Batavia First Presbyterian Church

An issue of homelessness couldn’t have been made more obvious for the folks at Batavia First Presbyterian Church and Crossroads House after they discovered people sleeping in a donations shed in the parking lot.

“We had to put a lock on the shed and put cameras up,” the Rev. Roula Alkhouri said Monday evening during an initial meeting about opening a warming center in Genesee County. “Four people had been sleeping there and under trailers behind Crossroads House.”

It became a stark visual example of what being homeless can look like, though there are many other ways, according to a presentation by Chief Executive Officer Karen Kinter of Oak Orchard Health, including:

• Living in hotels.
• Temporary housing after a tragedy.
• Living with relatives and/or friends.
• Couch surfing.
• Living on the streets.

Kinter has been involved in other warming centers, including one in Albion, and has offered her experience to help get one going here. 

What is a warming center?
This center is to be set up as an evening and overnight safe space for people in need of shelter from the cold on days when the temperature falls below 32-degrees. Organizers also want to provide an opportunity for this space to be a place of connection with helpful resources.

The meeting was to gauge interest, and about 50 people from several organizations and nonprofits attended, including Community Action of Orleans Genesee, Genesee County Mental Health, Department of Social Services and Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police, Genesee ACE, St. James Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, Community Services Board, and Crossroads House.

Kinter’s presentation covered factors that contribute to becoming homeless, such as not having the housing necessary for people in need of a lower-income home and the risk of incarceration or losing custody of children.

It takes education, partnerships with other organizations, community buy-in and resources, plus funding to help solve the problem, she said. 

“I started with my team and a lot of other community partners to get that open. As a primary care office, we track homelessness, so we see homeless people in our office,” she said. “But we've had several community partners reach out. Once they heard about Orleans County, they're like, how can we get one? Because we actually get some from Genesee County, some individuals that try to come to the warming center in Orleans County.  We’re like, wait, let's find out, what can we do here if there is a need, what’s working and what might be able to be enhanced?

“Tonight was really about understanding what the community is looking for, what the interest is if we're on the same page, or what questions, how can we educate the community about the need? And your role going forward would be to partner with the community organizations to potentially open a warming center,” she said. “We don't have funding at this time for Genesee County, so we would have to work with other partners and organizations to get the funding to open up a warming center. The funding pays for staff. So we would not pay all of the staff. What we would do is hire them, onboard them, train them, and ensure that they're equipped with tools and resources to do the work that's needed during the hours of operation.”

How do you spread the word to a small population of  people that may not have Internet to read online postings about a warming center?
“A lot of it is through many of the community partners right in the room. So, just like somebody said, somebody was living in a (clothing shed), so when that church found that person, they have somebody to call. They know a resource in the community,” she said. “And so, really, most of the community partners are our biggest kind of social media for the resource.”

The need is out there, even though you might never see a person sleeping on the street. On average, the Department of Social Services has “maybe 10 to 12 individuals a night, and during off-Code Blue hours, it could be five, it could be less,” Social Services Commissioner Carla Mindler said.

What is Code Blue?
“Code blue is when it's 32 degrees or below. That's including wind chill. So, the feels-like temperature, we use the Ready Genesee app through emergency management. So if that says it feels like 32 or below, it’s Code Blue. We do have individuals who are homeless during that time. So we still, if someone were placing someone homeless, we still do the due diligence to ensure that they are homeless and that they don't have other resources to use for their housing. If they have somewhere else to stay, then they still need to stay there. If they have money of their own, they have to use that for their housing,” Mindler said. “The difference during Code Blue is that if they are sanctioned, meaning they are normally eligible for temporary housing assistance, however, they are sanctioned due to noncompliance, they are eligible for housing during Code Blue, and that's the main difference.”

Those 10 to 12 individuals are who DSS encounters during the Code Blue times, she said. That doesn’t mean there aren’t more than that, but “those are the individuals that DSS are housing and paying for on a potentially typical Code Blue night,” she said. 

What role can DSS play in a future warming center?
“Certainly, we can provide information; I’m happy to share what DSS is doing and what the county plan is for Code Blue. We don’t get an allocation for Code Blue that’s large enough for me to share, unfortunately, because I will use all of those funds in-house simply placing individuals at hotels because not everyone will be able to go to the warming center, and we can’t force individuals to go to the warming center either,” she said. “So we will inevitably still use all of that money on the hotels and motels. I’m also just willing to talk about what the need is in the county, I obviously want to be involved in the conversation so we know what’s being planned and we know what’s available, and can help maybe identify other resources as well so that we’re aware of simply because of the work we do.”

There may be individuals that would prefer going to a warming center versus signing up for a DSS paid hotel, which also includes compliance with regulations and requirements, she said. 

“And that’s fine. I’d love to have that as a resource to refer people to,” she said.

Reasons for homelessness do vary and include mental health issues and substance use, among a variety of other reasons, Mental Health Deputy Director Peter Mittiga said. 

“I don’t have definitive numbers, but it’s just exciting to have another resource out there to provide to folks, to have a potential warming center,” he said. “We link folks up at DSS if they’re homeless, but if they have another source that they can go to, it’s great.”

Meeting attendees were asked to provide contact information, and another meeting will be set up to better define details to move forward with a center, Alkhouri said. 

“I want you to go home and think about it. Are you willing to work with a couple of people and be a champion of this?” she said to the group. “I feel like there’s energy around this … and we could enhance what’s in existence.” 

A few women — Deacon Diana Leiker, Terry Maguire and Jo-Ann Bestine — representing St. James Episcopal Church were wholeheartedly on board with assisting the cause, even if they didn’t know quite yet how. 

“We would like to be a part of it; what that looks like, it’s too early to tell. We're very interested in it and want to be an integral part of it,” Bestine said. “We have to go back and talk to our congregation and see to what extent, whether it's space, money, in what way we would, but we definitely want to be a part of it.”

They know there’s a need for a warming center, she said, from watching their blessing box with free food in front of the East Main Street church quickly empty out continuously, and people in need use the church thrift store.

“So that we recognize there's definitely a need in this community,” she said. “Where we fit in, we'll have to talk about it and pray on it, but we want to be part of it.”  

For at least the second time in a decade, a group of folks are focusing on the cold — and the needs of people who may not otherwise have an alternative place to go.

This most recent effort began with prayerful thought, and ended up in partnership between Batavia First Presbyterian Church and Oak Orchard Community Health.

“We had heard about the Albion warming center last April. Our elders and leaders were meeting for a visioning retreat to dream together of where God might be leading us to serve in the future,” said the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia First Presbyterian. “We thought that providing a warming center would be a good first step in addressing the needs of the many people we see in our community who find themselves without the security of a home, especially during cold weather. We tried to reach out to different groups, but it was not until recently that we got connected to Oak Orchard through one of their new hires, Marge Fitzsimmons. That led to a meeting where we discussed the idea and the need in our county.”

That discussion led to the two entities agreeing to join forces and invite a collaboration of additional groups to come together for the initiative, she said. 

“The great news is that Oak Orchard has the experience, the knowledge, and the commitment to make this happen,” Alkhouri said. “We are hoping that the meeting on the 18^th will be our next step to cast the vision, identify the needed resources, and to start planning for this project.”

There will be a Genesee County Warming Center planning meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Monday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

This meeting is for any individual or group interested in supporting this effort and/or wanting to learn more about it during the presentation and informational planning session with the purpose to create a warming center for Genesee County.

The center would be set up as an evening and overnight safe space for people in need of shelter from the cold on days when the temperature falls below 32-degrees. Organizers also want to provide an opportunity for this space to be a place of connection with helpful resources.

Oak Orchard Community Health and the church are hosting this initial meeting with a vision to make this center a community partnership with as many organizations and individuals as possible, Alkhouri said.

A Genesee County warming center coalition formed in 2014 with a similar objective. For a short time, a center was set up at First United Methodist Church in Batavia. The last post on the coalition’s social media site was in 2015.

To RSVP for Monday’s meeting, go to fpcbataavia@fpcbatavia.org or call 585-343-0505.

Patricia Lawlor has been steeped in the works and study of religion for more than three decades, from her time as religion education coordinator for the Catholic Church and its Diocese, and more recently as spiritual director of the Mercy Spirituality Center in Rochester, though her path was headed in a much different direction early on.

While preparing to become a dentist in a pre-dental program at Nazareth College, Lawlor had to take a religious studies course, and ended up in a world religion class with Sister Joan Margaret Kunz.

“Her teaching, the way she presented the material; it just broadened my sense of who God was, and it changed my life,” Lawlor said during an interview with The Batavian. “I changed my study to religious studies, and the rest is history.” 

Lawlor will be facilitating a workshop for “The Experience of Prayer” from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 2 at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia. 

She will begin the session by defining prayer and identifying which definitions seem most appealing to people. 

“And then we are going to really try to build upon their own prayer experiences,” she said. Lawlor will explore three types of prayer, and participants will actually do some praying so that they can try out the prayer styles for themselves and share how it went within small break-out groups, she said.

There is a style called Gospel contemplation, the prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola, prayer with scripture — “using our imagination as if we were actually present during the story of the scripture” And another one of Lectio Divina, which takes a passage of scripture, and “we have the opportunity to listen and then choose a word or phrase and then just spend time praying with the word or phrase, to explore what it’s saying to us.

“And in between all of these, we’re going to be sharing what the experience was for each person, and I’m hoping to do that, dividing them up into small groups,” she said. “And then the final one, if we have time, we’re going to do a centering prayer experience, and centering prayer is about praying in silence and with the sense of going into our heart and into the deeper part of ourselves and listening to God to speak to us.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” she said. “You can be a complete novice who’s kind of curious about prayer or has some notion about prayer. It can be for people who have experiences of prayer.”

What would you want people to walk away with after this workshop?
“I’m hoping this will lead them into an experience of prayer that is beyond rote prayers — the 'Our Father' prayers that we say in worship — beyond the prayers that we say to an opportunity to have a conversation and a deeper relationship with God,” she said. “So the styles of prayer that we’re going to be exploring are styles of prayer that lead us into one-on-one relationships with God. These styles of prayer can be done on a regular basis or they can be done here and there. 

“You know, each person is attracted to a variety, to a different style of prayer, gospel, contemplation,” she said. “Some people may be attracted to it, some not. That's why I want to give them different experiences to see if we can find something that they may be attracted to.”

Let’s face it, life is difficult these days — with destruction from wars abroad and more regional natural disasters, the rough and tumble political landscape, and all of the myriad other personal and professional problems that people encounter —  but prayer can be about more than seeking to have your requests met, Lawlor said.

“I think this is leading people beyond the style of prayer of telling God what we want God to do. It's leading us more into a style of prayer in which we listen, and in the end, in which will help us to cope with everything that's going on in our world today … there will be people there that will be on both sides of the election; some will be disappointed, some will be thrilled,” she said. “And how do we take all of this to our relationship with God and more of a listening rather than telling God what we think should happen. So it's more of a being present to the situation that we are facing, and through prayer, becoming an instrument to bring compassion and peace into the world.”

The Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia First Presbyterian said that she hadn’t thought about the close timing of a prayer workshop and upcoming election just three days later, but “this workshop will definitely be a help to give participants a sense of peace and a sense of connection to others at a deeper level than the pollical divisions we are experiencing today,” she said. 

“There is a lot of anxiety about the election this year and finding ways to stay grounded in love, in peace, and in community is of great help,” Alkhouri said. “My hope for our community is to expand our experiences of prayer. Prayer is often presented as the words we say to God, asking for things we want, but that is only one way of prayer. At its heart, prayer is about union with the divine. It is about connecting to the source of our life and love. The contemplative forms of prayer that Pat will be helping us experience will help people access their inner wisdom, peace, and divine connection.”

Contemplative prayer, which uses silence, the imagination, the scriptures, or gentle movement, is “powerfully transformative and healing,” she said. 

“Through contemplative prayer, we can learn to let go of anger, need for control, hate, judgment, guilt, shame and fear and to trust the love that is eternal,” she said. “One of my favorite writers, Thomas Keating, used to teach about the power of contemplative prayer to heal the distressing emotions of our search for happiness through the emotional programs for happiness of control, esteem, and security. For most of his ministry, Keating taught people Centering Prayer, which is a form of meditation. Centering Prayer helps people to find fulfillment through the inner freedom to love, which we all can access.”

Lawlor ended up with a bachelor’s in religious studies and went on to obtain a master’s degree in theology and a certificate in spiritual direction. She lives in East Irondequoit and looks forward to what unfolds during the two hours in November.

The workshop is free and open to the public.

After working as a massage therapist for several years, Marjorie Fein grew bored with bones and muscles, and pondered which way she wanted to go next with her wellness learning journey.

As it happens, she took a continuing education course and absorbed the principles so deeply that she became a teacher herself.

The course she took introduced Fein to the teachings of Eden Energy Medicine founder Donna Eden. According to Eden's website, the teachings are based on a transformational healing modality that empowers the individual with tools to improve mind, body and spirit using one’s own body energies to lead a more vibrant life. 

That attracted Fein, who said she wanted to work with a broader range of people as she tried to figure out whether to study nutrition or acupunction. Then she took a course Omega Institute here in Rhinebeck.

"Literally, the only reason I took on this course is that it was the only class that gave me continuing ed credits for my license," Fein said during a phone interview from her home in Woodstock. "I had no idea who she was or what she did, and I really fell in love with it for a couple of reasons. One is that there's absolutely no dogma about it. People get into this work from being teachers, therapists, physical therapists, massage therapists, doctors, and acupuncturists, and Donna's whole thing is to take this work and make it and use it in whatever way works for you. The other thing is that we use something called kinesiology or muscle testing. 

“So, for example, if I have ten clients who all have irritable bowel syndrome, we are all completely unique people, and so there's no cookie-cutter formula. We use the muscle testing. We call it energy testing, to assess the energy systems so that each individual gets a completely individualized treatment,” she said. “So I love that because it means that anything I do, it's because your body told me it needs that, not because I had an idea that I thought was brilliant.”

Fein will be in Batavia to teach two Eden Energy classes on Sept 28 at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

“I met Donna in 2002, and I was already a massage therapist. I started blending this into my work. I've been doing this full-time as an energy healer, probably since 2003, so it's been pretty much my main modality for the last almost 22 years."

After doing bones and muscles for as long as she did, she was looking for a new approach to help people heal.

"One thing is that we really teach people self-care," Fein said. "We teach them how to do techniques on themselves so that they get the power. I mean, this is kind of my mission statement, giving people power and authority over their own life experience, physically, emotionally and spiritually."

Eden's work about energetic modalities, which is called an energy system, she said. 

"Just like we have a physical body that has, I think it's nine organ systems, a respiratory system, a cardiovascular system, a digestive system, each of those systems has a completely different form and function, and all of those have to work together to create a healthy whole,” she said. “We also have energy systems. So, for example, Chinese medicine acupuncture uses an energetic system called the meridian system, and they stick needles in points along the meridians. If you go to someone who practices Ayurveda, they work with the energy system called the chakras, and they move and work in a completely different way. 

“What I love about Donna's work is that we work with nine different systems, and we work with them simultaneously,” she said. “So that way, for one person, if you have an irritable bowel, the core issue might be in the meridian, for someone else in the chakra, or for someone else in the aura. So understanding those nine systems and having the muscle testing to let the body tell us where the core issue is, it allows us to track the human in front of us, rather than use a cookie cutter protocol for any one ailment.”

The basic premise of energetic healing, she said, is that anything that is happening physically or emotionally within someone’s body has an energetic core to it, and the body and emotions express what is happening energetically. 

“Like Einstein, we believe that energy creates matter, so we work with this creative force of the body, the energies and then the body and the emotions express differently,” she said. “So, whereas Western medicine is usually what I would call reactive medicine, you have an imbalance, there’s something wrong, and then you treat the symptom, but you’re not treating, in most cases, what actually created the problem in the first place.”

During each class, Fein will provide some education about the subject matter and then allow attendees to approach her one at a time so that she can work with them to get a sense of what’s going on with their particular energy system. 

These last several years have meant an uptick in cases of increased stress due to the pandemic, political turmoil, climate change and overall negative undercurrent, she said. And when you are under stress, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, which is a primitive response that can then trigger physical, emotional and/or spiritual responses and symptoms, she said.

That, in turn, can lead to poor digestion and healing. While the stress can serve a purpose and is meant to be short-term, when it continues and is ongoing, “it takes a toll,” she said. 

All of your resources are going to the stress. However, if people can build up resilience, “you are reclaiming those resources,” she said.   

Fein is an advanced practitioner and a founding member of Eden’s faculty since it began in 2005. She has developed a full-time practice with Eden Energy and works with clients, teaches workshops and writes about the topic. 

There are two classes available and they are interactive with group attendees, she said. If you are someone that feels like no matter where you go you’re a target, and you experience physical or emotional symptoms; you feel bloated every time after eating or gain weight no matter how much you diet, it may very well be related to stress and your energy, which are examples of something Fein can test for, she said.

Classes are:

Class 1 - Easy Does It will deal with emotional distress, and focus on stress, anxiety and depression, which she believes Western medicine has little to offer beyond medication. Energy medicine gives the tools to build resilience to life’s stressors as well as how to calm upsets when they bubble up. 

“When we are at ease emotionally, every aspect of our lives is improved,” she said. “We heal better when we feel better.”

The workshop session will include practical skills of easy-to-apply techniques that one can use in every day situations to calm the mind and boost stress resistance; emotional relief techniques to reduce the way your distress expresses itself; self empowerment to gain tools and take control of your emotional state any time and anywhere; and help for loved ones that may be suffering.

Class 2 - Make Friends With Your Food will involve energy medicine for healthy digestion. This workshop includes practical techniques to support and strengthen the organs of the digestive system, and lifestyle guidelines that promote healthy and happy mealtimes.

Cost is $75 per class or $125 for both. Registration deadline is Sept. 26. For more information or to register, go HERE.

This year of 2024 is a big one for Volunteers For Animals, a nonprofit that just last month received the Chamber of Commerce Special Anniversary Recognition of the Year Award and will celebrate its 40th anniversary next month.

And what better way to celebrate than with a party filled with refreshments, a special cake, activities for children, multiple door prizes, favors and a little history thrown in? It’s set for 1 to 4 p.m. May 18 at First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia. 

“It’s a chance to take the time to get together and to celebrate with each other and the community, a time to reflect on our beginnings as well as plans for the future,” volunteer and event planner Angie Knisley said. “(And to) honor those who selflessly founded the organization and remember all they had to accomplish to get us where we are today. This is not an easy story to tell. These early founders and volunteers sacrificed much to establish the VFA, a nonprofit all-volunteer humane-type society for companion animals in Genesee County.”

The Anniversary Celebration this year will also give VFA the opportunity to communicate its mission, programs and needs more fully and widely, she said, including, of course, the vital importance of having volunteers to help with varied tasks.

VFA’s mission is “to provide care, comfort and protection to companion animals in need tin Genesee County by engaging the hands, hearts and minds of our community.”

Organizers want to include all of the people who not only helped to establish the organization but who also helped to maintain and further grow it, she said. That list is quite long, as there have been folks — individually and in groups, business.

s, veterinary practices — since those early days in 1984 up to now that have provided support of time, labor, money, services and/or goods.

“We want to thank our supporters, including those businesses in the area, that have helped us through the years,” she said. “And again, the list of those who have helped through the years is vast. We are working on the best way to recognize our supporters and communicate our appreciation.

“We do not want to miss recognizing anyone,” she said. “But, we also want to respect those that would have, or may prefer, to remain in the background and not want to receive much focus/attention.”

The nonprofit rightfully received its due attention in March for the Chamber award after 40 years of volunteers serving four-legged friends' needs through Genesee County Animal Shelter. 

At the event, there will be displays about the history and people who founded VFA, information about its current programs, and photos of animals that have been adopted over the past many years.  

There won’t be any fundraisers at the event; however, “we are kindly asking for a $5 donation,” Knisley said, and children are free. Attendees are asked to register by May 10 for planning purposes so that there will be enough refreshments and cake. 

The church “has graciously and generously donated the use of the reception hall” for the party, she said, and is helping out with the event. 

VFA greatly appreciates the kindness, Knisley said. 

She hopes that the public will attend this open house party and help the volunteers mark this special occasion together. 

To RSVP, click on the QR below, contact the animal shelter at 585-343-6410 or visit 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia. 

The word homosexual apparently didn’t show up in the Bible — any Bible in any translation — until 1946, and this is due to a translation choice of Greek words used in 1 Corinthians by a team preparing a modern edition of the Bible.

Based on this premise, a team of researchers traced how that word -- homosexual — and God’s judgment against it — made it into the Bible, creating, in their view, a Christian anti-gay movement. Or so the theory goes in the controversial documentary film “1946” directed by Sharon “Rocky” Roggio.

Roggio’s hope is that the film begins “the necessary conversations that rid this bad theology from the church and from our homes.” 

Homes that have included her own, with her father, Pastor Sal Roggio, who disapproved of her sexual orientation, given his understanding of the word of God.

“1946, The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture” will be part of a viewing party at 6 p.m. Thursday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

Organizers encourage folks not to miss this opportunity to watch what they believe will be a “thought-provoking documentary film screening exploring the tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946.”

Even with little background in Biblical literature, it seems to beg questions, such as why only point to 1 Corinthians 6:9, which is where the word “arsenokoitai” is used.

Alan Schlemon, who muses about the film and believes the central point is “irrelevant” even if it’s true, says that the word arsenokoitai, “does appropriately condemn homosexual sex,” is an aside to other passages documented prior to the New Testament. 

“Pro-gay theology advocates, like the ones who created this film, love to point out that Paul invented a new Greek word (arsenokoitai) in 1 Corinthians 6:9. Since there are no instances of that word being used in Greek literature elsewhere, they often call into question any translation that implicates homosexuals,” Shlemon said in his online site. “There are, however, at least two reasons why translators have chosen ‘homosexuals’ (or something equivalent) for the English rendering. One reason is that the word arsenokoitai is formed by combining two Greek words, arsen, meaning “male,” and koite, meaning “lying.” Arsenokoitai literally means ‘men who lie with a male.’ It’s not surprising that the most prominent English translation today — the NIV (2011 revision) — translates the Greek as ‘men who have sex with men.’ 

“It’s also worth noting that ancient Jews used the Hebrew phrase mishkav zakar, which means ‘lying with a male,’ to describe male-to-male sexual contact. Therefore, having a Jew invent the Greek term arsenokoitai follows the same pattern of condemning homosexual behavior by referring to the euphemism ‘men who lie with a male.’ But there’s a second reason that solidifies this translation. The Greek words arsen and koite appear together in two Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) verses … Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 — the very two verses in the Mosaic Law that condemn homosexual behavior,”  he said. “In other words, Paul invents a new Greek word that literally means ‘men who lie with a male,’ and the two-component words that are used to create this new word are found together in the two Mosaic prohibitions of homosexuality.”

Rev. Jim Morasco, pastor of Morganville United Church of Christ in Stafford, watched the film. The producer is a lesbian whose father is a pastor who believes his daughter has a choice to be gay or not, and they are part of the film, which focuses on a group of people asked to make a revision of the Bible in 1946 at Yale University.

“The movie follows what they're doing at the university. It's a personal back-and-forth between the daughter and the father. And then there's the overall, what does it say in the Bible and why,” Morasco said. It's interesting. I'm not a Bible scholar by any means. But I've read similar things about what the Bible was made with, together with all the revisions.

“The people that were there were putting this together, and they interpreted it as homosexual. But what they say the truth is, it's not homosexual love; it’s a form of love.” 

How does he rectify Biblical literature of various degrees throughout the Old and New Testaments regarding homosexuality and not just in 1 Corinthians? 

“It’s simple,” he said. I don’t use the Bible as a rule book; I use it as a guidebook. I look at scripture … my basic understanding is that God is love,” he said. Use it as a recipe book rather than a rule. It’s a living document. The stories are inspirational rather than real. We can all relate.”

He said the Bible has some 900 different versions and thousands of interpretations in various languages. Much of it stems from the Roman Empire, which consolidated the Christian religion with the Roman government. 

Morasco said a passage about the man as head of the household and the woman serving under him is one example of how the Bible can be interpreted—or misinterpreted—according to one's personal bias or agenda. That is more about Roman law, not through any Godly inspiration or directive. 

“That’s the structure adopted,” he said. 

He doesn’t agree with those people who take a firm stance and tell others, “You can’t argue with me because I’m copying what the Bible says.” 

“That’s not the way it is; I don’t agree with that,” he said. “I have friends who are gay and friends who are transgender. They’re human beings, and to put a label on somebody makes them less than human. They’re people.”

Robin Schumacher, columnist for The Christian Post, also takes a dive into the Greek words of Paul’s New Testament letters and says that “the most straightforward, hermeneutical conclusion we can come to is that Paul was against the idea of males engaging in sexual intercourse together.”

Schumacher also takes a bottom line stance when “the literal-historical-grammatical method” is used to interpret the writing of Paul on this topic. 

“We find the Apostle can’t be used to validate homosexual behavior,” Schumacher said. “That being the case, the most logical thing to do for those wanting to justify homosexuality is to stop trying to modify what the Bible says on the subject and instead assume the position of the late atheist Christopher Hitchens, who once remarked, “What do I care what some Bronze Age text says about homosexuality?”  

As someone who has watched the film in its entirety, does Morasco agree with its conclusion?

“I think it’s a possibility,” he said. “God loves us no matter what we are and who we are.”

Morasco plans to attend the viewing and participate in breakout group discussions afterward. He said all opinions are welcome. 

“I grew up Catholic, ordained a Baptist, and am a reverend at a United Church of Christ. I’ve been exposed to a lot of different ways,” he said. “I might do it differently. I’m not saying that anyone is wrong.” 

The Easter Bunny visited Batavia First Presbyterian Church on Saturday.

Snow and cold moved the Easter egg hunt indoors. There were also games, face painting, refreshments, and a basket raffle. The event was also a fundraiser for the North Bergen Community Food Pantry.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Alesha Smith says that at the end of 2023, when North Bergen Community Food Pantry lost its home, a team of folks has been doing what it can to raise money for a more permanent space to accommodate the generous donations that come pouring in along with Foodlink.

Not that anyone begrudges the hospitality shown to pantry volunteers by Bergen United Methodist Church, which stepped in to provide a room, albeit smaller than the former space at North Bergen Presbyterian Church that closed in December, she said, but the pantry really could use much more breathing room. 

"The North Bergen Food Pantry was an undertaking that Dave Fish was very passionate to bring to the rural community. Although there is a large need for these items amongst us country folk, Dave does not turn anyone away,” Smith said. “Since opening the pantry, he has helped serve over 400 households." 

So, with Easter right around the corner, the nonprofit has collaborated with the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia First Presbyterian for an Easter Egg Hunt. Meant to be a pre-Easter fun event and raise some funds toward the pantry’s new future home, it’s set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 23 at the church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

“The event will include crafts and activities for kids, doughnuts (from Sweet Ally’s in Oakfield), pictures with the Easter bunny, goodie bags, an egg hunt, and a basket raffle,” Alkhouri said. “It is free and open to all. Our hope is to share the joy of Easter by helping the children in our community have a positive and fun event. The event will be indoors. This started for us during COVID when children were unable to have group activities or school. We held the event outside, but now we can use the inside of the church to have fun without worrying about the weather.”

"In August of 2019, Dave and four volunteers took the appropriate training and obtained all the required equipment to open the pantry," Smith said. "They obtained everything from food items, pet food, stationery, and personal hygiene products from Foodlink, and through personal donations. Now they officially have seven board members.”

Smith and two others, Melodi Leaton and Kassie Bowen, comprise the fundraising committee. After meeting up with Fish, they all learned of his “welcoming, friendly demeanor, compassion and listening ear,” and helped to connect everyone to work together and, in time, become good friends as well, she said. 

Smith is grateful to be working with the Batavia church for this event, she said. The pantry's goal was to collect enough donations to raffle 10 baskets, and that goal has already been exceeded, she said. There will be assorted theme baskets of kitchenware items, a teenage girl’s basket filled with slippers, nail polish, and other pampering items, a mandala coloring book and colored pencils, kids’ Easter baskets, and many more, she said. 

“The optional baskets will be the only cost, but will greatly help raise the much-needed funds for our pantry to find a home of our own,” she said. “While several other egg hunts are happening the same time/day, we would love for our community members to know that not only do we have more to offer — face painting, crafts, doughnuts, egg hunt, goodie bags and the bunny, of course — we will also be having several raffle baskets. Our event is free and open to everyone."

Fish has said that the pantry has the equipment, including refrigerators, freezers, shelving units, and, most importantly, volunteers who are willing to continue the mission. What it needs is at least 2,000 square feet of space that offers a handicapped entrance, parking, and a restroom, he said. 

Board members are Nancy Cook, Karen Tennity, Amanda Cook, Dawn Sprague, Kevin Kent, Rick Woodring, and Patty Lamon, and Hal Milward, pastor of Bergen United Methodist Church, has been a huge supporter, Smith said. 

Basket tickets will be sold at the event for $5 per sheet of 25. Winners need not be present to receive the basket. 

Who says you have to wait until midnight to celebrate the New Year? Batavia First Presbyterian Church is hosting a morning celebration from 10 to 11 a.m. with worship, songs, stories, and prayer and 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday with brunch and games to ring in the New Year. There will also be a photo booth, hats, tiaras and other New Year’s goodies to ring in 2024, organizers say.

The public is welcome to attend at 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

When tapped to play St. Nicholas for the Bethlehem Walk Wednesday evening, Dan Dedo didn’t cut any corners.

His wife made him a lavish suit of a metallic gold vest and a long hooded, red crushed velvet cape, and he wore a thick white, curly-haired beard and carried his own tall wooden staff that a friend had made for him. His hat, purchased with a gold cross on the front and back resembling that of a bishop, completed the outfit. 

Being unfamiliar with St. Nicholas, Dedo also did some research so he would be prepared for his duties during the event at Batavia First Presbyterian Church. 

No matter how long ago St. Nicholas originated, he still has a lesson for the modern-day world, Dedo said.

“It reminds everybody that it's a season where we should all be kind and generous to those in need and that St. Nicholas was that way throughout the year, which we have to remember, too,” he said. “So I enjoyed learning about him.”

St. Nicholas, who in later decades has been called St. Nick, served as the inspiration for Santa Claus, who is said to travel by way of sleigh and reindeer to rooftops and climb into chimneys to deliver his gifts to strangers’ homes. Dedo learned about his much earlier existence.

“Well, I was given a book that I read for everybody here. And then, I did some research online. St. Nicholas was born in 200 AD in what is now Turkey. His parents were rich; he became a priest in the Greek church, and his parents died and left him all their money. And St. Nicholas gave all the money to people in need: the sick, the hungry, people that needed housing,” Dedo said. “And there's a story about an old man with three daughters. And to get married in those days, you had to have money for a dowry. And they had no money, and the old man was worried about his daughters. So St. Nicholas heard about this, and at night, he threw a bag of gold through the window of the house. And they were overjoyed. And she was able to get married, then the middle-aged girl came of age to get married. And he did it again, he threw another bag of gold into the house. 

“Now, when the third daughter was old enough to get married, the old man was waiting to find out who this generous person was. And St. Nicholas liked to give anonymously. So he climbed up on the rooftop and threw the bag of gold down through the chimney. And the girl had hung her socks and stockings to dry under the chimney,” he said. “And the legend has it that the bag of gold fell into the stocking. And I mean, he inspired a lot of generosity and kindness on the part of other people. So we still remember him to this day for that reason.”

The event venue had tables full of nativity sets — collections on loan from Laura Dommer and Liz Saleh, plus a few others brought in from other church members — and hot homemade soup, decorated sugar cookies, music, children’s games and lots of mingling. 

Sheryl Maier and her daughter Tallulah were browsing a table of nativity scenes, and it didn’t take long for Tallulah to spot her favorite one.

“I like this one,” she said, pointing to a puzzle nativity. “I like doing puzzles, and I like doing puzzles of baby Jesus.”

As it so happens, her mom read the five-year-old the story of St. Nicholas at home before they attended the event, so Tallulah was quite familiar with the tall bearded chap when they arrived. He gave her some gold coins (chocolate wrapped in foil), and he walked around handing out the symbolic gift St. Nicholas threw into poor people’s homes as a token of compassion.

Olivia Fanton had gotten some coins but was waiting to eat her Italian wedding soup first. It was too hot at the moment, she said. The 11-year-old Batavia Middle School student had checked out the nativity scenes and especially liked one lone white decorative angel. 

“That’s my favorite,” she said. “I like the face of the angel.”

It was one piece of a collection that Dommer no longer had assembled together, she said. When she heard that Olivia liked the angel, she decided to follow in the footsteps of St. Nicholas and give it to the sixth-grader.

“I did it because she has a Bills shirt on,” Dommer joked. 

Liz Saleh held up the tiniest of nativity scenes that she has acquired over the years as one of nearly 100 in her vast collection.

The piece — a polished brown exterior with a white interior resembling ivory — has been carved out of a tagua nut from the South American Amazon rain forest. It represents one of several countries in a display that will be opened to the public next week. Her collection began with a merged nativity set from the childhoods of her and her late husband, David, dating back more than 70 years. 

Ever since then, she just kept amassing more of the iconic Christmas scenes, typically featuring a manger, Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and animals.

“I just loved them, and people started giving them to me. Once they know you like something, they keep giving them to you,” Saleh said while setting up her pieces Friday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church. “And I just started collecting them.”

Bethlehem Walk with St. Nicholas & Community Dinner will feature nativity scenes from Saleh and fellow Batavia resident Laura Dommer. The event will also include a meal of bread, homemade minestrone, Italian wedding soups and Advent-themed sugar cookies, and a visit from the traditional St. Nicholas. It is free of charge and is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

Most likely, you’ve either grown up with a nativity scene in your home or you have seen one somewhere, and they are steeped in deep history from St. Francis of Assisi, who more than 800 years ago wanted to remind the world that the season was about more than just giving or receiving gifts; it was about celebrating the birth of Jesus. Though, certainly, many nativity scenes have included the three wisemen bringing gifts to Jesus, all of them have not depicted that aspect. 

The set that Saleh has, for example, from Assisi, is very simple, with a modest manger, and the key characters of Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and a few animals arranged in front of it. A colorful metal display from Mexico, on the other hand, more brilliantly shows the wise men holding up their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Each country seems to tell a slightly different story in how the nativity is portrayed through materials, colors, simplicity or complexity, and the presence of animals as an important piece to the story. 

Saleh’s collection also includes a trifold-certified painting of Byzantine art using tempera paint — with egg yolks mixed in for a rich golden cast — from a museum in Boston, and materials of pottery, wood, hand-spun lambswool, a milked, anise star, sticks, grapevine wreath, pieces of cloth and other items from Mother Nature. 

There are sets from countries including Indonesia, Ecuador, Peru, Africa, Jerusalem, Germany, Portugal, Venice, Vietnam, Armenia, Italy, Bangladesh, India and the United States. 

As Saleh unpacked items, she talked about how dear friends made something for her or gave a set to her, and each unpacked box sparked more memories. She unwrapped a second one from Mexico, with small, intricate details painted onto the figurines. 

“I fell in love with this,” she said. “I think it’s beautiful, it’s hand-painted.”

Dommer has 108 nativity sets, mostly given to her as gifts, she said. She usually keeps about three favorites out while the remaining are tucked away in storage — a Peanuts Charlie Brown set, Fisher Price, and part of a Fontanini Village collection. 

A nativity goes beyond an aesthetic decoration, Dommer said.

“To me, it means I really understand what Christmas is about, it’s about the birth of our savior,” she said. “It’s going to be interesting to see what people say (about the collection). Some are very, very unique. I think they might say how did you find this or where did you get this. I do have one over two feet tall.”

Her grandmother used to work at Bethany Ridge apartments, and they were cleaning out the attic and discovered the two-foot nativity with the intent to throw it away. Grandma said no, she knew of a better home for it, Dommer said.

During the evening, St. Nicholas will be reading the story of his namesake — the actual story of St. Nicholas, a bishop in Turkey who heard about impoverished parents who were going to sell their daughters into servitude. St. Nicholas threw a bag of gold coins down the chimney to help them out and alleviate the need to sell their daughters. 

That has served as the foundation for Feast Day of St. Nicholas and a tradition of giving chocolate coins to children, which will also be part of the event, the Rev. Roula Alkhouri said.

“That’s the whole spirit of this, people can come and share in this and the story of how love evolved in different ways, and how people have imagined it in different ways,” she said. 

Parishioners will also be bringing in their nativities, and a nativity tree is decorated with dozens of Saleh’s nativity ornaments. 

Press Release:

GLOW OUT!, the LGBTQ+ outreach agency serving the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) region of Western New York, is thrilled to invite the community to a special event this weekend. 

GLOW OUT! organizers encourage everyone to join them at the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia at 300 E. Main St. in Batavia from 12 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 22 to celebrate Coming Out Day. 

This Open House and Celebration will showcase the variety of programs the organization offers, including the youth LGBTQ+ Drop-In Center which meets weekly on Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. at the church. 

LGBTQ+ youth, ages 12-18, and their ally friends are encouraged to tour the space and meet fellow youth members during the Open House.

GLOW OUT! is taking the celebration of Coming Out Day to a new level by introducing the Living Library experience. Attendees will have the opportunity to “check out” a human book, each of whom will share their unique Coming Out journey in small group settings. 

This initiative aims to encourage dialogue, foster a deeper understanding of the LGBTQ+ experience, and empower attendees to better support individuals in their lives who may be going through the Coming Out process. 

In addition to the Living Library experience, GLOW OUT! is using this event to mark the beginning of a year dedicated to storytelling as a powerful educator. 

In 2023, the organization received Anti-Stigma funding from the NYS Legislature and the Office of Mental Health, allowing them to establish a youth LGBTQ+ theatre troupe, starting in the spring of 2024. This troupe’s mission is twofold: suicide prevention and education on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth. 

For more details on this exciting endeavor and the impact on the GLOW region, please contact director Sara Vacin at svacin@glowout.org .

Sunday’s celebration will also feature a craft, basket, and bake sale, with all proceeds contributing to our vital LGBTQ+ support programs and services. Items for sale will include candles, painted potted plants, bookmarks, and youth designed T-shirts – all illustrating their unique perspectives and immense talent. 

The group will also have chili available (vegan and meat options) and encourages participants to warm up with a hearty bowl while listening to impactful stories, perusing the youth-made artistry, and helping to build a more inclusive, caring community.

Learn more about the organization, show support for LGBTQ+ youth, and help build up the vibrant community that embraces them. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit www.glowout.org or email your questions to info@glowout.org.

The day is to include a craft sale, basket raffle, 50/50 and a living library, with an enlightening and opportunity to delve into the diverse coming out stories of LGBTQ+ leaders for participants of all ages

The open house will feature a designated youth space where PFLAG and SAGE meetings will be taking place. Meet board members, Act Out leaders and learn about exciting opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies happening in the GLOW region, organizers said.

This event is free and open to the public.

Generosity — of her time, friendship, possessions, and passion for music, life, and all creatures — is something that Roxanne “Roxie” Choate will be remembered for by her friends, family, and fellow choir members, they say.

A music teacher at Oakfield-Alabama school, president of Genesee Symphony Orchestra, choir director and bell choir member, and organist at Batavia First Presbyterian Church for many years, Choate became a fixture to many for her connections to the notes on the page and the songs in the air. She died on Oct. 5 at Le Roy Village Green Nursing Home.

“Roxie loved music and loved to share it with others. She had the gift of discovering talent and connecting people to choirs or musical groups. Many of our music leaders in the church today were mentored by Roxie,” the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia First Presbyterian said. “I loved watching the friendship she had with Melzie Case, our organist/choir director. The music was what brought them together, but their friendship grew deep. We are so grateful to have Melzie, but without Roxie, it would not have been possible.

"The same is true of Cheri Kolb. Roxie was the connection for Cheri to our church,” Alkhouri said. “The Bell Choir is something that she started in our church as well.”

Alkhouri also noted Choate’s tremendous generosity when it came to her time, talent, and resources. She had an apparent green thumb and was also skilled in the culinary world. 

“Every summer I got tomatoes and other goodies from her garden. Every Christmas, I received a beautiful wreath for our home to put on our door. I got to taste many of her wonderful meals as she often shared them with me,” Alkhouri said. “Every year she spent a lot of time and effort thinking about the Christmas gifts she was going to give to the members of her bell choir. She would get so excited about the selection. One year, she found beautiful ornaments that were quite expensive and bought only a few of them at a time until she was ready to share them by Christmas. Roxie was also generous with her time and energy. She volunteered for anything that was needed at church, even for jobs she didn’t necessarily enjoy. Her spirit of service was exemplary.”

Melzie Case met Choate several years ago when in the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, where she developed a friendship with someone who was an “advocate, leader, and volunteer in the GSO for numerous years,” and also served as Board president, vice president, personnel manager, ad book co-chair, string workshop coordinator and helped to organize the first Summer Serenade events, “in addition to performing countless tasks behind the scenes that have helped the GSO to thrive.”

“She was integral in virtually every aspect of the orchestra’s operations and I believe the GSO is successful today because of her work and contributions,” Case said. “I first met Roxie in 2009 when I became involved with the GSO as a high school student, and we worked closely together on the Board over the years. In 2019 Roxie asked me to accompany the choir at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church where I also enjoyed playing piano and organ duets with her. Whether it was a phone call about the orchestra or a choir rehearsal, we shared many laughs and the joy of making music over the years. 

“Roxie, a music educator, was passionate about bringing music to the community,” Case said. “She was a friend in music to me and so many others, and her impact will be felt for years to come.” 

Paul Saskowski worked with Choate on the GSO board about eight years ago and recalled how she covered many positions at the time.

“And (she) would tirelessly work for the GSO. We worked as co-presidents through the process to hire Shade,” Saskowski said. “She was dedicated and relentless.”

Sarah Wahl and Sherry Mosher shared how tenacious Choate was when it came to leading the bell choir. She took on that role in 2009, and passed along “to all of us handbell ringers her passion for precision and excellence,” Mosher shared on behalf of her and Wahl.

“Many of us wondered how she was able to detect a wrong bell was played when five bells played a chord. ‘Someone picked up the wrong bell; that was supposed to be a B flat,’ she would promptly say. Either no one admitted to it or you would hear a loud ‘Oh no, how could she possibly catch that.’ We became performance-ready in no time thanks to her leadership,"  Mosher said.

The bell choir performed at the Holland Land Office Museum, the VA, and Genesee County Nursing Home (now Premier) and for many worship services at the church.  The season was capped off when “Roxie graciously hosted a wonderful party for the ringers and spouses at her and Mike's beautiful home,” she said.

It wasn’t all fun and games, though Choate’s leadership did come with a sense of humor, Mosher said. She answered the call to lead the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Choir when a director was needed and never held back from selecting challenging anthems.

“More than once, after one or two go-arounds on a new song, many of us questioned whether we could ever learn the song. In fact, the first whirl on one song with multiple key changes and back-and-forth repeats, we ended up in a loud outburst of laughter,” Mosher said. “However, with Roxie's persistence and direction,  we learned it and performed it very well. No doubt, Roxie passed along to us her love of music, pride, and performance perfectionism. For all FPC Handbell Ringers and Choir members alike, we all miss Roxie and deeply value our years of friendship, leadership, and her passion for music.”

As much as she loved music, Choate also had a deep faith and loved God, Jesus, and the church, Alkhouri said.  For Mother’s Day each year, the gift she asked for was to have her whole family go to church with her. 

“Even during her recent illness, Roxie never waivered in her trust in God’s care for her. She was not afraid because she knew and felt the love of God,” Alkhouri said. “Roxie loved her family so much. I would often get to hear the love in her voice as she spoke about her children and their family. She was an amazing mother, grandmother, and a great-grandmother.

“Roxie was such a great example of strength. She faced all the challenges of life with a sense of commitment to the common good no matter what she was facing. Until the middle of June, Roxie was always on the go and was involved in so many community activities, even as she cared for her husband,” Alkhouri said. “She inspired me in times of hardship. During the pandemic, Roxie was also willing to adapt and change to meet the music needs of the church.” 

A truism about Choate was that “once you became Roxie’s friend, you became a friend for life,” Alhouri said. That was true even for the cherished kitties under her care. 

“Roxie has had a huge impact on my life and the lives of many. I know that I am a better person because of knowing Roxie and having her as my friend,” Alkhouri said. “What a blessing to have had her in my life and as part of our community.”

While the thought of composing a song with indigenous birds may seem intriguing, doing so for two violins, which at first blush don’t quite seem to fit the mode of a tweet or cackle, and for seven minutes, sounds even more daunting a task.

Yet songwriter Jaclyn Breeze of Chili, who obtained her master’s in music composition this May from Syracuse University and bachelor’s in flute performance from Roberts Wesleyan College,  described it as anything but.

“A teacher in Wisconsin at St. Norbert College was having a bird-themed recital this fall, and she was familiar with my work. And she said that she wanted to use the calls of the birds in her area kind of as a basis for the piece. And so from there, I was free to do what I wanted. Just with that idea in mind,” Breeze said during an interview with The Batavian. “It was fun. It’s going to be premiered in November.”

Breeze’s primary focus while pursuing her master’s degree was composing music, which she does on a commission basis for groups and individuals, but then she began to miss the performance aspect of her work, she said, and so she promoted her flute concerts to area churches and organizations.

“I loved going for my master's degree doing composition. But I found that I really missed performing, which, you know, I got to do a lot as a performance major in my undergrad,” she said. So after I graduated, I decided that was something that I was going to make a priority in my life, make sure that I was still getting my performance.”

She will be part of the Fall Concert Series at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, with a concert at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

As many kids do in elementary school, Breeze began her instrumental career. When asked why she picked the flute out of all the possible instruments, Breeze wasn’t entirely sure. 

“I don't know, I just enjoy it. It's fun to work on. I'm not really sure why I chose that. I guess when I went to college, I kind of was deciding between doing flute and going for vocal performance. And I just started on flute,” she said. “And that was kind of that. I had taken lessons for both in high school. I don't really know when this decision was made, or why I made it.”

She also plays piano and saxophone, and comes from a musical family — her mom always sang with Breeze as a child, she said, and her great-grandpa played a lot of different instruments. 

“He was always trying to get different instruments and getting new things. He usually had a harmonica with him. And I remember him playing just different string instruments. I'm not sure exactly. You know now I can't remember what they all were,” she said. “When it came time to pick an instrument in fourth grade, I was really excited about it. I think by the time I was in high school, I knew that music was what I wanted to do.”

Breeze has taught music at the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University as a teaching assistant and was a guest lecturer at the University of Kentucky for Intro to Music and Jazz History. 

She has collaborated on new music compositions with the Society for New Music in Syracuse the last two years and has also had several commissioned works with groups including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Rococo Quartet.

Self-described as a “composer, collaborator and creator” on her website, she’s a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, an age group winner of the 2022 Warren County Summer Music School’s Promising Young Composer Competition and received Honorable Mention in 2021 for the Hypotenuse Trio COVID Commission.

When asked about the difference between playing the flute and clarinet, two woodwind instruments usually found near each other in a band, she said that all of the air has to be blown into the clarinet, versus the flute, which gets about 70 percent of the air, meaning that 30 percent of the air is lost. 

“So it definitely takes a good amount of air to get that going, get the sound going, and keep it,” she said, addressing prospective concertgoers. “I don’t want them to see a flute concert and think ‘Oh, this is going to be boring.’ The program that I have set up is music of pretty much the last 100 years. And some of that is really beautiful impressionist music, and some of that is rock music that was written six months ago. The program is varied and there is stuff that anyone who likes going to a strictly classical concert will enjoy. There’s also stuff that people who don’t typically enjoy classical music will enjoy.”

Her portion of the concert will be about 45 minutes, and local musician Melzie Case will lead a hymn sing for another 15 minutes. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Breeze is also scheduled for a free concert at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 at Le Roy Presbyterian Church, 7 Clay St., Le Roy. 

To hear samples of her work, go to https://www.jaclynbreeze.com

Batavia First Presbyterian Church hosted its first family night on Saturday, with food, fun and fellowship.

The event was preceded by a labyrinth blessing ceremony at the church. 

See previously: Artist creates meditative tool for Batavia church, blessing ceremony Saturday

Photos by Nick Serrata. 

Artist Dan Butler has worked on a variety of projects and mediums over the years, from murals on exterior brick walls, sunflowers on a silo, artwork on headstones, a propane tank, a Kitchen Aid mixer, wood barns, an American flag on the side of a garage, and the inside wall of a Harvester Avenue art project called The Harve.

Now he can add a labyrinth to his portfolio. 

Commissioned by Batavia First Presbyterian Church, it was much more of an undertaking than the Perry resident and business owner thought it would be.

“It was mainly figuring out what type of, like, I had no idea, and neither did Dr. Roula as far as what material that we needed to get, and we needed to find a source for it. And you know, we knew we wanted a big canvas, but what is it exactly called? How heavy is it? That kind of thing,” Butler said during an interview with The Batavian. “We eventually found a source and went with, I think, it was like a 13-pound duck cloth or something like that. And then, I had to come up with a design. We knew we wanted the seven-layer labyrinth design … when you actually see the labyrinth, it goes back on itself seven times. Well, there are seven rings anyway. And you can have all sorts of different things to it.”

Though that may have seemed the tough part, it was the easier task, compared to actually working on the project, he said. He had to find a space large enough to accommodate the fabric — 18 feet tall by 18 feet wide, and it had to lay flat for him to paint, and then dry and remain there while he continued with the creation.

You may have seen a labyrinth outdoors, with a combination of paths or passages for one to navigate and focus on from entry to exit. These exist in parks and gardens as a series of mazes, though they can also serve as a spiritual or meditative journey to walk around the circles from beginning to end and back again.

Butler’s understanding of the labyrinth is that it’s a tool to help the participant to focus while walking from step to step — or in this case, painted brick by brick — which can be meditative and draw one’s focus to a central point. These tools are said to be metaphors for personal journeys into the self and back into the world. 

Butler designed the labyrinth in keeping with a church theme, using gray rustic bricks — “stone bricks, kind of like the old school cathedral kind of thing,” he said — for the path, and four stained glass designs, one for each corner. 

The church leadership had selected four words for those designs: faith, peace, trust and love. A colorful heart represents the love. 

“But the hardest part to all of this was finding a space big enough to work on it. So I ended up doing it out in the field at my sister-in-law’s and primed it that way. Like we did like three coats of white, just because it's like a duck cloth. It's just like a beige canvas,” he said. “Then I tried doing a projector to try to line up the artwork to it, but I couldn't get it right in everything.”

So he had to get a little more creative, and he moved the project over to his very newly purchased business site, Image Out Graphics in Perry. Purchased in July, he’s just getting his feet wet at the property and has ample space to spread out and work on his designs and hand-painted craft. 

If it seems simple enough to draw and paint seven circles and four corner designs, everything had to be aligned with the right width out from the center, and each stone properly placed for feet to walk it. Upon completion, Butler tested it out to make sure it worked.

“I walked it plenty of times,” he said. “You’re focusing on trying to make sure you’re following the path correctly. You’re so focused on the path, you don’t think about anything else. It kind of resets you.”

He used acrylic paints and a sealant to preserve his hard labor, about 40 hours total. In hindsight, it was “definitely not that easy,” he said, and took longer than he had estimated. 

With his new business, Butler, 47, now has two full-time jobs, he said. He also works for GLOW Creatives as a visual artist for the Arts Councils of Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming and Livingston counties. That involves him in drawing caricatures at a farmers market, leading a regular drink and draw at a Perry brewery, organizing activities at Medina’s Day of the Dead, and “all sorts of visual media,” he said. 

He has painted a mural outside of the GO Art! building in Batavia, and inside the kitchen for a culinary program, as well as participated in The Harve’s Mad Hatter, large baby, caterpillar, and Cheshire cat displays at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. 

That’s how he obtained this gig — GO Art! Executive Director Gregory Hallock recommended him to First Presbyterian Church, Butler said. He had no prior experience with labyrinths, but he can now chalk up another medium and type of project under his belt as being done. 

The Rev. Roula Alkhouri said the church will be celebrating the work, “which we hope to use in community events to help people pray or meditate through walking,” she said. “Dan did a great job with this project.”

There will be a blessing ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the church, 300 East Main St., Batavia. Everyone is welcome to attend, and “join us in thanking artist Dan Butler for the fabric labyrinth he created for our community,” Alkhouri said. “You will also have the chance to walk the labyrinth.” 

A first-time Family Festival will follow at 5:30 p.m.

Submitted photos.

Now that school has begun, some local organizations are throwing a celebratory event to kick off the season right, with an evening of art, food, fun activities, and music, organizers say.

Batavia First Presbyterian Church will be hosting the event in collaboration with St. James Episcopal Church, GO Art! and Genesee County Youth Bureau.

“We have put a lot of thought into how to create a fun and engaging atmosphere for families and children," Genesee County Youth Bureau Director Daniel Calkins said. “Although the church has done these types of events before, this is the first time this particular event will be taking place. Pastor Roula and her congregation have been very open about wanting to give back to the community, and this event is an extension of that."

The event is set for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St., Batavia.

“This is a free event for anybody that would like to come and enjoy the activities provided in an intentional showing of communal love,” Calkins said. “The Youth Bureau is excited to continue to grow through these events and partnerships. We are continually invested into showing Genesee County residents that we care about them and their families and want them to have fun and be provided for.”

The evening will include hamburgers, hotdogs, and chips, and ice cream from the Ice Cream and Chill truck. The Youth Bureau will have a tent outside with a cotton candy machine and all its sticky sweetness, plus there will be a bounce house for children to enjoy, a T-shirt tie-dye station offered by GO ART!, and BDC rock painting.

After the kids get creative painting rocks, they will be placed around town, and then whoever finds 20 of them and takes pictures to post on social media (tagged on the back of the rocks), will get a gift card as a prize. 

Other activities will include an art spinning paint station, yard games, including corn hole, ring toss, basketball, and colorful chalks for kids to use in the church parking lot. Children will have the opportunity to create their own art, which will be framed and displayed at the church for the next month. 

There will also be live music throughout the evening during this family-friendly event, the Rev. Roula Alkhouri said.

“We are really excited to help families celebrate the beginning of the school year and hope that families will enjoy a fun community evening,” Alkhouri said.

The event is free and open to the public.

The Knox Youth Choir, one of eight choirs of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio, will be taking an eight-day concert tour of the Northeast, including a pit stop at Batavia First Presbyterian Church.

A spiritual version of dinner and a show will feature picnic fare of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, salads, and fruit at 6 p.m., followed by a choir concert at 7 p.m. on June 14 at the church, 300 East Main St., Batavia.

Unlike many churches that serve up gospel with singing, Westminster is the birthplace of Westminster Choir College, and as such, is a music-based church, Nancy Hodgkins said.  Westminster Choir College is a historic conservatory of music currently operating on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ.

“And so we've always had this big tradition of music. It's the one thing you can do from the time you were four years old until you can no longer climb the stairs to the planet. So we have three children's choirs. We have the youth choir that will be coming into Batavia. And then we have an adult choir. And we also have three Bell choirs. And we started doing choir trips. Well, in 2002, I took the kids to Scotland for a Presbyterian Heritage tour. We had a fantastic experience, except we were just tourists; all we did was get on and off the bus,” Hodgkins said during an interview with The Batavian. “And I really wanted the kids to have an opportunity to meet people and to interact with people. And so in 2007, we returned to Scotland as a choir … we had quite a trip. And we sang in three small churches in Scotland and had a fantastic experience.”

With the title of associate pastor for youth and mission, it could go either way how involved Hodgkins is with the musical lessons. Turns out not at all. Admittedly, she’s “not very musical,” which, given the atmosphere, steeped in staffs, scores, g clefs, tone, range, crescendos, intonation and performance space reliant on acoustics, it seems kind of ironic.

"I can hardly carry a tune in a bucket,” she joked. “But yet they still let me work here, which is a blessing because all my other colleagues are beautiful vocalists. And it's been a great partnership. I basically manage the trip, plan the trip, handle, you know, all the group dynamics and logistics, and (Rev. John Neely, associate pastor for music), and the rest of the music staff help them sing beautifully. So we'll also be traveling with our music associates, who will be the primary accompanists."

The choir will be performing a wide variety of gospel-based songs, from the familiar and traditional to others from around the globe and a medley from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Hodgkins and Rev. Roula Alkhouri went to seminary together and have maintained a friendship for these visits, which happened once before. There was a larger group here for a community service project, and “it was really too hard to find ways to engage all of us in a meaningful way,” Hodgkins said, “so we kind of dropped that piece.”

“But we’ll be doing some sight-seeing, we’ll go to Niagara Falls and are doing some local sites; they’re mostly churches that we have some sort of personal relationship with,” she said. “So we have some of these personal connections to these churches, but I really like the kids to see churches that are different sizes, have different traditions and experiences that they do here at Westminster. The churches have been very generous, and they’re welcoming of the kids and supportive of the kids. Really, music is a huge part of their faith.”

Kids will spend from three to five hours together each Sunday for choir rehearsal and dinner youth group, plus perhaps some bell-ringing. One of the big things that helped the group was the church's willingness to support its Scotland trip last year, Hodgkins said.

“Everything just kind of lined up; we were able to, by the time we traveled last summer, they lifted all the restrictions. We did still sing with masks, but we were able to visit these little churches in Scotland, and because we had something to work towards, the kids really came back strong. Families came back strong last year,” she said. “And then we decided to go to the Northeast again this year because, well, one, it was time because we've got kids who will graduate who hadn't had a Northeast experience. So this was the time to go. But also just to really help them to continue to regain the repertoire.”

As much as the kids use their vocal skills in the choir, most don’t pursue musical majors beyond that, she said. Only two that she knew of were singing in choirs at college. Hodgkins credited her colleague, Rev. John Neely, for his ability of “blending their voices together” rather than strictly focusing on auditions and rehearsals for an end product.

“John works really hard at making sure it’s a fun experience for them, that we are sort of focusing on the words and the sharing of the gospel in music, she said. “I guess because it’s more about community and fellowship and sharing an experience of God and music than a shiny, perfect performance.”

The Northeast tour is designed to help smaller communities enjoy an evening of diverse music and to help and support the ministry of the churches they visit, Alkhouri said.

Dinner and the concert are free, and registration is recommended. Call 585-343-0505 or email fpcbatavia@fpcbatavia.org.

You know that old Tiffany-style lamp in the attic? The one next to the cuckoo clock circa 1965? Haven’t you ever wondered what they’re worth, whether to sell it or just in case there was ever a fire?

Well, now’s your chance, Ryan Duffy says. Appraisals on Main: HLOM Appraisal Day will have three experts available to examine and appraise up to five items per person.

“The whole concept is people bring in the items that they want to either learn what their value is, in terms of monetary worth, but also to maybe learn a little bit more about their history or use or what we call provenance, which is sort of background information that they might not know,” said Duffy, Holland Land Office Museum’s executive director, during an interview Wednesday.

The event is a fundraiser for the Holland Land Office and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 20 at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St., Batavia. 

Appointments are required and may be made online or, for those without access to technology, by calling the museum at 585-343-4727.  

There will be three appraisers on hand from Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, Schultz Auctioneers in Clarence and Cottone Auctions in Geneseo. They will meet with people for approximately 10 minutes, depending on how many items are brought in, and discuss what is presented before them.

“The beauty of having these three gentlemen is that they can pretty much look at anything. They've got a wide range of expertise, and it's kind of seeing just about everything you can see in the field, so we're really not limiting it,” Duffy said. “I will add that if somebody has an item that maybe is too big or they're not comfortable bringing that in, they can bring in photographs as a substitute,  images of them that they can have the appraisers look at to help give them some information.”

The cost is $5 per item, and proceeds will go toward "more programming," Duffy said.

As for Duffy’s personal experience in such appraisals, “I shy away from it,” he said. He has gone through the process, but not so much for any of his own personal items, he said. The museum has obtained these appraisers for past events and is familiar with their work, he said. Appraisals on Main are to help with the operation of the museum.

“We’re working on summer programming, another thing we're working towards is the west wing addition, hopefully moving forward in that process going forward. That's a multi-year project for sure. But we're in the beginning stages of that,” he said. “And working on new exhibits, as well. And other larger programming throughout the seasonal, major programs.”

Todd Jantzi, an appraiser from Bontrager, has been in the business for 27 years. It wasn’t his first career choice, he said, as his college aspirations were to become a teacher. When Jantzi was 10, his uncle took him along to an auction, and Jantzi found it “intriguing,” except for working on Saturdays, weekends, nights and in cold weather.

But the auctioneer’s call was too strong, and he was drawn back. Once he joined the family business, he stayed and never looked back. “It’s been a great position, a great occupation,” he said.

His advice for what people should bring to this event?
“People can bring in unique items, items of interest, be it local, unusual, is always the most interesting. They bring in what they think has value,” he said. “And we can share with them if it does or doesn't, they can bring items that they might want to have an appraisal for insurance reasons, so not necessarily even what they're thinking of selling, but just in case if they have something in their home.”

With a background of an uncle founding the Bontrager business in 1935, first in Lancaster, then moving to Darien and settling onto Wortendyke Road in Batavia, Jantzi may know a thing or two of what he’s talking about. What used to be conducted on-site, auctions are completely now online and happen about twice a week, he said.

He runs into items that have more sentimental than monetary value, and folks may have to hear that as well as the sound of a nice dollar figure for their goods.

What about that massive vanity set with mirror attached?
If items are too large or cumbersome to bring in, people may bring in photos  — Jantzi suggests taking five or six shots from all angles to allow for the best perception of the item. 

Has he ever encountered that big jackpot item that shocked its owner? 
No.

“You get 90 percent with similar items like in our own homes,” he said.

These are verbal appraisals, and if people would like a written one, they can follow up individually with the appraiser after the event.

Several dozen people have signed up already, but there are plenty of slots remaining, Duffy said. The slots are in one-hour blocks for 10-minute segments. To sign up, go HERE. Or call 585-343-4727.