batavia

Submitted photos. Top -- newest Athletic Hall of Fame inductees: Alex Sepi, Lisa Dwyer Lenhart, Dawn Sherwood Norton and Walter Szczesny; middle -- retired teacher and coach Bill Sutherland; above -- and John and Tom Borrelli, who accepted an award on behalf of their father, Nicholas.

Press release:

On Saturday, Nov. 14, friends and supporters of Notre Dame High School enjoyed a “Tailgate Party” themed event as they celebrated Sports Night at Slomba Hall in Batavia. They also honored people newly chosen to be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

The night started with a welcome from the school’s new principal, Wade Bianco, who spoke about all the exciting things going on at Notre Dame High School.

Athletic Director Mike Rapone introduced the Athletic Hall of Fame inductees who included:

• Alex Sepi -- ’84
• Lisa Dwyer Lenhart -- '83
• Dawn Sherwood Norton -- ’79
• Walter Szczesny -- ’76

Retired teacher and coach Bill Sutherland, was also honored for his 41 years of service to Notre Dame.

Nicholas Borrelli was inducted for his contributions to Notre Dame High School and his award was accepted by his sons, John Borrelli, who is the current chairman of the Notre Dame High School Board of Trustees, and Tom Borrelli.

All honorees spoke of their appreciation of Notre Dame High School and their educational and athletic experiences there.

Notre Dame High School of Batavia has been ranked #1 among private schools in Western New York for the past eight years by Buffalo Business First. In addition, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Interscholastic Athletic programs also ranked #1 in Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans counties.

Press release:

The Genesee ARC Redemption Center is open for business!  “Bring us your cans and bottles,” said Director of Operations, Paul Saskowski.

Along with offering new employment options for individuals with disabilities, Saskowski said, “The expansion of our transfer station allows customers to drop off refuse, recyclables and now get their deposits on beverage containers back so these chores can be done in a ‘one-stop’ concept.” 

The Genesee ARC Redemption Center, 3785 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, is open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays until 8 p.m.

“The hundreds of community members that visit monthly for trash and recycling now have an even greater convenience,” Saskowski said.

“The best thing about the ARC-operated redemption center is additional employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities,” the director said.  “This expansion aligns with Genesee ARC’s mission of supporting people with disabilities in partnership with their families and the community."

All NYS beverage bottles and cans are accepted at the site. Customers wishing to donate their refunds to a nonprofit can designate Volunteers for Animals, Boy Scouts of America, Crossroads House or Genesee ARC. Organizations wishing to hold a can drive can contact Paul Saskowski or Redemption Center Manager Carl Jones at 343-4203 to set it up.

Photo: Carl Jones, Redemption Center manager, with Mark and Wesley, employees of the Genesee ARC Redemption Center.

Batavia High School hosts its annual faculty and student talent show tonight in the auditorium starting at 7 o'clock.

Pictured during yesterday's rehearsal are Tzyonah Sheffield-Reese (top) and Kesa Janes.

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Yesterday, volunteers were busy preparing baskets for the auction Friday during the Holland Land Office Museum's 14th annual gala for the Wonderland of Trees.  The opening night festivities get under way at 7 o'clock. General Admission is $25 per person or $20 for Museum members. There will be live Christmas music, a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, basket raffles, catering by D&R Depot, and nearly 40 Christmas trees and displays -- thanks to the generosity of you, our community. Tickets can be purchased in advance in the Gift Shop or the night of the Gala.

Pictured are Kathy Jasinski, Mary Jo Eddy, Theresa Potter, Donna LaValle.

 Abraham Martinez

Abraham R. Martinez, 31, of Alexander, is charged with assault, 2nd. Martinez was arrested by State Police following a month-long investigation into an incident in the Town of Orangeville. A female was struck in the mouth with a bottle, resulting in the need for dental surgery after she lost part of her front teeth. State Police were provided with the first and last name of a suspect but had no other information to go on. Troopers, with the assistance of Border Patrol agents, obtained information that indicated the suspect might be located at a farm in Alexander, where he had been employed for about two weeks. Martinez was located and arrested and processed in Warsaw. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Alicia Kimberly Urban, 30, of Main Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Urban is accused of stealing $432.96 in merchandise from Kohl's.

Luke William Ritzenthaler, 32, of Route 237, Byron, is charged with aggravated family offense and criminal contempt, 2nd. Ritzenthaler allegedly had contact with a female by phone and letter in violation of a court order while incarcerated at the Genesee County Jail.

A 17-year-old resident of Exchange Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. The youth allegedly shoplifted at Walmart. The youth allegedly placed electronic merchandise in her purse and exited the store.

Kelvin B. Murphy, 42, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Murphy allegedly pushed another person at 3:47 a.m., Nov. 8., at an address on State Street.

Gregory S. Yark, 51, of Roosevelt Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Yark was arrested on a warrant. He was jailed on $1,000 bail. Yark was also charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Yark was allegedly found in possession of these items at the time of his arrest.

Cheektowaga's athletic playmakers and Batavia's inability to convert a couple of scoring opportunities in the first half were the big difference in the Blue Devils' second consecutive try at a Far West Regional Championship.

A win would have propelled Batavia into the state championship Class B semifinal. Instead, as happened last year, the team traveling to Syracuse is the Warriors.

Batavia led from the opening drive until nine minutes left in the game, when Cheektowaga tied it up at 36-36. When Batavia couldn't sustain a drive on the following possession, the Warriors moved the ball downfield effectively and scored on a four-yard by Tyr Willingalea with 1:36 left on the clock. A turnover with less than 20 seconds left in the game, and the score 43-36 gave Cheektowaga the championship.

"They played so well and they've been such tough kids," said Head Coach Brennan Briggs. "My heart breaks for them. I mean, right now, my heart's broken, really. These guys, I love them. We've got 18 seniors and it's going to be very tough saying goodbye to them."

Briggs felt coming into the game his team would be able to run on the Warriors and Dom Mogavero put together a great game. He rushed for 125 yards on 33 carries. He carried the ball in twice and scored another touchdown on defense with a fumble recovery. QB Greg Mruczek had four carries for 76 yards, including a long of 61 yards. Ray Leach carried the ball six times for 29 yards, and Jonathan Barber had two carries for 19 yards and a TD.

Mruczek was 7-20 passing, including two interceptions. 

Ryan Hogan caught four of those passes for 108 yards, including a long of 58 yards. 

Batavia scored easily on its first drive and scored again less than a minute later on an Adonis Davis interception, making the score 14-0. Cheektowaga struck back quickly on its next position, but from then on until the fourth quarter, Batavia always managed to keep the game out of reach of the Warriors. Or, the Warriors used their athletic weapons to keep the Blue Devils in reach.

Cheektowaga had the last three scores of the game, a 27-yard run by Willingelea that put the Warriors within eight, a five-yard run by Eric Bartnik and a two-point conversion that tied the score, and then the final TD that sealed Batavia's fate.

"They're an athletic team," Briggs said. "They've been known for it all year. They've been down and they've come back. Even when we were up two scores, I said it to my guys, 'They are the comeback kids. They did it last year and they did it this year. They're a good football team.' "

Leach picking up a fumble that set up a Batavia TD.

Terren Lorrie was defensive player of the game.

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To purchase prints of game photos, click here.

Photos from the finals of the annual Turkey Bowl at Williams Park. We expect to hear later who won.

    Frank H. McEwan

An arrest has been made in a case involving two people who were assaulted by multiple people in the area of Harvester Avenue and East Main Street in the early morning hours of Oct. 25 after one of them had made a run to 7-Eleven from a Halloween costume party on Swan Street.

Charged with gang assault, 2nd, robbery, 1st, criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, and criminal use of a firearm and petit larceny is 16-year-old Frank H. McEwan, of 3 McKinley Ave., Batavia.

McEwan was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $25,000 bail.

The alleged assault involved multiple people and there was possibly a handgun displayed. A victim's wallet was stolen. 

One victim was transported to UMMC and later transferred to ECMC with serious injuries. Det. Todd Crosset said the victim is doing medically fine and is recovering.

The Batavian exclusively reported on the alleged assault Oct. 28 and did a follow up two days ago reporting that an apparent lack of cooperation from witnesses was hampering that investigation. That story led to more calls to the police, which provided the break in the case leading to the arrest of McEwan, said Det. Eric Hill.

There remain other suspects at large, and the group of alleged attackers includes individuals described as black and as white.

A gang assault under New York penal code, means an assault perpetrated by three or more people. It does not necessarily mean the individuals involved have any sort of gang affiliation or would comprise a gang in the common use of the term.

The investigation is ongoing and police are still seeking witnesses or information from people who might know anything about the case. Those with information are asked to contact Det. Todd Crossett at (585) 345-6353.

An Albion man has been charged for alleged sexual conduct against a female at her Batavia residence while he was acting as an exterminator on Oct. 27. The victim in this investigation was unable to stop the conduct due to her medical condition(s).

Wayne A. Draper, 56, of Bacon Road, Albion, is charged with third-degree sexual abuse -- forcible touching, according to a press release issued this afternoon by Batavia PD.

He is in jail with $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.

The defendant has been working on-and-off as an exterminator for various companies over the past 20 years. Due to the nature of the offenses, there is a concern that this may not be the first time a vulnerable female has been victimized in this manner. The defendant worked as an exterminator in Genesee, Orleans and Monroe counties during this time period. 

The Batavia Police Department is requesting any other person(s) who may have been abused to contact the department, their local law enforcement agency, or Det. Kevin Czora at 585-345-6311.    

The Batavia Police Department will not be releasing any information pertaining to the current or past employers of the defendant, nor any further victim information.

UPDATED Saturday, Nov. 14: The Batavia Police Department has learned that Wayne Draper had also worked in the Ontario County area.

Alfred B. Ranzenbach III was arrested Nov. 11 in Bergen by the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and charged with felony grand larceny, 3rd. No further information was released.

Macy Fay Paladino, 34, of Clay St., Le Roy, was arrested Nov. 11 at 2:22 p.m. and charged with petit larceny and criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, following a shoplifting incident at Target. Paladino allegedly stole merchandise from Target and during her apprehension, she was allegedly found with narcotic paraphernalia in her possession. She was put in jail in lieu of $500 cash or $1,000 bond. She is to reappear in Town of Batavia Court on Nov. 30. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute, assisted by Deputy Christopher Parker.

   Marlek Holmes

Press release:

The City of Batavia Police Department is looking for the communities help in locating a level 3 sex offender who has failed to change his address and appear at the police department for his 90 day verification. Marlek Holmes is a male black about 5’7”, 160 pounds with a shaved head.  If he is seen out, you are asked to call 9-1-1. If anyone has additional information on where he may be located you are asked to call the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370. If the media is looking for any further information please contact me at 585-345-6353.

Now you can design your own Batavia-made boots.

p.w. minor announced today the launch of their new product line and brand, the Abram Boot Company.

The new boots are the same p.w. minor quality, and made right here in Batavia, but you, the customer, design your own boots at abrambootcompany.com.

You can also visit p.w.'s local outlet store at Main and Jackson to try on boots and sit at an in-store computer to design your custom boots.

Customers can choose leather, sole, eyelets, speed hooks, toe type and laces to fashion the look they find most appealing.

Local customers are invited to use the promo code "Batavia Made" when ordering their boots online for $200 off the purchase price.

The new line is named after Abram Vorhees Minor, the younger brother of Peter Wycoff Minor. The brothers founded p.w. minor in Batavia 149 years ago.

More than a year ago, Pete Zeliff and Andrew Young purchased the company, which was about to be shut down, and saved it, investing substantially to expand production, modernize the plant and bring jobs back to Batava that had been transferred to China.

Top photo: Lisa Paul-Khan.

Full press release after the jump:

The fate of a proposed West Main Street Dunkin’ Donuts is back in the hands of city planners.

The Genesee County Planning Board took “no action” Thursday night, on dramatically revised plans for the project.

The county board voted 3 to 2 on a requested subdivision, special use permit, sign permits and area variances for a new drive-thru restaurant at West Main and River streets.

The city Planning & Development Committee can now vote to approve — or deny — the project by a simple majority vote.

“We’re happy with that,” said Kip Finley, project development manager for Indus Hospitality, told the county board.

Thursday was the fourth time Indus Hospitality has appeared before county planners since June 2014. The county took no action then and once again the following September, before recommending city disapproval this past August.

The city committee voted the project down in September 2014.

On Thursday, Finley told county planners he hoped “the fourth time’s the charm.”

“This time we’re back here because, I think, the city officials took pity on us because we weren’t quite getting it,” he said.

Indus Hospitality revised its plans — particularly for the design of the building — based on input from the city panel, Finley said.

Dunkin’ Donuts would be located on land between Five Star Bank and Barrett’s Batavia Marine. It would be owned by Mike Mikolajczyk, who also owns the Dunkin’ Donuts franchise at East Main Street and Ellicott Avenue.

The revised site plan now calls for a bigger building — enlarged from 1,700 square feet to 2,170 square feet — that is much closer to West Main Street. The entrance has been relocated to the west of the restaurant.

Those changes allow for a longer drive-thru queue off West Main, that would accommodate 12 vehicles instead of seven. A second “bypass lane” immediately adjacent to the west, would allow separate access to restaurant parking and the bank ATM.

That should alleviate concerns about backed-up drive-thru traffic blocking West Main Street during rush hour, Finley said.

Unchanged, is a proposed parking lot exit to the east of Dunkin’ Donuts. Parking and the drive-thru could also be accessed via River Street from existing driveways on either side Five Star Bank.

The restaurant was also redesigned, based on preferences shown by the city Planning & Development Committee, Finley said. It would have a gabled roof, and patio seating facing West Main.

“The architecture is now not at all prototype for Dunkin’,” Finley said. “It’s more fitting in with the residential character of the other buildings (in the neighborhood).”

The addition of landscaping, is intended to block the view of the parking lot from homes on Redfield Parkway.

County Planning Department staff recommended approval of Dunkin’ Donuts requests, with one modification: that a free-standing pylon sign facing West Main Street be replaced with an externally lit monument-style sign.

Finley said a raised sign is necessary for visibility, but said his firm is willing to consider a smaller, or even externally lit pylon sign.

The sign would be illuminated only during hours of operation, which would be from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Planning Board members Robert Bennet, Laraine Caton and Lucine Kauffman voted to approve. Ginny Adams and Tom Schubmehl voted against.

With only five of nine Planning Board members present, a recommendation for approval would have required five votes. A vote to disapprove, would have required a majority-plus-one vote for the city board to overturn the decision.

The city Planning & Development Committee’s Nov. 17 agenda includes a public hearing and possible vote on the Dunkin’ Donuts application.

Neighbors who spoke at Thursday’s meeting, said they have not changed their views on the project.

“I’ve been in favor of the project since the very beginning,” said Nelson Baker, of Redfield Parkway. “I can see the cars in the parking lot at Five Star Bank and they don’t bother me at all.”

But another Redfield Parkway resident, Donald Fryling, insisted the parcel is too small for Dunkin’ Donuts, and another drive-thru is too much for the community.

“I’m concerned about adding traffic to an area that’s already extremely congested and dangerous,” Fryling said. “Does a community our size really need a fourth doughnut shop (and) an 11th drive-thru?

“The community doesn’t want it there,” he said.

Nann Zorn, who lives on River Street, said the new site plan doesn’t change her concerns about traffic.

“Regardless of how beautiful the plans are for the building, none of the aesthetic changes will improve its location,” Zorn said. 

“Nobody’s addressing the overall issue,” she continued. “And the overall issue is the fact that this is the wrong place for this business.”

Going back to Joseph Ellicott, you would be hard pressed to find anybody has had more of a local impact over a sustained period of time than Catherine Roth.

And she's leaving us.

At age 95, Roth is moving from The Manor House in Batavia to an assisted-living facility near Albany, where she will be closer to her son and grandchildren.

"She really, physically worked hard with the organizations she was involved in," said Lucine Kauffman, a former Town of Elba supervisor and currently president of the  Landmark Society of Genesee County, which Roth helped found. "Some people just want to throw money around, but she actually got her hands dirty. She worked hard and she was passionate. She was definitely one of my mentors and one of the first friends I made when I moved here."

We will need to write out a long list with numerous bullet points to list out all Roth did in her some 70 years of living in Genesee County, but let's do it anyway:

• Founding member of the Landmark Society in 1964;
• Spearheaded publication of "The Architectural Heritage of Genesee County";
• Started a swimming class for children in what is now known as Genesee ARC;
• She spent decades as a Girl Scout troop leader;
• Served on the Batavia City Council in the 1970s and served on the Master Plan Steering Committee;
• Member of the UMMC Hospital League, and baked and donated hundreds of pies to be sold in the snack shop at the hospital, where she also volunteered her time;
• A trustee with the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia, which she helped get listed on the National Register of Historic Places and took a leadership role in getting the tower restored;
• Planted flowers and weeded in numerous public places, including Dwyer Stadium and the Batavia Cemetery;
• Served on the YMCA Board of Directors;
• Served on the Holland Land Purchase Historical Society Board of Directors;
• Founding member of the Sun Catchers Garden Club;
• Board of Directors, Stafford Historical Society;
• Board member of the Batavia Cemetery Association, where she established the James T. Roth Memorial Arboretum, in memory of her son who was killed by an elderly driver in a car accident;
• Helped get the Batavia Cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places;
• Recipient of numerous local awards;
• With her sisters, a member of the oldest living triplets in the United States;
• Lobbied for years, after her son was killed, to change NYS law on allowing elderly people to retain driver's licenses and gave hers up when she felt she was too old to drive.

Roth was honored -- one of several such gatherings planned around the county before she departs for Albany on Nov. 17 -- yesterday in the Stafford Town Court by the Stafford Historical Society.

She said she was embarrassed by the attention. She never volunteered for anything to get attention, she said. She volunteered because she could.

"I'm embarrassed to say, but I didn't have to work," Roth said. "My husband (Dr. Lawrence Roth) was an obstetrician-gynecologist and I just never had to work, which is very different from what women have to do now."

Roth was born and raised in Long Island and she and her sisters graduated from William Smith College, which they attended on a scholarship. Each of the young ladies met their future husbands while in college, and all three young men were graduates of Hobart College.

Dr. Roth was a decendent of a family, the Tyler family, that settled in Stafford in 1810. The Tyler's roots in the colonies go back to the early 17th Century (one branch of the Tylers, not the branch that came to Le Roy) produced Ernest Hemingway.

When Dr. Roth returned to Batavia to begin his medical career, he brought his bride with him and she got involved early in the life of the community.

She adopted it as her own and cherished the things that made it unique, which made her a staunch opponent of urban renewal, a turn of events in the city's history that she's still bitter about.

"They really ruined Batavia, as far as I'm concerned," she said yesterday.

Her activism in fighting urban renewal paved the way for the creation of the Landmark Society and launched her local political career, prompting her to run for City Council.

"I was the biggest vote-getter," she said.

Her time on council is among her proudest achievements, as well as teaching developmentally disabled children how to swim, saving the Batavia Cemetery and building the arboretum in honor of her departed son.

Laurie Oltramari, currently director of the Batavia Improvement District, and a former president of the Landmark Society, said at yesterday's gathering that Roth gave her confidence to be a leader, even if that meant ruffling feathers along the way.

"Sometimes I was dubbed 'Little Catherine' because I don't like to take no for an answer and I'm not afraid to burn bridges and lose friendships when it means doing the right thing," Oltramari said. "That's really a hard thing to do, but when you have somebody like Catherine saying it's 'OK, you'll be OK,' it really is a life lesson."

Roth's example -- she's thought of by many as somebody who demonstrated equal rights for women long before equal rights for women really became a movement -- has inspired many women, including Rev. Roula Alkhouri, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia.

"I always felt affirmed because you always told me the truth," Rev. Alkhouri told Roth during Wednesday's gathering. "You would share your opinion, but it was never in the spirit of you don't know what you're doing because you're young. It was in the sense that I felt affirmed as a woman being in ministry and welcomed."

"I felt really affirmed," she added, "and I realized that when I met her sisters. They came up one time and they said 'You know what, we haven't heard anything bad about you.' "

Kauffman said she always found Roth kind and kindhearted, and a lot of people did, but she was also always strong willed and had deeply held beliefs. That sometimes rubbed some men the wrong way.

"A lot of men thought she was a loudmouthed broad and a pushy broad and I've always wondered, as a woman myself, if she was a man, would they say 'He's pushy,' or 'He's a loudmouth'? No, they would just say 'He's a leader and he had a vision.' "

Roth said there was no grand vision to her service. She just did it.

"I didn't want to be bored with life," she said.

Press release:

On Saturday, Nov. 14th, Crossroads House will be having its Annual Fall Basket Raffle. We call it “Race to the Finish” because it is our last public fundraiser of 2015.

In keeping with Batavia’s harness racing history, one of the featured items will be a large vintage Horse and Sulky figurine. The raffle will also include porcelain dolls, wine and liquor baskets, Christmas baskets, handmade afghans and much more. Over 100 baskets will be featured. In addition there will be side raffles for a $100 Money Tree, Fresh Meat Trays, Shop Around Town gift cards, and a handmade quilt.

A $5 entry gets you your first sheet of raffle tickets, complimentary desserts and McCullagh coffee products furnished by Ralph Marsocci. Lunch will be available for purchase including hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and Gail's famous stuffed pepper soup.

The raffle takes place at St. James Episcopal Church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia. It runs from 12 to 4 p.m. with baskets being drawn at 3 p.m. Winners need not be present to win so you can stop by, get your tickets in, have some lunch then visit some or all of the other great area events in Batavia. Check the events calendar and make an entire day of shopping, eating, and entertainment without ever leaving Downtown!

Crossroads House would like to thank the community for all their support this year. As an organization that relies 100 percent on the support of the area we serve, we are blessed to be able to continue to offer our services free of charge. We are a Gift to the Community, made possible by the Community.

Marisol Leon, left, who owns El Rincon Colombiano with her husband, Guillermo, is pictured at the Batavia restaurant with waitresses Melinda Amaro, center, and Elena Vega.

Marisol Leon grew up in Colombia, and is happy to share its flavors with Batavia diners.

She and her husband Guillermo opened El Rincon Colombiano Restaurant on Nov. 1 in Valu Plaza.

It’s a second Batavia restaurant for the Leons, who opened their Mexican restaurant, Rancho Viejo, four years ago on Ellicott Street.

Marisol Leon promises “a new experience” for local diners who are not familiar with the South American nation’s food.

“They can try different flavors and learn a little more about another country,” she said.

Marisol and Guillermo — who is from Mexico — originally opened the Valu Plaza location earlier this year as El Burrito Loco. 

The switch from “El Burrito” to “El Rincon,” proves necessity is the mother of invention. After a good start, Marisol said, they had trouble finding a talented Mexican cook.

The solution? “Try Colombian,” Marisol said.

And hire Alberto Rincon, who brings both his name and talents as chef to El Rincon.

Rincon, like Marisol Leon, is a native of Bucaramanga, a city in Colombia’s northeast. He has moved to Batavia with his wife, Anamilde, who is responsible for El Rincon’s homemade baked goods. 

The menu will seem familiar to anyone who enjoys Mexican food. But Mexican and Colombian cooking developed from different regions and traditions — like cousins who have a family resemblance, but very different personalities.

While far from being bland, Colombian food is not as spicy as Mexican, Marisol explained. You also won’t find tortillas or much salsa, and beans are not as prominently featured.

“A lot of steak and seafood,” is how Marisol describes El Rincon’s menu.

Colombian cuisine also features a lot of soups. (“Every day for lunch,” Marisol said.) In addition to a soup of the day, El Rincon serves cazuela de langosta (lobster) and cazuela de mariscos (seafood), creamy soups served with rice, salad and fried plantain slices.

Bandeja paisa, is one of Colombia’s most popular — and most generous — dishes. It includes rice, red beans and ground beef “cooked Colombian style,” along with egg, chorizo (pork sausage), avocado, plantain, arepa (flatbread) and chicharon (fried pork).

“It’s a lot of food,” Marisol said.

El Rincon has a children’s menu, and an “American” menu that includes cheeseburgers and roast beef sandwiches. Take-out is also available.

Marisol said they hope to have a liquor license in place within a month or so, after which the restaurant will serve aguardiente, a sugar cane liqueur; Ron Caldas, a Colombian rum; and Club Colombia beer.

The “flavors” of Colombia, extend also to El Rincon’s ambiance. That includes both the decor and the wait staff, which is outfitted in yellow Colombia National Soccer Team jerseys.

One wall has been painted white, and decorated with bright green and orange shutters and doors. It’s a reflection of the stucco walls and tile roofs of the “Pueblito Paisa,” a popular tourist attraction in Medellin, Colombia.

Marisol said it’s an opportunity to take a trip, without having to travel.

“People don’t need to go to Columbia,” she said. “They can find it here.”

El Rincon Colombiano is located at 4125 W. Main St. (Valu Plaza), Batavia. Winter hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays.

During summer, it will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Fridays.

El Rincon is closed Saturdays. For information call (585) 201-7602.

Batavia's El Rincon Colombiano Restaurant features Colombian decor, including a hammock and espadrilles -- a kind of slipper. The restaurant opened Nov. 1 in Valu Plaza.

Press release:

Come to the 13^th annual Worldwide Christmas Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 14th, at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 300 E. Main St., Batavia. Admission is free.

Join the hundreds of people in the community who have attended our fairs over the past 12 years and see why supporting fair trade businesses and local and regional not-for-profit organizations has such a positive influence in our community and the world!

Our fair is unique in that all of our vendors have one thing in common -- they help other people in need here in Batavia, in Western NY and around the world through their sales.

We have three types of vendors at our fair:

1. Local and regional not-for-profit organizations raising money for their programs or projects.

• The Artisans at North Street (www.ywcagenesee.org ), located at the YWCA in Batavia, will have hand crafted items from more than 30 local artisans. Your purchases support both the artisans and the work of the YWCA.
• Deborah Wilson Pottery will be available and supports Project Life in Waterport (www.projectlife-wli.org ). Project Life brings orphans, ages 9-12, from war-torn countries and areas such Chechnya, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Southeast Asia to Western New York for three months during the summer to provide peace, support, rest and recuperation for the children, to improve their physical and mental health, and to give them the opportunity to just be kids.
• Healthy Sisters Soup and Bean Works (www.healthysisters.org ) from Catholic Family Services in Rochester. This organization provides women in Rochester the opportunity to learn about running a business and enables them to obtain the experience needed to be successful in the work force. Their product is everything you need to make a pot of bean soup – the beans and spices, all neatly packaged with the recipe attached. They also have dip mixes for sale.
• Guatemala Missions – Members of the First Presbyterian Church will have handmade items for sale that support The Garden’s Edge (www.gardensedge.org), an organization that works to revitalize local culture and economy in Guatemala through projects in sustainable agriculture and environmental education.
• NEW!  Coffee Connection (http://ourcoffeeconnection.org/) is a Rochester-based company that provides employment training and job creation for women in recovery from addiction and sells fair trade, organic coffee to retail and wholesale customers. In partnership with Project Empower, they provide comprehensive, continuous support for women on their journey toward sustainable recovery. 

      2. Home businesses. We have representatives from Kitcheneez and Avon. These women donate all proceeds from sales made at the fair to a local charity of their choice.

      3. Vendors who promote and follow fair trade practices.

What are Fair Trade Practices?

Let’s look at one of our vendors to illustrate the concepts of fair trade: One World Projects (www.oneworldprojects.com ) is a fair trade company located on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. One World Projects was started in 1992 by Phil Smith. The mission of the company is to provide people in developing countries with the opportunity for economic sustainability and self-determination.

• They do this by building open and respectful relationships with the people they work with around the world;
• One World Projects purchases high-quality products that have positive social impacts and environmental benefits;
• They pay artisans fair wages for their work allowing them to provide for their basic needs such as: food, shelter, clothing, education, and health-care for their families;
• They provide financial and technical support to artisans by working with the artisans, suggesting product designs, improving artistic and technical skills, educating group leaders about the demands of the market;
• The support a safe and healthy work environment;
• They ensure the rights of children by not supporting exploitive child labor;
• They cultivate environmentally sustainable practices;
• And they reinvest in artisan groups and communities through economic programs and/or donations.

This is what it means to practice fair trade. One World Projects works with more than 80 artisan groups in more than 20 countries throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. They sell hundreds of products and each item tells the story of the people who make them.

Other vendors who practice fair trade:

One World Goods (www.owgoods.org) from Rochester will have items from all over the world – jewelry, scarfs, handbags, mittens, toys, Christmas ornaments, decorative items, candles, and much more.

• Equal Exchange Coffee (www.equalexchange.coop) is a co-op from Massachusetts that sells coffee, tea and chocolate from around the globe.  
• Dounya Kele, which means One World in the language of Burkina Faso in Africa – will have jewelry made of recycled glass by women in Ghana and Burkina Faso.
• In the Basket will have hand woven grass baskets in beautiful vibrant colors available. The baskets are woven by women in Swaziland and other countries in Africa. They are imported by a former Peace Corps Volunteer who continues to work to help alleviate poverty in Africa and improve the quality of life in the community she served.

Our fair provides the opportunity to purchase quality gifts and support all of these worthwhile causes.

This is not a fund-raising event for the church. We do not charge admission and we do not charge our vendors to participate.

Enjoy a delicious lunch of soups and sandwiches provided by our Presbyterian Women’s group and purchase wonderful baked goods provided by our youth and congregation. Again, all proceeds from food purchases are donated to charity.

Get your Christmas shopping started early and purchase gifts that make a difference!