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Out of options, Bethany Town Board seeking bids for demolition of old town hall

By Howard B. Owens
old bethany town hall
The Old Bethany Town Hall, built in 1832, is fated for demolition.
Photo by Howard Owens

Even many of Bethany's oldest residents, said Town Supervisor Carl Hyde, have come to accept the unpleasant but unavoidable and undeniable reality of the situation. The old Town Hall, built in 1832, must come down.

The town is currently accepting bids from demolition contractors.

Joan D. (Waclawski) Torcello

By Ronald Konieczny

Joan D. (Waclawski) Torcello, 96, beloved wife of the late Ralph F. “Rick” Torcello, died June 1, 2020 at Crest Manor Nursing Home in Fairport, NY.  Mrs. Torcello was born February 8, 1924, a daughter of the late Anthony and Anna Waclawski of Bethany Center & Buffalo, NY.  She was a Business Major graduate in 1941 from Riverside High School in Buffalo and upon graduation, worked first as an aircraft riveter and then as account clerk at Bell Aircraft Corporation. 

During WWII Joan moved to Washington, D.C. to work as an account clerk with the Navy Department and later for the Veteran’s Administration in D.C. and in Buffalo after the war.   She and Rick were married on October 19, 1946 after his discharge from the Naval Armed Guard that year.

Joan continued to be employed over the years in accounting and office management for Roy Porter Produce & Brokerage in Elba for over 12 years.  She retired from the Batavia Holiday Inn in 1986 after 14 years as their bookkeeper and accountant.  Over her lifetime she was a member of the Stafford Planning Board, the Republican Stafford and County Committees, the Byron-Bergen PTA, serving as president, and the Byron Bergen Advisory and Educational Study Committees.

She enjoyed volunteering at the St. Jerome Hospital Gift Shop and the Batavia Senior Center.  She also participated as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Glenn S. Loomis Post #332, Batavia American Legion.  With her husband, she was an avid summer Silver Lake camper and loved showing their antique automobiles at area car shows.  A devout Catholic, she was a member of Ascension Parish/Sacred Heart Church and former member of the Altar & Rosary Society.

She is survived by her four children, Patricia A. (Joseph) Catalina of Valatie, NY; Marcia A. (Joseph) Rice of Pittsburgh, PA; Ronald R. (Mary Cain) Torcello of Churchville, NY; and Robin J. (Stephen) Hodownes of Honeoye Falls, NY; eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by sisters Mary Dombrowski, Sophie Adolf, Stella Kawacz, Frances Polec, Julia Slusar, Helen Hunt and Josephine Mager, and by brothers Joseph Waclawski, John Waclawski and Walter Waclawski.

Private services and funeral mass will be held at the convenience of the family. Interment will be in St. Joseph’s cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Mass cards or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at: www.mcandrewfuneralhomes.net.

ARRANGEMENTS WERE ENTRUSTED TO THE J. LEONARD McANDREW FUNERAL HOME, LLC, 2 BOGUE AVE., BATAVIA, NY14020. RONALD KONIEZNY II, DIRECTOR.

 

 

Paul Strogen

By Joshua Smith
Pic

Paul D. Strogen 81, of Daly City, California and formerly of Batavia, passed away January 29, 2023 at his home.

Mr. Strogen was born May 17, 1941 in Batavia, the son of the late Joseph P. Strogen and Elva Hyde Strogen.

Surviving are his son James Wohlford (Sherri) of Bloomsburg,PA, brother James A. Strogen (Virginia) of Sunrise Beach, MO and sister Mylynne Austgen (Wayne) of Elizabeth,CO.

Mr. Strogen was a graduate of Batavia High School where he played drums in the band and ochestra. He also was a member of the Saint Joseph Drum and Bugle Corps.

Paul served his country honorably in the United States Navy, serving on the USS Dewey and later as an electronics instructor at the Treasure Island facility of the US Navy at San Francisco.He served during the Vietnam years on a special warfare intelligence aircraft.

He was a member of the Batavia VFW as well as in San Francisco.

In later years he worked as an electrical engineer for various firms.

Mr. Strogen travelled extensively all over the world.  He especially loved to sail his own sailboat  with friends.

Special destinations for him were the Hawaiian Islands, Australia , Europe and especially Slovakia where he visited Strogen family relatives.

Mr. Strogen was a patron of the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Opera and participated in folk dance in Europe and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.  His motto was: "Music feeds my soul-Dance is my lifeblood"

He will be missed by family and a large number of friends all over the world.

Mr. Strogen's Navy Honors Memorial Service we be held at the West Bethany cemetery at 1:00 pm on Saturday June 17th, 2023.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the United States Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. Ste 123, Washington,DC, 20004-2608.

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