Left to right in black t-shirts are Julia Clark, Anna Varland, Isabella Walsh, and Julia Preston were honored on senior night. Photo by Steve Ognibene
On Senior night, one win-shy of a .500 season, Batavia came out strong against Geneva and came away with a 59-19 win.
The game began with a 6-4 early in the first quarter lead for the Blue Devils but trailed at the end of the quarter 11-8.
With a strong second half, Batavia turned out the light on Geneva, going into the half with a 33-12 lead, and the game was never close again.
After a couple of consecutive seasons where wins were hard to come by, Coach John McCulley sees progress in a 10-10 season and a group of young players developing winning habits and gaining experience.
"The season started out pretty good," McCulley said. "We had a light schedule. We started out with a bunch of girls that hadn't played at the varsity level. The senior girls that I had, that's what made it so special throughout the season. The senior girls I had were a huge help for me, as far as the right attitude, and teaching the young girls the right way to handle things. And so the season went pretty well. We had our ups and downs but as far as I'm concerned, from last year to this year, leaps and bounds. We've learned a lot, everything, every game, we progressively got better."
There are nine freshmen in the program, between varsity and JV and McCulley believes they have high ceilings.
"The freshmen are going to be phenomenal for me," McCulley said. "And I got Jamie (Macdonald) coming back another year that she just took leaps and bounds towards the end of the year. I think she's going to accept this role as a leader and just be a powerhouse next year."
Please be advised that Blue Heron Construction will continue to work on interconnections for the Jackson Street Water project today, Thursday, February 15, on Jackson Street.
Loss of water should be expected in the surrounding area depending on valve closures. If discolored water occurs when water pressure is regained, please avoid doing laundry or cooking until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank the public for their patience and cooperation as we work to improve our community.
Join us for our annual FeBREWary Beer Walk Downtown Saturday, Feb. 24 from 4 - 8 p.m. with 23 participating businesses. Registration is to be held at GO ART!
Come walk The Downtown Business Improvement District, sip some delicious craft beer, and visit local businesses. Shop our downtown as you visit with friends and family, eat some great food, and see what is new.
FeBREWary tickets are $35.00 per person, and you must be 21 or over to attend. No one under 21 will be allowed entry.
Tickets are available at Adam Miller Toys & Bicycles, Yngodess Shop, and Eventbright. For more information, visit our Facebook page or at www.bataviabid.com.
An attorney representing Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. Wednesday called it “a wise decision” by lawyers representing a former chief operating officer at WROTB to seek dismissal of a false claims' lawsuit against current and former directors and senior management.
“That was a wise decision for them to withdraw the lawsuit … because it would have been without merit, and what have faced immediate dismissal motion,” said Aaron Saykin of Hodgson Russ LLP of Buffalo, speaking of a legal action filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York by Michael Nolan.
In July 2021, Nolan filed a false claims act lawsuit against the corporation, naming current and former board members (including Richard Siebert, Genesee County) and senior leaders – claiming WROTB improperly spent public funds on directors’ health insurance, sporting and concert tickets and other management perks.
On Jan. 4 of this year, Western District Court Judge William M. Skretny ruled that a dismissal was in order due to the fact that the court lacks diversity jurisdiction over the claims since Nolan is no longer a resident of Florida. Reportedly, Nolan has moved back to New York.
An affidavit from Nolan’s attorney, Edward Yankelunas of Tiveron Law of Amherst, dated Jan. 3, indicated that “although (Nolan) is not proceeding with the state qui tam action in federal court for the reason stated above (change of residence) and seeks to voluntarily dismiss this action, the plaintiff respectfully reserves the right to (a) proceed with state qui tam action New York State Supreme Court and (b) proceed with the plaintiff’s individual action against WROTB and the other named defendants, which is pending in this court.”
A call to Yankelunas was not returned at the time of the posting of this story.
Saykin said that former State Sen. George Maziarz filed a similar lawsuit in 2022 in Erie County Supreme Court.
“Maziarz’s suit had extremely similar allegations and we moved to dismiss that,” he said. “Before the judge even decided it, the other side withdrew it quickly because we pointed out that it was completely meritless under the False Claims Act.”
Saykin said cases involving the False Claims Act normally are “sued on behalf of the government, and that the Office of the State Attorney General declined to intervene and take the (Nolan) case.”
The court issued a summons to nearly two dozen defendants in May 2023, but those people were not served summonses because, according to Yankelunas’ filing, Nolan’s citizenship changed from Florida to New York, “thereby apparently eliminating diversity jurisdiction.”
Saykin said he views it differently.
“They waited on it for months and months and months and didn’t do anything. I think that tells you everything you need to know about how strongly they felt about it,” he surmised, adding that if Nolan refiles in state court, WROTB will move to dismiss it.
WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said the lawsuit was “frivolous and we’re glad it was dismissed.”
Nolan previously filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former employer following his firing in December 2020. He is claiming he was let go for sharing information about the company’s policies with federal and state authorities.
He is seeking $14.5 million in compensatory damages plus reinstatement to his former COO position, reinstatement of full fringe benefits and seniority rights, damages sustained due to the violation including, without limitation, the compensation for lost wages, benefits and other remuneration, and payment of all reasonable costs, disbursements, and attorney's fees.
From Jan. 26 to Feb. 24 a land owner may submit a request to include entire parcels of predominantly viable agricultural land within a certified New York State Agricultural District.
NYS Agricultural and Markets Law requires that the County Legislature designate an annual thirty-day time period within which a land owner may submit a request for inclusion of property within a certified agricultural district.
This annual time occurs in Genesee County from Jan. 26 to Feb. 24 and is exclusively designed to incorporate property that is predominantly viable agricultural land – defined by Genesee County as lands that are composed of at least 51% prime farmland soils and/or are contiguous to the main farm operation.
Applications for the inclusion of land are available at the Genesee County Department of Planning in County Building No. 2 (3837 W Main Street Rd, Batavia) or can be downloaded or printed by visiting the website:
The application must be completed and signed by the landowner and returned to the Genesee County Department of Planning by 5 p.m. on Feb. 24. Due to the language of the NYS Agricultural and Markets Law, no applications can be accepted before Jan. 26.
PLEASE NOTE: Requesting enrollment of property during this thirty-day time period is not a guarantee that your property will be added to an existing Agricultural District, and it will not automatically qualify your property for a reduced agricultural property tax assessment. For information on obtaining a reduced agricultural property tax assessment, you must contact your local assessor. Please remember, that the Taxable Status Date is March 1.
GO ART! is hosting a Creative Arts Camp during February Break (Feb. 19 - 23). This camp is tailored to students in grades K-6.
Grade school students will create and maintain positive connections while enjoying hands-on exploration of various disciplines including culinary arts, visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts.
Participants will build upon problem-solving and critical thinking skills while increasing their knowledge about different mediums and forms of art in a safe, inclusive, and structured environment.
In the past, we have done visual arts projects while learning about famous artists and art movements, created puppets and put on plays, played in the musical garden, learned about different styles of dance, as well as various arts and crafts projects.
Please drop off your camper between 8:45 and 9 a.m. and pick them up between 2:45 and 3 p.m. GO ART! will provide snacks and water but don’t forget to send your camper with lunch. Registration is required to attend Creative Arts Camp and spots are limited. https://goart.org/programming/exlporeart/exlporeart-children/, call (585) 343-9313 or email Jodi at jfisher@goart.org.
During his talk Tuesday evening at GO Art! in Batavia, artist Bryan Wright shows how he uses a plasma cutter for precision cuts in metal to create pieces of artwork. Photo by Joanne Beck
Of the sundry tools that artists gravitate toward, from chalk and colored pencils to watercolor and acrylic paints and brushes, Bryan Wright has chosen a lesser-known and more expensive pursuit.
Wright, a Batavia resident who was first introduced to his ever-increasingly favorite method to create art during a BOCES basic-advanced welding class 15 years ago, has fallen for the plasma cutter.
"I got this machine in 2008. I made mostly Christmas gifts for family and have been making things for people, I was just kind of giving a lot of the stuff away,” Wright said to a group of about 15 people that attended his Batavia Society of Artists talk Tuesday evening at GO Art! in Batavia. “So, just this last year, I've started putting stuff in exhibits and trying to make some money, because this is not cheap. It's not cheap.”
He made a major investment with his first plasma cutter — a heavy-duty welding torch that can cut through steel, aluminum, and similar materials with precision — for $1,000, and said that related supplies of a cap and electrodes go for $10 and $15 each, respectively.
Parts of the torch include the electrodes, a narrow piece of copper that receives the electrical current, a retaining cap, and a shield cap. Batavia Society of Artists hosted him for a demonstration that didn’t pan out due to the cold, snow, and wind, Teresa Tamfer said.
He instead offered a video that illustrated what he did and how he did it, followed by a question and answer session with many of his supplies and pieces of equipment on hand.
An audience member asked how long his materials last.
"So what I have found is that it's really up to you to determine when you think you need to replace this. But I would probably say, I could probably go through … in a five pack, it probably maybe lasts like six or seven months, I don't know, maybe once a month you might go through a new set," he said. "But the problem that you have is when you don't have a new end and a new electrode, the cut is a little more dispersed, it's kind of, it's not a very clean, precise cut. And you just can'tcompare a used one to a brand-new one right out of the box. So you’ve really got to be picky and choosey on when you want to change this, and when is it appropriate to just need to make that change?
“If I'm cutting something purely on the outside, it really doesn't make a difference. But if you want to cut like an eyeball out or something in the middle, you really want to make sure that cut isn't just splattering out and kind of making a mess. So there's an appropriate time to replace it,” he said.
Other considerations are having a compressor, which goes "hand in hand" with the plasma cutter, and the height of the materials because that can distort your cutting line, he said.
“Because if you pull back, you're not really sending that amount of heat directly to that material. So if you're not back far enough, you're not really going to have a nice precise cut, but the closer you are to that material, you will get that nice cut,” he said.
Samples of his work are on display and available for purchase through March 30 in the 2.o.1 Tavern Gallery at GO Art!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia.
Bryan Wright with his plasma cutter and several materials on display. Photo by Joanne Beck
Bryan Wright artworks at the GO Art! gallery through March 30. Photo by Joanne Beck
Bryan Wright artworks, here and below, on display at the GO Art! gallery through March 30. Photos by Joanne Beck
Pembroke beat Oakfield-Alabama 58-50. Seneca Calderon scored 17 points, Peyton Liss, 12, with five rebounds, and Elle Peterson, seven points and five rebounds.
In Boys Basketball, Batavia beat Greece-Olympia 65-62. Estavan Lovette scored 16 points, Carter Mullen, 15, and Justin Smith, 12.
Notre Dame beat Wheatland-Chili 48-17 in Girls Basketball on Tuesday.
The Lady Irish had two players record double-doubles on Senior Night.
Emma Sisson led in scoring with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sofia Falleti followed her with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals. Gianna Falleti also added eight points for the Irish.
“Tonight was a great way to close out our regular season with a home game and celebrate senior night," said Coach Vinny Falleti.
Marshall's News Store on Jackson Street, Batavia. Photo courtesy the Genesee County History Department.
Sixty years ago, The Beatles invaded America, beginning on Feb. 9, 1964, with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, followed by a concert in Washington, D.C., a second appearance on Ed Sullivan, and then several other concerts in the U.S.
For young Batavians who wanted to hear more or know more about the Fab Four, there were two choices: Roxy's Music Store, where they could buy records, and Marshall's News Store, where they could buy magazines.
Walking down Main Street, you would stop at Roxy’s, buy the latest 45 single, and then move on to Marshall’s News Store.
As 14-year-olds, my best friend Cathy and I made the pilgrimage to our two favorite stores once a week. What we took for granted were the smiles that would greet us at the two stores.
Years ago, I had the privilege of talking to Art Marshall, the last Marshall to own the store, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. I asked Art about his fondest memories. He didn’t hesitate; he said the customers and people he worked with at the store.
In 1999, when the store was sold, The Batavia Daily News did an article titled "Last Edition; Batavia Newsstand closes after a Century." Many people were interviewed, and you knew the news store was more than just a place for buying a newspaper. It was an institution where people came to connect with their friends.
Art told me the news store was the first business in Batavia to sell lottery tickets. That reminded me of my first and last ticket I bought at his store many years ago. Everyone wanted to buy a lottery ticket. As I was trying to remember the dates and ages of my family members, one by one, I realized I was holding up the line. When I left Marshalls and the unhappy line of ticket buyers was out the door, I knew that would be my last lottery ticket.
There are many memories from Marshall’s News Store, from young boys who pedaled newspapers early to the store becoming a favorite place to buy the Sunday paper after church. I look back and smile, remembering Rosie and Art’s welcoming faces as we entered the store.
It all began in 1898; Arthur H. Marshall purchased the news store on 67 Main Street from Orville L. Howard. In 1901, he was joined by Hugh H. Telfair and moved the newsroom to the rear portion of the Farmer’s Bank. By 1921, Art Marshall dropped his partner and moved to 11 Jackson St., staying there for many years. He shared a building with Ebling Electric. In 1974, the store moved into the Daily News building and was operated by Marshall’s grandson, Arthur Marshall Jr., who owned the store until 1994, when it was sold.
A name synonymous with the news store is Rosie Tumminello. He began working at the news store as a paperboy in 1936 when he was eight. At 12, he was hired by Art Marshall to work inside the store. He remained with the store for 52 years and eventually became the store manager. He was the heart of Marshall’s News Store.
In writing articles for many years, I have always been filled with beautiful memories and saddened by the loss of Main Street. Gone are the days when you could walk down Main and Jackson streets and buy anything from produce, clothing, a washing machine, a meal, and last but not least, a newspaper and lottery ticket. Thank you, Marshall News Store, for the memories and for reminding us of the Good Ole Days.
Information for this article was made available from the Genesee County History Department files.
Ringo, George, John and Paul -- The Beatles -- in 1964 with Ed Sullivan. Photo: Public domain, courtesy Wikicommons.
The YWCA of Genesee County is pleased to announce the 2024 Women of Inspiration Awards on April 28 from 12:30 - 3 p.m. The event will be held at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Road, Batavia.
Our Keynote Speaker will be, a multi-award-winning anchor and investigative reporter, Deanna Dewberry. In March 2017, Deanna joined the News10NBC team. Deanna is a strong advocate for women and a four-time cancer survivor.
She is actively involved in community activities that enrich the lives of cancer survivors and women and promote social justice. Her commitment to advocating for her community has been evident throughout her career including stops in Dallas, Indianapolis, Little Rock, and Lubbock.
That advocacy has earned her 12 regional Emmy Awards which included being named the region’s top consumer reporter. “We are so excited to have Deanna join us this year and help us honor some of Genesee County’s most incredible women”, said Jamie Rada, YWCA Executive Director.
Nominations for the prestigious Women of Inspiration Awards are now open. Do you know an inspiring woman? A woman who makes her community a better place to live by going above and beyond for others? A woman who perseveres in the face of challenges and serves as a role model for women and girls? If so please consider nominating her for this years women of inspiration award.
For more information on nominating a deserving woman, event details, and registration, please visit www.ywcagenesee.org.
For Questions, Please Contact the YWCA of Genesee County Office at 585-343-5808.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) introduced a resolution yesterday declaring Feb. 12-18, 2024 as Jell-O week in the state of New York. Jell-O was originally created in 1897 by a carpenter from Le Roy named Pearle Wait. Wait experimented with gelatin and came up with the fruit-flavored dessert which his wife, Mary, named Jell-O.
The Jell-O Company changed ownership several times before leaving Le Roy in 1964. Known as America’s Most Famous Dessert, Jell-O remains a distinguished part of the town’s history. The Jell-O museum, located on East Main Street, still displays the company’s original advertising art, molds, spoons, toys, collectibles, and recipe books.
Hawley is proud to recognize this dessert’s rich history, which started in Western New York and has contributed to the economic growth and prosperity of communities across New York and throughout the country.
“The founding of the Jell-O Company is a testament to the inspiring ingenuity and innovation that can only be found in Western New York,” said Hawley. “America’s Most Famous Dessert earned its name for its impact across our state and country for creating jobs, economic opportunity, and improving the quality of life for people throughout our nation. From a local treat to an internationally sold product, Jell-O has made its mark across the globe. This week, we recognize our region's hard work and accomplishments in founding one of America’s most beloved deserts.”
The City of Batavia Fire Department has received its updated Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification (PPC).
ISO works to classify all fire departments and fire districts on a scale of 1 to 10 with Class 1 being the best. Those classifications are used by insurance companies to help determine rates. The better the classification, the better the insurance rate.
ISO’s Public Protection Classification Program (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. In fact, most U.S. insurers – including the largest ones – use PPC information as part of their decision-making when deciding what business to write, coverages to offer, or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.
ISO's PPC program evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria, incorporating nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association. A community's PPC grade depends on:
Needed Fire Flows, which are representative building locations used to determine the theoretical amount of water necessary for fire suppression purposes.
Emergency Communications, including emergency reporting, telecommunicators, and dispatching systems.
Fire Department, including equipment, staffing, training, geographic distribution of fire companies, operational considerations, and community risk reduction.
Water Supply, including inspection and flow testing of hydrants, alternative water supply operations, and a careful evaluation of the amount of available water compared with the amount needed to suppress fires up to 3,500 gpm.
The City of Batavia Fire Department received a PPC of 3, which is considered highly protected. Out of 38,195 departments or districts evaluated, only 6,328 have a PPC of 3 or better.
This rating is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the members on the CBFD. Special thanks to Captains Morris, Herberger, and Call for the effort put forth in collecting and providing the required documentation to receive this rating.
Support local journalism. Support community news coverage. Help ensure your community continues to receive the news coverage it deserves. Take advantage of this special offer and join Early Access Pass today.
City Councilwoman, Ward 5, Kathy Briggs reads a proclamation to retired City Historian Larry Barnes Monday evening at City Hall. Photo by Joanne Beck
While it may have been a foregone conclusion that former college professor Larry Barnes taught history while at Genesee Community College, given his proclivity for the stuff as long-running city historian of 16 years, those assumptions were not correct, he says.
Barnes cleared that up while accepting a certificate of appreciation for his service Monday at City Hall.
“I taught classes at GCC for 37 years before becoming city of Batavia historian … I taught psychology courses,” he said. “How did I make the transition to history from psychology? When I retired from GCC, I started looking around for opportunities to do volunteer work in the community. Then I learned that the staff at the Office for the Aging helped to place volunteers,” he said. “Subsequently, with the assistance of OFA staff, I discovered that then County Historian Sue Conklin was actively seeking volunteers. Sue had received boxes of records from the years when Paul Weiss had served on City Council. And these records needed to be sorted and organized. So she said, 'would I be interested?' Well, why not? And soon I was off and running.
“In a nutshell, this is how I acquired the job as a volunteer in the County History Department,” he said. “Now let's cut to the chase. Long story short, the knowledge I acquired in working through these records fascinated me. Pretty soon I became a city of Batavia historian buff.”
All of that eventually led Barnes to author and co-author four books, write many monographs, and create several other oral presentations, all focusing on some aspect of City of Batavia history.
“In the 37 years I taught psychology classes I never imagined that here in 2024 I would be standing here in recognition not as a psychology instructor, but as Batavia’s city historian. I didn’t even know who Joseph Ellicott was,” he said, joking that he was certain all of the audience members knew. “I thought you might find this anecdote of interest. I also thought it might inspire a future historian.”
City Councilwoman Kathy Briggs read a proclamation to Barnes in honor of his service that began in 2008 and ended with retirement on Dec. 31, 2023.
He has been an important resource for offering his knowledge of city history to any and all who has requested it, maintained historical records, compiled information, contributed useful data for historical records, has been involved with groups such as the Landmark Society of Genesee County, Batavia Historic Preservation Committee, Genesee County Historians Association, Government Appointed Historians of Western New York and the Association of Public Historian of New York State.
“Now, therefore, be it resolved the City Council of the City of Batavia does hereby congratulate Larry Barnes, city of Batavia historian, on his dedication and service to the city, and wish him and his family good health and happiness for years to come,” Briggs said.
Barnes wrote “Images of America: Batavia Revisited,” “A Polish Revolutionary in Batavia, His Wife & Descendants, & A House Divided,” and “Black Batavians: Who They Are, Their Local History, and Aspects of Our Larger Culture That Have Especially Shaped Their Experiences,” and co-authored “Genesee Community College: The First 50 Years” with Ruth Andes.
Batavia city resident and former historian Larry Barnes has been a prolific writer of articles, presentations and books. He wrote “Images of America: Batavia Revisited,” “A Polish Revolutionary in Batavia, His Wife & Descendants, & A House Divided,” and “Black Batavians: Who They Are, Their Local History, and Aspects of Our Larger Culture That Have Especially Shaped Their Experiences,” and co-authored “Genesee Community College: The First 50 Years,” with Ruth Andes. Photo by Joanne Beck
Pauline Andrews considers it "almost fate" that she ended up working for Western Regional Off-Track Betting and Batavia Downs.
It falls back to her youth when her father, the late Charles Augello - a muck farmer from Elba - owned and raced harness horses at Batavia Downs, through his Little Five Stables.
On Labor Day, the Augello family would sit in a grandstand box and watch horses from Little Five Stables race.
And, during family dinners, her father would play tape recordings of Little Five horses winning races at Batavia Downs.
Andrews, 54, is currently the longest-tenured WROTB/Batavia Downs employee as she heads into her 36th year with the organization.
After having a series of jobs, Andrews is currently executive secretary to WROTB President/CEO Henry Wojtaszek and other top officials as well as the agency's board of directors.
"It's like I grew up here," Andrews said. "I feel very fortunate to have worked here for so long”.
In 1988 Andrews went to work for Batavia Downs not long after graduating from Elba Central High School she said in the organization's "Dial-A-Bet" offices on Ellicott Street in Batavia taking telephone bets.
Andrews was promoted to receptionist at the Ellicott Street offices and later worked in the organization's accounting and payroll departments before being named executive secretary in 2014.
"I view my role as making Henry's and the board and executive staff as easy as possible," Andrews said.
Andrews has institutional and historical knowledge that is viewed as priceless within the WROTB/Batavia Downs network. Yet, she downplays that role.
"It's just because I've been here for over 35 years," Andrews said.
The loyalty to her job serves as a snapshot of the large number of long-term employees at WROTB and Batavia Downs.
"Why would I leave?" Andrews asked. "I've worked with so many people here for so many years, They are like family to me."
