Anneka Pray, the 18-year-old Pembroke graduate who was critically injured a week ago in a motor vehicle accident near Syracuse, is making "amazing progress," according to Tracy Rudolph.
Pray, who has been blind since birth, sustained a traumatic brain injury.
Rudolph writes: "She was heavily sedated and minimally responsive last Friday. Today, she has been moved out of the ICU to a bed on the pediatric floor. Anneka is eating, drinking, talking and walking. She will be transferred to neurology rehab next week. This progress is possible because of your prayers. Thank you for praying faithfully for Anneka's brain recovery. Please keep praying for recovery with her brain, fractured skull and carotid artery—blessings to all of you."
Don Santini, a Section V football coaching legend who coached the Le Roy Oatkan Knights early in his career, died Wednesday.
He was 85.
Santini was the head coach in Le Roy from 1966 through 1974 before returning to his alma mater, Fairport High School (1957).
He led the Knights to the program's first-ever undefeated season (8-0) in 1966. The team won four league championships with Santini at the helm.
He was the first coach in Section V history with 200 wins, finishing his career with 2004, which now ranks fourth on the all-time list.
He compiled a 57-15 -2 record at Le Roy.
Santini started his coaching career in 1963 in Morrisville.
After returning to Fairport, Santini became rooted in the community and led the Red Raiders to seven Section V titles. His Fairport teams also won two state titles.
Even though Santini spent only eight years in Le Roy more than five decades ago, he is fondly remembered by Le Roy's football faithful.
Ed Henry wrote on social media, "Don Santini stressed his athletes to stay focused on game day as they were playing for pride and tradition. He was the ultimate motivator who inspired excellence in his teams. He was enthusiastic, excitable, fiery, and had a work ethic with no equal."
Jim Bonaquisti, who started his playing career a year after Santini returned to Fairport, said the former Knight's coach was still a coach he and other Le Roy players wanted to impress.
"We scrimmaged Fairport my junior and senior season," Bonaquisti wrote on social media. "I know I played a little bit harder because even though he wasn't my coach, I didn't want to let him down. Coach always showered you with praise for the great effort."
Santini was inducted into the Section V Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
NOTE: This is the third of seven stories The Batavian will publish today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) about this year's Chamber of Commerce award winners. The awards will be presented on Saturday evening at Batavia Downs. Tickets are still available for the event.
The secret to success isn't complicated, the way Jeff Heubusch explains it: Offer people a good product at a fair price with a friendly smile, and they will keep coming back.
That's what he and his crew at Southside Deli have done for more than 35 years.
His assistant manager, Denny Schultz, who has worked at Southside for 24 years, explained it best.
"He's consistent," Schultz said. "He's here all the time. He lives at the store. If anyone comes in from the community, they know how hard he works. He's compassionate for his customers. He's instilled it in me, as well. You want every customer to feel welcome and special. You learn their names. You get a good rapport with returning customers."
It's that commitment and that success that led to Southside Deli being named Genesee County's Small Business of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce.
Heubusch said the award is a big honor that recognizes the reputation Southside has gained in the community.
"This side of town has always had a bad rap kind of reputation in the community, and I don't see that. I see compassion. I see humble people who just need to be accepted," Heubusch said. "It's definitely changed over the years, but for the better."
The store, as any regular knows, represents Batavia's diversity. Every segment of Batavia's community visits the store daily, either for a sub, snacks, drinks, or some essential grocery item.
That wasn't an aspect of the business Heubusch necessarily anticipated when he bought the location more than three decades ago but it's a big part of what he enjoys about the business.
"I think over the years, it has become a passion. It's something you have to grow into," Heubusch said. "When I came into this business, I didn't know much. Everything was trial and error. You listen to your customers and get their needs, get them in here, and give them a fair price. It's and they come back. People don't want just a deli; it's a place you can go to, and everybody's happy. It's just a great atmosphere. And we developed that over the years, and I got great help here. They're compassionate, they care."
As a young man, Heubusch spent 12 years working in a salt mine. He only quit when a mining accident nearly took his life.
His year-long recuperation gave him time to reflect and reassess what he wanted to do with his life.
Heubusch, the son of a miner, purchased Southside Deli two years before the accident. He kept his mining job even as he tried to build the deli business. Digging out the salt of the earth so motorists could drive on de-iced asphalt offered Heubusch a sense of security not available to entrepreneurs. He didn't want to give up that steady paycheck and good benefits while trying to build his own business.
While convalescing, Heubusch said to himself, "Am I going to lay on this couch the rest of my life and live on comp or Social Security disability?"
"Once I was able to get around and be productive, that's when I said, really, 'it's all or nothing.' "
Born in Wyoming County, Heubusch graduated from Warsaw High School in 1977. He was 17 and couldn't get a job, so he went to work in his mother's upholstery business.
When he turned 18, he got his first job in a salt mine.
He was laid off, rehired, laid off and rehired again a couple of times over the next few years. During that time, he also worked for U.S. Gypsum and Le Roy Machine.
He bought a house in Batavia, and when he started working in the mine again, his daily commute took him down Ellicott Street.
Every day, he would drive past Southside Deli (Heubusch kept the name from the previous owner; In the 19th Century, it was Ebling Meat Market and the location has always been some sort of market).
On the second floor of the building is a balcony. As he drove by each day, Heubusch would see a for sale sign hanging from the balcony rail.
That got his mind working.
"I'd see it and think to myself, 'Man, I'd love to work for myself.' I kept seeing that, fueling my idea of what I would do if I owned that."
There's a reason working in a salt mine is a metaphor in our culture's lexicon for arduous work. It's hard labor.
In flush times, Heubusch worked 10 to 12-hour days, seven days a week.
"There were days I never saw daylight."
One day, finally, he called a realtor and got the ball rolling.
Escrow closed Aug. 10, 1989. Heubusch opened Southside Deli for the first time under his ownership four days later.
Besides figuring out the deli business and making a great meal, Heubusch learned how to hire the right help, people who naturally walk in with good attitudes and friendly smiles.
"I've got my hardcore of people, but people graduate from high school, they go to college, they move out of the area, they get married, but for the most part, I've got a very good core of employees that actually help the newbies," Heubusch said. "All my employees who have ever left said this was like their favorite job. They were young, and they would learn. They would become more social. They would learn the aspects of how business works and be able to talk to people, and it was a very, very great learning experience for them, and they moved on. I've got people who worked here who are now doctors and lawyers."
Schultz said he and the rest of the Southside crew are proud to see the deli get recognition from the Chamber.
"It's huge, especially for him, you know, but for us too, especially a lot of us long-standing people," Schultz said. "It's almost like validation of just how hard he's worked, and we've worked to be a successful business. We're Team Deli."
Tom, Tracy, Spencer, and Michael Gadd. Photo by Howard Owens.
NOTE: This is the second of seven stories The Batavian will publish today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) about this year's Chamber of Commerce award winners. The awards will be presented on Saturday evening at Batavia Downs. There are tickets still available to the event.
In every sense of the term, Alexander Equipment, 3266 Buffalo St., Alexander, is a family business.
"The only problem with our industry is that it's gotten where all these big companies have gotten bigger, and people are just numbers," said Tom Gadd, second-generation co-owner. "They've lost their touch. I mean, it's really just like texting. I don't get into texting. I'd rather talk to somebody. You know, it's just because it's my age, but people like to deal with people, and people don't realize it anymore. Everybody's not just a number. I mean, I know some of these bigger companies employees that are there, they're like, 'We're just numbers there. We're a spot to fill it.’ I mean, it's just they lose that closeness, I guess. So, maybe you've seen it in your business, I don't know, but it's just nice when it's smaller and people know everybody a little bit better."
Gadd's parents, with the support of their parents, purchased Alexander Garage in 1972. Gadd and his brothers grew up in the business. Today, the business is run by Tom, his wife Tracy, and sons Spencer and Michael (Tom and Tracy also have two adult daughters, Taylor and Emily).
Spencer and Michael also grew up in the business and came back to it after graduating from college. Michael has a degree in engineering, and Spencer has an MBA.
“The boys are coming in. They've got different ideas and are much better with technology," Tracy said. "Their whole generation is good with advertising on Instagram and all of those things, and they're much better with new ideas of how to do things. But I feel like we have a pretty good mix as far as hanging on to our core values and what grandma and grandpa instilled in mom and dad and instilled in their boys, and still being able to move forward."
That attention to core values and changing with the times is among the reasons Alexander Equipment will be honored by the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday as the Agricultural Business of the Year.
Coming out of high school, Tom Gadd wasn't focused on joining the family business. He became a paramedic, a career path he enjoyed (and continued as a volunteer with the Alexander Fire Department), but 10 years into his career, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. That drew both Tom and Tracy into the business as Tom's parents stepped back.
That was in 1995. They've been running the business since.
"This wasn't the route that I was anticipating, but when mom got sick and they needed somebody, we would kind of come in and help out," Tracy said. "I did it after hours for a while, and then she decided that she probably wasn't going to come back, so I started working full time."
Tracy said Tom's grandparents always had a farm in Pembroke, and his mom grew up on the farm.
"I think they wanted to try something business-wise, a little different than farming," Tracy said. "Grandma and Grandpa, I don't think, were real involved in the day-to-day stuff. They were kind of like a silent partner. I would say Mom and Dad kind of took it and flew with it."
In the early days, Alexander Equipment was a Chalmers dealer with a focus on agriculture. Parts and repairs have always been part of the business, as well. While farmers still remain an important customer base, the residential side of the business has grown over the years, especially with Alexander Equipment carrying Kubota products.
At Alexander Equipment, employees are also part of the family.
There's Kenny, for example, in the parts department. "He's been here forever, so he's like a brother," Tom said. "A couple of his kids are Goddaughters."
For years, Alexander Equipment has had a good relationship with the high school, and some students have come to work for the shop, including one kid, now 16, who has been working there for two years.
"He's a really good kid," Tracy said.
"We have another woman who, as a young lady, helped here. She's my age, but she was in our wedding," Tracy said. "She worked here when we got married then left for a while, was raising her family, and has since come back. She works just part-time, but she knows everyone. She knows the business. She does real estate on the side. Two of their girls are our Godchildren. So it really is very family-oriented."
Tracy noted that the family feeling creates a better atmosphere for customers.
"We've got a lot of customers who have been here for a long time, and that's what we try to get when people come in. We want them to feel like they're walking into some place they know and can be comfortable at. And obviously, that's family."
The Chamber Award caught the Gadds by surprise, Tracy said.
"It was completely unexpected. We didn't know that we'd been nominated or anything else," Tracy said. "It's heartwarming. It's a little bit humbling just to know that people think of us that way and think that we're an example, I would say, or that we're good people -- it's hard to put in words. It's overwhelming, a little bit, you know. It makes you feel like you have a responsibility to do better."
Byron Brown, President and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. Photo by Howard Owens.
When board members of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation walked into the meeting room at Batavia Downs on Thursday morning, they found at their assigned seats a bit of a surprise.
There was a 13-page book containing 10 proposals to reform policies for the organization.
The booklet, said CEO Byron Brown, was the result of two months of work with his executive staff to identify areas of concern and propose suggestions for policy changes.
"We have been looking at concerns that have been expressed about the operation of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation since I've been here as CEO," Brown said after a closed session meeting where most of his proposals were approved by the board. "We've done a top-to-bottom review so we can be more transparent as an organization, to look at ways to reduce expenses in the organization and drive greater profitability, and the reforms are around those items."
For the past few years, the OTB has been beset by a number of controversies, including how free tickets to sporting events are distributed, executive compensation and buyouts, health insurance, travel expenses, and management participation in tip distribution.
The policy changes also address some less public issues, such as how raises are handled and the distribution of free play cards and gift cards.
Brown thinks if his new policies had been in place years ago, some of the public controversies could have been avoided.
"I have worked very closely with the board and the staff," Brown said. "The board was very open to looking at these issues and felt very positive that these reforms and these new policies will really strengthen the operation of Western Regional Off-track Betting Corporation."
The booklet also contained a bullet-point list of some of the reforms Brown has already initiated as the corporation's new CEO, such as tighter controls on how requests for sponsorships by area charities are handled and monthly reporting on advertising spending for broadcast.
Erie County rep pleased with reservations The policy revisions were welcomed by Tim Callan, the Erie County representative on the board who has been perhaps the most persistent voice seeking reform since the board was reconstituted by the state Legislature more than a year ago.
"I'm very pleased with what Byron has done here," Callan said. "A couple of the items in the reform agenda -- about travel and changing the travel policy to get some things back under control there, changing and updating the procurement policy -- these were things that throughout last year I had been raising questions about. The sponsorship program, where the corporation gives sponsorships and donations to various groups, I've been raising a lot of questions about that. So to see that those three areas are being addressed by the new management team, I'm very happy to see that."
Callan, ever a stickler for details, does have concerns about how the reform package was brought to the board, and in the closed-door discussion (which he is also concerned about), he objected to two proposed policy proposals, which the board ultimately did not support.
Brown proposed reducing the cost of employee contract buyouts.
Some employees, including top executives, have contracts that stipulate how much severance they will receive if the contract is terminated early.
In July 2024, the board of directors approved a buyout of former CEO Henry Wojtaszek's contract equal to one year salary, or $299,000. Outgoing CFO Jackie Leach's buyout was half her annual salary, or $122,000, and operations manager William White received $87,000.
Brown's report says that a review of contracts found there is no standard severance pay and benefits package for employees under contract. One employee, not named, has reached a settlement that allows that employee to work from home until November, earning until that time $174,907.
Brown recommended capping severance to four months' salary. The board tabled the proposal and called for research on standard procedures in the gaming industry.
Callan said he opposes providing OTB employees with any severance pay, even though the practice is common in corporate America.
He said WROTB is not a private company. It's a public benefit corporation with a mission of generating revenue for the state and the 17 municipalities that control the corporation. As a quasi-state agency, employees are part of the state's generous pension system.
"That's something you folks in the private sector are not getting," Callan said. "You guys have to have 401(k)s, and Roth IRAs or whatever you do to help provide for yourselves in retirement. Well, folks here have that state pension ability separate from whatever saving they do on their own. So it's not an apples and oranges comparison for me to say, a private casino where, you know, they're not going to get a pension, and it's a private entity."
Wrapped into the contract buyout policy proposal was a proposal to address inequality in health insurance coverage for non-union employees.
Non-union employees hired before 2012 pay only 5% of their insurance premiums. Those hired after Jan. 1, 2012 pay 72% for a family plan (single plans remain 5%).
There are 38 employees who were hired before 2012 and 72 hired after the change policy.
In an interview, Callan disclosed that the monthly premiums for Batavia Downs employees are significantly higher than typical for group insurance policies.
Human Resources Director Danielle Fleming later confirmed that a family health insurance plan is $3,325 monthly. The employee contribution, if hired after Jan. 1, 2012, is 72 percent, or $2,394.
Brown's proposal, which has not yet been approved, is to find a way to close the gap between the two groups of employees and set the employee-share of future management hires at 20%. Currently, seven members of management staff pay a 20% share of their premiums.
"It's obviously incredibly expensive for the employee. It's obviously also incredibly expensive for the corporation, where the corporation to bear the expense," Callan said. "I loudly expressed my objection to that in the executive session and said that I would not vote for it. And I thought that needed further discussion. When we have members of the management team make $190,000 or more, and persons in the mid-$100,000s, to send a message and say to them and say, "Okay, you only have to pay 20% of the cost of health insurance,' but somebody here that makes $17.50 an hour has to pay 72%, that, to me, is not right, and so the management team, after some members of the board objected and raised questions on that, agreed to pull it back, and I think we're gonna have some further discussions on that topic next month."
Callan said that while overall, he is pleased with the policy changes, especially since several of them are responsive to issues he's raised over the past 13 months, he thought it was a violation of the open meeting law not to have the agenda explicitly state that the board would do more on Thursday than engage only in a general policy discussion, but actually have written policy changes to consider and vote on.
He also said it could be a violation of the open meeting law to have most of the discussion in closed session.
Asked about the exemption used under the state's Open Meeting Law, Brown said it was a personnel matter.
"There were a number of personnel items that were discussed, so that was the reason why the board went into executive session in that particular discussion, where we were discussing salaries, benefits for specific individuals," Brown said.
Callan said the only policy item that addressed specific people was the health insurance discussion, which involved seven individuals. Otherwise, the rest of the policy discussion did not touch on specific individuals. In his view, the policy discussion should have occurred in open session.
"We have a lot of discussions in committees, including an executive session, a lot of which I don't think should be an executive session under the law, but that's another story you and I have spoken about before," Callan said. "I don't think, in hindsight, it should have been an Executive Session."
Accountability and profitability Among the policies highlighted by Brown in an interview were changes to how sports tickets are distributed and whether the OTB will continue to purchase a suite and tickets to Buffalo Bills games after the coming season.
When the Bills move into the stadium, it appears the cost of the suite will double, raising the annual cost to $200,000, which may not have the return on investment the OTB seeks.
Brown said Batavia Downs is negotiating with the Bills organization.
"We're looking at tightening the ticket policy, making sure that when we do provide tickets and benefits, those are going to our customers, and they're going to our customers in a way that generates more business for the corporation," Brown said. "We're looking at travel policy to tighten our policies on what we spend when people have to travel for business purposes, going to conferences, going to training. All of those things, I think, would have eliminated some of the issues that the corporation has faced in the past."
The ultimate goal, Brown said, is a corporation that is more efficient and more profitable.
"The agenda is about going forward, looking at issues with the board, with the staff, that we saw as concerns, things that we felt could be improved, ways that we could increase transparency, that we could increase profitability, reduce expenses," Brown said. "So, going forward, this will make the corporation stronger. This is a place where people love to come and, after expenses, generates over $90 million a year. We want to continue to produce that kind of revenue and grow the revenue."
The policy changes approved by the OTB board of directors:
Merit Raises: Over the past three years, 102 OTB employees have received merit raises for a total cost of $392,166. Merit raises are supposed to be approved by the board's personnel committee. There is no documentation indicating these raises were approved by the personnel committee. There were 22 raises in 2022, 50 in 2023, 28 in 2024. The average per year is $130,722. The new policy would budget $100,000 for merit raises. Department heads would recommend merit raises, and if approved by the CEO, the request would go to the personnel committee for approval. All raises would need to be submitted by July 1 of each year. One issue this policy will address is the appearance of favoritism. Five employees received merit raises in each of the past three years.
Video Record Board Meetings: Video recording all board meetings would be inexpensive and easy to accomplish, and multiple "good government" groups recommend it. Some of the municipalities represented on the OTB board are more than a two-hour drive from Batavia, making board attendance difficult for some interested parties. Recordings would be posted on the OTB website within 24 hours of the meeting.
Renewal of Buffalo Bills Suite: The current contract for the suite expires after the the coming season. The suite is considered a great marketing tool for Batavia Downs. The casino conducts drawings for tickets and also provides tickets to high rollers. However, the cost for suite in the new stadium will nearly double. During the past season, OTB paid $114,205 for 16 tickets per game. A new 12-person suite would cost $200,000 per year, with price increases of 5% per season. The return on investment would be low. The cost outweighs the benefits. OTB will try to negotiate a lower price suite.
Travel Policy: WROTB has been criticized for "extravagant" travel. While the spending on travel for some executives exceeded state limits, and a public benefit corporation, WROTB, is exempt from those caps. The comptroller recommends OTB implement and enforce policies that are reasonable. The new policy would require a form to be completed that lists all anticipated expenses for both in-state and out-of-state travel. For in-state travel, the CEO would review and potentially approve the travel. For out-of-state travel, if the CEO recommends approval, the board of directors would be asked to approve the travel.
Transparency of Procurement: For procurement of goods and services, currently, no quotes are required for costs less than $5,000, for $5,000 to $10,000, documented verbal quotes from at least two vendors, for $10,000 to $15,000, written quotes from at least two vendors, and for more than $15,000 public bidding that is subject to board approval. There are also policies dealing with sole-source procurement and single-source procurement. The new policy would require bidding on services and purchases of $15,000 (which is less than the requirement of municipal law). The reform also recommends a written policy for procuring goods an services that would clarify the difference and use of sole source and single source vendors.
Job Postings: An average of 73 jobs are posted annually, and most are posted internally. Jobs are posted on bulletin boards and if external candidates are sought, on social media. Under the reform, the process for applying through the OTB's website will be improved and all publicly advertised positions will be consistently posted on social media with a link to the Batavia Downs application page.
Tipping Policy: Batavia Downs does not currently have a tip-pooling policy, which can lead to operational, legal, and employee-related issues. The approved reform is to write a uniform tipping policy for the facility, including who is eligible to receive a portion of the tip pool, as well as policy for distribution and reporting tips for tax purposes. Supervisors will no longer receive a portion of the mandatory 20 percent tip for booked events.
Free Play Policy: The new policy will standardize free play coupons that an authorized person will sign. Upon redemption, a note will be made in the computer on who authorized the free play. This will assist in auditing free play. After March 15, only free play coupons created under the new policy will be honored.
Gift Card Tracking: Grocery and gas gift cards are used as an incentive for booking hotel rooms. In 2024, Batavia Downs purchased $160,000 in gift card, at $20 each. The gift cards were tabulated into the cost of rooms, so there was no additional cost to the corporation. Other gift cards can sometimes provided to the hotel for hotel packages or requested by officers or department heads to reward staff members for work done above and beyond their duties. Gift cards are logged but there is no standard approval process. Under the new policy, officers and department heads will complete a request form that will require approval by the chief administrative officer. A record will be maintained of gift cards requested by officers and department heads for future auditing purposes.
Jason Ostrowski dazzled and electrified a near-capacity crowd at Batavia Downs on Thursday night, playing the best songs of two iconic rock and roll piano players, singers, and songwriters, Elton John and Billy Joel.
A 17-year-old Corfu resident was killed Sunday evening after a bicycle he was riding on Tesnow Road in the town of Alabama was struck by a vehicle and the youth was ejected from the bike.
Arthur G. Breton, III, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Breton was riding his bike north in the northbound lane in the area of 7824 Tesnow Road at 6:38 p.m. when he was struck.
Daphne C. Sundown, 37, of Basom, with her son as a passenger, were also northbound on Tesnow, driving a 2022 black Chevy Blazer, when the vehicle crested a hill over a knoll in the road, according to the Sheriff's Office. Sundown was unable to see Breton and struck his bike with the front driver side of her vehicle.
Sundown and her son immediately exited her vehicle and began rendering aid while calling 9-1-1.
Alabama Fire and Pembroke Fire departments personnel, along with Mercy EMS, responded to the scene and performed life-saving measures. Breton succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Drugs and alcohol have been ruled out as a factor in the accident.
The crash is being investigated by members of the Sheriff's Office along with the Crash Management Team.
Besides emergency responders, several bystanders assisted at the scene.
UPDATE: Superintendent Matthew Calderon confirmed that Breton was a senior at Pembroke High School. He sent the following message to the school community:
I am writing to share difficult news.
Last night, one of our high school students, Arthur Bretan III, was struck by a car while riding his bicycle, and he died as a result of the accident. Arthur was well-liked by many and enjoyed his participation in band. Today and this week, our district’s Trauma, Illness & Grief Team will be implementing a support plan for students and staff. Specially trained grief counselors are onsite to assist. This morning during first period, we informed all junior-senior high school students about Arthur's death to provide correct information and to inform them how and where to get support throughout the day if they need support.
We encourage students to remain at school where they can access grief support services. If students ask to go home, we strongly suggest that they be supervised by adults, who can best provide guidance and support during this difficult time. There will be a variety of emotional and/or behavioral responses, and it is normal to experience feelings of disbelief, sadness, anger, confusion or even numbness when learning about a loss such as this. Our children will benefit from our extra love and support to process this difficult news. The link below may provide some helpful information to assist you:
Our community always comes together to love and support one another through these hard times, and I am confident we will be there for each other once again.
State Police composite image of the accident scene.
An 18-year-old graduate of Pembroke High School, who recently made the Dean's List at the University at Albany, was critically injured in a four-vehicle accident on the Thruway in the town of Salina, according to State Police.
According to Troopers, Anneka Pray was a front-seat passenger in a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by Christopher Baker, 22, of South Glens Falls.
According to the initial investigation, a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado, operated by Christopher J. Hernandez, 23, of Newark, lost control and swerved, causing a Ford F-550, driven by Barry J. Darling, 41, of Solvay, to brake and exit the north shoulder of the roadway to avoid a collision.
The Jeep rear-ended the Ford F-550 and partially entered the passing, where is was struck by a westbound Freightliner tractor-trailer operated by Sarjo Drammeh, 35, of Wisconsin.
The tractor-trailer fled the scene but was later located at the Seneca Service Area on the Thruway.
“Anneka advocates well for herself,” Chelsea Hale, the vision teacher at Pembroke, told The Batavian in 2018. “She wants to be as independent as possible.”
She also participated in three musicals while at Pembroke.
Pray is listed in critical condition at Upstate University Hospital.
Baker, in serious condition, was also transported to Upstate. Darling sustained minor injuries and was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital.
The accident was reported at 6:08 a.m. on Friday in the area of mile marker 284.8.
The investigation is continuing, according to State Police.
Batavia's Business Improvement District hosted its annual celebration of beer and cider as it returned on Saturday, with the sun out and lots of people in a party mood.
Dr. Cassandra Williams speaking at 400 Towers on Thursday as part of a Black History Month dinner. Photo by Howard Owens.
Equal treatment in medicine has been a long struggle for Black Americans, Dr. Cassandra Williams told more than two dozen 400 Towers residents on Thursday following a Black History Celebration Dinner.
Williams is the medical director for Terrace View Long Term Care in Buffalo.
"I grew up on the east side of Buffalo," Williams said. "For the people that are not from Buffalo, it’s a predominantly black neighborhood. My dad had a high school education. My mom had an associate's degree. From as early as the fifth grade, I wanted to be a doctor. That's all I knew. There were none in my community, of course, but I wanted to do that. There was so much sickness, from my brother having lymphoma and taking chemotherapy at nine to my father being a brittle type-one diabetic and my grandmother having schizophrenia. I saw doctors as one of the ones that made people better."
(Her brother was cured, she said, which brought a round of applause. He currently lives in Fairport.)
Black History Month, Williams told the residents, has been celebrated in the U.S. since 1976, when President Gerald Ford recognized it nationally as a time to celebrate the achievements of African Americans.
It grew out of Negro History Week, which was started by historian Carter G. Woodson and others in 1926. They chose the second week in February to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and escaped slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Then, Williams ran through important dates in medicine for African Americans.
Dr. James Durham was born into slavery in 1762. He bought his freedom and began his own medical practice, becoming the first Black doctor in the United States. He is best known for saving more Yellow Fever patients than any other physician.
In 1847, Dr. James McCune Smith graduated from the University of Glasgow, becoming the first African American to earn a medical degree.
In 1862, in Augusta, Ga., the Jackson Street Hospital was the first hospital for African Americans. It had 50 beds.
In 1864, Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African American female to earn a medical degree.
In 1868, Howard University was established to educate African American doctors.
Howard University was needed, Williams said, because segregation prevented Black students from attending all-white schools.
Also, in response to racism, in 1895, the National Medical Association was founded since African Americans were barred from other established medical groups like the American Medical Association.
In 1936, Dr. William Augustus Hinton's book on syphilis treatment was the first medical textbook written by an African American.
In 1968, Prentice Harrison was the first African American to be formally educated as a physician assistant.
In 1973, Patricia Bass was the first African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology. She later founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness.
In 1981, Alexa Canada became the first African American woman neurosurgeon.
"Now, if you think about that, in 1981, she's the first African American woman neurosurgeon. That's not that long ago," Williams said. "That's like, that's after I was born. So that's recent."
The legacy of racism lingers. As of 2019, only 5% of the doctors in the U.S. are Black, while 13.6% of the population is Black.
She also discussed the disparities in health outcomes for African Americans compared to white Americans.
"There remains significant racial disparities, disparities in life expectancy, maternal deaths, and infant mortality amongst African Americans," Williams said. "Again, why? Why is that? What accounts for the Black-White health disparities? Is it family formation, culture, education, neighborhood disadvantage, employment insurance? None of these fully account for the difference when making all things equal, such as location, education, income level, city or rural, African Americans continue to have worse outcomes with most medical conditions."
One potential cause may be distrust of healthcare providers in African American communities because of past practices of the white establishment. That came up most recently during the pandemic, and there was a high rate of vaccine resistance in Black communities to vaccines.
"Granted, not just African Americans but people from all races were hesitant to take the vaccine for their own reasons, but the reason for a lot of African Americans was because of a history of unethical and racially targeted experiments," Williams said. "A few examples include gruesome experiments on enslaved people, such as doing surgery without anesthesia to see what would happen. Forced sterilization of black women ... and the very infamous Tuskegee experiment, where people who had syphilis, which could lead to anything from sores to brain damage, were not treated."
White doctors wanted to see what would happen to untreated Black patients, so while the patients thought they were receiving penicillin shots, they were actually getting injected with a saline solution.
"Penicillin is one of the cheapest, the oldest antibiotics you can get your hands on," she said.
"They were coming and coming weekly and getting shots, just like everybody else, but they were getting saline, right? They were getting nothing, but they wanted to see, but they were doing tests on them to see sores, the brain damage, to see what would happen."
That's part of the reason Blacks in America continue to distrust the medical establishment.
"Studies have found African Americans are consistently under-treated for pain, and often when they are evaluated by medical professionals, there are assumptions, such as, they are not married, uneducated or come from a poor environment," Williams said. "This is not in history. This is today. This is current data."
As a Black woman doctor, Williams has encountered prejudice throughout her career.
"In this day and age, there have been some subtle and some not-so-subtle racial and sexist roadblocks and remarks that I've had to deal with and persevere through," Williams said. "I've probably been asked if I was a CNA, the housekeeper, the nurse, the dietitian, more than others. Even though I wear my white coat all the time -- and that's the reason I wear it all the time, because the people I work with and work around look just like me. When I walk into the room, they don't know who I am so I introduce myself. I wear my white coat. I wear my stethoscope. Some people still say. "I didn't see the doctor today. "The doctor never came and saw me. They're like, 'Doctor? I'm sure she was in here.' They're like, "Oh, that was the doctor?' 'Yeah, that was her. That was the doctor.'"
Even so, Williams loves what she does.
"At this stage of my life, I love my career choice. I love the challenge. I'm grateful to be in the profession I'm in. I thank God, who is the head of my life, for guiding my steps through this journey."
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Nathan Varland, director of 400 Towers, resident Augustine Flemings, who acted as host of the event, Dr. Cassandra Williams, and Jeremai Williams, pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church and at First Baptist Church in Batavia. Cassandra and Jeremai met in college and Cassandra said she told him when they were first dating, she was going to be a doctor and he better be ready for the ride. It's been a lot of sacrifices, she said, but they've endured. Photo by Howard Owens.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Craft Cannery owner Paul Guglielmo Thursday in Bergen. Photo by Howard Owens.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley loves learning about successful entrepreneurs who set up shop in his district, and on Thursday, Hawley met Paul Guglielmo, owner of Craft Cannery in Bergen, for the first time.
"This is what we all read about and hear about from yesteryear, in a lot of ways, an individual who has an idea -- he missed his Grandpa's Italian sauce, that Sunday tradition -- and he missed that so much that in his heart and his mind and his wallet, he said, 'Maybe I can do this and make Grandpa's sauce,'" Hawley said during a tour of the plant. "Here we are today. A great, great example of what you can do if you put your mind, hard work and long hours into an idea."
He said his company's manufacturing capacity in 2019 was about 200 gallons of sauce and related products a day, and now the plant produces 1,000 gallons a day. That includes Guglielmo's branded sauces as well as sauces and similar products for other brands.
"We're doing about 10 times what we were doing in 2019 in terms of gross revenue. Employee-wise, this was a three-employee operation on May 1, 2020, which is the day we actually took over the plant," Guglielmo said. "It was three employees. And today, we're at 19. The square footage went from the back of that old pizzeria, which was 5,000 square feet to today, it's 11,600 square feet."
Hawley said he hadn't spoken with Guglielmo specifically about possible trials and tribulations of starting a business in the challenging regulatory environment of New York, but the fact that Guglielmo has succeeded here is a testament to his hard work.
"If you put your mind on anything, no matter where you are, and you you give it your all, there never is a guarantee in life, but oft times, you're rewarded because of that hard work, that investment, and the belief in yourself and your product," Hawley said. "So it's New York, but we hope more people come, and we hope more people stay."
Three new art shows opened at GO ART! in Batavia on Thursday evening, with Lorie Longhany drawing the spotlight with a collection of work she calls, "happy paintings."
She paints small works in her living room to tap into themes of solitude, contentment, and nostalgia.
Also in the opening were works by Bryan Wright (who was unable to attend the opening), drawing inspiration from his enjoyment of oceans. The coastal-themed exhibition featured ocean creatures sculpted with basic metal fabrication.
On the third floor is a showcase called African Heritage through Arts and Crafts. The exhibition has a special focus on Jamaican arts and crafts alongside select pieces from Africa. This multi-artist show highlights African and Jamaican artists' rich cultural heritage and artistic vibrancy. It also contributes to the celebration of Black History Month at GO ART!
Batavia needed a win on Wednesday night in its final Boys Basketball game of the regular season to clinch a Monroe County Division league championship.
A loss would mean they were co-champions.
The Blue Devils improved to 14-6 with a 76-45 win over Greece Odyssey.
"It was a big game for us in that respect. We didn't want to be co-champions," said Coach Buddy Brasky. "We wanted to be sole champions. And they've been one of the hottest teams in Monroe County over the last month, and they've been playing really good basketball, scoring a lot of points. So we really emphasized in practice leading up to this game defense and toughness."
In the second half, Odyssey (11-9) didn't help their cause, committing five technical fouls.
"They lost their composer, which was just a shame because they're a good team, and it's just too bad that that happened to them," Brasky said. "I just warned our kids, don't retaliate. Don't talk back if they're talking trash to you. Let them do all of that, and we'll just keep playing basketball, and the score on the scoreboard will be your answer to them."
Brasky is feeling good about his team heading into the postseason.
"Well, it's just what we've been preaching all year," Brasky said. 'It's, we've got to become a defensive first team, and we have struggled with that at some times this year, and we've got to be a tougher team. Toughness and defense are the things that will lead us there, and we've had a good step forward in that way tonight."
Scoring for Batavia:
Carter Mullen, 20 points
Casey Mazur, 19 points
Justin Smith, 15 points
Gavin White, 12 points
Photos by Steve Ognibene. To view or purchase photos, click here.
The State Police report that a 54-year-old woman from Batavia died in a head-on collision on Route 98 in Alexander on Sunday.
Anya R. Rambuski was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident was reported at about noon on Sunday.
According to troopers, Rambuski lost control of her 2016 Buick Encore, which was traveling northeast, and struck a 2021 Jeep Cherokee that was traveling southwest on Alexander Road.
The driver of the Jeep, whose name was not released, sustained minor injuries.
The NYSP Collision Reconstruction Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted in this investigation.
Malachi J Nix, 20, of Tonawanda, is charged with burglary 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 2nd, grand larceny 3rd, criminal mischief 3rd, and conspiracy 4th. Nix and another person allegedly broke into Barrett's Batavia Marine on May 27 and stole firearms. He was arrested on Jan. 21, arraigned in City Court and was remanded to the Genesee County Jail.
Clint J. Towne, 44, of Phelps Road, Batavia, and Steven M. Morales, 49, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, are charged with four counts each of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, tampering with physical evidence, criminally using drug paraphernalia 2nd, and aggravated unlicensed operation (Morales). Towne and Morales were arrested on Feb. 13. The was the result of an investigation into the location of a wanted suspect. During a traffic stop, Towne and Morales were allegedly found in possession of 50 grams of cocaine, an ounce of fentanyl, alprazolam tables, 46 sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone strips, and mannitol. Towne is suspected of attempting to destroy evidence. Both were held pending arraignment. The investigation was conducted by Sgt. Andrew Hale, deputies Nicholas Chamoun, Alexander Hasdall, Mason Schultz, Jon Dimming, Zachary Hoy, and Nicholas Jennings.
Marc Christopher James Cook, Jr., no age provided, of Lockport Road, Alabama, was arrested on Feb. 6 on eight separate warrants by members of the Batavia Emergency Response Team (consisting of members of the Sheriff's Office and Batavia PD). The warrants were related to charges of criminal possession of a weapon 3rd and 4th, bail jumping 2nd, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, bail jumping 3rd, criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd, and violation of a family court act. Cook was arraigned and held without bail.
Robert Maynard Smith, 73, of North Street, Blasdell, is charged with menacing 2nd. Smith is accused of wielding a box cutter knife, threatening a worker at Eagle Star Housing, 2620 West Main St., Batavia, at 6:06 p.m. on Feb. 14. Smith was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.
Nathan Lee Dunn, 20, of Prospect Avenue, Medina, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .108 or greater, aggravated unlicensed opeatertion 1st, unregistered motor vehicle, driving without financial security. At 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 2, Deputy Zachary Hoy responded to the parking lot at Batavia Downs to investigate a motor vehicle accident, as a result, Dunn was taken into custody. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Chad Matthew Winkelman, 32, of Fullington Road, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, moving from lane unafely, and drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle. Winkelman was arrested by Deputy Jacob Kipler following a report of a motor vehicle accident at 11:42 p.m. on Feb. 2 on Sandpit Road, Alexander. He was processed at the Genesee Jail and released.
Kenneth G. Muckle, 56, of Franklin Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. Muckle is accused of stealing merchandise from a store (the Sheriff's Office withheld the name of the store) on Veterans Memorial Drive on Feb. 5. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.
Charles Phillip Stevens, 38, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Stevens was allegedly found in possession of buprenorphine/naloxone and cocaine during a traffic stop on Feb. 10 by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.
Christopher Earl Merrell, 62, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, and moving from lane unsafely. Merrell was arrested by Deputy James Stack following an investigation into a motor vehicle accident reported at 6:37 a.m. on Feb. 15 on Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Lakeisha A Gibson, 38, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Gibson is accused of hitting another person multiple times during a fight on Bank Street on Jan. 21. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Christina M. Corde, 39, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Dordes is accused of shoplifting from Dollar General on Jan. 15. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Jennifer C. Moscicki, 48, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Moscicki is accused of stealing property from another person on Central Avenue in January 2022. She was arraigned in City Court and released.
Julie L. Dutton, 29, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Dutton is accused of using a counterfeit $100 bill to receive change at a local business on Jan. 20. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Donovan I. Reese, 18, of Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing. Reese is accused of grabbing another person and applying pressure around the person's neck during a fight on Sumner Street on Jan. 16. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Thomas J. Mitchell, 35, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Mitchell was allegedly found in possession of cocaine on Nov. 8 while being arrested on an unrelated matter. He was arrested on Jan. 16 on the drug charge and issued an appearance ticket.
Hailee N. Callicutt, 24, of Batavia, was arrested on Jan. 12 on three warrants. Two warrants were related to traffic stops. She was also charged with bail jumping 3rd. She was arraigned and released.
Jacob J. Frayne, 27, of Darien, was arrested on Jan. 17 on a warrant. He allegedly failed to appear on a prior DWI arrest. He was arraigned and released.
File photo. Carl Hyde discussing water issues in the Town of Bethany. Photo by Howard Owens.
Carl Hyde, the town supervisor for the past 12 years in Bethany, has spent a lot of time pouring over the state budget and he's tired of the wasteful spending.
He thinks he can fix it, and that means he needs to beat Gov. Kathy Hochul in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026.
To get there, he needs the support of the state's Republican leadership. On Tuesday, the Genesee County Republic Party Committee gave Hyde their blessing to approach state leadership in Albany about becoming the state party's standard bearer in 2026.
"I want to make New York better for future generations," Hyde told The Batavian on Thursday morning.
Hyde is 62, an honorably discharged U.S. Navy veteran who has served the Genesee County veterans community for decades, most recently as head of the WNY National Cemetery Honor Guard. He is married with two children and one grandchild. He attended Pavilion Central School, has been a Little League coach, has worked in construction, and is a member of the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department.
He distributed a flyer on social media to test out his campaign themes and was encouraged by the positive response, he said.
Asked about the prospects of a small-town supervisor running for statewide office, he said his would be a grassroots campaign focused on state spending.
"I've been doing governmental accounting for the last 12 years," Hyde said. "I know how to read a budget. I know I can see the problems in the state's budget because somebody thinks they have a free hand to dole out money whenever they want to."
He gave two primary examples of waste in the state's budget. Since 2019, the Thruway Authority has lost more than $270 million in unpaid fines. The Mass Transit Authority has a $33 billion deficit. He wants to tackle those issues.
On the Thruway issue, he proposes signing reciprocal agreements with other states to collect fines. When people want to renew registrations or drivers licenses, they can't until they pay their tolls and accumulated fines.
He wants to bring back toll booths, which makes it easier to pay tolls because not everybody has an EZPass, even NYS residents.
Traditionally, conservatives object to Thruway tolls as another tax on New Yorkers. Hyde acknowledges the reality of the massive expense involved in maintaining the Thruway.
"Here's the thing with the Thruway, you've got 560 miles of Thruway road, hundreds and hundreds of buildings, and they all need to be maintained. So when Governor Dewey touted that eventually it would be free, it was a lie," Hyde said.
Without tolls, he said, the cost of the Thruway would mean higher taxes for every New Yorker, which wouldn't be fair, he said.
With the MTA, he said he would order a thorough forensic audit to find what causes the MTA to run at a deficit and then work to correct the issues uncovered by the audit, he said.
Among government waste he's spotted is $7 million spent for increased police officers for 30 days. That is wasteful, he said, because it doesn't fix any problem. Hiring more cops, he said, would be a better long-term solution.
He thinks he can make a convincing case to party leaders that a small-town supervisor fixated on the budget is the right approach to challenging the Democratic machine in New York.
"My pitch is going to be, I'm going to take the state's budget with me, and I'm going to throw it on the table and I and talk about some of the issues that are in the budget, with all the new, upcoming programs for the 25-26 budget that shows millions of dollars being spent on a personal agenda and that's being paid for by the taxpayers and they don't even know about," Hyde said. "I mean, unfortunately, in my spare time, I read the state's budget."
Another example, there are 12 programs in the state budget, he said, for getting kids out of the house to go swimming that, he said, "people don't even know about."
For any GOP candidate, Democrats, of course, are going to want to talk about more that financial matters. They will bring up Donald Trump (a 56 percent disapproval rating in New York), and cultural war issues.
Hyde said he's prepared.
First, he said, "I'm not Donald Trump. I have no crazy ideas to go out and do a lot of wild stuff. I just want to fix the budget. I want to fix the taxes in New York State. I want to reduce the deficit."
On the cultural war issues, he takes a live-and-let-live stance. He isn't out to force anybody to believe anything or live according to other people's desires.
"If you're transgender, if you're happy, and you're not harming anybody else, what does it matter?" Hyde said. "I mean, you know, just because somebody's gay doesn't mean somebody's got the right to go out there and take a swing at them. You know, leave them alone. They're Americans, too. They're citizens of the state of New York. Leave them alone. They're working. They're doing what they need to do to survive in 2025, 2026, whatever, it's their business."
He said he doesn't agree with recent campus protests but, again, his stance is to leave people alone.
"If people are Jewish, leave them alone. If you're Palestinian, leave them alone. I don't care," Hyde said. "If you're here as an American to make your life better, don't be causing trouble and, you know, hating people just because they're different than you, because if we all hated everything who is different, there'd be a lot of people who wouldn't be here today."
Those aren't the issues he wants to focus on. He wants to talk money and tell the story of his 12 years as a supervisor in Bethany and what he's learned about sound financial management.
"I'm not independently wealthy, and anybody who knows me knows that, but my background in governmental accounting is as a town supervisor who took a town that was going to run out of money to a town that can get loans at low interest, can pay cash for trucks, dump trucks, plow roads," Hyde said. "I had the experience to fix the state, to turn it around, you know, and to possibly make it into a state where we would finally see a reduction in taxes."
Page one of the flyer Carl Hyde posted on social media to test his campaign themes.
Page two of the flyer Carl Hyde posted on social media.
Byron-Bergen beat Holley 39-27 in Girls Basketball on Tuesday.
Scoring for the Bees:
Janessa Amesbury, 21 points
Riley Shallenberger, 8 points
Holley
Zoey Wolfe, 11 points
Alivia Wolfe, 10 points
"Janessa Amesbury scored all of her 21 points in the second half, and Riley Shallenberger scored 8 points in the second half, allowing us to overcome an 18-7 deficit at the half," said Coach Rick Krzewinski. "We turned it around, out-scoring Holley 32-9 in the second half. With the win, we move to 14-2 and go to Alexander Thursday.
The damage was too extensive from an industrial fire at 20 Howard St., Batavia, on Nov. 9 for investigators to determine the cause of the blaze.
The massive fire destroyed a 4,160-square-foot structure, built in 1941, where Baskin Livestock processed dry dog food into feed for hogs.
The fire investigation team of Captain Jamie Call, Captain Michael Morris, and Firefighter Christina Marinaccio determined the fire started in the southwest corner of the structure.
City Fire was dispatched to the call at 7:47 a.m. after dispatchers received reports of a large quantity of black smoke coming from the building.
When Captain Mike Morris opened truck bay doors when he arrived on scene, he confirmed a large fire and requested a second alarm.
Because it was a heavily involved fire already, Morris, the incident commander, determined the priority for firefighters was protecting other buildings nearby.
He requested a third alarm.
A short time later, Chief Josh Graham arrived on scene and assumed command.
Fire crews worked the fire for over 12 hours, with a single crew remaining on scene until 10 p.m.
"Due to the difficulty with access and size of the structure, crews were working on and off for the next four days," Graham said. "This also included the use of an East Pembroke Fire Department utility vehicle, which aided us in getting to hard-to-reach spots."
Graham indicated that investigators put a lot of effort into trying to determine the cause of the fire.
“I applaud the fire investigation team for their tireless work as well as all of the crews that responded to this incident,” Graham said.
Graham reported two minor injuries to city firefighters at the scene. They were evaluated by Mercy EMS medics and continued working the fire after being checked out.
The City of Batavia Fire Department was assisted by the City of Batavia Police Department, Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center, the Town of Batavia Fire Department, the Leroy Fire Department, Stafford Fire Department, East Pembroke Fire Department, Mercy EMS, Genesee County Office of Emergency Management, City of Batavia DPW, City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City of Batavia Codes Department, NYS DEC, National Grid, and National Fuel.
Jason Ostrowski putting on an Elton John show at Batavia Downs in November 2022. On Feb. 27, Ostrowski returns to Batavia Downs with a rock and roll piano showcase of the music of John and his idol Billy Joel. File Photo by Howard Owens.
Jason Ostrowski is definitely excited about his upcoming concert at Batavia Downs.
Why? He loves playing rock and roll. He loves Elton John and Billy Joel. With a background in musical theater, he loves performing. He loves meeting people. And, he won't be far from his hometown, Rochester.
More than once during an interview with The Batavian about his Feb. 27 show (doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.), Ostrowski said about performing, "I love it. I absolutely love it.
Ostrowski isn't sure where this love for music and performance came from but it started young.
"Nobody in my family is in entertainment at all," Ostrowski said. "(Starting in) kindergarten, I was bothering my parents for lessons, and then I took classical for about six years. I hated taking it. I loved my teacher, but I hated classical piano. And then I learned rock and roll."
In high school, at Greece Athena, he discovered musical theater. He was inspired to get his degree from SUNY Fredonia in musical theater and he chased a career as an actor.
His resume includes roles on Broadway, cast on national tours for major Broadway productions, and regional musical theater. His TV roles include co-starring roles on FBI: Most Wanted, Bull, The Detour, WeCrashed, and A Crime to Remember.
"I've been very lucky working for as long as I have in the entertainment industry and being able to support myself," Ostrowski said. "And the piano playing has always been there for me."
Ostrowski's path toward doing concerts featuring the music of the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel began when he was on Broadway in a show where cast members played their own instruments; then, on his own, he started playing more rock and roll on piano.
"I always thought, 'Oh, that would be fun to do for people. But I guess I was a little too shy or something," Ostrowski said. "In 2014, I learned how to do dueling pianos in Orlando, Florida. From there, I was just hooked on performing behind the piano."
Ostrowski was more of a Billy Joel fan (he's even met him a couple of times) but people always told him he looked like Elton John, so he explored his music and found it compelling, so he developed a live act around John's music. He said it's not exactly a tribute show.
"I started putting on my Nana's costume jewelry and some sparkly clothes and doing an Elton John show," Ostrowski said. "It's not an impersonator show because you already know it's not him. I look enough like the guy. I'm not going to try to pretend to be him but to capture the essence of his music and performance. What I do live hopefully translates, and that gives people an experience that, if they haven't seen him, can come close to what it would be like to hear that music live by him. And I love doing it. I love it."
The Feb. 27 show will feature both the music of John and his idol, Joel.
He said Joel is his biggest influence as a singer, piano player, and writer. Ostrowski has singles and EPs of his original music on streaming platforms and is anticipating releasing an album later in 2025.
"I've always written. I've always been, I guess, I've always been a little timid about it, like, uh, nobody's gonna like this or whatever," Ostrowski said. "But now, as I reach 50, I'm like, 'Well, who cares?' So I actually started work on an album in December, and in March, I'm going back to recording in New York City with this producer who was Bruce Hornsby's guitar player for 16 years, and he's worked with Dave Matthews and Ben Folds. He really likes my writing, so we started work on just a little album, four or five songs, but it's exciting, and it's gotten me excited about my own music again."
Ostrowski isn't surprised the music of legendary rockers like John and Joel remains popular, not just with the generation that grew up with John's songs on AM radio.
"I'm on ships quite a bit, and generally, the crowds are people who grew up with Elton John, but every now and then, I get young people and young teenagers out in the audience, and they're singing along to every single song," Ostrowski said. "There's some kind of magic in performing some of this music that's 56 years old now, much older than some of these people listening to it, and they know every single lyric. It really is a rush to just play this rock and roll music."
John, he said, is particularly thrilling.
"He's such a theatrical performer in how he dresses and presents himself," Ostrowski said. "So to be able to do that and sit behind the piano and play this amazing music with incredible bands is all I need. I love it. Absolutely love it."
Tommy Slenker, Damian Hargrave, and Alton Rupp. Photo by Howard Owens.
What do three lifelong friends who enjoy cutting hair do when the opportunity arises -- they open a barbershop together, of course.
The Local Barbershop is located at 466 Ellicott St., Batavia. It was previously Canzoneri's Barbershop. The former owner Joe Canzoneri left to pursue a business opportunity in Buffalo.
The new owners are Alton Rupp, Tommy Slenker, and Damian Hargrave.
"We all went to Alexander High School, so we wanted to collectively own something one day," Rupp said. "It's just a matter of when the opportunity came up, we jumped on it, and it's been a good time, man. It's been a lot of fun."
All three emphasized that they like the idea of community, that they're doing something for the community, and they're offering a community. Their open casual floor plan with couches and chairs in the middle and a beer cooler on one wall is inviting.
"We want to bring back that home-like atmosphere," Rupp said. "Come in, hang out, have some fun. More than anything— and I'm not saying the other ones don't have that— I think what we have going here in the middle, a centralized location, is that clients come in, hang out, and chat with each other. We've had a lot of clients intermingle already, so it's been awesome."
Slenker also thinks the location is conducive to getting attention and building community.
"The space itself -- we got plenty of eyes on us, with (Route) 63 being right here in the outskirts of Batavia, so we're not right in the thick of things, but we like having plenty of parking, and the building's definitely identifiable," Slenker said.
Hargrave said that comes with being one of the owners, where the business can reflect who they are. Otherwise, it's business as usual.
"Honestly, it feels like same old, same old, you know, you're kind of just cutting hair," Hargrave said. "It's been nice to get a lot of love and feedback from the community. What I like most is just being able to make it what we want, just making it how it is, and controlling the dynamic, you know, whether the TV's on, the music's going, everything that people see, just making it a better experience and being in control of that compared to when you're just a barber in another shop, you might not have a say in that kind of stuff."
The Local Barbershop can be reached at 585-483-3060.
