Amanda Lowe, with her family, with the Chamber of Commerce scissors, cuts the ribbon on her new location at 4 State St., Batavia. Her husband is Raymond, and her children are Bentley and Madison, Photo by Howard Owens
When The Batavian covered the opening of Jagged Edges 12 years ago, owner Amanda Lowe was clearly a bit nervous about opening a business.
"It was a big jump, for sure," Lowe told The Batavian today at the grand opening of her business's new location, 4 State St., in Downtown Batavia. A dozen years ago, she was an experienced hairstylist but had never run her own business before.
This next big step, a more upscale location that moves the business out of a strip mall, is definitely exciting, she said.
"I've learned a lot over the 12 years," Lowe said. "There's a lot of growth in different areas. But definitely, having a great team of girls to share everything with makes it so much more enjoyable."
In the beginning, it was Amanda and her sister Sarah, who is still with her, and two other stylists who changed locations with her from another hair salon in town where they all rented booths.
Now she has nine employees and an interior at her new location that is more fashionable and inviting.
Regular customers at Jagged Edges over the past decade could definitely see the business growing, and Lowe said she was driven to see it grow and get better.
"I'm definitely a goal-setter," Lowe said. "I like to see that growth, and it was super exciting and so meaningful. Even through ups and downs, and every business has ups and downs, we always continued to grow. That was just all the hard work that goes into it, so it was rewarding to see all that happen."
The new space is something she had her eye on for a while, she said. She was looking for something that flowed better and was better suited to the brand of her business, which specializes in hair coloring and providing just that perfect hairstyle for each customer.
It's a new location with more space, but Lowe said she has no plans to branch out into other lines of business. She knows what she and her team do best.
"We do hair," she said. "We do it well. That's what we like to do, and we work together well."
John Kennedy Principal Brian Sutton leads the charge in the third-grade round of the school's annual mud run on Wednesday. The event is sponsored by the John Kennedy Parent Group. Photos by Howard Owens.
Notre Dame scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to record a dramatic come-from-behind win in their sectional playoff game against Alfre-Almond on Tuesday at GCC.
Loretta Sorochty tossed a three-hitter, allowing two runs (no earned runs) and striking out 14.
She whiffed the side in the seventh to preserve the lead and secure the win for the Irish.
Katie Landers led the way for Notre Dame on offense with two base hits up the middle. She scored the go-ahead run and drove in the game-tying run in the 6th inning.
Mia Treleaven accounted for the other ND base hit.
Sorochty scored the first run in the 6th inning after drawing a walk. When Alfred's defense misplayed a bunt attempt by Cayleigh Havens, Sorochty was able to streak from first base to home. Katie Landers drove a ball up the middle for a base hit, plating Havens, and then she advanced to second on an error by left fielder. Following an Anna Panepento walk, the bases were loaded. Landers scored on a wild pitch.
"I can't say enough about the fight in these ladies to come back like they did in the sixth inning and pull out the win tonight," said Head Coach Otis Thomas. " Hopefully, we can build on this game and play tough Thursday night."
The Irish, the #4 seed in Class D, play the #1 see Keshequa on Thursday.
Also scheduled for Thursday:
In Class C: #4 Oakfield-Alabama vs. #8 Addison
In Class C: #4 Byron-Bergen vs. #1 Bolivar-Richburg
In Class B: #2 Batavia vs. #3 Midlakes at Batavia HS, game time is 5 p.m.
I'm confused! So let me see if I can work my way out of this perplexing welter.
It seems to me that almost a day doesn't go by without hearing about "news" and supposedly its opposite, "fake news," being batted back and forth over the net, only to fall to the ground, no foul, no point, scored. My ears' sense of sound gets tired following the word-
To better understand this phenomenon, I need to flesh out on the page some of my observations of the match on this court of public dissension:
1. Rochester, N.Y. has a newspaper, the "Democrat and Chronicle," which doesn't have an editorial page. Why? Unheard of in a relatively big city's newspaper.
2. Buffalo, N.Y. has a newspaper, the "Buffalo News," which does have an editorial page, but only prints its "letters to the editor," at most, 2 days out of 7 days in its publishing week. Why? Unheard of in a relatively big city's newspaper. (All 7 days of "letters" are published in its "online" edition, which a reader must pay for). One can read the paper edition for free at the public library.
3. Batavia, N.Y. has an 'online" only, news site, "The Batavian," which is principally local- and regional-directed. No national or international news, very little business news, a small amount of state news. (It is currently charging a fee for readers to get "first-access" to certain articles, and after a limited amount of time, the articles are then free to read). There's a lot to be said for staying small, focused, and doing what you know best! This news site does all these well, without becoming a newsletter. Better yet, not a Bezos or a Berkshire Hathaway, huge corporations that ventured into media. At times though, its local coverage becomes almost quaint:Girl Scout Cookie sales, pine-derby competitions, quilting bees, etc.!
4. Also in Batavia, N.Y. is the "Batavia Daily News," print and "online". (The "print" is free to read at the public library, and the "online" has a subscriber fee). This newspaper checks most of the boxes for a traditional one: international, national, local, sports, weather, obituaries, etc., although the "online" edition tilts mainly local, maybe in competition with "The Batavian," which is a good thing. Anyway, it, too, has an editorial page and "letters to the editor," and is probably stronger in "opinion" than "The Batavian". But then "The Batavian" can always improve, can't it?
5. The "Wall Street Journal," unfortunately associated in many peoples' minds as a solely business and stock-market publication, which it no longer is, represents the best of the current collection of print newspapers, in my estimation. (Check out its "Life," "Art," and "Books" sections, and particularly, its Saturday edition). The "New York Times" and "U.S.A.Today" pale in comparison to the "WSJ". (It too has an "online" edition, which a reader must pay for. The print edition is free to read, again, at the public library).
After all this context, and hopefully my readers' attention, my point is I think that a lot of the "fake news" issue results from the weakening, hollowing-out, fragmentation, single-issue politics and slant , of which the traditional newspaper didn't have to cope with.
You know, all the long-established, respected press institutions had one aim and one aim only:publish "all the news that's fit to print." (Credit to "N.Y.Times"). And from my point of view, hopefully, print all the competing opinions, both professional and pedestrian! The newspaper business, as currently constituted, is at fault, itself, for the rise of accusations of "fake news". Not the left wing, the right wing, the central wing, progressives, or conservatives, with their concomitant agendas and loves and hates! And I lay the cause of all your hand-wringing, vociferations, assaults, and attacks, relating to "fake news" squarely at your own feet. If you, big press, had all reported all the "real" news, there would have been no opportunity for "fake" news to creep up and proliferate in the cracks of the sidewalk beneath your own guilty feet. But no, today's big press, you were solely focussed on the "bottom line" of your balance sheets, and getting as many "eyeballs" reading your publications, come "hell or high water". Period!
Melissa Saunders, Le Roy's school lunch manager, making a presentation to the Board of Education on Tuesday evening. Photo by Howard Owens.
Variety, choice, quality ovens, a modern menu system, and health options are helping the Le Roy Central School District deliver nutritious and popular breakfasts and lunches to students, Melissa Saunders told the Board of Education at its regular meeting on Tuesday night.
Saunders is the district's school lunch manager.
During her presentation, she ticked off a number of accomplishments for the cafeteria staff during the current academic school year.
Among the accomplishments was a switch in online menu distribution from PDFs to a database-driven menu platform called Nutrislice.
"This has made my job a lot easier," Saunders said. "It's given me a lot more flexibility with the menu. It allows me to make real-time changes to the menu that everyone can see instantly."
The system allows her to store all the different food items that can go into making up a school day's breakfast and lunch menus as well as add products. When compiling a menu, she can include nutritional information along with allergens.
"It's a really big project, adding all that information for every single product," Saunders said. "I mean, just tracking down nutrient analysis for some of these products is this challenging, but it's something we've been working on. It's something that we will continue to work on through the summer."
A board member asked if she makes a menu change is a notification sent to parents. She said there is no automatic notification, but if it's a significant change, she does send out a notification.
A new purchase this year is combi-ovens.
"They can add a precise amount of steam or a precise amount of browning to any food product," Saunders said. "My cooks love them. It has the capability of cooking with steam or cooking with heat, or cooking with a combination of steam and heat to get a precise moisture and browning on food products."
The ovens the district purchased, she said, were manufactured in Germany and are the #1 combi-ovens on the market.
Saunders has also been trying to serve students more fresh fruit, a program partially funded by the federal government.
"We've been really scaling back on the amount of canned fruit we use," Saunders said. "It still has a place within the menu. There's still some products that the kids really like, and we will continue to use, so it's not that I'm not going to use it or the goal is to never use it but to really ensure that the majority of what they're getting is fresh. The reason for that is that during the canning process, food loses its nutrients. We've been using for fresh fruit this year -- we've used strawberries, we've used cantaloupe, leeks, honeydew, melon, watermelon, kiwi, clementines, blueberries, pears, oranges, apples, bananas. We've been trying to give them a really good variety."
Saunders is also working on scaling back the number of food items that include whey protein as filler.
"It's in a huge amount of products to use across the board," Saunders said. "Personally, from my interest in nutrition, I feel like it would be an improvement to our program to use less of (whey protein filler). Again, just like with the canned products, we won't necessarily be able to completely get rid of it, but can use some cleaner products without whey protein fillers."
She said she is now buying products like chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, and popcorn chicken, that doesn't use whey protein fillers. She's also found a nearby New York company that makes meatballs without whey protein filler. They're also allergen-free meatballs.
"That's a focus for next year," She said. "We were awarded some money from a local food and school cooperative grant that's going to allow us to purchase some more New York foods. I can put it towards things like the meatballs."
For breakfast, the staff had been serving prepackaged meals, but during the recent National Breakfast Week, the staff went in a different direction.
"It didn't allow for a lot of choice," Saunder said. "So during National School Breakfast Week, we discontinued using those, and they now have a variety of different cereals, cereal bars, and little snack options that they can create their own breakfast bag."
The number of meals the district served increased when meals were free during the pandemic, Saunders noted, but the district is still serving more meals than it did before the pandemic.
Districtwide participation in breakfast is up 45 percent over the 2018/19 school year, and participation is up seven percent for lunch.
The variety of choices for students, which always includes warm foods and things like yogurt and fresh fruit, is helping to drive meal participation, she said.
In April, The Batavian reported about issues the district was facing with unpaid meal bills for some families. Superintendent Merritt Holly told the school board that staff was trying to work with families to handle the topic in a sensitive manner. The district at the time was owed $2,751.58 for meals that had not been paid for at the time they were served (the district has a policy of providing a meal to every student who wants one, requiring students who don't have any money with them to pay for it).
The Batavian's story promoted two people to come forward and offer to make donations toward paying the unpaid bills. This evening after the school board's regular meeting, Holly said the district has yet to work out how best to accept those donations, and he isn't sure how much those people are planning to donate. He doesn't know, he said, if the donations will cover all of the unpaid bills, which have likely gone up in the past month, he said.
We are pleased with the reception Early Access Pass has received from regular readers of The Batavian. New people sign up for the service every day. We asked a group of these new members to provide a few words about why they support The Batavian. Here is what they have to say.
To sign up for Early Access Pass and support local news gathering, click here.
The Batavian has been my go-to source for local news. I can find up-to-the-minute news and find it quite helpful. Even my out-of-state children use it to keep up with what is going on. This is a great spot for what's happening around town.
-- Jeanne Penepent
Our local community matters. While people get excited about national news stories, the truth is we have very little impact on the national stage. What’s more valuable is to know what’s happening here in Genesee County, where we have a real impact, but the first step is staying informed. That’s why I’m proud to support the exceptional reporting of The Batavian with a yearly Early Access subscription. -- Sarah Kohl
I have always loved reading The Batavian and appreciate that the site is timely and keeps us up-to-date, particularly during the blizzard this past December. The photography is exceptional, and I especially love seeing school and arts events showcased. Upon returning home from my colleague’s retirement concert Tuesday night, I was excited to see a photo and story already posted! I am enjoying my Early Access Pass to local news and events. -- Melzie Case
For years, I have read the Batavian every morning. It has allowed me to keep up with local events and happenings. The new charge is minimal for unbiased reporting, which is difficult to find in this day of polarization. Thank you, Howard, for all you do and best wishes for continued success. -- Lorri Goergen
We especially loved the handwritten card and note we received from Kay Lennon:
Dear Howard & Team: Thank you for The Batavian "tote." It is "super!" I will be waiting to see who is the first person to ask, "Where did you get The Batavian Tote!" You can be sure I will smile.
To get your free reusable tote from The Batavian and join your friends and neighbors who are signing up daily to support The Batavian, click here.
Troop A of the New York State Police honored those troopers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty in a ceremony at the Batavia Barracks on Tuesday.
Third graders at St. Paul Lutheran School with baskets that will be part of a fundraiser, which includes a basket raffle, at the school on June 3. Photo by Howard Owens
St. Paul Lutheran School is holding its annual fundraiser auction at the school on Washington Avenue on June 3.
The school has been hosting the event since 1999, and it benefit's the school's Tuition Assistance Program.
"We don't want to turn away any families away due to a financial issue," said Principal Susan Wakefield. "Many of our school families have made use of this program over the years."
There will be a live auction, basket raffle and snack shop. Donations have come in from local businesses, school families, church members, and St. Paul alum.
Motorists heading east on Route 5 into the Village of Le Roy are now greeted by a large flag on a large pole on the property of a business there. Photo by Howard Owens.
Alex Dunn, left, is joined friends Steve Stephany and Jason Daline for a relaxing time in fine weather outside his apartment on Main Street in the Village of Le Roy on Tuesday evening. Photo by Howard Owens.by
Three of the Soapbox Derby organizers -- Jim Krencik, Shannon Maute, and Chris Suozzi -- with examples of the new soapbox cars that racers will put together and decorate for the 2023 race.
The Soapbox Derby, sponsored by the Business Improvement District, returns for 2023 with sleeker, larger, faster car kits, organizers announced today.
The race will be at the same locations as last year -- Ellicott Street at Richmond, next to Centennial Park in Batavia -- on August 26.
Last year -- the first time a Soapbox Derby was held in Batavia in decades -- races were beset by wheels falling off and other mechanical issues.
In an effort to solve the wheel problem, organizers sought alternatives and met Mark Scuderi, president of the Greater Rochester Soap Box Derby. Scuderi has a warehouse of soapbox cars that are of the style and engineering of cars used throughout the state.
The cars are valued at $1,000 each but the BID will lease them for $100 each and they will arrive unassembled so children competitors and their families can still engage in putting the cars together.
"We did not want the cookie-cutter car that everyone just jumps in and races because this isn't about a race," said Shannon Maute, director of the BID. "It's not just about a race. It's about teaching skills. It's about bringing out the creative side and letting them have fun with their friends and their family. The kids can still be creative and still use tools and learn how to do brakes and tires and use power tools. Mark came up with a great solution. He gave us the shell of the car, so the kids will be able to decorate it however they want."
Unlike last year, there will be limits on how much customization competitors can do on the cars because the shells can't be modified.
But out of the gate -- the new electronic starting gate -- competitors will get faster cars, with brakes, and the track will go past Park Avenue with hay bales on Ellicott Avenue set up at Washington Avenue.
Chris Suozzi, VP of business development for GCEDC, said the derby will still meet the workforce development goals of exposing children to the challenge of building something. The racers get to use power tools, some for the first time, and make sure all of the pieces are installed properly.
The size of the field doubles this year, to 48 racers, with two age groups in competition -- 7 to 10 and 11 to 13.
There are two opportunities to register. The first on Friday, June 2, during the Genesee County Youth Bureau Family Game Night at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, from 5 to 7 p.m. The second registration opportunity is the next day from 10 a.m. to noon at Adam Miller Toys and Bicycles.
There is a $20 registration fee and sponsors are covering the lease cost of the cars. Sponsors include Alex's Place as lead sponsor, along with Graham Manufacturing, Western New York Concrete, and Sheet Metal Workers Local 46, along with any other sponsors that sign on to support the event.
"The BID Box Car Derby is one of my favorite events because it's for the kids," Maute said. "Seeing the smiles on their faces as they race down the street reminds me of the happiest moments of my childhood. It’s something that all of our business owners have, a memory that inspired them. So many people came out to join us last year and already want to help out this year. I think this is what we’re creating with this event, a community."
Also serving on the organizing committee are Lauren Becht, Lydia Schauf, Marian Pautler, Matt Gray, Jim Krencik, Gail Tenney, Sara Tenney, Jay Gsell, and John Roche.
Since we launched Early Access Pass, a lot of people have asked questions. Some people have made statements worth addressing. And some people have expressed misperceptions about the program. This FAQ is intended to address those issues.
What is Early Access Pass? Early Access Pass is an innovative program asking readers to help provide financial support for the gathering and reporting of local news. Rather than wall off everything, The Batavian publishes select stories that are initially available only to those who have joined Early Access Pass. For the first four hours after a story is published, only readers who have joined Early Access Pass will have access to those select stories.Readers who join Early Access will get instant access to originally reported, bylined stories by The Batavian. Those who don’t join will need to wait four hours after publication to read those stories.
What do I get if I sign up for Early Access Pass? You get instant access to all of the original, by-lined reporting of The Batavian while everybody waits to join will wait to get all of the news. And, currently, we’ll send you a free reusable tote bag.
What do I get if I DON'T sign up for Early Access Pass? You can still read all of the press releases we post as soon as they're published. Scanner reports will not require a pass. Community events we cover as primarily photo coverage will most likely not require a pass. There will be the other certain news items -- ones that didn't require a lot of reporting time -- that will not require a pass. And, of course, every story that did require a pass will no longer require a pass four hours after publication. In other words, you still get everything we publish for free, though on a few items, you will need to wait to access it.
I think news should be free! Actually, news still is free on The Batavian.We’re offering you a choice: Join Early Access and get instant access or wait to join and then wait to read important news about the community for free later.All stories are still free to read, but some will require an Early Access Pass to read immediately.
Why are you asking me to pay you to read the news? As stated above, we're not asking you to pay for news. We’re offering you a choice -- pay for instant access or wait and read it for free later. That said, gathering and reporting news is time-consuming, and time equals money, which means hiring reporters, which is expensive.For most of the first 15 years of The Batavian, Howard Owens gathered and wrote nearly all the news on the site.That required him to work 10, 12, 14, 16 hours a day.Often, he still works those long hours.It’s taken a toll on his health and given him very little free time.He can no longer keep working at that pace.The Batavian is asking readers to support The Batavian so its news staff can be expanded.
Isn’t this just a cash grab, pure greed? As stated above, the founder and owner of The Batavian has been working 10 to 16 hours a day for most of the past 15 years.He can’t continue at that pace.This isn’t about generating more profit. It’s about asking the readers for help so The Batavian can hire more staff writers.
Why should I pay The Batavian when I get my news elsewhere for free? You can’t get most of what The Batavian reports elsewhere.There are only two news organizations covering Genesee County that do any sort of in-depth reporting, and both now ask for readers to financially support their news-gathering efforts.And that other publication doesn’t report nearly as much news about Genesee County as The Batavian. Also, The Batavian frequently reports news stories long before that other publication gets to them, if they ever do.And of those two news organizations, The Batavian charges less on either a monthly basis or an annual basis.
Can’t I just get all my news off of social media? In brief: no, you can’t. Social media is a poor substitute for an actual news-gathering operation.The way the algorithms work, you can’t trust that everything that might be important to you will come to your attention or in a timely manner. And how do you know what you’re reading on social media is accurate?Who is the person providing you the information? What is the person’s agenda?A lot of local governments now post information about what they’re doing on social media, but who is asking questions about the accuracy and context of that information?What social media company is sending reporters to small town meetings to find out what’s really going on, to ask questions, to make public document requests, to hold appointed and elected officials accountable? These are the functions of journalists, and journalists, like any other worker, need to be paid to do their jobs. Twice in the past month (as of May 2023), reporters for The Batavian have reminded elected officials that they were about to enter secret meetings that violated the state's open meetings law. In both cases, the elected officials agreed to hold their discussion in open session. It takes engaged, knowledgeable, professional reporters to hold public officials accountable.
Why is local news so important that I should pay to support it? Without local reporters, there is nobody to hold local government officials accountable, to ensure they’re serving the public interest.In communities without much, if any, local news, small-town governments have been shown to slip into incompetence, if not outright corruption. And it’s not that local government officials are bad people. It’s just without a watchdog, it’s easy for anybody to fall into bad habits.Further, local news reporters do more than hold officials accountable. They also report on the accomplishments of our children. They spread the news about the good deeds of charities and civic organizations. And by spreading all of the information about a community, they help bind a community together, which is essential to a community’s health and financial well-being.
I’m not convinced. I still don’t think I should pay for local news. Well, like we said, you don’t have to.You can wait the four hours to read a story that might interest you.That said, if readers won’t support local news, someday there will be no local news. Howard Owens, the owner of The Batavian, is going to retire or die someday.As things stand, it’s doubtful The Batavian could continue under a new owner.It would just shut down.And the other big news operation in town relies heavily on its print subscribers to stay in business. All across the country, the declining value of print subscribers can be found in obituary columns.The death of print news in small towns is inevitable.So, if readers won’t support digital news, someday there will be no local news.
How do I join if I don’t want to use a credit card? You can send a check for $80 to:
Holley was no match for Oakfield-Alabama in the first round of Class C Section V baseball tournament on Friday, with Holley pitchers giving up 25 hits and 30 rounds to the #2 seed.
The Hornets hit two home runs, by Shaun Alexander and Bodie Hyde, and Hyde collected six RBIs and scored twice while going 2-2. Alexander was 2-3 after taking over for Hyde in centerfield.
Brenden Wescott was 4-5 with four RBIs. David Schnaufer was 3-5 with three runs scored. Cole Kornow scored four times and collected four RBIs while going 2-4.
Five O-A pitchers fanned 13 hitters over seven innings while giving up seven hits, and one earned run.
Also on Sunday in Class C, Pembroke lost to Bloomfield, 5-1. In Class C, Byron-Bergen beat Cuba-Rushford, 8-5.
In today's games,
Class D: #5 seed Elba plays #4 Hinsdale at 5 p.m. Hinsdale.
In Class C: #1 Notre Dame hosts #9 Byron-Bergen at Dwyer Stadium at 5 p.m
In Class B: #5 Batavia plays at Hornell against #4 Hornell at 6 p.m.
In Class B: #8 seed Le Roy takes on #1 Wayland-Cohocton at 5 p.m.
Todd Jantzi, from Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service, talks with Gary Harkness and his wife, Debbie, about a lamp the couple brought into the HLOM appraisal event on Saturday. Photo by Howard Owens.
It was indeed a bit like the set of an episode of PBS's Antiques Roadshow at the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia on Saturday, with local residents walking in carrying their treasures and experts giving sharing what they observed about the item while the owner awaited the verdict: Priceless or worthless.
There were items of little or no value, such as the windup Victrola, which is a great artifact but a common item in antique terms. Of keener interest to Todd Jantzi, the Bontrager's auctioneer who shared his judgment on a several items during the nearly daylong appraisal event that was a fundraiser for the Holland Land Office Museum, was the old shellac 78s the owner of the Victrola brought in. Those are not common and, in fact, among the hardest records for collectors to find.
Many items, of course, were of middling value, like the mantle clock brought in by Crystal Rhinehart of East Bethany.
It was made by Ansonia, a well-known maker of clocks with a solid reputation, Jantzi told her.
Rhinehart said the clock had been in her family since it was new.
"This would have taken a little bit more funds to purchase it, so it probably would have kept better time than some other clocks," Jantzi said.
Then he joked, "We usually only see these from the homes of the rich people in East Bethany."
He valued it at $100 to $225 at auction.
Other experts on hand during the day were representatives from Cottone Auctions and Schultz Auctioneers. A variety of items were brought in from musical instruments, such as a guitar, and pieces of art, such as a colorized 1880s etching of the famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.
At the end of the day, Gary Harkness and his wife, Debbie, walked in with a bag of items for appraisal.
The largest item was the one that came out of the bag first. It was a cast white metal lamp with two candle-shaped lights. Harkness said it sits on his mantle as a night light.
It's from the 1920s or 1930s.
"No cracks, which is uncommon for that age," Jantzi said.
Harkness pointed out a small piece of metal missing, and Jantzi said, "But usually you'll see age cracks, and there's none here."
At auction, Jantzi said, $400, maybe $500.
Then Jantzi picked up a scrimshaw-engraved bone card-carrying case and nudged a photographer, "You'll want to get a picture of this."
Above an etching of a patriotic woman was the inscription, "Col Emory Upton. 124 New York Vols."
The other side was inscribed, "In much appreciation from U.S. Grant, Nov. 1863."
Upton, of course, is the Batavia-born Civil War hero, who would become a general before the war's end, and whose likeless stands vigil at Main and Ellicott in the city. Grant, a future president, would, in a few months' time from the date of the inscription, take over command of the U.S. military and lead the Union to victory over the traitorous southern states.
Harkness said he bought the case about 25 years ago from a dealer in Canada for $600 or $700.
Jantzi said it's such a rare item with such historical significance, he couldn't put a price on it.
"That is cool, Gary. That is cool," Jantzi said. "The only way you're gonna find out is to put it up for auction. That's the only way you'll ever find out, but you hate to get rid of it to find out."
Harkness said he's thought about a heritage auction, but, he said, "It's not going anywhere soon."
The historical treasure has been displayed before at the Holland Land Office Museum, he said.
Kind of like a real episode of “Antiques Roadshow,” Harkness coming in at the end with Upton's card box from Grant, gave the day of appraisals its dramatic closing.
Harkness let a couple of volunteers hold the case, and one woman said, "Oh, my God" as she looked at it in awe.
"And you touched it," said the other. "You touched it."
Todd Jantzi holds a bone card-carrying case inscribed from U.S. Grant to Col. Emory Upton. Photo by Howard Owens.
Crystal Rhinehart and Todd Jantzi discuss a clock she brought in for appraisal. Photo by Howard Owens
In the past week, The Batavian once again brought you more news about Genesee County than any other news source.
Below is a list of the bylined stories The Batavian published over the past week ahead of any other news outlet, and, again, in many cases, The Batavian was the only news source to bring you these stories.
The Batavian's dedication to bringing you the most local news first is a good reason you should sign up today for Early Access Pass. News coverage is a lot of work, and in order to continue to stay on top of it, we are asking for reader support through Early Access Pass.
Timothy Freeman Edgerton, whose distinguished life as a citizen of Genesee County included winning a Golden Gloves championship in 1977 in Texas, died at age 62 at home in Oakfield on May 7.
He is the last known boxer with roots in Batavia to have won a championship.
Edgerton was born Aug. 6, 1960 in Batavia. He graduated from Byron-Bergen and attended GCC for a year. He then transferred to Sam Houston State University in Texas, where he majored in Criminal Justice.
As a youth, Edgerton was captivated by boxing stories of his uncle Norman, who once battled for a Golden Gloves title and lost. In 1976, he took boxing lessons in Rochester. He was unable to get on a Golden Gloves card in Buffalo -- for some reason, the only names drawn were all Buffalo residents, so he hung up his gloves for a little bit.
He moved to Houston, and while there, he decided to try again to compete for a Golden Glove title. While signing up, he was recruited by a boxing team, Cut and Shoot, Texas.
They were a few boxers short for the team, Edgerton told The Batavian in 2013 in an exclusive interview. They could provide people to work his corner. That way, Ederton got help, and if he scores any points, the Cut and Shoot team gets the points.
That sounded like a fair deal, Edgerton said.
"Of course, they had no idea what my skill level was," Ederton said. "They just went into it blind, kind of like I went with them blind."
Then this man from Cut and Shoot, Texas, had another proposal for the 174-pound fighter.
"The guy says, 'What would you think about fighting as a heavyweight?' and I said, 'Are you kidding me?' "
Edgerton would be giving up at least 25 pounds to every fighter he faced.
"You'll be giving up a lot of weight, but you're quick, you're fast," the man said. "Jab and move, stay away from them, try to score some points. Your chances are better as a heavyweight. I know some of the kids in the lightweight division. They're really good. I don't know you, but that's the best I can offer."
Edgerton and Lettie talked it over. The man, whom Edgerton still didn't know from a fence post, seemed to know what he was talking about.
After winning the preliminary bouts, Edgerton was facing a man 45 pounds heavier in the finals.
"He had had to go 220, maybe 225 pounds," Edgerton said. "He was bigger. He was taller. And I won. I don't know how. Maybe out of fear. But I was able to take it to him pretty good.
"It did work out where he was bigger and stronger, but he was slower," Edgerton added. "I could outmaneuver his punches, you know, duck. A couple of times, he swung, and I could just literally feel the air rush overhead. If he ever hit me, I would have been gone. They would have been carrying me out."
The fight went all three rounds, and for a moment, Edgerton thought he could score a knockout.
"In the third round, I almost had enough to put him down," Edgerton said. "He was stumbling back into the ropes, but I didn't have enough.
"In my corner, they yelled out, 'stick and move, stick and move, you got the fight won, just stick and move,' so that's what I did," Edgerton added. "I got on the bicycle, and started sticking, moving, moving, sticking. He couldn't catch me. He was tired. I was in better shape, thank God, and I ended up winning."
With the victory, Edgerton won his Golden Gloves title, and as a heavyweight. Those points also put the team from Cut and Shoot, Texas, over the top for a team championship.
That was Edgerton's last fight. He finished with a career record of 19-6.
Edgerton married Lettie, whom he met in Texas.
He wanted to return home, but couldn't land a crime-fighting job in Genesee County. He went to work for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, living in Detroit for a while.
Eventually, the job brought him back to Batavia
In 1993, he developed Operation Child Intercept, which has been adopted nationwide, to combat the illicit transportation of missing and abducted children across the international borders into the U.S.
Edgerton served on the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District board for 15 years and was an advocate for student rights, improved school nutrition, and diversity and inclusion. He also served as President and a key member of the Elementary Community School Organization (ECSO), where he helped bring skating parties, winter carnivals, public speakers, and countless other special events to the students and larger community each year.
In Girls Softball on Friday, the Alexander Trojans kept their season going with a 20-5 win over East Rochester.
Freshman Ava Yax, along with Sophomores Faith Goodenbury and Brianna Neyman, led Alexander at the plate as the three hits each for a combined 9-11 on the day.
Ava Yax was 3-4, with four RBIs, two runs scored, and two stolen bases, while Faith Goodenbury was 3-3 with a two-RBI double, one run scored and one stolen base and Brianna Neyman was 3-4 with a double, two RBIs and one run scored. Madison Boyce, Melissa Sawyer, and Carley Shepard all contributed with Multi-hits games. Emily Pietrzykowski extended her hitting streak to 13 games with a triple to right center. The 17 team hits pushed Alexander over 200 team hits on the year.
Madison Boyce picked up her sixth win (6-2) on the bump with another dominant performance where the hurler tossed six innings, allowing five hits, one earned run, and one walk. She whiffed 11 batters. It was her fourth double-digit strikeout outing of the year and brought her strikeout total to 86 through nine starts.
Next up for Alexander (#5 seed) is the Section V Quarterfinal matchup with Oakfield (#4 seed) on Monday at 5 p.m. in Oakfield.
“The girls did a great job in the box again today," said Head Coach John Goodenbury. "Any game that your team can come out and get 17 hits while your pitcher tallies double-digit strikeouts is going to be a good day. Today was nice for the girls, but we all know what lies ahead of us Monday with Oakfield. We will try to focus on the game at hand, but we all had Oakfield on our minds today. That’s going to be a fun game, and they did beat us twice this season by one run each time, so we just want to go in there, play solid defense and let the chips fall where they fall. We’ve had a fantastic season so far, and we just don’t want it to end.”
