batavia

I love to take long walks on the streets of Batavia. It is like taking a trip to a different time in our history. So many places trigger so many memories.  

Recently, I was walking by Farrall Park. It was a beautiful fall day. I sat on one park bench, and my mind took me back to the 70s when I was a playground supervisor. I closed my eyes, and it was 9 a.m., and I could hear the front doors of the homes on James Street, Otis, Osterhout, Clifton, Jackson, Swan, Sumner, and Williams Street slamming shut as the neighbor kids ran to the park to begin their day. We had already unlocked the storage door and removed the sports equipment and the craft they would make that week. 

The children were all friends, and many were cousins. I’m looking at the old swing set and remembering the merry-go-round where we gave endless pushes to the squeals of delight from the children. 

When all the parks opened at 9 a.m. all over Batavia, all the supervisors experienced what I was experiencing. You owned that park and were there to encourage all the children to have fun and use suitable sportsmanship, but you also tried to beat the other parks in everything competitive.   

We had the smallest park, and it did not have a wading pool, but it had the best kids. I worked with two excellent park supervisors, Gary Starowicz and Tim Beers. We all said we had the best kids. 

Every week, we did a different craft. One week, it was boondoggles. Unfortunately, the little kids had no idea how to make them so that they would be clipped to the chain-link fence. A supervisor like myself would begin making them as the young child would watch in anticipation of getting their boondoggle. You can’t forget the little clip that was added at the end.

Another week would be the plaster of Paris. Hopefully, it would be a warm sunny day so the plaster would dry. I think that was one of the children’s favorite weeks. We would line up the molds, mix the plaster, pour the plaster into the rubber molds, shake the mold to eliminate the air bubbles, and insert that tiny hook into the back so your creation could hang on the wall. After we removed them from the rubber mold, the children painted them. They were all masterpieces.

Some of the weekly contests we had were sandbox, coloring, stuffed animal, jello eating, tetherball, pet show, baby picture contest, stuffed animal, scavenger hunt, peanut hunt, and bean bag contest, to name a few. Another favorite was the Park Penny Carnival. Anything you can think of was a contest, and everyone was a winner because everybody at the park was a winner. The Daily News posted contest winners from the various parks in the paper every Friday.

The highlight of the summer was the park parade. Today, my children and grandchildren can’t imagine closing Main Street and having a hay wagon pulled by a tractor showcasing the most beautiful park float. It was covered in chicken wire, twisted, and stapled to 2X4s, depicting the theme of a particular year. Children today can’t imagine building a float, making flowers out of crepe paper, and stuffing the crepe paper flowers into the holes of the chicken wire. The older park members built the float if they were not hopping a train to Pembroke! People would offer their barns or garages to construct the float. We had a garage on Liberty Street for one year and Hawley’s barn on Bank Street for a couple of years. A lot of this took place after park hours. 

I miss the sounds of voices as I sit on a park bench at Farrall Park today. I miss seeing the smiles of those kids who had a safe and fun place to go every day. The boys would jump on their bikes and ride to another park if it were a baseball game. The same was true for the girls, who were amazing athletes.

On the day of the park parade, I remember walking with our park kids down Main Street with our float and ending at Austin Park. Every park had a location to display its float. Looking at the park from the street, you would see a wonderland of children and parents standing proudly by their float. Their park scrapbook was displayed with pictures from the summer. There was also a talent show and a place for our king and queen winners, regally dressed, to be judged. Every park waited to hear the winners. 

I can’t say we ever came in the first place, but in my heart, they were all first-place winners. I cherish the memories, but my heart is so sad that children today will never have the experience that the children from the city parks had back when the parks were open from 9 to 5 with a lunch break from 12 to 1. 

Every child back then had similar memories, and in their hearts, their park was the best it could be. You can delete Farrall Park and insert Kibbe, Williams, Austin, John Kennedy, MacArthur, Woodward, or Pringle Park, and the memories will all be the same. 

As I leave Farrall Park to continue my walk, I leave the voices of children’s laughter and the camaraderie of the voices I hear daily as a supervisor. Today, children’s memories are captured on their iPhones.   That is their playground.   I don’t think kids today can relate to what it was like to belong to a park. The memories from all those beautiful summers go to the park supervisors who made the memories possible. I thank former supervisors Marcia, Bill, and Gary for their help with this article.

If you recognize your park float, please post the name of the float and your park. ENJOY!

The park supervisors in 1972 were: Debbie Lampkin, Ann Gorton, Mary Preston, Doris Holvey, Nancy Manchester, Ann Pietrovito, Marcia Macugowski, Anne Peca, Roberta Thrasher, Laurie Winegar, Dennis Buckley, Larry Barone, Mike Stevens, Marie Howe, Bill Bostwick, Gary Starowicz, Wayne Benedict, Jeff Smith, Peg Marone, Fred Francis

Owners of H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home already knew they were committed to the business and taking care of customers, and being named as a Selected Independent Funeral Homes member has solidified their belief that “we don’t just talk the talk; we walk the walk,” co-owner Steven Johnson says.

While the honor may seem to place a narrow focus on the world of morticians and their industry, this is something that lets all prospective customers know who they can trust, Johnson said.

“I think why it's important to them is that our invitation to join Selected and Independent, and it truly is by invitation only sort of association, our membership can give the community that we serve, the families that we serve, the confidence that we are truly a cut above your average everyday run-of-the-mill funeral home,” Johnson said during an interview with The Batavian Friday. “We had to submit ourselves to background checks to be considered for applicant or for membership. So they did a background check on us, plus on our business, and only firms that are known and proven to be reputable are invited to join. And I think that that is something that the community certainly should appreciate, given what has happened in this community in the past.”

Selected Independent Funeral Homes was founded in 1917 as the world’s oldest and largest association of independently owned funeral homes. It has 399 members across the country and 474 members internationally. All members are expected to operate according to specific standards and best practices to provide the public with reliable, high-quality funeral services and funeral-related information.

The Batavian asked Johnson and fellow owners Justin Calarco-Smith and Joshua Smith why the general public would care about this achievement, and all three pointed to the importance of being acknowledged for not only being successful in the industry but also for the role that Turner plays in its own backyard.

“In a world where a lot of family-run independent businesses, not even funeral homes, are being swallowed up by conglomerates and by people that don't really have any stake in the communities that they serve, I think it makes a difference for the public to know that it's still Steve, Joshua and Justin, no matter what number of rooftops that we own, it's still the three of us that own and operate this business on a daily basis, and we are the ones who decide how much money and where to divide all the money, you know, putting money back into the communities and into different organizations,” Calarco-Smith said. “You know, it doesn't go into somebody's pocket in Texas or Florida or California. Everything that we make stays sort of locally. And we do, we give a substantial amount of money back to our communities.”

As a local business, Turner constantly gets asked for contributions to nonprofits, and the typical response has been yes, whether it’s Genesee Cancer Assistance or Crossroads House or Gateway Home or others, Johnson said. That may not be the direct reason for this privilege of being named to Selected Independent; however, he said there is a strong connection between this newly named member and the community. 

“Just like Justin said, we're not just taking people's money and then sending all of it to Houston, wherever, and so that's important because we're independent, and Justin, Josh and I are the owners, we do have a vested interest in our community, and so we want the community to trust us, which is also another reason why this is important,” Johnson said. 

So what does this achievement actually mean? Turner was thoroughly reviewed for a background check of its business records, social media and online presence, and family satisfaction ratings, Johnson said. Every one of those 474 members gave a vote of yes to make the company a member of Selected Independent, and one vote would have hampered it from doing so. Membership is by invitation only and extended only after that review of character, service, performance and the facilities pass professional muster. 

In turn, part of this membership means that Turner has taken a vow to abide by a Code of Good Practice, which is a set of principles for funeral homes to be transparent about pricing, functions, services, and responsibilities; to provide charges in writing and make no additions without prior approval of the customer; be fair and accurate, respect all faiths, creeds and customs; maintain qualified and competent staff, complete facilities and suitable equipment required for a comprehensive funeral service; be responsive to the needs of the financially strained; comply with federal trade regulations; and, perhaps most importantly, pledge to conduct themselves “in such a manner as to deserve the public trust.”

Selected Independent Executive Director and CEO Robert Paterkiewicz welcomed Turner to the association, emphasizing that affiliation with this membership is an honor “because of the high standards of funeral service required to receive an invitation to become a member.”

“As independently owned and operated firms, our members are truly in their communities,” he said. “H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home, like all our members, takes seriously their responsibility and dedication to providing the best possible funeral service to their friends and neighbors.”

Since he learned about this membership last month, Calarco-Smith has felt validated as a professional in a time-honored, long-running family business that his father, the late Jim Smith, proudly worked in and earned a similar membership for, he said.

“For me personally, is the solidification of knowing that we are still doing the right things and taking the right steps. Our dad was a member of the same organization. It had a different moniker back in the early 90s, and it was important to him because it garnered a lot of the ideas we still implement today, almost. You know, 30 years after his initial call into membership, I'd like to think that whatever we can gain from the group, we can in ways, give back to our public,” he said. “As far as helping our public out more, helping our families out more, offering more. You know, if there's different ways that we can continue to help our community and our families, that's why this is very important to me.

“At the end of the day, this is what it’s all about; it’s all about family and community,” he said. “And this community, if you will, of the group that we just were elected into, that’s a sense of community there, and if we can take what we garner and learn therefrom that community and give it back to the people that we see on a daily basis, only good or positive can come from that.”

Johnson added that meetings are not just about paying dues and showing up for attendance, but about involvement in active discussions and brainstorming for future use. 

“I walked away from here with 30 different ideas of ways that we could better serve our community. Now, are we going to do all of them? No, but it’s an open, free-sharing, honest conversation amongst peers who specifically are not competitors. And so, back when it was National Selected Morticians, Jim (Smith’s) study group is what gave us the idea for our annual service of prayer and remembrance. And so now I hope that the study group that I was fortunate to be asked to join while I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago will feed something else that really will continue to put us apart so that we can better serve the community.”

Johnson believes that offshoots from that study group will eventually be implemented here to further benefit and strengthen the grieving process and serve the needs of families and individuals. 

All three owners are humbled and honored for the designation, they said. Joshua Smith added that “it shows that the time and effort that we put in, we know it here and we see it here from everybody.”

“It's nice to see that it's recognized by others who have the same approach and the same ideas as far as what, why you're doing, what you do, why you spend time to get to develop relationships with the people that you meet,” Smith said. “We always try and we do the best, but having others recognize that from miles and miles away is a real honor.”

Press Release:

The Court Street entrance to County Building One, which provides access to multiple county departments, including the Genesee County Department of Motor Vehicles, will be closed to all pedestrian traffic, including employees and deliveries, on Wednesday, October 30, due to scheduled maintenance. 

This closure is necessary to ensure the safety of all visitors, staff, and maintenance personnel.

During the closure, please use the alternative entrances on Main Street (Clerk’s Office entrance) and Ellicott Street (Courtyard entrance). Signage will be placed externally and internally to direct all foot traffic to these entry points.

The entrance will reopen once maintenance is complete. If you have appointments scheduled for October 30 with any department in County Building One, we encourage you to contact them in advance to confirm your access route. Thank you for your cooperation.

Press Release:

Senator George Borrello will partner with VA Western New York Healthcare System and VFW Post #1602 in Batavia to host a Veteran Outreach and Enrollment Event on Thursday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Senator Borrello underscored the importance of our Veterans to gain access to all the benefits they’ve earned through their service.

“Our veterans have given more to our country than we could ever repay. In return for their dedicated and selfless military service, our federal and state governments will continue to partner and provide information on access to VA healthcare and monetary compensation to our veterans and their families. Representatives from the VA will be available to answer questions about VA healthcare options and related issues for compensation. This event will be a great resource and one that highly I encourage area veterans and their families to attend and utilize,” said Senator Borrello.

Senator Borrello also noted that the federal PACT or “Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics” Act, which took effect in August of 2022, has eliminated previous phased-in timelines for VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. VA representatives will answer questions on this new change.

The outreach event will take place at the Veness-Strollo VFW Post #1602, located at 25 Edwards Street, Batavia. The event is free and registration is not required.

UMMC and the Cancer Services Program of Genesee & Orleans hosted their annual Pink Hatters Night Out at Batavia Downs on Thursday.

The event supports those battling cancer, admires survivors and honors those who have passed.  

Photos by Howard Owens. (Apologies if we didn't use a picture we took of you -- many good pictures were lost because of photographer error.)

Press Release:

Starting the week of October 28, the Batavia City School District, in partnership with a certified arborist, will begin needed work on the beloved and historic willow tree on the front lawn of Batavia High School (260 State St. Batavia).

According to the arborist, while the tree appears healthy, several dead branches are adding too much weight to the trunks. Without this work, we run the risk of a strong storm irreparably damaging the tree.

Our goal is to proactively maintain the tree and preserve it for generations of Batavia High School students and staff to come.

Work on the tree should only last a few days and will not impact school arrivals or dismissals.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is proud to announce the winners of our 10th Annual Fire Prevention Coloring Contest. With over 400 entries from Batavia Schools, this contest was very difficult to judge.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Grade K-1:

First Place- Isabelle Herdlien - 1st Grade Jackson Elementary, Miss Wahr

Second Place- Massiah Ayala - Kindergarten St. Josephs Regional School, Mrs. Case

Third Place - Ada McCracken - 1st Grade Jackson Primary, Mrs. Harloff

Grades 2-3:

First Place- Amara-Lee Thomas - 3rd Grade John Kennedy, Mr. Coke

Second Place- Cecilia Dejaneiro - 2nd Grade John Kennedy School- Ms. Wirth

Third Place- Payton Ford - 3rd Grade St. Joseph's School- Ms. Dumuhosky

Grades 4-5:

First Place- Josie Varland - 4th Grade St Paul Lutheran School, Ms. Austin

Second Place- Maiya Holman - 5th Grade Batavia Middle School, Mrs. Penepent

Third Place - Blessing Brobey - 5th Grade Batavia Middle School, Mrs. Consagra

An awards luncheon will be held Saturday, October 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the City of Batavia Fire Station located at 18 Evans St. for all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The 1st place winner of each group will receive a ride to school on a City of Batavia Fire Engine. Congratulations to all the winners!

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Shortly after the board of directors for the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. approved Steve Casey as the first chief of staff at Batavia Downs on Thursday, his new boss, Byron Brown, reiterated that he had no involvement with Casey getting a job in marketing before Brown was named the new president and CEO of the corporation.

"I did not know he applied for a gaming license," Brown told a gaggle of reporters after Thursday's board meeting. "I did not know he was hired at Batavia Downs prior to me applying for the position.”

Casey's new position was created by an executive reorganization based on recommendations from consultants at True North. The board on Thursday approved a payment of $30,000 to True North for their consulting work.

Based on those recommendations, the board created a new executive organization with the following job titles:

• Chief Executive Officer 
• Chief Administrative Officer/Chief of Staff 
• Chief Operating Officer
• Chief Financial Officer
• Vice-President of Operations
• Vice-President of Business Development
• Vice-President of Human Resources
• Executive Office Manager
• Director of Communications
• Executive Business Administrator

The board eliminated the following job titles:

• Director of Marketing
• Director of Human Resources
• Executive Chef

In addition to Brown as CEO and Casey as Chief of Staff, Ryan Hasenaurer was promoted from marketing director to vice president of business development. Danielle 
Fleming was named VP of Human Resources. Michael J. DeGeorge, who handled communications in the office of Mayor Byron Brown, was named director of communications at a salary of $130,000.

Brown said that based on the reorganization plan, he recommended Casey and DeGeorge for their new positions, which the board approved. Erie County's representative on the board, Timothy Callan, voted against the reorganization measures.

A number of media outlets have mistakenly reported that Brown hired Casey. On Wednesday, outgoing CEO Henry Wojtaszek told The Batavian he hired Casey not long after Casey first contacted him about a job back in May, months before there was an announced plan to replace Wojtaszek. Wojtaszek told Casey he would need to get a gaming license, which he did. Casey started working in marketing at Batavia Downs before the board hired Brown to replace Wojtaszek.

In an exclusive interview with The Batavian on Thursday, Casey confirmed that series of events with some additional details.

At 58, Casey said he started thinking about his retirement and that perhaps he should try to get back into the state's retirement system. While he's never been close with Wojtaszek, he's known him cordially for years, so in May, he decided to give Wojtaszek a call.

Casey said, "I'm thinking, 'Okay, it might be time to get back in. Where would I like to do that?' I think you saw a bit of chaos in Erie County. So I'm thinking, 'Where would a good spot be to go?' I knew Henry. We weren't close, but Henry and I, over the years, crossed paths, and I know him pretty well, so I reached out to Henry. 'Hey, any openings? I'd like to get back in the pension system.'"

Getting a gaming license normally takes weeks. Casey's was approved in about a week. Casey wasn't ready to start that soon so he didn't start working at the casino until September.

One of the issues Erie County reporters have raised regarding Casey is a wire fraud conviction against his former consulting company, LSS Strategies, in 2021. That came after a five-year FBI investigation that resulted in a $69 fine. 

"That application was the most comprehensive document I've ever seen," Casey said. "I literally sat with my attorney, and together, we went through it, answering all the questions, disclosed everything we possibly could so they could then make a decision. And fortunately, they came back and said, there's nothing there.”

Casey said the Gaming Commission was "100% fully informed."

"The most important factor was Steve Casey, as an individual, I don't have a point on my driver's license. I don't have a misdemeanor. I don't have a felony. There's nothing against me as an individual,” he said.

Casey said he didn't learn that Brown was a potential candidate for the job until August or September.

"I've kept in touch with the mayor over the years since I left city government, but when I first came here, it was not based on whether the mayor would come here," Casey said. "He was still in the middle of his budget stuff in May. You're looking at April, May, June. So, my coming here solely had to do with me looking at opportunities for my pension and getting back into government."

Casey is excited, he said, to take on his new role at the OTB and is already impressed by the quality of the people he will be working with.

"I can tell you, I started at the bottom level here," Casey said. "I was seeing everybody on the floor, talking to all the employees here. They didn't know who I was. They didn't know my background. Extremely professional, incredible staff, very talented. 

I'll tell you one specific example," Casey added. "The CFO here. I've worked in Albany, in Albany for nine years and in government for 24 years. I've seen some of the best budget directors you've ever seen, from the speaker's budget director to the governor's budget director. Jackie Leach is by far one of the single most talented CFOs I've ever seen. She knows everything about this place, the institutional knowledge, and her ability to do what she does here. I mean, it's a top-notch staff, and I'm looking forward to working with such a talented staff."

Previously: Information provided by OTB leaders contradicts widely reported accounts of staff hiring at Batavia Downs

Press Release:

WHAT: In honor of Veterans Day, Batavia High School will host its annual ceremony celebrating local veterans and their service to our country.

Batavia High School would like to invite any local veterans to participate and be honored during the ceremony.

The ceremony will include special musical performances, recognition of our veterans in attendance, and guest speakers to commemorate the event.

WHERE: Batavia High School Auditorium

WHEN: Thursday, November 14 from 8 - 9 a.m., with a short reception immediately following.

CONTACT:  If you are interested in participating in the event, please call Batavia High School at 585-343-2480, ext. 2000.

Press Release:

HomeCare & Hospice Foundation is preparing for their 29th Annual Tree of Life ornament sales and ceremonies.

Every year during the holiday season, HomeCare & Hospice Foundation and the communities they serve, come together to honor and remember lost loved ones. 

“We look forward to bringing the communities we serve together,” said Melissa Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer at HomeCare & Hospice in Allegany. “We want those who have lost loved ones to feel support during the holidays – we encourage anyone to attend one of our ceremonies regardless if they have an ornament or if their loved one was on our services.”

Ceremonies will be held in Allegany on Thursday, November 14 starting at 5:30 p.m. at the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, located at 115 E. Main St., and on Wednesday, December 4 starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Library in Batavia, located at 19 Ross St. Batavia.

To purchase an ornament or for more information, please visit https://2024treeoflife.givesmart.com or contact Sarah Negron at 716-372-2106.

Press Release:

The Board of Elections will be open this Saturday, October 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accept registration forms.

This is the last day to register to vote in the November election. The office will also be able to assist with absentee requests. Please use the west facing door.

Early Voting begins this Saturday. There will be 9 days of early voting at the ARC Community Center, 38 Woodrow Rd., Batavia. Schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, October 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, October 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, October 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 29 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 30 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, October 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, November 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, November 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.