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Join The Batavian Club and help support our state championship basketball coverage

By Howard B. Owens

Part of the premise of The Batavian Club is your membership helps support what we do. Well, here's a chance to directly help what we do in a way that will have immediate benefit.

Both Batavia and Notre Dame are playing state championship games this coming weekend. I plan on trying to do the impossible and cover both teams (the games don't overlap, which helps).

I estimate the cost of coverage will be about $400. You can help us cover that expense by joining at an annual membership level.

Each new member who joins at an annual level while this post is on the home page will receive a free 13x19 inch print on matte paper of the basketball photo of their choice from the 2012-2013 season. The retail value of the unframed photo is $35 and you'll receive it for free along with more than $300 in gift certificates to local businesses.

After joining via PayPal, e-mail me, howard@thebatavian.com, and let me know what picture you would like me to print for you. Or if you use the downloadable form and send in a check or credit card number (or phone your membership in), write down (or tell us), which picture you would like.

This offer applies only to pictures that I've taken. We'll need to receive your request in one way or another in order to fulfill this offer.

Any businesses interested in sponsoring our basketball coverage should call us at (585) 250-4118.

TO JOIN: Use PayPal buttons below, or to pay by check (annual only) or credit card, click here to download form. Or call (585) 250-4118 to pay by credit card.

Monthly Single Membership - $5 per month
Includes membership card and bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

 

Monthly Household Membership - $10 per month
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

 

Annual Single Membership - $50 per year
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

 

Annual Household Membership - $100 per year
Includes two membership cards and two bumper stickers, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

 

Annual membership, one payment of $60
Includes membership card, bumper sticker, package of gift certificates to local businesses.

Annual household membership, one payment of $120
Includes two membership cards, bumper sticker, one package of gift certificates to local businesses.

 

kevin kretschmer

What makes covering 2 basketball games in two days, albeit a 4 1/2 hour drive to the East, "impossible"? I have to believe "The Daily News" as well as the Buffalo & Rochester TV stations will all be there since both Section 5 and Section 6 have teams represented. It's a pretty drive, especially once you hit Herkimer County. Lots of old barns along Route 5 down that way, you'll be in heaven.

While you're in Troy, be sure to visit "Bella Napoli" Bakery. It is amazing. The closest comparison around here would be "Leo's" in E.Rochester. "Famous Lunch" is also well worth a visit.

Mar 12, 2013, 1:20pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Kevin, first, it's potentially four basketball games, and I'm one person -- shooting, interviewing, writing, processing my own photos. Covering one game is five or six hours of work.

The Daily News will send a photographer who is responsible for coming up with five or six photos (not the 50 or 60 I'll post) per game and a separate writer. And those two people won't have any other responsibilities -- checking comments, posting other items, answering business e-mails, etc. The larger papers will likely have even larger staffs. The TV stations need only get 60 seconds worth of air time covered.

I'm sure I'll have no time for barns or bakeries, sadly.

Join the club.

Mar 12, 2013, 1:28pm Permalink
Billie Owens

The Batavian Club is not "the insider club." It's intended for people to support what we do -- cover Genesee County news -- and to help us do more of it. Plus, members get more than $300 in coupons to use, in turn, to help support local businesses. Some people who are regular readers, even though they may or may not comment on posts, find value in what we do on a shoestring and have opted to demonstrate that monetarily.

You do have choices, Kevin, but being an "insider" or "outsider" as far as we are concerned is not among them. But I can think of a couple others.

Mar 12, 2013, 2:20pm Permalink
Bob Price

Well,I received my card/packet in mail today-must've been a little too thick for the automatic sorters-one edge of envelope was ripped half open,so I don't know if I received all things that were sent.I didn't finish opening it yet to look at contents.

Mar 12, 2013, 7:25pm Permalink
Billie Owens

Bob, you should have a total of 34 coupons, a bumper sticker and a membership card (unless you bought a household membership, in which case there should be an additional card). If you have anything missing, let us know. A letter from Howard and a list of participating businesses are also included.

Mar 13, 2013, 3:41am Permalink
Bob Price

All there! I wish I would have read the sponsors...I would've waited to get my stereo I had installed 3 weeks ago at Hardcor so I could've used the certificate....guess I'll have to check out some speakers now.....

Mar 13, 2013, 2:02pm Permalink

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