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As 2025 has run in the front door, it’s worth taking a look at where last year went and what’s happened throughout Genesee County in the world of business, people, construction projects and events during 2024 and that are continuing into this New Year.
Brian F. Kent, 53, of Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd, assault 3rd, and obstruction of governmental administration 2nd. Kent was arrested on Dec. 24 in connection with an incident on Dec. 21. When officers attempted to take Kent into custody on a separate incident, he allegedly fought with two police officers, causing injuries to both of them. He was arraigned and jailed.
Batavia Players' annual Harvie Awards gala culminated in two ties, Maia Zerillo stealing the show with Best Performance, downtown's Business Improvement District getting a nod for Community Partner, and several others earning rightful recognition for their roles in productions throughout the 2024 Main St. 56 Theater season.
And the Batavia Players – Main St. 56 Theater 2024 Harvie Awards went to:
2024 Best Male Lead Performance in a Play
Anthony Haitz – King John
2024 Best Female Lead Performance in a Play
Sophie Houseman - Pygmalion
2024 Best Male Supporting Performance in a Play
Steven Coburn - Pygmalion
2024 Best Female Supporting Performance in a Play
Dorothy Gerhart – Whirligig of Time
2024 Best Male Featured Performance in a Play
Elijah Van Epps - Pygmalion
2024 Best Female Featured Performance in a Play
Sophie Houseman – Whirligig of Time
2024 Best Male Lead Performance in a Musical: a tie
Anthony Haitz – White Christmas
Elijah Van Epps – Evita
2024 Best Female Lead Performance in a Musical
Kristin Gelia – Evita
2024 Best Male Supporting Performance in a Musical: a tie
Robert Balbick – White Christmas
Skylar Dence - Evita
2024 Best Female Supporting Performance in a Musical
Teressa Hirsch – White Christmas
2024 Best Male Featured Performance in a Musical
Bill Moon – White Christmas
2024 Best Female Featured Performance in a Musical
Rory Van Epps - Evita
2024 Best Male Performance in a Cabaret
Deacon Smith – Four the Record
2024 Best Female Featured Performance in a Cabaret
Jocelyn Coburn – Four the Record
2024 Best Group Performance in a Cabaret
This Man – Just One More Time
2024 Best Solo Performance in a Cabaret
Ian Cannioto – Wickedly Musical
2024 Best Youth Performance in a Cabaret
Lilah Mordell – Wickedly Musical
2024 Best Youth Performance in a Musical or Play
Maia Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie
2024 Best Child Performance in a Musical or Play
Elle Williams – White Christmas
2024 Best Solo Performance in a Musical
Kristin Gelia – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
2024 Best Group Performance in a Musical
And the Money Kept Rolling in - Evita
2024 Performance of the Year
Maia Zerillo - Bye Bye Birdie
2024 Director of the Year
James Chamberlain
2024 Community Partner of the Year
Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District
Press Release:
The Town of Byron Republican Committee is seeking registered party members who are interested in becoming endorsed Republican candidates for the following Town of Byron open positions for 2026:
- Town Supervisor
- Town Clerk / Tax Collector
- 2 – Town Board council persons
Those interested can contact or send a letter of interest and or resume to:
- Steve Hohn, Chairman - gatorgang19@aol.com, 585-703-5528
- Jim Northup, Vice Chairman - jimmynorthup@yahoo.com, 585-409-4327
Letters of interest and resumes must be received by January 21.
Press Release:
The Town of Oakfield Republican Committee is seeking Candidates that are interested in being selected as the endorsed Republican candidate for the following offices in the November General Election:
- County Legislator District #1 (Alabama, Oakfield)
- Town Supervisor
- Town Justice (1)
- Town Board – (2)
All the above offices are four-year terms.
Please send a letter of intent by January 25, to: Aaron Chamberlain, 21 Cary Avenue, Oakfield.
More than 1,000 people attended Sunday's Great Train Show at the Richard C. Call Arena at Genesee Community College.
Organizers said spectators attended from as far away as Syracuse, Watertown, and Ontario. Vendors included businesses from Pennsylvania.
The Genesee Society of Model Engineers hosted the event.
The next show is Sept. 7.
In his 28 years as a member of the East Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department, Chief Don Newton Jr. has observed that typically, the call volume for the department is between 300 and 350 per year.
Before 2024, the highest call volume was 358.
Then, 2024. The department responded to 462 calls.
Of those calls, 354 were for medical assistance, or EMS calls. There were 17 fire calls. The remaining calls, 13 hazardous condition, 25 service, 33 good intent, and 20 false alarms.
"I'd like to thank my district, my fire district; without them, these numbers wouldn't be possible," Newton said. "And my members for making these numbers possible, and the community members, our local businesses, anybody who helped us throughout the year to continue doing what we do."
In addition to annual awards, the 2025 officers and directors took oaths to office, administered by Tim Yaeger, Genesee County emergency management coordinator.
Firematic Officers:
Administrative Officers:
Board of Directors: Andrew Martin, Charles Chatley, Dale Lewter, Kyle Rupp, and Jennifer Groff.
Fire District Commissioners: James Gayton, Patrick Reeves, Kristi Humphrey, Kevin Gill, MaryAnne Chatley, Richard Groff.
Bergen resident C.M. Barons was inspired by the column published last week by Anne Marie Starowitz on her reading of old local directories. He also owns a couple of antique directories, one from 1992 and another from 1917. He also has a souvenir publication, "Illustrated Genesee County and its Industries," published by The Batavia Times in 1907.
Previously: Recovering local history in names and places from old directories
By C.M. Barons
The 1882 directory contains useful information such as "A barrel of apples, pears, quinces, or potatoes, must represent a quantity equal to one hundred quarts of dry grain or dry measure, and a person buying or selling either of these commodities in the state, by the barrel, is understood as referring to the quantity specified in this section." It also explains mortgage laws, wills, contracts and deeds. Rules of polite behavior include guides for cleanliness and proper dress for men and women. The section on helpful information concludes with a brief history of the county and its towns and villages.
What follows is an alphabetical directory of residents by town, detailing street address and occupation. EG: BATAVIA Kibbe, Chauncey S. dealer in gloves and mittens, Gloversville, N.Y., res 33 State. McKenzie James, builder, 1/2 (Bergen,) Vill. (James and brother, David, built many of the era's homes in Bergen, including mine.)
The 1917 directory has a more familiar feel, opening up with an advertisement for Scott & Bean, dealers in dry goods, carpets, notions, lace curtains, etc. Another ad was placed by C. L. Carr, 101 Main St., pledging to carry as much splendid stocks of reliable merchandise, to sell at such reasonable prices, to give such pleasant, courteous service that you will instinctively turn to this store when in need of anything in the Dry Goods or Coat and Suit Line.
Other familiar businesses include Le Roy Lime and Crushed Stone Products, Batavia Times, Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Co. (Rochester), H.E. Turner Furniture - Funeral Directors, Chas. J. Call, J G McJury Photographic (Bob McJury was a photographer/stringer for the Buffalo newspapers and the Batavia Daily.
The 1917 version of the directory (which bears the same cover plate as the 1950 version, image of the county courthouse) does include general information, but perhaps of a more down-to-earth practicality than mortgages, deeds and New York commerce regulations. There is a handy guide to weights and measures, e.g., an acre is 8 rods wide by 20 rods long; a pint of water weighs one pound. A spraying calendar for pesticide application on various produce crops, preventing crows and blackbirds from pulling up your seeds, farm animal diseases and do-it-yourself treatment, measuring a room for wallpaper- each is thoroughly covered in the volume.
The Batavia Times souvenir booklet is a trove of pictures--- the officers and directors of the Batavia Board of Trade, Batavia Mayor George D. Williamson, schools, churches and local businesses. There are also backgrounds of local businesses and business leaders such as the Richmond family, William Bohm, John Ward, Wiard Plow Co., Bidwell Thresher, Dr. Gray's Primrose Hospital and E H Gamble, giving mention to Eli Fish.
Also mentioned: Batavia Gun and Forging Co., Minor Shoe Mfg Co., W F Crickler, Fix & Fix Printing Establishment, Casey Moving, E J Salway, C M Ebling, The Eagle Hotel, Joseph Lapp, Wiss House, Beaudry Pipe Organ Co., W S & C E Housel, bankers, Miller Bros grain, A S Fisher & Son druggist and A J Tanner & Co canning.
Byron Bergen beat Notre Dame in Girls Basketball on Saturday 58-55.
For the Bees, Janessa Amesbury scored 22 points. Olivia Senf, who missed the previous five games with an ankle injury, scored 12, and Riley Shallenberger scored 10.
For the Irish, Sofia Falletti scored 19, and Shirley Thompson scored 11. Both girls had eight rebounds. Gianna Falleti scored seven and Lucia Fiorentino scored six with 11 rebounds.
"Nice quality win for us tonight against a very good and young ND team," said Byron-Bergen Coach Rick Krzewinski. "We did a nice job on Sofia Falletti in the first half as she scored six but added 13 in the second half. Eight grader Shirley Thompson scored 8 of her 11 points in the first half. You are going to hear a lot about her in the years to come."
Byron-Bergen is now 8-1. Notre Dame is 6-4.
Photos by Jennifer Diquattro.
The Elba Lancers beat Jasper-Troupsburg on Saturday in Boys Basketball 65-58 for the team's first win of the season.
The Lancers are now 1-8.
Nick Scott scored 31 points and Ryan Marsceill scored 26 for Elba.
Photos by Debra Reilly.
Oakfield-Alabama beat Attica on Friday 45-13.
The Hornets held Attica scoreless through the first two quarters.
Team stats:
"This was an outstanding defensive effort by our girls tonight," said Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "We played with a lot of discipline and intensity. We got contributions throughout our lineup."
Photos by Jordyn Tobolski.
Batavia beat Greece Olympia in Boys Basketball on Friday 78-54.
Gavin White scored 27 points for the Blue Devils and Casey Mazur scored 24.
Batavia is 6-3 and play their next game on Jan. 15 at Greece Odyssey at 7 p.m.
To view or purchase photos, click here.
Press Release:
In the wake of a series of horrific crimes linked to individuals with histories of serious mental illness, Senator George Borrello criticized the failure of state leaders to act on legislation he introduced in 2022 with former Senator Diane Savino. The proposal aimed to expand the criteria for involuntary commitment and strengthen Kendra’s Law—reforms he argues could have prevented many tragedies and saved countless lives.
"Our state’s inaction on addressing serious mental illness has cost many innocent lives in recent years and put countless others at risk," said Sen. Borrello. "While most people with mental illness are not violent, the alarming rise in violent attacks by mentally ill individuals—many targeting unsuspecting victims on New York City subways—shows just how severe this crisis has become. State leaders’ refusal to enact commonsense reforms like the bipartisan solution proposed three years ago has had devastating consequences, leaving ordinary New Yorkers to bear the tragic and preventable outcomes of a broken system."
He noted that among the countless crimes that could have been potentially avoided are the following:
- November 2024: Ramon Rivera, an individual with documented mental health issues and a long criminal history, is accused of a stabbing rampage across Manhattan that resulted in the deaths of three people.
- December 2024: Kamel Hawkins was charged with attempted murder and assault after allegedly shoving a random stranger onto Manhattan subway tracks, causing severe injuries. Family members said Hawkins displayed signs of mental instability in the weeks leading up to the incident.
- December 2024: A woman was intentionally set on fire while she was sleeping on a New York City subway train, allegedly by a migrant with substance abuse and mental health issues.
- March 2024: Franz Jeudy, a criminal recidivist with mental health problems, was accused of sucker-punching a Brooklyn school bus aide in the face as she walked home. The victim lost teeth, suffered facial fractures and a broken jaw, and has lasting nerve damage from the assault.
- May 2022: Andrew Abdullah is accused of fatally shooting Daniel Enriquez as he was heading to Sunday brunch on the subway. Abdullah had an extensive criminal history and severe mental health problems.
Sen. Borrello pointed out that, amid this seemingly endless string of crimes, Governor Hochul has announced plans to propose strengthening state laws on involuntary commitment standards and Kendra’s Law—proposals that will likely echo reforms Borrello himself introduced years ago.The legislation, originally introduced by Sen. Diane Savino and Sen. Borrello in 2022 as S.8508A, has been in existence for nearly three years and was most recently S.5508, sponsored by Sen. Scarcella-Spanton, with Sen. Borrello serving as a co-sponsor. The legislation has two key components that would:
- broaden the standard for involuntary hospitalization if an individual’s mental illness renders them unable to meet their own basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, or health care. This is the standard recognized by most other states; and
- strengthen Kendra’s Law by allowing longer hospital stays for people who fail to follow their court-mandated, assisted outpatient treatment (AOT). Current law allows for an involuntary, 72-hour hospitalization, a timeframe that is often inadequate to stabilize a patient. In these instances, the bill would allow mental health professionals to request longer hospital stays.
"This legislation is about saving lives and preventing tragedies," said Sen. Borrello. "By broadening the standard for involuntary hospitalization, we can ensure that individuals struggling with severe mental illness receive the care they desperately need before their condition spirals further. Strengthening Kendra’s Law is equally critical - allowing longer hospital stays for those who fail to comply with court-mandated treatment ensures that patients have the time and support to stabilize. These reforms are long overdue and will protect not only those suffering from mental illness but also the public from avoidable and often devastating consequences."
Kendra’s Law is named in honor of Kendra Webdale of Fredonia, New York, who was tragically killed by a man with a long history of schizophrenia in a subway-shoving incident in New York City in 1999. She was a friend and schoolmate of Sen. Borrello’s during their years at Fredonia High School.
“Kendra’s Law was spurred by a preventable and horrific tragedy that took the life of a kind, gifted young woman and a friend from my high school days. However, that tragedy gave us an important tool for helping seriously mentally ill people access lifesaving treatment,” said Sen. Borrello. “Evidence has shown that is extremely effective in helping prevent homelessness, incarceration, suicide and other harms that are often linked with serious mental illness. However, it is underutilized and deserves to be strengthened. Our bill would address these issues.”
"Nearly three years ago, a bipartisan solution was proposed that could have saved lives and provided critical help to those struggling with severe mental illness. Leaving mentally ill individuals to suffer on the streets, consumed by delusions, is neither compassionate nor humane—it is cruel and dangerous. What the governor is advocating for is the concept of the legislation we introduced three years ago. The framework already exists. If Governor Hochul is serious about reforming New York’s mental health system, she should include this bill’s language in her executive budget,” Sen. Borrello concluded.
Press Release:
Continuing the organization’s work to grow the economy, workforce, and communities of Genesee County, the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) supported 13 projects in 2024.
These projects spread across Genesee County’s business parks and other sites are estimated to produce an economic impact of $202 million. These include new municipal revenues and salaries for careers generated by over $1 billion of investment.
“The GCEDC is pleased to support the growth of our economy, workforce, and the tax base of Genesee County through projects that increase our manufacturing sector, renewable energy generation, and housing,” said Mark Masse, GCEDC President and CEO. “These investments have a significant impact that will grow over the next decade and beyond.”
In 2024, projects supported by the GCEDC pledged the creation of 96 new full-time equivalent positions and the retention of 513 positions.
In the town of Bergen, GE Bergen Owner, LLC’s $42.4 million project includes a new headquarters and manufacturing facility for Oxbo. The agricultural equipment manufacturer will increase their workforce to 200. The facility broke ground in September.
In the city of Batavia, Graham Corporation’s $17.59 million project includes a 28,867-square-foot expansion. The heat transfer equipment manufacturer will increase their workforce to 391. The facility broke ground in August.
The GCEDC supported market-rate housing developments in the towns of Batavia and Pembroke, with MedTech Landing, LLC building 80 units and Countryside Apartments building 96 units.
The GCEDC’s 2024 projects plan to build or renovate over 445,000 square feet of facilities, including Rochester Davis-Fetch's 32,500 square-foot renovation of a village of Le Roy facility and Craft Cannery's 4,000 square-foot expansion in the town of Bergen.
Six solar energy developments in the towns of Batavia, Byron, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield, and Pavilion will generate 524.275 megawatts of electricity.
“This kind of success cannot happen without the support of the Genesee County Legislature, all our local municipalities, and the companies who are willing to invest capital in our community and create jobs,” said Masse. “We also must recognize the number of hours that the GCEDC Board members have invested in reviewing the details for all these projects. Their knowledge, guidance, and support have been invaluable to our success.”
In total, projects supported by the GCEDC in 2024 will generate a $16 benefit to the local community for every $1 of local incentives.
Press Release:
Grace Baptist Church announced today that they will serve as a host of the 2025 Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. The unforgettable worldwide celebration event, centered on God’s love, honoring and valuing people with special needs will be held by host churches around the world simultaneously on Friday, February 7.
Grace Baptist is excited to join hundreds of other churches around the globe in celebrating people with disabilities as God’s image bearers.
Night to Shine is hosted every year by churches on the Friday before Valentine’s Day. Each event is unique to its location, but some cornerstone activities included across all of them are a red carpet entrance complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi, hair and makeup stations, shoeshines, limousine rides, karaoke, gifts, a catered dinner, a Sensory Room, a Respite Room for parents and caregivers, dancing, and a crowning ceremony where every guest is honored as a King or Queen – the way God sees them each and every day.
“Night to Shine is my favorite night of the year! It’s my favorite because we get to celebrate so many Kings and Queens and share how much they are loved by us and by the God of this universe. Our goal is to be able to get to every person with special needs around the world – until all are celebrated. No matter what city, no matter what country, no matter where you are, we want Night to Shine to be there.” said Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation.
As sponsor of Night to Shine, the Tim Tebow Foundation provides each host church with the official 2025 Night to Shine Planning Manual, personalized guidance and support from a Tim Tebow Foundation staff member, the opportunity to apply for a financial grant, and access to planning resources that will assist them in creating an unforgettable experience for their honored guests.
The foundation also provides access to ongoing disability ministry resources through Shine On. Shine On, a ministry of the Tim Tebow Foundation, is a faith-based community – a source of inspiration, belonging, and education for everyone impacted by disability. Shine On envisions a global community of churches and families that foster belonging and purpose for all.
Over the past 10 years, Night to Shine, through hundreds of churches worldwide, has provided over half a million guest experiences and over a million volunteer experiences.
For additional information on the Night to Shine hosted by Grace Baptist Church in Batavia, visit: https://gracebatavia.org/night-to-shine/.
For more information on the worldwide movement of Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, please visit: www.timtebowfoundation.org/night-to-shine.
After Martha Horton lost her sister, who struggled with using pills and alcohol, to suicide in 1997, a pastor asked Horton to lead a recovery group, an experience that taught her another lesson about addiction.
Her sister Sharon had never been in any trouble, so when she ended up dead by her own hand while in county jail in Albany, a shocked Horton wanted to be helpful.
“I thought I was doing it for her,” Horton said. “I learned I was a codependent, which is also an enabler. I made a lot of progress, thanks to the Celebrate Recovery program.”
She mentored more than 60 women then and has gone on to make addiction recovery a focus of her ministry at EverPresent Church in Batavia. Horton and fellow minister Maury McCoy will be leading the Recovery Alive program, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the church, 4 Batavia City Centre.
Based on the author, Christian counselor, and psychologist John Eklund’s book, Recovery Alive has become an international program that grew especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, Horton said.
“It has twice the impact in half the time,” she said. “These things are all weaknesses that take us from our best life that God intended for us, and so this program works with us to find those weaknesses. Some people don’t even know the root of the problem, but we really get down to the root of the problem.”
It’s a program built upon the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, with use of scriptures and a handbook for participants to actively work through each step by answering thought-provoking questions and digging deeper to discover what may be underneath one’s hurts, habits and addictions. Or, as a brief promotional video describes it, hang-ups.
A weekly session of about 90 minutes each is to include a review of that week’s step, a guest speaker, and then breaking out into smaller groups to work on the handbook. While there certainly will be talking and sharing, part of the goal is to also help participants find out those buried root causes or issues and deal with them, Pastor Jason Norton said.
“That’s powerful because a lot of people, a lot of these addictions are the results of an inner turmoil of some sort, an abuse, or a molestation, something, trauma,” Norton said. “This is more equipping people with tools to work the recovery.”
Contrary to what some may believe, addiction is not just about drugs and alcohol, he and Horton said, and this program will address anything, from shopping, past abuse, and pornography to poor self-esteem, grief, depression, food, and any other issue that one needs help with.
Chapters include The Power of — Weakness, Humility, Surrender, Honesty, Confession, the Cross, Forgiveness, Ownership, Grace, One Day at a Time, The Altar, and of Service.
Full disclosure: the leaders can be available for ministerial and pastoral counseling and don’t have drug and alcohol counseling degrees, Norton said, “but all, most of us, have come from that background, probably half to three-quarters of our church are people that are in recovery.”
The handbook is described as a “practical, powerful and proven resource combining the raw honesty of the 12 steps with what Horton said is about finding your higher power, and she wants folks to come and check it out before deciding whether it’s for you or not.
“Just show up. A lot of people get to the point of just being so overwhelmed that they feel like, I can't, I just can't. I can't do it anymore. I can't stop doing what I'm doing, whatever it is,” she said. “But we get to what some people call the bottom of the barrel, and when we look at other people, we think they're at the bottom of the barrel, but it's an individual basis. We have to recognize when we're at that point, and then real recovery can begin.”
No one is obligated to attend every single session, she said; however, more progress will come with more participation. The program will last four to five months or longer, depending on the group's needs, and the cost is $20 for materials. Financial assistance may be available for those who can’t afford it.
Three keys to Recovery Alive are power, as in your higher power; people — finding a safe community — and the process of working through the 12 steps, Horton said. Whatever is shared during the sessions and who attends must be kept confidential. “Boundaries” are discussed at each meeting to remind participants about the importance of privacy and respecting each other’s personal information, she said.
“There’s always a leader in charge,” she said. “And after a while, we talk about the five commitments: I commit to courageous honesty, to trusting and keeping the trust of the people in my group, to opening my heart to the healing, transforming power of God, to working the process, answering questions, and attending faithfully, to diligently seeking and ultimately attaining a sponsor and accountability partners.”
For a peek at the promotional video, go HERE.
Press Release:
The Town of Darien Republican Committee is seeking Republican candidates for the following positions for the 11/4/25 election:
- 2 - Town Council
- 1 - Town Clerk
Please email letter of intent to Darien Republican Committee attn: Mike Davis at msdavis1970@gmail.com. Please include full name, address, phone number and email info. Please submit letter of intent by January 27.
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