A Lucky Paws Vendor Show & Basket Raffle is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Batavia City Centre in downtown Batavia. This event will feature more than 40 baskets and 65 vendors, with proceeds to benefit Vanessa’s Lasting Legacy Ltd.
There will also be pet photos taken for $10 each from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants are asked to please bring only pet-friendly dogs and cats, as organizers are not responsible for your pets or anything that might happen while on site.
Vanessa’s Lasting Legacy’s mission is to help keep dogs and cats from being separated from their local veterans, people with disabilities, the elderly and homeless.
“We focus on how animals protect our mental health and to keep the animals out of shelters and with their families,” co-organizer Kerry Dudek said.
Receive five free basket raffle tickets with a donation of unopened cat or dog food. Winners for the baskets to be drawn at 3:30 p.m.
Donations are also being accepted for new socks, hats, gloves, or other winter wear by Independent Living of the Genesee Region.
March is American Red Cross Month, a time to recognize the vital role the Red Cross plays in our communities. Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is demonstrating his commitment to this important cause by sponsoring a series of blood drives throughout the month. Hawley is hosting seven drives total, four in Genesee County and three in Orleans County.
The blood drives are as follows:
Monday, March 10: Pavilion Fire Department Recreation Hall, 11302 S. Lake Rd., Pavilion, from 1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday, March 14: Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, 107 N Main St., Lyndonville, from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 18: Albion Elks Lodge 1006, 428 W State St., Albion, 12:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 18: First United Methodist Church, 8221 Lewiston Rd., Batavia, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursday, March 20: Holy Name of Mary, 2707 Angling Rd., East Pembroke, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 29: Hoag Library- Albion, 134 S. Main St., Albion, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Schedule an appointment by going to RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS 1-800-733-2767.
“Red Cross Month is an important time to honor the mission of saving lives through giving blood,” said Hawley. “I encourage everyone who is able to take the time to give blood and make a lifesaving difference. Your generosity can provide hope and healing to patients in need.”
Most of us live consciously or unconsciously with the illusion that we’re going to live forever, as we push away the fact that this life is going to end sooner or later, Dale Goldstein says.
Even with aging bodies and minds, it can be difficult to accept that reality, yet living in denial means “we don’t realize how precious every moment is because we never know if it’s our last moment,” says Goldstein, director of the Heartwork Institute in Rochester.
“We don't value the mystery of why these branches are blowing outside my window. You know, we don't really appreciate the moment. Most of the time, we're living in the future. Okay, what do I have to do when I get this done? I'm looking forward to the football game on Saturday,” he said during an interview with The Batavian. “So when you really love something, you're really paying close attention to it.
"Here’s a thought: if we paid close attention to everything, we would love everything, and we would live in a state of love and appreciation and gratitude," he said. "So I want people to appreciate their lives.”
Batavia First Presbyterian Church invites all to attend Goldstein’s workshop, “If I Had But One Year to Live.” He plans to take participants through a series of experiential exercises to find their own answers to the question, “If my life is getting cut short, in what ways might I change how I am living right now?”
Goldstein will help people explore what is truly meaningful in their lives, what is in the way of them getting to what they truly want, and how to move through those barriers, he said.
The workshop is free and runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon March 15 at the church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.
“Human beings tend to not want to face our mortality, and because we avoid dealing with this existential issue, we miss much of our actual life in the moment,” he said. “There is a fear deep in our unconscious that prevents us from being fully present in our lives, so we don’t live completely, we don’t love completely, we don’t enjoy completely.
“We can't experience the depth and breadth of being a real human being," he said. "In this workshop, we will come to grips with this ultimate truth of our existence and realize that, knowing when that final moment will come. We need to live each moment fully so we have no regrets when we die.”
He suggests that folks bring a loved one with them to experience the workshop together if possible. Goldstein, who has a master's in social work, will provide guidance along the way as he prompts participants with “some very important questions,” which they will write down to ensure their privacy. The questions are somewhat deep, such as, do you feel fulfilled, and by how much in life? Do you feel alive? There will also be a bit of meditation.
“By facing death, you come to life in a new way,” he said. “And most importantly, for most people, actually, it really helps you get your priorities straight. What's really important is how much of your time you spend doing things that are just a waste of time.”
He didn’t want to give the whole workshop away but hinted that “something beautiful happens at the end.” After more than two dozen of these sessions, people haven’t felt it was a downer of any kind, but instead, “it’s really about seeing clearly what is important to you,” he said.
“It opens your heart to yourself and to life and to others. I call it heart work because it gets to the heart of the matter, and birth and death gets to the heart of the matter,” he said. “It’s beautiful, it really is. That’s why I’ve done it 26 times. It’s really a beautiful little workshop that has a punch to it.”
Who may be an ideal candidate for this workshop? Anyone who wants to enjoy life more, he said.
Goldstein has been doing what he calls heart work since 1980 and has 55 years of experience as a practicing therapist. He is also a teacher of personal-spiritual growth and a nationally known workshop facilitator.
After recognizing the potential limitations of strictly one or the other—cognitive, spiritual, or meditative forms of therapy—he discovered the process of using a combination of tools to open the heart and mind.
For more information, call 585-343-0505 or go HERE
Genesee County is pleased to announce the continued expansion of the NY HELPS program, an initiative created to assist New York State agencies in filling vacancies across the state by streamlining the hiring process. The program has proven to be a successful tool for local agencies to fill vacancies, and its extension through June 30, 2026, ensures ongoing support for essential services.
Anita Cleveland, Genesee County Human Resources Director, emphasized the program’s local impact, "The NY HELPS Program – Local has been an invaluable tool for Genesee County and its municipalities. Genesee County has filled over 130 positions with qualified candidates through this initiative. With the program’s extension and expansion, Genesee County Human Resources continues to evaluate additional titles for inclusion."
Effective immediately through June 30, 2026, candidates hired for the identified positions will not be required to undergo Civil Service testing. Instead, they will be classified as non-competitive hires, significantly streamlining the hiring process and expanding opportunities for job seekers.
Genesee County encourages interested applicants to explore these opportunities and take advantage of the simplified hiring process under NY HELPS.
For more information on available positions and application procedures, visit www.geneseeny.gov/jobs or contact the Genesee County Human Resources Department at 585-815-7805.
Every solid business venture starts with one thing - a pitch! Whether making a sale or convincing an investor, your business idea pitch has to be organized, well-thought out, powerful and convincing! Genesee Community College (GCC) is here to help get you prepared!
If you have a passion you would like to turn into a business, but you aren't sure if anyone else will think it's a good idea, consider participating in GCC's 7th Annual Business Idea Pitch Competition on Thursday, April 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building at Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus.
The competition is free and open to the public and prizes of $100 for first place and $75 for second place will be awarded to the most outstanding competitors in the "most likely to succeed" and "most creative" categories. Pitches will be judged by local business leaders.
"A solid business idea pitch is essential for every startup. This competition offers participants a valuable opportunity to acquire the skills needed to structure, refine, and present a compelling and persuasive business pitch.," said Dr. Lina LaMattina, director of Business Programs at GCC.
To participate in this event, please register for our Business Idea Pitch Competition by emailing Dr. Lina LaMattina, GCC director of Business Programs at lmlamattina@genesee.edu no later than Friday, April 4.
Among the leading causes for a new business startup failure is a lack of basic business experience. In lieu of losing thousands of investment dollars, today's entrepreneurs have found another way to gain that experience before launching their startup - education. Genesee Community College offers degree, certificate and micro-credential programs in Entrepreneurship to prepare emerging business owners and investors for success.
For more information contact Vice President, Development, Admissions and External Affairs Justin Johnston at 585-345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.
Batavia Downs President & CEO Byron Brown, today announced the lineup for events taking place onsite alongside the 3 Triple Crown Races this spring as well as upcoming concerts.
The Kentucky Derby Gala returns on the first Saturday in May – May 3. Cost is $149 per person and includes Buffet Dinner, Open Bar, a $20 Wager on the Derby, Derby Glass, Derby T-shirt, $60 in Free Play and bourbon sampling from Woodford Reserve, the official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.
Hotel specials are available on that day – The special is $469 and includes 2 entries to the party and a hotel room that evening. Be sure to visit the Hotel Deals page at BataviaDownsGaming.com to book.
“Our Triple Crown events continue to increase in popularity,” said Brown. “Our events calendar is jam-packed. With more events than ever before we are excited to welcome guests here for these outstanding experiences.”
On that same day, the Park Place Room will be host to the Superfecta Special – which includes a $25 Free Play, $5 Wager on the Derby, Derby Program, and a 1/2 BBQ Chicken Lunch. The cost is $35 per person and attendees can pay at the door.
On Preakness Stakes Day - Saturday, May 17, the 4th Annual Tacos and Tequila event sponsored by Teremana takes place inside the Park Place Room. The cost is $35 and includes Tequila Sampling from multiple vendors, a Taco Bar, $20 in Free Play, a $5 wager on the Preakness Stakes, and a gift to take home. Early Bird Tickets will be available for $30 online.
The final jewel of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes, this year it is once again in Saratoga, on Saturday, June 7. That same day inside Park Place is the Bourbon and Whiskey Fest presented by Jack Daniel’s. Cost is $35 and includes Bourbon and Whiskey Sampling, Grazing Stations, $20 in Free Play and a $5 wager on the Belmont Stakes. Early Bird Tickets will be available for $30 online.
If you are unable to make it to Batavia Downs on any of the Triple Crown race dates, be sure to visit our OTB Branches or EZ Bet locations – a list can be found at: https://www.westernotb.com/locations/. Guests can also watch wager and win online at BataviaBets.com.
Prior to the Triple Crown, other Spring events announced by Batavia Downs include:
The 2nd Handicapping Contest of 2025 will take place on Wood Memorial Day, Saturday, April 5 in the Batavia Downs Clubhouse. For a $20 Entry, guests will enter into a contest where they will pick horses from Aqueduct and Keeneland. The top prize will take home 50% of the entry monies up to $2,000. Details will be posted on the Batavia Downs Facebook page soon.
Also on Saturday, April 5 the Niagara Wine Trail hosts their annual “Vino at the Casino” event inside Park Place. General Admission Tickets are $40 presale and include tasting from 2-5pm, a souvenir wine glass, $25 fee play from Batavia Downs and a discount on a food purchase that day at Batavia Downs.
On Friday, April 18, the Batavia Downs Bar Hop welcomes guests in for a beer crawl inside the gaming facility. Tickets are just $25 and you get $10 back in Free Play along with a drink ticket for each of Batavia Downs’ 4 bars that are open that day. Attendees will be able to get a drink while they enjoy live music and take in the Free Nerds Gone Wild Concert that will be taking place that evening inside Park Place.
On Monday, April 21, Batavia Downs holds their annual Dyngus Day Celebration inside of Park Place with music from Fritz’s Polka Band. This FREE event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Polish Platter specials will be available at the Homestretch Grill.
KISS THIS returns to Batavia Downs on Saturday, April 26! Western New York’s Premier Tribute to KISS brings all of theatrics and bombast of a classic KISS show to their performance. Tickets are $15 and attendees receive $10 in Free Play on the day of the show. This performance is standing room only.
Tickets for these events are available at www.BataviaConcerts.com or at the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop in the Lobby.
Tickets are also on sale on BataviaConcerts.com for: Music of the Stars, Al Green & Marvin Gaye Tribute and the entire Rockin’ The Downs Summer Concert Series.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) My HealtheVet online patient portal allows Veterans to access their medical records, refill prescriptions, manage appointments, communicate with their healthcare team, and track their health information all in one place; essentially acting as their personal health record within the VA system.
The sign-in to access to the online portal has moved to a simpler, more modern sign-in experience with two secure sign-in account options: Login.gov and ID.me.
Veterans are no longer able to sign in to VA.gov, VA mobile apps, or other VA online services with a My HealtheVet user ID and password.
To assist Veterans who have not set up a Login.gov or ID.me, the VA Western New York Healthcare System (VAWNYHS) Virtual Health Resource Center (VHRC) team is hosting a My HealtheVet sign-in assistance seminar at the Batavia VA.
The My HealtheVet sign-in assistance seminar will take place on Thursday, March 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Batavia VA, located at 222 Richmond Ave, Batavia. The seminar will be held in the first-floor lobby near Telehealth, Room 144.
Veterans should bring two forms of ID, A state issued driver’s license OR non-driver’s license and one of the following:
Social Security card
Voter registration card
DD214
For more information on the My HealtheVet log in change, Veterans can call the Virtual Health Resource Center at 716-862-7886, Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or e-mail VHAWNYVHRC@va.gov.
The soon-to-be Genesee County Commissioner of Public Works Laura Wadhams, approved to fill the position to be vacated by Tim Hens in June. Photo by Howard Owens
Similar to many women in the workplace, Laura Wadhams keeps different pairs of shoes in her office, but not because she may need a wardrobe change throughout the day or for an evening out.
She never knows when she might need a pair of steel-toed work boots to check out a project.
Wadhams will be the newly promoted commissioner of Genesee County’s Public Works Department to fill the vacancy left by retiring Commissioner Tim Hens in June.
"I’m very much a Type A, technical person. I loved math and science, so I always kind of knew that engineering or healthcare was in my future. My mom (Jean Lichtenthal) was a healthcare professional, but when I got a little deeper into healthcare, I was like, nope, this is not my calling. So engineering it was, and I love civil engineering,” Wadhams said during an interview at the county highway department on Cedar Street. “I definitely was drawn to civil engineering because I just love being outside … I’m definitely drawn to civil engineering because of that, just building things and being outside and all of that, which not all engineering disciplines get to do.”
This is the first in a series for Women's History Month, which recognizes and honors "the societal, cultural, and historical influences women have made (and continue to make) in the United States," especially in our own backyard.
Wadhams has worked as a civil, staff, and transportation engineer and transportation construction inspector for the New York State Department of Transportation. She was working in the private sector for LaBella Associates when she got a call from Commissioner Tim Hens who was looking to fill the assistant county engineer job in late 2018.
A native of Batavia who graduated from Batavia High School in 2008 and watched her dad, Tom Lichtenthal, work his way to town highway superintendent, Wadhams had a nostalgic tug to her hometown: “If I'm gonna go back to the public sector, I'd rather be at home, and bring all these talents back here to Genesee County and do this work here in Genesee County,” she said.
And Hens was ready to take her.
“She was a perfect candidate to replace me,” said Hens, who is planning his retirement this June after 27 years. “She has done an amazing job in so many different areas, from award-winning bridge projects to airport work, facilities projects and managing the construction of the new county jail. She is an excellent communicator and has the demeanor to work with different agencies, contractors, community leaders, and people.”
A younger Wadhams remembers playing with Matchbox cars on her dad’s Interchange plans to spread out at home, giving her an early head start on her future career. She went on to Clarkson University for a bachelor’s in civil engineering, surrounded by about 80% of the men in the class.
Once out in the consulting world, that split between men and women was more around 60-40, she said, and in Genesee County, there have been “a handful of women” doing this type of work. People ask her about it all the time, and it’s all part of the job, she said.
“That’s not something that phases me anymore. I think, especially civil engineering, it seems like the women in civil engineering can’t be afraid to take up space or own their seat at the table because you've got civil engineers that work with architects on architecture projects, but then civil engineers sometimes are the project manager standalone. So you have to be able to hold your own in that sense. And I learned to do that definitely early on, I did internships at the DOT, I was out by myself on sign crews and striping crews and setting up work zones, dealing with the public who didn’t want the work zone set up on Route 104 during the day."
As Hens mentioned, she’s taken on big projects, with the $70 million new county jail being her largest one so far. Wadhams was on site working alongside contractors and a team of corrections officers learning the inner and outer details of how a jail operates.
“Paul (Osborn) and I spent hours and hours and hours out there; that was a big project for the county, and it was a very public project for the county,” she said. “We wanted to make sure that the county’s interests were protected, as well as getting the things done and moved along in order to get inmates in there, because at the end of the day, that's what the end goal was,” she said.
What did you learn that you maybe didn’t expect of the experience? “I’ve done a lot of schools and lots of other higher education projects and bridge projects and things like that, but the security aspect and the jail perspective of that was way more than I ever thought it was going to be. But we were super lucky to have a jail transition team that we worked with every single day to be able to get through those things,” she said. “There were four corrections officers out there full time. So we got to learn a lot from each other, we were teaching them how to read plans, and they were teaching me how to do keys for jail. So we learned a lot from each other. It was a really great team.”
The jail process took her throughout her whole time with the county, beginning in her first two months of hire in 2018 with the design phase, a break during the Covid pandemic period in 2021, and construction for two years, with completion in 2024.
Her other biggest project was the South Lyon Street bridge, which earned an award and was a collaboration with the city of Batavia, where the bridge is located.
“I was a project manager for that one; that was a lot of time out in the field. We're lucky to be able to work with great consultants and engineers and contractors,” she said. “So for us, it's more making sure the county's goals are achieved. It was a big one, definitely the biggest bridge project the county had ever done.”
What did you do? “So my role as a project manager was basically to oversee the contractors and consultants and make sure we're keeping things on time and on schedule and on budget, for sure. So, if they had issues out in the field, I'd go out in the field and be like, ‘okay, how do we come up with a plan to solve them?’” she said. “Or, let's figure out a solution to this situation that we're running into, or there's a power line that needs to get moved. Let's coordinate with National Grid, things like that, day to day.”
She understands that her role, especially as commissioner, evolves into “some level of a diplomat” because this position serves as a go-between for the highly technical folks drafting plans and county legislators giving approvals. Many times throughout both projects, either Hens or Wadhams presented updates during legislator committee meetings and answered questions.
“You have to be a decent people person at the end of the day and have conversations,” she said.
She and her husband Andy are parents to “amazing” 4-year-old Emma, born in the thick of Covid in May 2020, and Wadhams loves spending time with her family. This totally unbiased mom said that her daughter is “super fun” and apparently a chip off the block — enjoying building tasks already with Magnetiles and Legos — and will be entering kindergarten this fall.
Her family also includes her sister Jennifer, an emergency room physician’s assistant in Pennsylvania, and her brother Andrew, an aeronautical engineer in Colorado.
When not changing her heels for heavy-duty boots, Wadhams spends her free time reading, using her mad engineering skills on DIY home projects, and spending time at a family member’s Conesus Lake cottage during warmer weather.
That doesn’t mean she’ll have all downtime during the summer, as the Engine House is about 60% complete and is on the chores list, with three bridges, roads and culverts. Up next will be the county’s Animal Shelter and Holland Land Office Museum for summer 2026.
She has spoken at career days and will ask kids what they think an engineer looks like, surmising they probably imagine a man with white hair and a pocket protector, she said.
“But my daughter sees me, so to me, that says a lot right there, you know? And if I go to St Joe's and do the Career Day or things like that, I think it's just kind of showing people that it's not one size fits all,” she said. “And that's important to me for people to see, because everyone has different interests, little girls and little boys all play with Legos and … (they might think) I don't know if I could do that for a career. Yeah, you can. You totally can.”
The commissioner’s role oversees seven divisions, 57 full-time and 11 seasonal or part-time employees within the department, including highways and bridges; fleet management; engineering; facility management; parks and forestry; Genesee County Airport; countywide water; and environmental health, which means engineering reviews for water, septic, campgrounds and pools. Her predecessor has built a “great group” here, and Wadhams is excited for this next step, she said.
“He’s the last 27 years. The stuff that he's done and provided for the county has been amazing. I think we did the math once, and 30 to 40% of the structures, the culverts and bridges, have been replaced since he's been here. Like that alone is huge,” she said. “Even the work that he's done for the public water supply and environmental health and things like that, I mean, it's been amazing, so just getting to continue that on is going to be exciting. And then whatever challenges come our way for the next 20 years, we'll take them in stride. I'm excited to do that and kind of leave my mark on our community too, just like he has the last 20 years.”
East Pembroke resident Don Thomas is here to help. His recently released album (CD and streaming) is his ninth, and like all prior releases, it's all acoustic guitar instrumentals with an emphasis on melody.
"I'm very excited about it," Thomas said about the new release, Sunset. "I like the way it turned out. There was a lot of rewriting, re-recording coming down to the end. It's meant to be another chill pill in my catalog."
Thomas is from New Berlin, Wis., not far from Milwaukee, and has been a performing musician most of his life. He spent some time on the road with a band called Snapshot, mostly as the keyboard player, opening for acts such as Journey, REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick.
"I still once in a while get to talk with Rick (Nielsen, of Cheap Trick)," Thomas said. "I haven't talked with Robin (Zander) in quite a long time. When they were still touring, I'd bump into him at the House of Guitars. Whenever they would come by, I'd make a point to be able go and say, 'Hi.'"
When Snapshot stopped touring, Thomas came to Western New York looking for work with bands in the area and wound up working in studios.
"I've been in studios for 50 years, working, producing people, recording people," Thomas said.
He ended up with a studio on Goodman Street in Rochester, a design and music studio.
"My wife came down with ovarian cancer, and we shifted gears on everything," Thomas said. "We moved back here to East Pembroke, near her family. At that time, I built a studio and started working on music here and with different groups and individuals in the area. I started recording my own music, which is this guitar style, which I say is stripped of style. It's a melody-driven finger style, peaceful guitar playing."
He said he wasn't sure what he was going to do with his music. He handed out a few CDs to friends and one of them said he should participate in a show at a museum in Rochester.
"It was basically a craft show and he says, 'Get a booth and sell CDs,' and I went, 'oh, okay,'" Thomas said. "At that point, I had one Christmas CD, and I went to that show, got a six by six spot, and put two speakers on a table, and sold 350 CDs in two days."
That set Thomas and his wife on a path of traveling the country, particularly in the northeast and south, visiting trade shows, craft shows, vendor shows, selling his CDs.
He did that for 20 years. Then COVID-19 hit.
"We came home to care for our two mothers, and this is what we've been doing since 2020, so in between arriving at home and readjusting at home, in between, all that is where I recorded this new CD."
With all that going on, recording this CD took a bit longer than his prior albums.
"This CD marks another expression of style and is very carefully meant to entertain lightly," Thomas said.
The title of the new album is "Sunset," with a photo of an ocean sunset on the cover, which sums up the album nicely - music to carry you off to a warm, breezy, late afternoon along on a beach.
"My catalog is completely guitar instrumentals," Thomas said, though he is working on a larger project that involves a band and vocals.
"It's new material, and I have been working on this project for about six years, trying not to sound like everything else on the market," Thomas said. 'I have a fresh approach."
The new CD is streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. Thomas also has CDs for sale. Links to the streaming platforms and CD purchases can be found at donthomas.com.
Press The Batavia City School District (BCSD) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Musicians of Note honor.
Each year, BCSD recognizes alumni and retired music educators for their accomplishments in the field of music. Batavia has many alumni who have had successful careers in music performance, music education, musical theater, and audio recording.
Honorees will be recognized in a future ceremony with a video presentation and performance ensembles to celebrate their achievements. A plaque featuring their accomplishments will be displayed on the Musicians of Note wall at Batavia High School.
Criteria for nominations include:
Recipients should be/have been an active performer or music educator.
Recipients must be at least ten years out of high school.
Recipients should have/had a successful musical career in either performance, composition, education, theater, or audio recording.
Nominations to posthumously honor deceased musicians/educators from BCSD will be accepted as well.
To nominate an alumnus or retired BCSD music educator who fits the criteria, click here.
Honorees and 2025 ceremony information will be announced at a later date. For any questions, please contact Batavia City School District Music Department Chair Melanie Case at mlcase@bataviacsd.org.
Genesee Community College is pleased to announce The BEST Center has been awarded a $88,175 award for clean energy training by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Clean Energy Training Program funded by NYSERDA will upskill incumbent workers and train new students seeking entry into the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) field.
GCC's Clean Energy Training Program will train individuals in high efficiency HVAC (including heat pumps) and energy auditing. program graduates also will be provided an opportunity to obtain their Home Energy Rater (HER) Certification through the industry standard Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) program. The GCC Clean Energy training program is a 10-week training course, with four cohorts over two years. The first classes will begin in Spring 2025 at the college's Batavia campus.
The NYSERDA Energy Efficiency and Clean Technology Training program awards activities such as technical training and experiential learning that supports New York State's path to inclusive clean energy economy. GCC's training program will contribute to expanding the capacity of skilled talent for Western New York's energy efficiency and clean energy labor market.
Adele Ferranti, director of Workforce Development and Training, NYSERDA, said, "Each day more New Yorkers are turning to sustainable building solutions to make their homes more comfortable and improve overall energy efficiency. To meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies, NYSERDA is pleased to support Genessee Community College's new program at the BEST Center that will ready the workforce with trained professionals to install and service the latest equipment."
"We are immensely grateful for the generosity of NYSERDA," said Jennifer Wakefield, executive director of Workforce Development at Genesee Community College. "This training grant will make a significant impact on the lives of incumbent workers, students entering the field of HVAC and the businesses who support the industry."
Businesses and individuals looking to take advantage of GCC's Clean Energy Training are encouraged to act now and contact The BEST Center at bestcenter@genesee.edu or call 585-345-6868.
The BEST Center at GCC is the recognized regional leader in developing the skilled workforce that powers local economic growth. The Center serves individual employees as well as businesses large and small with seminars, workshops, and trainings designed to improve the performance of people and processes.
For more information contact Vice President, Development, Admissions and External Affairs Justin Johnston at 585-345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.
CAN-USA Sports has teamed up with the Batavia Community Schools Foundation for their annual Blue vs White Charity Hockey Game. Sunday, March 9 at 5 p.m. with doors opening at 4 p.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena.
This years hockey game will include special guest appearances from BHS Drum Line, BMS Girls Acapella Group, John Kennedy Musical Group, and mascots.
The game will feature local business owners, Batavia City School District Alumni, and local youth hockey leaders.
“Last year we had some fun on the ice, helped support the Foundation, and had lots of support from our local community leaders. We really want everyone to come out this year and watch an exciting game featuring local people you know in your community for a good cause,” said Zack Korzelius, Batavia Foundation President.
A full roster will be released at the event, but see below the current players signed up to participate.
Steve Pie’s, Owner – Max Pies Furniture and Batavia Hockey Alumni
Nick Harris - SBFR Partners LLP and Notre Dame Hockey Alumni
Dan Calkins – 2006 Sectional Championship team, Batavia Alumni, and Ramparts Coach
Anthony Consiglio - Batavia City School District Faculty Member
If you or someone you know owns a local business who would like to help sponsor either or both of the events please contact Marc Witt, General Manager/Ownership – CAN-USA Sports, mwitt.canusa@gmail.com for opportunities.
Tickets for the event start at just $10 with proceeds benefiting the Batavia Community Schools Foundations. Tickets can be bought online (LINK - HERE) or in person at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena box office.
St. Paul Lutheran School students display items ready for bidding at the schools Annual 'Live Auction & Basket Raffle on March 15.
This is the schools largest fundraiser. Browsing begins at 3:30 p.m. and the 'live auction begins at 4 p.m. with auctioneer David Kent, of William Kent Auctioneers. A 50-50 raffle will also be held during the event and refreshments will be available for purchase.
Come join in on a fun afternoon that benefits the school.
Volunteer registration is now open for United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes’ Day of Caring. Day of Caring will take place on May 15 and is the largest community-wide volunteer event in our region, serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
Day of Caring mobilizes thousands of volunteers in a single day to complete projects for nonprofit agencies. These projects range from gardening and yardwork to painting and organizing. In 2024, over 6,300 volunteers representing 250 workplaces completed 450 projects for 200 nonprofit agencies.
Day of Caring uses United Way’s online platform, Volunteer United, to connect volunteers to their choice project. Volunteers can filter through hundreds of projects by location, interest, family friendliness, accessibility, and more.
Volunteers are encouraged to register by May 8. Nonprofits can also still register their projects by May 1. To learn more and register, visit unitedwayrocflx.org/day-of-caring.
This year’s Day of Caring is sponsored by Constellation Brands.
Batavia business owner Matt Gray talks about the potential for his and partner Matthew Boyd's recent purchase of the former J.C. Penney store at Batavia City Centre. Photo by Howard Owens
Walking into the former JCPenney department store == only now without all the clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories -- the 38,000 square-foot space seems even more expansive and pliable for a ripe imagination.
Batavia businessman Matt Gray, who purchased and recently closed on the downtown building with partner Matthew Boyd, sees it as an opportunity for a number of different possibilities, from what it was previously as a mid-size department store or smaller shops subdivided within the main showroom and adjacent storage room and beauty salon to one large venue for some type of entertainment or activity. Or perhaps, on the more costly side, going the route of second and/or third-floor market-rate apartments above with an interior courtyard to provide windows for all tenants.
“We’re investigating right now whether or not this building would support upper floors. As you know, the zoning for C3 requires any residential would be by special use permit upstairs,” Gray said Wednesday during a tour of the site with The Batavian.
City officials had an open house last fall with renderings illustrating how the building could potentially look as a mixed-use site with housing. Gray saw those sketches, and “it all plays into the larger picture that everyone seems to be supporting, from a municipal standpoint,” he said.
That may be a longer-range plan as the partners have begun the process of entering a broker agreement with Mancuso Commercial Realty to list the property for lease. They acquired the site, which was assessed for $400,000 according to county online records, at a bank mortgage foreclosure auction in January for $175,000.
What’s your primary goal, to lease it out versus developing, or all of it? “We are open to any and all ideas with the property. As somebody who works right across the street, it’s something that we want to see full and vibrant and brings people into the area,” he said. “You know, to us and everyone else, that's downtown. It's sat vacant for a long time. So we'd like to see something in here that brings people in.”
Along those lines, they’ve had “a couple of very casual conversations” with people with possible interest in the space, but nothing concrete at this time, he said. The agreement with Mancuso will begin the formal way for folks to inquire about the property, he said.
Given the amount of time that the building has been sitting unoccupied — Penney closed in October 2020 and was purchased in February 2021 by California developer Yong Guang Ye, but nothing materialized from that, and Ye defaulted on payments — Gray was surprised that it was in as good condition that it was, he said.
“There are a couple of leaks that we knew, we expected that there would be a couple of leaks, given the age of the structure, and we did see the satellite photos from Google, so we knew that there was a potential there. There are a number of leaks. None of them seem to be all that serious, and there doesn't appear to be any structural damage,” Gray said. “We have a local roofing company coming out next week to take a look. We're under the impression that with some repair work, we can get a few more years out of it before we need to do the whole roof, which will buy us some time in order to get some income coming in to support it.”
There are spots on the ceiling tiles with rusty brown areas showing water damage, and there were a couple of more active leaks, he said, but nothing terribly alarming. Everything, including ceiling tiles and walls, would be replaced anyway before anyone moved in to use the space, he said.
Sections of the partially carpeted floor, set off by tile, are filled with empty store fixtures used to hang clothing, jewelry and accessories. Those are for sale, Gray said, either individually or in lots, and will likely go up for auction at some point. Anyone interested can contact him at Eli Fish.
One of the more interesting things discovered on the premises was a safe room, which contained another safe. The only items left behind were 1970s papers from when the original store was built. There were letters, memos and construction guidelines from corporate in copies of what looked to be typed on an old-fashioned clickety-clack typewriter. Gray noted that the men’s and women’s bathrooms were left in good condition, and the beauty salon has a sink, shelving, and mirrors.
A back stock room has fabulously huge shelves to store one’s business or home goods, maybe? Or the space is also large enough for another entire shop or enterprise.
Because it's kind of divided right now, are you thinking walls could come down, or are you looking at pretty much the showroom as far as the space for development? “We’re working with Olive Architecture out of Raleigh to determine what walls could come down and what would need to stay. We're under the impression right now that with the 16 columns that you see here, and we believe there's another four inside the walls, that those are holding most of the weight. So, outside of those columns, it seems like almost everything else could come out. And it's pretty modular,” he said.
How do you feel about owning a piece of City Centre? “Now that the entrances are fixed and the concourse no longer has any leaking issues, and the city has told us that they are working towards concourse improvements, it all seems to be going in the right direction,” he said. “We would love to find a potential tenant that would have some synergy with a Game of Throws and a Sim, something that is an entertainment area that we think that's a great use for the space. “There's a lot of good ideas of things that could go downtown that would be a benefit.
“We had long conversations, Matt Boyd and I, and one of the overarching concerns is this piece seems to be kind of the key piece in a lot of this block’s development. And if this piece were to have not gone to a local user, and if it were to have gone back to the bank, we were afraid that it would be tied up in real estate owned by the bank for another three, five years,” he said. “You have no idea how long they would keep it dark without potentially not even marketing it. So at the price that it went for, we thought there was enough opportunity there for us to be okay with what it is and to take the risk on it ourselves and to ensure that it just didn't sit here.”
This isn’t Gray’s first rodeo: he and his partners have gone through renovations with Eli Fish Brewing Company on Main Street, the former Newberry’s, and he also owns Alex’s Place on the west side of town and the McCarthy ice arena. His resume boosted the confidence of city officials and Batavia Development Corp. Executive Director Tammy Hathaway when he walked away with the top bid earlier this year.
“I mean, Matty is successful in his endeavors; he’s proven that. So I could not even find a complaint if I wanted to,” Hathaway had said at the courthouse while Gray was wrapping up the deal.
Photos by Howard Owens
Cash registers were left behind. Photo by Howard Owens
Tall shelving units in the stock room now sit empty. Photo by Howard Owens
This area is wet with an active leak. Photo by Howard Owens
Dozens of fixtures left behind are available for purchase. Photo by Howard Owens
File Photo of Gregory Hallock of GO ART! Photo by Joanne Beck
Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council staff continues to get a good return for its efforts at extracting as much state funding as possible for local arts projects, Executive Director Gregory Hallock says.
And for nothing short of a fairly simple reason.
"Last year, we were the second highest in the state, only behind Manhattan. So that was pretty awesome that we were that high up there in the amount of funding we're giving out. Our argument that seems to be working is that, unlike these other big regions, if we don't have this funding, arts will not happen,” Hallock said during this week’s Genesee County Human Services meeting. “These other places, they have multiple arts organizations that exist with multiple different forms of funding, whereas we, if we don't have this funding, it's not there. We need this funding to make arts happen. So that is working, that has worked for us, and we will continue to use that.”
Hallock gave a summary of his 2024 annual report before the committee considered his request for county funding.
Known as GO ART!, the nonprofit doled out $336,000 in the form of Reach, Ripple and Spark grants to individuals and groups for various art projects and activities, including:
Batavia Concert Band during the summer at Centennial Park
Batavia Players during its 2024 season
Bergen Park Festival and Genesee Symphony Orchestra
Gillam-Grant Community Center’s A Spectrum of Art
Haxton Memorial Library’s Talented Thursdays
Opera on the Oatka by Heather Kathleen Davis with St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Le Roy and Holland Land Office Museum’s guest speaker and concert series
Oakfield Betterment Committee’s Labor Daze
Corfu Farmers Market 2024 Music Series
Elba Betterment Committee’s EBC Presents
Brian Kemp with BID’s 2024 TableTop Art Show
Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Artful Observation
Chris Hamel with Office For the Aging’s Youth Music Program
Eric Zwieg’s The Family Model
Linda Fix with Batavia City School District Foundation’s It Takes a Village and David Burke’s Extension to Harvester Center Hallway murals
“So we gave out a big chunk. It did go down this year, but we are still pretty high up there. I don’t want to use the word anger, but close to it with other arts councils and other organizations that are giving out funding because they don't like that we're getting that much money, but it's a grant, and we wrote the best grant. So we are getting the money to get out, and we will continue to do that,” he said. “Also, we have a $3.1 million project that we are working on for here in this county, with the building that we are in, we are expanding below and out with a cultural garden and an elevator that will be going through the whole building. We have $1.6 million towards that project currently. So we have $1.5 to go for that. We are in a little bit of a rush. We have until June 30, 2026 to not only raise the rest, but to spend the money as well. So we are searching for funds, trying to raise funds, coming up with ideas, left and right, to work on that.”
GO ART! received a grant through AmeriCorps VISTA to hire a fundraising development employee who will be working with staff specifically for this project, he said, and the agency’s gold barn project in Orleans County.
“So we are excited to have them. We are slightly nervous because it is completely federally funded, so we don't know at any point if we won't have that position, but currently, we do have that position,” he said. “I would say those are our major things. Our programming will continue to grow as we get more stuff. We are looking into this year expanding our creative arts program so that it is now beyond our actual footprint in Batavia.”
Staff is working with Alexander school district to be able to provide an arts camp there, with the possibility of reaching out to Pembroke next, and alleviate potential “hefty” transportation costs by bringing students in to Batavia, he said.
“So our solution is to run one camp, but at different locations. So we'll be doing that during the summer, and we'll be having six weeks of programming during the summer, but it'll be located at all different places,” Hallock said. “This past summer, in review, it was all held in Batavia. So this summer, we'll be spreading it out throughout all of them.”
Building on the foundation laid out in the last annual report, GO ART! has expanded programming and services to "further engage and inspire our diverse community," Hallock said.
"In collaboration with our valued partners and supporters, GO ART! has continued to secure vital funding, enabling us to sustain our operations, maintain our historic landmarked building, and deliver exceptional arts programming amidst challenging economic conditions," he said. "This year, I am particularly proud to share that GO ART! brought opera and ballet to the region, introducing our community to these celebrated art forms and expanding our cultural landscape in new and inspiring ways."
New endeavors include the Erie Canal Arts Festival, a cultural plan for the GLOW region, and the two capital campaigns previously mentioned: the installation of an elevator and the expansion of programming space into the foundation of the Batavia site at 201 E. Main St., as well as the development of a new space at the Orleans County Fairgrounds in collaboration with Orleans Cornell Cooperative Extension.
GO ART! has and is in the midst of installing an elevator within its three story historical building and making renovations that include roofing, water management, masonry, carpentry, doors and windows, finishes, mechanical, plumbing and electrical.
The hopes are to complete the projects by June 2025, Hallock said. The building and property that includes a music garden, art garden and horticultural garden is owned and operated by GO ART!, and staff has been in discussions with the county to purchase a larger garden/outdoor space that is directly behind the East Main Street building, to be used for programming, he said.
GO ART! has applied for grants to expand to add a foundation to include a pottery studio, darkroom, woodshop, art gallery, and two large art studios.
In the past year, the site has expanded two murals with the assistance of Batavia High School students and teachers, and community artists who painted murals in the kitchen and back corridor. The Mason Gallery was expanded to take over the entire second-floor hallway.
The handicapped bathroom on the first floor was turned into a permanent gallery space known as the Bethany Antique and Arts Gallery, and a colored glass mosaic was added to the third-floor bathroom by artist Christy Valsente.
Explore Art for youth includes a Kids’ Club, creative arts camps, teen animation classes, Do Re Mi: Music & Movement, preschool pop-up parties; and more geared for adults, there are murder mystery nights, open mic nights, jam labs, crochet club, comedy nights, karaoke nights, pillow-sewing class, haunted history tours and investigations, Ukrainian egg-decorating class; and Tarot Reading 101.
GLOW Creatives, a New York artist employment program, was a group of artists taking on a two-year residency that began in June 2022. Artists worked on independent projects and group collaborations to audiences in Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe counties.
The budget breakdown for revenue was:
Events and earned income - $70,782
Foundation support - $214,680
Individual and corporate funding - $27,326
Public support - $622,350
Organization expenses were:
1.9%, or $17,278, for fundraising
28.3%, $254,482, for programs and events
32.4%, $291,247, for administration
$336,000, or 37.4%, was awarded as grants
After Hallock’s annual report presentation, County Manager Matt Landers recommended the agency’s funding request for $7,500, which matches the amount given since 2022. Committee legislators agreed, and a final vote will be taken by the full Legislature on March 12.
The high school musical version of The Wizard of Oz has all the elements of the classic tale of dreams and wishes and a newfound appreciation for home and family.
Le Roy Jr./Sr. High presents the L. Frank Baum classic this weekend in three performances.
The musical version of The Wizard of Oz follows the tale of Dorothy Gale, a young girl from Kansas who dreams of adventure beyond her mundane life.
Swept away by a tornado, Dorothy lands in the magical land of Oz, where she kills the Wicked Witch of the East and frees the Munchkins.
Guided by Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, Dorothy embarks on a journey along the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard of Oz, who she hopes can help her return home. Along the way, she meets a Scarecrow seeking a brain, a Tin Man wanting a heart, and a Cowardly Lion desiring courage.
Together, they face challenges from the Wicked Witch of the West and ultimately discover that the Wizard is a humbug, but Dorothy learns the true power to return home lies within herself. With a newfound appreciation for her life, Dorothy clicks the heels of her magical ruby slippers and says, “There’s no place like home,” returning to her family and friends in Kansas.
And another one's gone, as a block of properties -- from the former Gentleman Jim's and Palace of Sweets to The Hiding Place -- has been taken by business owners Eric and Sarah Jones for their Game of Throws, expected to be moving into the Batavia City Centre site by this summer. Photo by Howard Owens
Something seems to be happening in downtown Batavia, at City Centre in particular, as properties are either bought or leased and business owners are taking a chance on investing in what city officials are hoping is becoming an economic revival of the former mall.
One of the latest merchants to be entering the scene in the near future is another moveover from Harvester Complex. Eric and Sarah Jones, owners of Game of Throws, are planning to initially build two escape rooms and eventually have three, plus axe-throwing in the space formerly occupied by Gentleman Jim’s, Palace of Sweets, Shortstop and The Hiding Place.
“We're hoping by June or July we'll be able to move in and be ready to open for business, at least with our lanes and our axe throwing. We're hoping that at least one, if not two, of the Escape Rooms, will be ready to go,” Sarah said during an interview with The Batavian. “But Escape Rooms are a lot; they're a lot of work, a lot of planning. There are a lot of their prop-making props.
The Jones couple of Oakfield had wanted to have escape rooms at the Harvester location, but the physical set-up, with high ceilings and poor acoustics, didn’t allow for what was needed to make it work well, Sarah said. Game of Throws survived the pandemic since opening in early 2021, and now it’s time to push past those limitations and get into the fun creativity — albeit more expensive — work of pulling together an hour’s worth of brain-teasing props, clues and puzzles that stretch one’s imagination and prompt teamwork to meet the objective: escape.
Sarah offered a hint that the first room being assembled is a pirate theme, and visitors will have to free themselves from a ship jail before time is up for them to walk the plank. If you think this might be a lame Monopoly-type board game, these rooms come at great expense ($10,000 to $20,000 and up) and endless hours of labor to craft the related lifelike props and clues — perhaps keys and maps and items that hint at the next needed steps to take.
“Basically, we take you in, we literally lock you in prison. So there's a jail cell in the very beginning that you're all in. You have to figure out how to get out of the prison to get into the other part of the room, where there's all kinds of pirate stuff, and there's maps, and there's clues, and there's things that you're going to find, you're going to figure out, you're going to put together locks and keys, and then eventually you will find the final key to escape,” she said. “And there's a big clock counting down for 60 minutes, so you'll know how long you're taking. And we always have someone watching you and working with you. So if it takes you too long to get out of the first part of it, we'll start to talk to you and say, ‘Okay, you guys are on the right track, but look for, you know, whatever, keep your eyes open for this,’ so that we can sort of walk you through better ways to figure out and get out of certain things.
“We want everyone to be able to get out, but we also don't want to be like, the whole time telling you hints and clues. You have to see for yourself,” she said. “So with that being said, there's a lot of interesting things, like different riddles that you have to sort of figure out different combinations of things you have to do in order for a door to unlock with a mag lock, which means there's a lot of wiring, and there's a lot of mechanical things that we have to put in there to trigger things. So it's a lot, but it's fun.”
Why escape rooms? Sarah and her husband seek out and do escape rooms “all the time,” she said.
“Every time we go somewhere or go on a trip or wherever we’re somewhere, we always look for escape rooms. We’ve gone to basically all the escape rooms in Buffalo and Rochester that we have been able to find; we love escape rooms,” she said. “We go with friends. We go with different people that do an escape room. We do it with our kids; they love them too.”
Why, what is it about escape rooms that you like so much?
“They're all different. You never know what's gonna happen, what's gonna be in them. Some of them are amazing, some of them are terrible. And we're like, well, that was just stupid. But even just getting together, and all of you working together as a group, it's really interesting to see the dynamics even of the way people think, the way people figure things out,” she said. “Some people that are really good at noncommon sense things, really smart things, figure out the stuff that I would never be able to figure out. I'm more of a think-outside-the-box: look, I found this, how does this work? Where other people are like, oh, there's numbers. They see combinations of things because they get numbers, where I don't get numbers.
She talked about how she usually butts heads with her daughter Marissa, so it would seem natural that when the family goes to an escape room, Marissa would pair off with her dad, and Mom would go with her son Ryan. But that’s not how it works when solving these types of reality puzzles, she said.
Ryan and Eric work super well together, and the way their minds work, and Marissa and I tend to work super well together. So it's really neat to do escape rooms with people because it's a whole different experience,” she said. “When I first heard about escape rooms, I was like, I want to do one of those. It sounds so cool. So we've done them years and years and years ago. And I had said to my husband, I want to open up escape rooms. That would be the funnest job ever. I love everything about them. And then my brother-in-law in Pennsylvania, years later, had opened up the escape rooms, and I'm like, you understand, that's my dream come true.”
Sarah has been able to, at least in part, experience the operational side of these rooms by helping out her in-laws when possible, from building props such as a full-blown monkey body, face, and limbs, down to its fingernails to offering hints to misguided participants. As she puts it, “It's not like we're coming into this with no experience, but we also are coming into this with no experience.”
“And we're just like, we got this, but it's something super new,” she said. “And so it's gonna be so much fun. I'm super excited about it.”
The market is hot for this too, she said, as they are extremely popular and exist all over the country. She and Eric have done several in Florida and even found them in the Dominican Republic, she said.
The glitch may be that this business doesn’t often get repeat customers unless it’s people bringing others to experience the escape room. One solution the Jones’ have that others may not be so fortunate to have is that connection with the in-laws in Pennsylvania. They know that their customers aren’t likely to have seen the escape rooms here, and vice versa, so they plan to swap with each other at some point and continue a rotation with fresh themes the next time around.
It will still mean a major investment of thousands of dollars but it saves them at least a couple of times before they need to invest in brand-new themes again. For customers, it will be an updated adventure. There’s a Facebook marketplace, sort of a co-op for escape room goods, and these used packages can still cost $20,000 to $30,000, she said. And it’s not like once you’ve purchased it, you’re done: these rooms have to be refreshed to keep customers coming back.
Being a small business owner has come with its share of frustrations, including a lack of funding options that are more often available to large developers and corporate businesses, she said. She credited Batavia Development Corporation and Executive Director Tammy Hathaway for pursuing avenues for small grants or low-interest loans, but so far, nothing has been available or suitable for their situation, Sarah said.
The Jones couple is grateful that the property owners and city have allowed them to begin working on the space before officially moving in — with flashlights and lanterns in tow since there’s no electricity or HVAC hook-up yet and a leaky roof is to be repaired. That gives them some time to get set up while still being at their current location at 56 Harvester Ave., Sarah said.
“So that when they do say, ‘ok, it’s time,’ we can have basic stuff that we need done so we can actually get in there as soon as possible. Because once they say it’s ready, then we have to start paying rent,” she said. “And we’re willing to pay rent to both places until we can get into the other one, so we’re hoping that by the time we can get in there and have to start paying rent, we’ll have it so much done that we can literally just move our lanes from Games of Throws into Gentleman Jim’s and get it up and running, that’s what we’re hoping for.”
How does she feel about the big move? "Excited and terrified."
She asks if she’s crazy. Well, yes. Then again, former Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
The Jones’ vision goes beyond the walls of their future business and spills (hopefully) onto the outer concourse in the form of community events, such as square dancing, cornhole tournaments, karaoke nights, and other fun events. In other words, they may do a little world-changing in downtown Batavia.
“I feel like that is going to bring so many people out because there is nothing to do in Batavia. So what we’re hoping is that we will bring more business to Batavia, too. We have a lot of people who come throw axes at our place from Buffalo and Rochester. They literally drive by the places in Buffalo to get to us. So we’re hoping that we can bring business to the other businesses,” she said. “A lot of times, people are like, we’re not from around here, but where is there to go eat? And we definitely try to tell them of locally owned businesses as opposed to chains. So I hope that we’ll all work together to bring more business to Batavia.”
The corner property formerly occupied by Gentleman Jim's, Palace of Sweets, Shortstop and The Hiding Place will once again be occupied and busy, as Game of Throws axe throwing and escape rooms moves in at Batavia City Centre. Photo by Howard Owens.
Elizabeth Jarnot of Batavia is the first homeowner to complete a home repair project through a new PathStone Self Help home repair program. Ms. Jarnot remodeled two bathrooms, installed new flooring, replaced windows and made other improvements to the home she shares with her 4-year-old son. PathStone, through its affiliate Rural Housing Opportunities Corp, provided all the materials for the job, loaned her the needed tools and provided hands-on training and support with completing all the work.
“This has been such a wonderful program to be a part of -- it really has been life-changing for me and my son,” said Ms. Jarnot. “Not only were we able to make needed repairs that I couldn't have done alone but I also got help from the most amazing people who really care about their community. On top of all that, I learned about home repair and responsible homeownership. I am so thankful that this resource exists because it's going to have such lasting and positive impacts for so many -- I know it did for my family!”
PathStone received a 2-year grant from USDA Rural Development to complete 20 similar home repair projects in Genesee and Orleans Counties. Eligible households must earn below 80% of the median income for the area by household size, agree to do most of the work themselves and meet other requirements.
“We’ve been operating home repair programs in the area for 30 years and the demand for our limited government grant funds is so high, we decided to add the Self Help program as a way to serve more families in need. Our regular home repair grant program has a 3-5 year waiting list but now folks can jump to the top of the list if they qualify for Self Help and are willing and able to do most of the work themselves with our help,” said John Wiltse, senior operations director at PathStone and president of Rural Housing Opportunities Corp.
Participant households can enlist the help of family and friends to meet their labor contribution. Eligible work must address building deficiencies and health and safety concerns such as plumbing and electrical problems, lead-based paint and obsolete fixtures and finishes.
Low and moderate income homeowners in Genesee and Orleans Counties who want to learn more about the program, please call 585-546-3700 ext. 3026 or email homerehab@pathstone.org.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) visited the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester today in commemoration of Susan B. Anthony Day earlier this month. Western New York has a long history in the women’s suffrage movement, including one of Hawley’s relatives, Ella Hawley Crossett.
Ella was an influential leader at the local level and was a long-tenured member of the executive board of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association (NYSWSA). Hawley is proud of Western New York’s history during the suffrage movement and hopes these local heroes will serve as an inspiration for future generations.
“It was an honor to be able to visit the Susan B. Anthony house today,” said Hawley. “Our region has a rich history in the fight for women’s suffrage and equal rights. I hope everyone takes time to learn more about our history and the impact figures like Susan B. Anthony and my relative, Ella Hawley Crossett, had on our nation.”
