A fire that was updated to possible magnesium on fire at Hodgins Engraving Friday morning caused the evacuation of people and animals and calls for a hazmat team, law enforcement and several fire companies to the scene.

What began as an automatic alarm at 11:18 a.m. at 3817 W. Main St., Batavia, was then updated to the possible chemical fire, followed by a working structure fire, said Chief Chris Strathearn, of Town of Batavia Fire Department. A second alarm was then called.

“When we arrived, there was heavy smoke blowing out the back corner, which we will call the Charlie Delta corner. Initially, we tried an interior attack, and we had to pull back because of the heat and smoke. At this point in time, we've upgraded to multiple departments here. At this point we're drafting out of the creek across the street,” Strathearn said later Friday. “At this point in time, we have 20 departments that have been called, 15 that are on scene in conjunction with New York State Police, DEC, Office of Emergency Management for Genesee County. We're operating at a building approximately 200 by 400 at this point.”

The chemicals of magnesium, nitric acid and ferric chloride were known to be involved, he said, with the challenge that “magnesium doesn’t mix well with water.”

“So we’ve had several explosions at the beginning of this call, which there’s none at this point,” he said. “The environmental hazards are being monitored by town of Batavia water, City of Batavia water, DEC and Office of the Emergency Management.”

They were working to mitigate water run-off and watching wind direction, as it could be a hazard as well “because it’s blowing smoke to the west,” he said. Several businesses in the area were being monitored, with some having been evacuated or told to shelter in place.

Water, or the lack thereof, was an issue for firefighters.

“We started at the hydrants, which is not enough water to support what we're doing at this point in time. So there's four engines at this point at the creek flowing water to the aerials and the hand lines that we're using,” Strathearn said, explaining the need for more water. “It's just the size of the building. Trying to get everything coordinated at that point, and then having a plan B and a Plan C after that. When water hits (magnesium), it explodes, essentially, so that's a hazard to the firefighters, obviously, that was mitigated by the crews in the back.

Ask if with the magnesium,  “You gotta wait it out? You gotta let it burn itself out?” 

Strathearn said, “Well, the building was on fire, so we had to put water in the building.”

Genesee County Animal Shelter was evacuated, with the animals going to Perry Pet in Batavia. Genesee County Jail and the adjacent government buildings were being monitored by Emergency Management as the HVAC systems were shut down immediately.

Sgt. Michael Lute  gave an update on the jail and said “everything is set to move if need be, but right now it’s sheltering in place.”

“Emergency Management has consulted with Superintendent (Diana) Prinzi and the air quality and wind direction is sufficient and they’re confident it’s going to be knocked down in the next couple of hours and it’s not posing grave risk to anyone in any of the county buildings, town buildings, or the jail and the inmates,” Lute said. “I don’t know who’s in or out, if they left, they left, or they’re sheltering in place.”

By late afternoon Strathearn estimated that it would be at least another six hours of fighting the fire and keeping Route 5 closed during that time (from Lewiston to Kelsey roads). Some of the building’s firewalls were holding back fire growth and at least a third of the building had been “consumed” by the fire. He believed it may have begun in some type of maintenance area, but an investigation has not yet been conducted.

“So this is something that's going to be ongoing, because … it's tough to estimate this as far as how to gain access to the fire and get water on the fire, but, I think it's at least about another six hours that we think that we're going to be combating the fire and obviously disruption, and it's unfortunate, but West Main Street is closed and is going to have to stay closed for that time frame. “It makes it difficult, the size of the commercial building, and then the chemicals that are involved. So obviously, the firefighter safety is the most paramount. So gaining access to that type of fire, I think it had a pretty good growth pattern to it, so it was already well involved. They did make an initial attempt to get in and combat the fire, but it was unsuccessful. Just because of the size of the fire and the type of chemicals that were inside, they chose to withdraw for safety.”

There had been no civilian or firefighter injuries reported at that time, he said. And weather helped the situation due to the wind direction blowing the smoke away from the public, he said. The wind was at “such a speed” that it was moving all the smoke away, though it was not helping the firefighting effort, “because it’s feeding oxygen to the fire.”

“But we're able to at least get this smoke on its way and away from here and away from the public, and that's our biggest concern, just West Main at this point. So there is some information out to avoid the area of downwind from the smoke. There's smoke all the way out to the New York State Thruway. It's drivable, but you just don't want to be in this smoke shouldn't be driving through it,” he said. “Shouldn't be breathing, and that's with any fire not just this one. Because I would still say that there's a small amount of chemicals, considering the size of the building. So you know, 150 gallons of chemicals. By now, those chemicals have been consumed by the fire, so that hazard is gone. But now it's just a commercial building fire with hazard to the components or the combustion byproducts.”

Emergency Management Services Director Tim Yaeger said that the business has had “some small magnesium fires” in the past, but not anything recently, and has done a really good job safety wise.

“But I think some of the processes, they end up having a small magnesium fire, which the town of Batavia Fire Department’s handled. Over the last 15, 20 years, they've handled it very well. But apparently, again, our investigation hasn't started yet, so we really have to get more information to find out what actually started the fire, and that's going to be ongoing over the next couple days,” he said, explaining about shelter in place. “So that's basically shut down your heating or air conditioning system, close your windows, bring your animals indoors and just stay inside. It's the safest place to be. Don't go out and get in your car and breathe it. You stay in your house for the next few hours until this smoke can dissipate.”

There were 20 fire departments called, and at least 15 at the scene, with several standby units, from Genesee, Erie, Livingston, Monroe and Wyoming counties.

Richmond Memorial Library district residents approved this year’s budget — including a tax levy increase of $27,905 — by an overwhelming vote of 179 yes to 49 no in Thursday’s annual vote for the 2025-26 budget and trustee positions.

The vote was to authorize “the Board of Education of the City School District of Batavia to raise by tax $27,905 to increase the annual appropriation from $1,395,283 to $1,423,188 for the benefit of the Richmond Memorial Library.”

The 2% tax levy increase would mean adding 2 cents more per $1,000 assessed property valuation, or $3 total for a property assessed at $150,000.

Assistant Director Samantha Stryker gave a comment in the absence of former Director Beth Paine who recently resigned.

“We are grateful for the continued support of our patrons and Community,” Stryker said.

There were three candidates for three trustee vacancies, and they each received votes of:

Trustee Leslie Moma was reelected with 198; and Rebecca Oshlag and Marcia Bohn were each elected to three-year terms with 209 and 207, respectively.

7 West Avenue,  Elba. Super solid & so so so charming! Unique and pretty STONE home -they honestly don't build them like this one anymore!! This lovely older home sits on Elba’s nicest avenue! This 2600+ sq. ft. home has been lovingly taken care of, maintained and updated throughout the years!

OPEN HOUSE THIS SATURDAY: 11am- 1pm. Click here to view 8515 E Lake Road, Stafford. Lake front property in Genesee County!! Come check out this sweet well maintained 3 bedroom ranch home. Located minutes from eating shopping college and Thruway.

Genesee County Office of Emergency Management has issued a request that, due to an active fire in the area on Friday, the public is asked to avoid the vicinity of the Batavia Towne Plaza and surrounding businesses.

Emergency crews are actively fighting the fire on West Main Street —please steer clear to ensure their safety and yours, county officials said. Updates to follow.

Heavy smoke can be seen as part of a working industrial fire at Hodgins Engraving Friday, as reported by The Batavian at the scene. There have been two explosions in the building, and everyone has been evacuated as of noon. 

A hazmat team was called in and a residence next to the business, at 3817 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, was also being evacuated. 

Town of Batavia Fire and City of Batavia Fire departments responded to the scene, and East Pembroke, Elba, Alexander and Stafford fire companies are also responding to the scene. Bennington and Albion responded a short time later.

Genesee County Jail is being used as shelter in place mode for now, officials said. Route 5 is being closed in both directions, at Lewiston and Kelsey roads.

Tankers from Darien, Corfu and Attica are at the scene. Extra water is needed, and a five-inch line was run across the road from the creek, since Route 5 was shut down. 

Animals from Genesee County Animal Shelter are being moved to the fairgrounds Perry Pet in Batavia.

Update 2:25 p.m.: Oakfield, Alabama and Pavilion fire companies are on scene, Mercy EMS is on standby, and a ladder truck from Clarence has been requested. State fire, Genesee County Sheriff's Office and State Police are all on scene.

Photos by Howard Owens

What are the odds of two bakers with the same last name applying for a position at GO ART!’s Audrey 2.0.1 Bakery at Seymour Place? As it turns out, the odds were in the arts council’s favor, and both landed a sweet — and savory—spot in the fully equipped kitchen at 201 E. Main St., Batavia.

While Kiel Green opened up shop at the bakery last September as part of an Artist Incubator Program to hone his skills, Grace Greene also sent in her resume for a position as she was completing her degree at the Culinary Institute of America. One could say she brought her CIA game.

“So, I actually originally applied for just the baking position, and (Executive Director) Gregory Hallock ended up seeing my resume after they had hired the last person. And so he ended up being like, 'Hmm, you know, maybe she can take on a little bit more.' So they ended up welcoming me in and starting a new job description, basically. So I kind of am overseeing everything in the kitchen as well as I'm going to eventually make it into the bar area and work on some mixed drinks and specialty items on that side of things too, because I took a mixology, a wines class and a beer-making class at school, so I have a background in a little bit of all of it,“ Greene said on her first day open Thursday. “We'll definitely have the sandwiches next week, and then we'll probably tack on one at a time in the following weeks. And then I'm also working on a breakfast menu for Saturdays, so we'll have things like waffles, pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast. And then I'm also going to make fresh doughnuts every Saturday as well. So we'll have a few different options, and then hopefully a specialty.”

Greene, who moved back to Rochester after finishing culinary school in Hyde Park, obtained her bachelor’s in professional studies with a concentration in baking and pastry. She graduated on April 16 and made a quick move back in with family to take this job, with the intention to move closer by the fall, she said. 

The 25-year-old did a lot of hands-on training, working in a bakery and for a large restaurant in Poughkeepsie, she said, finessing handmade dough into stuffed dumplings by being in charge of making 700 pierogi each week. (So don’t be surprised if this Polish specialty makes it on the menu eventually.)

For those who have missed the aroma and taste of fresh baked bread, that’s “my favorite thing,” she said: a tall, airy house focaccia with sautéed onions and garlic, and her own version of a glaze-topped cinnamon roll focaccia, brioche, rustic baguettes, ciabatta, sour dough and a rye sour. They will be available for purchase and as the base for future build-your-own sandwiches with assorted meats, cheeses, and toppings, a turkey club, and bruschetta topped with tomatoes, onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and then topped off with fresh mozzarella.

What is it about making your own bread?
“It’s really just, since it is so hands-on, relative to other things, finally getting that product and seeing what you made with your hands, is just great to see,” she said. “It’s a lot of waiting around, it's on its own time, you can't rush it. I feel like a lot of times, people don't let it, at the very end, proof long enough, and that's when you get it popping out and all that kind of stuff. So it's really a hurry up and wait kind of thing.”

Soups will begin with a chicken noodle and perhaps a cheddar broccoli, garden vegetable, or classic Caesar with homemade croutons for salads, with homemade dressings. For the sweet tooth? Large sugar cookies, cakes, brownies, brookies — a crunchy creamy combination of a chocolate chip cookie layered with Oreos in the center and topped with brownie mix  — muffins, cupcakes, special orders of decorated cakes, cupcakes, the increasingly popular Rice Krispie treats, cake pops, and bridal or baby shower dessert boxes, and that's probably not even the exhaustive list, as she will work with customers for special requests.

There will also be espresso and regular drip coffee, decaf, French roast, and latte drinks with — you may have guessed it — house-made caramel and chocolate sauces. Speaking of made in-house, Greene will be whipping up her own butter for the bagels, waffles and pancakes.

She plans to tack on Sundays to the three-day schedule at some point as part of future expansion of hours and days “as things go forward.” Other goal are to:  work with some culinary arts students from Genesee Valley BOCES to allow them hands-on experience and offer more variety to the community as they learn. There are likely to be cake and cupcake decorating classes for adults and children, and more opportunities “to have people in the kitchen” learning, she said.

"There's actually a couple of students over at the BOCES program who we were thinking about bringing in kind of as a mentorship or part-time work. One of them is very much into adapting recipes and making them healthier by substituting flours and sugar types, and all kinds of things. So I have a background in all of it," Greene said. "But the one thing with school is, basically, every three weeks we'd switch classes. You only had a three-week period to get exposed to all of the different types of things. So I have a good groundwork for everything, but there's definitely a lot that I still need to explore on my own."

As for her own mentor, Greene’s favorite cooking show was “Cake Boss” as a kid, she said, though “no one really presented it as a career for me.”

“So when I was kind of in between jobs, I was like, what do I do? I’ve gotta figure something out. And I decided to apply to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America),” she said “And once I got in, I was like, well, we’re gonna really go for it then, all places, definitely, to really absorb as much as you can and learn as much as you can as well.”

Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

She is working on the menu, which will be available, along with options for take-out, HERE.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Batavia continued its winning ways of late, notching it sixth-straight victory on Wedensday over Pittsford-Sutherland, 6-3.

The Blue Devils were buoyed by a five-run third inning.

Brady Mazur went the distance for the win, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out five.

Batavia Offense: 

To view or purchase photos, click here.

People across the nation on Thursday participated in a protest against the policies of the Trump Administration, including in Batavia.

The protest was scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. The Batavian did not arrive until 7:20 p.m., when about 50 people were still present.

One protester said there had been a much larger group of protesters at the start of the protest, but thunderclouds and rain had left "only the diehards."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

Batavia High Class of 2010 graduate and past parishioner of Sacred Heart/Ascension, Father Aaron Kulzcyk, joined our final Resurrection and Ascension Family Faith Formation Session to discuss how God calls us all to use our gifts and talents.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) celebrated the work of its economic development partners and the impact generated by the Apple Tree Acres business park with over 240 stakeholders gathered Friday.

The work of the town and village of Bergen, the commitments by homegrown businesses, and the support of New York State were recognized at the GCEDC’s annual meeting for generating a hub for economic development at Apple Tree Acres.

The 185-acre site is the latest, and largest, Genesee County shovel-ready site to be fully developed and sold to private companies. Current companies at Apple Tree Acres employ over 400 professionals with a cumulative payroll estimated at $30 million and contribute over $343,000 in annual property taxes and PILOT revenue.

“I’m pleased today to offer Apple Tree Acres as a case study for how economic development is making a positive impact in Genesee County,” GCEDC President & CEO Mark Masse told guests at the GCEDC’s annual meeting. “The economic impacts of Apple Tree Acres to the town, village and county cannot be underestimated. Not only have companies invested over $100 million in Bergen, they have also generated a significant value to municipal services.”

In recognition of the success of Apple Tree Acres, the town and village of Bergen were both recognized as the GCEDC’s Economic Development Partners of the Year. Town of Bergen Supervisor Ernest Haywood and Village Mayor Joseph Chimino accepted the awards.

During the annual meeting, the GCEDC also presented a video featuring testimonials from businesses at the Apple Tree Acres. Tenants reflected on the support provided by the GCEDC and their success in Bergen.

“We were pleased to showcase the businesses that have contributed to our goal of rebuilding the manufacturing and skilled trades sectors that have created more and better jobs for our residents,” said Masse.

In 2024, projects supported by the GCEDC pledged the creation and retention of over 600 careers. 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.

“When a community can work together to develop solutions, the rewards can be transformational and have generational impacts,” Masse said.

Press Release:

The 25th Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Baseball Tournament will take place Saturday, May 3 at Dwyer Stadium with a rain date of Sunday, May 4.

Oakfield-Alabama and Notre Dame will play in the first game at 11 a.m. followed by Le Roy vs Batavia at 1 p.m. The Consolation Game will be at 4 p.m. with the Championship Game at 7 p.m. 

An All-Day Admission Pass is $5 for an adult and $3 for a student or senior. Cash or Venmo will be accepted for payment. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

Youth ages 12 and under will get in free if they wear their baseball or softball uniforms to any of the games and attend with a parent/adult family member.

Any Challenger Sports athletes and Unified Sports athletes will get in free if they wear their uniform or t-shirt and come with a parent/adult family member or adult caregiver. 

We look forward to seeing the community come out to cheer on our local athletes!

8515 E Lake Road Stafford. Super opportunity to own waterfront property in Genesee County! This lovingly kept and well maintained ranch sits directly on waterfront edge of super peaceful Horseshoe Lake. Updated throughout the years this home is move in ready and will surprise you with how much space you have! Starting at road front this home has extra parking space across private road for all your guests as well as ample parking at house. As you walk in back door you are immediately in large enclosed porch in case you want a change of scenery and a perfect place for your extras and coats and shoes! Walk into pretty kitchen with plenty of cupboard space and work island and with easy viewing out through dining area to the lake-the scenery makes all cooking better! There is also an open office room or sitting room/hobby area off of kitchen! The formal dining area of course looks over "front" yard and lake and leads to large deck for outside entertaining as well as private dock for your water toys(Lake rules and regulations apply) The home has three good-sized bedrooms with plenty of closet space and then best of all there is large and brite family room with cathedral ceiling, wet bar and cozy gas fireplace! Furnace and hot water tank are 7/8 years old approximately, there is PUBLIC water and a BRAND NEW septic system install in 2021. Conveniently located to dining shopping college and thruway!! This year round waterfront property checks all the boxes! Any accepted offer is subject to approval by Horseshoe Lake Corporation.

Roll into May at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena! We’re bringing the energy with a full lineup of fun for all ages! Public Roller Skating starts Friday, May 2nd from 7:30 PM- 9PM. Join us Friday & Saturday nights – just $8 admission and $3 rentals!

We’ve got quad skates and brand NEW roller blades in our rental fleet this year – or bring your own! Want to skate more often? Grab a Public Skating Membership: Individual: $25 start-up | $20/month. Family: $40 start-up | $30/month. (Includes pickleball too!)

Sunday, May 4th | 10 AM – 4 PM It’s Picker’s Paradise – “A Foodie’s Day in May!” FREE Admission, $1 Sahlen’s Hot Dogs. Tons of local vendors. Vendor spots still open! Details here

Pickleball starts Monday, May 5th! Every Mon, Wed & Fri from 9 AM – 12 PM. Individual Membership: $25 start-up | $20/month. Family Membership: $40 start-up | $30/month. (Also Includes roller skating!) $8 day pass 

Let’s roll! Skates are ready… are you? See you at the rink! Visit our Facebook page & stay up to date on what's happening!

After nearly a decade of grant applications, designs and redesigns, surveys, an estimated 20 meetings, Covid delays, price increases, and finally having Water District 5 within reach, there has been one more glitch in the process, Bethany Town officials say.

Eight households in the district haven’t signed an easement and right-of-way to allow the project on their properties. Town Attorney Dave DiMatteo and Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. informed a room full of interested residents on Wednesday that the water project has been stalled without the necessary signatures, despite repeated attempts to contact the homeowners.

“He's going to their houses, I'm going to their houses. I leave my business card with a nice message: ‘Please call me.’ I text them, I call them, I send them nice letters, crickets,” Hyde said during an informational meeting at Bethany Community Center.

DiMatteo added that he’s thought about scrolling their names on the town’s digital bulletin board outside.

“That way, at least they know we’re looking for them, right?” he said.

At one point early on during the meeting, a blush-faced DiMatteo said the delay was “because of you and not us,” as he stared at the crowd, prompting residents to shout back rebuttals and complaints about another delay.

Ferris Hazlett yelled that he’d had enough, and stormed out of the room of at least 100 people. As someone who has lived in Bethany for 35 years, he has “listened to so many lies,” he said, and he can’t sell his house without a water hook-up.

“Before Carl Hyde got elected, he stood in my driveway and told me we’d have public water. Then there was an excuse, and then Covid. And that's all you hear, and they’re blaming it on us. What about right of domain?” Hazlett said. “I’ve been told by Carl Hyde that shovels will be in the ground by April. We’re here to find out when we’re getting water. Don’t lie and continue to lie. How much digging are you going to do in the winter?”

The Batavian asked DiMatteo about whether the town has the right-of-way for easements onto properties, such as how National Fuel does when installing gas meters outdoors.

“We have the right to do it, but these easements are outside of our right-of-way, on their private property,” he said. “And our respect for their private property, we need their permission.”

The new time period for breaking ground on the district is in the fall, Hyde said. Unless those people who haven’t signed “have a change of heart or mind,” he said, then it could be earlier. He has texted, called, and sent letters to no avail, and likewise for DiMatteo.

Except that’s not the case for all of them. Zack Anderson of Clark Patterson Lee, the lead engineer on the job, said that there are some residents who haven’t signed due to having issues with their easements.

“I don't know all the particulars. Carl and Dave DiMatteo have been discussing those things with the property owners,” Anderson said. “I’ve only been in touch with, I think, a handful of property owners that have had questions for me, that I've met out on site … but I guess there are some that are still outstanding.”

The Batavian asked Hyde about this, and he said he could go down the list about the various problems, such as one property owner not wanting anyone on his property at all and is against the water district; another who was listed under the wrong address; a pest business with an address in Philadelphia; and another accusing the town of trying to force him into an easement. So it does seem like there has been contact. Many of these people are refusing to sign or just say no, Hyde said to The Batavian after the meeting.

“They won’t do anything. For two months, we’ve had 94 easements. I’ve got seven we’re finding this week, they don’t want to do it,” Hyde said. “We’re having a conversation with the engineering firm.”

A mother had asked DiMatteo after the meeting if he would go to her son’s house to notarize his signature, and the attorney said his response was “let’s go right now.”

The water district plan will have to be altered to avoid those properties without a signed easement. That, plus attorney and staff time, mailings, and “chasing people that wanted the water district,” has been a waste of money coming out of the $21.6 million from low-interest government loans, Hyde said.

“We’ve done everything we can; the ball is in their court,” he said. “We’re recalculating a way around their property. Every time we have to add legal fees, that comes out of the $21 million.”

The plan was reduced from two water towers to one because it was located on the highest property in town, at an elevation of 1,305 feet, said water operator Paul Barrett of the Town of Batavia. There won’t be any leftovers from savings, Hyde said, as he’s “not giving back one penny” of the lump sum.

The debt service to property owners is expected to be around $850 to $880 per year, and it is anticipated that this total will decrease in subsequent years as more people join the district.

Residents were instructed to complete a form related to their property — residential, commercial or agricultural — and submit it for Barrett to work on details for the district. They were encouraged not to buy or do anything for their property until the next meeting, which has not been scheduled yet.

“You’ll find out what you need for your particular property,” Barrett said.

Go HERE for prior coverage.    

Could one of the people you see in these photos be the next Steve Moses, the 2015 winner of the CBS reality series Big Brother?

More than 300 people turned up at Batavia Downs on Wednesday to try and repeat what Moses did in the show's 17th season when Moses won slot as a constant through an audition at Batavia Downs.

"He was from the Fredonia area, but he was going to college in St Lawrence up by Alexandria Bay. and of course, we're on the way right. Batavia is right on the Thruway, so he timed his run after spring break to be here for the audition," said Ryan Hasenauer, vice president of business development for Western Regional Off-Track Betting.

Channel 8 out of Rochester, a CBS affiliate, ran the auditions, which involved potential contestants waiting their turn to step into a black-curtained booth to be filmed making their pitch to the show's producers. The video will be screened by the producers and the finalist selected.

"Some people are very reserved, and a lot of people are Type A's like me, where they're very loud about it," Hasenauer said. "They get excited, and like that young lady was saying that you were talking to earlier, she was somebody who's watched the show for a long time, 12 years. Some of these people are geared up to do it. It's an exciting thing for us."

That young lady was Chelsea Dezuko, from Buffalo.

"I've been watching Big Brother since I was maybe, like, 13," Dezuko said. "It's something that me, my mom, my sister, we would do together. We would get together, sit on the living room couch. It was like the one excuse that we got to stay up late for school, like past our bedtime."

Big Brother is really the only reality TV series she's watched.

"Honestly, I'm not a huge reality TV person, but Big Brother just feels different," she said. "I feel like there are people of all walks of life who enter the Big Brother house. I love the competitions. Like one of my Big Brother idols is probably Nicole F. She's won the show before."

Tacido Curry, from New York City, was in Batavia to take his second shot at auditioning for Big Brother. He returned from a trip to Brazil to make it to the audition. 

"I'm one of a kind," Curry said. "I'm a little bit different, so I needed to be on the show."

And he likes his shot.

"I've watched all the seasons, so I wish I were there all the time," Curry said. "I have a very strong personality. I lived in many countries. I am a world survivor. I survived lots of crazy things in my life. I was kidnapped three times. I was in the World Trade Center. I survived the tsunami and the fires of Notre Dame. I'm sure I can survive in the big house. I have a big resume, you know, to share with people and provoke people, too."

Chris Hadlock, from Victor, thinks he's got the resume for a slot on the show as well.

"I've been doing this stuff my whole life," Hadlock said. "I was a professional musician for 30 years. Now, I'm a helicopter pilot. I kind of miss the limelight a little bit, so if I can entertain the crowd, you know what I mean, on a national level, let's do it."

Elba's Brea Smith struck out 10 Attica batters on Tuesday to surpass the century mark in strikeouts as the Lancers beat the Blue Devils 8-5.

Hitting:

• Madison Marks, 4-4, 2 stolen bases, RBI
• Bri Totton, 2-3, 2 stolen bases, 2 runs

Photos by Krisin Smith.

Elba's Nick Scott surpassed 100 strikeouts in his high school career, fanning 10 in a 12-1 win on Monday over Attica.

He now has 109 Ks in his career.

He gave up one run and walked one batter.

Offense:

• Brendan Porey, 2-3, walk, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, 3 stolen bases. Porey is hitting .667 on the year so far.
• Nick Scott, 1-3, RBI, 2 runs, 3 stolen bases, one walk.
• Alex Rascoe, 2-4, RBI, run, 2 stolen bases.

"I'm very proud of our team," said Coach Andrew Boyce. "We challenged them yesterday at practice to jump out to an early lead, and that's exactly what they did. I couldn't be more proud. 6-0 is great, but the boys need to stay humble and keep stacking days. All 13 players saw at least 2 innings of work today, and all contributed to a great team win."

Photos by Krisin Smith.

Oakfield-Alabama beat Notre Dame in softball on Tuesday, 8-4.

Savannah Durham got the win, going all seven innings, giving up six hits, one walk, two earned runs while striking out 12.

• Allison Harkness, 2-3,  3 RBI's
• Raine Denny, 2-3, 2 triples, RBI, 2 runs scored
• Savannah Durham, 1-3, RBI, 2 runs scored
• Jess Sosnowski, 1-3
• Rylee Denny, 1-3

Oakfield-Alabama fell on Tuesday to Kendall in baseball 11-1.

The Hornets are now 3-2, and Kendall improves to 11-1.

Kendal held the Hornets to five hits.

David Schnaufer took the loss, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up eight hits and all 11 runs.

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski.