Press Release:

Genesee and Orleans Counties are expecting unusually hot weather this week, which was to begin Monday and last through Friday evening, particularly on Wednesday and Thursday.

“The duration of the heat will include both daytime and nighttime temperatures, with little or no relief during the overnight hours,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “This poses an elevated risk of causing heat-related illnesses.” 

GO Health is reminding residents to take necessary precautions during this week’s extreme heat event. Follow the steps below to stay cool, hydrated, and safe:

• Stay in a cool or air-conditioned building as much as possible. Spend time in public places, and if you are looking for a cooling center, visit https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/weather/cooling/. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning canhelp your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.• Cover windows with drapes or shades.• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and avoid sugaryor alcoholic beverages. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.• Schedule outdoor activities carefully. If you must be outdoors, try to limit your outdoor activity and find shade where you can. Limit strenuous activities and exercise. Drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks.• Wear appropriate clothing. Choose clothing that is lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting.• Take a cool shower or bath using mildly warm water. Sudden temperature changes may make you feel dizzy or sick.• Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home.• Do not leave kids, pets, or anyone else in cars.Cars can quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open.• Wear sunscreen. Sunburn can impact how your body cools down and can cause you to become dehydrated.• Check on your neighbors, family, and friends, especially those who are at higher risk. Those most at risk include older adults, infants and young children, pregnant people, people with disabilities, people with chronic conditions, and outdoor workers.• Keep your pets safe. Don’t keep your pets outdoors for too long, and provide them with plenty of fresh water. Avoid asphalt and dark pavement, which can be very hot.• Know the signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke is a medical emergency, and if it is suspected, call 911 immediately. To learn more, visit https://www.cdc.gov/extreme-heat/signs-symptoms/index.html.

To monitor the potential heat risk, visit the National Weather Service HeatRisk map at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heatrisk/.

For updates on the heat advisory and tips to stay safe, follow GO Health on Facebook, Instagram, and X at GOHealthNY. You can also visit GOHealthNY.org. 

Press Release:

Summer Reading for all ages kicks off on Monday, June 24 at Richmond Memorial Library! This year’s theme is “Adventure Begins at the Library.” 

Children

Celebrate Smokey the Bear’s 80th birthday with this year’s kids’ summer reading program! Kids up to age 12 will receive a chain and reading log with sign-up. Read or be read to and earn beads, brag tags, and more!

Starting June 24, weekly 10 a.m. programs for kids include Family Yoga with Nana Yoga (begins July 1 on Mondays), All Ages Story Time (Tuesdays), Play Café (Wednesdays), Nature Story and Craft (Ages 5-10 on Thursdays) and Little Scientists (Ages 7-11 on Fridays). Some programs require registration, please call the library or visit our website for more info!

Family Fun Fridays: Join us every Friday at 2 p.m. for a fun adventure for the whole family! No registration is required.

• June 28: Paris and Popsicles – Sign up for summer reading, have a popsicle, and meet the NYS Trooper dog!
• July 5: Seneca Park Zoomobile
• July 12: African Drumming with Mayukwa
• July 19: Wondermakers Interactive Storytelling
• July 26: Nickle City Reptiles
• August 2: Benjamin Berry 
• August 9: To be announced
• August 16: Buffalo Museum

Teens & Tweens

Teens ages 13 -17 are invited to play Summer Reading BINGO! Complete reading and library challenges for a chance to win weekly and grand prizes. Weekly prizes include gift cards generously donated by Dave’s Ice Cream, Sprinkles Creamery, Mancuso’s Bowling Center, The Coffee Press, Cinquino’s, and The Vintage Cow. Thank you to our generous local sponsors! Grand prizes include a bookish basket, a gift card to Lift Bridge Books, and more. Anyone can play but you must have a valid library card in the NIOGA system to be eligible for prizes. Register at the library or batavialibrary.org starting June 24.

Weekly teen/tween programs: 

• Silent Reading Club: Tuesdays at 2 p.m. – all ages welcome! 
• STEAM Adventures with Challenge Island: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. – ages 8 and up 
• Adventures with Food Series- Thursdays at 3 p.m.
• Board Games – Fridays at 2 p.m.

Some programs require registration, please visit our website for all the info. 

Adults

Play Adult Summer Reading BINGO starting June 24! 

Open to adults ages 18 and up. Complete reading and library challenges for a chance to win weekly and grand prizes! Weekly prizes include an Oliver’s Basket, gift cards to The Coffee Press, Dave’s Ice Cream, Sprinkle’s Creamery, Batavia’s Original, and Harrington’s (this prize donated by the Friends of RML). Thank you to our local sponsors! Grand Prizes include a bookish basket, a gift card to Lift Bridge Books, and more. Anyone can play but you must have a valid library card in the NIOGA system to be eligible for prizes. Register at batavialibrary.org or at the library starting June 24. Check our calendar for events throughout the summer!

Library Adventure Map program with NIOGA: 

Library patrons are invited to participate in Nioga Library System’s “Library Adventure Map” program this summer, beginning June 24! This program is open to all patrons and community members within Niagara, Genesee and Orleans Counties. A library card is not required to participate in the program! To participate, patrons will pick up a Library Adventure Map and first sticker at their local Nioga library. Patrons may visit any of the public libraries listed on the map and show their map to a staff member to receive a unique library-specific sticker. Think of the stickers as badges! Learn more at the library!

Summer Reading is sponsored by the Friends of the Richmond Memorial Library.

Press Release:

“Another session has concluded and with it, the hope that this would be the year when those in power would finally tackle the problems New Yorkers care about most.

If my Democratic colleagues read the same public surveys that I do, then they’ve seen that approximately  60 percent of New Yorkers believe the state is on the wrong track and that their top concerns are the cost of living in New York State, the migrant influx, and crime.  However, judging by the bills and priorities they pushed again this year, it is clear that Albany Democrats aren’t letting New Yorkers’ top concerns influence their agenda.

Here is a yardstick of their ‘progress’:  

• Due to New York’s sanctuary policies, over 200,000 migrants have flooded into the state in the past two years, creating enormous logistical strains, a $4.3 billion burden on taxpayers, and increased pressure on city services. One city official this week reported that they have more migrants in their DHS system than New Yorkers. My Republican colleagues and I have urged state leaders to rescind sanctuary policies to stop the influx. We’ve also pushed for Laken’s Law to allow law enforcement to cooperate with ICE on migrants who’ve committed crimes. The response to both proposals has been silence and inaction.
• Five years into their failed experiment, the toll of Democrats’ disastrous bail reform and other criminal justice changes continues to mount. In just a six-week period earlier this year, four police officers were killed and two others gravely wounded by suspects they apprehended. The National Guard was called in to patrol the dangerous subways, and NYC assault rates are at record levels. Robberies, shoplifting, and DWI offenses have surged to decades-high levels. The governor’s tough talk on retail theft amounted to a meager measure to create a low-level penalty for assaulting a retail worker. Numerous Republican proposals to reverse bail reform, combat antisemitism, and increase penalties for shoplifting, gun crimes, and DWI were ignored.
• Unaffordability and our highest-in-the-nation taxes continue to make New York State the number one state for outmigration. The fuel for higher taxes is excessive spending and that trend continued. The $237 billion state budget spends $8 billion more than last year, is twice the size of Florida’s budget and represents the second highest per capita spending plan in the nation. While Texas and Florida post double-digit budget surpluses and tax cuts through prudent spending and strong economic growth, New York State’s debt continues to rise and its productive, taxpaying residents and businesses continue to leave.
• Efforts to meet the reckless goals of the state’s Climate Agenda are driving us towards less reliable and more expensive energy sources. Thanks to our vocal opposition, the NY HEAT Act was removed from consideration this year, preserving our natural gas access, keeping energy costs down, and saving jobs.  

However, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act is another extreme mandate that would impose costly and unworkable burdens on manufacturers without making any measurable impact on the environment. The mandated packaging reduction will result in manufacturers pulling their popular products out of stores in New York, leaving consumers without the option to purchase many of their favorite brands and grocery store staples. Other manufacturers will be forced to pass their added costs onto already inflation-strapped consumers. Either way, consumers lose, a fact that has become the defining feature of all of the left’s climate proposals. The truth is that banning things like cool whip containers won’t save the planet, it will only appease the radical left. But, it hasn’t yet passed the Assembly, so I urge them to protect New Yorkers from this terrible bill and let it die.  

Ultimately, the session concluded without the legislature’s majorities taking any steps towards addressing New York’s most serious problems and making it a place where people want to live, rather than leave.

Democrats will have to answer for that when they return home.

They will have to explain to their constituents why crime in the streets and subways isn’t improving and why their pharmacies are still locking up toothpaste and soap but allowing criminals to remain free.

They will have to answer for why their tax bill and their energy costs are three or four times higher than those of their friends and family members who live in other states.

They will have to answer for why our state continues to invite those who have violated our nation’s immigration laws to come to New York to access taxpayer-provided housing, food, healthcare, education, and legal services, and why we shield them from federal authorities, even when they have committed crimes.

I remain hopeful that the concerns and common sense of my Democratic colleagues’ constituents will finally prevail over the demands of the progressive activists who have run Albany’s agenda for the past six years. In the meantime, my advocacy for the hardworking, law-abiding people in our region will continue.”

Batavia City Schools celebrated its Pre-K students on Monday with a moving-up ceremony at Van Detta Stadium, where members of the class are likely to receive their high school diplomas in 2037.

The Pre-K students enter kindergarten in the fall.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A Town of Bethany justice has resigned following a complaint and investigation into alleged sexual harassment of a court clerk.

Judge Joseph Nowakowski was accused of sending unwanted text messages that were unrelated to the clerk's duties, according to a statement issued by the NYS Commission on Judicial Conduct.

The commission statement did not provide details on the content of the messages.

After the clerk reportedly asked Nowakowski to stop sending messages, he allegedly retaliated by seeking her termination as a court employee.

The judge resigned on June 1 as part of an agreement with the commission. Under the agreement, Nowakowski is barred from ever again serving in any judicial capacity.

Nowakowski, who is not an attorney, became a judge in 2022, and his term was set to expire in 2025.

The commission received a complaint about Nowakowski in February. 

Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian made the following statement: “There is no place for sexual harassment in the courts, particularly among the judiciary, who must set and exemplify the highest standards of conduct for all to emulate. The Commission considers such matters seriously and takes action as appropriate and necessary.”

A three-car motor vehicle accident is reported in the area of 5870 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany.

No word on injuries.

Bethany Fire and Stafford Fire dispatched. Mercy EMS dispatched.

On a clear, sunny Sunday morning, 158 people turned out to participate in the Batavia Downs Jackpot 5K, an event that benefited WNY Heroes, Inc.

Batavia resident Justin Vrooman, 24, had the best overall time at 15:09. Second, Matt Oberst, 43, of Farmington, at 15:31.

The top female runner was Miranda Gatto, 19, of Niagara Falls, at 15:22.

This was the second year of the event at Batavia Downs.

UPDATE: After this was posted, the family received a call, and Lyken is back home.

Lyken, a Golden Doodle puppy (less than a year old), is missing from her home at 233 South Swan St., Batavia.

She's been missing for more than 36 hours.

Lyken broke out of the yard on Saturday during fireworks.

Contacts:

• Jon, 585-483-1091
• Kaylynn, 585-813-3205
• Katie, 585-250-2721

Local organizations are increasingly relying on Facebook to announce their events and other important announcements without putting out a press release.

Click here to read why that's a bad idea.

Send press releases, announcements, calendar items, and media invites to news@thebatavian.com.

The 2024 senior class of Batavia High School held its prom on Saturday at WoodSmith Estates on Creek Road in Batavia.

For more photos or to purchase prints, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

One hundred and forty years ago, homes didn't have electricity, and there were no amateur photographers.

That's right. In 1884, neither General Electric nor Eastman Kodak's founders had launched their history-making companies, nor had Nabisco or Coca-Cola product their game-changing products to market yet.

But a pair of young businessmen in Oakfield, Ralph E. Chapin and brother-in-law Frank Harris, had devised an idea for a better container to store kerosene for lamps and Chapin Manufacturing was born.

On Saturday, Chapin International celebrated its 140th Anniversary under a massive tent at the company's headquarters at 400 Ellicott St., Batavia.

At 140, Chapin is Genesee County's oldest manufacturing company.

What makes Chapin special, and why has it not only lasted for 140 years under family ownership, said CEO Tim Onello, about to answer his own question: Dedication to excellence, quality and innovation, resilience, loyalty, and the people of Batavia.

"Chapin is a tough company that has survived World Wars, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, COVID, and other world events over the past 140 years," Onello said.

The company has always chosen long-term stability over short-term profit, Onello said. It has kept a sense of family and community through generations of employees.

"A company is a reflection of the people that are hard-working town with small town values that drive the culture," Onello said.

Onello then thanks top executives, introducing them individually, the board of directors, and a number of employees who have been with the company for decades.

Onello also recognized the accomplishments of his predecessor, Jim Campbell, who led the company for 20 years. 

Campbell, he said, worked tirelessly to lead the company and guide it to new heights. 

"He was a visionary, tough, loyal to the company and very loyal to the employees," Onello said. "Under his leadership, the company achieved record growth and is well-positioned to compete in the future."

The board's chairwoman, Andris Chapin, spoke of the company's history when her great-grandfather and Frank opened a hardware store in Oakfield and quickly noticed that customers struggled with keeping their home kerosene for their lamps stored safely. They decided they could build a better can and began manufacturing cans in the basement of their store. 

The line of cans was successful and Ralph and Frank were looking at branching out into author products, such as sprayers, when a fire broke out in the basement. The hardware store destroyed, they moved into an abandoned Methodist church in Oakfield. That location also caught on fire, though a lot of product and machinery were saved.

That's when the business partners decided to go their separate ways. Ralph bought out Frank's share of the manufacturing business in 1896 and moved it to a hay barn on Liberty Street in Batavia. At that location, the business grew and expanded quickly.

When the company moved into plastic around 1981, it needed to find a new location. It so happened that Sylvania closed its factory on Ellicott Street, and Chapin moved in.

Today, Chapin has seven manufacturing locations, including one in China and one in Indonesia. Chapin Internation employees more than 400 people in the U.S.

Chapin remains family-owned, with 13 descendants of Ralph Chapin holding shares. The youngest is 11, and the oldest is 100.

Andris said Chapin is successful because of its employees. She noted that about 92 percent of the people attending the celebration were current and former employees.

"I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for us, for my family, for yourself, for me," Chapin said. "We've been happy to employ you and to help you."

Previously: Jim Campbell passes Chapin's leadership role to WNY native Tim Onello

For more photos or to buy prints, click here.

A Juneteenth Celebration was held in Williams Park on Saturday afternoon.

The event included food, live music, and vendor booths.

It was organized by Just Kings, a Batavia-based community group.

Juneteenth falls on Wednesday this year. On June 19, 1865, the last slaves still being held in bondage in Texas were freed, bringing to an end an ugly chapter of United States history.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Comedian, stage and TV actor, and Batavia resident for more than a decade, Hiram Kasten, passed away Sunday morning at Crossroads House. He was 71.

Kasten's TV roles included a recurring part of Seinfeld, the character Michael, a co-worker of Elaine Benes (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). He had guest starring roles in “Mad About You,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Some of his other TV credits included “7th Heaven”, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Saved by the Bell,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Cybill,” and “L.A. Law.” 

One of his proudest roles was playing Joey Bishop in the hit Las Vegas review The Rat Pack. 

While working in New York, Kasten met his future wife, a young lady from Batavia, Diana Kisiel.  They married on June 15, 1986.  They later relocated to Los Angeles, where they lived for 25 years before moving to Batavia.

Their daughter, Millicent Jade Kastenbaum, now lives in Manhattan and is an assistant district attorney.

Hiram is the son of Samuel Kastenbaum and Mildred Polansky Kastenbaum. He was born in the Bronx on Oct. 30, 1952.

For his full obituary, click here.

A cornhole tournament was hosted by the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Saturday.  Proceeds from the Back the Blue Tournament benefit the family of Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello. The Sheriff's Office veteran died in the line of duty on March 10.,

Press Release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) in Batavia, will soon begin a six-week late afternoon Youth Support Group for teens between 14 and 18 years old with a disability. 

It will take place from 4 - 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays from June 27 to August 8 (with a week off on July 4) at the Independent Living office in the Crickler Executive Business Center, 319 West Main Street Batavia (look for the green awning). It is a free program, and a light dinner will be provided. Transportation may be available with registration.

It is designed to provide a SAFE space for youth to: socialize with peers; work in a group and independently; learn tools for working through difficult emotions; and gain resources for support.

A novel aspect of this program is that we will be using the “Express It” journal to work through different topics such as feelings and emotions each week.

Please note that this is not “therapy”, it is a self-directed group that allows the use of artistic expression with a group of peers; however participants do not have to be “artistic” to attend; we encourage all to participate and find your own tools.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, Space is limited. Please contact: April Fearby, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program Specialist at 585-815-8501, ext. 401, or via email afearby@wnyil.org.

Along with ILGR our co-sponsors are the Young Leaders and Advocates Network and the Genesse & Orleans County Health Departments.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

The Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs program is funded by the New York State Department of Health using federal Health Resources and Services Administration Title V funding. The opinions, results, findings and/or interpretations of content contained herein are the responsibility of the Contractor and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations, or policy of the State or Federal funding agency.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia continues to seek funding to address aging water infrastructure and lead service lines across the City.

Currently the City has applied for three separate different water related grants including:

1. A Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant for a $4.17 M project to replace two aging water lines including the Cohocton and Walnut.
2. A Congressional Direct Funding request submitted to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney for a $3.4 M project to replace aging water lines on Pearl Street.
3. Filed an Intended Use Plan (IUP) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) funding request through Federal BIL Funding for the replacement of 900 lead service lines across the City of Batavia.

“The City is dedicated to improving our water system and making necessary repairs on infrastructure to reduce the amount of annual loss of water in the system and remove lead lines from the City. We have had discussions with County, State, and Federal representatives regarding the importance of these projects and look forward to a positive result related to our grant applications,” said Rachael Tabelski, City of Batavia City Manager.

The City of Batavia tracks lost water within our water system and currently in 2023 we lost approximately 23% of water produced at the Batavia Water Plant. This is defined as leakage. Leakage is water lost during transmission between the Batavia Water Plant and the individual meters at customer locations.

“The City conducts leak reports periodically to identify issues with City water transmission lines as a proactive measure to maintaining our water system. The leak report, along with Water Department field work, help the City identify water lines that need repair and replacement,” said Brett Frank, Director of Public Works.

As the City identifies aging and problematic water lines, they are placed into the City’s strategic capital plan and the cost to replace and repair is identified. The City then works to budget for the replacement of water lines through capital reserves and pursues grant funding for these projects.

In the past two years, the City has replaced water lines on Bank St. and Jackson St. which were identified as problematic based on leaks and breaks. Other water line improvements since 2017 include Harvester Ave., Richmond Ave., Union St., South Main St., Brooklyn Ave., and Summit St.

“Batavia is like many industrial North Eastern City’s with aging infrastructure and water loss attributed to aging infrastructure.  We continue to plan for, and execute on projects that will improve the system and reduce the lost water.  We are encouraged from the support we are receiving on grants for these projects to lower the burden on City residents,” said Tabelski.

According to the EPA, National studies indicate that, on average, 14 percent of water treated by water systems is lost to leaks. Some water systems have reported water losses exceeding 60 percent. Accounting for water and minimizing water loss are critical functions for any water utility that wants to be sustainable.

Two hot teams square off at Dwyer Stadium, as the Americans look to knock off the Muckdogs who are on an 8-game winning streak

Capitano (NF) v.s. Misiti (BAT)

#GoDogs