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Batavia High School’s 11-game winning streak came to an end tonight at the hands of visiting Brockport, 53-46, in a Monroe County League interdivisional girls’ basketball game.

But the Batavia Lady Blue Devils, a Class B1 team, can hold their heads high as they hung with the Class A Brockport Lady Blue Devils, whose athleticism resulted in a decided advantage on the offensive boards (multiple second- and third-chances) and solid 2-3 zone defense forced Batavia away from the basket.

The winners consistently swarmed to the hoop, which resulted in them going to the foul line 27 times -- making 15 -- while Batavia was just 2-for-4 from the free throw line.

Brockport rode a pair of scoring spurts – an 8-0 run to open the second quarter and a 9-0 burst to start the fourth quarter – to its 16^th win in 17 outings.

The 8-0 run erased a 13-9 Batavia lead that was sparked by senior guard Ryann Stefaniak’s eight points, and the 9-0 burst turned a 38-35 Brockport lead into a 12-point advantage.

Batavia responded, however, by scoring nine straight points – four by Stefaniak, three by sophomore guard Bryn Wormley and two by sophomore guard Mackenzie Reigle – to cut the deficit to 47-44 with 3:32 left.

Cheered on by the home fans, including a raucous “Blue Zoo” section of students, Batavia had a chance to tie but a three-pointer by Wormley went in-and-out.

From there, Brockport’s junior center Shinya Lee scored off an offensive rebound with 2:30 to play and senior guard Bryn Hayes hit a free throw a minute later to up the score to 50-44.

Reigle then drove to the basket and missed, but she came up with a nifty steal and layup at the 44-second mark to pull Batavia within four. That was as close as Batavia could get, however, as Brockport sank three free throws in the final seconds to close out the scoring.

Stefaniak led Batavia, now 13-2, with 19 points while Reigle added 12 and Wormley 11. Reigle also led the team with five rebounds, four steals and four assists.

For Brockport, Lee tallied 18, senior forward Doralis Allen 12 and Hayes 10.

Batavia plays at Honeoye Falls-Lima on Thursday and hosts Greece Odyssey on Friday.

Longtime Viking Valhalla Restaurant cook Harris Busmire rolled a 300 game Thursday night at the bowling center attached to his place of employment -- Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

The 54-year-old right-hander's honor score came in the Thursday Owls League, and was his fourth perfect game since 2001.

In the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes, Scott Allis registered a 299 game in a 730 series, and in the Monday Night League at Letchworth Pines in Portageville, Matthew Hurlburt strung 11 in a row after an opening spare for a 290 game en route to a 763 series.

For a list of high rollers for the week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Mike Pettinella's next Pin Points bowling column is scheduled for this Thursday.

Press release:

Feb. 1, Batavia -- The City of Batavia Director of Public Works Matthew Worth was selected by the Genesee Valley Branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA) as the 2018 recipient of the Public Works Leader of the Year, in the Administrative Management Category. He received this award at the APWA Awards Banquet on Jan. 31^st.

Worth began his career in public works in 1986 working for Genesee County in the Engineering department where he inspected bridges, roads and culverts. He started for the City of Batavia on March 23, 1987 in the Engineering department as an Engineer Technician until he became the Assistant Engineer. One of the first projects he worked on was the City’s wastewater treatment plant.

In July, 1988, initial construction of the new wastewater treatment facilities, which serve the City and a portion of the Town of Batavia, had begun. Worth helped oversee the new treatment facilities that were constructed to include nine lagoons and a series of three man-made wetlands on approximately 500 acres. This represents the largest use of multiple cell lagoons for municipal treatment in the New York Area.

In 1999, Worth left the Engineering department and became the Deputy Superintendent of Water and Wastewater and in 2002, he became the Superintendent of Water and Wastewater, where he would oversee all water and wastewater operations.

In 2015, he became the Director of Public Works. He is in charge of Bureau of Maintenance (Streets & Sidewalks), Bureau of Water and Wastewater (Water Plant and Sewer Plant), Bureau of Inspections (Code Enforcement) and Bureau of Engineering, with responsibility for approximately 50 employees.

In 2018, Worth became the Interim City Manager until the appointment of Martin D. Moore, Ph.D., by City Council.

City Manager Moore said, “Matt’s leadership has permitted his employees to reach their fullest potential. It’s obvious when you see the extraordinary pride displayed by the public works staff. His continual enthusiasm and interest to improve the level of service provided to Batavia residents is always his number one priority. By his commitment to the community and the organization, Matt has demonstrated himself to be a leader and a dedicated public servant and role model for all to follow. It is a pleasure to work with Matt, and I congratulate him on being honored with this award.”

City Council President, Eugene Jankowski Jr. said, “the Council is proud of Matt’s achievements over his many years of service to the City of Batavia. He has worked hard on behalf of our residents and we appreciate his dedication. He is very deserving of this award!”

This award is presented to association members for outstanding achievement in the area of administration within the public works department and to inspire excellence and dedication in the public sector by recognizing the outstanding career service achievements of administrative professionals.

Skip all the pre-game Super Bowl hype and test your skills on the bowling lanes. You might win some money and you'll be home in plenty of time to watch the Patriots battle the Rams.

That's the message that tournament director Mark Brown is sending out to Genesee Region bowlers as he promotes his "Super Sunday" handicap singles tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia this weekend.

The event starts at noon with a four-game qualifying squad. The field will be cut to eight bowlers after that for a head-to-head final round.

The entry fee is $45 and the field will be limited to 35 bowlers. First place, based on a full field, is $400.

As of this posting, about 25 have signed up. To enter, call Mancuso Bowling Center at 343-1319.

Numerous letters, phone calls, social media postings and comments on The Batavian concerning the possibility of Batavia City Council drafting a letter opposing New York State’s new abortion law have led Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski to request that the board move a bit quicker than usual to deal with the issue.

“I’ve received an overwhelming amount of feedback about this with many people concerned that we took a knee-jerk reaction to the speaker’s views,” Jankowski said today. “I think it is best that we address it at our next Business meeting on February 11^th to let people calm down and have their say.”

The state’s Reproductive Health Act (Senate bill no. S2796), which was passed last week, became a topic of discussion at Monday’s City Council meeting when city resident Chris Connelly, buoyed by his religious beliefs, requested that the board take action against what he termed as an expansion of “America’s holocaust.”

Language of the bill is as follows:

“An act to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the reproductive health act and revising existing provisions of law regarding abortion; to amend the penal law, the criminal procedure law, the county law and the judiciary law, in relation to abortion; to repeal certain provisions of the public health law relating to abortion; to repeal certain provisions of the education law relating to the sale of contraceptives; and to repeal certain provisions of the penal law relating to abortion.”

The law continues access to abortions and, by removing abortions from the state’s criminal code, it protects doctors or certified medical professionals who perform abortions from criminal prosecution.

It also permits medical professionals who are not doctors to perform abortions in New York, and stipulates that abortions can be performed after 24 weeks if the fetus is not viable or when necessary to protect the life of the mother.

Connelly’s comments prompted Council member Rose Mary Christian to call for something along the lines of Batavia becoming a “sanctuary city” for the unborn. Following discussion with Jankowski and City Manager Martin Moore, her idea was steered toward the drafting of a letter from City Council in opposition of the law to be sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Moore and Jankowski both agreed that they would give it some time to consider public feedback to ensure that the wording was proper, with an eye on discussing it again at Council’s next Conference meeting on Feb. 25.

Since then, however, Jankowski said he has seen the feedback and talked to many people, and he feels that it is best to address it sooner.

Jankowski also is of the mindset that it isn’t a priority of the local governing body.

“The majority of the public thinks that we are overstepping our boundaries,” he said. “My recommendation will be to listen to the feedback, stay out of national and state debates and stick with local issues.”

Jankowski posted a long response to many comments from readers of The Batavian following its coverage of Monday’s meeting. He said he has forwarded that to his colleagues on City Council.

An excerpt of his post contends that a letter from City Council – either for or against the law – wouldn’t reflect the wishes of the entire community:

“I personally believe that City Council writing a letter of either approval or disapproval of the abortion law changes at this time will alienate half of the community on either side and it wouldn't represent a clear direction or a consensus.

“Therefore, my intentions are to revisit the letter request under old business at the next available council meeting which is the February 11th Business meeting. I will recommend Council withdraw the request to write a letter to the Governor and suggest Council stay focused on local issues. Council as a group will then be able to make a final decision on how to proceed.”

When asked whether he would reprimand Christian for disparaging comments she made about Gov. Cuomo (as was suggested in a particular comment on The Batavian), Jankowski said in his role as the “ceremonial head” of City Council, he doesn’t have that authority.

“That’s on her,” he said. “I’m not taking responsibility to babysit her. She’s an adult and can take care of herself. But I don’t agree with any name calling and I have spoken out against that in the past.”

A series of pointed questions focusing on the City’s mutual aid procedures and costs prompted a brief explanation and defense of the cooperative arrangement among Genesee County emergency responders at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

“How many times does our fire department leave the City for mutual aid? How many times do they call in for overtime? Is there any way to get overtime recouped from the municipality we are helping out? How much is it costing us?”

Those were the questions posed by City resident John Roach during the public comments segment of the meeting at City Hall. Council President Eugene Jankowski and Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano were ready to answer.

“We receive a lot more than we give,” Jankowski said, referring to the numerous times that volunteer crews from town fire departments have to assist in the City.

Jankowski said the town fire companies bring in a lot of apparatus and manpower, and do not charge the City for these services.

Napolitano pointed out that mutual aid is just that – a “reciprocal agreement.”

“If we start to charge agencies, we are the recipient of that reciprocal aid when we need that,” he said.

The chief said the perception that they have to call people in to “backfill the station” every time that City fire crews (or Mercy EMS) go out on a call is not accurate.

“Depending on what the staffing model is for the day, we send four people out with an engine, usually on a FAST team. If staffing is at maximum staffing, sometimes we’ll only have to call in one or two people. At times we don’t have to call anybody in,” he said.

In closing, Napolitano said it would be a mistake for fire departments to start mailing out invoices back and forth.

“I can’t give you the specifics as to the number of times we have to bring people in,” he said. “The benefit we derive when we have a major conflagration happening is invaluable. Those fire departments incur the same cost per unit mile that we incur on the back side, except we have paid staffing.”

“To start muddying the waters ...it would be, in my opinion, not a good idea to try to charge, number one; and number 2, you can’t charge. It’s a mutual aid agreement of manpower and equipment.”

Declaring it his God-given right and responsibility to speak out against what he perceives as evil, Batavia resident Chris Connelly tonight asked City Council to stand up against New York State’s new abortion law.

“Abortion is murder and it has become America’s holocaust … 60 million children,” said Connelly, a former Marine now confined to a wheelchair due to an ATV accident a few years back.

Connelly, who spoke during the public comment portion of the Conference Meeting at City Hall, said he had no political agenda -- “I’m not here as a Democrat or Republican, but as a man made in the image of God.”

He contended that City Council has the power to shut down Planned Parenthood and to make “Batavia a sanctuary for the unborn.”

“If we choose to neglect our responsibility, I truly fear for our nation,” he said, quoting from Isaiah 1:16-20, a passage from the Bible that warns against evil deeds and implores people to follow a path of righteousness.

Last Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law New York’s Reproductive Health Act, a far-reaching statute that removes abortion from the state’s criminal code and allows medical professionals who aren’t doctors to perform abortions.

Furthermore, the law permits abortions to be performed after 24 weeks if the fetus is not viable or if the health of the mother is at risk.

Cuomo came under fire from Roman Catholic clergy with some calling for the governor, a former altar boy, to be excommunicated from the faith.

Council member Rose Mary Christian applauded Connelly’s stance and urged the board to do something.

“Is there anything we can do to stop this atrocious thing in our city?” she asked, after bringing up the idea of a sanctuary city. “It’s the same thing (as fighting against illegal immigration) I’d like to have done for the right to life of our babies.”

After a brief discussion, Council President Eugene Jankowski, with consensus from his colleagues, directed City Manager Martin Moore to write a letter stating their opposition to this law and for it to be placed on next month’s agenda. Moore said he would wait for feedback from the public before drafting the letter.

Christian then made her feelings perfectly clear.

“He’s (Cuomo) a murderer period,” she said. “I don’t care how you slice it or dice it. He’s a murderer … period.”

In other developments, Council moved the following items to its Feb. 11 Business Meeting:

-- Scheduling of a pair of public hearings for 7 p.m. Feb. 25 that deal with the city manager’s proposed $27,494,132 budget for 2019-20 and the establishment of water rates, meter fees and capital improvement fees.

Moore’s budget calls for $5,251,607 to be raised by taxes, resulting in a tax rate of $8.96 per thousand of assessed valuation – the same as last year’s rate. That means that a house assessed for $70,000 would incur a tax bill of $627.20.

Water rates and meter fees are projected to increase by 3.5 percent while capital improvement fees are earmarked for a 10-percent hike.

-- Acceptance of “back pay” from New York State along with an annual increase in payments from the state in connection with an arterial maintenance agreement that will extend through 2049.

This supplemental agreement stems from the discovery that the City was underpaid for work it did to maintain state highways (routes 5, 33, 63 and 98) dating back to June 1994 and is not being reimbursed enough to cover its costs going forward.

As a result, the City will receive a one-time payment from the state for $218,539.88 to take care of the underpayments and now will be paid $183,017.40 annually, an increase of $6,500.

-- Authorization of two bonds to finance installation and construction of sidewalk and traffic signal improvements on State Street, Centennial Park, Washington Avenue, Bank Street and Richmond Avenue (pathways to schools), and to make water system and drainage improvements along South Main Street, Brooklyn Avenue and Union Street.

Costs of the sidewalk project are estimated at $1.1 million with 75 percent being paid through federal funding and the cost of the water system project is set at $913,000, which has been budgeted.

Afterward, during a Special Business Meeting, Council passed a pair of resolutions – one that accepts a $17,981 grant from the Genesee County STOP-DWI program for specialized patrols, training and equipment to combat impaired driving, and the other that executes a Community Development Block Grant of $50,000 for a feasibility study to evaluate the possible addition of a second ice rink at the Falleti Ice Arena on Evans Street.

A $5,000 local match was required for the CDBG, with funds provided by Batavians Paul Viele, Matt Gray, Steve Pies and Stephanie Call. Viele, a City Council member, recused himself during the vote.

City Council recognized Karen Benedict, left, for her nearly 20 years of service as records clerk for the Batavia City Police Department. City Council Member Patti Pacino, right, read a proclamation in Benedict's honor, and Benedict followed by praising the City's police officers for their dedication and professionalism. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Two of the most popular names on the Genesee Region USBC awards list -- Curtis Foss of Medina and Diane Hurlburt of Warsaw -- added to their many chances for the local association's grand prize drawing at the season-ending banquet in May with superlative league performances last week.

Foss started a bit slowly (for him) with a 223 game before stringing 24 consecutive strikes -- back-to-back 300 games -- for an 823 series in the Friday Night Mixers League at Oak Orchard Bowl.

The 31-year-old right-hander raised his average to 240 for 57 games this season (he's at 245 in a Monday league at Oak Orchard Bowl), and now has three 800 series since Jan. 4.

Hurlburt, a 48-year-old righty, also has been in a groove of late, with the latest big series comilng on Thursday at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo -- 248-266-249--763. It is her fourth 700 series this season and eclipses her previous best of 738 (Jan. 19, 2017).

She had a legitimate shot at an 800 series after rolling the first six strikes in the third game. But a pocket 7-10 split in the seventh frame, and a solid 7-pin in the ninth frame kept her from eclipsing the GRUSBC women's record of 782 set by Caycee Landers at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen last season.

"I knew that I had the 700 but I really didn't realize that I was close (to 800)," said Hurlburt, who bowls in the league with her husband, Jason, and son, Matthew.

A Fillmore native who owns her own cleaning business, she is averaging 200 in a Monday league at Letchworth Pines in Portageville and 194 in the Thursday league at Livingston Lanes. Both of those leagues were relocated after a fire shut down operations at Perry Bowling Center.

The GRUSBC's awards program allows bowlers to earn entries into a grand prize drawing in May based on high scores bowled during the season. Last year, Foss and Hurlburt had the most chances to win one of three $500 cash prizes -- with Hurlburt actually winning -- and they have the most chances again this season. 

In other league action last week, Rich Wagner of Batavia posted 792 in the Toyota of Batavia league at Mancuso Bowling Center to raise his average to a record-setting pace of 248.26, while Steve Krna rolled 279--768 in the Antique World Tuesday Coed league, also at Mancuso's.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

More than two years have passed since the Darien Town Board conducted informational meetings on a proposed Water District No. 6, a multimillion dollar project that would supply public water to about two-thirds of the town’s population at a yearly cost of around $1,300 per household.

Not much has happened to move this plan closer to its logical conclusion – yes or no – until Dec. 17, 2018 when the board passed a “permissive resolution” intended to set up a ballot vote, Town Supervisor David Hagelberger said this afternoon.

“We held a public hearing on that date and afterwards, the town board voted for the permissive referendum in an effort to get a decision, either ‘yes’ you want it or ‘no’ you don’t,” Hagelberger said. “We’re (the board) not opposed to an election. Whatever the community wants (is what we want). We need to resolve this and this is a way to do it.”

As a matter of background, the town board proposed the water district to the 2,095 town residents who currently have well water. The annual cost for each household was set at $1,275 – and it remains at that level – with $914 going toward the project’s debt distribution and $361 for water supply, operations and maintenance costs.

While the price per family did not increase, the total project price tag has gone up (due to interest rate and construction cost increases) from $24.8 million to $25.25 million, and the amount of a USDA grant being sought has risen from $6.8 million to $10.82 million, Hagelberger said.

Additionally, residents were informed that costs of the initial connection, such as meter charges, account setup fees, service lines to the residence, and well abandonment and/or separation fees, would be at least $2,000.

Following the fall 2016 informational meetings, petitions were circulated to gauge town residents’ feelings on the issue, and about 400 signatures in support of the project were received. But things weren’t moving fast enough, Hagelberger said, and he and the town board “feared that this opportunity could be lost as costs continue to rise.”

That’s where the permissive referendum that calls for the creation of the water district comes in.

“The law allows us to pass this measure to force an election,” Hagelberger said, noting that another petition containing at least 100 signatures or 5 percent of residents in the water district, whatever is lower, would be needed to counteract the board’s vote and force a by-the-people election.

Hagelberger said that has been achieved – a petition of 406 signatures was turned into the Town Office on Jan. 15 – and an election must be conducted within 60 to 75 days.

“One hitch that has arisen is that we (town board) may have to pass the referendum again due to a technicality, so the window may be reset,” he said. “So, the election likely will be in March or April. We want to get this done as soon as possible.”

The fact that the project is being put to a vote sits well with Tinkham Road resident Fred Kochmanski, who was part of a small coalition of town residents who are against it but, more importantly, wanted the public to have the chance to have a direct input.

“We should have an opportunity for the people to vote; that’s the American way,” Kochmanski said.

He said that although he currently gets water through the municipality of Akron (and is happy with it), he would be forced to change providers if the vote is in favor of Water District No. 6.

“We’ve been told that there are 17 people having issues of water shortages, but there are 800 parcels in the (proposed) district,” he said. “It’s a case of the tail wagging the dog.”

Hagelberger said he remains neutral, but fears that if the measure is defeated, the town may be “left out” of getting water in the future.

“If you’ve noticed, a lot of municipalities have been getting public water lately, so we’re not sure what’s going to happen down the road with Genesee County,” he said. “The board believes this is in the best interest of the community but realizes that maybe not for each individual resident.”

Should residents vote in favor of the project, it would take about three years for construction to be complete.

When you're averaging 245 in one league and 238 in another, 700 series just don't cut it. For Medina's Curtis Foss, reaching the 800 mark for three games is where it's at.

Foss recently posted his sixth and seventh 800 series in the past 24 months -- 267-277-258--802 in the Friday Mixers League on Jan. 4 and 266-279-258--803 in the Sneezy's Monday Night League on Jan. 14, both at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

The high-revving 31-year-old right-hander also has seven 300 games over the past two years.

Speaking of perfect games, Nathan Tackentien of Arcade recorded his second 300 in as many weeks, the latest coming last Monday in league play at Letchworth Pines in Portageville.

For a list of high scores from leagues in the Genesee Region, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Mike Pettinella's next Pin Points column is scheduled for this Thursday.

About six weeks after breaking one Genesee Region USBC record, the Toyota of Batavia team eclipsed another one in league bowling action this past Thursday.

Sparked by 300 games by left-handers Jason Gallo and Rich Wagner, the quintet registered 3,580 for its three-game series in the Toyota of Batavia league at Mancuso Bowling Center to break the existing record by eight pins.

The previous mark was 3,572 by the Terry Hills Restaurant team on Feb. 25, 1986 at Mancuso's.

On Nov. 29 of last year, the Toyota team posted a 1,271 game, which broke the Terry Hills' record of 1,220. Members of that Terry Hills team were Joe Trigilio, Fred Gravanda, Don Buckley, Jerry Martino and John Gravante.

While Gallo and Wagner added to their 300 game totals en route to 763 and 756 series, respectively, righty Josh Elliott led the way with a 781 series -- 244-279-258.

Nathan Cordes added 280-269--740 while Leon Hurd rolled 540 to round out the scoring.

For more high scores around the Genesee Region for the week ending Jan. 12, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

On a night of subpar shooting, the host Batavia High Lady Devils rode their tenacious pressure defense to a 47-29 victory over Greece Olympia in Monroe County Division 4 varsity girls’ basketball action.

Batavia, 10-1, made just seven of 43 attempts from the field in the first half, but held a 20-16 lead thanks to a swarming zone defense and full-court press that created numerous turnovers and forced Olympia into taking difficult shots.

Olympia led 10-7 after the first quarter as Batavia went 2-for-20 and went up 14-7 after Batavia missed its first nine shots of the second quarter.

But things quickly turned Batavia’s way as a three-pointer by senior guard Ryann Stefaniak ignited a 13-0 run that put the Lady Devils up 20-14. A layup by junior forward Emma Krolczyk, two free throws by senior forward Jenae Colkey, two more baskets by Stefaniak and a steal and layup by sophomore guard Mackenzie Reigle completed the burst.

Batavia broke it open in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Spartans, 12-2, behind Krolczyk’s eight points, to take a 32-18 lead.

Stefaniak tallied nine of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as Batavia pulled away. She also had four rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

Krolczyk finished with 12 points while Byrn Wormley had four points, four assists and two steals; Colkey had five rebounds and three steals, and Reigle had four steals and three assists to go with her four points.

For the game, Batavia was 19-for-70 from the field and 5-for-17 from the free throw line.

Junior guard Janelle Miller and senior center Leah Stewart each had eight points for Olympia, 3-8.

The Lady Devils play two games on the road next week – Tuesday at Brighton and Friday at Pittsford Sutherland.

After watching the Genesee County Planning Board quickly place its stamp of approval on a project that would result in the tallest thrill ride in New York coming to Six Flags Darien Lake, the theme park general manager couldn’t hold back his enthusiasm.

“The sheer magnitude of the ride – which will be the highest structure in the state – will make it the new signature ride and beacon of the Six Flags brand,” said Chris Thorpe, who attended the meeting tonight at Genesee County Building 2 on West Main Street Road. He was accompanied by Edward McCarthy, Darien Lake's maintenance & construction director.

County planners reviewed and saw no problem with the site plan that calls for the new Six Flags SkyScreamer to replace the Twister. The measure now goes before the Town of Darien Planning Board for final consideration.

If all goes according to plan, the new ride will be ready by opening day of the 2019 season at the park, which has changed its name to Six Flags Darien Lake in an effort to promote the well-known corporate brand, Thorpe said.

The SkyScreamer is a 242-foot tall (24 stories) swing ride that holds 32 riders, sitting two across in 16 open-air swings, and spins round and round a 98-foot circle at 35 miles per hour. At night, the ride’s dazzling, synchronized light package will be in full view.

According to documents from the Genesee County Economic Development Center, Six Flags Darien Lake is investing around $2.1 million for the new ride and has been granted a sales tax exemption of approximately $166,000.

 In other action, the planning board recommended:

-- Approval of zoning text amendments for the entire Town of Pembroke to add the definition of service organizations, allow them by special use permit in the Agricultural-Residential District and add language allowing for the revocation of a special use permit.

The changes were prompted by a request from the American Legion, which is looking to purchase a parcel of land near the new Western New York National Cemetery in Indian Falls, said County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari.

-- Approval with modifications of an area variance request by Batavia Downs Gaming to install an off-premise 25-foot pole sign to assist motorists.

The modifications call for the applicant to erect a monument-type sign, which are permitted in a Residential-1 District, and to explore a directory-style sign at the specified intersection with other Park Road businesses in order to avoid similar requests in the future.

-- Approvals of the following:

            -- A sign permit for Koolatron to add two signs at its Commerce Drive location;

            -- A special use permit for Lynn Strzelecki of Bergen to operate a hair salon by appointment only at her home;

            -- A special use permit for William and Patricia Cultrara to install a ground-mounted solar array for use at their Galloway Road, Batavia residence;

            -- A special use permit for Renee Franclemont of Allegany Road, Pembroke, to convert a portion of a commercial building into a single-family home.

The Batavia High varsity girls’ basketball team, coming off a dramatic victory over Wellsville last Friday in the finals of the Batavia Rotary Club Tournament, has tacked on two more Monroe County League victories this week -- a 54-44 win over host Greece Arcadia on Monday and a 64-33 triumph over visiting Spencerport last night.

Three Batavia starters scored in doubles figures with Ryann Stefaniak and Emma Krolczyk leading the way with 16 points apiece while Mackenzie Reigle tallied 14.

The Lady Devils were in control throughout en route to their ninth win in 10 contests.

On Monday, Batavia led by only three after three periods but used a 19-12 fourth quarter to beat Arcadia.

Stefaniak scored 16, Reigle 11 and Krolczyk 10 while Bryn Wormley and Meghan Houseknecht each added eight points.

Batavia’s next game is Friday night at home against Greece Olympia, 3-7. Olympia lost to Spencerport, 46-40, on Dec. 28.

The County Line Stone Wednesday night league at Scopano's Lanes in Oakfield produced a pair of honor scores this week as right-handers Bruce Kraus and Dean Cadieux Jr. spun 300 and 299 games, respectively.

Kraus, a Corfu resident and longtime bowler, caught fire in the middle of his three game set -- finishing with 17 strikes in a row for a 687 series. His games were 202-185-300.

"I was struggling and then I hurt my forearm in the middle of the second game," said Kraus, who has seven other USBC-certified 300 games to his credit. "So I strapped a wrist support around my arm, changed my release to just a little flip, and the ball walked right into the pocket."

He used an old Brunswick Karma ball for his perfect game.

Kraus, 68, has fought his way through serious illness and injuries in recent years, including shoulder surgery two years ago and torn biceps muscle at the end of last season.

Cadieux, 49, just missed 300 as he was thwarted by a solid 10-pin on the 12th ball. The Oakfield resident finished with a 751 series, which took top honors for the night.

In the Toyota of Batavia Thursday night league at Mancuso Bowling Center, lefty Rich Wagner rolled 290-258-246--794 to raise his association-high average to 246.

Three others had 700-plus series -- Steve Krna (749), Mike Lambert (742) and Geoff Harloff (734).

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page. Mike Pettinella's next Pin Points column is scheduled for this Thursday.

ROTARY CLUB CHAMPIONS: The Batavia High School Varsity Girls Basketball Team with Rotary Club Tournament trophy, from left, Bella Houseknecht, Kennedy Kolb, Meghan Houseknecht, Ryann Stefaniak, Emma Krolczyk, Jenae Colkey, Bryn Wormley, Mackenzie Reigle, Tess Barone and Haylee Thornley.

It was only fitting that senior Meghan Houseknecht dropped in the winning basket in Batavia High’s exciting 59-57 victory over Wellsville in tonight’s championship game of 30^th annual Rotary Club Tournament at Genesee Community College.

Houseknecht was a freshman in the Lady Devils’ basketball program in January of 2016 when her father, well-known Batavia businessman Michael Houseknecht, died at the much-too-young age of 38.

With her mother, sister, grandparents, relatives and friends looking on during the closing moments of a hard-fought battle, Houseknecht, a 6-foot center, gathered in a pass from tourney MVP sophomore guard Bryn Wormley and laid the ball over the rim and through the hoop with :06 on the clock.

When teammate Kennedy Kolb broke up Wellsville’s last attempt to tie the game, Batavia had escaped with its seventh win in eight outings this season.

Batavia Coach Marty Hein relished taking the Rotary Club trophy but said he was doubly proud of the way his squad handled the adversity of losing three starters, including their top scorer, senior guard Ryann Stefaniak, who departed with her fifth foul at the 5:12 mark of the final quarter.

“Looking on the bench, we had a lead, I’m thinking we need defense,” Hein said. “ 'OK, Tess (Barone) go in'; Tess plays hardnosed defense and she did a nice job for us to finish the game. And Kennedy Kolb came through.

“I would have rather had Ryann and Kenzie (Reigle) in the game but it turned out that it was a nice win where everyone contributed down the line.”

He also spoke of the way Wormley has stepped up her game this season – “she’s blossoming and it’s fun to watch,” he said – and called Houseknecht’s late heroics “just rewards.”

“Remembering three years ago, it (her father’s passing) was heartbreaking,” he said. “Meg’s an awesome girl; I love her to death and it’s kind of fitting that she makes the shot to win the game.”

The game was close throughout as the teams were never separated by more than seven points.

Wellsville, now 7-2, was up by seven with two minutes left in the third quarter before Batavia ended the period on an 11-1 run with key hoops by Wormley, Reigle and Stefaniak.

Batavia grabbed its biggest lead, 48-43, on a basket by Wormley to open the fourth-quarter scoring, but Wellsville, which kept Batavia off balance with accurate long-distance shooting, pulled ahead 51-50 with 3:45 to play on a three-point shot by senior guard Taylor Adams.

Wellsville made it 53-50 on a pair of free throws by senior guard Jana Whitehouse, but Wormley responded with a three-pointer at the 2:55 mark to tie it at 53-53.

After a free throw by Wellsville’s freshman guard Marley Adams, Batavia scored four straight on a driving layup by sophomore guard Reigle and two foul shots by Wormley to take a 57-54 edge with 1:06 to play.

A pair of free throws by Adams on separate trips down the floor pulled Wellsville within a point and a free throw by senior guard Quincy Buckley with 15 seconds left made it 57-57.

Batavia inbounded the ball, with senior forward Jenae Colkey managing to escape pressure to get the ball to Wormley, who drove down the left side of the lane before lobbing it in to Houseknecht for the decisive bucket.

“The play was to get the ball to Bryn because she was the facilitator at the point in the game – the person who could either make the right pass or get into position to score,” Hein said.

Houseknecht said she was able to get free underneath by virtue of a screen from Kolb and was able to complete the play.

“When I cut through I saw I had a mismatch as the girl was shorter, and Bryn made a good pass to me,” she said. “I knew when I got the ball that I had to shoot it (right away), and fortunately it went in.”

Ironically, the basket was Houseknecht’s only two points of the game and touched off a wild celebration from the Batavia fans.

“All week we were super-excited to play in the tournament and then after winning on Wednesday (against Caledonia-Mumford) to play in the championship game,” Houseknecht said.

Stefaniak led the Batavia scoring with 19 points – five of them in the closing seconds of the first half to pull her team within two at 29-27 at intermission.

Wormley tallied 16 while Reigle and junior forward Emma Krolczyk, who both fouled out in the game’s closing minute, added 13 and nine points, respectively.

For Wellsville, Buckley led the way with 17 – including four three-point baskets -- and junior center Regan Marsh added 13. All told, Wellsville sank eight three-pointers.

We knew that they were an outside shooting team, we were worried more about Winehouse – and Buckley was popping them,” Hein said. “We knew what we were up against … We didn’t close out soon enough – they were popping.”

Stefaniak, Adams and Buckley made the all-tournament team along with Notre Dame’s Callie McCulley (ND defeated Cal-Mum in the consolation game) while Reigle earned the Sportsmanship Award.

 Photos by Thomas Ognibene. To view or purchase photos, click here.

UPDATE, 2:30 P.M.

This weekend's Genesee Region USBC Scratch Memorial Tournament is being moved to Livingston Lanes in Geneseo.

Qualifying (four games) squad times are as follows:

Saturday -- Noon and 3 p.m., using up to 14 lanes with up to five bowlers per pair of lanes. There will be no 6 p.m. squad.

Sunday -- 10 a.m. -- using up to 14 lanes with up to five bowlers per pair of lanes.  Semifinals (four games) and stepladder finals (top five) will follow.

To reserve a spot for the singles tournament, email mikep@bowlgr.com or call 585-861-0404.

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A four-alarm fire Monday afternoon that reportedly started in an upstairs apartment has caused a temporary shutdown of Perry Bowling Center at 22 Covington St., Perry.

Proprietor Brett Van Duser said this morning that while most of the damage was confined to two upstairs apartments, there was significant water and smoke damage to the snack bar area of the bowling center. 

He said it will take some time to assess the total impact, including if there is any structural damage.

He also said that he will be talking to his league bowlers to discuss options and that the Genesee Region USBC Scratch Memorial Tournament set for Jan. 5-6 in Perry would have to be moved.

GRUSBC leaders will be making an announcement on the tournament as soon as possible. Check this website for updates.