thebatavian

I have a photo assignment to shoot in Great Valley today so Billie and I will be away from the scanners. We're taking the opportunity on the way back to knock another item off our WNY bucket list: Letchworth Park.

Today, Billie and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Shortly, we'll hit the road. We're staying in Buffalo tonight and then tomorrow will go see, from the U.S. side, for the first time, Niagara Falls.

We've lined up some help for news coverage tomorrow, but for the next 24 hours there will be no scanner coverage.

I'm not, however, turning off my phone and many people know how to reach me via phone, text or Facebook, if needed. 

Our news partner, WBTA, is also available to help us with news coverage.

Tomorrow the president's motorcade is likely to pass down the Thruway. (There is the obvious and inevitable rumor that he'll come down Route 5, of course). If anybody happens to get a picture of that and can send it our way, that would be great.

Dear Folks who read The Batavian daily (and there are thousands of you):

We really do need your support. We're asking you to sign up for a voluntary subscription (we call it The Batavian Club), and for your support we promise to keep bringing you local news every day (and if enough of you join, expand on it) and send you more than $325 in gift certificates to local businesses.

It's a great way to support your favorite local news site.

If you join now, bring your PayPal receipt to Summer in the City tomorrow for a free gift.

To be clear about why we're doing The Batavian Club. This isn't about selling discounts to businesses, though we do that, it's about reaching out to the people who read The Batavian every day and appreciate what we do, to make a small contribution to help us build a sustainable business. Advertising alone is not enough. We need reader support. Think of this as a voluntary subscription for all the great news you get online from The Batavian.

So, please use the options below and join today.

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

We've set up four membership tiers -- Subscribe to the club monthly as one person or as a household, or annually at either of those levels. 

Members receive a membership card, bumper sticker and a package of gift certificates to local businesses. 

It's important to note, this isn't a subscription to read the site. Our stories remain free to read. This is a voluntary subscription with benefits (and we'll add benefits as it grows).

Join via PayPal below, or for annual and one-time memberships paid by check, click here to download this form (monthly, recurring payment memberships must be via PayPal or credit card.) To pay by credit card, use the form, or call (585) 250-4118.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual membership, one payment of $60
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual household membership, one payment of $120
Includes two membership cards, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

We appreciate you reading The Batavian every day, but in order for us to grow and improve what do, even just to sustain the business, we need your support. 

To be clear about why we're doing The Batavian Club -- this isn't about selling discounts to businesses, though we do that, it's about reaching out to the people who read The Batavian every day and appreciate what we do, to make a small contribution to help us build a sustainable business. Advertising alone is not enough. We need reader support. Think of this as a voluntary subscription for all the great news you get online from The Batavian.

So, please use the options below and join today.

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

We've set up four membership tiers -- Subscribe to the club monthly as one person or as a household, or annually at either of those levels. 

Members receive a membership card, bumper sticker and a package of gift certificates to local businesses. 

It's important to note, this isn't a subscription to read the site. Our stories remain free to read. This is a voluntary subscription with benefits (and we'll add benefits as it grows).

Join via PayPal below, or for annual and one-time memberships paid by check, click here to download this form (monthly, recurring payment memberships must be via PayPal or credit card.) To pay by credit card, use the form, or call (585) 250-4118.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual membership, one payment of $60
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual household membership, one payment of $120
Includes two membership cards, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Here's the most viewed posts on The Batavian for July 2013

• Truck tumbles from bridge in Rochester onto another truck and kills driver from Batavia
• Alleged assault case at Kid Rock concert grows more complicated with news of serious injuries
• Hot pursuit of speeding motorcyclist, by Billie Owens
• Former Village of Corfu court clerk charged with grand larceny
• Fifteen arrests at Toby Keith concert Sunday at Darien Lake
• Briefs in Simmons appeal reveal very different views of facts and law for defense and prosecution
• Corfu mayor's newsletter column criticizes village staff
• Fourteen arrests, scores of citations at Dave Matthews concert
• Owner places blame on GCEDC for decision to close Fisher Sports

In July, there were 120,670 unique visitors to The Batavian, 526,817 total visits and 882,229 page views -- all new records.

Each of the past two Monday's I've posted a simple message: When you join The Batavian Club, you are helping to support your favorite local news site. The simple message has been working. People have been joining.

The Batavian is blessed with strong support from the local business community, but advertising is only a portion of the revenue any local news organization needs to grow and provide well-rounded local news coverage.

That's not just true of an online news site like The Batavian. It's true of any local news organization. 

A newspaper garners very important reader support by dropping a physical product on your doorstep or driveway. You pay for the product and delivery. Since we don't have a physical product to deliver to your home, we offer you a package of gift certificates to local businesses in exchange for your support.

Think of a membership in The Batavian Club as a voluntary subscription for all the great news you get online from The Batavian.

So, please use the options below and join today.

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

We've set up four membership tiers -- Subscribe to the club monthly as one person or as a household, or annually at either of those levels. 

Members receive a membership card, bumper sticker and a package of gift certificates to local businesses. 

It's important to note, this isn't a subscription to read the site. Our stories remain free to read. This is a voluntary subscription with benefits (and we'll add benefits as it grows).

Join via PayPal below, or for annual and one-time memberships paid by check, click here to download this form (monthly, recurring payment memberships must be via PayPal or credit card.) To pay by credit card, use the form, or call (585) 250-4118.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual membership, one payment of $60
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual household membership, one payment of $120
Includes two membership cards, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

During the Oatka Festival, we had a booth set up and were signing up new members for The Batavian Club. Thanks to all who joined. It's a big help.

Six people told us they wanted to join, but didn't have money or a credit card with them and a couple of people said explicitly they would rather join through PayPal. This post, as much as anything, is for them.

To be clear about why we're doing The Batavian Club. This isn't about selling discounts to businesses, though we do that, it's about reaching out to the people who read The Batavian every day and appreciate what we do, to make a small contribution to help us build a sustainable business. Advertising alone is not enough. We need reader support. Think of this as a voluntary subscription for all the great news you get online from The Batavian.

So, please use the options below and join today.

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

We've set up four membership tiers -- Subscribe to the club monthly as one person or as a household, or annually at either of those levels. 

Members receive a membership card, bumper sticker and a package of gift certificates to local businesses. 

It's important to note, this isn't a subscription to read the site. Our stories remain free to read. This is a voluntary subscription with benefits (and we'll add benefits as it grows).

Join via PayPal below, or for annual and one-time memberships paid by check, click here to download this form (monthly, recurring payment memberships must be via PayPal or credit card.) To pay by credit card, use the form, or call (585) 250-4118.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual membership, one payment of $60
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual household membership, one payment of $120
Includes two membership cards, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Tom Rivers, editor of the online-only site to the north of us, Orleans Hub, was in Batavia today for Dan Kennedy's appearance at Present Tense Books.

Kennedy is author of "The Wired City," a book about the future of journalism that includes a section about the news business in Batavia.

Rivers spoke with Kennedy and shares some of the things he learned.

Tomorrow at 11 a.m., Dan Kennedy, author of "The Wired City," a book about the changes in journalism in the Digital Age, will be at Present Tense on Washington Avenue, Batavia.

Batavia's little corner of the media world is featured in the book and Kennedy will read a portion of the book and talk about what he's observed about media in Batavia.

Here's an interview from this morning on WBTA's Main and Center (mp3).

NOTE: I can't be there at 11 a.m. because I need to be at the Oatka Festival Parade, but I plan on stopping in the store about 12:15 p.m. or so.

A few summers ago, Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern, visited Batavia while researching a book on the future of journalism, focusing on digital efforts to provide communities with news.

In May, his book, "The Wired City," was released by the University of Massachusetts Press.

While the majority of pages in The Wired City are devoted to the New Haven Independent, a nonprofit community Web site in Connecticut, there is a section in the book about for-profit sites, including The Batavian.

For the book, Kennedy interviewed me, of course, and Tom Turnbull  and Mark Graczyk at the Batavia Daily News, Dan Fischer at WBTA, City Manager Jason Molino, Chamber of Commerce President Lynn Freeman, and Patrick Weissand, then HLOM director, among others.

In the book, you can find out a little more about the background of The Batavian, a little insider information and what some people -- Turnbull, say -- were saying about The Batavian when we were barely a year old.

Kennedy remains fascinated by an off-hand remark I made while we were driving past the Stafford Country Club during his visit -- that if I were ever a member, he'd know I was doing well with The Batavian. He mentions it his book and in a column today updating readers on the progress of The Batavian on Nieman Journalism Lab (spoiler alert: I'm not a member, not even a social member, even though I recently found out membership is a heck of a lot less expensive than I thought back during Kennedy's visit to Batavia.)

This Saturday, Kennedy will be at Present Tense Books on Washington Avenue to talk about the book and sign copies.

Fischer will interview Kennedy and me for Friday morning's Main and Center on WBTA, so tune in. I anticipate a lively discussion about local journalism, past, present and future.

The benefits of being a member of The Batavian Club just keep getting better and better. We're proud that Darien Lake Theme Park has signed on as a supporter to offer members this generous offer: A free child's admission with the purchase of an adult admission. We'll be sending out this voucher to all current members as well as new members.

Plus, members still get $325 in gift certificates to local businesses and a voucher for TWO free tickets (except July 4) to a Batavia Muckdogs game.

All for a worthy cause: helping to support and sustain The Batavian.

I know many people say, "I'm going to join, I'm going to join." This would be a great time to do it -- to take advantage of these great summertime offers.

If you don't use PayPal, that's OK. Download this form (pdf) and send it in with your check, or call Tuesday through Thursday at (585) 250-4118 with your credit card number.

As for the PayPal buttons -- you can save $10 a year if you sign up with a recurring annual payment on PayPal. Or you can make a one-time payment of $60 for the year and we'll bill you when it comes time for renewal.

For more information about The Batavian Club, click here.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual membership, one payment of $60
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual household membership, one payment of $120
Includes two membership cards, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Most viewed posts for June:

• Molasses Hill closed, seized by state, by Howard Owens
• Stafford Carnival grounds flooded, no fun tonight, by Howard Owens
• A Day in the Life of a Teacher, by Gretchen DiFante
• Man says female is harassing his turtle, by Billie Owens
• Four Rochester men accused of $10K heist from AT&T store, by Howard Owens
• Police respond to hostage situation on Highland Park, by Billie Owens
• Basom man returns home to find burglars entering his house, by Billie Owens
• Kermit Arrington, much admired, dedicated to serving his community, has passed, by Howard Owens
• High speed chase of suspected stolen truck ends with three men in custody, by Howard Owens
• Driver reportedly seen stopping on Route 33 to hit a child, by Howard Owens

In June, there were 503,542 visits to the site and we served up 859,843 page views.

Our DSL service at our house has gone out. We have an appointment for a service call on Monday. I can tether my phone, and I can go up to the office if necessary, but Billie's ability to post anything until it's fixed is limited. Since I won't always be around, this could mean delays with breaking news posts, and even some things that we might normally post not getting posted at all.

Here's the most viewed posts for May:

• Police looking for public's help in finding boy allegedly slammed to floor of Walmart by adult male
• Suspect accused of slamming son to the floor of Walmart tells judge, 'I was in the wrong'
• Terry Platt says he's done investing in Genesee County after city denies rooming house application
• Le Roy PD reports home invasion sexual assault
• Council to consider law to license landlords, institute fines for nuisance tenants
• Photo: Tim McGraw stops in at Next Level Fitness for workout
• The future of a Wegmans in Batavia hinges on the success of STAMP in Alabama
• Photo: Big Pauly's open for business
• Old Glory flown over Main Street to honor young Marine laid to rest this morning, by Billie Owens
• Video: Buffalo TV station airs lengthy piece on salary paid to GCEDC CEO Steve Hyde

Speaking of Muller Quaker Dairy, it was The Batavian the first news source to tell you that "Project Wave" was going to be a yogurt plant built by PepsiCo and a German company.

Over the years, we've brought you in-depth coverage that you rarely get anywhere else about Genesee County:

• An investigation into the finances of Pontillo's,
• More continuing coverage of controversy in Corfu,
• No other news agency has given you more facts about the tax breaks for COR Development than The Batavian,
• We've provided comprehensive coverage on the attempt to save and the eventual demolition of the Wiss Hotel,
• We provided region-leading coverage on bath salts last summer,
• We also broke the story about Jacquetta Simmons at Walmart on Christmas Eve 2011,
• And more recently The Batavian provided the first coverage about a man accused of slamming his son to the floor at Walmart.

Consistly for more than five years, The Batavian has brought you more breaking news coverage and more in-depth coverage than any other local news source.

And we want to keep it going, which is one reason we need you to join The Batavian Club.

Right now, we're offering a free 8x12 canvas print of a Genesee County photography by Howard Owens to new members. See the slide show below for available choices.

Don't forget: Club members get gift certificates from local businesses worth more than $320.

The prints will be made by Vinylsticks, a Batavia business that creates all manner of signs, prints, decals and stickers. 

Use the PayPal buttons below. After you complete your order, please e-mail howard@thebatavian.com with name of the picture you want (mouse over the photo in the slide show to see the name).

Or, you can phone in your credit card number and details to (585) 250-4118 during normal business hours, Monday thru Thursday.

To join by mail and pay by check or credit card, download this form and mail it to us. Be sure to specify on the form which picture you want. Titles are in the upper left.

To learn about the club, visit the club's new Web site.

Annual membership, no recurring payment, $60
(Use this button if you want to make a one-time payment through PayPal. You will be asked to renew again in a year.)
 

Annual membership with automatic recurring payment of $50 per year
(Use this button so your membership automatically renews each year and save $10 annually on your dues.)
 

Join The Batavian Club today and receive a free vinyl print of a photograph by Howard Owens of Genesee County. See the slide show below for available choices.

The prints will be made by Vinylsticks, a Batavia business that creates all manner of signs, prints, decals and stickers. 

Use the PayPal buttons below. After you complete your order, please e-mail howard@thebatavian.com with name of the picture you want (mouse over the photo in the slide show to see the name).

Or, you can phone in your credit card number and details to (585) 250-4118 during normal business hours, Monday thru Thursday.

To join by mail and pay by check or credit card, download this form and mail it to us. Be sure to specify on the form which picture you want. Titles are in the upper left.

To learn about the club, visit the club's new Web site.

Annual membership, no recurring payment, $60

Annual membership with automatic recurring payment of $50 per year

West Main Wine & Spirits is our first local business to start using editable ads.

Editable ads allow a business owner to change the message of an ad any time right from his or her own computer or, even, smart phone.

For readers, it means more timely information about sales, special offers and promotions.

Watch the right column of ads for West Main Wine & Spirit's special messages and messages from other local businesses as they start using editable ads.

Business owners, for more information, contact Lisa Ace at (585) 250-4118.

Yesterday, May 1, was The Batavian's fifth anniversary. Over the first five years of The Batavian, here are the 10 most viewed posts:

• Le Roy Legion hosting event to honor WWII vets
• State health officials discuss outbreak of tics in Le Roy, but say they can't share the cause
• Notorious woman allegedly trashes buffet at South Beach, by Billie Owens
• Brad Paisley fans get themselves arrested in droves during Darien Lake concert
• Sex in the City: Batavia 'adultery' case getting wider media attention
• Manhunt in progress near Townline and 63
• Teenage Bergen bow hunter takes down 17-point buck
• South Beach owner "was forced to close" restaurant, says sister-in-law, by Philip Anselmo
• Walmart greeter, age 70, seriously injured after allegedly being punched by 26-year-old woman
• Suzanne Corona accused of shoplifting from Batavia florist

Falling just outside of the top 10 was a post by Brian Hillabush, Christmas lights 12-13-08: DiSalvo's always best in show.

And to catch you up on the monthly most viewed posts ...

Most viewed posts for February:

• Darien man killed in early morning crash on Route 238
• Robber of Sally's appears to have executed a plan to avoid identification
• BREAKING: trash proposal fails on 7-2 vote
• Legislature poised to call for repeal of Cuomo's gun control law
• Tom Houseknecht asserts new trash plan an attempt to skirt property tax cap
• Attica man charged with DWI in Pembroke crashes vehicle in Darien a few hours later
• Possible suspect in Sally Beauty robbery hospitalized after arrest in Owego
• Alabama man accused of raping woman during argument
• Woman accused of stealing money from charity raising money for cancer patient
• Batavia Middle School student in trouble for packing a BB gun

Most viewed posts for March:

• The vote is final: The Wiss Hotel building will come down
• Law and Order: Man accused of installing illegal water line
• Oakfield Fire Department issues statement regarding water dispute with Village
• Judge tells bookies they will serve in a weekend-work program
• Law and Order: Mother accused of not being at home when children were dropped off by school bus
• Sheriff responds to allegation that investigator placed bets with bookie working in fire department
• Ken Mistler buys downtown theater with hope of keeping more entertainment dollars in Batavia
• Woman robbed in parking lot of Save-A-Lot in Batavia, by Billie Owens
• Two women get their hair done at salon, then stiff the stylists, by Billie Owens
• Caller says car parked across the street is harassment, by Billie Owens

Most viewed posts for April:

• Le Roy Legion hosting event to honor WWII vets
• Apparent blow-up between Corfu mayor and employees has village administration in jeopardy
• The story of a stolen thermometer and the police officer who made a gift of it
• Young 'inconsolable' woman resists arrest in Oakfield, is pepper-sprayed, by Billie Owens
• VP at GCC reportedly arrested in Rochester on public lewdness charge
• Trustee asks Corfu mayor to resign
• New pizza shop will have a familiar sounding name and familiar looking face
• Pero brothers entering trash business in Batavia
• Corfu sewer contractor reacts to anonymous letter threatening his business with the village
• Village of Corfu office remains closed this morning

April -- even with the ad server trouble -- set traffic records with 128,425 unique visitors, 512,095 visits and 852,965 page views.

The previous records were set the month before, with 108,490 unique visitors (the first time had more than 100K unique visitors), 493,303 visits and 834,797 page views.

On May 1, 2008, we received 125 visits to the site.

I meet a lot of people around the county who tell me they intend to join The Batavian Club but haven't yet.

Now would be a great time to do it. 

We're extending the free T-shirt offer for new Members through the end of the May 1 (The Batavian's fifth anniversary).

If you use one of the PayPal buttons below, e-mail me (howard@thebatavian.com) your T-shirt size.

Or click here for the new member form to pay by credit card or check.

As always, members receive a membership card and $325 in gift certificates to local businesses.

Readers who aren't members can purchase the T-shirt for $16 each. Use the PayPal buttons below or to order by check or credit card, download this form.

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual membership, one payment of $60

Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

We are pretty close to getting the new ad server running properly. There are some details to clear up today to make sure all the ads are displaying properly, but the main work is done.

This virus crisis was very stressful and I want to thank all of the readers and local business owners who were so patient and understanding over the past week. We didn't get a single angry phone call or e-mail; nobody accosted me in the street. Everywhere I went people were more curious than upset with the situation. Billie and Lisa and I are very thankful for that understanding response.

Added bonus: We now know we are using a more secure ad server, but here's a benefit I didn't anticipate -- the new ad server seems to be much, much faster. At least for me, even on my iPhone, the site seems to download much faster than it did with the previous ad server. I hope you're noticing a difference, too.

The other thing Billie and Lisa and I are very thankful for is the "Spirit of Downtown" award we received yesterday from the Downtown Improvement District. We're feeling very honored to be recognized by the BID for our work with The Batavian.

And thank you to Dan Fischer of WBTA for his kind words during yesterday's presentation.

As I said yesterday, we feel very fortunate to have been so warmly accepted by the people of Genesee County in just a few short years (The Batavian's fifth-year anniversary is Wednesday). Thank you all -- readers and local business owners -- for your support of The Batavian.