downtown

I was looking at our collection of Pat Burr’s drawings of old Batavia in the 60s and was amazed at all the stores that dotted Main Street. You really could walk down the street and, beginning at one end, mail a letter, buy a car, smoke a cigar, look for a gold watch, buy plumbing supplies, pick up your dry cleaning, buy paint, order a drink, have your picture taken, see a movie, eat a doughnut, have your shoes repaired or buy a new pair of shoes. 

If it was afternoon, you could have a drink, buy a sewing machine, smell the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread, pick up a prescription, buy a wedding gown, buy new shoes to go with the dress, order a man’s suit for the wedding, buy children’s clothing (you might need another drink after the cost of the wedding gown), have your eyes checked, purchase new furniture, drink a cherry Coke, register for new china, and have a late lunch. 

Continuing west on Main Street, you could make a bank withdrawal for the wedding, buy more jewelry, possibly a wedding band, pick up some fresh produce, purchase a new hat and a real mink coat, pick up another prescription, and buy more jewelry.

Now, see if you can match the names of these establishments and their merchandise with their locations on Main Street going east from Jefferson to Bank Street. 

In the 60s, on the north side of the street, there was Mancuso’s Dealership, Chris’ Gifts, The Smoke Shop, William Maney’s Store, Marchese’s Produce, and six jewelry stores, Krtanik, Martin Berman’s, Valle’s, Francis and Mead, Rudolph’s and Brenner’s. Clothing stores were plentiful: Alexander’s, Town Shop, Helen’s Darlings, A.M. and M. Clothiers, and Smart Shop. Bon Ton and Bell Hat Shops, Humboldt’s Furriers, and Charles Men Shop were also located on that side of the street, along with the beautiful Dipson Theater. 

There were two paint stores, Mosman’s and Sherwin Williams. There were many restaurants and drinking establishments: Mooney’s, Hamilton Hotel, Young’s Restaurant, Mike’s Hotel, Main Grill, Vic’s Grill, The Dagwood Restaurant, and Jackie’s Donuts. A favorite bakery was Grundler’s. A soda shop and candy store was called Kustas’. The furniture store was Bern Furniture, and the dry cleaner store was Jet Cleaners. Lawing Picture Studio, Singer Sewing, Genesee Hardware, Western Auto, and the drug stores of Whelan and Dean Drugs were located on different corners. There were four shoe stores: Ritchlin, Cultrara’s, Endicott and Johnson, and C.E. Knox. The shoe repair was called Boston Shoe Repair. 

How many of you could match the store with its location?

If you were traveling down the opposite side of the street, you would begin with the Court House and pass the County Building, where a beautiful Christmas tree would be on the lawn. Eventually, you would hope to have a deed to your new home filed at the clerk’s office. You couldn’t miss the Hotel Richmond on the corner that was now just an empty shell. Located within the building of the hotel was Rapid Dry Cleaners. Next was the three-story JC Penney Department Store. 

If you needed a uniform, The Uniform Shop was at your disposal. Kinney’s Family Shoe Store was located next to the Camera Shop. Caito’s Liquor Store was followed by Beardsley’s Men’s Store, Sleght’s Book Store, Bank of Batavia, Sugar Bowl, SS Kresge’s, Scott and Bean, Dean’s Drug, M & T Bank, Thomas and Dwyer, C.L. Carr’s Department Store, Marchese Produce, Good Friend Shop, Rudolph’s Jewelers, JJ. Newberry’s and WT Grant. 

Imagining all these stores decorated for the holidays makes you nostalgic for the simpler times and slower pace when the highlight of your week was going to the city on a Friday night to meet friends and shop! 

Thank you, Urban Renewal, for taking our Main Street. But you couldn’t remove our memories. Thank you, Pat Burr, the artist, for preserving Main Street with your beautiful artwork, that we are lucky to have your entire collection. 

Main Street lives on in our hearts. 

Photos by Pat Burr paintings of old Batavia taken in 2010 by Howard Owens at the Genesee County Nursing Home.

Trick-or-treaters were able to visit 28 Downtown businesses on Saturday in an event organized by Michael Marsh of Edward Jones, and  all participating businesses purchased their own candy.

Photos by Howard Owens

Last year's successful Downtown trick-or-treat is returning to the business district again on Saturday.

Organized by Michael Marsh of Edward Jones and sponsored by YNGodess, this is the second year in a row that children have been invited to get into their Halloween costumes and visit participating local businesses for tricks or treats (probably treats).

The event runs from 1 to 3 p.m.

Trick-or-Treat Stops:

• Edward Jones
• Adam Miller Toy & Bicycle
• YNGodess
• My Cut Barbershop
• Valle Jewelers
• HUNT Real Estate ERA
• Creamy Creation
• GOArt!
• Eli Fish Brewing Company
• Center Street Smokehouse
• Bourbon & Burger Co.
• Charles Men's Shop
• The Coffee Press
• Cinquino's Pizza
• Eden Café
• Roman's
• Geico Batavia – Zachary Korzelius
• The Spa at Artemis
• Iburi Photography
• Batavia Bootery
• WBTA Radio
• Main St Pizza Company
• O'Lacy's Irish Pub
• Foxprowl Collectables

The following are in/around the City Centre:

• Main St 56 Theater – City Centre
• Releve Dancewear Boutique – City Centre
• LeBeau Salon – City Centre
• Everybody Eats – City Centre

Remember to Trick or Treat responsibly, organizers remind families.

This week’s open house of the DelPlato Casey Law Firm was an exciting mix of longtime planning, contemporary architecture, embedded history and future growth, as attorney Peter Casey welcomed dozens of well-wishers to the elaborate, upscale space in Downtown Batavia.

For those longtime locals who had seen the space at 73 Main St. before it was occupied by Alberty’s Drug Store, Thursday brought some nostalgia back with a central staircase that led down to a break room that once upon a time was the ground level of Sleght’s Book Store. 

Sleght’s book and stationery store was part of downtown from 1907 to 1999, housed for 20 years at the Genesee Country Mall until 1975 when it moved across the street to 70 Main St. 

This blond wooden staircase is definitely a focal point, with a geometric light fixture of squares overlapping with one another hanging over top of the backlit handrails. A great deal of attention was paid to lighting, from the series of black cylindrical hanging lights at the entrance to the subtle wall sconces juxtaposed with more utilitarian long tube lights over workspaces.

“Specifically, as many people who are from the area know, this was the home to Sleght’s Book Store for many, many years. You'll remember the stairs, it did go down a little bit smaller than these ones here. And then afterward, the Alberty Drug Store occupied this space for 20-30 years at least. I wanted to thank Greg Gluck … and his parents ran Alberty’s Drug Store. They were kind enough to entrust this building to us, and I thank Greg for allowing us that opportunity,” Casey said. “As for the work that we've done here, there's a few things to kind of know that we think are pretty cool.”

Some of those things include the names of the conference rooms, each one with a theme, including the W. Douglas, after Doug Call, who was a partner with Mike DelPlato when at the office next door for many years — and “among many other talents, for anybody that knew Doug, he was a woodworker, and he built the table that’s in the conference room,” Casey said. 

“He was a good man, an excellent attorney, and he was a minister and a sheriff. So we know where he is now,” he joked. “He was a great mentor to me and many other lawyers in the community. So we want to honor his legacy here forever. He also hired my mom Mary Kay, to be his secretary. So, I guess I kind of owe him for getting me the job.”

The site also has an Oakfield Room, since the firm serves so many clients from the Oakfield area, and a City Conference Room in front along Main Street, which doesn’t need much explaining, he said.

“But we’re really proud to be here in downtown. We’ve got a great city view out there,” he said. “The pictures, you’ll see the photos hanging up primarily in the conference rooms, as well as out here. Those were Howard Owens’ originals. And those are just stunning photos, we’re so happy that you were able to help us with those.”

There were plenty of nods to go around, from Ray Cianfrini and his law firm, which partnered with DelPlato and Casey in 2015, David Ciurzynski Consulting, which was instrumental in getting the project off the ground over the course of three years, David Schoell, the architect who assisted with the staircase and light fixtures, Thompson Builds as general contractor, Tompkins Bank, the Small Business Administration, Batavia Development Corporation and the City of Batavia.

“So none of this happens, not a swing of a hammer, a piece of drywall, none of this happens without, honestly, without you people, without our friends and our clients. And, you know, I'd like to just give you all a round of applause,” Casey said, pausing to clap for the rooms filled with attendees. “I really do believe that, and I know I speak for my staff when I say this, that, you know, we get to know you initially as lawyer and client. But you've become our friends. At least, we think so. And you're here tonight. So we mean that from the bottom of our hearts. I remember Mike saying that when I first started out as an attorney, you know how elated he is just to be able to help his friends. And, you know, this project, in part, was to be able to better serve you and be more accessible. So we're so happy to be here to be able to continue to serve you for a long time.”

He thanked DelPlato for his partnership especially given “as great of a lawyer as he is, as wonderful as a legal career as he’s enjoyed, he’s an even better person.”

“I could not have been more fortunate to be able to learn from such a patient, understanding and kind human being,” Casey said, then referring to his former partner and his mom Mary Kay. “They both retired in the last couple of years. And you know, due to COVID and then not wanting to admit that they retired, we never had a party. So here we are … cheers to Mike and Mary Kay for a happy, healthy retirement.”

He also thanked his mom for her help and support over the years and pointed to the three other women who help with firm operations -- paralegal Karen Vallese, legal secretary Kathy Grayson and secretary Michelle Clattenburg.

Grayson came on board two years into the planning stages of the renovation, so floor plans had been drawn up and she was hearing about what was to come. 

The finished result did not disappoint.

“I love the office, it’s beautiful, it’s modern … it’s so inviting,” she said. “It was comfortable and cozy, but he kind of outgrew the space. And being upstairs, some clients had a problem with the stairs. This is more accessible being downstairs.” 

Casey was one of the city property owners who qualified for money through BDC’s revolving loan fund that can be used for loans and/or grants. Casey’s renovation qualified for a $20,000 grant. BDC Director Tammy Hathaway said that she doesn’t look at the funds going to people as much as being invested into the properties themselves.

“It’s the injection into the actual building stock that we have. Beyond Peter Casey and Mike DelPlato, whoever's going to own this building, we're still going to experience it. So we want to make sure that we're extending the longevity and the life of these buildings in our community,” Hathaway said. “This building alone, as many of them in our downtown, have history. There are so many people out there right now that are attending that remember when it was Sleght’s, they remember when that staircase was open. So to see it come back into life, what was it going to be if Alberty Drug Store wasn't here? Well now we know. Somebody was going to be here. And what a fabulous renovation for all of us to experience.”

It was much more than a clown show in a circus-theme Downtown Batavia Wine Walk on Saturday evening.  It was a party with a varied cast of characters.

Photos by Jim Burns for The Batavian.

He’s caused some excitement with a post online about his future business moving into Batavia City Centre, however, Zeke Lynn won’t be in moving in just yet, he says.

Everybody will get a chance to eat at Everybody Eats probably by the end of September or early October, Lynn said Monday to The Batavian. He is renting the site at 29 Batavia City Centre — the space with the checkerboard black-and-white floor once known as Cookies and Milk and other cafe operations.

“I’m hoping to be open within a month or two, I’ll be in there cleaning and I’ve got to get a few appliances, and a health permit,” he said.

When asked what the tagline of his place would be, the name says it all, he said. He plans to make it for mostly catering and take-out, for sandwiches, soups, salads, pastas, steak, and a few chicken dishes. The key is that there will be “things you don’t see around Batavia,” he said.

Think: Beef Wellington and butter chicken. Who is the chef behind the apron? A 2014 Batavia High School grad who began his cooking journey at as a kid, and never stopped.

“I really fell in love with cooking,” he said. 

He studied a bit at Brockport State College and worked at restaurants, where he “fell in love with it.”

“I’ve been cooking since I was five, I learned from my mom. I’ve always had a passion for it,” the 26-year-old said. “This is really a passion project more than anything.”

He would like to establish a cooking class at least once a week after he opens and is thinking of having wine and beer at some point for a tastings and pairings experience.

A larger-than-typical crowd jammed into Jackson Square on Friday night to catch Fleetwood Mac tribute band Songbirds perform the legendary band's best-known songs.

The five-piece band formed in 2020 comprises musicians from Genesee County and the immediate area and has been growing in popularity throughout Western New York.

Band members are:

• Dave Cocuzzi - Drums 
• Jeffrey Fischer - Bass/Keys/Vocals
• Christian Hehr - Guitar/Vocals
• Maryssa Peirick - Keys/Vocals 
• Julia Riley - Vocals/Aux Percussion/Ukulele 

Previously: It's more than just ‘Rumours’ that Songbirds pay tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Press Release:

In collaboration with community partners, Genesee County and the City of Batavia are thrilled to announce the upcoming “Bank Street Pop-Up Demonstration”, an event that aims to collect valuable public feedback to improve the look of the street and make the community more walkable. It will take place on Friday, August 18, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a rain date set for Monday, August 21. 

The demonstration will be located between Main Street and Washington Avenue in Batavia. The demonstration is an outcome of the Active People, Healthy Nation Walkability Virtual Academy, in which Genesee County was selected as one of the teams from across the nation to participate. The primary focus was on creating safer and more accessible pedestrian, bicycle, and transit transportation networks for people of all ages, races, ethnicities, incomes, backgrounds, abilities, and disabilities.

The Pop-Up Demonstration aims to engage the public and receive their valuable input on various aspects of street and landscape design, crosswalk placements, and overall mobility in the area. During the event, teams will gather insights from the community, allowing more informed decisions that align with the needs and preferences of the residents.

"We are hoping that the public will come out on Friday the 18th and check out the design and provide us their thoughts about what they see," said Diana Fox, Director of the Genesee County Office For The Aging. “Community feedback is crucial to creating a neighborhood that fosters active and healthy living.”

The City will temporarily close parts of the street to traffic from 7 a.m.-9 a.m. on August 18 in preparation for the event. Artists from GO ART! will paint vibrant and attractive crosswalks, and Batavia Turf has contributed turf that will enhance the visual appeal of the space.

This initiative represents another significant step towards building a community that prioritizes the well- being of its residents and visitors, promoting physical activity and ensuring that streets are safe and accessible for all.

Akari Lewis-Iburi and Shin Iburi are mixing a keen eye for light and shadow and composition to capture the special moments and occasions of area families and couples.

Their success so far has made it possible for the brother and sister team to open a photography studio in Downtown Batavia.

They've been working together as photographers for more than a decade.

Akari Lewis-Iburi was always interested in photography, she said. She took her first photojournalism class in high school and continued photography as a hobby into college. 

It wasn’t until deep into her college career that her brother asked her to go photograph a wedding for the first time. 

“It was the summer of my senior year in college,” Akari recalled. “I was an English major, but I actually wanted to be a journalist. I was really interested in photojournalism. My brother got asked to shoot a wedding, and that was our first wedding together. From there, it kind of snowballed.” 

The pair now owns and operates a photography studio that specializes in weddings, engagements, senior photos, family photos and maternity shoots. Pulling from her journalistic roots, both Akari Lewis-Iburi and Shin Iburi mix the art of being a wallflower and staging engaging photos. Customers can expect to receive images that feel both beautiful and natural. 

Since moving into the new, larger studio space, the siblings hope to install a projector screen within the studio. The pair believes that it will help the couples reminisce about their wedding day in a new way. 

“I want them to feel what they felt on their wedding day,” Akari said. “I want them to look back on that moment and feel those feelings again. It’ll be a nice closure to our working relationship.” 

Akari also plans to make her new studio space a place for communal gatherings. Since experiencing live music has also been one of her passions, she foresees the studio place to host live music nights showcasing local bands and open mic nights. 

“When I was a kid growing up here, there was this cool coffee shop on main street,” she said. “I just want to give a space for original music.”

Iburi Photography is located at 35 Jackson St. in Batavia.

An unexpected thunderstorm at about 1 p.m. on Saturday couldn't keep the Batavia Ramble and Arts Fest from rolling on, though it did put the music on pause for about an hour.

Paul Draper, one of the festival's organizers, said the music will continue throughout the day, pausing only for more thunder if it comes back.

Bands will continue to take the stage as scheduled, Draper said, just before his band, Shotgun Pauly, started its 2:20 p.m. scheduled set about 10 minutes late, giving him and his guys only 10 minutes to perform.

"We just keep an eye on it," Draper said. "We'll pause and pick up as the weather dictates.  We can only plan so much, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the weather."

He said plenty of people were sticking around, and the sun had come back out, so, he said, "I still think it's going to be a good day."

Photos by Howard Owens.

A downtown building is in line for $20,000 worth of improvements to its brick exterior and upper back deck if City Council approves the grant request from building owner Cregg Paul.

The money will be in the form of a grant made available through an amended Revolving Loan Fund agreement that was revised in 2019. The revised policy seeks to have private building owners make lasting public and/or facade improvements within the city.

So back in 2019, City Council approved a policy to allow funding from the revolving loan fund to be split out and used for grant funds, specifically for building improvements only. So these grant funds are not for businesses. They're specific to buildings and infrastructure,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said during City Council’s conference meeting Monday at City Hall. Off the top of my head, I believe there have been eight or nine grant funds awarded, the first one being Guy Clark at Cedar Street (Rentals), who built that new building to house some of his equipment, and I know other recipients have been, Casey Law Firm, I believe Matt Gray, (Gregory Hallock at) GO ART! has as well.

“And they've all been very successful in completing projects here in the city. The latest application is from the Center Street Smokehouse. They have deteriorating brick on their building that they need to repoint; they've needed that for awhile. They have some roof repairs that need to be completed. And they want to redo their second-floor patio facing into Jackson Square to freshen that up and make it look as nice as Matt’s patio. So I'm bringing that for you for your consideration.”

Building owners may request funds for building improvements that have a visual impact and facade work for rehabilitation or new builds, she said in a previous memo to City Council. “The grant of 40 percent of the total cost of the project will be considered, and the amount will be capped at $20,000,” she said.

The request has been approved by the Batavia Development Corp., and the funding will be matched with private funds from Center Street Smokehouse Inc. to renovate the exterior bar and restaurant abutting Jackson Square and to make necessary improvements to the facade and roof of the building.

An investment total for this phase is $50,000. BDC has recommended the grant with a score of 73.2 out of 100, based on “economic development and strategic goal alignment.” Tabelski therefore has recommended that council approve the request of $20,000 for the Center Street establishment.

A resolution will be up for vote during council’s business meeting on July 10.

The lineup for this year's Batavia Ramble and Art Fest has been released, with 28 acts set to perform on two stages in Downtown Batavia.

The music starts on Saturday, July 1, at 11 a.m., with each band playing a 30-minute set and 10 minutes between acts.

The annual memorial will be held at 5 p.m. in Jackson Square.

The final two bands of the Ramble, The Royal Halls and The Bluesway Band, play at 8:10 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. in Jackson Square.

Jackson Street will again be filled with vendors and booths for local artists.

Jackson Street Stage

• Dave Knaudt
• Sky Hinrich
• Steven Sprauge
• Steve Kruppner
• Don Thomas
• David Holnbeck
• Kissin' Whisky
• Tom Ryan & Friends
• Perception
• Zackstreet Boys
• Indigo Flow
• The Cowboy Vampires

Jackson Square Stage

• Ghost Riders
• The Rock-A-Bully's
• Gumshoe
• DriVen
• Bad Sign
• The Bluesway Band
• Shotgun Pauly
• Old Hippies
• Remedy Three
• Beethovens Dream
• Sierra
• High Pines
• Sons Of Luther
• Noah's Reign
• The Royal Halls
• The Bluesway Band

The Business Improvement District hosted its inaugural Cider Walk, modeled after the popular Wine Walk in the Fall, in Downtown Batavia on Friday.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Pastor Jason Norton and his wife Michelle became upset this past Friday afternoon when a rather loud and proud message for PRIDE week was displayed in the city parking lot in front of their church in downtown Batavia.

He and Michelle said that they are not a gay-affirming church, just as much as they wouldn’t have wanted a beer tent out front.

Not only did they not like the venue — a staging area for the annual LBGTQ parade and festival — to imply what type of church they were, but the event apparently blocked other needs for repairs and entry into the public lot, which conveyed a lack of communication they would have appreciated.

Once the pastor of EverPresent Church in City Centre voiced his intent to take the matter to City Hall, he faced backlash from a segment of the community, he said. He posted that since events, such as Drag Queen Story Hour, are happening at the public library, then he has decided to do likewise with his church message: For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

“My point is this, that on social media today, I don't need this. Because I said that we were coming here, we've already been barraged with the titles of bigotry and hatred, and homophobia, the list goes on and on. And on. I just wanted to go on the record tonight to let people know that not only are we a people-affirming church who loves all people, we love God and His stance first,” he said. "We are actually moving forward now, with having some dinners and some open discussions and some forums, that we can all meet in a peaceable manner to talk and discuss these things and why we believe this.”

His online post had reaped well over 100 comments, mostly debates between opposing LBGTQ beliefs. There was a similar ongoing debate recently on a series of photos posted by The Batavian from that PRIDE event.

Michelle Norton expanded on her complaint to add that further communication about the event and location of the staging area — with opportunity to negotiate — would have been ideal so that the church entrance at Batavia City Centre wouldn’t have been blocked.

Jason Norton focused on the principle of his ire, and gave as examples himself, as a  former drug addict who was invited in and accepted by a church that allowed “us to come in and experience God in a way that proved his love, and proved there was a God,” he said. He also spoke of his own daughter and how she struggled with bisexuality. He did not shame her but prayed for her and taught her about God and Jesus, he said.

"But we did not compromise on God's Word. We did not water it down to try to change God's word to fit into her choices to make her feel more accepted or approved as a lifestyle choice that she had made. Why did we do that? Because God is sovereign. And his viewpoints and his stance on certain things are steadfast and immovable. And I do not have the authority or the power to change or excuse me to change God's position on what is right and what is wrong,” he said. “Three years ago, our daughter came to the understanding that her lifestyle doesn't fit in contrast to God, and ... she asked God to help her to heal her. She experienced Jesus, not religion. Two and a half years ago, Tasha died suddenly. And I don't know how I would have lived with myself if I had buckled and twisted the truth of God and changed the scriptures to accommodate the struggle that she was going through and showing her a falsehood.”

City Council listened to the couple until their time limit was up and offered no comments about the subject matter. Councilman Bob Bialkowski asked about the way events work in city parking lots. City Manager Rachael Tabelski said that the backdrop of the stage was at the facade of the church building, but it is in a public lot.

“So when we do event applications, we can take into consideration placement of things and try to help those who would like to do events in our city parking lot to maybe have better flow,” she said. 

Photos by Howard Owens

Walk into Paradise Home Vintage & Gift, and it might seem a bit of an eclectic mash-up of stuff, from furniture, knick-knacks and wall decorations to dolls, toys, baskets, jewelry and kitschy novelty goods.

And, actually, that’s exactly what it is. Only with a touch of vintage, Victorian, retro, mid-century modern, Americana, primitive, antique and, most definitely, intriguing eras and styles to make shoppers want to pause for a second and maybe third look around. They'll get that chance with a grand opening this Thursday at 332 Ellicott St., Batavia.

Owner Macy Paradise Jr. and his partner and shop manager Linda Pezzimenti call the various sections “vignettes” throughout the 1,000-square-foot space.

“So it's furniture, and it's just anything that you could put in your house. As well as fun things, I don't expect to sell a lot of old toys, but it’s, they walk in and go, ‘I remember that game.’ You know, to bring back a little piece of memory. I'm going to order some candy cigarettes, bubble gum cigars, candy sticks; we'll have a little area for that stuff,” Pezzimenti said during an interview with The Batavian. “And then the jewelry is all brand new as well. I've been selling jewelry for years. And it's an assortment, it's stuff you can wear to work, and it's also stuff that's a little wild and funky.”

Maybe folks won’t want the decorative sack of potatoes or old-fashioned country store-themed items under the General Merchandise sign, including a Charles Chips can, stacks of retro cups and saucers, novelty ceramic vegetable containers, an oversized plastic ketchup bottle, painted pottery beverage pitchers, an ice cream cone sign that reads Have a Sweet Day, a collection of mugs with assorted sayings, and a wooden sign with a Batavia-based sentiment  about how far away we roam, “our hearts make the journey but will always be at home.”

But they may smile as they pause to look at everything on the way to the next nook, she said.

That vignette is alongside a man cave in progress, with beer signs, bottle openers, racing car items, and other traditionally male-oriented objects, while other sections of the shop offer niches for pet lovers — assorted ceramic dog planters, wall signs, hand towels, placards, mugs; and home decorators will find dozens of items including tin hearts, colored vases, paintings, stemmed glasses, steamer trunks, lamps, and anything that’s not cookie cutter, Pezzimenti said.

“Walmart and Target have the basics. But if you buy something like that and put it in your house, everybody knows where you bought it. But you know, it's not going to be something that's at Walmart. And then there's only one of those for the whole city,” she said, adding that inventory will be refreshed on a regular basis. “I think it's important that things change, you know, if a certain shelf just isn't doing anything, then it's gotta go. And I don't care if I pack it in a box and bring out a whole new something else. I'll just take it out of here. Because this isn't doing anybody any good to see the same thing, and we’ve got the inventory to do it. 

"We have plenty, and I shop every day. I'm not kidding. So I mean, like right now, there is a space over there on the very top. Yeah, and it's making my skin crawl, like, okay, well, how is there an empty space? I don't like that. So my one of my biggest concerns is what happens if a whole bunch of shoppers comes in on a Wednesday, Thursday, and there's empty spaces, like I have to get those filled before my Friday, Saturday, because, it's just wrong, just an empty spot.”

When she says she shops every day, that’s not hyperbole. Pezzimenti has fine-tuned the art of shopping flea markets, garage sales, and auctions, and networking with people to know when large-scale clearance sales are coming up. For example, she and Paradise were going to the biggest flea market in New York State this past week, armed with his trailer to bring back their cache. They had another event on the books for Monday in Ohio.

Is there ever a concern that enough is enough, or maybe even too much? Not yet, they both agreed. All of the purchases go into a designated storage, and then will go into the shop. And Pezzimenti has worked hard to clean, itemize, tag and log everything to keep track of it for the business, she said.

“I’ve been doing retail stores since my 40s, and I’m 65,” she said. “I think the first time I did it, it was all new stuff, it was all things you buy wholesale, and you just buy to resell. But it’s more interesting when you have props as risers and tables underneath that have a little character and charm; they’re also cheaper than going out and buying a brand-new table.

"So you start doing that kind of thing, and then everybody wants to buy your props. That always happens. So now the props are for sale. So you have to price it such that people are dying to do that, which makes them want to come back.”

Eventually, she kept buying not only merchandise, but those props, and items kept stockpiling, which meant renting storage — two storage units, a four-car garage, two-car garage and a 16-foot trailer. They finally cleared out the storage to fill up the store and have no plans to stop replenishing supply.

Everything in the shop is priced to sell, Pezzimenti said, and she and Paradise are excited to see the public’s response. The shop isn’t their sole livelihood, but yet it’s something they want to be a success, especially with fewer retailers around, Paradise said. There aren’t as many places to shop these days, he said.

They will take requests to watch out for certain items and plan to post photos online to pique customers’ interest in new arrivals at the shop. Pezzimenti has drafted a list of definitions to help people clarify the differences between:

• Retro — objects with a nod to the past but are more recently made.
• Vintage — which is an item created by hand or machine, approximately 40 or more years ago.
• Victorian — created during the reign of Queen Victoria between 1837 and 1901.
• Antiques — generally considered to be 100 or more years old.

As for Paradise Home Vintage & Gift? There’s a “nice mix of different eras,” Paradise said, from  100+ years old to make 20 years ago or even more recently. There are items that would be perfect for someone just moving into an apartment or for an established home.

“I have a very good eye,” she said. “I’ve done all the hunting for you.”

The shop is highlighted by the big yellow awning on Ellicott Street, which used to be Joe’s Trophy shop. A grand opening special of 20 percent will run from Thursday to Saturday, with both a ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m. and a prize drawing of a $50 gift certificate on Thursday.

Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call 585-536-7793 or email paradisehomevintagegift@gmail.com.

Press Release:

The Genesee Country Farmers Market will be open for the season Friday. 

Located at the corner of Bank Street and Alva Place. The market runs each week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Currently, 25 vendors are participating, including food trucks. Each day varies with vendors. We encourage you to check the Genesee Country Farmers Market Facebook page each day to see an updated list of vendors for that day. 

Each week there will be a variety of guest vendors as well that will be posted on FB. We encourage you to check for weekly updates. If you are interested in a vendor spot, you can email us at geneseecountryfarmersmarket@gmail.com or stop by the Market shed during operating hours for an application.

This last week of May was capped off with bountiful news for property owner Ken Mistler and downtown Batavia as a whole with the announcement that the Carr’s Reborn project on Main Street was granted $1.85 million in Downtown Revitalization funding.

While recently discussing Mistler’s other major renovation in progress at the former Showtime movie theater in City Centre, The Batavian asked him about the Carr’s project, which has been on hold for several months.

He said that would move forward as soon as he gets word about funding.

Mistler was unavailable for further comments Monday afternoon.

Carr’s Reborn has involved several key players in the community, including a committee of folks serving on the Downtown Revitalization Initiative effort, city and county leaders, engineers, the property owner, residents and business owners, all of whom have been anxiously awaiting to see development in the former Carr’s department store for at least the last five years.

Consultant David Ciurzynski previously described the site’s future: renovating the upper two floors for apartments, installing arched windows in the front overlooking Main Street, preparing the lower levels for commercial space by removing asbestos and making them more enticing for prospective businesses to invest in the site.

Ciurzynski also included a vision for the project, aptly titled Carr's Reborn.

“We can restore the former landmark to its former glory,” he said during the DRI Committee’s Sept. 13 meeting.

The project received approval from both the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Committee and City Council in September 2022. No one had spoken during a related public hearing about council's application to pursue a $2 million grant.

Cities with a population of less than 40,000 can apply for up to $2 million, and it is available for projects to “demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitate/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial and/or mixed-use buildings.” 

With no opposition to the move, City Council voted to submit an application for the sixth round of the Restore NY Communities Initiative Municipal Grant Program.

The former Carr’s site is expected to accommodate several upper-floor apartments and business/office use on the ground floor.

The project would take $1.85 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant funding and $4 million from property owner Ken Mistler. Possible uses for the main floor have not been determined, and it’s about “what does downtown Batavia need?” Ciurzynski had said during the committee’s Sept. 13 meeting.

Committee members who approved the project and pursued the DRI grant included City Council President Eugene Jankowski, Steve Hyde, Dr. James Sunser,  Craig Yunker, Tammy Hathaway,  Erik Fix, Tom Turnbull, Susie Ott, Paul Battaglia, Marty Macdonald and Nathan Varland.

On Monday,  state Gov. Kathy Hochul announced more than $112.9 million has been awarded to 70 projects through the Restore New York Communities Initiative. Restore New York supports municipal revitalization efforts across the state, helping to remove blight, reinvigorate downtowns and generate economic opportunity in communities statewide, according to a press release issued from the governor’s office.

The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments revitalize their communities and encourage commercial investment, improve the local housing stock, put properties back on the tax rolls and increase the local tax base, the release states.

"These Restore New York grants will help to reimagine downtowns across our state and transform vacant, blighted and underutilized buildings into vibrant community anchors," Hochul said in the release. "Thanks to a more than $146 million state investment, we are breathing new life into communities from Hudson to North Hempstead, jumpstarting new economic activity and helping ensure that New York State continues to be a place where people come to live, work and raise their families."

Carr's Reborn was the only project in Genesee County to receive funding from this round. 

Hundreds of thirsty visitors walked the streets of downtown Batavia this weekend in search of some tasty ale.

As it turned out, they found plenty of it -- 21 stops, in fact, of craft brews, ciders, and meads at various merchants throughout the Business Improvement District. It was the annual FeBREWary beer walk hosted by the BID.

Beverages, snacks, raffles, and prizes aside, the bustling sidewalks were a welcomed attraction, BID Executive Director Shannon Maute said. Overall, the event went "extremely well," she said.

"We had just about 600 attendees. It was nice to see people walking our main streets and filling our downtown businesses," she said. "Everyone seemed to be having a great time."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene