batavia

If you were planning to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and take part tonight in the annual Ghost Walk of the Historic Batavia Cemetery, too late. It's sold out.

Ray leach runs the opening punt return for a touchdown. On Batavia’s next possession Leach runs 71 yards for a touch down by diving into the end zone.

Batavia’s next punt return was run back 61 yards for a touch down by Chandler Baker.

In the first three minutes Batavia lead the Wayne Eagles 21 to zip.

 It was more than impressive. For many in attendance it seemed that the game was over and it was time to go home.

Perhaps this is what the Batavia Blue Devils' offense thought, too. They would not score again until the last two minutes of the third quarter when Wayne had come all the way back to lead the Blue Devils 22 to 21.

During the nearly three quarters when Batavia’s offense had almost no effect on the game, Batavia’s defense had a few impressive stops and forced three turnovers. John Kindig and Josh Barber each had eight tackles for a loss of two yards.

Wayne slowly battled back gaining momentum with each successful play.

With 1:51 left in the third quarter Batavia’s offense returned by scoring a touchdown. With 4:42 left in the fourth, Wayne answered back with a touchdown of their own, but failed to convert on a two-point extra point attempt.

At 1:44 Batavia scored again, making the final score 36 to 28. Chandler Baker passed 14 times for seven completions and 65 yards. Ray Leach had 12 caries for 158 yards. 

Press release:

A water main break has occurred on Union Street south of Richmond Avenue. A Water Department crew is on site to make repairs. Water service on Union Street between Richmond Avenue and West Avenue will be interrupted until repairs are complete.

Longtime community activist Catherine Roth was honored today in a dedication of a new polished granite bench in the Batavia Cemetery.

Roth, 95, and now living in Albany, wasn't able to attend, but Richard Beatty, a member of the board of directors of the Landmark Society of Genesee County, said her presence is still felt in the community.

She wasn't, however, as sometimes misstated, the founder of the Landmark Society. That was Sally Osborne. Roth was, though, a founding board member and served on the board for decades and for many years she was board president.

She was instrumental in saving the St. James Rectory and the Engine House. She also played a key role in getting published the book "Architectural History of Genesee County."

Her other community endeavors included serving on the City Council, the Holland Land Office Museum Board, Girl Scouts, and the YMCA board.

The bench sits on the edge of an arboretum created as a memorial to her son James and overlooks the obelisk of Joseph Ellicott. The project started with an anonymous donation to create something that would honor Roth and the Landmark board came up with the idea for the bench and completed the project.

Lucine Kauffman, a former Landmark board member, said she spoke with Roth this morning and asked if Roth had any words of wisdom to share, and Roth said, "I just wish I could be there to sit on it."

Beatty, who has only been on the Landmark board for two years, said he's heard Roth described as a "force of nature."

"Her name has come up many times, usually along the lines of ‘What would Catherine do?’ " Beatty said. "I got the impression that what Catherine wanted, Catherine got. I’ve learned from those who know her well that her desire to get things done is infectious and she brought many people together to help her achieve her goals. Catherine is the type of person every community needs to thrive.”

Photo courtesy of Jim Burns.

Information provided by GO ART!

GO ART! will present an exhibit of photography and illustration by local artist Jim Burns Nov. 9 through Feb. 3 at Seymour Place in Downtown Batavia.

Titled "Cabal and Zen," Burns says "The main portion of this exhibit was inspired by the tension of daily life and the desire for change. There are also individual images of beauty and peace."

There will be an artist reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16 at the gallery.

GO ART! at Seymour Place is located at 201 E. Main St. Gallery hours are Thursday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and the second Sunday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(Editor's note: The statement by artist Jim Burns was changed at his request.)

A student at Batavia High School has contracted viral meningitis, a contagious but not fatal virus, according to Chris Dailey, superintendent of Batavia City School District.

Dailey informed parents in the school district through a memo released today.

Here's Dailey's statement:

This is to inform you that a Batavia High School student has been diagnosed with viral meningitis. It is caused by a virus and is not fatal. It can be caused by any one of the common cold or intestinal viruses. The difference is, it affects the lining of your spinal cord and brain. It is spread by person-to-person contact, or a cough, just as the common cold virus is.

The symptoms of meningitis can be fever, stiff neck and tiredness, along with a sore throat, cough or intestinal symptoms.

If your child complains of any of these symptoms, he/she should follow-up with their own physician.

The best way to keep healthy is to wash your hands regularly and not share drinking bottles.

Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., the Batavia Players will present "Broads, Boys & Broadway Backwards" at the Harvester 56 Theater on Harvester Avenue, Batavia. 

Tickets are $15 and include a champagne reception after the show.

The players will perform songs from Broadway musicals, but with gender roles reversed. The men will sing the women's parts and the women will sing the men's parts.

Performers are Pat Burk, Amanda Taylor, Anthony Baldwin-Giambrone, Cameron Bontrager, Colin Fleming-Stumpf, Jerrod Baldwin-Giambrone, Joe Kusmierczak, Erin Stamp, Kathryn Fitzpatrick and Wendy Williams.

The show is directed by Pat Burk. Musical direction and accompaniment, Kathy White.

The Richmond Memorial Library was inducted into Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame on Thursday, becoming the first building in Genesee County inducted since the recognition was created five years ago.

There have been 24 buildings inducted into the Hall of Fame, which recognizes outstanding examples of architecture using Medina sandstone.

Other new inductees include the First Presbyterian Church in Albion, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester, and First Lutheran Church of Jamestown.

The Presbyterian Church is the ninth site from Orleans County in the Hall of Fame. Genesee has its first entry with the library in Batavia. Jamestown and Chautauqua County are also making their debut in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame with the First Lutheran Church. Holy Sepulchre is second site from Rochester to join the HOF.​

From the story by Tom Rivers, Orleans Hub:

The Richmond Memorial Library is a beautiful example of light gray Medina Sandstone and red Albion stone. The style is Richardsonian Romanesque and was designed by Rochester architect James Cutler. The Richmond Library employs the style of two-tone sandstone in a random ashlar pattern with a battered foundation and a steep gable roof.

Mrs. Mary Richmond donated a piece of land at the rear of the family property and construction of a library began on July 11, 1887 and was dedicated on March 12, 1889. Mrs. Richmond donated $24,000 towards the cost and insisted on using local labor to build this magnificent building.

The library was named after her son Dean Richmond, Jr., who died in his youth. Mrs. Richmond, noted for her charity, then donated the library to the Union Free School District. The Richmond Library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was registered on July 24, 1974.

***

Rob Conrad, library director, said he and the staff are thrilled to see the library go into the Hall of Fame. He praised the Batavia City School District for its ongoing commitment to maintain the site. Conrad said he is impressed by the communities that rallied their dollars to build such impressive buildings in the region, using Medina Sandstone.

"You see the beauty of the buildings and their ingenuity," he said.

Story and photos courtesy Orleans Hub.

By this time Tuesday, the year's long dispute between the City of Batavia and the City Centre Mall Association will be resolved, or the two sides will be in an Erie County courtroom.

A bench trial was scheduled to begin tomorrow before Erie County Supreme Court Justice Catherine Panepinto.

That date has since been moved to Monday, the same day the merchants are scheduled to hold another vote on the settlement.

City Manager Jason Molino, speaking on WBTA's Main and Center program this morning, says the merchants have held up the vote that had been scheduled for earlier this month.

“The merchant's legal counsel was the one who recommended the adjournment from October 2nd to the 23rd," Molino said. "They knew well in advance when the trial was, we did not suggest that nor did we agree to that.

"The judge, at this point in time, does not want to postpone because if the settlement agreement does not pass, the trial has to go on.”

The primary issue in the dispute is over who is primarily responsible for ownership and maintenance of the mall concourse.

The proposed settlement places the responsibility squarely in the hands of the city and provides some cash for roof repairs.

The City Council ratified the settlement in February of this year but the mall merchants never voted to approve the settlement.

If the merchants approve the settlement on Monday there will be no need for a trial and it would bring to a close a long-simmering dispute that has hindered any attempt to improve the neglected and crumbling concourse.

“(The settlement) null and voids all the other agreements," Molino said. "The inter-tangled web of it (the old agreements) are gone. That was the first term of the term sheet – all the existing agreements are null and void. All the things that created the mess we are dealing with are gone.

"We have very clear ownership, which is the city, very clear responsibility, which is the city. Very clear as to who is responsible for capital improvements, maintenance, and operations – it is one entity, the city. Right now, it is not one entity and that is part of the problem.”

Story via our news partner, WBTA.

Press release:

The Batavia Career and Technical Education Center (CTE) will hold an Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2.

Students, parents and community members are invited to tour the center and discover the many skilled trades opportunities available at this facility.

Crime scene analysis, 3-D printing processes, welding applications, animal care methods, and the newest cosmetology trends are just a few of the practices students learn at Batavia CTE.

All programs housed at this campus will also be open for touring including the Batavia Academy, the Intensive Therapeutic Program, the Transition and Practical Assessment Exploration Systems Programs and other school-age special education programs.

The Batavia CTE Center is located at 8250 State Street Road. Please call (585) 344-7711 with any questions.

About CTE

The Batavia Career and Technical Education Center is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services providing shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York state.

Linda L. Henry, 54, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Henry is accused of using abusive and obscene language in a public place with several people in the area. The incident was reported at 8:35 p.m. Saturday at Woodward Field on Union Avenue, Batavia.

Nicole R. Elmore, 29, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Elmore allegedly punched another person in the face and arms in an incident reported at 12:48 p.m. Wednesday at a residence on Chestnut Street, Batavia.

Leaha Raeanne Wimmer, 25, of Allen Street, Albion, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 4th. Wimmer is accused of possessing and using the debit card of another person without permission. The incident was reported at 5:12 p.m. Sept. 17 at a location on Prospect Avenue, Attica, and investigated by Investigator Chad Minuto, Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Press release:

Residents of the following streets can rake leaves to the parkway, but do not place in the street; these streets are Clinton Street, Oak Street, Main Street (including East and West Main Street), Pearl Street, South Main Street (between Oak Street and Walnut Street),Walnut Street, Richmond Avenue (between Oak Street and Prospect Avenue). If your street has a route number (i.e., Route 5, Route 33, Route 63 and Route 98), then please keep leaves out of the roadway.

All other streets are asked to rake leaves to the curb line, taking care not to block storm drainage structures/catch basins or not to block travel way of streets.

Leaf operations typically have one crew on the Southside beginning on River Street moving east in areas south of Main Street and second crew on the Northside will work from Grandview Terrace moving west, north of Main Street. A third crew will work using a vacuum along main roads and numbered routes. It takes about two weeks to go through the entire city.

Any resident with leaves can also bring them to the yard waste station until it closes for the season on Dec 9. Beginning Nov. 6th, the Yard Waste Station hours will be adjusted to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAF COLLECTION:

• Leaf piles must be clear of sticks and other debris;

• Grass clippings, flower pottings, branches, pumpkins CANNOT be picked up and residents are encouraged to bring those items to the Yard Waste Station on Law Street;

• Leaves should not block traffic;

• Leaves should not be piled near intersection corners. This causes sight issues for motorist/bicyclists/pedestrians;

• Keep leaf piles clear of drainage ways and catch basins. Blocked drainage leads to localized flooding;

• Leaves should not be piled around mailboxes, power poles, fences, fire hydrants or other obstacles;

• Do not park on leaf piles. The heat from a vehicle exhaust system could start a fire;

• Do not wait to get your leaves out. We will normally collect leaves twice within the month of leaf collection;

• If it is snowing, we plow first. If it continues to snow, then leaf operations will be suspended;

• There is no leaf pickup in the spring.

Press release:

Richmond Avenue will be closed between Bogue Avenue and Woodrow Road on Thursday, Oct. 19th, between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for street repair.

All motorists are asked to avoid this area and seek alternative routes. While work is being performed in this area, the roadway will be closed to all through traffic. Local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays.

All residents/businesses within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during repairing operations.

This is weather-dependent work. If work is postponed it shall progress next work day. Please, plan accordingly and contact the Bureau of Maintenance with any questions. Thank you for your cooperation in advance. 

UPDATE 12:35 p.m.: Richmond Avenue is reopened to all through traffic.

Information provided by Grandma's Luv'n Care:

There will be an Open House from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, at Grandma's Luv'n Care Childcare and Development Center in Batavia.

The nonprofit facility is located at 5079 Clinton Street Road.

You are invited to attend and learn more about the childcare center, meet the teachers, staff and take a tour.

Infants age 6 weeks and children up to school age are now being enrolled.

Grandma's Luv'n Care is fully licensed and staffed by caregivers trained in first aid/CPR and MAT (Medication Administration Training).

The center offers quality full-time and part-time care, as well as an after-school program.

It has seven rooms to accommodate the needs of children, including age-appropriate curriculum, activities and learning through play.

There's a staffed kitchen to provide breakfast, lunch and snacks.

The building is equipped with secuity cameras and key fob entrances.

Normal hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, call 815-4308.

A group of non-smoking residents at 400 Towers are demanding stronger enforcement of a no-smoking policy that was instituted in April and they've prepared a petition for the Housing Authority asking for sterner measures against rule violators.

Nathan Varland, executive director of the Housing Authority, said the agency is doing everything it can to enforce the ban on smoking in apartments, in the building and anywhere within 25 feet of the building.

"I'm also frustrated," Varland said. "We put a policy in place in order to help us go in a healthier direction and it's something I feel strongly about and something I want to move forward on."

Varland has been the director since 2015 and he said work on the policy began under the previous housing director. It took a long time to implement because the authority wanted to make sure it was rolled out to residents in a way that gave them time to adjust their living arrangments if necessary.

There was a 60-day notice prior to the policy becoming official. That gave residents who wanted to continue smoking in their apartments time to move and while some people did move during that 60-day period, Varland couldn't say whether they left 400 Towers specifically because of the new policy.

There have been five residents who quit smoking as a result of the new policy, however, Varland said.

According to the non-smoking residents, many who gathered in a meeting Friday night led by resident Beverly Morgan, most of the residents who smoke are complying with the rules, but there are about 20 residents who continue to either smoke in their rooms, in hallways and stairwells or in the front of the building.

"There's no place you can go outside and not smell smoke," Morgan said.

Residents expressed concerns about the dangers of secondhand smoke, especially for vulnerable people, such as seniors and those with related medical issues. It's not just an issue with smelling smoke, they said, but a real health concern.

Under the new policy, smokers who violate the rules get three chances to comply. First, there is a written warning, then a fine, and then eviction.

"I know for a fact there are some people who should have been evicted already," said one resident at Friday's meeting.

That isn't accurate, Varland said. There are a few residents who are on the cusp of a third violation, but they haven't crossed the line yet.

"There are certainly not people who have three strikes right now," Varland said. "We go by our own policies as much as we try to enforce our policies fairly. If we have evidence we move ahead with eviction."

Getting evidence can be difficult, however. During non-office hours, the only people around to file complaints about smokers are other residents. There is a group of volunteers who are empowered to patrol the building and grounds and turn in complaints, but those complaints must still be substantiated in order for the housing authority to take action.

While the Batavia Housing Authority developed its own policy, during the period of implementation, the Housing and Urban Development Department issued its own policy banning smoking at HUD-funded facilities.

"A few tenants have been slower to realize that it's time to change their habits or move," Varland said. "That's up to them. We can only enforce our policy the way it is intended and we're going to enforce it."

The authority also recently received a grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation to build amenities, outdoor spaces, for non-smokers and those projects should be completed by late spring or early summer, Varland said.

Cigarettes aren't the only smoking issue Varland is dealing with. Residents said, and Varland confirmed, there is also some marijuana use at 400 Towers. 

Varland said the housing authority is bound by federal law to treat smoking marijuana like any other illicit drug use. It's a crime and Batavia PD has been cooperative in trying to investigate these crimes, he said.

"We are forced to take it very, very seriously," Varland said.

At its annual meeting at Terry Hills yesterday, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County celebrated its 100th anniversary. The board also recognized CCE's staff and volunteers, including Paul Randall, who has been a master gardener for 25 years.

Above, Brandie Waite presents Randall with a pin and certificate. Randall, a resident of Elba, has averaged more than 100 hours of volunteer service for the past 25 years. He has volunteered for diagnostic home visits, judged horticulture entries for the Genesee County Fair, assisted in master gardener training, performed "countless" pH soil tests, assisted with the tree survey at the State School for the Blind, and helped plan and plant the garden at the CCE's building on East Main Street in Batavia.

County Legislator Mike Davis was the keynote speaker. Davis, who has 72 days left in office, has served as legislative liaison to CCE. Last year, the county reduced funding for CCE along with other outside agencies and Davis said he opposed the cuts and will oppose any further cuts during this year's budget discussions.

"There are great things going on at CCE," Davis said.

Director Bev Mancuso said when she took the job in 2003, she went out and talked with people in the community about what made the extension valuable and important.

"It was really interesting because, overall, the feedback I got was that our programming was really seen as vital to the fabric of our community and that through our programming we could rebuild the moral fiber of our society," Mancuso said. "Wow. I remember when people said that to me and the thing that struck me was I thought, ‘I want to be able to do that through our programming. I want to to be able to make this place better.' I wanted to do it because I believed our staff could do it. I believed the volunteers and the leaders and program participants could do it. And I believed that this community deserved it."

Besides supporting local agriculture, the extension supports 4-H and Leadership Genesee.

"We have touched a lot of lives in the past 100 years," she said.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley presented an Assembly proclamation recognizing CCE's 100th anniversary.

A bicyclist has been hit by a car at Richmond Avenue and Vernon Avenue, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Press release:

The 35^th annual Health and Humanitarian Award of Genesee County will be presented to Carm and Jerry Reinhart, of Batavia, on Friday, Dec. 1 at an awards luncheon at Terry Hills Restaurant. (EDITOR'S NOTED: EVENT CANCELLED.)

The award presented by The Jerome Foundation recognizes volunteer men and women of Genesee County who have helped promote emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the area’s residents.

Nominations reflected “ordinary people who reach far beyond themselves to the lives of those in need, bringing hope, care, and friendship, and helping build a stronger, healthier community.”

In naming the Reinharts for this year’s award, the Jerome Foundation will recognize more than 20 years of volunteer service and community involvement by Carm and Jerry Reinhart. They have supported numerous charitable causes in our community including Notre Dame High School, St. Joseph School, Genesee Community College, UMMC (and previously Genesee Memorial Hospital), YMCA, YWCA, Batavia Rotary, CASA, among others.

Michael Grammatico, an advisor to The Jerome Foundation Board of Trustees, nominated Mr. and Mrs. Reinhart, saying “Jerry and Carm have been strong advocates for local organizations for decades, whether helping behind the scenes, or being out front leading capital campaigns. Their approachable demeanor is admired and respected.”

CASA, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that advocates for the best interest of abused and neglected children in Genesee County is one of many charities the Reinharts have supported. When speaking to a CASA board member recently, the board member shared examples over the course of years of the Reinharts’ generosity, ranging from financial support to hosting fundraisers, and providing needed commercial space for CASA.

In the late '90s the Batavia YMCA Gymnastic program suddenly became “homeless.” It was the Reinharts who provided free space for years, allowing the YMCA gymnastic program to flourish.

Recently, a staff member of Notre Dame High School “lit up” when he spoke of the Reinharts’ support saying “Their lending of equipment, expertise, leadership, and financial support has been overwhelming.”