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File photo of GO ART! Executive Director Gregory Hallock.

The executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council -- GO ART! -- is battling a rare form of cancer. There will be a raffle and fundraiser on Friday, March 27, to help Gregory Hallock and his family defray medical expenses.

The community is encouraged to help support him and his family during this difficult time.

The benefit for Hallock will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at GO ART!, located in the historic Seymour Building, 201 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

Tickets are $20 each. Only 500 will be sold.

Tickets are available at GO ART! and during business hours at Artic Refrigeration Co. of Batavia, located at 26 Cedar St. in the City of Batavia.

They are also available to buy online through the Batavia Society of Artists, here.

Baskets and an art raffle will also be held -- 10 tickets for $5.

Enter to win a Kegerator and half keg -- a $1,000 retail value. The drawing will be held at 8 o'clock; you need not be present to win.

For more information, contact Stuart McLean at (585) 729-7234 by phoning or texting; or email him at:   smclean17@yahoo.com

GO ART!'s galleries inside Seymour Place are open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Additional gallery hours and office hours are available by appointment.)

Tavern 2.o.1, located inside Seymour Place, is open from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

GO ART! was established in 1962 and is dedicated to developing the cultural life in Genesee and Orleans counties by facilitating the creation, presentation and experience of art, heritage and traditions.

For a story about how Hallock has grown the nonprofit GO ART! and raised its profile in the community since taking the helm in July 2017, click here.

A Meat Raffle to support Batavia High School varsity baseball and softball teams will be held starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6 at Ascension Parish's Slomba Hall, 17 Sumner St., Batavia.

There will be many raffles and prizes, too.

Tickets are $10 and the price includes a food buffet and beverage. Presale tickets. If any remain, they will be sold at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For groups of eight or more, contact Lori at (585) 409-0452 or email Sue Ryan at:   spryan3412@gmail.com

Any BHS player will have tickets available to sell.

Come out for a great time and support our local teams!

Information from Don Chmielowiec.

The results are in for Groundhog Day 2020, which was yesterday: Punxsutawney Phil could not find his shadow.

And as the legend goes, this means we're in for an early spring.

The Pennsylvania groundhog isn't the only weather-predicting rodent in this curious American tradition, although he's the most famous.

Groundhog Day is a good enough excuse for a wintry get-together at the Batavia home of Don and Cheryl Chmielowiec on East Avenue. This was their 11th annual event, but faux-fur Phil's first appearance there.

Mike Pullinzi debuted the rodent suit he bought off ebay several months ago. It was a big surprise for everyone who attended. Pullinzi revealed his true identity after friends and revelers took their group picture.

"We didn't know who it was for over an hour," says Don Chmielowiec, who had 60 Groundhog Day buttons made and still has two -- which means 58 people attended in 2020.

The Batavia tradition was taken over by the Chmielowiecs from their longtime friend and former city councilman, Dan Snyder.

Sunday was a cold, slushy day of lake effect snowfall and, this being Western New York, today it's 41 degrees and there are some clouds and some sunshine.

That's all the reason an optimist apparently requires to make a definitive statement on the season.

"Spring is here as evidenced by my motorcycle ride this afternoon," Don writes in a text message, ending with a toothy emoji that's laughing so hard it's crying.

UPDATE 4 p.m.: Don Chmielowiec clarified that no costumed groundhog showed up at their party until this year's, so we fixed that in the story. He also sent another picture of faux-fur Phil looking puzzled outside a City of Batavia police patrol car, noting in jest that: "We aren't sure he made it home without getting into trouble though."

Photos courtesy of Marcy Pullinzi.

Above, Marcy Pullinzi and Jacqueline Patterson.

Above, Batavia hosts of a Groundhog Day party, Don and Cheryl Chmielowiec, and their special guest.

Above, Punxsutawney Phil​ seems to ask "What the heck?" We're not sure if he was naughty or not.

The Batavia High School Drama Club will present its newest play next month, called "45 Plays for 45 Presidents."

According to Caryn Leigh Wood, musical and drama director, BHS swapped show time slots this academic year and held its musical in the fall, so the play that used to be in December is now in March.

"Basically the play is exactly how it sounds; one scene for each of our 45 presidents," Wood writes in an email. "It is considered experimental, historical, comedy and has some really interesting content."

It is performed in the black box format, the same format as in the past. Seating is limited.

Be advised the play is not intended for children under age 13.

"45 Plays for 45 Presidents" is offered through special arrangment with Playscripts Inc. It was written by Andy Bayiates, Sean Benjamin, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Chloe Johnston, and Ken Weinberg.

Shows are in the auditorium at 7 p.m. Friday, March 6th and Saturday, March 7th, with a Sunday matinee and 2 o'clock on March 8.

Tickets in advance are $9 and available here. At the door, they are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.

The school is located at 260 State St. in the City of Batavia.

Gerald Richard Soule Jr., 28, of Woodstock Lane, Brockport, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; DWI -- operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or more; speeding -- going more than 55 mph; and refusal to take a breath test. Soule was arrested after a traffic stop on Clinton Street Road in Bergen at 1:37 a.m. on Feb. 1. He was given traffic tickets and is to appear in Bergen Town Court on Feb. 5. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Jordan Alejandro.

Merrill Phillip Anthony, 46, of Bernd Road, Pavilion, is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- first offense; refusal to take a breath test; speed not reasonable and prudent; and failure to obey a traffic control device. At 2:23 a.m. on Jan. 25, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies received a call about a vehicle off the road in the 6900 block of Junction Road in the Town of Pavilion. Upon arrival, they found the driver and sole occupant, Anthony, attempting to drive his vehicle out of a ditch. Upon further investigation, Anthony was arrested on the charges. He is due in Pavilion Town Court on Feb. 4. The case was handled by Deputy Brock Cummins, assisted by Deputy Austin Heberlein.

From left are: Tim and Lisa Schultz, Shawn Calmes, Bob Rebmann, Steve Schum.

Photo and information from Bob Rebmann. 

Congratulations go out to Shawn Calmes, who won the American Legion Zone 5 Oratorical Contest on the U.S. Constitution in Geneseo on Saturday (Feb. 1).

Shawn did a magnificent job, as the competition was very tough. He will move on to compete in Albany next month for a chance at a $,6000 scholarship and the right to move on to the National Finals at American Legion Headquarters in Indianapolis in April, where a $20,000 scholarship is top prize.

Shawn resides in Darien and is a sophomore at Alexander High School. Shawn is sponsored by Wyoming County American Legion and Harder-O'Donnell Post 734 in Attica. It is believed that Shawn is the first contestant of the Harder-O'Donnell Post to advance to the statewide competition.

Job well done goes out to Shawn and we wish him the best moving on!

About the American Legion Oratorical Contest

It exists to develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students. Since 1938, the program has presented participants with an academic speaking challenge that teaches: important leadership qualities; the history of our nation’s laws; the ability to think and speak clearly; and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship.

The program has featured numerous politicians and prominent contestants over the years, including former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, national television commentator and talk radio host Lou Dobbs, and Vice President of the United States Mike Pence.

A personal-injury car accident is reported in Le Roy at 9419 Warsaw Road. Le Roy fire and ambulance are responding. A subject fled on foot and was located a short time later in the 9400 block of Perry Road. The accident location is between Perry and Cole roads.

Le Roy Fire Police are asked to shut down a portion of Warsaw Road in the vicinity of the accidant.

This hunk of handsomeness is a guy named "Blondie" and he is in need of a nice barn home.

Besides being easy on the eyes, he likes to nibble, we're told, and occasionally growls.

"He also purrs up a storm," say the Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter who are soliciting a Good Samaritan to come to Blondie's aid. "So, he has a mixed personality."

Read: He's not all sweetness and light.

He is neutered, tested negative for FIV/FeLV and is up to date with vaccines. There is no adoption fee for him. 

"We ask that he have good shelter, food, water and some human companionship," say the volunteers. "It is also necessary to confine him for a couple of weeks to acclimate him to his new surroundings."

If you can give this guy a home, please stop in the Shelter during adoption hours or email the volunteers at info@vol4animals.org.

(Photo courtesy of Volunteers for Animals.)

Press release:

There will be a Sixth Ward meeting held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4^th in the Council Board Room on the second floor of City Hall.

Council Member Rose Mary Christian would like to discuss progress of the Crime Task Force and opportunities to organize a neighborhood group to design and improve residents' safety.   

Martin D. Moore, Ph.D., City Manager

Top photo, Charles Nielans gives the life-saving gift of blood this morning at Notre Dame.

By noon today, 50 blood donors had participated in the 12th annual Matthew Kota Memorial Blood Drive at Notre Dame High School in Batavia.

The event runs until 2 p.m. and includes a bake sale and donation opportunity for the Matthew Kota Scholarship Fund for students at Notre Dame High School and Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School.

Jason and Nancy Kota along with their children Sean, Sara and Tyler are the hosts. The family lost their son and brother Matthew in 2008 at the age of 17 due to complications from brain surgery.

At this point, the Kota family has now collected 675 units -- and counting -- in their 12 years of hosting the blood drive.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today criticized Gov. Cuomo’s new proposal to close several more unspecified prisons as part of the 2020-21 Executive Budget. Hawley, backing concerns of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOBA), chastised the governor for continuing to erode public safety by proposing to close more prisons. 

“Whether it’s staying mum while bail-less crime laws put violent offenders back on the streets, supporting a pay raise for incarcerated felons, giving tablets to prisoners, voting rights for parolees, granting driver’s licenses to illegals or closing more prisons, this governor is on the wrong side of virtually every public safety issue imaginable and single-handily putting the public at risk,” Hawley said. 

“We are going to see more riots and more inmate attacks on corrections officers, as double bunking and overfilled prisons cause more violence. I stand firmly against these prison closures and will advocate against any more prison closures as budget talks move forward,” Hawley continued.

The governor cited a rapid decline in the state prison population and a changing economic development strategy focused less on prisons as the driving economic factor in his proposal. Gov. Cuomo closed Livingston Correctional Facility and Lincoln Correctional Facility last year. 

“The members of NYSCOBA are some of the bravest and most resilient law enforcement officers our state has, and increasing inmate populations at maximum security establishments puts them in more danger,” Hawley finished. “Our NYSCOBA officers are crucial to keeping our prisons safe and orderly but also protecting the surrounding community, and I will always stand with them against perilous and misguided proposals like these.”