An apparently damaged fire hydrant on a McKinley Avenue home forced City firefighters to take a defensive posture instead of entering a duplex at 14 McKinley Ave. on Sunday to try and knock down a fire.
The structure, though still standing, is a total loss, said Chief Josh Graham.
"It just looks like maybe either a car or maybe a snowplow might have hit the hydrant," Graham said. "It's a little loose over there. I'm not sure exactly what it is yet."
The fire, with smoke and flames already showing, was reported shortly after 2 p.m. Heavy smoke and flames coming from a first-floor window is exactly what firefighters found when they first arrived on scene, Graham said.
With the closest hydrant damaged, firefighters were forced to connect to a hydrant on East Main Street. The short delay allowed the fire to advance enough, Graham said, that firefighters were forced to make their initial attack from outside the structure.
Two families occupied the structure, including children. Graham didn't have a count of the exact number of occupants but said they were all out of the apartments by the time firefighters arrived on the scene. One person was transported to an area hospital with possible smoke inhalation and knee injuries.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Graham said he expects more information to be released on Monday.
He also said there were pets in the structure, and all of them escaped the fire.
The original house was built in 1911 and was wood framed, with what is called a balloon frame, which allows flames to easily grow up through the walls from the first floor all the way to the attic.
It is 2,024 square feet. It was last sold, according to county tax records, in 2022 for $111,500 and has a total assessed value of $81,000. The current owner, according to records, is Brandon Stevenson.
Dylan T. Jordan, 22, of Bliss, was arrested on a warrant on Jan. 29. The arrest stems from an incident reported on Jan. 15. Jordan is accused of engaging in a fight with police officers in the emergency room at UMMC. Jordan allegedly placed an officer in a headlock and attempted to strangle him. Jordan was charged with attempted assault 2nd, attempted strangulation 2nd, criminal obstruction of breathing, obstructing governmental administration 2nd, and harassment 2nd. Jordan was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.
Edmund Sobresky, 54, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI/Drugs. Mathew Parker, 34, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th. Katelyn Jimenez, 30, of Eagle Street, Medina, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th, and criminal impersonation. Deputies conducted a traffic stop at 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 8 at Route 33 and Route 5, Batavia. Deputies determined that Sobresky appeared to be driving while under the influence of drugs. During the traffic stop, found the occupants of the vehicle were allegedly in possession of a large quantity of narcotics, enough to lead to accusations of dealing drugs. Jimenez is also accused of providing deputies with a false name. All were held pending arraignment.
Tajhenne T. Walker, 28, of Buffalo, and Ericka K. McBride, 34, of Buffalo, are charged with grand larceny 4th, possession of burglar tools, and conspiracy 6th. Walker and McBride are accused of stealing merchandise from Ulta Beauty on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, at 7:28 p.m. on Feb. 3rd. They were released on appearance tickets.
Danny D. Williams, 35, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Williams is accused of violating an order of protection on Jan. 28. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held.
Olivia J. Patten, 26, of Oakfield, was arrested on Feb. 1 on a warrant issued by City Court. Patten was initially charged on Nov. 1 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd. She was accused of driving with a suspended license. A warrant was issued after she failed to appear in court. Patten was arraigned in City Court, where the case was settled.
Scott D. Murray, 38, is charged with criminal contempt. 2nd. Murray is accused of violating an order of protection on Jan. 31 by making contact with a protected party while at the Genesee County Courthouse. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.
Jeanna M. Hattaway, 37, of Batavia, was arrested on Jan. 30 on a warrant issued by City Court. Hattaway was initially charged on Dec. 13 with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th in connection to an incident reported in April, 2023. A warrant was issued after Hattaway failed to appear in court. Hattaway was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.
Adrienne S. Bechtold, 28, of Batavia is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Bechtold was allegedly found in possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia after police responded to a report on Jan. 27 of a suspicious vehicle on East Main Street, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket.
John A. Cabrera, Sr., 56, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Cabrera is accused of stealing merchandise from Kwik Fill on Jackson Street, Batavia, on Jan. 26. He was issued an appearance ticket.
James W. Zurek, 20, of Batavia, was arrested on Jan. 29 on two warrants. The first warrant stems from an incident in August 2022 when Zurek was charged with strangulation 2nd, assault 3rd, and petit larceny after a disturbance on Cedar Street. The second warrant charged Zurek with bail jumping 3rd. He was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.
Andrew William Taylor, 36, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Taylor is accused of stealing $39.97 worth of merchandise from Walmart at 1:07 p.m. on Feb. 2. Taylor was released on an appearance ticket.
Richard Wayne Rumble Jr., 39, of Scribner Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, unlicensed operator, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. At 12:27 a.m. on Jan. 16, a caller reported a vehicle swerving into oncoming traffic on Route 5 in Pembroke. The caller followed the vehicle to Crosby's in East Pembroke and stayed on scene until Deputy Carlos Ortiz Speed and Deputy Ryan Mullen arrived. The deputies reportedly found a driver asleep behind the wheel of the pickup truck. Rumble was released on appearance tickets.
Philip Stewart Mayberry, 52, of South Geddes Street, Syracuse, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Mayberry was arrested following an investigation into an incident at 8250 Park Road, Batavia, at 11:47 a.m. on Jan. 22. Mayberry was released on an appearance ticket. Also charged, Shandell Marie Lissow, 35, of Allen Road, Albion.
Ashton Lea Mohney, 33, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting dangerous contraband in prison 1st. Mohney was arrested in connection with an incident reported a 8:15 a.m. on Feb. 5. The incident was investigated by Deputy James Stack. Mohney was arraigned in City Court and ordered held. No further details were released.
Jacob William Patterson, 28, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Patterson was arrested during a check-the-welfare call at a hotel on Park Road at 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. He was held pending arraignment.
Jacob William Patterson, 28, of East Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with introducing prison contraband 1st. Patterson was arrested in connection with an incident at the Best Western Hotel in Batavia and transported to the Genesee County Jail. He is accused of bringing dangerous prison contraband into the jail. He was held pending arraignment.
Mary Ann Virgilio, 48, of State Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal tampering 3rd. Virgilio is accused of entering a residence on State Street Road, Batavia, at 4 p.m. on Feb. 1, and then denying the resident of the property access to the home by locking an internal screen door. Virgilio was issued an appearance ticket.
Austin Chase Durham, 28, of Dewey Avenue, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment 2nd. Durham is accused of repeatedly sending text messages on Feb. 6 to another person with the "intent to harass, annoy, or alarm, with no legitimate communication," after being warned by a police officer to cease communication with the person. Durham was ordered held pending arraignment.
Thomas Matthew Gang, 43, of Alleghany Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Gang was stopped at 5:03 p.m. on Feb. 5 on Roberts Road, Alabama by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Kristan Rae Aquino, 40, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Aquino is accused of intentionally damaging a bed inside the Genesee County Jail at 4:46 a.m. on Dec. 3. Aquino was arrested on Feb. 6 and issued an appearance ticket.
Jeanna Marie Hathaway, 37, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd. Hathaway was stopped at 1:20 p.m. on Feb. 9 on South Main Street, Elba, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. She was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine. Hathaway was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.
Jeanna Marie Hathaway, 37, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Hathaway is accused of stealing merchandise from Ulta Beauty at 3 p.m. on Jan. 30. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Stephanie Marie Hockenberry, 36, of Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, driving on a suspended registration, and no motor vehicle insurance. Hockenberry was stopped at 8:07 p.m. on Feb. 9, on Route 33, Stafford, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Hockenberry was issued an appearance ticket.
Luis Alexis Harloff, 41, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and unlicensed driver. Harloff was stopped at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 10 in the parking lot of a location on South Main Street, Elba, by Deputy Jacob Kipler.
Rob Arthur Shuttleworth, 66, of Scotland Road, Akron, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operator 2nd, driving without an interlock device, and driving left of pavement markings. Shuttleworth was stopped at 2:13 am. on Feb. 10 on North Lake Road, Pembroke, by Sgt. Mathew Clor.
Janell Marie Sauer, 48, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Sauer was charged following a traffic stop at 2:13 a.m. on Feb. 10 on North Lake Road, Pembroke, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. Sauer was a passenger in the vehicle.
Richard James Burdick, 46, of Coward Road, Byron, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd, unlicensed operation, and failure to keep light. Burdick was stopped at 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 12 on West Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz. Burdick was released on an appearance ticket.
Lisa Marie Fox, 52, of Crimson Heights, Albion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and facilitating aggravated operation 3rd. Fox was allegedly in possession of narcotics while a passenger in a vehicle stopped at 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 12. She is accused of knowing the driver was driving on a suspended license. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Amy Susan Goodenow, 43, of East Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Goodenow is accused of stealing a person's car keys and refusing to return them in an incident reported at 12:22 a.m. on Jan. 20. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Christine M. Caplis, 43, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Caplis was arrested on Feb. 13 in connection with an alleged possession of a controlled substance on April 18 during a traffic stop in Corfu. She was arrested after police investigated a disturbance on Dellinger Avenue, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Erich Douglas Hildebrant, 45, of Batavia Bethany Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Hildebrant was charged after an incident reported at 9:20 a.m. on Feb. 2. He is accused of holding a firearm in his hands while making statements and conducting himself in a manner that was detrimental to three children in his presence at the time.
Left to right in black t-shirts are Julia Clark, Anna Varland, Isabella Walsh, and Julia Preston were honored on senior night. Photo by Steve Ognibene
On Senior night, one win-shy of a .500 season, Batavia came out strong against Geneva and came away with a 59-19 win.
The game began with a 6-4 early in the first quarter lead for the Blue Devils but trailed at the end of the quarter 11-8.
With a strong second half, Batavia turned out the light on Geneva, going into the half with a 33-12 lead, and the game was never close again.
After a couple of consecutive seasons where wins were hard to come by, Coach John McCulley sees progress in a 10-10 season and a group of young players developing winning habits and gaining experience.
"The season started out pretty good," McCulley said. "We had a light schedule. We started out with a bunch of girls that hadn't played at the varsity level. The senior girls that I had, that's what made it so special throughout the season. The senior girls I had were a huge help for me, as far as the right attitude, and teaching the young girls the right way to handle things. And so the season went pretty well. We had our ups and downs but as far as I'm concerned, from last year to this year, leaps and bounds. We've learned a lot, everything, every game, we progressively got better."
There are nine freshmen in the program, between varsity and JV and McCulley believes they have high ceilings.
"The freshmen are going to be phenomenal for me," McCulley said. "And I got Jamie (Macdonald) coming back another year that she just took leaps and bounds towards the end of the year. I think she's going to accept this role as a leader and just be a powerhouse next year."
Braedyn Chambry hit a free throw to set a new Byron-Bergen scoring record. Photo by Jennifer DiQuattro
Byron Bergen's Braedyn Chambry hit a free-throw on Thursday on his way to a 28-point game and 63 to 49 over Oakfield-Alabama to break his school's career scoring record.
Chambry surpassed the previous record of 1,063 points set by Brandon Burke in 2017. Chambry finished the game, with games left in the season to keep building his new record, with 1,078 points.
“Braedyn is old school,” said Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach Roxanne Noeth. “100% of his buckets come from inside the paint. Nothing flashy, just hard work and persistence around the rim.”
“If someone is going to break Brandon’s record, I’m glad it is Braedyn,” said Joann Burke, mother of Brandon Burke.
For the Bees, Colin Martin added 12 points, and Cody Carlson scored 10.
For O-A, Gavin Armbrewster scored 17, Aedyn Groth, 15, and Jack Cianfrinni, 10.
Photo by Jennifer DiQuattro
Photo by Jennifer DiQuattro
Photo by Jennifer DiQuattro
Senior cheerleader Hanna Loewke gave a solo performance at half-time. Photo by Jennifer DiQuattro
Byron-Bergen seniors Brendan Pimm, Brodie Baubie, Braedyn Chambry, Colin Martin and Carter Prinzi with coach Coach Roxanne Noeth. Photo by Jennifer DiQuattro
Assemblyman Steve Hawley delivering pizza to Batavia PD. From left, Officer Austin Davis, Officer Peter Post, Chief Shawn Heubusch, Hawley, and Officer Matt Smith. Photo by Howard Owens.
In celebration of National Pizza Day and in a show of support and respect for law enforcement on Friday, Assemblyman Steve Hawley had pizza delivered to several law enforcement agencies in his district, including a personal stop to deliver pizza to the Batavia Police Department.
“From the state troopers to local departments, our police officers are a vital part of our community’s safety,” said Hawley. “Far too often, we take their service for granted, but events like this are a small way to help give back and show our appreciation for their hard work.”
Other departments receiving pizza included:
Albion Police Department
Batavia Police Department
Brockport Police Department
Corfu Village Police Department
Genesee County Sheriff's Office
Holley Police Department
Le Roy Police Department
Medina Police Department
NYSP - Troop A Albion Barracks|
NYSP - Troop A Batavia HQOrleans County Sheriff's Office
The company's share price hasn't risen above $5 in four months after executives informed investors that it is facing a cash flow problem, and while it has made progress on improving its cash holdings and has increased production at plants in Tennessee and Georgia, there are stock analysts downgrading Plug Power as an investment opportunity.
Even so, Plug Power's leadership indicates the company is plowing ahead with plans to build the nation's leading fully integrated hydrogen power supply company -- a revolution in alternative energy production if Plug Power can pull it off.
One component of that plan is the completion of a hydrogen fuel production facility and electric substation at WNY STAMP, and officials with the company say the project remains on course for production to begin in the first half of 2025.
In collaboration with the New York Power Authority and National Grid, Plug Power expects to achieve its full capacity of 74 tons per day of liquid hydrogen production within that time frame.
"At this point, the majority of the work on-site to date has been laid underground to support the incoming power, drainage, and water management demands of a functional green hydrogen plant," officials said in a statement to The Batavian.
In accordance with Security and Exchange Commission Rules, Plug Power disclosed in November that a shortage of cash threatened its ability to remain a "going concern" within the following 12 months. It suggested it could raise more cash by selling stock and that the company expected to receive a sizable loan from the Department of Energy.
Since then, Plug Power authorized B. Riley Securities to offer additional public shares of the company for sale at market rate with the goal of raising an additional $1 billion in capital. That agreement was announced in January. There has been no news released on how that sale has proceeded.
Also, in January, Plug Power secured a $1.6 billion loan from the Department of Energy to help it complete six liquid hydrogen facilities (including, presumably, the facility at WNY STAMP). Plug Power is expected to receive the funds later this year. CORRECTION: Contrary to the news article cited, the loan has not been finalized, but according to a company representative, the company took another step in the due diligence process toward finalizing the loan. The representative said that Plug Power is at Step 3 of the process in the charge on this page.
Buffalo-based Investigative Post reported on Jan. 30 that the Tonawanda Senecas opposed the loan and were actively lobbying to stop it from going forward.
Two days ago, Seaport Res Ptn, a stock analyst firm, downgraded Plug Power from a "buy" position to "neutral," which made headlines in the business press. The Seaport researches projected lower earnings this year for Plug Power.
A New York-based company (Latham) was founded in 1999 and has yet to turn a profit. In its most recent earnings report, in September, it reported $890 million in revenue, a record for the preceding 12 months and a 38 percent year-over-year improvement. Over the same period, the company lost $283.5 million.
In January, Plug Power began fuel production at its new plant in Woodbine. Georgia. The plant is designed to produce 15 tons per day of liquid electrolytic hydrogen, which the company says can power 15,000 forklifts per day.
The two facilities coming online are expected to reduce Plug Power's cost of production and improve its move toward profitability.
The company's specialty is green hydrogen, which is hydrogen produced without fossil fuels powering the facilities, and then that hydrogen, when used as a fuel source, results in zero carbon emissions. (More info: Forbes Magazine video about green hydrogen featuring Plug Power)
Plug Power's long-term goals are enterprising -- to be the market leader in green hydrogen. It is building a "vertically integrated" business model, which means it can provide customers with hydrogen services in a variety of ways. For an idea of vertical integration, think of Apple. From Apple, you can get an iPhone, iPad, computer, or even earbuds that all work together seamlessly.
Plug Power aims to provide customers with fuel cells, electrolyzers (splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen), to liquid hydrogen fuel. They even provide companies like Walmart and Amazon with hydrogen-powered forklifts. Plug Power wants to provide distribution, delivery, and services and foresees a future for hydrogen that includes uses such as long-haul trucking.
Companies and consumers looking to hydrogen as a green-energy alternative to fossil fuels face many challenges, and Plug Power is attempting to provide solutions to those challenges. The nation currently provides little in the way of hydrogen production and infrastructure, according to industry analysts.
Plug Power's challenges include competition from other fuel sources, including natural gas, solar, and wind, as well as the steep price of building an entirely new vertically integrated infrastructure that can meet global demand.
"It's folks who really don't want hydrogen to be part of the solution, and I would contend they really don't understand," Marsh said. "I would like them to explain to me how you clean up long-haul trucking. I'd like them to explain how you do the last mile for 30 percent of the applications. I like them to explain how you do a fertilizer. I like them to explain how you do steel, which represents six or seven percent of the world's carbon footprint -- electricity solves none of that, and it's rather frustrating that if you're really thinking about how, from a system point of view, you clean up greenhouse gas. It's not really possible with their solutions."
He said solving climate change will take all of the green energy alternatives, even including nuclear power.
Plug Power's executives have set ambitious goals -- producing 2,000 tons of hydrogen daily by 2030. At that rate, the company hopes to generate $20 billion in annual revenue at that point with a profit margin of at least 30 percent.
According to Marsh, one ton of green hydrogen is the fuel equivalent of 2,000 gallons of gasoline.
The company selected WNY STAMP for the construction of a liquid hydrogen plant in February 2021. The plant will cost more than $290 million to complete.
Empire State Development is scheduled to pay up to $2 million in Excelsior Tax Credits in exchange for the creation of 68 jobs at the plant, or about $2,941 per job per year over 10 years. Plug Power is not eligible to receive the tax credits until the jobs are filled. The average starting salary is expected to be approximately $70,000 plus benefits.
As part of the project, Plug Power agreed to invest $55 million in a 450-megawatt electrical substation that will make electricity available to other WNY STAMP tenants.
The company received $118.2 million in sales and property tax exemptions from the Genesee County Economic Development Center. Over the 20-year life of the property tax extensions, Plug Power will make payments in lieu of taxes totaling $2.3 million annually, which will be shared by Genesee County, the Town of Alabama, and the Oakfield-Alabama School District. Each jurisdiction will also receive an increasing amount of property tax payments each year over the life of the agreement.
The STAMP plant, based on available descriptions of the other plants operated by Plug Power, would be the company's highest capacity plant.
If Plug Power were to go out of business, there's no information available on what might become of the hydrogen fuel facility. When Pepsi/Muller closed its plant in Batavia, followed by the failure of Alpina, both plants readily found new operators in HP Hood and Upstate Milk Cooperative, respectively; while there are other hydrogen companies and other energy companies, it's unknown if any would be interested in the Plug Power facility if it became available.
Notre Dame beat Elba 68-55 in Girls Basketball on Wednesday.
The game, played at Elba, also served as a fundraiser in memory of Jordyn Torrey Augello, with the memorial foundation named in her honor, co-hosting the game. A raffle, braids and Tinsel by Jagged Edges, and gift certificates sold helped raise money for the University of Rochester Genetics, Epigenetics & Metabolism Research Program.
Augello was an Elba Lady Lancer who later returned to Elba to coach youth basketball.
A 2009 graduate of Cornell who became a partner in Torrey Farms, Augello died at age 30 in 2018.
In Wednesday's game, Sofia Falleti scored 22 points for the Irish. Emma Sisson scored 16 points, Nina Bartz scored 14, and Gianna Falleti scored 12.
For Elba, Sydney Reilly scored 19 points. Lydia Ross scored 12. Mariah Ognibene and Brea Smith each scored 11.
While the pace of work at Ellicott Station has slowed to a crawl since August, when Sam Savarino announced he was closing his development company, there continues to be the occasional contractor on the site doing some work.
On Wednesday, there was a two-man crew putting more siding on the front of the apartment building under construction.
There has yet to be an announcement from local officials or Savarino about the future of the project. There is reportedly a search underway to find a new contractor to complete the project, which is potentially hampered by a very low-income requirement for renters from the Office of NYS Homes and Community Renewal, but officials have yet to reveal any progress on that front.
For previous coverage of Ellicott Station, click here.
Batavia PD is seeking the public's assistance in identifying a person of interest in relation to a theft investigation.
The police did not release details on the alleged crime -- its location or what may have been stolen. The police did not say whether the photo above directly corresponds to the incident under investigation.
Anybody with information that could help police identify the person in the photo are asked to contact Sgt. Christopher Lindsey at 585-345-6365.
The police department also accepts tips through an online form.
Melzie Case, a member of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra and president of the board of directors. Photo by Howard Owens.
Music has been a big part of Melzie Case's life since she was four years old when she first started piano lessons at Roxy's Music Store.
Along the way, she's had teachers and mentors to guide her, and one of the most important was Roxie Choate, the former president of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, herself a retired teacher, who died in October.
Case, who first served on the GSO board as a high school student, has stepped in to lead the GSO.
"Roxie was a passionate and unabashedly determined leader," Case said. "Under her guidance, I learned how to positively steer the GSO Board and how to be a leader in music ministry. We connected and bonded over music, from appreciating classical music to playing piano and organ duets together, and forged a seemingly unlikely friendship through our love for music in the community. Her influence continues to serve me well on a daily basis."
In addition to working together on the GSO board for a number of years, Choate and Case became well acquainted with one another musically at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church, where Coate was an organist, and Case played piano.
Coate had been a music teacher in Oakfield-Alabama. After graduating from Batavia High School, she earned a degree in music education from Buffalo State University. The 30-year-old Case is now a music teacher at Batavia Middle School.
Her musical journey has prepared her well for both roles. Starting with those piano lessons at Roxy's Music, she participated in musical theater as a child, was a member of the chorus in middle school and high school, and along the way, she became a percussionist to go along with singing, playing the piano, and organ. She first joined the GSO as a percussionist while still a teen, and then Choate asked her to be a student rep on the GSO board. Following a break for college, Case rejoined the orchestra and the board as she wrapped up her education in 2016.
"I like GSO because you meet so many people in the community, people from all ages and backgrounds. That is what really drew me in," Case said.
The orchestra, she said, is comprised of “local folks, people from surrounding counties, music teachers and people with jobs outside of music. It’s such a wonderful group of people. We have a wonderful time rehearsing together and putting on concerts together.”
Obviously, Case is passionate about music. She thinks music helps bring people together.
"Music has a unique way of connecting people like nothing else. Music is healing, exciting, joyful, engaging," Case said. "I see every day the impact that music has on people of all ages and how it is a creative outlet in so many ways. Music is a part of nearly every moment of my day, whether I’m singing, playing, teaching, or listening."
One reason GSO has thrived in recent years is the leadership of music director and conductor S. Shade Zajac, Case said.
“I enjoy working with Shade," Case said. "The whole board does. We appreciate that he comes to board meetings when he can or gets on a call with us and that he brainstorms with us about concerts. We really have a great time working with him. He has a great vision when it comes time to select repertoire. The music he picks pushes us all as musicians, and we feel grateful to have him at the helm.”
As president of the board, Case, of course, has a role in ensuring the GSO continues to build on its success, and she that can happen through collaboration with other arts groups in the community and making connections with young people who are interested in music.
Entertaining programs, such as the one Zajac has programmed for Saturday at GCC, will also help garner growing support for the orchestra.
"The program is a blend of emotions," Case said. "There are some familiar pieces and some new ones that people will enjoy."
One of the new pieces is a composition by Paul McCartney. Yes, the former Beatle writes more than pop songs. He has composed a number of classical pieces, including Spiral, which the GSO will perform at the concert.
"I'm a huge Beatles fan, so I'm excited to play one of Paul McCartney's lesser-known works," Case said.
The rest of the program is comprised of pieces by other English composers, as Vaughn-Williams and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
The anchor piece of the program is Elgar's “Enigma Variations.”
"It's one of my favorite pieces in the entire literature," Zajac told The Batavian at the start of the season. "It's a very special piece. I've conducted only one movement from it (previously). It's a remarkable piece of music. Every note and every bar sounds like English music, which is incredible because you can trace every note to some other composer. You can hear the influences of Beethoven and Bach and Wagner. But somehow, he makes it all sound like English music."
Choate is, as they say in show business, a tough act to follow, Case acknowledged. She led the board. She often handled concert publicity. She was also the personnel manager.
"Roxie did so much. We find things all the time we didn’t even know about," Case said. "As a board, we say all the time, 'Oh, Roxie did that, and she did this, and she did that.' She was a huge advocate for GSO and for music education.”
The GSO, with what it has achieved and how it can yet grow, will carry on because of a lot of people over the past eight decades, but Choate certainly contributed to GSO's success.
"I have so much pride in GSO," Case said. "We have a professional orchestra right here in Batavia. We can offer to our community that experience. You can go to Buffalo and Rochester and hear those orchestras, or you can stay right here in Batavia and hear a professional orchestra."
The GSO concert on Saturday at GCC begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors, and students with an ID can get in for free.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, at the site of the Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Monument in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens.
Take any object -- a house, office building, highway, bridge, car -- all will eventually fall apart if not properly maintained.
The same is true of war memorials, the monuments communities erect to honor their war dead and help tell the history of their hometowns.
Rep. Claudia Tenney has co-authored a bill she hopes will help communities preserve those sacred monuments so the legacies they are meant to honor live on well after we're all gone.
The Remembering Our Local Heroes Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Pappas from New Hampshire, allocates $2 million a year over five years that will act as matching funds for community groups to mount efforts to preserve war memorials as well as monuments honoring those who served in law enforcement and fire services.
If a community group, such as a veterans group or a Boy Scout troop, can raise $10,000, for example, the group can apply for a grant of up to $20,000, which would result in a total of $30,000 for the project. If $150,000 is needed for the project, the group would need to raise $50,000. The maximum federal grant under the bill, which is still pending in committee, would be $100,000 per project.
"We really would love to be able to do this," Tenney said. "There are so many areas where you go to, especially throughout my district, where you see these beautiful old monuments, including your Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Monument that you have here, the Upton Monument, that could definitely be upgraded and cleaned and maintained. A lot of these monuments really aren't being maintained, especially the monument for our heroes."
Tenney stopped in Batavia on Saturday to visit the Upton Monument and discuss her bill with The Batavian.
"This (bill) would allow the federal government to participate in helping maintain veterans memorials and remembering local heroes," Tenney said.
In order to unlock access to the federal grant, all of the money to preserve a monument would need to come from private donations. Local governments could not help fund the project.
The bill combines twin interests and passions for Tenney, recognizing the sacrifices of those who have served their nation and their communities, and history. During the interview, she talked a good deal about Upstate New York's rich history and its contributions to creating the nation during the Revolution, the abolitionists of New York who helped free the slaves, most notably with the Underground Railroad, but also leading figures Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman, and New York's efforts to preserve the union during the Civil War and its role in the War of 1812.
"I brought Burgess Owens (to New York), who is a Republican, former football player, a Black Republican, whose hero is Harriet Tubman, his whole life, and he never knew that Harriet Tubman had a house in Auburn," Tenney said. "So I brought him in, and we went everywhere. He was amazed. We did the full tour. We went to all the different sites. And he was like, 'Wow, I can't believe this.' You know, we have such a rich history."
The germ of the bill began when Tenney served in the New York State Legislature, and she learned that Vietnam Veterans often have a hard time unlocking support that's available to other veterans groups because of the lingering controversies of that war. During that time, she visited a group that wished to build a Vietnam memorial, but they couldn't access federal funds. When she was first elected to Congress, she introduced the first version of this bill designed to allow any community group that takes on the task of ensuring local heroes are appropriately honored to tap into a small pot of federal funds to assist the effort.
"We (New York) were critically important in all the wars, whether it's the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the War of 1812," Tenney said. "I think it's important that we know our history."
The Upton Monument was dedicated in August 1919 (see the 100th-anniversary documentary produced by The Batavian embedded below), with construction funded by donations and contributions from the city of Batavia and Genesee County. It was constructed by Wardon Monuments, a company that built monuments throughout the northeast, including Gettysburg, and had its headquarters on Evans Street in Batavia. Officially, it is the Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Monument, but it carries a bronze statue of Civil War hero Gen. Emory Upton, who was from Batavia.
At 105 years old, it shows some age -- discolored bronze and cracks in the stone, including a large chunk of granite missing from the base. There has been no known effort over the past several years -- and The Batavian has made inquiries -- among either private groups or the county government to take steps to ensure it is maintained and preserved.
That isn't unusual in her NY-24 district, Tenney indicated, because local governments are so cash-strapped these days.
On Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Tenney said she often goes for a ride on her motorcycle through the district and will stop at various memorials along her route.
"I'll drive around to the monuments and just kind of place a little flag or just kind of see what condition they're in," Tenney said. "I did that a couple of years ago, I didn't last year, but I did that, and it was just really interesting to see how many people actually do care about what's in their community. But there's no money, and all these local governments are strapped with unfunded mandates from the state and all these other issues, so we have this as something that is supplemental."
When we remember our history, Tenney noted, it binds us to our community and it teaches our children the value of their community.
"If you don't remember the people who really founded your community, the principles that it was founded upon and that people actually served, died, sacrificed, lost life and limb, I think that really sends a message," Tenney said. "We want to send a message to our young people that their community is worth something and that they should be proud of their community, of the people that founded it."
Phil Pies, Debbie Paine, and Tom Finn. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Furniture Man's official bobblehead has been a hit, helping Max Pies Furniture raise $2,500 so far for Crossroads House.
Phil Pies, whose head bounces on the bobblehead, presented a check on Monday to Tom Finn, the Crossroads House board of directors president, and Debbie Paine, house manager.
There are still bobbleheads available at Max Pies, which is located at 400 South Jackson St., Batavia.
The bobblehead is a project of Max Pies Office Manager Peggy Cancelmi, who worked with Tom Brown at AdStuff to come up with the fundraising idea.
