What do a pedal car, antique doll, photo of Elvis, and a World War II-era newspaper have in common?

They’re all going to be part of the Mammoth Thrift Shop this weekend, of course. What began as a way to deal with the massive crowds during COVID protocols has become another seasonal tradition, organizer John Bowen said.

"We had to change the dynamics once COVID hit," he said.

The sale is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at St. Joseph’s School at the corner of Summit and East Main streets, Batavia. All proceeds benefit the school.

The pandemic and social distancing meant no jam-packed cafeteria, which is what the yearly Mammoth Sale drew, he said. So that sale was divvied up, and the shop opened up on the first weekend in February and remained open for most weekends until Black Friday, he said.

The regular Mammoth sales will still happen the first weekend after Easter and in July, featuring the larger items such as patio furniture. That’s not to say shoppers will be disappointed with what’s in store this weekend, he said.

Bowen and fellow volunteer Norm Argulsky have been setting up displays of antiques — 1900s and later, including a pedal car, cash register, collectible dolls, rock'em sock'em robots, signed memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, Barbie dolls from the 1970s, red, green and blue glass; handmade bears, collectible dolls in original boxes, high-end toys, Barbie accessories, and much more, he said.

“People know our sale,” Bowen said. “There’s something for everybody. Every penny goes back to the school.”

“A stack of newspapers from World War II up, chairs, tables, lamps, nice pictures, dining tables, and end tables,” he said. “We have a three-in-one poker table. There's also a dining table and a puzzle table.”

And he wasn’t done. There are tons of glassware, purses, watches, books, CDs,  farmer’s gear, overalls, a kitchen room with utensils, appliances, coffee makers, toasters, rolling pins, and theme tables: St. Patty’s, Valentine’s and Easter.

There is also a collection of religious items — rosaries, statues, Bibles — and those are being donated upon request.

“It’s a whole different setup, it’s a way to get the community involved,” he said. “We’re taking donations 24/7. People can leave them on the covered porch between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.”

Donations may include clothing, pillows, jewelry, recliners, loveseats, bedding, and most anything except for bulky items, such as old TVs, bowling balls and big couches.

There will be a sneak peek, he said, from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday. So feel free to visit and check out the goods this evening.

Photos by Howard Owens.

St. Joseph School inducted new members into its Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) last week.

With help from the school's current NJHS members, new inductees were welcomed into the NJHS at a ceremony held at St. Joseph Church. The NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. For 10 years, the students in the NJHS at St. Joe’s have been helping the Batavia community by holding fundraisers and providing services for many different organizations.

To be considered for a nomination into this Society, seventh-grade students had to maintain an average of 94 or above and eighth-grade students had to maintain an average of 90 or above. These students then had to apply for membership showcasing their accomplishments and service over the past few years. After careful review and consideration, the St. Joe’s NJHS faculty council selected this year’s inductees.

Congratulations to seventh-grade students Nathanael Brew, Colin McCulley, Aiden Sisson, Lucia Sprague, Steven Zocco, and to eighth-grade students Donato Fiorentino, Colin Kratz, Ava Reinhart and Maxwell Tenney.

Organizers say it will feature "housewares & toys, basket raffles, refreshments and SO MUCH MORE! This is the not-to-be-missed sale of the year!"

Press release:

St. Joseph Catholic School's sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders participated in our annual Spelling Bee; below are those who placed in the top seven:

7th place: David Doan, of Batavia
6th place: Faith Falkowski, of Batavia
5th place: Rachel Nickerson, of Elba
4th Place: Spencer Misiti, of Batavia
3rd Place: Isabelle Cooper, of Pavillon
2nd Place: Bella March, of Batavia
1st Place: Adryona Miller, of Albion

The winning word was, "spaghetti."

St. Joseph School will celebrate Catholic Schools’ Week starting on Sunday January 26^th with an Open House at 10 a.m. followed by a Family Mass and lunch provided by Subway. The Open House is for all prospective students and pre-registration is not required.

The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2014 is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.” The theme encompasses several concepts that are at the heart of a Catholic education. First, schools are communities — small families in their own right, but also members of the larger community of home, church, city and nation. Faith, knowledge and service are three measures by which any Catholic school can and should be judged. There is no better way to invest in a child’s future — or the future of our world.

In recognition of Catholic Schools' Week, students will participate in Crazy Hat and/or Hair Day on Monday. Parents are encouraged to join their children for lunch that day and play Bingo. On Tuesday, K-2 students will visit the YMCA for activities including swimming, group exercises and fun in the bounce house. Students in grades 3-8 will go bowling at Mancuso Lanes. Wednesday is Pajama/Movie day and on Thursday students will participate in “House” activities including dancing, trivia, and making Valentine’s gifts for Veterans. The week will wrap up on Friday with a 7^th/8^th grade Basketball Game and participation in Jump Rope for Heart. The festivities will conclude with a Family Dance on Friday night at the school.

To find out more about St. Joseph School, the Open House or Catholic School’s Week, visit www.sjsbatavia.org or call 343-6154.

St Joseph's School Handbell Choir performs "Angels We Have Heard on High" for the Christmas Concert Dec. 17, 2013. The group is directed by Kae Woodruff Wilbert.

From left: Matthew Zehler, Jaylee Maniscalco, Matthew Stevens, Benjamin Paserk, Samuel Bowman, Faith Falkowski, Mark Hoerbelt, Mary Warner, and Mary Kochmanski.

Other members of the Choir are: Amanda Bergman, Ariana de Sa e Frias, Doria Gallison, Jennifer Miller, Rachel Nickerson, Katherine Warner, Katelyn Zehler, Kaylyn Carlson, Christopher Gualtieri and Hannah Gualtieri.

The pies will be unmarked so you can serve them and take credit for making them!

Order forms are available at the school or you can order from Anita Strollo via e-mail <mommyneetz@yahoo.com>

Orders need to be placed by Dec. 17 and pick up for pies will be at Bob Evans restaurant on Dec. 21. All Checks should be payable to Bob Evans.

Your pie choices are:

• Apple Crumb
• Pumpkin
• Pecan

Let's help make this a success for our K-Kids! Thanks!

The theme of this year’s event is “A Taste of Genesee” and will feature food from nine different restaurants and caterers.

This year’s Popcorn Ball will feature food from some of the area’s most popular restaurants along with prizes from Darien Lake and Palm Island Indoor Water Park. This year’s menu includes:

Seafood Bisque from Terry Hills
Fried Calamari from Alex's Place
Smoked Chicken Wings from Duke's Smokin' Bone
BBQ Ribs from Clor's
Pulled Pork Sandwiches from Center Street Smoke House
Mini Beef on Weck from T.F. Brown's
Mini Beef Wellington from Larry's Steak House
Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo from Bob Evans
Eggplant Parmesan & Pasta Primavera from Penna's Catering

Tickets are $60/couple and currently available at the school. You can also reserve a table of 10 by visiting www.sjsbatavia.org or calling 343-6154.

About the honorees...

Judge Robert Balbick graduated from St. Joseph Catholic School in 1963, going on to earn a degree from Canisius College and his J.D. from Albany Law School. Judge Balbick was admitted to the bar in 1975 and became a Batavia City Court Judge in 1992. He was instrumental in creating Genesee County’s Drug Court, which gives those with substance-abuse problems a chance for recovery. Robert and his wife, Jane, have three children -- Kristen, who is a lawyer; Michael, who currently works in the banking industry, and Katie, who works for UMMC.

Dan Burns graduated from St Joseph Catholic School in 1978, going on to graduate from St. Bonaventure University and earn an MBA from Columbia. He was first hired by M&T in 1986 and currently services as a regional president while managing the M&T Charitable Foundation. Dan is past chair and current board member of Greater Rochester Enterprise and YMCA of Greater Rochester; he is vice chair at the Monroe Community College Foundation; he is a board member of the University of Rochester Medical Center, Flaum Eye Institute and St. John Fisher College. Dan currently lives in Rochester with his wife, Denise, and has two sons and a daughter.

Jamee Logsdon is part owner of Baltz Concrete of Pavilion and has spent countless hours supporting events like the Popcorn Ball and the Mammoth Sale and once waded into water that was ankle deep to fix a plumbing problem prior to a major event at the school. He has also served on several committees and supported numerous fundraisers. Jamee, along with his wife, Seana, their daughter, Kaitlin (SJS Class of 2009), and son Connor (SJS Class of 2013) live in Batavia.

Michelle Cryer and Maria Streeter are known as the “Dynamic Duo of Bingo” and have managed to turn Friday night bingo into a successful fundraiser for the school. Both have chaired the annual Popcorn Ball and have volunteered to do everything from painting to assisting with the construction of the school store. Michelle and her husband, Matt, live in Batavia with their three children, James (SJS Class of 2011), Jacob (SJS Class of 2013), and Jocelyn (SJS Class of 2016). Maria and her husband, Darryl, also live in Batavia with their two children, Julia (SJS Class of 2013) and Benjamin (SJS Class of 2017).

Enjoy food from all of your favorite restaurants at “A Taste of Genesee” at St. Joseph School’s 53rd annual Popcorn Ball at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13.

This year’s menu:


• Seafood Bisque from Terry Hills
• Fried Calamari from Alex's Place
• Smoked Chicken Wings from Duke's Smokin' Bone

• BBQ, Ribs from Clor's
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches from Center Street Smoke House
• Mini Beef on Weck from T.F. Brown's
• Mini Beef Wellington from Larry's Steak House
• Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo from Bob Evans
• Eggplant Parmesan & Pasta Primavera from Penna's Catering.



Along with DJ Frank Gioia and great prizes like 2013 season passes to Darien Lake and Palm Island Indoor Water Park, we will also being honoring outstanding alumni Judge Robert Balbick and M&T Regional President Dan Burns and volunteers Jamee Logsdon, Maria Streeter, and Michelle Cryer.

All proceeds will benefit St. Joseph School and the event is open to the public. Tickets are $60/couple or reserve a table of 10 for $250. For more information: Please visit http://www.sjsbatavia.org/st-joseph-school-popcorn-ball.html