Pembroke will play for the Rotary Tournament championship on Thursday after knocking off Notre Dame in a first-round game on Tuesday, 50-43.

Elle Peterson scored 15 points, and had five assists and four rebounds to help lead the Dragons to the win in the Girls Basketball game.

Seneca Calderon scored 11 points and had four assists and five rebounds. Jaden Hootman scored seven points. Morgan Conibert scored six and blocked three shots. Regan Schneider grabbed seven rebounds while scoring four points.

For the Irish, Nina Bartz scored 15 points, Emma Sisson, 10, and Sofia Falleti, eight.

Jasmin Macdonald's 19 points weren't enough to lift Batavia over Cal-Mum in Tuesday's opening game of the 2023 Rotary Tournament at GCC.

Batavia lost 52-54.

Isabella Walsh scored eight points, Anna Varland, six, and Violet Lopez, five.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Press Release:

The Batavia Police Department has closed out the Movember campaign for 2023. The department raised $1,700 for Genesee Cancer Assistance with 19 members participating. Pictured are a few members who participated in the campaign with leadership from Genesee Cancer Assistance. 

Genesee Cancer Assistance, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, co-founded in 1995 by Mrs. Dorothy Schlaggel & Mr. Russ Romano. Their shared desire was to create an organization through which cancer patients living in Genesee County could have access to financial aid and a variety of support services. Since its founding, Genesee Cancer Assistance has been able to assist thousands of individuals; helping hundreds of patients each year.  

The Movember Worldwide Campaign started in 2003 in Australia and has since grown. Movember was created to bring awareness to Men’s Health; specifically, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.

After a thorough and time-consuming process that involves a peer review panel of dozens of applications, the first round of 2024 statewide community regrant program recipients for 2024 have been chosen, Educator and SCR Director Mary Jo Whitman says.

GO Art! will be regranting $336,000 to artists and nonprofit organizations for projects and programs throughout Genesee and Orleans counties, with the first round wrapping up in November, and the second round opening up just after Christmas and closing Feb. 17.

While the SCR program is not new, the grant funding sometimes gets mistaken for GO Art! money, which is not the case, Whitman said. The Genesee-Orleans Council on the Arts (GO Art!) acts solely as administrator of the funds to disperse them to the grant recipients chosen by the panel. 

"I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about the programming. A lot of people kind of mistake the idea that we get the funding, which we do not, we're not allowed to use any of the funding toward our programming. So much of the programming that we do is completely separate from this,” Whitman said during an interview with The Batavian. “We may administer it, and we have to make sure that it goes into the hands of the nonprofits and artists. So things like Picnic in the Park, for example, is one thing we got a lot of flack on as, you know, when we weren't getting as much funding for Picnic in the Park, and it just wasn't feasible for us to host it anymore. We've definitely heard a lot of comments about that — a backlash of how we're funding all these other projects.

“But we can't fund Picnic in the Park, we can't use the money for Picnic in the Park; it’s a completely different strain of money. We're not allowed to use that."

The Statewide Community Regrant Program (SCR) is a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts that was developed in 1977 to ensure that the state’s cultural funding would reach every part of New York State. The cornerstone of SCR is its focus on local decision decision-making through a transparent and competitive peer review panel process, she said. Local artists and nonprofits submit their projects for consideration and are reviewed, chosen and submitted to the GO Art! Board. 

So, instead of giving GO ART! money for its own programs, creative as they may be, this money goes to many individual artists and nonprofits for various projects, including outdoor murals, musical concerts, dramatic presentations, festivals and light displays. 

The panel selected 46 applications for up to $5,000 each in categories of Community Arts (Reach) and Arts Education (Spark), and $2,500 for Individual Artist Commissions (Ripple). The categories and recipients are as follows:

REACH -- The GO ART! Community Arts Grants (Reach Grants) provide seed grants to individual artists, collectives and arts organizations for projects and activities that enable Genesee and Orleans County communities to experience and engage with the performing, literary, media, and visual arts.

Each year the program supports arts projects, including concerts, performances, public art, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, workshops, readings, and more. 

REACH Recipients:

• Batavia Concert Band - $5,000 for 2024 Music in the Park Summer Concert Series
• Haxton Memorial Library - $5,000 for Talented Thursdays
• Alexander Volunteer Fire Department Band - $4,837 for Community Performances
• The Elba Betterment Committee - $4550 for EBC Presents ...
• Oakfield Betterment Committee Inc. - $5,000 for Oakfield Labor Daze
• Genesee Chorale Inc. - $5,000 for 2024 Genesee Chorale Season
• Village of Bergen - $2,300 for the Hickory Park Concert Series
• Rebecca A. O’Donnell with Community Partner, Warrior House of WNY Inc. - $4,000 for Creative
• Community Connections at the Goose
• Batavia Business Improvement District - $5,000 for Jackson Square Concert Series
• David F. Burke with Community Partner, Warrior House of WNY Inc. - $2,500 for Wings Mural for The Goose
• Heather Kathleen Davis with Community Partner, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church - $3,100 for Opera on the Oatka
• Genesee Symphony Orchestra - $5,000 for The Genesee Symphony Orchestra’s 78th Season
• Byron-Bergen Public Library - $5,000 for Arts in our Community
• Amanda M. Taylor with Community Partner, City of Batavia Fire Department - $5,000 for Main Street
• Fire Hydrant Murals
• Bergen Business and Civic Association - $5,000 for Bergen Park Festival
• Woodward Memorial Library - $4,979 for Art All Year, Take Two
• St. Mark’s Episcopal Church - $2,415 for Music at St. Mark’s
• Kathlyn Baker with Community Partner, Warrior House of WNY Inc. - $5,000 for Art Exploration Project
• Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming OUT!, Inc.- $5,000 for GLOW OUT! Pride Festival 2024
• Village of Corfu - $5,000 for Corfu Farmers Market 2024 Music Series
• GLOW YMCA, Inc. - $1,000 for GLOW Corporate Street Beat
• Gillam-Grant Community Center - $4,640 for A Spectrum of Art
• The Batavia Players, Inc. - $5,000 for the 2024 Season
• Marianne Skye with Community Partner, Warrior House of WNY - $5,000 for Groovy Moves-Family
• Music and Movement
• Lee-Whedon Memorial Library - $5,000 for Finally Fridays! 2024
• Yates Community Library - $5,000 for Yates Community Library - More Than Just Books
• Friends of Boxwood Cemetery - $5,000 for Boxwood at Night 2024
• The Cobblestone Society - $5,000 for The Cobblestone Museum Arts Series for 2024
• Lyndonville Lions Club - $5,000 for I Hear the Music
• Village of Holley - $3,000 for Village of Holley Canal Concert Series
• Community Free Library - $5,000 for Continuation of Myron Holley Erie Canal Mural
• Care Net Center of Greater Orleans - $5,000 for Artists and Their Styles
• C. W. Bill Lattin with Fiscal Sponsor, The Cobblestone Society - $5,000 for Architecture Destroyed In
• Orleans County, N.Y.
• Village of Holley - $2,000 for Festival Series 2024
• Canalside Radio Inc. - $5,000 for Harmonizing Communities: The Canalside Radio Initiative
• William Schutt with Community Partner, Village of Albion - $5,000 for Lighting the Erie Canal
• Hoag Library of the Swan Library Association - $5,000 for 2024 Hoag Music Series

• Michelle Cryer with Community Partner, Town of Carlton - $5,000 for Carlton Mural at the Cove

  RIPPLE -- The GO ART! Individual Artist Commission (Ripple Grant) supports local, artist-initiated activity, and highlights the role of artists as important members of the community. The Commission is for artistic projects with outstanding artistic merit that work within a community setting. 

RIPPLE Recipients:

• David F. Burke - $2,500 for the Extension to Harvester Center Hallway Mural
• Thomas Jennings - $2,500 for the Missing Man - The Vince Welnick Story
• Joshua Lang - $2,500 for the Suite de Ballet Mvt 3
• Eric Weatherbee - $2,500 for The Humble Bard Presents

SPARK -- The Arts Education Program (Spark Grant) supports arts education projects for youth and/or senior learners. Emphasis is placed on the depth and quality of the creative process through which participants learn through or about the arts. Projects must focus on the exploration of art and the artistic process.

SPARK Recipients:

• Linda Fix with Fiscal Sponsor, BCSD Foundation Community Schools - $5,000 for #It Takes A Village
• Bart Dentino with Community Partner, Oakfield-Alabama Central School District - $4,815 for The Spaces Between the Leaves
• Judd Sunshine with Community Partner, Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School - $4,200 for Erie Canal Songwriting Project

These projects go way beyond one piece of artwork, Whitman said, as it draws community members to a locale and that can spur an economic and social ripple effect.

“We just really want to see as much art programming as possible in our community. We go to audit events. For example, there'll be a concert series, we're going to the concert series, we'll be talking to some of the audience members, and they talk about how they come to see this concert series every week, and when they're there, they go, ‘everybody eats at this restaurant all the time.’ So it really forms a sense of community, that helps get people out, penetrating these different local establishments," she said. "And it's much bigger than just funding a little project, it really helps with economic development, it helps bring people to the area, being situated right between Rochester and Buffalo. There's no reason why we can't have people coming into the area from both sides of  the city to enjoy the programming that is being offered.”

Another example of how a project can impact more than just the artist and a small segment of spectators are the workshops offered to the public that provide opportunities for folks who otherwise would not be able to partake in that form of art medium, she said.

“And it really gives the community a chance to really learn about different mediums or just even have the opportunity to take the workshop.  I know for myself, I grew up in Orleans County, and as a child, I was always interested in arts, but we never really had the opportunities to take these workshops," she said. "These classes will now, you know, they're able to provide them, and most of them are free. If there's any cost to them, they're very minimal, so it makes the arts accessible, I guess, is the easiest way to put that.”

She is happy that not only is GO Art! one of the partnering organizations with the state agency, but it is “actually one of the top-funded organizations in the state.”

Artists, nonprofits, and municipalities seeking funding for arts-related projects, programming, and events in Genesee and Orleans Counties are encouraged to apply to the second round of SCR funding through GO ART!.

For more information on applying for the program, go to: www.goart.org/grants or contact Mary Jo Whitman at mjwhitman@goart.org. These grants are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.  

Victor A Rivera-Cotto, 55, of Batavia, was charged on Dec. 25 with criminal contempt first, assault third, and two counts of criminal mischief fourth. It’s alleged that Rivera-Cotto violated an order of protection by striking the victim in the face and damaging their phone, in order to prevent her from calling for help. Rivera-Cotto was arraigned in CAP Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $5,000 cash bail, $10,000 bond, and $20,000 partially secured bond. He is due in Batavia City Court on Tuesday. 

On Dec. 21, Michael J. Difalco, 36, of Batavia was charged with menacing, second and criminal possession of a weapon, third. Difalco allegedly threatened another person with blunt object during an altercation on South Main Street. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail, without bail. He is due back in court on Jan. 18.

On Dec. 21, James N. Difalco, 27, of Batavia was charged with criminal obstruction of breathing after an investigation into an altercation on South Main Street where Difalco allegedly obstructed the breathing of another person by applying pressure to their neck. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Tuesday. 

Benjamin G. Evans, 35, of Batavia was charged Dec. 22 on three bench warrants. The first warrant stems from an incident on July 7, where he allegedly stole a package from the porch of a residence on State Street. The second is the result of an incident on Sept. 19, 2023, where Evans was allegedly found in possession of narcotics. The third warrant stems from an incident on Oct. 13, 2023, where he allegedly stole a package from a porch on Union Street. Evans was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to Genesee County Jail. He is due back in court on Jan. 16. 

On Dec. 22, Taiya J Rolle, 19, of Batavia was arrested for DWI. Rolle was arrested after a traffic stop on Walnut Street, where she was allegedly found to be operating a vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol. She was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 17.

Matthew J. Mika, 53, of Batavia, was charged Dec. 16 with criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, second, and tampering with physical evidence. Mika was charged after an investigation into a traffic stop in October 2023, when he was allegedly found to be in possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. It’s also alleged that he attempted to conceal evidence. He was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court.

On Dec. 15, Sarah E. Saile, 40, of Batavia, was charged with grand larceny, fourth, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh. It’s alleged that Saile stole in excess of $1,000 worth of prescription pills from the pharmacy at Tops, where she was employed. She was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court.

Angelo P. Mana, 49, of Batavia, was charged on Dec. 15 on a warrant for burglary, third, petit larceny, criminal mischief, fourth, and conspiracy, fifth. Mana was charged in relation to an incident that occurred on Oct. 23, where he and another person allegedly broke into a building on Mill Street and stole property. He was arraigned in CAP Court and is due to appear in Batavia City Court at a later date. 

On Dec. 18, Brant G. Matthews, 29, of LeRoy, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled Substance, seventh, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, second. It’s alleged that Matthews was found to be in possession of narcotics and a digital scale while being arrested on an unrelated warrant. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 9. 

Jeanna M. Hattaway, 36, of Warsaw, was charged on Dec. 13 with criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh. The arrest stems from a traffic stop on April 21, 2023, when Hattaway was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in court on Jan. 9. 

On Dec. 14, Thomas A. Griffin, 36, of Batavia, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. seventh, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. Griffin was arrested after an investigation into an incident on July 31, 2023, when police responded to the parking lot of 7-Eleven to check the welfare of a person slumped over the wheel of a vehicle. Griffin was allegedly found to be operating the vehicle while impaired by drugs. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 2.

On Dec. 6, Jon H. Bush, 40, and Jennifer K Freeman, 39, both of Batavia, were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh. Bush and Freeman were charged in relation to a traffic stop on Washington Ave on 6/30/2023, where they were both allegedly found to be in possession of narcotics. Bush was also arrested on an outstanding warrant and additionally charged with resisting arrest. Both were issued appearance tickets for the drug charges. Bush was arraigned in Batavia City Court on the warrant and released on his own recognizance. 

On Dec. 17, Danielle T. Lumpkin, 42, of Batavia, was charged for criminal mischief, fourth. It’s alleged that Lumpkin damaged a door at the victim’s residence. Lumpkin was issued an appearance ticket and is due in court on Tuesday.

On Dec. 15, Michael J. Difalco, 36, of Batavia, was charged with harassment, second. It’s alleged that Difalco pulled another person’s hair and punched them during an altercation on South Main Street. He was issued an appearance ticket.

John A. Cabrera, 56, of Batavia, was charged Dec. 12 for menacing, second. Cabrera allegedly threatened another person with an imitation gun during an argument on Washington Avenue. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released. He is due back in court on Jan. 17. 

On Dec. 11, Chad M. Johnston, 37, of Batavia was charged with burglary, second, and criminal mischief, third. It’s alleged that on Dec. 6, Johnston unlawfully entered a residence on Liberty Street and damaged property inside. Johnston was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail. He is due back in court on Jan. 17.

 On Dec. 4, Tyler M. McCambridge, 30, of Syracuse was charged with attempted grand larceny, fourth, possession of a forged instrument, first, obstructing governmental administration, second, and harassment, second. McCambridge allegedly attempted to cash a forged check, at a local bank. He then ran from police when they attempted to take him into custody. McCambridge was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. 

On Dec. 8, Michael C. Mirabel, 51, of Batavia was arrested for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs. Mirabal was initially stopped on Central Avenue for a traffic violation. After an investigation, it’s alleged that Mirabal was found to be operating the vehicle while impaired by drugs. He was arraigned in CAP Court and released. He is due back in court at a later date.

On Dec. 13, Aaron R. Hatfield, 39, of Kenmore, was arrested on a bench warrant. Hatfield was initially arrested in August 2023, and charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh, after allegedly stealing from Tops. The warrant was issued after Hatfield allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $5,000 cash bail, $10,000 bond, and $25,000 partially secured bond. 

Patrick J. Gonzales, 30, of Batavia was charged Dec. 9 for obstructing governmental administration second and harassment, second. Gonzales was arrested after police responded to a residence on Highland Pk for the report of a disturbance. During the investigation, it’s alleged that Gonzales pushed an officer and attempted to prevent police from taking him into custody. He was issued an appearance ticket and released. Later that night patrols responded back to the residence for a medical call. Gonzales then allegedly attempted to prevent police and EMS from assisting another person. He was charged with another count of obstructing governmental administration, second, and issued another appearance ticket. 

On Dec. 3, Byron K. Bell, 54, of Rochester was charged on a bench warrant. Bell was initially charged on Dec. 11, with Criminal Possession of stolen property, third, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle third, and speeding after a traffic stop where he was allegedly found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle. The warrant was issued when Bell failed to appear for a court appearance. He was arraigned in CAP Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail.

On Dec. 2, Daniel J. Bakowski, 43, of Batavia was arrested on an arrest warrant. Bakowski was initially charged on Oct. 3, 2023 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, third, and failure to stop at a stop sign after a traffic stop on East Main Street. The warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court. Bakowski was arraigned in CAP Court and released. He is due back in court at a later date. 

Michael Robert Hawkins, 27, was charged with driving while impaired for a previous conviction designated offense within 10 years and driving while ability impaired by drugs with prior conviction designated offense in 10 years, for an incident at 12:49 a.m. Dec. 27, Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies said.

Hawkins, of Route 98, Attica, was charged after he was allegedly found asleep at the wheel of his vehicle while the vehicle was running on the shoulder of Route 98 in the town of Alexander. After an investigation, it is alleged that he was impaired by drugs and it was unsafe for him to operate a motor vehicle. During a search of his vehicle prior to the charge, deputies located a quantity of cocaine. Hawkins was charged and transported to Genesee County Jail for processing. He was also charged with CRIM possession of a controlled substance, failed to use/improper use of four-way flashers, and stop/stand/park violation on a highway. He was held pending a CAP Court arraignment.

James Gerard Smith, of Richley Road, Corfu, was charged with operating motor vehicle with.08 percent of 1 percent or more alcohol in blood first offense, deriving while intoxicated first offense and speed not reasonable and prudent for an incident that happened on Christmas, Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies were dispatched at approximately 7:32 p.m. Dec. 25 to 94497 Snipery Road in the Town of Darien for a vehicle off the road into a tree. Upon arrival, Deputy Alexander Hadsall spoke with the operator of the vehicle, Smith, 62, who reportedly stated that he swerved for a deer in the roadway. Smith was given standardized field sobriety tests and it was allegedly determined he was intoxicated by alcohol, Deputy Hadsall said.  Smith was charged and taken to Genesee County Jail for processing. He is to return at 4 p.m. Jan. 16 to Darien Town Court.

A Batavia man was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh degree, and obstructing governmental administration, second degree, after being arrested for multiple active warranted on Dec. 26, Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies said. Ronald James Murray, of Wood Street, allegedly attempted to prevent deputies from apprehending him while attempting to execute the warrants. Murray was also allegedly found to be possession of fentanyl at the time of arrest. 

Gregory Patrick Hamm-Johnson, 33, of Batavia, was charged with obstruction of breathing, harassment, second, and endangering the welfare of a child on Dec. 24 after he allegedly struck and hit another individual during the course of a dispute in the presence of a juvenile, Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies said. Hamm-Johnson was taken into custody and held at Genesee County Jail pending CAP Court.

A 40-year-old man was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh degree, operating a motor vehicle unlicensed and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, second degree, Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies said. Mark Joseph Konwicki, no address listed, was stopped on Dec. 17 near the Relax Inn in Batavia for a loud exhaust violation, deputies said. Konwicki was also charged for use of a motor vehicle without an interlock device and no muffler. He is to appear at 3 p.m. Jan. 9 in Batavia Town Court.

Lyndsay Taylor Young, of Route 98, Batavia, was charged on Dec. 26 with criminal contempt in the first degree for allegedly violating an order of protection issued out of Batavia Town Court after previously being convicted of criminal contempt in the second degree within the preceding five years, Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies said. Young was to appear in CAP Court.  

Click here to see our NEW listing.

The Genesee Region USBC is hosting two tournaments this month -- the 70th Scratch Memorial on Jan. 6-7 at Mount Morris Lanes and the 10th annual Adult-Junior Doubles on Jan. 13 at Perry Bowling Center.

The local association consists of bowling centers in three counties -- Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, StrikeForce Lanes in Oakfield and Le Roy Legion Lanes (Genesee), Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion and Medina Lanes (Orleans), Perry Bowling Center and Letchworth Pines (Wyoming) and Mount Morris Lanes (Livingston).

A $1,000 first prize, based on 80 entries, will be awarded to the winner of the Scratch Memorial singles tournament. Qualifying squads (four games) are set for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jan. 6 and 10 a.m. Jan. 7. Semifinals (four games) will start after the Jan. 7 qualifying squads, with stepladder finals to follow.

Entry fee is $60 per person. One in five from each qualifying squad will advance to the semifinals. A "challenge" oil pattern will be used. To enter, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com

The Adult-Junior Doubles handicap event is open to GRUSBC youth bowlers and USBC-certified adult bowlers.

Competition will take place in two divisions -- 12 & under and 13 & over. Entry fee is $48 per team. All prize winnings will go into the youth bowler's SMART (scholarship) account. To enter, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com

ADAM PHILP ROLLS 766 SERIES

In GRUSBC league play last week, Adam Philp of Batavia rolled a 766 series in the County Line Stone Trios League at Mancuso's. His games were 279-241-246.

Spectators enjoyed the annual fireworks display Sunday evening for a New Year's Eve "First Night" celebration in Le Roy. People lined the street and gathered near Farmer's Creekside Tavern and Inn to view the show along the banks of Oatka Creek. 

Photos by Nick Serrata

It was another busy news year in Genesee County, with lots of big stories, such as the ongoing saga of Ellicott Station, which even cast a shadow over a planned development for Pembroke.

That wasn't the only sign of economic growth in Pembroke, which is the site of a distribution center under construction and a planned new travel center, growth that seems largely driven by anticipated new jobs at WNY STAMP in Alabama, a GCEDC project that was mired in controversy in 2023, beset by lawsuits and environmental concerns.

In 2023, the environment didn't always play nice with Genesee County.  In June, wildfires in Canada raised concerns locally over air quality, and Bethany, along with Pavilion and Pembroke, have been suffering through water shortages.

Counties throughout upstate New York hit the panic button in the spring when rumors circulated that New York City was planning to bus asylum seekers and other immigrants to rural parts of another state, causing Genesee County to join in declaring a state of emergency and banning local facilities from housing migrants.

The return of Wings Over Batavia capped Genesee County's 2023 summer.

There were no major crimes, but a spate of random gunfire incidents caused concerns among Batavia residents. 

In the arts, Batavia Players opened 56 Main Theater and The Harve made for a more entertaining June.  

In sports, both Notre Dame (baseball) and Byron-Bergen (Boys Soccer) made runs at state championships. Pembroke won its second consecutive state championship in 8-Man Football.

Readers visited the site 1.4 million times in 2023 and viewed 9.2 million pages.

The big stories aren't always the most read stories.  Here are the 15 most viewed stories according to stats for The Batavian in 2023.

• Air quality alert issued for Sunday, by Howard Owens
• Pavilion school board hears public outcry over SRO issue and chooses to remain silent, by Howard Owens
• Puerto Rican restaurant to serve up 'a nice little change' in Batavia, by Joanne Beck
• Zeliff residence up for sale, businessman to remain locally involved, by Joanne Beck
• O'Lacy's closes, owner thanks patrons and staff with 'heavy heart,' by Joanne Beck
• A friendly merger: H.E. Turner and Gilmartin sign deal, by Joanne Beck
• Soft opening launches WNY Plate at downtown takeout, by Joanne Beck
• Lawsuit by ex-wife against David Bellavia, Orleans County, alleges false arrest as part of ugly divorce, by Howard Owens
• Hawley criticizes NYS plan to require background checks for ammo purchases, by Press Release
• Sweet Betty's reopens with new owners and ready to please,  by Joanne Beck
• Nightmare on Bank Street gives the green light to a Halloween scare, by Howard Owens
• Batavians purchase Oakfield Hotel and Bowling Lanes, plan significant upgrades throughout, by Mike Pettinella
• Person ejected from vehicle that strikes tree in Stafford, by Howard Owens
• Troopers investigating serious injury accident on Route 98 in Batavia, by Howard Owens
• Sheriff's Office looking for person of interest in hit-and-run in Batavia Downs parking lot, by Howard Owens

Many of our stories were reported first on The Batavian, and we broke some important stories, most notably the travails of Ellicott Station.  If you value great local reporting, you can help ensure it continues.  Join Early Access Pass today.  As a member of Early Access Pass, not only are you supporting your local community by supporting local news coverage, you are getting early exclusive access to our most important stories.  You also get early access to Deal of the Day.  Currently, you get a four-hour advance (look for this window of time to increase in 2024) on important stories and Deal of the Day.

We wish you a Happy New Year and thank all of our loyal readers and sponsors for your ongoing support.

Press Release:

The Haxton Memorial Library Board of Trustees will hold their monthly Board
Meeting for January 2024 on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the
library. The public is invited to attend.

The Haxton Memorial Library located at 3 North Pearl St. in Oakfield
provides residents a variety of programs, events and materials that are listed
on the library’s website at www.HaxtonLibrary.org.

The Notre Dame Lady Irish picked up some extra Section V girls’ basketball points this afternoon by defeating Lyons, 47-33.

Coach Vinny Falleti’s squad improved to 4-2 and moved up in the Class D standings with the non-league win over the Lions, who fell to 4-3 in Class C1, a division consisting of larger schools than Notre Dame.

ND jumped out to a 15-7 first-quarter lead and never looked back, holding a 27-14 halftime edge and a 34-25 advantage heading into the final period.

Senior Emma Sisson led the Irish with 12 points and nine rebounds while Sofia Falleti added 10 points and 16 rebounds. Nina Bartz and Ali Tomidy chipped in with eight points each.

Falleti said he was impressed with his team’s ability to control the pace of the game.

“We came ready to play a tough Lyons team on their court,” he said. “We jumped out to an early lead and kept the momentum throughout. This was a big win for us.”

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Senior guard Tyson Totten eclipsed Pembroke’s career scoring record on Friday night while leading the host Dragons to a 57-42 victory over Holley in Genesee Region League basketball action.

Totten poured in 31 points for Coach Matt Shay’s team, now 4-1 and coming off a first-place finish in at the Akron holiday tournament. His latest effort puts him at 1,200 points, moving him past 2023 graduate Cayden Pfalzer, who finished his career with 1,180 points.

Shay said that Totten’s success is a result of his hard work – on and off the court.

“I'm extremely proud of Tyson and feel fortunate to be his coach,” Shay said. “He strives for excellence in everything he does, whether in academics, sports, or anything else.

“Tyson has worked hard for all of the success he has had in both basketball and football. Whether it has been the offseason work we do, summer camps or the weight room, he has poured himself into it. He deserves all the accolades he gets.”

Jayden Bridge contributed 10 points, Avery Ferreira nine points and nine rebounds, and Sean Pustulka six assists for Pembroke. Destin Kuval had 19 and Vincent Golisano 13 for the Hawks.

City resident and historian Larry Barnes studied the lives of Black people who lived, worked, and/or had gone to school in the city of Batavia at some point in their lives, and the resulting message was as much philosophical as it was statistical.

Barnes is grateful for the prior work of local writer Ruth McEvoy, who thumbed through news articles from 1880 onward, and developed a list of articles about people who were Black. “That was a starting point for me,” he said, “where they lived, what they were doing, if they were working.”

Those articles did more than record people’s actions and behaviors; they documented the limitations imposed on the Black population even after the slaves were officially freed in 1865, Barnes said.

There was discrimination, Barnes notes, by imposed and non-statutory means, including deed restrictions, employment restrictions, facility restrictions, such as at Godfrey’s Pond, land, mortgage, and property rental restrictions, and the deeply subjective problem of “driving while Black,” he said.

How did that impact the Black community? Less family wealth — three cents for every dollar of non-Blacks — and lower household incomes of 60 cents for every dollar, a shorter life expectancy, higher incidence of chronic diseases and a greater chance of dying in a pandemic, being shot by police, getting convicted of a crime and being imprisoned, he said.

One source that proved to be “very interesting” for his book, he said, was the local paper, which was quite specific in identifying people as being Polish or Italian or Black in news articles, especially when the tone of the piece looked unfavorably toward the person of color, he said. They would sometimes be boldly and crudely labeled, such as a “Black stick of licorice.”

Despite the obstacles, many Blacks have had notable achievements, he said, as documented on pages 14 through 19, including:

Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965), a noted playwright and author whose plays were performed on Broadway and her best known work is “A Raisin in the Sun.”

Percy Julian (1899 to 1975), a research chemist and pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. His work laid the foundation for the production of cortisone and birth control pills.

Alain Le Roy Locke (1885 to 1954), a writer, philosopher, educator and patron of the arts who was a Rhodes Scholar and a significant contributor as a Black artist, writer, poet and musician to the Harlem Renaissance.

Barnes lists several random Black achievers, but more to the point of the book, Black Batavians have overcome and achieved much in their own right, namely the adversity of frequently having been descendants of slaves with limited knowledge of the individuals from whom they came from or precisely from there their ancestors originated, he said. 

“They have been uniquely subjected to especially long-term persecution and discrimination, including being the target of Jim Crow laws,” Barnes writes. 

“And we also observed that, largely as the result of their history, as a group, American Blacks fare less well than most other groups in personal wealth, income, health, and encounters with our country’s justice system,” he states in the book. “Finally, and this needs to be stressed, despite these differences, Blacks have, again and again, excelled in all cases of life activities. I have provided five pages of examples to drive home a point often ignored.”

There’s Mattie Butler, born in 1865, who was a personal cook for President Benjamin Harrison, who served from 1889 to 1893, and was a housemaid at Harrison’s executive mansion in Indianapolis. After later moving to Batavia, she worked at Scott and Bean’s and Henning’s department stores, dying in 1935.

Rev. Raymond Walker graduated from Byron-Bergen Central School and enlisted in the Marine Corps, later becoming a Genesee County Sheriff’s deputy and earning a master’s degree. Walker taught history at Batavia Middle School and later was assistant principal at BHS until he retired in 2005. 

Dean Edwards, a BHS 1988 graduate, is an entertainer who works as a standup comedian, actor, singer, writer and musician who joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2001 for two seasons and has worked as a voice actor, staff writer and has appeared in commercials.

The late Dr. Diane London directed the medical response in 1994 when an Amtrak derailment injured 109 passengers near Batavia, and more than 500 volunteers responded. She was the emergency doctor and medical director at Genesee County Health Department, had a medical office in Batavia, and practiced emergency medicine at United Memorial Medical Center, St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston and Lockport Memorial Hospital. 

Want to know about more awesome Black Batavians? The book, “Black Batavians: Who They Are, Their Local History, and Aspects of Our Larger Culture That Have Especially Shaped Their Experiences,” is on reserve at Richmond Memorial Library and available at Holland Land Office Museum, and Genesee County History Department.

By studying the lives of Black Batavians, Barnes spotted a trend, he said. 

“What you find over a period of time, is that, before World War II, Blacks were employed in menial jobs that didn’t require much education, and after WW II, jobs were more evenly distributed, and Blacks began to move into positions that did require advanced education,” he said. 

By the 1970s, the Black population had grown rather significantly, he said, by 10 percent, in the city of Batavia.   

People from larger cities of Buffalo and Rochester were attracted to this area’s socio-economic, safety and physical attributes that came with a smaller, rural city, he said. 

What did Barnes glean from his research about the Black population? That, because of their association with slavery, Blacks bring a different perspective — one that shapes how much of the Black population looks at the world, he said.

“Many people are surprised to learn there were slaves in Batavia in the early 1800s,” he said. “If you were a descendant of a slave, you wouldn’t know who your ancestors were. People who are Black often came here from a part of the country where Jim Crow laws are in effect.”

Bryan Stevenson, a Black lawyer, Harvard graduate and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, asserts that “we will never achieve really good race relations in our society until we acknowledge and face up to our history,” Barnes said. “An attitude of white supremacy made slavery tolerable and, later, the Jim Crow era virtually inevitable.

“And it isn’t just a Southern problem, however, but an all-American problem. Racism permeates our society,” he said.

You can read more about Stevenson’s thoughts and Barnes’ reflections on the topic, and he leaves the reader with a challenge.

“In any event, it’s time for action,” Barnes said. “Each of us can play a part. What are you going to do to help end the legacy of slavery?”

He may not have been a City of Batavia resident for long before being appointed city historian, but whatever Larry Barnes may have lacked in residential longevity, he made up for with a growing passion.

It was while serving as an assistant to then County Historian Sue Conklin that Barnes became involved in researching city government — sifting through all sorts of materials and, as a result, becoming quite interested in the city.

That was more than a decade and a half ago.

“It’s been a tremendous experience, I’m really going to miss it,” Barnes said during an interview with The Batavian at his second-floor City Hall office. “It’s been a major part of my life for 16 years.” 

Since those humble beginnings, he has gone through a city centennial celebration, watched the unfolding process of the historic Brisbane Mansion — aka current police station — become a prospective boutique hotel or serve some other purpose as a new police facility moves toward final plans. He has researched several requests about homes that have physically been moved or relatives’ ancestors or other Batavia history, though he’s quick to tell you he’s not one’s personal genealogist. He has written books about the city’s most prominent people and places, and been quoted dozens of times over the years for news articles about the birthplace of western New York.

Batavia was once a village, founded in 1827, and became a city in 1915. Eight years ago, there was a grand centennial splash, despite a whirling blizzard that helped all ring in the New Year on Dec. 31, 2014.

In true western or upstate, take your pick, New York fashion, it was a windy, blustery, snowy, icy cold — and certainly not cooperative — evening for the plans the centennial committee had made for the outdoor portion of the event. 

But Barnes had committed to do his part as city historian.

“I remember standing on a platform trying to give a talk to a very small audience,” Barnes said. “Most of the people had gone inside where it was warm.”

And now as we approach the city’s 108th birthday, and another eight years for Barnes since that frigid night, he couldn’t help but also recall how his predecessor didn’t think he had the chops for the job, having only lived in Batavia a mere few years and all. But he’s also well aware of the fact that it doesn’t take one’s personal upbringing to be a good historian. 

Not that Barnes didn’t bring an attractive portfolio to the position; he began teaching at Genesee Community College in 1968, lived in the towns of Batavia and Byron and built a home in the City of Batavia in 2005, where he had lived for three years before taking the job. 

The city’s first historian was William Coon, who seemingly fell into the role as the city attorney, and was appointed by the mayor in 1919. He died in office after serving until 1953, which is something Barnes most definitely did not aspire to, he said: “My goal was to not die in office,” he said.

The last historian was Corinne Iwanicki, who served from 1995 to 2007, and she was succeeded by Barnes, who was the sixth city historian and the first one to be paid, if only for a short time. The position was not paid until this past year, when City Council agreed to provide a stipend. 

There also was no formal job description until former City Manager Jason Molino and Barnes worked on one that was officially approved by City Council in 2010.

Over the years, Barnes has researched various landmarks, people and happenings, such as where the first bridge was located in Batavia, when railroads changed to their current location and why, what happened to certain houses in the city, including some formerly located where the Southside roundabout is now. 

Barnes received so many questions about relocated homes that he wrote a small book about 40 houses that have been physically moved to other locations. 

“If I get interesting questions, I will do that,” he said. 

His own questions piled up about a certain population in the city that seemed to go undocumented, and Barnes wanted to do something about that. While he noticed that quite a lot had been written about Italian, Polish and Irish residents whose families had emigrated to the United States, there was nothing about Black Batavians, he said.

The first simple but pointed question had to be; who is a Black Batavian? Do you go by the color of one’s skin, or facial features, or ancestors? Answer: the person is a Black Batavian if they or someone else defines them as such, he said. 

For more about his latest book, go to: “Black Batavians: Who They Are, Their Local History, and Aspects of Our Larger Culture That Have Especially Shaped Their Experiences.”

Christmas came a few days late this week for city of Batavia officials, but it was well worth it to open a package worth $350,000 in the form of a Community Development Block Grant, issued by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office on Thursday.

Details will be ironed out over the next few months about how the money will be allocated and who the recipients will be for home improvement funding, Assistant City Manager Erik Fix said.

“We are very pleased to have received the CDBG Grant this year.  It is a bit early for us to make any formal announcement and/or notifying eligible homeowners.  Aside from the announcement, we have not received any information in regards to how or when the grant can be distributed,” he said Friday. “We have multiple trainings and webinars in the next couple of months and should have all of the details ironed out by late-winter, early spring in time for summer renovation projects.

“In the meantime, we do have funding available in the Batavia Home Fund,” he said. “The application and details can be found in the Citizen Action Center on our website, www.batavianewyork.com.”

Fix had previously said that the grant would coincide with the city’s comprehensive housing strategy “that we are in the process of developing.”

“It goes hand in hand with the Batavia Home Fund that the City, GCEDC and Town of Batavia signed an inter-municipal agreement to fund this past fall,” he had said to The Batavian earlier this year.  “The CDBG will provide funding for rehabilitation projects on owner-occupied, single-family home rehab projects throughout the city.  The hope is that when one neighbor makes improvements, others will as well, and the city can help foster rehabilitation throughout our communities.”

The Federal assistance Community Development Block Grant funds would enable homeowners to make home repairs with grant and deferred loan funding. Any single-family homeowner was encouraged to apply and the goal of the program was to provide “vibrancy to communities” similar to recent improvements made to Summit Street to create vibrant transformations throughout the city.

This program is to tie in with the city’s housing improvement plan and the recently created Batavia Home Fund. 

Hochul said that 1,400 households will benefit from more than $46 million in grant awards to support affordable homeownership. The grants will help low- and moderate-income families make repairs or safety upgrades to their homes, replace manufactured homes, and provide down payment assistance for first-time buyers. 

Batavia is part of the Finger Lakes region, which was awarded nearly $2.8 million in grant funding. 

Who says you have to wait until midnight to celebrate the New Year? Batavia First Presbyterian Church is hosting a morning celebration from 10 to 11 a.m. with worship, songs, stories, and prayer and 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday with brunch and games to ring in the New Year. There will also be a photo booth, hats, tiaras and other New Year’s goodies to ring in 2024, organizers say.

The public is welcome to attend at 300 E. Main St., Batavia.