Byron-Bergen beat Cuba-Rushford/Hinsdale 4-0 on Wednesday night at Geneseo in the Class C crossover game.

The Bees now advance to the Far West Regional to take on Wilson, the Section VI Class C champ, in the Far West Championship at 5 p.m. on Friday at West Seneca Senior High School.

All four goals for the Bees were scored by Jack Farner (#8).  Assists went to Colin Martin, Noah Clare, Braedyn Chambry and Cody Carlson. 

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

With each of the first two goals the Holley Hawks scored, the Byron-Bergen Bees had an answer to tie the game, but in overtime, the Hawk's third overtime goal ended the game and ended the Bees' hope of advancing further this postseason.

Byron-Byron Bergen lost the Class C crossover game at Geneseo High School and the right to play in the Western Regional Championship to Holly 3-2.

For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.

Discussion of a new Mercy Flight contract for basic and advanced life support services was no big surprise, perhaps, on Wednesday, but was a big step forward nonetheless as the process continued past the Ways & Means Committee, Matt Landers said.

The county manager presented the $452,000 contract to the committee on its last leg of a journey to the full Legislature for approval. 

While neighboring communities take on ambulance services themselves — and the high costs of labor, salaries, benefits, retirement, vehicles and maintenance that goes with it — Landers was pleased that Genesee County will have contracts with two providers (one has already been approved for Le Roy Ambulance Service), and looks forward to working with Mercy Flight, he said. 

“I think that this is a very good step for this Legislature to enter this contract with the county. It's a good step to avoid us having to buy ambulances and hire EMTs and things that our other neighboring counties have had to do because they didn't have a centralized strong entity like we have here in Genesee County,” he said. “And so let's support the private sector solution that's already here. And let them do the job that they're best at doing versus us entering into another business. 

“So I think it's a good contract; it’s something that we'll monitor closely. And I'm sure, once we start, this is something that we’ll be relying on for years, it will be going on for years and years and years, and we'll be discussing increases in future contracts,” he said. “But it's nice to know we've got a fixed amount for three years for strengthening our ambulance service.”

A study was conducted prior to this contract, and it was determined that in order to improve response times, an ambulance would stationed at each the east and west end of the county. 

So one will be placed in Stafford and in East Pembroke, plus Batavia will also have a base, and the new configuration will be monitored over time to see if that helps or if further adjustments need to be made, Landers said.

He pointed to Emergency Management Services Coordinator Tim Yaeger as the one integrally involved in the study and strategy for this plan. Yaeger was not at Wednesday’s meeting, and The Batavian plans to catch up with him in the future to further discuss the county’s contract.

“We were exploring different ways to potentially require certain response times from Mercy Flight. The more we examined it, it was looking to be a challenge because there's always explanations for why a response time might not have been met for a certain case. So overall, we thought that if we just had a deployment coming from Stafford and a deployment coming from East Pembroke, have enough pushing it out further from just being around the time of Batavia, that naturally, the response time should improve,” Landers said. “And it's something that we can monitor every year, per the contract. And if the response times truly are improving, then we made the right decision. If this is not having a material impact on response times in the outer parts of the county, then we will just have to reexamine a different way to have those response times improved.”

So nothing would change for three years?
“Well, I wouldn’t say nothing. But there is a three-year contract. So it's something that we know we can monitor because we have a relationship with Mercy Flight directly now. So it's something that we're going to have a close eye on because we want to make sure that we're investing taxpayer money into this venture, we want to make sure we're getting some improved response times from it,” he said. “I suppose that if there was a mutually agreeable alternative aid contract, we could engage in that certainly, but right now, we're hoping that over the next three years, we'll see a better response time from having these deployments from outside the town of Batavia. 

"Well, I want to emphasize they're still ambulances in Batavia. So, we are not looking to improve response times to the town at the expense of people here in Batavia,” he said.

Of the total $452,000, $375,000 will go for personnel salaries and benefits, and the remaining $77,000 is for training and education, Landers said. 

“That amount is for education. So one of the things that was expressed to us was that sometimes when people are going through a lengthy training process for EMT, they're going through training, and they're not getting paid,” he said. “And that's difficult for people and with families, and to make ends meet. So this would allow them to get paid while getting trained.”

The contract begins Jan. 1, 2024, and it is competitive within this region, he said.

“So I ran into a Mercy Flight person who said, ‘Yeah, I hear that when I’m working in Genesee County, I get a bigger rate.’ So the word’s out there because if that’s the stipulation, we don’t want Mercy Flight to be paying people in another county with these monies. So what they’re paying their people here is gonna be higher based on this contract,” he said. “It holds their feet to the fire a little bit more than we’ve ever had that ability to pass because they operated here without the contract between us and them. So this puts into place some expectations.”

The new setup is to “improve response time without hurting response time,” he said. 

A legislator wanted to know what would happen if there was a request for an ambulance and there wasn’t enough staff on duty to ensure the minimum staffing level. 

Mercy EMS won’t be able to take a voluntary transport if it jeopardizes that minimum staffing expectation of the county, per this new contract, Landers said. “It may be a longer delay."

The contract will go from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2026, for $452,460 per year.

Andrea Clattenburg, whose legal career has taken her from a prosecutor's position in the County Attorney's Office to a defense attorney position in the Public Defender's Office, is now a part-time City Court judge.

Clattenburg took the oath of office Wednesday in Batavia City Court in a courtroom packed with family, friends, fellow attorneys, elected officials, and assorted dignitaries.

City Council appointed Clattenburg to the position in August following the resignation of Thomas Burns.  City Court judges, state-mandated positions, are elected to six-year terms. Clattenburg will be on an election ballot in November 2026, prior to the expiration of the term Burns vacated. That term expires on Dec. 31, 2026.

Full-time City Court Judge Durin Rogers administered the oath.

"City courts were once described to me as the emergency room or the emergency department," Rogers said. "Many times you don't know what you're gonna have. In City Court, you'd have a traditional vehicle and traffic matter. And for all my former colleagues and for the attorneys, and obviously the judges, you know, that you could have a very serious criminal matter brought into court during vehicle and traffic or during housing, and you have to be able to switch hats. And so you need a keen sense of triage. You need a keen sense of knowledge. And, most importantly, I think judicial temperament, and I'm very excited that we have somebody of Judge Clattenburg's caliber to join us on this team."

Clattenburg thanked her colleagues and family for their support over the years, particularly her father James Clattenburg and her husband Michael Szymczak.

"I grew up in Batavia," Clattenburg said. "I've lived here my entire life. I've worked in Genesee County, in Batavia, my entire life, and I am so thrilled to be able to serve the city of Batavia in this capacity."

During introductions by Rogers, the two newest members of the court staff were also introduced.  Kelly Randle is the new chief clerk and Amy VanSplunder is the new deputy clerk.

There has been some ongoing discussion, debate and confusion online about lights in the city of Batavia: who is responsible for repairing them, replacing burned out bulbs, and whatever happened to that deal where the city was going to replace all of the lights with energy-efficient LEDs?

Some confusion may be justified, as both the city and National Grid have jurisdiction over parts of city street lights, though National Grid seems to have responsibility for the larger section — which it just this week was spotted out and about fulfilling by replacing several burned out bulbs in time for the annual trick-or-treat night.

Hopefully that will not be as much of an issue in the near future, after the city completes what it began in June 2022, to contract for the purchase and replacement of all National Grid street lights and convert them to LED versions. 

“We close on the purchase with National Grid on Nov. 16,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said Wednesday. “It has been a yearlong process to get to this closing date, that has included multiple administrative steps and approval by the Public Service Commission.  

“Once the sale is complete, Power and Construction Group (P&CG) will begin the light replacement process across the City,” she said. “The LED street lights that we are installing have many benefits and include a 10-year replacement warranty.” 

The city worked last year with the New York Power Authority and its engineering consultant, Wendel Engineers, for the replacement project. The nearly $1.7 million plan (Phase I) has an estimated savings of more than $161,000 annually. 

City Council approved the purchase of 948 street lights at a cost of $226,038, and future replacement of all National Grid street lights in the city. 

The Batavian also reached out to National Grid spokesman David Bertola in an attempt to initially find out about the recommended procedure for burned-out street lights and how many lights were out in the city, and he said it was “difficult to know, as some lights are owned by the city of Batavia, whereas others are owned by National Grid.”

He referred folks to complete an online form to report any street lights with nonworking lights. 

“Damaged street lights can be dangerous” he said, and he also encouraged people to call 1-800-642-4272 to directly report those. 

“Typically, once National Grid is alerted about a non-working street light, a crew will investigate within 24 hours,” he said.  “Repairs are frequently made shortly thereafter.”

Visit us online or stop in today!

If you’re a believer in locally sourced products, made-in-the-USA goods or supporting small business, the Batavia Indoor Market is here to provide that opportunity, organizers say.

“Everything’s all homemade, it’s quality; it’s not coming out of China,” said Adam Garner of Garner Farms in Le Roy. “And there’s an online market of local vendors. You can order online and pick it up on Saturday just like you would at the grocery store. It’s a one-stop shop. There’s milk and eggs, produce, veggies and fruit, meat, mushrooms and cheeses.”

The market runs from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 4 and 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 6 and 20, Feb. 3 and 17, and March 2, 16 and 30. It is inside Batavia City Centre, downtown Batavia.

In the market for some amaranth microgreens? Or maybe some honey nut squash, large blue doll pumpkins, Honeycrisp apples, maple syrup that’s chocolate infused, dinosaur kale or broccoli microgreens, perhaps? Or how about lion’s mane mushrooms to shake up that stir fry?

The online market lists 176 items, and orders will be open from 8 a.m. Mondays through 8 p.m. Thursdays the week of each market. Available items will change based on the season.

The items are listed on the site, where orders are placed and purchased. Current online vendors listed are Flint’s Maple, Botanical Ben, Garner Farms and Creekside Designs and Blanks.

City Centre regulars are to include Relevé Dancewear, Everybody Eats, Batavia Stagecoach Florist, Sandman Wood Designs and Magick Smoque Shoppe, with visiting vendors at each market. This week’s market includes:

• Porter Farms - fresh vegetables, ground beef and lamb
• Garner Farms - pasture-raised pork and chicken with fresh eggs (when available), homemade lard soap
• Ladybugs Creations - custom gifts, including 3D prints
• Meadow Moon Designs - jewelry and accessories
• For the Love of Madeline Candles - handmade candles

As for his own products, Garner is proud to tell people about the heritage pork and chicken products that come from his Le Roy-based farm.

“Our pork and chicken is pasture-raised," he said. "They’re naturally raised, with no hormones or antibiotics."

To check out the online market, go HERE

For more information about the indoor market, email director@bataviadevelopmentcorp.org or call 585-813-8054. 

Submitted by Michael Rapone:

Buff Rice Week 4 Results:

Warriors 35 vs Lakers 20
The Lakers led 14-10 at the half of this one as they tried to play spoilers to the Warriors' unblemished record. Noah DeLong had 6 of his 8 points in the first half. Vin LaBarbara (5pts) and Liam McAlister (6pts) each had 4 in the first frame. But the second half was all about the Warriors and Drew Schultz, who pumped in a team-high 13 points, of which 9 came in the 2nd half. The Warriors ended with a 25-point 2nd half to close out the win. Sawyer George and Teigen Porter had 8 points and 6 points, respectively, while also dolling out 4 assists each. Vinny DiLaura put in two shots for 4 points.

Celtics 25 vs Heat 13
The Celtics welcomed back Jack Hilchey and stopped their two-game skid. Hilchey scored 15 in his first game back since breaking his hand. Noah Radam scored 8 points, and Jaxon Smith was the unsung hero with 11 rebounds. Patrick Casey put in 7 points for the Heat, and Levi Mayban competed hard under the glass with Smith, posting 7 rebounds to go with his 4 points.

3rd & 4th Grade:

Carolina 31 vs Syracuse 25
Carolina got solid efforts from Luke Hungerford (17pts), Amaeus Largeroy (8pts) and Denny Crowley (4pts). Crowley was dominant under the glass for the Tar Heels finishing with 7 boards, and Benny DiLaura played shutdown defense again for Carolina. Jackson Therrien tried his best to keep Syracuse in the game scoring a game-high 21 points. Charlie and Sammy Rapone each pitched in 2 points for the Orange.

Carolina 30 vs Duke 21
Carolina was able to continue the unbeaten streak for the season by getting pass the Blue Devils. Luke Hungerford led the Tar Heels once again with 18 points. The Tar Heels, though, finished with 5 players in the scoring column. Jason Rapone was the team's second-leading scorer with two buckets for 4 points, Amaeus Largeroy and Denny Crowley had 3 points each, and Benny DiLaura had 2. Jax Arroyo had 5 rebounds for the Heels. Duke's Barrett Jones had 10 points and 10 boards for a double-double. Alex Tomidy had 5 points, Mateo Spink and Gino Fava had 2 each.

Elba has a shot at a sectional title in volleyball after the Lancers beat Houghton Academy three sets to zero.

• 1st game 25 to 18
• 2nd game 25 to 23

Player stats:

• Kennedy Augello 14 assists, 2 kills
• Alexa Ocampo 7 kills, 5 digs
• Halie Scouten 7 kills, 4 digs 

The Lancers will play for the Section V D2 crown at 5 p.m. on Friday at Wayland Cohocton. The match will pit the #6 Lancers against the #1 ranked Avoca-Prattsburgh.

At 7 p.m. on Friday at Wayland Cohocton, in Class D1, #1 seed Alexander players #6 York.  Alexander beat Bolivar-Richburg 3-1 on Tuesday.

In Class C1, #2 Le Roy plays #1 Attica at Avon on Friday at 7 p.m. for the title.

Travis Scroger’s entry into writing was a bit unconventional: After graduating in 2020 from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pa., Scroger entered one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States.

As a social media manager Scroger, of Rochester, regularly oversaw posting across all social media platforms. Yet, amid the hustle and bustle that comes with managing the online world, he was deeply unhappy.

“I worked a lot of desk jobs and I kind of fell into a depressive state and went through some pretty severe anxiety episodes,” he said during an interview with The Batavian. “I didn’t go to college or anything with the plan of writing. I just kind of fell into it.”

The up-and-coming author and writer of his first novel, the dystopian spy thriller “Torrent Breach,” will be at Haxton Memorial Library for a meet-and-greet at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear about his entry into becoming a novelist and insights into his book.

After his entry into the social media profession, and outside of a few press releases, Scroger had never published anything before. He did, however, find solace in writing. 

Since he was young, Scroger recalled having linear dreams. Dreams that would carry over one night into the next. Rather than discard them, he got into the habit of writing those dreams down, although he never shared them with anyone. His novel, “Torrent Breach,” is a product of one of his dreams.

“I had never shared them (his dreams) with anybody but I didn’t have much to lose any more, so I really allowed myself to try and become openly vulnerable,” he said. “Thankfully it worked out.”

Scroger hopes that local residents come out to learn more about his book, and can glean something from his life story.

“I hope that they find it inspiring. Deep down I just want to prove that you can do whatever you really want to do,” he said. “There was a lot of times I was hesitant to pull the trigger with publishing. It is possible to do it with the right people around you."

The library is at 3 North Pearl St., Oakfield.  For more information, call 585-948-9900.

The trick-or-treaters were out all over Genesee County.  We stopped at the haunted house on Bank Street, Lincoln Avenue, Ellicott Avenue, and Redfield Parkway in the City.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Isabella Walsh: Section V Class A Player of the Year
Isabella Walsh, #11 on the Batavia Blue Devils Girls Soccer team, loves playing defense. She always has.

"I've played defense since I was little," Walsh said. "I like the one-on-one battles and making big saves. I enjoy it."

She's also the team's primary direct-kick specialist (taking kicks following a penalty from outside the penalty box).

These two contributions to Batavia's 14-win season are a big part of why she was named Section V Class A Player of the Year for Girls Soccer.

"I'm really honored to be singled out for this award," Walsh said. "There are so many great players on my team and the teams we compete against. To be a defensive player and to win this type of award is really a great recognition, but this is truly a team award because it's my teammates around me every day in practice and games that make me better and make me want to play harder for them and our team's success."

Batavia's head coach, Roger Hume, said Walsh, now a senior, is a four-year starter at center back, and he doesn't believe she's missed a start in her career.

"She's like the center of our entire defense at this point," Hume said. "She is gonna be a big loss for us."

On the field, Walsh directs the defense when the opposing team has a direct kick or corner kick, and that had a lot to do with Batavia's success in 2023.

"We were at the lowest goal-against total we've had in the last 15 years that I've been here," Hume said. "We had 12 goals against."

Roger Hume: Section V Class A Girls Soccer Coach of the Year
Fifteen years ago, Roger Hume took over a soccer team that needed new direction.  That first year as coach was rough -- no league wins and only a 4-12-1 record on the year.  The team scored only 12 goals and gave up 50.

In 2023, he coached the team to a 14-2-1 record, with a team that gave up only 12 goals and scored 73 (The team's previous record for fewest goals against was 17 in 2020 (when the team scored only 15 goals, and the highest goal total was 45 in 2022).

After such a successful season, Hume has been named the Section V Class A Girls Soccer Coach of the Year.

The award isn't just a credit to him, Hume said. It's the entire group of people involved in Batavia Girls Soccer.

"Well, for me, I think it's a combination of all the parents and players that have put the time in, and all of the volunteer coaches and assistant coaches I've had through the years," Hume said. "There's a multitude of parents that had their daughters come up through who helped me from modified all the way up to Varsity. It kind of justifies that we did all that hard work, you know, and it took a while. I mean, 15 years before we had the team -- this has been one of the best teams that we've had, you know, record-wise and group-wise and just the way they are a team together."

Hume now has 111 career wins as a varsity coach.

His soccer career started with his oldest daughter getting involved with soccer when she was four. She's now 32. He became a coach in Batavia Youth Soccer, became a board member, and after a few years, then Athletic Director Mike Bromley asked him if he would coach girls modified soccer for Batavia.  After a few years, he moved up to junior varsity and then, 15 years ago, varsity. 

The team's biggest improvements have come since the opening of the new Van Detta Stadium with the artificial turf on Woodward Field.

Playing on grass meant playing a slower game, but it also meant, despite all the hard work of the grounds crew, playing on a field that could be a bit uneven.

"When it gets into October, it's tough because it's raining out all the time or it's snowing out all the time," Hume said. "Being able to get on the turf as much as possible has helped to speed up our game a lot. We've really been able to ratchet up."

The proof is the past three years of play against a top Class A team, Pal-Mac.  Two years ago, Batavia lost 6-1.  Last year, 4-0.  This year, in the Class A semifinal, 2-0.  That's a measure of progress, even if the Blue Devils haven't yet cleared the hump of beating Pal-Mac.

And the progress doesn't seem to have peaked, Hume indicated.

"We have a great JV group that came up, and I had girls that were freshmen and sophomores that could have been on varsity and would have been on varsity previous years, like five, six years ago, but we didn't have the room for them," Hume said.  "They would be playing and I don't want them to sit on the bench if there's no value to it at that point."

Hume acknowledged that as much as it might recognize the success of the program in 2023, it also recognizes the progress of the program.

"I think it is a recognition of what we can do and that we are competitive," Hume said. "We can compete now several teams in our group. Aquinas is in our group, and Pal-Mac is our Class A. Like I said, we did Class A for nine years, and we won four games all the time, or five games all the time, so, you know, I think we're proving we can compete."

Students at Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate schools went for a trick-or-treat in costume on Tuesday morning, getting treats from police officers, firefighters, bus drivers, and city public works personnel.

The kids at Robert Morris visited a petting zoo, picked out a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch, and enjoyed a snack of doughnut holes and apple cider.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported in the area of 6520 North Lake Road, Bergen.

A subject inside the vehicle can be seen moving a hand.

Bergen Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.  Mutual aid from Churchville requested.

It’s not too late to register for a free kids’ hockey trial program this weekend, organizers say.

The Try Hockey For Free program, sponsored by Genesee Amateur Hockey Association, is for boys and girls aged four to nine, and runs from 10:40 a.m. to noon Saturday at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street, Batavia.

Organizers encourage participants to bring equipment if you have it. If you don’t have any equipment, do bring loose-fitting sweat or snow pants, a pair of hockey, mittens or winter gloves, a helmet (hockey or bike) and a smile.

Rental skates will be provided for free, courtesy of the ice arena. Hockey sticks will be given out for use, and must be returned upon the end of the session. A USA hockey jersey will be given to each participant.

The on-ice experience will include plenty of coaches on hand to give your child a great youth hockey experience, organizers say. “They will get an opportunity to learn the basic skills of youth hockey,” organizer Bob Gray said.

Registration is now open. Go to: tryhockeyforfree.com (zip code 14020).

For more information, contact svgray@rochester.rr.com

The indoor winter soccer program started on Monday at the YMCA in Batavia, coached by Batavia girls Varsity coach Roger Hume.

He calls the program "club soccer."

It is open to soccer players from third grade through 12th, and it's never too late for a parent to get a child started in the program.  Hume said as long as a class has room, the class is open at any time of the winter, November through March, and there is an open registration time again in January.

JV and Varsity players practice and train on Mondays, junior high on Wednesdays, and elementary school kids on Thursdays.  On Saturdays, all grade levels participate at different times of the day.

Since many of the JV and Varsity players often play other winter sports, the Monday classes tend to thin out once those seasons start, Hume said.

The session starts with some warm-ups followed by skill work, ball handling.

"We want to do a lot of group stuff, too," Hume said. "Then they'll do some scrimmaging at the end. We try to work on teamwork, try to work on passing, receiving. Indoors is good for more skill work and then some passing, the physicality of the game. But you know, you can't mimic what you're doing outside. I mean, I wish we had turf. Yeah, I always say I wish we had turf, but we don't have turf. So we take advantage of what we have."

In February and March, club players typically participate in tournaments. Batavia, Attica, Keshequa, and Byron-Bergen are among the locations of indoor tournaments.

Photos by Howard Owens

The Genesee Region Cross Country County Championships were held at Oakfield-Alabama High School on Saturday.

The top three finishers in the Girls 5K Dash:

• Catherine Staley, Geneseo, 19:47
• Emily Lamb, Geneseo, 19:53
• Rose Wilson, Byron-Bergen, 19:54

For full results, click here.

The top three finishers for the Boys 5K Dash:

• Connor Domoy, Oakfield-Alabama, 15:58
• Simon Aguilar, Geneseo, 16:37
• Logan Clark, Oakfield-Alabama, 16:45

For full results, click here.

Photos by Doug McFarland.