduce risk of transmission.  

The following measures are seen as best practices to keep residents safe when using shared equipment:

• Spacing: Families and individuals should stay 6 feet apart from each other.
• Masking: Families and individuals should wear masks, especially in situations when social distancing cannot be maintained.
• Hand Hygiene: Children should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer after use of equipment.
• Cleaning: The City will conduct scheduled cleaning of park equipment, but residents are welcomed to wipe down surfaces before and after use.

Submitted photo and press release:

Nicole Hopkins has been awarded the 2020 St. Jerome Guild Health Professional Scholarship.

Hopkins is a registered nurse who has worked at UMMC, dedicating six years to patients in the UMMC Pain Center.

She is striving for her BSN advanced degree in Leadership Management, carrying a 4.0 average at Roberts Wesleyan College. The recipient received a $500 scholarship in memory of Dorothy Baker, a dedicated Honorary Guild volunteer.

The St. Jerome Guild Inc., offers the annual scholarship to applicants who are currently employed at UMMC/Rochester Regional Health and are pursuing advanced degrees in healthcare fields.

The Guild’s Gift Shop operates entirely by volunteers, and is coined “The County’s Best Kept Secret” located in the Jerome Center and hopes to reopen in the near future. Proceeds from the Gift Shop continues to purchase equipment for UMMC.

In the photo, Hopkins holds a plaque representing the Guild’s current initiative, “Home Town Heroes, 2020 Wall of Warriors.”

The GLOW community is welcome to support this initiative by donating $10 per star representing one of the 1,000 UMMC employees located at the North Street and Bank Street campuses.

All proceeds from this initiative will be donated to UMMC to purchase vital equipment.

Checks can be made payable to: St. Jerome Guild Inc., 16 Bank St., Batavia, NY 14020.

A dog locked inside a red pickup truck with Florida license plates at Walmart is reported to dispatch by a caller concerned about its welfare. The truck is parked in the reserved section in front of the grocery entrance. An animal control officer is responding.

The temperature outside is currently 77 degrees.

Press release:

The Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund  a collaborative philanthropic effort launched in mid-March to address the COVID-19 crisis in our community, released a Request for Ideas (RFI) today (June 18).

The goal is to seek out visionary concepts from nonprofit leaders to address challenges our community is facing due to COVID-19, coupled with the persistent challenges of racial inequities.

The ideas should have the potential to improve the quality of life for people living in Western New York and strengthen services that have been stretched beyond capacity. 

The RFI is designed to be a first step to surface collaborative solutions as the Fund enters a Build Back Better phase to focus on COVID-19 recovery efforts in our region. The deadline to submit ideas is 3 p.m. July 31.

RFI submissions are encouraged to consider at least one of the following: geographic coordination, collaborative issue-area coordination, cross-issue or cross-sector coordination.

Issue areas may include, but are not limited to: food security, housing and homelessness, childcare, arts and culture, out of school time, behavioral health, community-based health, and eldercare support and services.

Idea submissions should take into account the following guiding principles:


• Racial Equity 

• Equity for Vulnerable Populations

• Regional Approach (Where Applicable)

• Alignment with Social Determinants of Health (Where Applicable) 

• Trauma-Informed Care Principles

• Inclusion of Human-Centered Design 

• Nonprofit-Led Cross-Sector Collaboration (e.g., Public, Private, Nonprofit)

• Leading to Systems Change 

• Public Policy Component (Where Applicable)

There will be two virtual information sessions held in late June. For details on those sessions, and to read the full RFI and submit ideas, please visit this website.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, profound inequities and challenges have been compounded and systems have been stretched beyond capacity in providing services to vulnerable populations in Western New York," said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, president/CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

"We are looking for innovative, collaborative ideas from and for the nonprofit sector on how we can work together in new ways to meet the needs of this region moving forward.” 

“People often want to look to funders for the answers during a crisis, but we are seldom the ones on the ground working in the community," said David O. Egner, president & CEO, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, a contributor to the Fund.

"The best ideas and solutions for how this region can begin to retool and rebound need to come directly from the nonprofits and organizations that are seeing firsthand the greatest needs and opportunity to make an impact. The Build Back Better RFI is a simple process to just get these ideas down in writing, so we can respond and apply the resources needed to explore their potential.”

“Using critical funds for new recovery ideas while there is still great immediate need in our community may be difficult to accept, but we believe it is the only way to set the stage for real and lasting change,” said Paul T. Hogan, executive vice president of the Oishei Foundation.

“Putting things back together better can only happen properly while they are still apart, and this is a rare opportunity to innovate and create change.”

The WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund was launched on March 24 and to date has raised nearly $8 million dollars from 60 local foundations and private sector companies, more than 40 community leaders and approximately 1,900 individuals.

To see a full list of contributors, or to join the effort, please visit www.WNYResponds.org   

The Fund has now awarded over $6.9 million to more than 300 nonprofits through three rounds of grant funding and a microgrants program. Additional dollars raised will support the Build Back Better effort, including moving some of the ideas submitted in this process forward.

The Fund has been coordinated by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, The John R. Oishei Foundation and the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County.

Press release:

The Town of Pavilion Republican Committee would like to remind the residents of Pavilion that the Republican Primary is Tuesday, June 23^rd and that the polls will be open at the Town Building located at 1 Woodrow Drive, Pavilion.

The Pavilion Republican Committee has endorsed James Cleveland for Pavilion Highway Superintendent.

He has nearly 20 years of highway experience, has built a great working relationship with community organizations such as the library and school, and with neighboring town highway departments.

Look for James Cleveland on the June 23^rd Primary Ballot.

Press release:

Officials at Batavia Downs today announced that in preparation for the Belmont Stakes running this weekend, they have implemented several promotions that will take place onsite.

At Fortune’s restaurant, guests can order the $25 Belmont special, which consists of two 10 oz. strip steaks, a $5 wager on the Belmont and two $10 Gaming Free Plays, valid to be redeemed once the gaming floor is reopened. This special is for dine-in customers only and can be purchased anytime on Friday or Saturday up until Belmont Post time of 5:42 p.m.

There will be $2.50 Belmont Breeze drinks available at the Gatsby Bar.

The purchase of any entrees this weekend will also allow the purchaser to receive $10 Free Plays to be redeemed once the gaming floor is reopened.

Batavia Downs also announced that their on-site simulcast center will be open on Friday for those wishing to make advance wagers. It will be open Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Guests may wager on the Belmont Stakes or any other tracks that are running.  Western OTB’s branches across Western and Central New York are also open for advanced wagers on Friday and Saturday.

Those wishing to visit Fortune's or OTB Branches must wear a mask.

To reach the simulcast center, guests may enter at the valet entrance and take the elevator by Fortune’s or go through the main doors and up to the second floor. 

The gaming floor remains closed at this time.

“The Belmont Stakes is usually the third leg of the Triple Crown, but this year the order has been restructured and New York’s leg is up first,” said Todd Haight, general manager of Live Racing. “We’re looking forward to a great race and hope to see people take advantage of these great promotions.”

To make an order for take out or to make reservations, guests may call 585-FORTUNE -- (585) 367-8863.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum will be administering a change in its admission policy for visitors to the museum upon its opening in the coming weeks.

The museum’s new admission policy will be as follows:

• Free for Members;
• $1 for Children;
• $3 for Students, Veterans, and Seniors;
• $5 for Adults;
• $10 for Family of two adults and two children.

​This policy is a change from previously when admission was based on a suggested donation.

The Board and the Executive Director did not take this decision lightly, but it was deemed as a necessity for the museum to continue serving the people of Genesee County and Western New York.

The museum will remain committed to carrying out its mission of preserving the living history of Genesee County for the future, in an educational, entertaining, and inclusive way.

Everyone at the museum would like to thank those who have supported us in the past, through this difficult time, and into the future. We look forward to seeing both old and new faces walking through the door again very soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Director Ryan Duffy at (585) 343-4727 or email: hollandlandoffice@gmail.com

Information can also be found at the museum’s website.

By Samantha Stryker, Adult and Community Services librarian

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy-tales again.” ― C.S. Lewis

Summer Reading Programs will begin July 1 at Richmond Memorial Library. This year’s theme is “Imagine Your Story,” a celebration of fairy tales, folklore, mythology, and sharing your own unique story and voice.

While this year’s program may look different in light of current restrictions, the library is excited to offer a program and reading challenge for children as well as a Summer Reading BINGO program for adults.

This year, registration for both programs may be completed online or in person at the library, located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.

Children’s Program

The Children's Room at the Richmond Memorial Library is excited to continue its annual Summer Reading Program this summer from July 1 to Sept. 1.

Per tradition, the Summer Reading Challenge will continue to challenge children to read at least 15 minutes a day. Prizes will be awarded to those registered for the challenge at the end of the program in September.

Unfortunately, the library is unable to host any in-person programming. However, the Children's Room is working to provide children with alternative activities online, virtual storytimes, take & make craft kits, and more.

Registration is now open for the children’s program. Please visit the library website to register and continue to check for upcoming activities as they are available. Or phone (585) 343-9550, ext. 4.

Adult Program

Registration to begin June 26: Summer Reading BINGO for Adults returns! This year’s program will run from July 1 – Sept. 1 for patrons aged 17 and older with a valid library card.

Register online or visit the reference desk to sign up beginning June 26. Complete your BINGO board, which has challenges like “read a book with ‘magic,’ ‘story’ or ‘book’ in the title,” “read outside,” or “attend a virtual program.”

You can pick up a BINGO board at the library, located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia, or print one online with registration.

Participants can win up to five grand prize entry forms for a chance to win one of three grand prizes: a Kindle Paperwhite eReader, a Book Lover’s Basket, or a gift certificate to a local book store!

In addition, all who submit a BINGO form at the end of the program will get a participation prize, and everyone who registers will be entered for a chance to win one of five copies of our 2020 Richmond Reads selection (to be announced in July!).

Check out our website for reading suggestions or visit the library to see the display!

The library is now open regular hours for limited services, including browsing and checking out materials, limited computer use, photocopying, faxing and placing holds on materials.

Only local items may be placed on hold at this time by calling (585) 343-9550, ext. 3.

Please observe all signage and policies when you enter the library!

Information about virtual programs can be found on our website at batavialibrary.org

Richmond Memorial Library continually provides access to physical and virtual resources and services that meet the educational, informational and recreational needs of its diverse community in a safe and comfortable environment.

Press release:

Ariana DeSa e Frias, a Batavia High School student entering her senior year, auditioned for the American Protege International Vocal Competition this spring and won second place in her age category for Opera Aria Repertoire.

This young accomplished vocalist is invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Dec. 19.

Last fall, Ariana was selected for the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Conference All State where she performed with the Mixed Choir.

She has also submitted her application for All Nationals and NYSSMA Conference All-State for 2020.

In addition to being an asset to the Batavia Music Department, she studies privately with a teacher in Rochester and enjoys singing all types of vocal music.

Photo of Ariana DeSa e Frias courtesy of Jane Haggett.