Before most of the snow melted, the Miller, Ivison, and Randall families got together to build a big snowman.
Mandy Miller is taking the selfie. Linsey Ivison on the left, holding Frank Morrison, Carter Morrison, Lacie Ivison, Natalie Randall, and Curt Randall.
Submitted photo.
Alexander wrestler Nick Young won a Section V title yesterday at 132 pounds and will advance to the state championship rounds.
Young beat Le Roy's Andrew Englerth on a 7-2 decision.
He was one of two Section V champions representing local schools. Josh Barber won at 285 pounds for Attica/Batavia.
Young now has four class sectional championships making in the most decorated active high school wrestler in the area.
He's qualified for the state tournament four times. Earlier this year he placed fourth in the Eastern States tournment. He's ranked #2 in the state in his class.
Besides winning the title yesterday, he won the Brad Paddock Memorial Scholarship Award and Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Submitted photos.
Coaches Tom Aldinger and Dee Gugel with Nick Young.
Invictra, arguably the best local band right now (they are, after all, (the reigning champs of the only local battle of the bands showcase in the area), will be among the more than dozen local and nationally known acts to take the stage at The Ridge in Le Roy in the first days of June for the annual American Warriors Concert.
The concert honors veterans and raises money to assist them. All veterans and active military can attend for free.
Also on the bill, Madison Rising, James Wesley, JB Aaron, Alyssa Trahan, BC Psychos, Pete Griffith, Jon Dretto, Jack West, Dylan Desmit, Kenny Drury, and Vinyl Orange Ottoman.
The two-day concert event is June 1 and June 2.
Campers, click here.
To purchase tickets, click here.
Here's a press release about the event:
AWC is known for its "Celebration of our Troops, Veterans and American Way of Life." We pride ourselves on offering free admission to veterans and active/reserve military personnel.
This event also donates to a nonprofit veterans' organization of its choice. This year's beneficiary is WNY, Heroes Inc. It's an organization that provides veterans, members of the armed services, and the widows and children of deceased veterans with access to essential services, financial assistance and resources that support their lives and sustain their dignity.
The American Warrior Concert is possible by partnering with The Ridge NY, and sponsorship from by local businesses including Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, TJV Mechanical, CAM Construction, Oliver’s Candies, Livingston Associates, Batavia Legal Printing, Ken Barrett Cadillac Chevrolet, Stan's Harley Davidson, Genesee County SCOPE, Watson Guitars, Leroy Hardware, Orcon Industries and Genesee Valley Penny Saver to name a few.
We will have many bands from many genres of music, many local vendors and other organizations aimed at servicing the needs of our veterans.
We will also be featuring an Honor Wall with local submissions made by people wanting to honor their military friend/family hero.
We hope to make this year's event bigger and better and would love to see more veterans come and enjoy our concert for free.
James Wesley
Madison Rising
Alyssa Trahan
Dan Adams was named Firefighter of the Year for the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department at the department's annual awards and installation dinner Saturday night.
Pictured with Adams are Jamie Fluker, Jeff Pietrzykowski and Jeff Fluker.
The 2018 officers are: Jeff Pietrzykowski, chief; Jeff Fluker, first assistant chief; Jamie Fluker, second assistant chief; Kyle Rombaut, captain; Christopher Page, lieutenant; Mel Davis, first aid captain; Jim Duval, first aid lieutenant; and George Larish, fire police captain.
The board officers are: Christopher Page, president; Kyle Rombaut, VP; Corie Rombaut, secretary; Jeff Wolak, treasurer; with board directors -- Vicki Wolak, Peggy Johnson, Wayne Walker, Todd Mogenhan, Mel Davis, Bill Shea. The chaplain is Rev. Walter Whenhold.
Jamie Fluker received the Chief's Award.
The department responded to 132 calls. Jim Duval responded to 91 of those calls, the most of any member.
Greg Johnson put in 107 training hours, the most of any member.
The dinner featured a ceremony honoring all of the first responders in Bethany. A plaque will be hung in the Fire Hall that reads, "We Are All Heros."
Pictured, Jeff Fluker, Mel Davis and Peggy Johnson.
Jeff Fluker, who just finished a three-year stint as chief, and has been chief for nine of the past 11 years, received a gift from the department.
A driver spotted a German shepherd wearing a bandana walking along the roadway in Bergen and stopped, opened her car down and the dog jumped in.
The dog seemed friendly at first, the caller told a dispatcher, but now it's growled a couple of times.
The caller is parked at the 7-Eleven in Bergen awaiting the arrival of Animal Control.
UPDATE 2:45 p.m.: As Animal Control was showing up at the 7-Eleven, so did the dog's owner. Owner and dog reunited.
A group of veterans being treated at the PTSD clinic in Batavia got a special Valentine this afternoon at the Holland Land Office Museum.
Students participating in a history class there presented each of the veterans with a patriotic Valentine's Day card that they made themselves.
Anne Marie Starowitz also presented a $250 check to the veterans, a donation to the clinic or however they want to use it. She said they could throw a party for themselves if that's what they wanted to do with the money.
The money comes from the sale of her book, “Back in the Day, Snapshots of Local History, the Way I See It!”
Starowitz said she was inspired to make the donation and support the veterans after a group from the PTSD clinic in Batavia visited the museum and she felt so moved to meet them and learn something about them.
Several of their veterans expressed their gratitude, including ones who said the gesture was so meaningful because they are currently separated from their own children while undergoing treatment and they miss their kids.
"One of the symptoms I deal with is kind of numbing everything out, but this really cracked through the ice," said one veteran. "This is special."
Carl, who served two terms in Iraq, said the cards meant a lot to him but wanted to remind the children that the word "hero" has a special meaning.
"To us, hero means the people who didn't come home," Carl said. "That's something that we hold dear to our hearts and I'm sure you do, too, but on the other hand, it's people like you guys who are willing to do this and support us and happy to do it that make it easy for us to go over there and fight."
Genesee Sno-Packers held their fourth annual Bikini Rally in Oakfield today. The event brings together people with a passion for snowmobiling and also helps raise money to assist in the fight against breast cancer.
And for the first time in a couple of years, it was also a good wintery day for the event, with plenty of snow and some cold.
Press release:
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office will be offering its first annual Teen Academy July 23 – 27 at the Byron-Bergen Central School.
“The Teen Academy is a one-week structured program which consists of instructional classes designed to provide high-school-aged students within our community an introduction to law enforcement training and gain an understanding of law enforcement’s role in their community," said Sheriff William Sheron. "It is our hope that teens will build confidence while learning good decision-making and leadership skills."
Academy instructors are experienced Deputy Sheriffs who will discuss day-to-day operations of the Sheriff’s Office.
Participants will also:
- visit the Jail, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Dispatch Center, and Sheriff’s Office;
- observe displays of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Hostage Negotiation, SCUBA Team, K-9 Unit and Evidence Recovery;
- be provided insight into motor-vehicle accident reconstruction;
- participate in daily physical fitness runs, defensive tactics and team-building exercises;
- participate in a classroom setting and learn about the NYS Penal Laws and Vehicle & Traffic Laws;
- participate in mock traffic stops and DWI procedures.
Qualified candidates will be selected for an interview screening process if they meet the following requirements:
- must be entering grades 10-12;
- must be in good academic standing with little to no disciplinary issues;
- must be able to participate in physical fitness activities;
- must have a positive attitude;
- must have their parent’s permission.
“This is a unique and forward-thinking opportunity offered by Genesee County Sheriff Sheron and the Department; Teens are invited to immerse and be exposed to the real law enforcement experience," said the chair of the Public Service Committee.
"More than imagining, the academy opportunity is live, in-the-minute learning about today’s community policing needs of an exciting career in law enforcement. Students are encouraged to ‘try on’ a law enforcement career role.”
There is no charge to attend the academy. Application deadline is March 30.
For more information, contact Deputy Matthew Butler at (585) 345-3000, ext. 3252, or (585) 494-1220, ext. 2304, or via e-mail at matthew.butler@co.genesee.ny.us
Visit http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/sheriff/index.php to learn more and download an application.
Press release:
Notre Dame announces the hiring of Tim Frappa of Orchard Park as their new Varsity Softball Coach. He replaces Michelle Panepento who decided not to return in order to spend more time with her family. His impressive resume, love of teaching the game of softball and his personality led to his selection from an impressive group of applicants.
Tim has been an extremely successful travel softball coach in the Buffalo area for the past 10 years. For the last three seasons, he coached the NY Inferno 16U and 18U college showcase teams where he has helped players realize their goal of playing college softball. He is recognized as an excellent teacher of fundamentals and is especially strong in the development of pitchers including two daughters who went on to pitch in college.
Coach Frappa, who is the Founder and President of Torino Mosaic Flooring, is excited about the opportunity to coach the young ladies of Notre Dame softball and is looking forward to the challenge of building on the success the program has enjoyed in recent years.
Press release:
On Tuesday, local youth from Genesee County met with Senator Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Hawley to get support by investing money in the Youth Bureau System.
The youths asked for help in urging the $1.698 million to be restored for the 2018-2019 Youth Bureau Development Program. The Youth Development Program allows youth bureaus, along with many other community-based organizations to operate after-school prevention programs, which helps young people succeed.
The youths all shared their experiences being involved with the Youth Bureau System and how it has positively impacted their lives.
Canyon Roster scored 30 points to help lead Le Roy over Warsaw in boys basketball Friday night.
Roster added six rebounds and two steals.
Reece Tresco scored 12 points, Bobby Locke, 7, and T.Y. Williams, 7.
Warsaw's Ben MacConnell was the game's leading scorer with 34 points.
Warsaw falls to 8-11 and LeRoy improves to 13-4.
Blue is missing. Blue is a 2-year-old English pointer who went missing Friday afternoon around Stannard Road, Alexander. He ran off chasing a deer and hasn't been seen by Ben and Christina since. He was last seen wearing an orange collar with an ID and a red collar with a big bell.
If you can help Blue get home to Ben and Christina call either (716) 572-2591 or (910) 382-0341.
A tractor-trailer is reportedly on its side in the area of 5437 Broadway, Bethany.
Wires are down. Fluids are leaking.
The driver is reported trapped in the cab but uninjured.
Bethany fire responding.
Pavilion and Alexander requested to shut down eastbound and westbound Route 20.
One of the five criteria for members of the Local Planning Committee to consider in selecting which projects to forward to the state as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative is "community input."
About 30 members of the public turned out Thursday night at City Hall for their chance to weigh in on the projects they think most deserving of a portion of the $10 million DRI prize the state awarded to Batavia in October.
Each participant received a strip of stickers, two red for their top priorities, and one each of green, blue and yellow.
A new marquee and new seats for Batavia Showtime Theaters was the crowd favorite with a total of 17 little round stickers on its project board.
The theater is owned by local businessman Ken Mistler. His other DRI project, Carr's Reborn, was also popular, getting 15 stickers, and 12 of those were red, the most of any project.
The Healthy Living Campus received 16 stickers, with nine red.
The public market also got 16, with six red.
The Batavia Player's project, Theater 56, received 14 stickers, and six of those were red.
The complete street project for Ellicott Street received 11 stickers, four red.
Ellicott Place received 10 stickers, four red.
GO ART! rounds out the other favorites, among the 25 total projects, with eight stickers, five red.
The other four criteria for the LPC to consider are the readiness of the project, the project's consistency with establishing planning documents, the catalytic potential of the project (can it drive more development), and the ratio of grant request vs. the amount of money being put in by the project developer.
The LPC has two more meetings before sending its recommendations to the state. The next meeting will be a report from consultants who will answer questions raised about projects during the process. At the final meeting, the committee will whittle down the 25 projects to those with no more than $15 million in funding requests.
The state will take that recommended list and select projects with requests of no more than $10 million.
Press release:
Timing is everything, and now is the time to leave as executive director of YWCA of Genesee County after six and a half years, Jeanne Walton says.
“I have been fortunate to work with a lot of people and take the organization to a new level,” Walton said. “And we’re at a point where a lot of things need to be addressed and we need a person with a different skill set to work on them.”
When Walton took the position in July 2011, her goals were to work with staff to increase exposure and awareness of YWCA, its offerings and mission to empower women and families and eliminate racism.
That tall order was achieved with the addition of the Care+Crisis Helpline in 2015; a total renovation of the My Sister’s Closet thrift shop; expanding the agency’s awards event into a nationally aligned Women of Distinction function; and increased devotion to serving the needs of domestic violence victims and child care families.
“Being here has taught me a lot about the need for these services in the community. I was not aware, especially, for the need of crisis services,” Walton said. “We’ve worked hard to change things in the domestic violence department to provide services we hope will urge clients to make significant transformations in their lives.
"For the past four years we’ve really brought some significant change to the lives of people, especially those who have gone into our Safe House; some have completely turned their lives around. And the Care+Crisis Helpline has filled a huge void.”
Although some ventures have come and gone, such as the Artisans at North Street and a teen youth program, they have all been important “to the process and to our learning development,” Walton said.
She is proud of the agency’s more recent and ongoing programs and events, which have also included the Stiletto & Sneaker 5K, a Healthy Relationships course taught in local schools, peace and justice vigils, support groups and the You Engaging Success transition program for domestic violence victims.
They all prove that the agency’s vision can be interpreted in a variety of ways, she said.
“I’m appreciative of the continuous support the community has offered to me, but more importantly, to YWCA as a whole in supporting new ventures we’ve undertaken,” Walton said.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Board Member Roula Alkhouri said that Walton’s experience in management and business helped YWCA raise awareness about the needs of those affected by domestic violence and other related struggles.
“Her personal passion for helping others has enabled the YWCA to grow its programs and increase its outreach and funding,” Alkhouri said. “We are indebted to Jeanne’s steadfastness, commitment and vision for all the new programs that YWCA offered in our community.”
Millie Tomidy-Pepper has begun her new role as executive director and looks forward to working on agency initiatives to eliminate racism and empower women.
As a former executive director of the Mental Health Association in Genesee County, Tomidy-Pepper brings several years of experience and a background in nonprofit management, including the oversight of fiscal stability and growth, employee and facility management, advocating for clients at a national, state and local level and strategic planning to reach fiscal stability, quality service and enhanced community awareness.
She has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management and has received many awards for significant accomplishments in leadership, staff management and community involvement.
"At this time in our nation’s history, when women's rights and civil rights are being challenged every day, I cannot think of a place I would rather be working than the YWCA, an organization whose mission is to eliminate racism and empower women,” Tomidy-Pepper said. “This job is a dream come true for me."
YWCA of Genesee County’s three primary programs are Domestic Violence Crisis & Prevention Services, Children & Family Services and the 24-hour Care+Crisis Helpline.
The agency is the sole provider of domestic violence services in Genesee County and offers before and after school child care at seven sites in Genesee and Livingston counties. For more information, call (585) 343-5808.
Fuller was 70 years old.
With a perfect baritone broadcast voice, Fuller became a local legend over the decades, serving as a public address announcer for the Batavia Muckdogs as well as Batavia High School sports. He worked for WBTA at various times since 1967.
Fuller was well known for not only his talent as an announcer but also his encyclopedic knowledge of sports and pop music and his photographic memory.
"Wayne Fuller was blessed with a marvelous voice and a considerable talent, and we were blessed with Wayne Fuller," said Bill Kauffman. "For somewhere between three and four decades, he was the voice of Batavia baseball — of the Trojans, the Clippers, the Muckdogs.
"His voice perfectly fit Dwyer Stadium; Batavia baseball sounds like Wayne Fuller. I think of Wayne as the voice of Batavia, a voice that will never stop echoing."
Batavia gave Fuller a place to excel -- plenty of local sports, but also a locally owned AM radio station that gave him an outlet for sharing the pop music of the recent past that he loved and knew as well as he did baseball history.
Dan Fischer, co-owner of WBTA, said Fuller was a perfect match for the station throughout so much of the station's history.
“Wayne was a unique on-air personality," Fischer said. "He had a perfect voice for AM radio, clear and distinctive. That voice served him well for his public address work as the stadium announcer for the Muckdogs and in the gymnasium for BHS basketball.
"Wayne could weave a story in such great detail. He knew what the weather was on the day his story was set; he could tell you what song was popular on that day. He had a passion for trains and memorized schedules and could describe railroad stations along most any route.
"He was a great friend and a wonderful and talented employee who will be missed by his colleagues and fans alike.”
Fuller was dedicated to the youth of the community and loved being the voice of so many Batavia sports. Both Buddy Brasky, head coach of Batavia HS basketball, and Michael Bromley, the school's athletic director, said he will be missed.
"Wayne was a very important part of Batavia Athletics for many years," Brasky said. "As the PA announcer for the varsity boys' basketball games, he added a sense of professionalism to the games. His enthusiasm, the way he played the music, the way he introduced the players in the starting lineups, always added to the atmosphere at the games."
Fuller was a 1965 graduate of Batavia HS. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2013. Bromley also noted the press box at Dwyer Stadium is named after Fuller.
"More than that, Wayne was a friend to everyone," Bromley said. "He was a friend to many of our coaches, many of our athletes. He's going to be deeply missed. We tried to replace him for the season but there's still a big absence without him on the sidelines for basketball."
The impact Fuller had on the region goes beyond sports and broadcasting, however. He was also passionate about his longtime job with Empire Trailways.
Fuller was fascinated by bus schedules and fairs and he was instrumental in pushing bus companies across the Northeast in adopting computerized ticketing, according to his former boss Jack Barker.
"He was promoted to traffic manager in 1974 for Empire Trailways and he held that position for many years, taking care of bus schedules and fares," Barker said. "His contribution to the bus industry was exemplary. He was a friend of mine for probably over well over 50 years and he will definitely be missed."
Ironically, Fuller's broadcast career almost got derailed before it started. He had been hanging around WBTA as a teenager and the station manager one night blamed him for an announcer's on-air mistake. He thought that was the end of his connection with the station.
"I got thrown out of the station by the then-program manager," Fuller told Lucine Kauffman last year during an interview for her WBTA show, Genesee Life. "His name was Bob Folkler. He thought that I had broken up the announcer one night on the radio and it was somebody else. But I got thrown out. So I thought I was done hanging around BTA.
"This was in '67. About a week later, he called me up and said, 'Wayne, could you work tonight?' So here I went into this with no training because I was already pretty well trained because I'd been hanging around so much. I knew exactly what to do. So I just sat down did it."
Jaylinn M. Oneil, 27, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and endangering the welfare of a child. Oneil was arrested by members of the Local Drug Task Force following a search of his residence as the result of an investigation initiated by the Department of Social Services. Following arraignment, Oneil was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.
Timothy James Hodgins, 32, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and inadequate headlamps. Hodgins was stopped at 7:48 p.m. Thursday on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Deputy Kyle Krzemien.
Andrew Charles McGiveron, 29, of Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. McGiveron was stopped at 7:52 p.m. Feb. 2 on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Investigator Christopher Parker. McGiveron was allegedly found in possession of a glass pipe and a small quantity of marijuana during a traffic stop.
Paul Donald Fields Jr., 48, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .8 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and moving from lane unsafely. Fields was charged following an investigation by Deputy Travis DeMuth into a motor-vehicle accident reported at 10:46 p.m. Wednesday on Indian Falls Road, Pembroke.
Abrain D. Wright, 33, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Wright was stopped by State Police at 11:07 p.m. Thursday on Route 33 in Bergen.
Press release:
Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today voted in support of the Bipartisan Budget Act that keeps the government funded through March 23 as Congress works toward finishing the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations process.
The legislation also includes a sensible compromise on budget caps, boosts defense spending, raises the debt ceiling, and includes funding for community health centers, the opioid epidemic, infrastructure, agriculture programs, and disaster relief.
“This legislation is critical to our national security as we are giving Secretary Mattis the funding he needs to rebuild our military and keep Americans safe,” Collins said. “This bill is a big win that accomplishes many of our priorities and provides budget certainty so we can move forward on other important tasks.”
Under this agreement, Congress has ended the sequester for the next two years, providing greater certainty and a much-needed increase in funding for national defense. After eight years under President Obama, our military was left inadequately prepared to defend our country. This agreement also provides for America’s veterans by helping reduce the maintenance backlog at the Veterans Administration.
This deal increases the debt ceiling to March of 2019 so we don’t default on our nation’s obligations. The Bipartisan Budget Act includes $6 billion over two years to combat the opioid crisis and support mental health programs and boosts National Institutes of Health spending. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will be funded for 10 years, community health centers for two years and multiple Medicare payment policies also received significant extensions.
Additionally, this legislation includes provisions that are critical to farmers in New York State, including improving the Margin Protection Program (MPP) for dairy producers, which offers protection to farmers as prices in milk and feed fluctuate. The legislation also removes a $20 million cap on the Federal Crop Insurance program, which protects against natural disasters or the loss of revenue due to a decline in price, giving livestock and dairy farmers more options.
Collins added: “I am pleased that we were able to work across the aisle to keep the government open while making sure the brave men and women in uniform can succeed on the battlefield and have the resources they need when they return home."
Copyright © 2008-2022 The Batavian. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
