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City Council members push back at budget criticism, defend decisions

By Joanne Beck
Rob Houseknecht
City of Batavia resident Rob Houseknecht questions and critiques the proposed 2024-25 budget during Monday's City Council business meeting at City Hall. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

One thing that city resident Rob Houseknecht — who has raised several issues regarding the proposed 2025 budget  — cannot complain about is that his criticism was not heard Monday evening at City Hall.

Houseknecht took to the podium for the several minutes that he was allowed, and questioned city police staffing, the proposed two-cent tax rate increase, an implied safety level on city streets, and what he and apparently others felt was a bloated budget.

“You probably know that we had a meeting at the Holland Land Office on Saturday, a number of city residents showed up, and, a lot of comments were there that not everybody's happy with what you guys are doing here,” he said during City Council’s business meeting. “I'm not in favor of any tax increase, I don't care whether it's small or not. We're getting hit around from every branch of government, federal state, county city. Why, and we keep putting more people on. They want to hire more officers, like to the tune of five, for 80-something-thousand a year. If I remember correctly, the city manager said city streets are safe: you can walk Main Street at any time of day or night, you can walk the side streets, you can walk on the south side of the street, you can walk all over it.

“Well, I'm wondering if the city manager’s actually walked at night. I have, and I felt very uncomfortable. Just walking down the main street in the summertime, not a good feeling for me. And so my point is, if the streets are so safe, why do we need five more officers?” he said.  “I don't know. I just don't see it. Like I said, every time you hire somebody, it is affecting our tax base. I would think that you guys would work hard for the city residents to not have tax increases and keep things as cheap for people as you can.”

Houseknecht questioned the need for an extra position to handle freedom of information requests at the police station, and the five additional patrol officers — a recommendation that came from a state criminal justice study and is not in this proposed budget — and suggested using the grant writer to perform some of those police clerical duties. 

He was surprised to learn that the city population has grown by more than the 100 people he initially thought. Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said that the total has grown by more than 1,000, though the total population in the city’s budget materials cites a growth of 135, for a total of 15,600 according to the April 2020 census.  

The point was that the city’s budget is providing services for a larger number of citizens, and Houseknecht then wanted to know if council members have looked at “who these people are and what they do?” Are these additional residents “people that are holding jobs here in the city of Batavia,” he said.

“Are they people that are here for our handouts of welfare and things like this, and where are they going? Isn’t that an important factor?” he said. “It is to me. There is just so much here that I could talk for probably all night … I just don’t support the tax increase, and I think you should take a look at the budget and trim it down. See where you can double up people, see where you can make things work without hiring more people.”

He also mentioned that he saw a Batavia City Police car in Akron and wondered what it was doing there. That vehicle belongs to a school resource officer who lives in Akron and drives it to work in Batavia and back home, where he parks it, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said. The city school district pays for SRO salaries, and the police department budget provides for the vehicles, which are part of the contract, she said. 

The topic of city vehicles being taken home by department heads also came up, and Tabelski said there are 13 instances of people taking vehicles home, and not all of them are outside of the city as claimed. They are part of contractual negotiations and include the K-9 vehicle, Bureau of Maintenance, public works, water and wastewater superintendents, snow and emergency management positions, fire, police, and department heads, and detectives.

Jankowski said that the city is also considering the purchase of used vehicles when possible to reduce the expense. Council recently discussed the possibility with Public Works Director Brett Frank during a budget session.

“That’s what we’re looking into,” Frank said. “We budgeted for replacement of three vehicles that are new replacements. But if we can find something through that program, we absolutely have no problem with that.”

As for city streets being safe, Tabelski clarified that she wants all city streets to be a safe place for residents to walk at any time, and that is what the police department is aiming for with its Neighborhood Enforcement Team, surveillance cameras, and other ramped up law enforcement strategies. Here is what she was quoted as saying in a Jan. 23 article on The Batavian from a Jan. 22 budget session:

“I think it's always good to think about our mission, why we're here for the residents of our city, what we want the city to be. I want the city to be a safe place, a family-friendly place where I'm comfortable walking down the streets with my kids, any hour, night and day.”

Councilman Paul Viele pointed out that Tabelski “did a great job” with the budget, and that people want to complain even though they also “want a police officer when they need it, and they want the fire department when they need it.”

“But people should really be bitching about school taxes because that’s a joke,” Viele said. “The city’s taxes count little, the school’s huge. So I think our manager did a great job, and no one complains about the school taxes, and that’s the worst one.”

Fellow councilman Rich Richmond said that he and Councilman Bob Bialkowski both sat on the city’s Audit Committee and learned about all of the ins and outs of city finances, such as how water treatment plant chemicals increased close to 112 percent, he said. The city’s grant writer, a position that gets “bashed” for being indulgent spending, pays for itself by obtaining grants for projects, he said. 

He then posed the dubious question: what do you want to cut? Should we cut at the fire department, the sewage treatment plant, the water department, any and all of them?

“Those cuts are fine and good until you need that. Well, let's talk about vehicles, for example, some have a problem with certain people in management, the fire chief, the police chief, taking the vehicle home. If there's an emergency in the city, should they drive in, in their own car, and park it someplace to respond to a hostage situation or a bad fire?” he said. “I’ll say it again, I was on the audit committee. And my colleague, Bob Bialkowski was on the audit committee. Nothing was brought up, everything was fine. As a matter of fact, we both praised the city workers for coming up with the bare-bones budget. And I applaud all the people in this city for the hard work that they're doing.”

Council set a budget public hearing for 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at City Hall. The budget remains at about $37 million with a tax levy of $6.7 million and a two-cent increase per $1,000 property assessment. That would mean a $2 increase per year on a home assessed at $100,000 and a proposed tax rate of $8.96 per $1,000 property assessment. There is also an increase of 19 cents per 1,000 gallons of water, plus water meter and capital improvement increases, for an estimated total of $47.20 more per year for a household of four people. 

Rich Richmond
City Councilman-at-Large Rich Richmond
Photo by Joanne Beck
Paul Viele
City Councilman, Ward 1, Paul Viele
Photo by Joanne Beck
John Roach
John Roach has become a fixture of City Council meetings, often attending and occasionally speaking up to share his concerns and ask questions. During council's business meeting Monday evening, Roach did both.  “Nobody wants to pay a penny more in taxes. And nobody wants to pay taxes whatsoever. We all want stuff but nobody wants to pay for it. And I don't want to pay for anything, but I want something. So I have realized the budget is as lean as it's going to get," the city resident said.  "Two council members have said they're going to vote against the budget. I would ask that maybe during the response time, that they tell us what they would cut to get the tax rate flat. I have yet to hear, you know, like a half a parking lot, which isn't going to affect the budget. What will you cut, or recommend, between now and next week, that would reduce it to flat."He was referring to members Bob Bialkowski and Tammy Schmidt, both of whom have said they do not want a tax increase. Bialkowski proposed slicing half of the cost of a parking lot project to remove $110,000 -- the increase of the tax levy -- however, that parking lot money is coming from reserves and would therefore not affect the bottom line of the budget and levy, Tabelski said at that time.
Photo By Joanne Beck

Long Train Runnin, Proven Desire win big at Batavia Downs

By Tim Bojarski
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Photo of Long Train Runnin courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.

The fourth and final leg of the Western New York Trasckmaster Series for pacers was held at Batavia Downs on Monday afternoon (Feb. 12) and after the dust had settled, both Long Train Runnin and Proven Desire will enter the Trackmaster 79 division finals unbeaten.  

In his $9,000 division, Long Train Runnin (Dave McNeight III) led the field off the gate but yielded the top to Dogfight (Kevin Cummings) at the 27.4 quarter. However that change was short-lived as McNeight sent the Train back down the tracks immediately to regain the lead. Now firmly back in control, Long Train Runnin backed off the half to 58 and met no opposition in doing so. With the group still in single file, the leader marched to three-quarters in 1:26.4 with only a mild bid from Huntsville Place (Kyle Swift) at that station. Long Train Runnin rounded the last bend and paced into the lane with a 1-½ length lead while the pocket-sitting Dogfight tried to make up ground. But Long Train Runnin made it to the station first and on time in 1:55.3.

It was the fourth straight win for Long Train Runnin ($3.40) who is owned by Paige Usiak and William Emmons. Jim Clouser Jr. trains the winner.

Clouser and Emmons are also the connections of Proven Desire, who won his $9,000 division and extended his winning streak to three.

John Cummings Jr. flew to the front with Proven Desire and opened up a two-length advantage in 28.2. While P L Notorious (Kevin Cummings) tracked from second, Proven Desire took his gapped advantage to the half in 58 and three-quarters in 1:27. As they entered the last turn, Cummings threw the lines at the leader and Proven Desire took off. He opened up 1-½ lengths at the top of the stretch and extended that lead to two as he cruised to the line in 1:55.4.

Proven Desire returned $3.20.

Clouser and Emmons also won with Lanas Desire (1:56.1, $2.50) in another $9,000 division giving that connection a hat trick for the second week in a row as they advanced all three of their horses to the final.

The 10-year-old pacer Sir Pugsley hit a career milestone in the 12th race after going gate to wire in 1:56.2. It was the 40th career win for the son of American Ideal and Q and A who has now bankrolled $453,798 as a result of his success. Taylor Fritz both owns and trains Sir Pugsley.

Driver Dave McNeight III scored a natural hat trick in races seven, eight and nine and his win total was matched by Kevin Cummings, who was also victorious in three races on Monday. Trainer Sam Smith matched Jim Clouser Jr.’s three win total as well, to finish as co-conditioning leader for the afternoon.

The WNY Trackmaster Series pacing finals will be held next Monday afternoon (Feb. 19) at 3 p.m. The TM79 division will have a $20,000 final and two consolations worth $10,500 and $9,000. The TM75 division will have a $17,000 final and two consolations worth $8,500 and $7,500. And the TM71 group features a $14,000 final and two consolations worth $7,500 and $6,500. The top eight money earners in each group make the final and the second consolation must realize seven entries to be a go.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Thursday (Feb. 15) at 3 p.m. and that card will feature the fourth and final round of the Western New York Trackmaster Series for trotters. Also there will be a $2,273 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta in the 13th race.

Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.

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Photo of Proven Desire courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.


 

HLOM presents 'Spirits and Suspects, a Roaring 20’s Murder Mystery'

By Press Release

Press Release:

Join the Holland Land Office Museum for another Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre. The event will be on Saturday, March 23rd from 6-8 pm at the Batavia Country Club, located at 7909 Byron Rd. in Batavia. Enjoy a great meal from The Lodge at the Country Club and a wonderful show by WNY Improv. 

The mystery is "Spirits and Suspects, a Roaring 20’s Murder Mystery." Prohibition may be in full swing but for the Kingpin of Genesee County, the booze business is booming! What could possibly go wrong? Put your glad rags on and join the fun as mobsters, molls, and even a medium, face the eclipse... 

Tickets are $75 per person. There is a choice of three entrée options including stuffed chicken with beef, crab-stuffed fish, or pasta primavera. Please make your choice when you purchase your ticket. Your ticket includes your meal and dessert. A cash bar will be available. Links to buy tickets online are available at the museum’s website www.hollandlandoffice.com.

Hawley visits Jackson Primary students for his annual Valentines for Veterans program

By Press Release
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Submitted photo of Assemblyman Steve Hawley with students at Jackson Primary.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) hosted his annual Valentines for Veterans program. Hawley teamed up with Jackson Primary and Robert Morris School to deliver over 150 handmade valentines from students to the residents at The New York State Veterans Home at Batavia. 

During this time, Hawley spoke to students about the importance of veterans and their service to our nation. Hawley hopes this event will raise awareness of veterans' issues and show the community’s appreciation for their service and sacrifice for our country.

“As a veteran myself, I understand the sacrifices our veterans have made to keep our country free,” said Hawley. “This is why every year I put on our Valentines for Veterans program to get our community involved in supporting our veterans. I’m thankful to the faculty and students at Jackson Primary and Robert Morris School for partnering with us this year and I hope to continue to put this event on for years to come.”

HLOM History: the Flying Allens -- Batavia’s family of daredevils

By Ryan Duffy
Flying Allens of Batavia

Edwin Allen and his family were known across the United States as the “Flying Allens” and became some of the foremost aerial balloon daredevils throughout the first half of the 20th century. The Allens made their home in Batavia and always came back to Genesee County no matter how far-flung their escapades took them. 

Four generations of the Allen family rode in balloons dating all the way back to the Civil War. 

While Edwin Allen was the patriarch of the most prolific branch of the “Flying Allens,” the first balloonist was his grandfather, James, who was a balloon observer for the Union Army. All three of his sons became aerial exhibitionists in and around Dansville. Comfort Allen, Edwin’s father, made jumps with his older son Warren, also known as “Speck,” or alone. 

Ed and his twin brother Edgar, Red, continued the family tradition beginning when they were only 11 years old. They would ride up in a hot air balloon and then glide down on a parachute while holding onto a crossbar. Their first jump occurred in Lockport. Red’s career would last until 1924, when his balloon burst 200 feet up, and he was injured in the subsequent crash. Ed would continue a solo career until his children were old enough to join the family business. 

Ed Allen moved to Batavia in 1926, living on Vernon Avenue, to begin working for the P.W. Minor Shoe Company, and he married Louise Cromwell in 1934. 

In 1937 he was promoted to foreman, but he retired from the factory the next year to open a service station at 614 East Main St., which he ran until 1950. 

All five of the Allen children would join their father in his ballooning spectacles. Eddie Jr. began jumping at 18, followed by Gloria and Florence. The two eldest daughters were billed as “the World’s Youngest Jumpers” once their careers took off. They marveled at crowds in their white and black outfits as they glided down on their white parachutes.  

They took their act to another level by being shot from a cannon suspended under the basket of a balloon. The Allens traveled to fairs and carnivals all around the country, though always coming back home to make appearances. Their testing ground was located behind their service station on East Main Street. However, things changed in 1949 when New York State outlawed the performances, forcing “The Flying Allens” to work out of state. 

Captain Eddie, as he became known, continued to jump from his balloon until 1965, when he broke his leg during a jump at the age of 70. In 1977, he told reporters that he had made 3,253 jumps in his lifetime. 

Captain Eddie still attended balloon rallies regularly and was honored by several regional groups throughout the 1970s but was always proud of being from Batavia. 

In 1979 and 1980, The Festival Genesee hosted balloonists from across the United States to honor Edwin Allen for his lifetime of achievements.  

The death-defying stunts of the Allen family did not come without their price, as many of the family members suffered serious injuries or worse while performing their feats. Three of the Allen children, Gloria, Joseph, and Arlene, suffered severe injuries and died as a result of accidents involving the performances. Gloria died in 1939 after a very hard landing caused a severe brain injury. Arlene was killed after parachuting into power lines in 1946. Edwin’s nephew, Warren Jr., also was killed during a jump in 1946 when he fell 75 feet from his basket. 

Edwin Allen survived his thrilling career and passed away at his home in 1984. 

Flying Allens of Batavia
Flying Allens of Batavia
Flying Allens of Batavia

Try Hockey for Free program coming to McCarthy Ice Arena Feb. 24

By Press Release
try-hockey-for-free-3.jpg

Press Release:

Genesee Amateur Hockey Association (GAHA) invites children to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street on Saturday, Feb. 24 for a Try Hockey For Free clinic as part of Hockey Week Across America. 

 Starting at 10:40 a.m. to Noon local youth, ages 4 to 9, are encouraged to experience ice hockey for the first time and learn the basic skills in a fun, safe environment.

“We look forward to welcoming families to David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to try our great sport of ice hockey for free,” said Sharon Gray, Event Coordinator. “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces.” 

USA Hockey’s Try Hockey program, with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge.

All your youngster needs is a helmet (bike or sports) and winter gloves. Skates are available at the Rink free of charge (due to the generous offering of the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena). The GAHA organization does have some used hockey helmets available for the event as well as a few hockey sticks.

Players in attendance will be given a free hockey jersey to take home. To register for this Try Hockey For Free event, please visit www.TryHockeyForFree.com (Use zip code 14020).

For more information, please contact Sharon at svgray@rochester.rr.com or 585-344-2248 (Coordinator for Try Hockey For Free).

Submitted photos

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Developer hints at current, possible future involvement with Ellicott Station project

By Joanne Beck
Ellicott Station 2/9/24

When Samuel Savarino said he was closing his Savarino Companies and work halted at the Downtown Batavia Ellicott Station apartment complex in the summer of 2023, it seemed a given that the Buffalo-based developer was done with the project.

However, Savarino recently indicated, in responses to questions from The Batavian, that such a conclusion may have been premature. Work is being performed on the Ellicott Street property by “subcontractors of Savarino Companies LLC,” Savarino said Thursday. 

Contractor vehicles could clearly be seen at the site throughout the past several days, along with crews that apparently installed exterior siding and completed other construction tasks. 

The work is to both button up the property’s exterior to protect it from the wintry elements, and to further proceed with project construction, Savarino said.

He made an abrupt announcement in August 2023 that his company would be closing after a sticky financial situation involving the state Dormitory Authority and claims that not being paid for completed work created what Savarino said at the time was enough of a financial constraint, compounded by pandemic shutdowns, to keep some of his other projects afloat. 

After he backed off from Ellicott Station, city, county and state officials weighed in on the situation, proffering optimism that another developer would eventually step in and continue on. 

When asked if he had walked away completely from the project and if there was any possibility that he would work with another developer here, Savarino simply replied “No and Yes” to those two questions in that order. He did not wish to speak by phone and offered to answer questions by email. 

Savarino said that he’s been in communication with the city, Genesee County Economic Development Center, and the state Office of Homes and Community Renewal, with no elaboration or specifics as to when. City Manager Rachael Tabelski said on Thursday that she has “not had any communication on Ellicott Station from Savarino or the state.”

Savarino declined to answer further questions about the liens filed against his company by a handful of contractors that had already invested labor and materials into the project or whether he had any plans to file any type of financial protection, namely bankruptcy. 

When asked if he had any hindsight about what happened with the Ellicott project and if issues were about more than the Dormitory Authority, he did not reply. 

The project at 50-56 Ellicott St. became embroiled in a wrangle with city and county officials about how an initial market rate-turned-affordable workforce housing apartment complex became an unwelcome low to very low-income housing complex. 

Savarino qualified for state housing tax credits with a low-income strategy, but city and county leaders wanted to see the project accommodate higher salaried tenants to bring in more wealth and bump up the local economy and spending for what was being touted as “a pathway to prosperity.”

Much of it fell apart when GCEDC gained access to tenant demographics and discovered that Savarino was using a lottery method to select tenants and that income levels were much lower than anticipated. However, Savarino had also missed two October 2023 payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) installments of $25,312.26 for Ellicott Station and $11,743.90 for the adjacent property that was to be a brewery/restaurant, according to documents provided to The Batavian.

By the time that letter from Harris Beach was sent to Ellicott Station LLC on Jan. 3, 2024, GCEDC was demanding immediate payment of $833,021.26 as part of “its right to capture agency benefits,” plus late payments and interest.

The recapture schedule includes $23,868.23 for a PILOT payment, $637,500 in sales tax exempt savings for 2023, and $170,209 mortgage recording tax exemption savings for 2021, for a total of $831,577.23 in October 2023 for Ellicott Station LLC, plus a PILOT of $10,964.29 for the adjacent Ellicott Street property, $212,500 in sales tax exemption savings in 2023 and $57,274.50 in mortgage recording tax exemption savings in 2021, for a total $280,738.79 in October 2023. 

The Batavian asked Savarino if he is planning to pay the “clawback” request of more than $1.1 million and about his response to the GCEDC. 

“Ellicott Station LLC has responded to the GCEDC. No further comment at this time,” he said. 

In a letter dated Dec. 1, 2023, Savarino contested the agency’s claims of recapture as being “without merit” since Ellicott Station LLC only received notices of default in July and August, and “all of the information request in the July notice, however, was provided by July 31, 2023, as acknowledged in the August notice,” Savarino said. 

He also disputed the discrepancy of income requirements since “numerous emails between you and myself or Oxford Consulting reflect your and other agency officials’ knowledge and agreement that the 55 units of housing would be limited to occupants with income below 60 percent of the area median income.”

“There is simply no basis to contend that the company in any way misled the agency, which is the only claimed cause for termination of the agreements,” he said. “We respectfully request that the agency reconsider the termination of the agreements and revoke its demand for recapture of benefits thereunder.”

A response from GCEDC to Savarino's letter was unavailable prior to publication.

Meanwhile, Steve Hyde, CEO of the economic agency, has given the community a whiff of optimism by stating that he believes the project will end up better in the end. There’s just no telling when and by whom that ending will happen. 

To read all about Ellicott Station, go HERE

Alpine Ski team gets in last evening run before start of sectionals

By Staff Writer
n-radley-g-pietrzykowski-e-bradley
Nolan Radley, Gunner Pietrzykowski, and Ethan Bradley
Submitted photo

Batavia's Alpine Ski Team took to the slopes for its last evening race of the season this week at Swain Resort on Wheel's Run.

Batavia's top finisher in the slalom was Ben Stone in 11th place.

"Hard and slippery conditions tested the skier's fundamentals and how well their skis were sharpened," said Coach Matt Holman.

Sections begin in the coming week.

Lily Wagner
Lily Wagner
Submitted Photo.
ben stone
Ben Stone.
Submitted photo.
a-bestine-l-wagner
Abby Bestine and Lily Wagner
Submitted photo.

 

Batavia Players presents Love Lines this weekend

By Staff Writer
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Stephen Van Valkenburg, in Love Lines at Main St. 56 Theater.
Submitted photo.

Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoon, theater goers can take a special Valentine's moment to explore along with Batavia Players the nuances of love.

The play "Love Lines" was written by Patrick D. Burk, who is also the director of the production, and Vincent M. Gauteri.

The production is described as "a celebration of love and how people fall in love currently or in the past; there are special moments from real people and real-life situations."

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and  2 p.m. on Sunday, at the Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia City Centre.

For more information or tickets, visit bataviaplayers.org.

Submitted photos.

amanda-melissa-ellman-taylor
Amanda Melissa Ellman-Taylor
steve Coburn
Steve Coburn

Convincing winners take co-features at Batavia Downs

By Tim Bojarski
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Photo of City Of Hope courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.

The weekly $15,000 top-class events for both gaits were carded on Thursday afternoon (Feb. 8) at Batavia Downs and the winner of both races claimed their first victory of the year in impressive fashion.

The Open Handicap trot was won by City Of Hope (Kevin Cummngs) who turned a three-wide move into a 1-¼ length victory.

City Of Hope got away fifth as J-s Swanman (Dave McNeight III) took the lead and forced fellow leaver Big Box Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) into the two-hole on the strength of a 28.3 quarter. Positions remained unchanged to the half where Ricky B Sharp (Mike Baumeister) and City Of Hope initiated an outer flow that would eventually initiate two lead changes. First, Ricky B Sharp cleared J-s Swanman before three-quarters and crossed over as City Of Hope dropped into the pocket. These two stayed in line around the last turn and to the top of the stretch where Cummings tipped City Of Hope and trotted right by Ricky B Sharp under a line drive to win in 1:57.2.

A 14-time winner in 2023 who earned $149,382, City Of Hope ($8.10) got his first win of the new year for owners Philip Hale and David Dewhurst, who also trains the winner.

Then in the Open Handicap pace, Umberto (Dave McNeight III) capitalized from a perfect trip to win in a romp.

Umberto eased into the garden spot as Avion Seelster (John Cummings Jr.) flew to the front. After getting to the half in :57.1 with no challenges, Ideal Artillery (Drew Monti) and Alta Engen A (Kevin Cummings) tried to push the issue heading into the second circuit. However Cummings Jr. hit the gas with Avion Seelster and a :28 flat third quarter squelched those attempts from the rear, leaving only the pocket-sitting Umberto with a legitimate shot. McNeight pulled Umberto in the final turn and rocked him to the lead around the fading leader. Then Umberto opened up a three length margin in deep stretch and was a wrapped-up winner in 1:53.4.

It was the first win of the year for Umberto ($15.80), but also the first win for his new connections, El Dorado Stables, who claimed him two weeks ago for trainer Dave McNeight Jr.

Drivers Mike Baumeister, John Cummings Jr., Kevin Cummings, Dave McNeight III, Jim McNeight Jr. and Jim Morrill Jr. all had two wins apiece while 13 different trainers each won one race on Thursday.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday (Feb. 12) at 3 p.m. and the card will feature the fourth round of the Western New York Trackmaster Series for pacers. There will also be a $1,852 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta in the 14th race.

Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.

umberto-1.jpg
Photo of Umberto courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.

Accident reported on Pearl Street Road, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

One injury is reported on a rollover accident in the area of 4016 Pearl Street Road, Batavia.

Two vehicles are involved.

The person injured is reportedly out of the vehicle.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

The accident is in the area of Treadeasy Avenue.

UPDATE 11:20 a.m.: One vehicle is leaking gas the other is leaking multiple fluids.

UPDATE 11:55 a.m.: Road is reopened. Town assignment back in service.

 

Graham Corporation gross margin expands 660 basis points on sales of $43.8 million in third quarter of fiscal 2024

By Press Release

Press Release:

Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or the “Company”), is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission-critical fluid, power, heat transfer, and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, today reported financial results for its third quarter ended December 31, 2023 (“third quarter fiscal 2024”).  Results include approximately two months of operations from the P3 Technologies, LLC (“P3”) acquisition, which was completed on Nov. 9.  

“Third quarter results were strong and we believe further demonstrated the continued execution of our strategy that is centered on driving quality top-line growth with margin accretive projects in order to improve our future earnings power,” commented Daniel J. Thoren, President and Chief Executive Officer.  “There were several highlights during the quarter, which included improved financial performance with expanded gross and adjusted EBITDA margins1, strong bookings which drove record backlog of nearly $400 million, and a new lower cost, more flexible credit facility.

“Equally noteworthy was the acquisition of P3, a strategic bolt-on business that is already enhancing our turbomachinery solutions and Graham’s margin profile.  Importantly, our strong cash generation during the quarter enabled us to pay off nearly all the debt utilized in acquiring P3.”

Mr. Thoren concluded, “We believe our business is in a much-improved position given the strategic and necessary actions taken over the last few years.  As we look forward, we are confident we can continue to execute our strategy and capitalize on the many opportunities in front of us.  We are also focused on further elevating GHM by driving a collaborative spirit across our brands, leveraging best practices, and progressing employee development in support of our core capabilities.”

City leaders done with budget talks, good with slight tax increase, water increase

By Joanne Beck
Scott Allen, Brett Frank, Tom
City of Batavia's superintendents of Maintenance and Water/Wastewater Scott Allen, left, and Tom Phelps far right, flank Public Works Director Brett Frank during Wednesday's final budget session at City Hall.
Photo by Joanne Beck 

After reviewing the last of the city departments — the water fund’s $6.57 million and wastewater's $4.38 million budgets — City Council was done with the process and ready to move on Wednesday evening.

While some council members were good with all of it and asked for no modifications — Kathy Briggs, Al McGinnis, David Twichell, Paul Viele, Rich Richmond, Eugene Jankowski Jr. — others accepted it for now — “We need to take a hard look at this next year,” Councilman Derek Geib said.

“There are some tough decisions that we all have to make. I’m sure everyone did their due diligence,” Richmond said. “We went line by line. Questions were asked and explained in good detail. Budgets were reasonable and sound. I’m good with it.”

Twichell added that he thought City Manager Rachael Tabelski did “an excellent job” at negotiating union contracts, and she, in turn, thanked the council for its support. “We have top-notch employees,” she said. 

Two standalones — Council members Tammy Schmidt and Bob Bialkowski — wanted to see no tax increases but didn’t see where else to go by extending budget sessions.

Bialkowski reiterated some of his talking points during these last few weeks of budget meetings, namely that he’d like to see a flat tax levy. He proposed cutting $110,000 out of the Bureau of Maintenance budget’s planned parking lot resurfacing project and said that he expects “our employee to be top notch,” commending the public works and maintenance staff for doing great work. 

Tabelski clarified that cutting that money from the BOM budget “just reduces the budget by $110,000” and would not affect the levy since it is coming from reserves. 

“You would have to identify something in the budget,” she said. 

Bialkowski also questioned the use of video lottery terminal money for police radios, which was mentioned during the police budget discussion. He thought VLT money was not going to be spent in this budget due to the uncertainty of that type of revenue coming from Batavia Downs Gaming. 

Tabelski said that council previously approved radio purchases in December using VLT money from 2023; it’s not being used for the 2025 budget, she said.

To recap the budget: 

  • It’s a proposed $37 million total, with a levy of $6.7 million which calls for a two-cent increase per $1,000 assessed property value, or $2 extra for a home assessed at $100,000.
  • It would be a proposed property tax rate of $8.96 per $1,000 assessed value. 
  • The levy is an increase of $110,000 from the current budget, an exact amount of what Bialkowski proposed cutting from the BOM parking lot project; however, again — Tabelski said it would not make a difference to the levy because the paving project is being paid for with reserves.
  • There is also a proposed 19-cent per 1,000 gallons of water increase, or $6.46 per 1,000, along with increases of $2 per quarter for the water meter and $6 per quarter for the capital infrastructure fund. 
  • All tallied, with an estimated $3.80 more per quarter for the water itself, plus the meter and capital fund increases, that would be about $47 more per year for a family of four, Tabelski said. 
  • The total yearly increase is dependent, of course, on how much water a household consumes. There are no increases to the sewer fees.
  • A proposed stormwater tax that was discussed during budget sessions will not be part of the 2024-25 budget. Tabelski said that council members shared that their constituents were not in favor of it, and that they’d like to discuss it more in the future.
  • There are no additional police officers in the budget, per a discussion during the police department portion of council talks. Chief Shawn Heubusch had reviewed a state report that recommended hiring five more patrol officers. 

The next City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall. The group is expected to set a public hearing about the budget for Feb. 26, with a final vote to adopt it on March 11. 

Photo: Workers install siding on Ellicott Station

By Howard B. Owens
ellicott station crew
Photo by Howard Owens

While the pace of work at Ellicott Station has slowed to a crawl since August, when Sam Savarino announced he was closing his development company, there continues to be the occasional contractor on the site doing some work.

On Wednesday, there was a two-man crew putting more siding on the front of the apartment building under construction.

There has yet to be an announcement from local officials or Savarino about the future of the project.  There is reportedly a search underway to find a new contractor to complete the project, which is potentially hampered by a very low-income requirement for renters from the Office of NYS Homes and Community Renewal, but officials have yet to reveal any progress on that front.

For previous coverage of Ellicott Station, click here.

14 local students named to University at Buffalo's fall 2023 dean's list

By Press Release

Press Release:

The University at Buffalo has named 4,017 students to the fall 2023 dean's list.

  • Katarina Luker of Alexander
  • Jake Pope of Alexander
  • Annie Slenker of Alexander
  • Aaron Bacon of Basom
  • Ryan Dillon of Batavia
  • Lydia Evans of Batavia
  • Evan Preston of Batavia
  • Morgan Reimer of Batavia
  • Cameron Carlson of Bergen
  • Richard Denson of Bergen
  • Tyler Sanders of Corfu
  • Jaiden Lefort of Darien Center
  • Cole Heaney of Le Roy
  • John Panepento of Le Roy

UB is New York State's flagship and the largest and most comprehensive institution in the State University of New York system.

"Announcing our dean's list is always an exciting moment," Ann Bisantz, dean of undergraduate education, says. "These students have worked hard and dedicated themselves to their studies and have demonstrated academic excellence in their pursuit of an undergraduate degree at UB."

UB named 4,017 students named to its fall 2023 dean's list.

To qualify for the dean's list, full-time undergraduate students must demonstrate academic excellence by earning a grade point average of at least 3.600 while completing a minimum of 15 or more UB credit hours, of which 12 are graded (A-F) credits. Students are named to the dean's list at the end of the fall and spring semesters.

Oakfield Alabama graduate makes dean's list at SUNY Cobleskill

By Press Release

Press Release:

Kameron Cusmano, of Batavia, has been named to the Dean’s list for his outstanding academic achievement for the 2023 Fall semester.

Students must achieve a semester average of 3.50 or higher to be recognized. 

Kameron, a second-year student at SUNY Cobleskill, is majoring in Agricultural Technology/Business. He is the son of Michael and Karen Cusmano of Batavia.

Batavia PD looking to identify person of interest in thefts

By Howard B. Owens
larceny suspect
Submitted surveillance photo.

Batavia PD is seeking the public's assistance in identifying a person of interest in relation to a theft investigation.

The police did not release details on the alleged crime -- its location or what may have been stolen. The police did not say whether the photo above directly corresponds to the incident under investigation.

Anybody with information that could help police identify the person in the photo are asked to contact Sgt. Christopher Lindsey at 585-345-6365.

The police department also accepts tips through an online form.

Batavia native follows path of mentor, teaching music and leading GSO

By Howard B. Owens
gso feb 2024
Melzie Case, a member of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra and president of the board of directors.
Photo by Howard Owens.

Music has been a big part of Melzie Case's life since she was four years old when she first started piano lessons at Roxy's Music Store.

Along the way, she's had teachers and mentors to guide her, and one of the most important was Roxie Choate, the former president of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, herself a retired teacher, who died in October.

Case, who first served on the GSO board as a high school student, has stepped in to lead the GSO.

"Roxie was a passionate and unabashedly determined leader," Case said. "Under her guidance, I learned how to positively steer the GSO Board and how to be a leader in music ministry. We connected and bonded over music, from appreciating classical music to playing piano and organ duets together, and forged a seemingly unlikely friendship through our love for music in the community. Her influence continues to serve me well on a daily basis."

In addition to working together on the GSO board for a number of years, Choate and Case became well acquainted with one another musically at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church, where Coate was an organist, and Case played piano.

Coate had been a music teacher in Oakfield-Alabama. After graduating from Batavia High School, she earned a degree in music education from Buffalo State University.  The 30-year-old Case is now a music teacher at Batavia Middle School.

Her musical journey has prepared her well for both roles.  Starting with those piano lessons at Roxy's Music, she participated in musical theater as a child, was a member of the chorus in middle school and high school, and along the way, she became a percussionist to go along with singing, playing the piano, and organ. She first joined the GSO as a percussionist while still a teen, and then Choate asked her to be a student rep on the GSO board.  Following a break for college, Case rejoined the orchestra and the board as she wrapped up her education in 2016.

"I like GSO because you meet so many people in the community, people from all ages and backgrounds. That is what really drew me in," Case said. 

The orchestra, she said, is comprised of “local folks, people from surrounding counties, music teachers and people with jobs outside of music.  It’s such a wonderful group of people. We have a wonderful time rehearsing together and putting on concerts together.”

Obviously, Case is passionate about music.  She thinks music helps bring people together.

"Music has a unique way of connecting people like nothing else. Music is healing, exciting, joyful, engaging," Case said. "I see every day the impact that music has on people of all ages and how it is a creative outlet in so many ways. Music is a part of nearly every moment of my day, whether I’m singing, playing, teaching, or listening."

One reason GSO has thrived in recent years is the leadership of music director and conductor S. Shade Zajac, Case said.

“I enjoy working with Shade," Case said. "The whole board does. We appreciate that he comes to board meetings when he can or gets on a call with us and that he brainstorms with us about concerts. We really have a great time working with him. He has a great vision when it comes time to select repertoire. The music he picks pushes us all as musicians, and we feel grateful to have him at the helm.”

As president of the board, Case, of course, has a role in ensuring the GSO continues to build on its success, and she that can happen through collaboration with other arts groups in the community and making connections with young people who are interested in music.

Entertaining programs, such as the one Zajac has programmed for Saturday at GCC, will also help garner growing support for the orchestra.

"The program is a blend of emotions," Case said. "There are some familiar pieces and some new ones that people will enjoy."

One of the new pieces is a composition by Paul McCartney.  Yes, the former Beatle writes more than pop songs.  He has composed a number of classical pieces, including Spiral, which the GSO will perform at the concert.

"I'm a huge Beatles fan, so I'm excited to play one of Paul McCartney's lesser-known works," Case said.

The rest of the program is comprised of pieces by other English composers, as Vaughn-Williams and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

The anchor piece of the program is Elgar's “Enigma Variations.” 

"It's one of my favorite pieces in the entire literature," Zajac told The Batavian at the start of the season. "It's a very special piece. I've conducted only one movement from it (previously). It's a remarkable piece of music. Every note and every bar sounds like English music, which is incredible because you can trace every note to some other composer. You can hear the influences of Beethoven and Bach and Wagner. But somehow, he makes it all sound like English music."

Choate is, as they say in show business, a tough act to follow, Case acknowledged.  She led the board. She often handled concert publicity. She was also the personnel manager.

"Roxie did so much.  We find things all the time we didn’t even know about," Case said. "As a board, we say all the time, 'Oh, Roxie did that, and she did this, and she did that.' She was a huge advocate for GSO and for music education.

The GSO, with what it has achieved and how it can yet grow, will carry on because of a lot of people over the past eight decades, but Choate certainly contributed to GSO's success.

"I have so much pride in GSO," Case said. "We have a professional orchestra right here in Batavia. We can offer to our community that experience. You can go to Buffalo and Rochester and hear those orchestras, or you can stay right here in Batavia and hear a professional orchestra."

The GSO concert on Saturday at GCC begins at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors, and students with an ID can get in for free.

Photos by Howard Owens.

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Batavia resident invites citizens to meet and discuss city budget Saturday

By Joanne Beck
Sammy DiSalvo
November 2023 File Photo of Sammy DiSalvo speaking about his concerns during a City Council meeting at City Hall. 
Photo by Howard Owens

Sammy DiSalvo has been no wallflower when it comes to speaking his mind about city matters, and the Batavia resident wants to be a conduit for anyone with concerns about the current City Council budget before a final vote later this month.

DiSalvo wants to invite any interested city residents to discuss their concerns during a meeting this weekend. It’s at 10 a.m. Saturday at Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St., Batavia.

I reached out to some of my connections that I had around Batavia and then people that I've just known for awhile in Batavia, about what the council is proposing, specifically for the water and stormwater tax. And just general unhappiness about it, and then just about some random other things that have been proposed," DiSalvo said to The Batavian. "And some people want to get together and talk in a more unified way to present something to council, as opposed to a bunch of people just saying unified things that have mixed messages. And some of them have said that they talked to their council members about various aspects of either the water one or just other things proposed in the budget. So it's really going to be kind of an open floor discussion to bring together something in a unified front."

The idea is to have a discussion, gather citizen concerns, and then present those during the next council meeting, which is at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at City Hall. 

DiSalvo has been personally prompted to get involved in the proposed $37 million 2024-25 budget as a new home owner who doesn’t want to see an increase in taxes, whether they be for property, water or a potentially new stormwater tax being proposed by city management.  

The budget as is includes a two-cent property tax increase per $1,000 assessed value and a 19-cent per 1,000 gallons of water increase per household. City Manager Rachael Tabelski has raised the possibility of tacking on

Sammy DiSalvo

 a stormwater tax for every property owner, but no decision or definite amounts have been finalized.

“I don't think, given our city's relatively stable population, and just kind of how the economy is going right now, that taxing people more with a brand new tax that in the future is probably going to be increased, and also adds barriers for homebuyers to have to pay additional taxes when they buy a home, especially as a young homebuyer who just bought a home and knows the huge hurdle that we climb to do it,” he said. “And it's just another barrier. But then in general, in terms of their other stuff they want to do. I'm also concerned about the number of new positions they want to add. I think that they need to be added, but they need to be added over time, not all at once, because it's a huge strain on the budget, essentially.”

As one who has spoken his mind at prior council meetings and run for a council position, DiSalvo has no qualms with sharing his thoughts and opinions with city leaders. 

He believes there may be others wanting to express their varied thoughts as well, and everyone is invited to attend Saturday’s meeting so that perhaps a more “unified front” can be presented at council’s meeting. The meeting should last between 6o to 90 minutes, he said. 

The Batavian asked if DiSalvo had any wanderlust for another run at a council seat, and he had no definitive answer at this time, he said. He is working on his doctorate, and “I don’t really know what is going to come after that,” he said. 

“This is not me trying to do something like that,” he said. “Again, this is me now that I’m a homeowner having different concerns that definitely are at the forefront of my mind. And people, I think, because of my previous runs, probably trust me to be able to speak eloquently about this, and at least moderate Saturday’s conversation.”

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