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LIVE: Interview with Buddy Brasky, Batavia Blue Devils Basketball head coach

By Howard B. Owens
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Interview with Buddy Brasky, Batavia Blue Devils Basketball head coach. We're going to talk about the boys' basketball team as the Blue Devils head into the postseason with an untarnished record of 12-0.

Genesee Ice Devils hockey team finishes their season with a bright future

By Steve Ognibene

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The Genesee Ice Devils completed their Section V hockey season over the weekend with a pair of tough losses -- 2-1 on Saturday against Geneseo and 3-2 on Sunday against Aquinas.

Jameson Motyka scored the team’s goal against Geneseo while Andrew Kasmarek and Brady Johnson scored against Aquinas. Goaltender Ian Kemp made 30 saves in the finale.

The team finished with one win in 10 outings, but Coach John Kirkwood said the record doesn't reflect the progress made this season.

"This has been the one of the hardest working and most disciplined hockey teams I have coached as a head coach," Kirkwood said. "We went from the most penalized team in our division last year to the least penalized team in all of Section V. That is a big deal!

"Our team was composed much of the season and that allowed us to stay in games to the very end. That was a priority this season and the athletes honored it. We had no major penalties and we had no misconducts either. We are a very young team and graduated five seniors of who will be missed.

"The majority of our goal scoring came from our eighth-graders. These kids are skilled and as they grow and gain experience, they will be very, very good hockey players. Our senior goalie Ian Kemp will have a very good shot of being First Team All-county this year. He and Vaughn Letta are very good. Ian kept us in games. He was outstanding.

"We all were very thankful to have had a season. We had a minor COVID setback, but we took our quarantine seriously after returning we pushed Spencerport and Irondequoit right to the brink. From that point on we played really well and we’re in every game.

"I am very excited about GID’s future. We have a really talented group of kids. They love the games and they all got a lot of experience this season. I would like to give a shout out to seniors and our captains -- these guys did a fantastic job stabilizing this program and helping us move in the right direction. Our guys have character and perserverance, that’s what matters most to me!"

To view Saturday’s game photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

OPEC's cut in production, pandemic recovery seen as pushing gas to $3 a gallon

By Howard B. Owens

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.77, up 5 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.39. The New York State average is $2.83 – up 5 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.57.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

  • Batavia -- $2.76 (up 4 cents since last week)
  • Buffalo -- $2.77 (up 4 cents since last week)
  • Ithaca -- $2.80 (up 3 cents since last week)
  • Rochester -- $2.81 (up 5 cents since last week)
  • Rome -- $2.84 (up 4 cents since last week)
  • Syracuse -- $2.80 (up 5 cents since last week)
  • Watertown -- $2.86 (up 6 cents since last week)

Rising crude prices, tightening gas supplies, and increased gas demand have contributed to drivers seeing higher prices at the pump. According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gas stocks decreased as demand is on the rise.

If these trends continue alongside higher crude prices, drivers can expect incremental price increases — of at least nickel — at their local gas stations in March. At the same time, motorists have yet to see any relief from gas price spikes following outages at Gulf Coast refineries.

Crude prices continue to push closer to $70 per barrel – they were in negative territory, under $0 per barrel, in April 2020. Last week, crude prices increased after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided with its allies, including Russia, to maintain existing crude production cuts through April. Additionally, Saudi Arabia — a member of OPEC — agreed to extend its voluntary production cut. Rising oil prices have a direct impact on pump prices.

From GasBuddy:

"OPEC surprised oil markets last week by extending oil production cuts for another month, ignoring the resurgence in global demand as economies recover from COVID-19," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "Markets responded by pushing oil prices up some 12 percent.

"As a result, motorists should prepare for further gas price increases in the weeks and potentially months ahead, with a $3 per gallon national average potentially less than a month away. At the start of this year, it was somewhat outlandish to predict a $3 per gallon national average for the summer driving season, but thanks to the speed of recovery from the pandemic pushing demand higher and OPEC's reluctance to raise oil production, we're on the cusp of making that a reality.

"It's extremely frustrating as a consumer to feel helpless as prices soar and as millions remain unemployed, so the only advice I can offer consumers is prepare for further increases, and to mitigate rising prices, shop around for the low prices every time you need to refuel. I'm hopeful OPEC will see the error in their ways at next month's meeting, but with demand exceeding supply, the longer the imbalance continues, the longer it will take for any rise in oil production to offset it."

Cuomo to allow restaurants to open at 75 percent capacity starting March 19

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that restaurants outside of New York City, which have been operating at 50-percent capacity, can now move to 75-percent capacity starting March 19. The data has shown that restaurants can operate safely and in accordance with strict health protocols at 75-percent capacity. New York City restaurant capacity will remain at 35-percent capacity. 

"Our fight in the war against COVID-19 continues, but we are encouraged by the decrease in infection and hospitalization rates and the rise in vaccinations," Governor Cuomo said. "As we expand our vaccine distribution and celebrate the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, we have never been closer to defeating this beast once and for all.

"It is critical that New Yorkers not succumb to COVID fatigue and remain vigilant. Until the day the war is won, we all need to continue the practices we know work -- washing hands, social distancing and masking up. The numbers are a reflection of our actions and when we work together, we will see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Cordes spins 300, Wilson 298 in league action at Mancuso Bowling Center; scratch singles event this weekend

By Mike Pettinella

Apparently teammate Rich Wagner's 899 series on Feb. 11 has inspired Nathan Cordes of Batavia in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday 5-Man League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Since Wagner's 300-300-299 feat, Cordes, a 31-year-old high-revving righty, has been on a hot streak.

On Feb. 25, Cordes rolled a 280 game in a 772 series and earlier this week he registered his sixth United States Bowling Congress-certified perfect game in a 754 series.

In other league action last week:

  • Ken Wilson of East Bethany had one big game in the Antique World Tuesday Coed League at Mancuso's in his 617 series, that being a 298 -- 11 in a row before leaving two pins on the final ball.
  • Mickey Hyde of Le Roy had the front nine strikes before being stopped, shooting 279 in a 743 series in the American Legion Thursday Night Men's League at Le Roy Legion Lanes. Fred Mathers also cracked the 700 mark with 713.

In tournament competition, the team of Scott Culp, Matt Balduf, Darleen Balduf and Aaron Philp captured the $800 first prize at the annual Ron Riggi Memorial Handicap Tournament in Le Roy. Their winning score for the four games was 3,701. Culp also won the singles event with 1,042.

Mark Brown, Kai Clark, Chris Bardol and Dave Emler placed second with 3,565, winning $400, while Hyde, John Lowe, Shayne Herold and Tim Thomas finished third with 3,562, good for $320.

The T.F. Brown's Scratch Eliminator tournament is scheduled for March 12-13 at Mancuso's. First prize is $750 and a free entry to the Airport Lanes (Buffalo) Sweeper at 6 p.m. March 19.

Qualifying squad (four games) times for the Batavia event are 6:30 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. The entry fee is $65. One in five per squad will advance to the finals.

To sign up, contact Mark Brown at (716) 474-7960.

Corfu girl helps cousin raise money for medical expenses and helps butterflies, too

By Billie Owens

Photos and information from Melissa Strang:

Talk about stepping up, how about leaping up. A 6-year-old with a big heart came to the aid of her 22-year-old cousin who was diagnosed in late January with a rare blood disorder that can result in serious, life-threatening health problems.

Jaide Alexyn has thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, or TTP, which causes clots to form in small blood vessels throughout the body. These can limit the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body's organs -- like the brain, kidneys and heart. It requires emergency medical treatment.

That's been very expensive and the road to getting the disease under control is expected to be long and rocky, possibly something she'll have to grapple with all her life.

Alexyn's cousin, first-grader Ainsley Strang, wanted to donate to the GoFundMe account Alexyn's family started, so she and her mother came up with something homemade to sell that also benefits endangered monarch butterflies.

Ainsley started making heart-shaped, handmade, plantable seed mix cakes -- a blend specifically enjoyed and needed by monarch butterflies. But the little go-getter-turned-artiste also made paintings to sell and sent these along with letters to friends' grandparents in nursing homes to brighten their day.

"She started with a donation goal of (raising) $40 and we had no idea her FUNdraiser would be so successful," her mother Melissa Strang, wrote in an email to The Batavian. "She raised $1,007 ... A friend of mine, Danielle, from school reached out who was so touched by Jaide’s situation and invested so much of her time, and helped spread the word of Ainsley’s efforts.

"Before we knew it, the orders were flying in and our $40 goal was smashed! My daughter raised, what I consider, a hefty amount of money and we are beyond proud of her."

What Ainsley's family would really love is for someone or some business in Genesee County to match the child's donation for Ainsley's 7th birthday, March 10th; how happy she would be!

They are keeping their fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, Alexyn is trying to stay strong and do what she needs to do to regain her health. It's been hard because she's a recent college graduate just starting out her life as an adult, working and going to job interviews, like all of us, amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

"This is a life-changing condition that has altered Jaide’s life so she will require significant financial support," says Strang. "Eventually she will be able to work again, but unfortunately relapses and doctors visits will be a way of life. ... Hopefully, the doctors will get this new disease under control for Jaide and COVID will also subside soon. For now, she needs help with her new normal."

Schumer: Finally, Americans and New Yorkers will get the robust COVID-19 relief & rescue they voted for

By Press Release

Press release:

Just back from Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced, today, that "help is on the way" to New York and New Yorkers as he detailed specifics from the American Rescue Plan he just led to passage in the U.S. Senate.

Schumer detailed the plan’s tentative impact to New York as $100 billion. The deal includes an additional round of direct stimulus checks, extends enhanced unemployment insurance benefits, will help solve New York State and Upstate New York municipalities budget woes.

The assistance marks a not-too-soon moment of relief for countless families, workers, restaurants, more independent venues and small businesses across the state. As part of the deal, more than $23.8 billion flows directly to New York State government(s) on top of increased education funding, transit funding and highways, vaccine distribution, COVID-19 health funding, emergency rental and housing assistance and more included for New York in this bill.

“Back in November, the American people and New Yorkers sent a crystal clear message to the previous administration: deliver the robust COVID relief this country needs or get out of the way," said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.

"The deal we reached with the help of a new president, and a new democratic Senate marks real relief to the tune of $100 billion for workers, families, healthcare, small businesses, including our hard-hit industries like restaurants, and New York — the things we need to support to weather this crisis and then work to recover.

“This marks the second biggest stimulus bill in the nation’s history — second to the CARES Act — and it comes just in time, because Americans and New York still need real help to get through this."

The details and the impact on New York appear in the breakdown below. These numbers are tentative.

STATE & LOCAL FISCAL RELIEF

$23.8 billion for New York – Total amount of funding provided to New York State through the state and local fiscal relief fund, to keep first responders, frontline health workers, and other providers of vital services safely on the job as states and local governments roll out vaccines and fight to rebuild Main Street economies.

Funding can be used for assistance to households, small businesses, nonprofits, aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality, investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, and to provide premium pay to frontline workers. Local governments of every size, including all counties, cities, towns, and villages, receive dedicated federal aid awards.

A new $10 billion capital projects program also support state broadband deployment efforts. Funds are allocated in New York as follows:

  • $12.569 billion for New York State Government
  • $6.141 billion for New York’s Metro Cities
  • $3.907 billion for New York’s Counties
  • $825 million for New York’s Small Cities, Towns, and Villages
  • $358 million for a New York State Broadband Investment Program

ADDITIONAL AID TO NEW YORK

  • $3.1 billion: Medicaid FMAP increase ($2.1 billion already delivered from Schumer pushing President Biden to extend through the end of the calendar year, in addition to $1 billion from a targeted enhanced FMAP for home and community-based services from this legislation);
  • $7+ billion: New York Area Transit ($6.5B to MTA). The New York State Department of Transportation will receive $12M directly to support rural transit systems. The remainder will support county bus services, and Upstate transit agencies;
  • $418 million: New York’s hard-hit airports to continue operating safely during the pandemic. Port Authority Airports will receive: $218M for JFK, $107M for LGA, $4M for Stewart, and $164M for EWR. This includes $60M in relief at the four airports for large and small concessionaire businesses that have been hard hit by the pandemic and unable to pay minimum guarantees to airports;
  • $1.7 billion – Relief for Amtrak to help maintain operations and other expenditures during the pandemic, especially in New York;
  • $15 billion – The CARES Act Airline Payroll Support Program which will save thousands of New York airline and airline contractor jobs by keeping workers on payroll without furloughs or reducing pay rates and benefits until March 31, 2021 New York will receive sizable share of these funds.

EDUCATION – K-12 SCHOOLS & INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER ED

  • $9 billion – K-12 Schools – these flexible funds will support school districts in reopening safely for in-person instruction and addressing the many needs that students are facing due to the pandemic. A portion of the funds are targeted toward addressing learning loss, providing resources through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and implementing summer enrichment and afterschool programs;
  • $2.6 billion – Colleges and Universities – Institutions must distribute half of their allocation to students in the form of financial aid awards to address hardships caused by COVID-19. The remaining portion of the funds can be used on reopening costs, revenue losses, classroom retrofits, PPE, and other expenses;
  • $257 million – Private K-12 schools – these funds are administered by the state educational agency to provide public health and related assistance and services to private K-12 schools.

CHILD CARE & HELP FOR NY FAMILIES

  • $1.8 billion – Child Care – Through the Child Care Stabilization Fund and the Child Care Community Development Block Grants (CCDBG), these funds ensure that the child care sector will continue to assist working families, and to support child care providers in meeting their increased operation costs during the pandemic;
  • $59 million – Head Start – this is emergency funding that will continue to provide access of services for children and their families;
  • $7.03 billion: Child Tax Credit payment to New York families;
  • $786 million: Earned Income Tax Credit payment to New York families;
  • More than $1 billion in additional Emergency Rental Assistance and assistance for preventing homelessness;
  • $575 million in mortgage and utility assistance for homeowners;
  • $1.07 billion: Nutrition Assistance ($810 million for Pandemic EBT Benefits, $227 million for SNAP)

UI AND DIRECT CHECKS TO NEW YORKERS

An estimated $21.7 billion for NY in Enhanced Unemployment Insurance Benefits. This bill provides billions in additional federal relief for struggling New Yorkers – who are out of work through no fault of their own – by extending the historic unemployment insurance reforms established in the CARES Act, through Sept. 6.

Importantly, it continues the critical lifeline of the enhanced unemployment assistance, providing an additional $300 per week on top of all state and federal unemployment benefits.

The bill extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for the self-employed, gig workers, freelancers and others in nontraditional employment, as well as the additional weeks of federal unemployment insurance for workers who exhaust their regular state benefits. Notably, this legislation excludes up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits received in 2020 from taxable income, providing much-needed tax relief for workers making less than $150,000.

Over $22 Billion in Direct Payments for NY – The American Rescue Plan includes an additional round of Economic Impact Payments of $1,400 for individuals making up to $75,000 per year and $2,800 for couples making up to $150,000 per year. Eligible families will also receive an additional $1,400 payment per child and adult dependent, amounting to $5,600 for an average family of four. Nearly 9 million New York households will receive another round of direct payments, helping them to cover essential expenses like food, rent or mortgages, and medical bills during this crisis.

COVID VAX & TESTING EFFORT ACROSS NY

Roughly $4 billion to support more vaccines, testing and healthcare in New York.  

 

NEW RELIEF AVAILABLE FOR NEW YORK SMALL BUSINESSES, RESTAURANTS, NONPROFITS, ARTS AND CULTURE VENUES, AND TOURISM SECTOR

$28.6 billion for Restaurants – A new restaurant relief fund, modeled on the widely support, bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act, which will provide flexible grants through the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a lifeline for New York’s restaurant industry, one of the hardest hit by the economic effects of the COVID pandemic.

Food service or drinking establishments, including caterers, brewpubs, taprooms, and tasting rooms, that are not part of an affiliated group with more than 20 locations will be eligible. To provide comprehensive support to local restaurants, grants from the fund could be used alongside first and second Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance, and the Employee Retention Tax Credit.

The new restaurants relief fund will be designed to provide flexible grants of up to $10 million per restaurant group, $5 million per individual restaurant, that can be used to cover payroll, mortgages or rent, setup for outdoor seating, PPE, paid leave, food and other supplies, or debt and other expenses. Grants can be spent on eligible expenses from 2/15/20 through 12/31/21 and the SBA Administrator may extend the period through two years from enactment if conditions warrant.

Of the $25 billion total, $5 billion is reserved for restaurants with less than $500,000 in gross receipts in 2019 for the first 60 days of the program. During the initial 21-day period, the administrator will prioritize awarding grants to eligible entities that are owned or controlled by women or veterans or are socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.

$1.25B and a Key Fix for Save Our Stages – The bill provides an additional $1.25 billion for hard-hit independent live venues, performing arts organizations, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions.

The bill also includes a critical fix that allows venues to access a PPP loan and a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, deducting the PPP loan amount from the grant amount. Including access to both programs will provide a much-needed source of additional capital as these struggling businesses and nonprofits try to stay afloat during the crisis. 

$15 billion for SBA Targeted EIDL Grants -- This funding will provide hard-hit, underserved small businesses with increased flexible grant relief. These grants will be particularly helpful for very small businesses and sole proprietors, which include over 90 percent of minority-owned businesses that have been disproportionately devastated by this crisis.

Expanded PPP Eligibility for Nonprofits – This bill makes additional 501(c) nonprofits eligible for PPP. It also makes local offices of larger nonprofits eligible for PPP assistance as long as those locations are not larger than 500 employees for first PPP loans or 300 employees for second PPP loans, expanding access to vital relief for nonprofit organizations that are critical to local services and the economy.

Community Navigator Program for Underserved Businesses – $100 million is included to fund community organizations and community financial institutions with a focus on and experience working in minority, immigrant, and rural communities to serve as community navigators to help connect small business owners in these communities to critical resources, including small business loans, business licenses, and federal, state and local business assistance programs. 

$10 billion for Small Business Opportunity Fund – This funding available through the Treasury Department is modeled on the State Small Business Credit Initiative and will support state and local capital and technical assistance initiatives for small businesses responding to and recovering from the pandemic, which will be particularly beneficial to minority-owned and other underserved small businesses.

$3 billion for Economic Development Grants, Including for Tourism and Travel -- $3 billion is included for the Economic Development Administration to provide flexible grants for rebuilding the local economies of communities that have experienced significant job loss from COVID-19. A $750 million set-aside is included for assistance to states and communities that have suffered from job and GDP loss in the tourism, travel, and outdoor recreation sectors.

Extended Employee Retention Tax Credit – The bill extends through the end of 2021 the refundable payroll tax credit designed to help employers keep more of their valued workers on payroll during this economic crisis. This tax credit is available to struggling New York companies and nonprofits of all sizes, and is equal to 70 percent of qualified wages up to $10,000 per employee per quarter.

CONNECTING MORE NY FAMILIES TO BROADBAND

$632 million -- The American Rescue Plan includes $7.172 billion nationally to close the homework gap by providing internet and connected devices to vulnerable students and educators. New York is estimated to receive around $632 million in funding to help students and educators.

REDUCING POVERTY FOR NEW YORKERS

The American Rescue Plan includes a significant expansion of two of the most powerful and effective anti-poverty tools the federal government has – the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit – for 2021:

  • Makes the CTC fully refundable and increases the credit amount from $2,000 to $3,000 per child age 6 to 17 (and $3,600 per child below the age of 6). An estimated 3.56 million children across New York will benefit from this expanded tax credit, and it will lift 680,000 children in the state above or closer to the poverty line.
  • Strengthens the EITC for childless workers, many of whom are in lower-paid but essential jobs on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic response, benefitting 910,000 of these workers in New York.

PROVIDING FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR NY WORKERS AND RETIREES

The American Rescue Plan importantly delivers critical relief for ailing multiemployer pension plans – which have experienced significant additional challenges as a result of this economic crisis – without cutting the hard-earned benefits of retirees.

In New York State alone, there are more than 1.3 million participants in multiemployer pension plans, and around 624,600 New Yorkers are participants in plans that are expected to receive relief directly through this legislation.

*****ROUGH TOTAL FOR NEW YORK: $100 BILLION*****

Section V first-round playoff schedule

By Howard B. Owens

Here is the schedule for Genesee County teams participating in Section V basketball playoffs.

For the boys:

  • Batavia (12-0) vs. NE Doublas (4-6), 6 p.m., Monday, at Batavia HS, Class B1
  • Le Roy (6-4) vs. World of Inquiry (7-3), 6 p.m., Monday, at World Of Inquiry, Class B2
  • Pembroke (7-5) vs. Avon (9-1) at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Avon, Class C1
  • Oakfield-Alabama (8-2) vs. Dundee (8-4), at 6 p.m., Tuesday, at O-A, Class C2
  • Notre Dame (5-6) vs. Jasper-Troupsburg, 7 p.m., Monday at Jasper-Troupsburg, CLass D2

For the girls:

  • Batavia (8-4) vs. Greece Olympia (3-7), 6 p.m., Tuesday, at Batavia, Class B1
  • Alexander (8-2) vs. Marcus Whitman (7-3), at 7 p.m., Monday, at Alexander, Class C1
  • Pavilion (10-0) vs. Red Creek (5-5), 7 p.m., Monday at Pavilion, Class C2
  • Oakfield-Alabama (8-3) vs. York (7-3) at 7 p.m. Monday at O-A, Class C2
  • Notre Dame (9-2) vs. Alfred Almond (3-5), 7 p.m., Tuesday at Notre Dame, Class D1
  • Elba (11-0) vs. Romulus (3-7) at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Elba, Class D2

Ice hockey:

  • Notre Dame (7-3-1) vs. Pittsford (4-7-1) at 6 p.m., Tuesday at Batavia Ice Rink, Class A

Unattended propane heater cited as cause of garage fire Saturday

By Press Release

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Press release:

On Saturday, March 6 at 11:45 a.m. the City of Batavia Fire Department was dispatched to a garage fire at 344 W. Main St., Batavia. City Engine 11 and Ladder 15 arrived at 11:48 a.m. to find a 20’ x 20’ detached wood-frame garage engulfed in flames.

Two hose lines were deployed bringing the fire under control within 10 minutes.  

Destroyed along with the building was a 2014 Toyota Camry and several tools. Two nearby structures received minor damage from radiant heat. No firefighters or civilians were injured.

City of Batavia Fire Department investigators determined the cause of the fire to be accidental due to an unattended portable propane heater.  

The City of Batavia Police Department and Genesee County Emergency Dispatch assisted with the incident.

Captain Marty Hinz

Photo by Howard Owens.

Photo: Label Shopper in B.J.'s center holds grand opening

By Howard B. Owens

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Brian Greer, manager of Label Shopper, the newest discount retail store in Genesee County, cuts the ribbon Saturday during the store's official grand opening.

Label Shopper in a multi-store chain with outlets throughout the Northeast that specializes in clothing.

The store is located in the B.J.'s Plaza on Lewiston Road in Batavia.

Batavia boys roll over Greece Odyssey 77-36, finish season 12-0

By Steve Ognibene

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The Batavia Blue Devils boys squad finished their season in Greece Odyssey yesterday with a 77-36 win to finish undefeated in Class B1 of Monroe County division boys basketball. Batavia led the first quarter 19-10 led by Stone Silverling.  

In a strong second quarter, the Blue Devils poured in 25 points to lead at halftime 44-16 and never looked back. 

Stone Siverling scored 16 points, Zach Gilebarto, 14, Carter McFollins and Brandon Bartz, nine.

To view or purchase, photos click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

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ND rallies to force OT before falling to Irondequoit; still earns No. 1 seed for Section V Class A Tournament

By Mike Pettinella

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish staged a furious comeback on Saturday night, rallying from a two-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime, before dropping a 4-3 decision to Irondequoit in Section 5 hockey action at Lakeshore Hockey Arena and Sports Center in Rochester.

Junior Vin DiRisio’s goal with 35 seconds left in regulation – after Coach Marc Staley had pulled freshman goaltender Frank Falleti Jr. for an extra attacker – tied the game for the Irish, who fought back after trailing 2-0 after the first period (for the second straight game) and 3-1 early in the third period.

With the loss, the Irish end the regular season at 7-3-1 and finish second to Irondequoit, 9-2-1, in their division.

Notre Dame, however, held on to the No. 1 seed for the Section V Class A Tournament due to its strength of schedule and posting six victories over teams with winning records.

“You get more power-ranking points by beating teams with winning records,” Staley said, who added that ND earned points for taking the game to overtime.

The Irish will face either Pittsford or Webster Schroeder on Tuesday night at the Batavia Ice Rink in the first round of the eight-team tournament.

Hilton and Victor, both at 10-2, are seeded second and third, respectively, while Gates/Wayne/EI/Wheatland, 9-3, is the fourth seed.

In last night’s game, Irondequoit took control early as sophomore defenseman Leo Letta redirected a shot by senior forward Bryce Billitier past Falleti at the 2:44 mark.

With senior goaltender Vaughn Letta thwarting several excellent chances by junior Gavin Schrader, Vin DiRisio and freshman Joe DiRisio, Irondequoit was able to take a 2-0 lead at 12:40 when Eli Velepec beat Falleti after passes by Billitier and Bruin Giudice set it up.

The Irish began to assert themselves in the second period as Schrader’s relentless work in the corners and rushes up the ice put Irondequoit on its heels. Falleti made a couple of sparkling saves as well to prevent the Eagles increasing their lead.

Goaltender Letta continued to come up big for Irondequoit until a Vin DiRisio slapshot beat him at the 10:23 mark with ND in a two-man advantage situation. Cooper Hamilton and Joe DiRisio assisted.

ND outshot Irondequoit 14-5 in a period marked by some hard checking and, at times, “chippy” play.

In the third period, only 32 seconds had elapsed when Irondequoit's Jordan Flynn, who was closing in to Falleti’s right, fired a cross-ice pass to Billitier, who tucked it into the open side of net to make it 3-1.

The Irish wasted little time pulling within a goal again as Joe DiRisio got one past Vaughn Letta with help from Schrader and Wyatt Krolczyk at 1:55.

ND continued to put pressure on Irondequoit but goalie Letta stood tall. When he stymied Schrader in front of the net with 47 seconds left, it looked bleak for the visitors.

After an Irondequoit timeout, Falleti headed to the bench as ND had a faceoff in Irondequoit’s zone. The move paid off when Vin DiRisio slapped the loose puck past Letta. Schrader and Joe DiRisio assisted.

In the five-minute overtime, Joe DiRisio had a golden opportunity in front of the net but, again, Letta was equal to the task. Moments later, Leo Letta skated free and drilled it past Falleti to the glove side.

With the win, Irondequoit earned the No. 1 seed in the highly competitive Section V Class B Tournament, which features four other teams with just two or three losses – Canandaigua Academy, Penfield, Brockport and Webster Thomas.

The Irish fired 39 shots to Irondequoit’s 28 after being outshot 12-9 in the first period.

“We did not play a solid first period for the second game in a row, but it’s also the second game in a row that we battled back,” Staley said. “Going down 3-1 in the first shift of the third period, a lot of teams would have folded. But this team didn’t. They showed something to each other tonight that they’re in this thing to battle right to the end.”

For the season, Schrader has 17 goals and 17 assists, Vin DiRisio has 17 goals and 13 assists and Joe DiRisio has 12 goals and seven assists. Hamilton and Krolczyk have 14 and 13 assists, respectively. Falleti has a 3.41 goals against average.

Bryn Wormley reaches the 1,000 mark with 32 points in Batavia's win at Greece Odyssey

By Mike Pettinella

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It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Bryn Wormley and Mackenzie Reigle are attached at the hip when it comes to the game of basketball.

And it’s only fitting that Wormley on Saturday afternoon joined her “senior sister” as members of the Batavia High varsity girls’ basketball team’s 1,000-point club in a 62-41 victory over host Greece Odyssey.

Entering the Monroe County League Division IV regular season finale, Wormley needed 31 points to hit the milestone.

Her teammates, all in on Coach Marty Hein’s game plan against the winless Lady Leopards, continually fed her the ball in an effort to make it happen before next Tuesday’s Section V Class B1 Tournament opener.

Wormley, launching three-point shots and knifing and twisting her way for driving layups, scored 28 of the Lady Devils’ 47 points after three quarters.

A driving layup at the 5:50 mark of the fourth period put her at 30 and less than a minute later, she calmly swished a foul shot for point number 31 this season and 1,000 for her career.

Both Wormley and Reigle, who scored her 1,000th point on Tuesday of this week, came up to the varsity late in the season as seventh-graders.

“This means a lot to me and it does to Kenzie, too. I think we’re just blessed to be able to play this year, especially with COVID and everything we have missed over the last several months,” Wormley said. “It’s just really nice that we got to do this together because we have been playing together since we picked up a basketball. First time was Buff Rice Camp in third grade.”

Wormley said she was “definitely nervous” but it didn’t look that way as she hit her first two three-pointers to open the scoring. Her outside shooting touch escaped her for a while after that, so she changed her strategy.

“I hit the first two ‘threes’ but the shot wasn’t falling after that so I tried something else – I starting driving to the basket,” she said.

It paid off as she scored 16 points on layups and sank four free throws in the final three quarters. When she and Reigle came out of the game together with 3:30 to play, she had 32 points – twice her season’s average.

Hein, as he did a few nights ago with Reigle, talked about Wormley’s work ethic as a key to her success.

“Bryn works so hard at her shooting, and she’s been such an unselfish player for probably two years previous to last year,” Hein said. "When we had Ryann Stefaniak, Bryn kind of took a back seat instead of pushing her own self. Last year was her breakout year (15.6 points per game average) because it was her time to start doing it.”

Hein also mentioned the manner in which Wormley and Reigle feed off each other on the court.

“You have two girls that have been gym rats ever since they were third-graders and they work well together. There are times when I have to watch film (to see who scored) because Assistant Coach Frank (Gioia) and our scorekeeper can’t tell if it was Kenzie or if it was Bryn because they look so much alike.”

As far as letting Bryn take the majority of shots, Hein said he was worried that there wouldn’t be another game because of COVID-19.

“The Elba boys are done with basketball right now because of COVID. Holley boys are done with basketball because of COVID. I would have just hated for her to get to 996 and, God forbid something happens, and that’s our last game,” he said. “Plus, today is a better situation (instead of it happening in a sectional tournament game). It’s done. She’s got it and nobody can ever take it away.”

With Reigle and now Wormley scoring 1,000 points, there are five Batavia girls' basketball players who have achieved that mark, with Tiara Filbert, Madison McCulley and Stefaniak being the others.

Wormley, who plans to play basketball at St. John Fisher College, said she’s relieved that the quest for 1,000 points is over.

“Now, we can just focus on getting the block (Section V championship trophy),” she said.

Reigle had 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and five steals, and Tess Barone chipped in with eight points for Batavia, 8-4. Asia Philip led Odyssey with 15 points.

The Lady Devils will face Greece Olympia at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Batavia High School. This will be their fourth meeting of the season. Batavia has won the previous three, all by 20 points.

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Photos: From top, Bryn Wormley shoots the free throw that gave her 1,000 points for her varsity career (submitted photo); Wormley accepts a plaque from Coach Marty Hein; Wormley's mother, Chris, gives the thumbs up as she and Gail Francis celebrate the achievement (photos by Mike Pettinella).

No crowd jamming the campus, no problem: Shooting For A Cure could top $40K in donations

By Howard B. Owens

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In the midst of a pandemic, when attendance was limited, Pembroke's annual "Shooting For A Cure!" fundraiser has raised at least $39,200, said organizer Mike Wilson.

That amount breaks last year's record-breaking total of $33,000.

Donations are still trickling in and Wilson is hoping the event goes over $40,000 by Monday morning when he'll announce the final results.

The funds benefit cancer research at Roswell Cancer Institute.

The basketball game itself saw another record fall. Serene Calderón scored 16 points, giving her a career total of 822, a new school record.

For the Lady Hornets, Makena Reding scored 16 points and Josie Reding scored 10 points.

The final score was 49-43, Hornets.

To get an idea of how many people turn out for the event when there are no coronavirus pandemic restrictions, watch our video from a year ago.

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Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos click here.

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Lady Lancers finish regular season undefeated

By Howard B. Owens

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Dakota Brinkman and Byrnn Walczak both scored 13 points Friday night in Alexander to help Elba to a 53-44 victory over the Trojans.

Laci Sewer, nine points, and Brinkman both hit a pair of three-point shots.

Maddie Muehlig scored seven points and Taylor Augello, six.

Walczak made it a double-double with 10 rebounds. Augello also had 10 rebounds.

For Alexander, Hallie Kramer scored 12 points and Natalie Whitmore scored 11. Ally Mileham scored 10. Whitmore had 10 rebounds and Melanie Pohl, who scored five points, had 11 rebounds.

The Lady Lancers finish the regular season at 11-0. Friday's win was the first time this year that their margin of victory was less than 10 points.

In other girls games: 

  • Pavilion beat Cal-Mum 43-23 (Pavilion also finishes the regular season undefeated at 10-0)
  • Le Roy beat Letchworth 53-33
  • Oakfield-Alabama beat Pembroke 49-43

In boys basketball:

  • Notre Dame beat Alexander 63-52
  • Oakfield-Alabama beat Pembroke, 68-51
  • Wheatland-Chili beat Byron-Bergen 68-57

Photos by Debra Reilly.

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Tompkins Bank of Castile to host virtual first-time home buyer webinar Tuesday evening

By Press Release

Tompkins Bank of Castile will host a Virtual First-time Home Buyer Webinar on Tuesday evening.

It is free and available to anyone interested in learning more about the first-time homebuying process.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the special programs Tompkins Bank of Castile offers to first-time home buyers. There will also be an opportunity for registrants to ask questions.

The webinar will be led by three Tompkins’ representatives: Sherri Catalano, senior vice president and regional lending manager; Diana Carney, mortgage loan originator; and Josephine Valderrama, mortgage loan originator.

It's from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9.

To register, click here.

Schumer's remarks on Senate floor just prior to passage of the 'American Rescue Plan'

By Press Release

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor in advance of the passage of the American Rescue Plan by the Senate.

Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

"It has been a long day, a long night, a long year. But a new day has come. And we tell the American people, help is on the way. When Democrats assumed the majority in this chamber, we promised to pass legislation to rescue our people from the depths of the pandemic and bring our economy, and our country, roaring back.

"In a few moments, we are going to deliver on that promise. This bill will deliver more help to more people than anything the federal government has done in decades. It is broader, deeper and more comprehensive in helping working families and lifting people out of poverty than anything Congress has seen or accomplished in a very long time.

"The pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of American life. So this bill spans the gamut and provides support to every part of our country. For Americans who doubted that the government can help them in this time of crisis, you’ll be getting direct checks, your schools will receive assistance to reopen quickly and safely, your local businesses will get another lifeline, and the day when you receive the vaccine will be a lot sooner.

"The American Rescue plan will go down as one of the most sweeping federal recovery efforts in history. It’s never easy to pass legislation as momentous as this. But it will all, and soon, be worth it.

"Now, I know that on a Saturday morning, the American people haven’t been watching our proceedings here. They’re probably out walking the dog or sitting down for breakfast with their kids. But I want them to know that help is on the way. That their government is going to give one final push to get us all over the finish line.

"I want the American people to know that we are going to get through this. And someday soon, our businesses will reopen and our economy will reopen and life will reopen. We will end this terrible plague and we will travel again and send our kids to school again and be together, again. Our job right now is to help our country get from this stormy present to that hopeful future. And it starts with voting AYE on the legislation before us.

"Vote yes on the American Rescue Plan. Vote yes.

"And before I yield the floor, let me express my deepest gratitude to all my colleagues who went through a long, long day and the staff of the committees and the personal Senate offices, who worked so hard to put this legislation together. Let me especially thank the floor staff, the clerks, the cafeteria workers, custodial staff, and the Capitol Police and National Guard. Many of them have worked for as many as 36 hours straight.

"And of course, one more thank you to my great and wonderful staff. I will thank them all by name at a later date because I want everyone to awake and alert when I do.

"I yield the floor."

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Tourism Marketing Assistant Position The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, serving as the official tourism promotion agency for Genesee County, NY is seeking an experienced marketing professional to assist in the overall Chamber tourism and marketing initiatives for Genesee County. https://visitgeneseeny.com/about/join-our-team
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Town of Batavia Court Department is seeking a part time as needed Court Officer. Court Officers are responsible for maintaining order in the court room and court facility during proceedings. Please send resume to Town of Batavia, Attention Hiedi Librock, 3833 West Main Street Road, Batavia, NY 14020. Complete job description is available on the Town web site or at the Town Hall Application deadline is April 15, 2024.
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