The Oakfield Betterment Committee will be holding its first Box Car Derby on Saturday, September 2 as part of its annual Labor Daze Festival. We are looking for boys and girls from all of the GLOW region between the ages of 7 to 13 to participate. Register your child at www.oakfieldbetterment.com. For more information call Scott at 716-218-6000.
There will be a Junior Division of 7-10 year-olds and a Senior Division of 11-13 year-olds. We will have 16 openings in each division and spots will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Sign up now as openings are filling fast. The deadline to register is Monday, August 7 and the registration fee is $20 per child.
Family discounts may apply. Registration fees can be paid by cash, check, or Venmo. Checks should be made out to Oakfield Betterment Committee. Official Cars will be provided by Greater Rochester Soap Box Derby Association. Cars will be available 2-3 weeks before the event for participants to customize.
The Greater Rochester Soap Box Derby Association will conduct a clinic for children and adults to ensure a safe race and give the children some basic car-building skills. Participants will be required to install the outer shell and wheels on the chassis. Practice session will be held on Friday, September 1 to ensure a safe event.
Cars are required to be turned in after the event as they are being leased by the Oakfield Betterment Committee. Trophies will be provided for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, and all participants will receive a prize. This should be a good old-fashioned, fun event to be enjoyed by participants and fans alike. A special thanks to the GDEDC and the Rochester & Genesee Valley Workforce Development Institute (WDI) for partnering with us to make this event happen.
Tom Staebell, interim Executive Director of Crossroads House, takes a seat to relax outside of the Liberty Street site. He can get comfy, Board President Steven Johnson says, as the search for a permanent director will likely take awhile. Photo by Joanne Beck.
Sometimes the title of being a best-kept secret isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. While it may sound like a clever marketing ploy, it still leaves something to be desired: more knowledge about your establishment.
That’s exactly why interim Executive Director Tom Staebell wants to ditch the soft tagline for Crossroads House. Enough of the comfort care home being Genesee County’s prized little-known service. He wants it known far and wide.
“And so my goal is to make sure that it's not the best-kept secret in the county. So we're really reaching out now to the community, we hired a new volunteer coordinator that's going to be able to get out into the community more,” he said during an interview with The Batavian at the house. “And just getting the word out there is one of our biggest things.”
For an interim, this is perhaps an unusually vocal role of articulately expressed goals and a vision for the Liberty Street site to not only embrace its two residents and their families during their stay but to also, at some point, carry the philosophy of Crossroads into other facilities with an end of life doula program.
After years of placing folks on a waiting list, staff has decided to train prospective doulas that can go to residential and nursing homes to work with people in their final moments of life.
Staebell is a trained doula and Crossroads volunteer, as well as a former board member, which is where he began his journey with the nonprofit. He was amply experienced on the topic of loss, as his wife died in 1994, and then both of his parents, mom Irene in 2017 and then his father Andy in 2020, died at home, requiring additional care.
“It was that caring process that drew me into doing work here,” he said. “You know, this is the philosophy here; everyone should have a good death. And that sounds kind of strange when you say that. But our mission here is that you're living until you take your last breath. And we'll do everything to help support the family and the resident here in making that a good death.
“And that involves all the different areas, like emotional, the social component, physical, you know, pain management is a really important part of our work here. And spiritual, kind of meeting the families and the resident where they're at,” he said. “Some people come in, and they're still in denial, but meeting them at that place, and letting the process develop, and unweave all the intricacies of the death process for them. Education is one of the biggest pieces that we do here.”
As much as staff — which is small due to financial constraints, and volunteers, which are dozens of caring, trained and dedicated community members — do with residents at the house, there’s an overall effort to get the word out about what the organization does and what the philosophy is all about.
People don’t go to Crossroads House to die; they go there to live out the remaining time they have left with dignity, laughter, tears, oftentimes some type of familial or spiritual closure, and maybe a treat or two from the kitchen.
Within all of Genesee County, there are only three beds available to someone at the end of life, and two of them are at Crossroads House.
“And so, we really want to make sure the word is out there … One of the biggest goals, as you probably know, is that we're self-funding here. We don't get any insurance or health insurance coverage. We don't get any support from the state or federal government. And so all of our funding is through donations, memorials, business appeals or getting community appeals, our fundraising events, and, you know, memorials that people will give to us after the person has died,” he said. “So that's one of our biggest things, and looking at it from my point of view as being the new interim director here is to really make sure that the annual campaign, that we do it really, really well, and, and get out there in the community and let them know we're here and what we need from them.”
Another goal is to make sure that families and residents know that “we’re part of their family,” he said. He cited the example of a woman’s daughter who came from Florida to stay at the house, and Staebell made sure she didn’t feel alone, even though she left her family down south while staying with her mom.
“I told her now you have a family,” he said. “She’s going to be loved, cared for and taken care of.”
Staebell filled the gap left by former director Charlotte Crawford in March, and he has the full backing of the board, President Steven Johnson said. Staebell’s goals are mutually the board’s goals to increase public awareness and education, ramp up the annual campaign and initiate the end-of-life doula program with a newly received grant specifically for that purpose, Johnson said.
“One of the visions we have is that we’ll provide doulas working with Hospice with their training program for families that have no place to go,” Staebell said. “It lets you be the wife, the daughter, (the family member) instead of the caregiver.”
He’s excited to be over the hurdle of the house’s 25th anniversary and looking forward to “another 25 years with a strong strategic plan that will take us into the future by building relationships.” Staebell’s professional relationships have been in education for 33 years before he retired as an elementary principal at the Pembroke, West Seneca and New York City school districts.
He has been a Crossroads House volunteer for seven years, providing resident care and serving as an end-of-life doula and grief peer support facilitator.
He and husband Mark, live in Pembroke and have five children and nine grandchildren between them. They enjoy the theater, Philharmonic, and sometimes “doing nothing at all.”
For those interested in learning more, there will be a Chamber of Commerce after-hours garden party later this month. It runs from 5 to 7 p.m. July 13 and will include some informal talks from volunteers and staff and a tour of the site at 11 Liberty St., Batavia.
A neat part about this event is that products from local businesses will be served.
“We want to support the businesses that support us,” Staebell said. “It’s a gift to the community made possible by the community.”
For more information about the garden party, end-of-life doula program or Crossroads House, call (585) 343-3892.
Rochester Regional Health (RRH) is pleased to announce a significant update to its COVID-19 vaccine policy. Effective July 7, RRH will no longer require the COVID-19 vaccine for employment, following the repeal of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) mandate and the recent announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) regarding the end of the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers at CMS-certified healthcare facilities.
As RRH aligns with the NYSDOH's decision to fully repeal the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare facilities, the organization acknowledges the evolving landscape and the need for flexibility while upholding the safety and well-being of its employees, patients, and community.
"We are excited to share this update regarding our COVID-19 vaccine policy," said Charlene Wilson, Chief Human Resource Officer at Rochester Regional Health. "Our priority has always been the health and safety of our employees, patients, and community. With the NYSDOH's repeal of the vaccine mandate, we believe this change will provide increased choice and autonomy for our dedicated staff."
While the vaccine requirement is being lifted, RRH strongly encourages all employees and community members to consider the benefits of vaccination. Vaccination continues to be an essential tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and safeguarding public health. RRH will maintain vaccine availability at its facilities for those who wish to receive it.
Former employees who left RRH due to the NYS Vaccine Mandate are also welcomed back to the organization. They are invited to learn more and apply for open positions by visiting careers.rochesterregional.org. If they choose to re-apply and accept an offer, RRH will work rapidly to bring them on board.
Haxton Memorial Library had its Summer Reading Kick-Off Carnival on June 29 from 6:30 - 8 p.m. at Triangle Park.
This year’s theme is “All Together Now” and our carnival consisted of kiddie games, face painting, crafts, popcorn, cotton candy, and the Iroquois National Wild Life Refuge had a display including a blow-up Archery Station for the kids.
"This annual library event had a wonderful turnout of over 170 people in attendance and was put together with the help of dedicated staff, board members, patrons, and young volunteers". "We love to offer this program each year to our community to encourage everyone to be a part of our Summer Reading Program, which starts July 3 - Aug 11," said Kim Gibson, Library Manager for the Haxton Memorial Library. "Throughout this 6-week program our readers of all ages can participate in our programs and win prizes and more importantly, read for fun!"
Stop by the library, check out our website (haxtonlibrary.org), or follow Haxton Library on Facebook for more information on what’s happening at the library this summer.
Steve, a pit bull mix, being removed on June 22 from a residence on South Main Street after the dog attacked two people. Photo by Howard Owens.
The owners of a dog that bit two people on June 22 at a residence on South Main Street in Batavia was surrendered by the owners to the Genesee County Animal Shelter, and it has been euthanized.
The attack on a home health care aide and one of its owners was unprovoked, said City Police Chief Shawn Heubusch of the Batavia Police Department.
A mail carrier walking her route that afternoon heard screams from inside the house and intervened.
"The incident could have been much worse if not for the actions of an uninvolved postal worker that came running to help," said Heubusch in response to an inquiry about the case from The Batavian on Wednesday. "The postal worker heard screaming coming from the residence and ran over to see what was happening and witnessed the dog attacking. The postal worker was able to spray a chemical deterrent on the dog, forcing it to release its bite."
Heubusch said that both victims were treated for their injuries and released. He said both injuries were severe, but he didn't have exact details.
"The healthcare worker had been to the residence once before and, during the previous visit, had not encountered the dog," Heubusch said. "It is the policy of the healthcare worker’s company that any dog be placed into a secure area while the visit is taking place, and this was relayed to the homeowner before the healthcare worker entered the residence. The homeowner acknowledged this regulation but failed to secure the dog."
The chief said there were no prior reports of the dog, named Steve, displaying aggressive behavior. The owners said Steve, a pitbull mix, was six years old, and they told police of no prior issues.
"The attack was completely unprovoked as the dog immediately attacked the healthcare worker upon her entering the residence," Heubusch said. "The family did surrender the dog to the Genesee County Animal Shelter with the expectation that it would be euthanized."
Undersheriff Brad Mazur confirmed on Wednesday that the dog was euthanized.
A 60-year-old Oakfield resident died in an ATV accident reported at 6:28 p.m. on Monday, according to State Police.
According to troopers, Michael D. Borkholder was driving a 2008 Cam-Am Outlander Max XT southbound on Maple Road, Town of Alabama, and failed to stop and struck the rear end of another ATV, a 2021 CF Moto ZForcce 950, that was slowing to make a turn into a driveway.
Borkholder was ejected from his ATV.
He was transported by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center with severe injuries. He succumbed later that night.
Leading the HEALing Genesee initiative to reduce opioid overdose deaths are, from left, Columbia University research team members Louisa Gilbert, Nabila El-Bassel, Timothy Hunt and James David; Christen Foley, Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force coordinator; Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee & Orleans Health Department; Randi Johnson, physician assistant at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
A wide-ranging, cooperative effort is being made at the grassroots level to “HEAL” those afflicted by opioid use disorder and to prevent opioid overdose deaths.
Professionals in the substance use treatment/prevention and mental health fields in Genesee County have been working in conjunction with a research team from Columbia University over the past year to develop and implement evidence-based strategies as part of the HEALing Communities Study.
HEALing refers to Helping to End Addiction Long-term and is the catchphrase of a program launched by the National Institutes of Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The goal is to identify evidence-based programs that are most effective at the local level in preventing and treating opioid use disorder – with a target of reducing opioid-related overdose deaths by 40 percent.
HEALing Genesee is part of the second phase of the HCS, which will run through the spring of 2024. Other counties in this phase include Broome, Chautauqua, Cortland, Monroe, Orange, Sullivan and Yates.
Members of the Columbia University research team, along with officials from the NIH’s Institute on Drug Abuse, came to Batavia last week to meet with the Genesee County Health Department and Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse personnel who have been serving on the county’s implementation team.
“Drug overdose requires a comprehensive approach to first define the breadth of the problem and then to promote harm reduction and evidence-based treatments known to be effective with opioid use disorder,” said Timothy Hunt, PhD, of the Columbia U. School of Social Work, who is the HEALing Communities Study Intervention and Community Engagement Investigative Lead.
“The partnership for the HEALing Communities Study between the Genesee Department of Health and organizations like Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse illustrates a community coming together, even when challenged by the COVID pandemic, to focus on this highly stigmatized public health crisis.”
Hunt applauded the Genesee group for its “commitment to capturing up-to-date data on fatal and non-fatal overdoses thus allowing the community to plan and focus strategies to populations and locations at high risk.”
HEALing Genesee leaders have identified several strategies to reach its goal, including various ways of getting naloxone (brand name Narcan) into as many hands as possible. Naloxone is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose.
Initiatives include distribution of leave-behind kits by the Batavia City Fire Department, establishing a text-for-naloxone hotline (text KIT to 1-877-535-2461) and placing NaloxBoxes at businesses.
Columbia U. Professor Nabila El-Bassel, HCS principal investigator, said she was impressed with the amount of collaboration in Genesee County.
“The Columbia University team and our funder from the National Institute on Drug Abuse who visited Genesee HCS coalition extend our gratitude for their unwavering commitment to addressing the overdose crisis with a data-driven solutions and improving access to treatment and care for those in need in Genesee,” she said.
“Today, we witnessed the innovation in delivering drug treatment and services with high integrity and responsiveness to community needs.The success of the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force and HEALing Communities Study is also a testament to the extraordinary power of collaboration that exists.”
Staff from more than a dozen local agencies have collaborated with HEALing Genesee, including professionals from Genesee County Mental Health, Genesee County Department of Social Services, Genesee Justice, VA Medical Center, City of Batavia Fire Department, GCASA, Horizon Health Services, Rochester Regional Health (United Memorial Medical Center, Hope Haven Center and Batavia Primary Care), Oakfield Family Pharmacy, Oak Orchard Health and Lake Plains Community Care Network.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that 2.1 million Americans have opioid use disorder, yet fewer than 20 percent of those receive specialty care in a given year. New York State has one of the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in the nation, with Genesee County having one of the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in New York State.
The county’s opioid overdose death rate peaked at more than 36 deaths per 100,000 in 2017 and was still around 22 deaths per 100,000 in 2022. As a result, Genesee was selected as a HEALing Communities location.
Hunt concluded that HEALing Genesee, by virtue of its evidence-based strategies and robust communication campaigns, and with support from agencies such as GCASA, is on the right track.
“Our HCS partner, GCASA, provides needed care along a continuum of readiness, and is a rare accommodation to needed levels of care which include harm reduction, detox, rehabilitation and outpatient care, including much-needed access to methadone and Buprenorphine,” he stated.
To learn more about the HEALing Communities Study and to help end overdoses in Genesee County, visit:
-- HEALing Communities Study Website: HealTogetherNY.org/Genesee
There was some 'Mayhem' Saturday during a Batavia Muckdogs game at Dwyer Stadium, with a visit from “Invincible” Vince Valor, left, “Buck Wild” Thomas Kennedy, Zachary Arquette and John “Koslov” Avery on hand to stir up excitement for the upcoming Mayhem at the McCarthy wrestling event on July 16. Photo by Steve Ognibene.
As operators of the David M. McCarthy ice arena continue to stretch the limits and imagination of what the arena can offer to the community, the latest will be a wrestling event on July 16 at 22 Evans St., Batavia.
Mayhem at the McCarthy will feature autographs and a meet and greet with "Jake the Snake" Roberts, "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase, and "Buff the Stuff" Bagwell, for what is certain to be an unusual form of entertainment for the arena and this area.
"We just thought this is something that hasn't been around here in awhile, and they have a big following at Riverworks in Buffalo, so we thought we'd give them a try," ice rink manager Kati Murray said.
Wrestling adds to the list of roller skating, ice motorcycle racing and a youth game night at the rink.
Doors open at 4 p.m. and the event is to begin at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 for second and third rows, $20 fourth and fifth rows, and $15 general admission.
Renee Henning won The Batavian's guitar giveaway contest at Monday's Batavia Muckdogs game at Dwyer Stadium. Contestants were asked to draw an Eagle in order to enter, and the winner was selected by random out of a Batavian tote bag. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Batavian was out in full force Monday during the Batavia Muckdogs game, both in our coverage with a freelance photographer and with staff at a booth set up near the entrance at Dwyer Stadium.
Our presence in public has not usually been a luxury we could afford: staff’s time has been precious and usually spent on the day-to-day tasks at hand, whether it be dealing with advertising needs, covering and reporting the news or the arduous billing and financial duties of a publisher.
But we’ve had a change of heart, attitude, focus and business model, and want to:
1. Make the time when possible to get out into the community to meet folks and let you know that we are your local news here to make a difference in Genesee County;
2. Introduce the Early Access Pass program that is twofold in that it allows you to access all of the news that we provide the very minute that we publish it without having to wait the four-hour hold time for non-Early Access members, and makes you, as a supporter helps us hire more reporters to go out and cover even more local news stories; and
3. Encourage creativity and positivity in the community by sponsoring a guitar giveaway with an art contest. During the Muckdogs game, all we asked was for people — kids and adults alike — to draw their best version of an eagle!
The Batavian’s logo incorporates the eagle from one of Batavia’s most iconic symbols on The Upton Monument at the merging of routes 5 and 63. So we thought it only fitting to use an eagle — also long used as a patriotic symbol of the United States and freedom — for our contest.
As many people walked by, asking about the red electric guitar poised on a table at our booth, they couldn’t believe that all they had to do was draw an eagle to enter. Some asked how much it was to enter, and several people shied away, claiming, “I can’t draw.”
Others, however, took the task quite seriously. They went at it with gusto, first deliberating how their eagle would look, and what colors they’d choose. No two eagles looked the same out of the 40 or so submissions.
Some perched looking forward, others looking sideways, with outstretched wings, or wings at their sides, while flying, or remaining idle. Some artists added embellishments of cool blue water beneath and puffy white clouds alongside their wings. Some had stunning details, while others rested in sufficient modesty.
So why a guitar giveaway? That was the idea of Publisher Howard Owens. If you know him at all, you also know his passion for music, and especially for playing guitar.
“I get a thrill out of seeing kids get excited about the possibility of winning a guitar,” Owens says, “and then to see the happiness of the young person who actually won makes the price of the guitar seem all worth it.”
“I love music. I always have. When I was a child, I begged my mother for a guitar, but my parents, when I was a child, struggled financially like a lot of young parents,” he said. “Guitars back then were either expensive or just no good. I didn't get my first guitar until I was 14.
“I now understand that music can be a great path for people. It isn't just about becoming a rock star. There are lots of ways music can enrich a person's life, even as a career, without being the star on stage,” he said. “So with that background, I want to use the opportunity I have as publisher of The Batavian to encourage people, especially kids, to turn to music. More music will help make our world better.”
Don’t just take Owens’ word for about how important music can be to one’s life. Paul Draper, who is a busy local musician and lead organizer of the popular annual Ramble music event in Batavia, comes from a very musical family, “where almost everybody played and if they didn't play, they sang.”
“It was part of my family's culture.,” he said, recalling his first instrument was not an expensive piece. “I remember the first instrument I picked up was an old hand-me-down Yamaha keyboard that my mom bought from one of her friends for $50. Up to that point in my life, I had no real musical ability, but I absolutely loved music. I would sit in my room for hours, just tinkering with the keys and finding little melodies. Eventually, I was able to make some chords and put them together.”
His older sister, Amanda Draper, an accomplished singer and guitar player, noticed that he was starting to pick up on some things and allowed her brother to play backup for her in the family’s basement "studio,” he said.
“It was all downhill from there. From that point, I've played in numerous bands, hosted big events, traveled all over, met some amazing people, and it all started from a $50 hand-me-down keyboard,” Paul Draper said. “So for me, seeing the people behind The Batavian supporting the arts (as they have) and now donating equipment to help young starry-eyed dreamers begin their journey is just amazing. Because I know how far something like this can take a person.”
The Muckdogs game was the second guitar giveaway, completely financed by Owens, with the first one being an acoustic guitar at a Just Kings-sponsored Juneteenth event a few weeks ago in Batavia. Win or lose, The Batavian sincerely hopes that each aspiring musician keeps on finding a way to make music in the community.
Foster Roth works on his version of an eagle for The Batavian's guitar giveaway contest at Dwyer Stadium on Monday evening. Photo by Howard Owens.
Renee Henning's drawing.
Drawing by Tyler Chapman.
Drawing by Shane Henning.
Drawing by Foster Roth
Claire Bohn, dressed in her Fourth of July gear, drawing an eagle.
There was at least one slight twist to this year's annual Ramble Music & Arts Fest for the portion that took place in Jackson Square. And that was the ability for people to enjoy their suds outdoors in the Square without concern of violating a city code.
City Council had recently approved a request from the downtown Business Improvement District, GO ART! and business establishments to allow for open containers on the premises of the Jackson Square that is neatly contained by Eli Fish Brewing Company, Bourbon & Burger, Center Street Smokehouse, and The Coffee Press, plus other businesses.
Matt Gray, a partner in Eli Fish, said that the event reaped "all positive reviews from our end."
The Genesee County Highway Department is gearing up for an extensive culvert replacement project on South Street in the Village of Le Roy. This is a 100% state-funded project, and work will begin next week, necessitating the temporary closure of the road from July 5 until September 1, 2023. Detours will be clearly marked to ensure traffic flow and use NYS Route 5, Asbury Road, and Harris Road. Please plan travel routes accordingly.
The initial focus will be relocating the water main to allow for a seamless replacement of the culvert. Simultaneously, the contracted team, comprised of engineering firm Lu Engineers and contractor L.C. Whitford, will start construction on the west side of the culvert. Their first task will involve building a temporary walkway to ensure continued access to the trail leading to Hartwood Park.
After several weeks of preparation, precast pieces can be delivered to the site. One of the key highlights of this project is the implementation of a state-of-the-art precast concrete box culvert. This modern solution promises enhanced durability and longevity, ensuring the safety and convenience of the community for years to come.
The Genesee County Office for the Aging is pleased to announce the distribution of Farmer's Market Coupons (FMC) starting on Thursday, July 6. These coupons provide eligible older adults with an opportunity to access fresh, locally-grown produce at participating farmers' markets in the county.
The Office for the Aging will kick off the FMC distribution on Thursday, July 6, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at their office located at 2 Bank Street, Batavia. Additional distribution dates at the OFA office include:
July 17 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
July 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
In addition to the OFA office, Farmer's Market Coupons will also be available at the following locations and times:
The Goose in Oakfield - July 10 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Genesee Country Farmers' Market - Every Friday in July from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
LeRoy Farmers' Market - July 22, 29 & Aug. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Senior Housing locations will also offer coupon distribution, and flyers with the date and time details will be posted at these sites.
To find a complete calendar of Farmer's Market Coupon distribution dates, interested individuals can refer to the Gene-Senior newsletter, visit the Genesee County Office for the Aging's Facebook page, or visit the Genesee County Office for the Aging website. Alternatively, individuals can contact the office directly at 585-343-1611 for more information.
Members of High Pines continue on the Center Street stage. Photo Steve Ognibene
Bass guitar and kick drums replaced the thud of thunder the rest of the day on Saturday, allowing the rock to keep on rolling the rest of the day and into the evening for the 2023 Ramble Music and Arts Fest.
Paul Draper, with his band Shotgun Pauly, gets the Ramble going again after a rain delay on Saturday. Photo by Howard Owens.
An unexpected thunderstorm at about 1 p.m. on Saturday couldn't keep the Batavia Ramble and Arts Fest from rolling on, though it did put the music on pause for about an hour.
Paul Draper, one of the festival's organizers, said the music will continue throughout the day, pausing only for more thunder if it comes back.
Bands will continue to take the stage as scheduled, Draper said, just before his band, Shotgun Pauly, started its 2:20 p.m. scheduled set about 10 minutes late, giving him and his guys only 10 minutes to perform.
"We just keep an eye on it," Draper said. "We'll pause and pick up as the weather dictates. We can only plan so much, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the weather."
He said plenty of people were sticking around, and the sun had come back out, so, he said, "I still think it's going to be a good day."
City and county officials, along with contractors, cut the ribbon on the new South Lyon Street Bridge in Batavia, in the same location as a ribbon-cutting in 1957 (photo below). Photo by Howard Owens.
The new bridge over Tonawanda Creek on South Lyon Street in Batavia looks beautiful, and it feels sturdy, but the thing motorists will like the most, perhaps, is that it accommodates two-way traffic.
"I want to remind people that it is, in fact, two lanes," said County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens. "You don't have to wait for a left turn left at the bridge. You don't have to wait for an oncoming car, nose and nose like used to happen on the old bridge. It's two lanes. It's just normal. Just go normal."
The new $2.9 million bridge, 95 percent funded by state and federal aid, replaces a bridge that had gotten so old it was no longer serviceable. That bridge was dedicated in 1957. There were substantial repairs in 1971, a deck replacement in 1980, a superstructure/truss replacement in 1986, and a decision to seek a replacement in 2007.
Now, in 2023, that old bridge is gone and completely replaced by a bridge that, as Hens noted, maintains the historical character of bridges that have been at the same location going back to 1910.
"I think the cool thing about this bridge is that we kind of recreated what was here with the truss," Hens said. "There was always a truss bridge here. I think everyone's pretty familiar with, obviously, making it two lanes is cool, but having the same character with the same-looking bridges, I also think is kind of neat."
The South Lyon Street Bridge opened this morning following a ribbon-cutting attended by both county and city officials.
The only real challenge in bridge construction, Hens said, was concern that crews might find historical artifacts, either Native American or related to the War of 1812.
"When Buffalo was burned to the ground by the British, a lot of the refugees and people that got displaced by (the fires) came to Batavia," Hens said. "There was like, I think, a typhoid outbreak, and they buried people in the creek bank, which is kind of an odd place to bury people. You're gonna contaminate the water, but that was years ago, and maybe they didn't know any better, but (the burial site is) somewhere here in the area of this bridge. We didn't find anything, so must not be that close."
Such a discovery could have greatly slowed the construction process.
This project was originally submitted for federal aid in 2007. The project was removed from the funding list in 2011, put back on in 2014 and delayed due to lack of funding until 2020.
The county awarded a contract for design during COVID and then had struggles with utility relocations, property acquisitions, DEC easements along the creek bank and other minor hurdles, according to a fact sheet released by the county.
The old bridge closed in 2021 after a DOT inspection. Construction started last fall and went through the winter, with the truss being set in late February.
Union Concrete out of West Seneca was the contractor, and Fisher Associates out of Rochester provided engineering and construction inspection.
A ribbon-cutting at the South Lyon Street Bridge in Batavia in 1957. Photo courtesy of the Genesee County History Department.
The Batavia Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating a runaway 16-year-old boy.
Jesus Reyes was last seen on June 28 at approximately 3:00 a.m. in Batavia. He was last wearing a white Batavia Track t-shirt and matching shorts.
Jesus is about 5'4" and 175 lbs with black hair and black eyes.
It's possible that he is in the Miami, Fla. area.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350 or the NYS Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3543.
New WBTA station owner Jim Ernst celebrates signing the official paperwork Friday after talks began a year ago between him and former station owner Dan Fischer. Photo by Howard Owens.
For a 1986 Batavia High School grad who has lived in Batavia all of his life, it seemed only natural that Jim Ernst would celebrate his ownership of the city’s staple radio station Friday with a visit to a downtown bartender challenge and then to a concert at Batavia Downs.
After all, that was a large part of why the 54-year-old Batavia native and versed salesman wanted to take on WBTA’s airwaves: to serve and support the community at large.
“I love the community of Batavia, and I see this as an opportunity to make a difference and give back,” he said late Friday afternoon after signing official paperwork to transfer ownership of WBTA from Dan and Debbie Fischer to Ernst. “I grew up listening to WBTA, of course. And when I was a kid, I didn't like it much. But I used to listen to school closings, and I got hooked on it. The first time, in the old days when school would be canceled, the first place that would have it would be the radio. And then, as you get older, you start caring about the community and then listening. And by the time I was in my 30s, I started listening to it a lot.”
After high school graduation, Ernst went to Genesee Community College for business administration. He always had that dream of running his own business, he said, the first vision is a sports park with batting cages and such.
While those thoughts percolated, he began to work on a Schwann truck selling food products and doing well, moving up to manager in Syracuse. That position was cut in 2009, and he returned to Batavia, where he was working in sales and met General Sales Manager Lorne Way. They struck up a conversation, and while Way was complaining about the lack of sales at the station, Ernst suggested that “you should just hire me.”
And that’s exactly what the manager did. Ernst joined WBTA in 2014 and never left.
“We’ve been ripping it up in sales,” he said. “Dan, Debbie, Lorne and me were the core. Around a year ago, Dan hinted around that he wanted someone from the station to buy it.”
While it may have seemed a more obvious fit for Way, who had 30 years with the company, he had plans to retire, so Ernst picked up that ball and made a pitch.
“I approached Dan a year ago now. Today was the signing. It went from a dream to reality; it almost seemed like, is it ever going to happen?” he said. “It was a euphoric moment.”
He’s been gradually preparing for this, taking business classes throughout the years and learning the ropes “as I go.” A big plus will be having Dan Fischer as an ongoing consultant.
Most of the programs will remain in place for now, with one major and significant exception, he said. Station staff member Nicole Johnson has been hired for the morning show, making her the first female to obtain that coveted role.
A trusted member of the WBTA team, Johnson has produced, worked the 10 to 2 shift, done live remotes at Batavia Downs and “always been there for things we need,” Ernst said. She will replace former morning announcer Chris Kalen, who has taken a promotion with SiriusXM.
The Fischers filed for the sale in February, and it became public on Feb. 21 when then-advertising executive Jim Ernst, aka Majic Tones LLC, purchased the station, officially titled HPL Communications, for $425,000.
Dan Fischer had said the couple was happy that the station was remaining in local hands and that Ernst was a familiar face around town and someone with no intentions to radically alter what listeners have grown accustomed to after so many years.
As for the music, “we might spice it up a bit,” Ernst said, but nothing major.
“We don’t want to lose the faith of the listeners we do have. We will enhance our sports coverage … for football, hockey, baseball, with a WBTA game of the week every week,” he said. “I’m learning as I go. I’ll use the next six months to learn and grow in the position.”
Ernst has a fiancee, Rachel, three children, five grandchildren and one Great Pyrenees who even got involved at the station during a naming contest. The winning name was slightly tweaked for Konzie.
