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A Byrne Dairy & Deli, including a freestanding fuel canopy and four fuel pumps, to be operated 24 hours a day, has been proposed to fill the property at 606-622 E. Main St. in Batavia.

Andrew (Ken) Mistler,  property owner of 606-622 and 624 E. Main St., has agreed in writing to a variance since the project is within 500 feet of a public place of assembly, Whole Life Fitness at 624 E. Main St. The project and variance are to be considered during a city Planning and Development meeting next week.

The meeting has been set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

Applicant Christian Brunelle of Sonbyrne Sales Inc. submitted renderings and the proposed project to city planners to remove existing structures, including the former Country Max store, and construct a 4,332-square-foot, one-story convenience store and gas station. 

Interested folks filled the meeting room at First Presbyterian Church in mid-November 2024 to hear ideas and issues about the potential need for a warming center in Genesee County. Attendees were encouraged to sign up and indicate their interest in taking part as active participants in the mission led by Oak Orchard Health and church staff.

At that initial meeting, there was “a heartening display of community spirit to gather input on establishing a warming center,” the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of First Presbyterian says. 

The meeting was to gauge interest, and about 50 people from several organizations and nonprofits attended, including Community Action of Orleans Genesee, Genesee County Mental Health, Department of Social Services and Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police, Genesee ACE, St. James Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, Community Services Board, and Crossroads House.

That first objective was a “resounding success,” Alkhouri said, as the gathering brought together concerned citizens and stakeholders. They, in turn, formed a dedicated steering committee that focused on five key areas to ensure a county warming center’s success, she said.

What is a warming center?
This center is to be set up as an evening and overnight safe space for people in need of shelter from the cold on days when the temperature falls below 32-degrees. Organizers also want to provide an opportunity for this space to be a place of connection with helpful resources.

The steering committee established five subcommittees, each tasked with a specific focus:

1. Funding: This subcommittee is responsible for identifying community donors, securing grants, and exploring other funding sources. They will also handle budgeting for the project.
2. Space: This team is working on identifying an appropriate space for the center, ensuring all regulatory and compliance requirements are met, and setting up the space.
3. Staffing: This subcommittee is creating a comprehensive staffing plan, including recruiting, hiring, and onboarding staff.
4. Community Resources: This group is identifying community partners, resources, supplies, and establishing Code Blue protocols.
5. Marketing: This team is focused on raising community awareness, communication, and education about the Warming Center.

“We are excited to begin this effort with the invaluable experience and planning resources of Oak Orchard Health,” Alkhouri said to The Batavian. “However, we are still looking for more community partners to join this initiative. If you are interested in joining any of these teams, please email me directly at roulaalkhouri@fpcbatavia.org or call me at the church office at 585-343-0505.

“Together, we can make a significant impact and provide a warm, safe space for those in need during the cold months,” she said. “Your support and involvement are crucial to the success of this project.”

City officials seemed pleased with the results of Thursday’s auction for the abandoned JC Penney’s site at 40 Batavia City Centre.

Such a mortgage foreclosure auction was a first for Batavia Development Corp. Executive Director Tammy Hathaway, she said, noting that it was “pretty interesting.”

“It went rather quickly. I took the public notice, and I did an email blast to all of the developers that we work with, but also the developers that we invite on our tours and to participate in the knowledge of what’s going on economically throughout Batavia,” she said at the second-floor waiting area of Genesee County Courts Facility. “There’s probably five or six individuals here today that have actually, I’ve personally walked through the building because it was listed with a real estate agent.”

Although the lobby was full of people — some there for court matters and others for the auction — only two active bidders stepped out from the group. Batavia business owner Matt Gray opened the action with a $2,000 bid, and the bank, represented by Ted Kwiatowski of Smart Serve, countered with $3,000. Gray then offered $25,000, and was upped by the bank to $26,000.

Gray and the bank went from $100,000 to $101,000, countered by new bidder Bill Baskin with $102,000. Gray then bid $125,000, countered by Baskin for $150,000. Gray offered $175,000, and after going one, two, three times, the auction was closed, with Gray getting the property — assessed at $400,000 — for a final bid of $175,000. 

Hathaway talked excitedly about what her dream scenario would be for the site while Gray, Kwiatowski and legal representative Michael Ranzenhofer went to take care of paperwork. 

Her vision is some type of live musical and entertainment venue with housing and apartments on the third and fourth floors, she said. As for who has purchased the property, she believes it is now in good hands.

“I mean, Matty is successful in his endeavors; he’s proven that. So I could not even find a complaint if I wanted to,” she said. “I took a phone call this morning from a developer that works in Syracuse that is very familiar with the area and had one who was looking at purchasing the Harvester campus, and he called this morning, and he’s like, I can’t be there at the auction but please, the second you know who purchases it, let us know. Because he’s like, I have a group of individuals, from developers to a whole variety of folks who are interested in having the conversation with whoever does purchase it. 

“So creating that network, that’s really what it’s about,” she said. “So here’s a plan, how do we put the plan in action?”

Gray said that he bought the property on behalf of longtime business partner Matthew Boyd and himself. At first blush, he said nothing has been discussed, though “there’s a lot of possibilities.”

“I think you guys already know what I like. I like a vibrant downtown. I like city living. I love residential above our commercial,” he said. “As far as that building goes, it's been a vacant hole in our downtown, and it needs to have something there. So it was just a way of moving the ball forward.”

He will be working with Hathaway and is excited about the acquisition, he said.

The property has been vacant since Penney’s closed in the fall of 2020 and was purchased by California developer Yong Guang Ye in February 2021 for $500,000. Ye defaulted on payments, owing more than $179,000, and the property was put up for mortgage foreclosure by the out-of-state lending bank.

In a series of seven steps, successful downtown business owner Matt Gray scooped up the former JC Penney’s department store in a fairly quick auction Thursday morning at the Genesee County Courts Facility.

Gray purchased the property for $175,000, bidding against the bank and Bill Baskin, who stepped in toward the end with a bid of $150,000.

The property has been vacant since Penney’s closed in the fall of 2020 and was purchased by a California developer in February 2021 for $500,000. He defaulted on payments, and the property was put up for mortgage foreclosure by the out-of-state lending bank.

Gray said he has no definite plans but said that he likes a vibrant downtown with a mix of commercial and housing options.

A site on the edge of Oatka Creek in Le Roy that has served as a hat factory, bank and law offices, a state senator’s home and most recently the painstakingly revamped Farmer’s Creekside Tavern and Inn will be shutting its doors for good, the owners announced Wednesday.

“After seven wonderful years, we've made the very difficult decision to permanently close the doors of Farmer's Creekside Tavern & Inn. It has been an incredible journey filled with gratitude for the privilege of serving the Le Roy community and surrounding areas,” an online post stated. “This decision was not made lightly and came after much review, thought, and consideration. However, due to challenges currently impacting the restaurant industry and small businesses, we feel it is the right decision.

“We are so grateful for the love and support vou've shared with us throughout this journey - from the initial restoration of the over 200-year-old beautiful building to the landmark it remains today.”

That restoration was a 10-year labor of love after fire destroyed much of the historic building in 2004 and Bill Farmer and his son purchased the property in 2007. The charming stone, multi-level restaurant, with outdoor patio and seasonal igloo dining along the water, opened in July 2017.

“Your trust and loyalty have been the foundation of everything we've built, and we'll forever appreciate the moments we've shared,” the post states. “As we close, we want to give a heartfelt thank you to every guest, supporter, and team member who made these seven years unforgettable. Thank you for being a part of this venture and for your unwavering support. 

“Though it's the closure of our much-loved restaurant and inn, the memories will be with us forever.”

Those of you that have gift cards are asked to please contact gm@farmerscreekside.com,  and for those of you that have dinner, hotel, or igloo reservations, someone will be reaching out to you directly.

During the first city meeting of the New Year, Manager Rachael Tabelski threw down a gauntlet of sorts about the impending budget before the usual departmental requests and line-by-line reviews by City Council.

“We’re looking to lower the rate by 50 cents,” she said at this week’s council meeting, clarifying that it’s 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value.

If council follows through with that recommendation, with no changes to property assessments, the tax rate would go from $8.96 to $8.46 per $1,000 assessed value, or $846 a year. That would be a $50 yearly decrease from the current tax rate at the same property valuation.  

There are five budget sessions lined up before council is to adopt a final version, and a public hearing will be scheduled for questions and comments from city residents. 

City leaders agreed to alter the meeting schedule so that when there are both council and budget meetings on the same dates, the council meeting will be at 5 p.m., followed by a budget session at 6 p.m.

The schedule is as follows:

• City Council meeting at 5 p.m., followed by budget revenue discussion at 6 p.m. Jan. 27
• Budget work session at 6 p.m. Feb. 4 to discuss fire, general government and administrative
• Budget work session at 6 p.m. Feb. 6 to discuss police and DPW
• City Council at 5 p.m., followed by budget work session at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 to discuss water and wastewater
• Budget work session at 6 p.m. Feb 13 if needed

Once again the question of residency — and of fairness — in the city of Batavia has come up as another employee has requested a waiver from the municipality’s code requiring that people in certain positions live in city bounds.

This issue has affected several police, fire, inspection, and administrative management positions over the years. 

Perhaps city leaders need to consider widening the circle of that residence boundary, City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. says.

“I mean, if the person shows up to work on time, why would we tell them where they have to live? If they’re responsible and they’ve got to drive an hour, that’s their life. That’s what they choose to do. People drive,” Jankowski said during this week’s council meeting while reviewing the latest request. “So we address it as any other employee. If they’re late for work and we gotta address it, that’s a different story. I have no problem with living wherever you want, within a reasonable distance. It’s something we should be considering, I think we are. So we need to move that forward and get it figured out.”

The dilemma this time is that city police officer Matthew Smith said that he is unable to relocate from his current home outside of the city because “given the very high interest rates and market price for housing at this time, it would be a financial burden on my wife and I to try and make a move.” His wife also received a promotion recently, which requires her to travel to other locations, and their current residence is more conducive to that, Smith said in a letter to Chief Shawn Heubusch.

Heubusch vouched for his officer’s work ethic and for being “very, very dedicated” to the job since being employed with the city police department in July of 2023. He has shown nothing but “an exemplary work history” and “is always available when called for extra details,” Heubusch said in his official request from City Manager Rachael Tabelski.

Batavia Municipal Code section 22-9 (1) requires residency for current police officers. The department has been working on a plan for how to deal with these situations, which Heubusch said have been more frequent issues as candidates have taken the civil service exam for vacancies. 

“As we discussed in November, the city's department has been working on a residency plan to better meet the city's hiring needs that will be presented to council in the future,” Tabelski said.

Jankowski suggested that maybe the city could offer incentives to prospective employees to move here “instead of demanding they do based on a residency requirement.”

“Keeping in mind we just have to be a little more flexible and understanding of this,” he said. 

Another whole issue, beyond the difficulty of uprooting one’s life and moving and the higher interest rates and housing costs, is that there are fewer homes available, officials said. Assistant City Manager Erik Fix said that he went online to Nothnagle Realty and found only 10 to 12 houses for sale in the city at the time. 

Tabelski was optimistic about projects in the works. 

“Hopefully, through all the initiatives we have in single-family housing at North Pointe Drive, we’ll be able to add some residents to the tax base and give those employees that want to be in the city a better option to be here.”

During a business meeting that followed, council approved the residency waiver for Smith.

As 2025 has run in the front door, it’s worth taking a look at where last year went and what’s happened throughout Genesee County in the world of business, people, construction projects and events during 2024 and that are continuing into this New Year.

The Spa at Artemis, a longtime beauty salon, abruptly closed its doors on Downtown Batavia’s Main Street. Still, not long after business owner Kate Willson of Meraki Beauty announced in April that she was going to transform the space as her own, and she opened The Beauty Lounge in July with a fun boutique in front and pampering spa services in the back half. She also accommodated customers that were holding gift certificates from the prior beauty salon by honoring them at a discount. 

Across the street, GLOW YMCA kept its doors open while an entirely new construction project went upward alongside it, creating a wall of windows along Main Street and a Healthy Living Center that merged Rochester Regional Health United Memorial Medical Center and YMCA programs into two floors of wellness. Healthy Living opened toward the end of December, and the YMCA opened for physical fitness and child care services on Jan. 2.

Over at Batavia City Centre, yet more construction has taken hold of the former mall, removing the concourse stage and old silo-type entrances and putting in more contemporary-looking entryways with more windows and light. Another new business opened at the Centre, Renee Marie Aesthetics and Wellness, and more are to follow with the purchase of properties by Tyler Crawford, with plans for an indoor golf facility, and  Guillermo Leon, with plans for Euphoria bar and lounge.

Buckets have been removed, except for portions of Main Street 56 Theater, which has been in the throes of negotiations with the city over back rent owed from 2021, when the theater fell behind due to pandemic shutdowns and the inability to open and draw any revenue. Batavia Players members Patrick Burk and Jo Coburn have said that the backstage green room has had issues with leaking water, and the Players hope the situation can be worked out as they are trying to work out a payment plan. 

As the New Year was about to begin, City Manager Rachael Tabelski issued a statement that the city is considering the Players a “holdover tenant,” and they plan to have further talks about the situation. 

Down on Jackson Street, a new Shush Wine Bar — the unofficial name for now — is to open in early 2025 at the former Gilliana’s Restaurant, across the street from where Save-A-Lot closed its doors, leaving a gap for a downtown grocery store and a sign with the words “Stay Tuned” in the glass doors as a tease that something may be coming in the future. A call to Victor Gautieri, property owner and landlord to the former grocery tenant, for comment did not get a response.

At the corner of Jackson and Main streets, the House of Bounce reopened after moving from the east side on Harvester Avenue, filling two floors of a void left by the Next Level Fitness when it closed in 2019 after 10 years.  

As for Harvester Avenue, it also lost Pub Coffee Hub, which closed after four years, and Xavmen Ramen and Linda Borinqueña, two short-lived takeouts inside of Crapshoot Kitchen Commissary, which has also closed. 

With goals to improve the east side business climate, revitalize a deteriorating Harvester Center in need of rehab and renovation and increase the city’s tax base, Tabelski recommended  — and City Council agreed to — a Restore NY grant application for up to $1 million. 

“The Harvester Campus project qualifies for Restore NY funding for an extensive demolition project,” Tabelski said in a memo to council. “The owners of the Harvester Campus are looking to strategically demolish six buildings at the campus and commit to redeveloping the remaining buildings into a multi-use campus similar to Larkinville in Buffalo.

Meanwhile, a couple of new businesses, including CleanHit Services and Synapse Artistry Tattoo, have moved into the Harvester Center.  

Continuing east, Tim Call sold his longtime Empire Tractor business in Stafford, but is remaining involved as an employee, which was welcome news for customers. James Pontillo faced some contention with the Stafford Town Board over an unresolved Odd Fellows Hall. 

Back in downtown Batavia, Derek Geib bought and opened up O’Lacy’s in a similar Irish pub fashion, Audrey’s Bakery opened inside of GO ART! on East Main Street, and projects have begun at the former Batavia Showtime Theater — to turn it into a vampy live performance venue — and at the nicknamed Carr’s Reborn site at Main and Jackson streets, turning the former grand department store into market-rate apartments. 

A $120 million planned expansion project that was to create 48 new jobs and boost the economy was quashed in March after each the town and city of Batavia had a scuffle over their wastewater agreement and the city’s contention that the town repeatedly violated its contracted wastewater capacity limit. 

By September, both municipalities drafted a new wastewater agreement, and it was believed that HP Hood would be able to proceed with its project; however, a Hood official set the record straight by stating that the project was not going to happen in Batavia due to the delay, and it would be moving that particular project elsewhere. 

Oxbo International, one of Genesee County's most successful industrial manufacturers founded in Byron 50 years ago, announced a plan for a new 195,000-square-foot facility in Bergen. The new factory was to replace the existing plant at 7275 Byron Road, Byron.

The new location is part of the GCEDC-created industrial park, Apple Tree Acres, which already includes Liberty Pumps, Craft Cannery), All Season Party Tent Rentals, GE Renewable Energy, Insurance Auto Auctions, and Leonard Bus Sales.

Mark Sen. Chuck Schumer’s words, he promised in August 2024 that a year from then, there would be “hundreds" of local workers employed at the Edwards Vacuum factory that was celebrated at the time. 

“What makes us so happy about this project is J-O-B-S," said Sen. Charles Schumer at the groundbreaking for Edwards Vacuum in the town of Alabama. "Jobs, right here. In just over a year, hundreds of local workers will be employed at this factory behind me, where they will build some of the most sophisticated, cutting-edge equipment for the semiconductor industry, not just in New York and not just in America, but in the world. This will be one of the world-class plants right here in Genesee County."

The clock has begun ticking.

As for the promises of Plug Power, that project has apparently been stalled locally.

Heatmap, a news organization that tracks alternative energy companies, reported last year that the STAMP site is not included in Plug Power's loan application with the Department of Energy. 

Plug Power has preliminary approval for a $1.6 billion loan from the DOE to help it build more fuel plants. The company is aiming to become the nation's first vertically integrated green hydrogen producer, providing customers with fuel, products, and support.

Chris Suozzi, VP for business and workforce development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center, reportedly told a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate firm that Plug Power's STAMP project is on hold.

Asked to authenticate the quote, Suozzi said, "No comment."

According to Heatmap, Suozzi spoke to PRP Real Estate Management. The firm recorded the phone call.

“They’re not ready to go," Suozzi reportedly said. "They’re on pause. We don’t know what’s going to happen with them at this point.”

On the outskirts of the county, eastward toward Bergen, there’s been growth at Appletree with grants awarded and winning a Grow NY competition, enabling Craft Cannery to expand.

The proposed $1.465 million project enables Craft Cannery to expand operations at Apple Tree Acres by adding 4,000 sq. ft. to its existing 5,000 sq. foot facility. The USDA-certified contract manufacturer provides dozens of customers with the capacity to ramp up the production of sauces, dressings, marinades, and other foods, produce small-batch foods, and pilot unique recipes for commercialization.

The expansion was said to create four new full-time jobs and retain six full-time positions. Craft Cannery also won a $500,000 grant at the 2022 Grow-NY Global Food and Agribusiness Competition that supports the expansion that was announced in April.

And westward in Pembroke, all sorts of developments-in-progress have broken out, including at the Thruway travel plaza, the Nexgistics distribution warehouse and an apartment complex. 

Who were the most-notables of 2024?

Claiming the most honorable, by far, goes to the late Tom Sanfratello, a hero who died tragically in the call of duty on March 10 at Batavia Downs. Named Officer of the Year by his own Genesee County Sheriff’s Office,  Sanfratello has most rightfully been talked about, memorialized and remembered as a great officer, friend, family member and an all-around good person.

Next up, perhaps more controversial, is Byron Brown, the new chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. at Batavia Downs. 

No wallflower, Brown has been ever-present at meetings and events, announcements and in related news articles since the beginning of his term in October.

The city of Batavia lost a walking encyclopedia of facts when City Historian Larry Barnes died on June 21, 2024. 

The position wasn’t just a job to Barnes, especially since he wasn’t even paid for most of his time there. He had a genuine passion for research and knowledge about all things Batavia.

The gauntlet was passed from longtime Sheriff William Sheron to Joseph Graff after Sheron announced he was retiring from the post at the end of 2024, and Graff was elected.

Well-known Batavia Pastor Marty Macdonald made the news after he was accused of sexual abuse by his family’s former babysitter, Melissa Hobson, for several years as a young girl. He denied the allegations through an attorney representing him and City Church. He had stepped down as senior pastor two years before the resurfaced allegations but hasn't been involved in church life since August.

Events of Note

Although it didn’t shut down in 2024, we would be remiss not to mention the ongoing saga of a sad and stalled Ellicott Station apartment complex sitting lifeless on Ellicott Street as city and county officials remain tight-lipped, offering little to no more comments about the situation. 

Having progressed to the point of management notifying people that they were chosen to live there as tenants to ceasing all construction and pulling the rug out from under prospective apartment dwellers, the property now sits idle and vulnerable to the wintry elements.

The vacant JC Penney building at Batavia City Centre was announced that it will be going up for auction on Jan. 16 after its California owner defaulted on mortgage payments to the bank; city officials unveiled plans to sell the Brisbane Mansion, which currently houses the city police department and a section of the parking lot between the Penney site and Bank Street. Another plan is in the works to market Creek Side near the Tonawanda, but details with FEMA and the flood map need to be worked out first, city officials have said.

There was a groundbreaking for the new downtown city police station, to be built by the end of 2025, and the new Genesee County Jail — a $70 million venture for taxpayers — was celebrated with tours and a ribbon-cutting behind County Building #2 in 2024. 

Considered to be the city’s largest structure fire in recent years, the blaze at Baskin Livstock was reported early on a Saturday morning on Nov. 9, and city firefighters continued to hit hot spots days afterward, Batavia City Fire Chief Josh Graham had said. 

The call came in at 7:47 a.m. at 20 Howard St., Batavia, and Batavia patrol officers arrived on scene first and confirmed smoke and flames, which led to an immediate second alarm. When the first fire crew arrived he said, they realized the fire was going to require more resources so a third alarm was called.

It took hours to fight the fire, which as of 2 p.m. that Saturday, wasn't completely extinguished as firefighters worked to extinguish various hot spots. During a City Council meeting the following Monday, firefighters were still checking at the scene to catch any stubborn hot spots that remained.

No piece of lumber was going unturned at 46 Swan St., Batavia, the former Backhoe Joe's, as fire investigators attempted to determine how a conflagration enveloped the vacant building that Friday afternoon and brought it to the ground.

Both Chief Josh Graham, City Fire, and Capt. Robert Fix, had said at the time that they had no clue how the fire started or why it spread so quickly. The building was a total loss as the property owner had no insurance on it.

An initial caller at about 12:10 p.m. Jan. 12, 2024 reported smoke coming from one of the windows.  A few minutes later, Fix was leaving the County Courthouse, where Engine 17 had been dispatched earlier for a medical call, and he saw a tower of smoke to the east and immediately called for a second alarm.

Batavia Players' annual Harvie Awards gala culminated in two ties, Maia Zerillo stealing the show with Best Performance, downtown's Business Improvement District getting a nod for Community Partner, and several others earning rightful recognition for their roles in productions throughout the 2024 Main St. 56 Theater season.

And the Batavia Players – Main St. 56 Theater 2024 Harvie Awards went to:

2024 Best Male Lead Performance in a Play

Anthony Haitz – King John

2024 Best Female Lead Performance in a Play

Sophie Houseman - Pygmalion

2024 Best Male Supporting Performance in a Play

Steven Coburn - Pygmalion

2024 Best Female Supporting Performance in a Play

Dorothy Gerhart – Whirligig of Time

2024 Best Male Featured Performance in a Play

Elijah Van Epps - Pygmalion

2024 Best Female Featured Performance in a Play

Sophie Houseman – Whirligig of Time

2024 Best Male Lead Performance in a Musical: a tie

Anthony Haitz – White Christmas

Elijah Van Epps – Evita

2024 Best Female Lead Performance in a Musical

Kristin Gelia – Evita

2024 Best Male Supporting Performance in a Musical: a tie

Robert Balbick – White Christmas

Skylar Dence - Evita

2024 Best Female Supporting Performance in a Musical

Teressa Hirsch – White Christmas

2024 Best Male Featured Performance in a Musical

Bill Moon – White Christmas

2024 Best Female Featured Performance in a Musical

Rory Van Epps - Evita

2024 Best Male Performance in a Cabaret 

Deacon Smith – Four the Record

2024 Best Female Featured Performance in a Cabaret

Jocelyn Coburn – Four the Record

2024 Best Group Performance in a Cabaret

This Man – Just One More Time

2024 Best Solo Performance in a Cabaret

Ian Cannioto – Wickedly Musical

2024 Best Youth Performance in a Cabaret

Lilah Mordell – Wickedly Musical

2024 Best Youth Performance in a Musical or Play

Maia Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie

2024 Best Child Performance in a Musical or Play

Elle Williams – White Christmas

2024 Best Solo Performance in a Musical

Kristin Gelia – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina

2024 Best Group Performance in a Musical

And the Money Kept Rolling in - Evita

2024 Performance of the Year

Maia Zerillo - Bye Bye Birdie

2024 Director of the Year

James Chamberlain

2024 Community Partner of the Year

Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District

• Batavia City School District has cancelled all after school activities for Monday, January 13. If parents have children at the YMCA program at Jackson or John Kennedy, please pick them up by 4 p.m.
• Alexander Central - No evening activities & sports canceled
• Rehearsal for the Genesee Chorale’s spring season will be postponed until 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at St. James Episcopal Church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia.

After Martha Horton lost her sister, who struggled with using pills and alcohol, to suicide in 1997, a pastor asked Horton to lead a recovery group, an experience that taught her another lesson about addiction.

Her sister Sharon had never been in any trouble, so when she ended up dead by her own hand while in county jail in Albany, a shocked Horton wanted to be helpful.

“I thought I was doing it for her,” Horton said. “I learned I was a codependent, which is also an enabler. I made a lot of progress, thanks to the Celebrate Recovery program.”

She mentored more than 60 women then and has gone on to make addiction recovery a focus of her ministry at EverPresent Church in Batavia. Horton and fellow minister Maury McCoy will be leading the Recovery Alive program, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the church, 4 Batavia City Centre. 

Based on the author, Christian counselor, and psychologist John Eklund’s book, Recovery Alive has become an international program that grew especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, Horton said. 

“It has twice the impact in half the time,” she said. “These things are all weaknesses that take us from our best life that God intended for us, and so this program works with us to find those weaknesses. Some people don’t even know the root of the problem, but we really get down to the root of the problem.”

It’s a program built upon the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, with use of scriptures and a handbook for participants to actively work through each step by answering thought-provoking questions and digging deeper to discover what may be underneath one’s hurts, habits and addictions. Or, as a brief promotional video describes it, hang-ups.

A weekly session of about 90 minutes each is to include a review of that week’s step, a guest speaker, and then breaking out into smaller groups to work on the handbook. While there certainly will be talking and sharing, part of the goal is to also help participants find out those buried root causes or issues and deal with them, Pastor Jason Norton said. 

“That’s powerful because a lot of people, a lot of these addictions are the results of an inner turmoil of some sort, an abuse, or a molestation, something, trauma,” Norton said. “This is more equipping people with tools to work the recovery.” 

Contrary to what some may believe, addiction is not just about drugs and alcohol, he and Horton said, and this program will address anything, from shopping, past abuse, and pornography to poor self-esteem, grief, depression, food, and any other issue that one needs help with. 

Chapters include The Power of  — Weakness, Humility, Surrender, Honesty, Confession, the Cross, Forgiveness, Ownership, Grace, One Day at a Time, The Altar, and of Service.

Full disclosure: the leaders can be available for ministerial and pastoral counseling and don’t have drug and alcohol counseling degrees, Norton said, “but all, most of us, have come from that background, probably half to three-quarters of our church are people that are in recovery.”

The handbook is described as a “practical, powerful and proven resource combining the raw honesty of the 12 steps with what Horton said is about finding your higher power, and she wants folks to come and check it out before deciding whether it’s for you or not.

“Just show up. A lot of people get to the point of just being so overwhelmed that they feel like, I can't, I just can't. I can't do it anymore. I can't stop doing what I'm doing, whatever it is,” she said. “But we get to what some people call the bottom of the barrel, and when we look at other people, we think they're at the bottom of the barrel, but it's an individual basis. We have to recognize when we're at that point, and then real recovery can begin.”

No one is obligated to attend every single session, she said; however, more progress will come with more participation. The program will last four to five months or longer, depending on the group's needs, and the cost is $20 for materials. Financial assistance may be available for those who can’t afford it. 

Three keys to Recovery Alive are power, as in your higher power; people — finding a safe community — and the process of working through the 12 steps, Horton said. Whatever is shared during the sessions and who attends must be kept confidential. “Boundaries” are discussed at each meeting to remind participants about the importance of privacy and respecting each other’s personal information, she said.

“There’s always a leader in charge,” she said. “And after a while, we talk about the five commitments: I commit to courageous honesty, to trusting and keeping the trust of the people in my group, to opening my heart to the healing, transforming power of God, to working the process, answering questions, and attending faithfully, to diligently seeking and ultimately attaining a sponsor and accountability partners.”

For a peek at the promotional video, go HERE.

Ray Detor doesn’t yet know the full scope and price of a future project at his Le Roy Airport, but he does know he would like to be considered for a grant that’s been offered for public and private airports throughout New York State.

The engineer studies are in progress for work that includes making the airport more energy efficient, updated with renovations to restrooms and office space and shored up with new doors on a Quonset hut, Detor said.

“Gov. Hochul was offering airports the ability to apply for a grant, and we are in the process of applying for one. The cost is undetermined at this point, but it's to further to continue and maintain the airport in the state-of-the-art fashion that it already is, with upgrades along the way that we have needed in a long time,” he said Wednesday to The Batavian. “Our applications basically don't go in until the 22nd of January, so everything is still being put together and determined to be what is the best approach for a number of different options." 

Earlier Wednesday, his project was briefly presented to the Genesee County Ways & Means Committee for legislators to endorse the Le Roy Aviation Services, Inc. grant application. 

Detor's not certain about how many applicants he will be competing against, and being a private airport doesn’t provide any discrepancy in the required paperwork, guidelines and regulations that he must abide by than others such as John F. Kennedy International Airport, he said. 

Le Roy Airport is privately owned but is available for public use, so “you have to sign grant assurances and do the same thing that JFK does, that Syracuse does, that Buffalo does, all the airports have to sign the same kind of paperwork,” he said.

"As for the award, we may not know for a year. It just depends on how quickly everything works," he said. "As long as we’re coming in with something appropriate for an airport, everything is considered and judged on various merits.”

The grant is being offered through the state Department of Transportation. Eligible project activities include safety projects, preservation projects, new construction, sustainability and other projects that enhance business development and economic competitiveness, according to the state's website. 

Projects will be selected through a competitive solicitation process and rated based on established criteria. These include economic benefits for surrounding communities and businesses, adherence to regional economic development plans, safety improvements, improved operational efficiency, and energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

More specifically, the Le Roy work includes LED lighting, solar panels — either on top of a building with a sunny southern exposure or in a field removed from the runway —  and adding one or more electric car charging stations, depending on the budget. 

“If we can supplement any of our energy costs that make the airport more efficient, that’s a win for everybody,” Detor said. “An existing hangar with office space and restroom facilities  will be updated and made ADA compliant.”’

That work will be in approximately 1,000 of the building’s 8,000 square feet, he said. The Quonset, a 1960s half moon-shaped structure, is still “in really good shape,” though the doors could use a refresh, and will be replaced with a weather-resistant aluminum or other strong material, he said. These buildings are often spotted on farms and were used post-World War II to keep troops safe, allowing rain and snow to just slide right off the arching roof. They are amazing structures, he said.

Needless to say, that Quonset isn’t going anywhere for some time to come.

Actually, the airport receives plenty of attention on a regular basis, Detor said, with an upgrade two years ago with a new $700,000 hangar, asphalt crack fill and sealing, and fuel pump upgrades planned for 2025. 

Le Roy Airport has been around since 1945, he estimated, and as owner for 30 years who began to fly at age 14, he hasn’t just invested financially but emotionally as well. Why?

“It’s freedom. When you get up in the sky, you’re dealing with the third dimension. See on the ground, we can go left, right, straight. But when you jump up in the air, for example, just to jump as a person jumping up, you're now defying gravity," he said. "And when you fly, well, you're taking that third dimension all the way. You're going away, to where you're going up to, whether it's 2,000 or 5,000 or 8,000 feet, and you're going to the destination no different, really, than you would if you were in a car or a boat. You just happen to be in a plane, and a plane going through the air.

“It's nothing more than going through water because that's what, basically, what the air is. It's nothing more than water. But what it is about the sky is it’s just beautiful," he said. "Looking down at the ground, seeing the snow-covered fields this time of year, or the farmers out doing the planting at different times and harvesting, you get flying all over, it looks like somebody made quilts all over the place, different colors.”

This project may align with the World Aerobatic Competition coming to Batavia in 2026, and that’s a nice coincidence, not planned, he said. Event competitors will be using Le Roy Airport as one of four practice sites before the 10-day event in late August.

Part of a practice site will mean setting up an air box, which involves the Federal Aviation Administration and will be regulated boundaries set up with measured zones that each competitor plane must stay within during his or her routines, and other air traffic will be alerted that it exists once set up.

“So the notices are published out there. And once they’re published, then they have to be adhered to. And if somebody does not adhere to it, well, of course, they can get in trouble,” he said. 

He looks forward to the airport upgrades and upcoming event at his busy facility. Visitors fly in from anywhere such as Maine to California, he said.

Legislators in the committee agreed to endorse the application. A resolution will go on to the county Legislature for a final vote to endorse the grant application for state funds under the NYS Aviation Capital Grant program for an Airport Energy Efficiency Improvement Project. 

Under State Transportation Law, the state Department of Transportation requires that privately owned airports submit an endorsing resolution from the governing body of the county where the airport is located. There is no budget impact for Genesee County.

Genesee County will have spent upwards of a million dollars on competency-related services for questionable individuals sent to court, Mental Health Services Director Lynda Battaglia says.

Battaglia requested $166,000 during Monday’s Human Services meeting for an additional 730 competency invoices, explaining to county legislators that “I will be coming back to ask for additional funding, but this is what we’re going to pay so far.”

“We’re waiting for some invoices to come in from (the Office of Mental Health) and (Office for People With Developmental Disabilities). When those invoices come in, we will have spent about $775,000 in 2024 on these services,” she said as some legislators seemed sticker-shocked. “So this is 100% county cost. The individual is not competent to stand trial. Therefore, they’re designated to a psychiatric facility in order for competency to be restored because that’s their due process, right?”

A person who is charged with anything from petit larceny up to more serious felony crimes such as assault and who may be incompetent and therefore unable to stand trial is afforded due process, she explained. Defendants have a right to understand the charges being brought against them and to be able to aid in their own defense for the legal process to proceed.

“So if our psychologists deem them incompetent, then they’re designated to a bed, and they have to get restored to competency, depending on the length of that time and the changes, they will come back once they’re restored and go have their trial and their hearing,” she said. 

Legislator John Deleo asked if all of these people were from Genesee County or from other counties, and others asked how many actually go through this process. Each county is going through a similar situation and expense, Battaglia said, and these people belong to Genesee.

“For 2024, we probably have had about eight to 10 individuals. Sometimes we run the risk that it’s the same individual a couple of times throughout the year,” Battaglia said. “Those are individuals who pay their time, go back out into the community, get rearrested, and don’t link with services. So it’s not a huge number of individuals; it’s the cost that is the significant number. It’s about $1,300 or $1,400 per day per person. The average length of stay in a (mental restoration) facility is about 90 days. But this is on NYSAC’s (the NYS Association of Counties) radar, and this is on the conference’s radar, and they’re always trying to push legislation to make changes.”

Legislative Chair Shelley Stein asked her to explain the full process of how someone enters the system and is not only diverted for a mental health evaluation once but that it can be a repetitive cycle.

For example, a person is arrested, goes before a judge, and is released on his own recognizance but has to return. If the attorney or anybody determines that the person is experiencing symptoms of mental illness and doesn’t understand the process, the judge can be asked to order a 730 competency evaluation.

“It’s the judge's decision. The judges will usually order that evaluation, and the judge is ordering me to find two psychologists to evaluate an individual. So through the clinic, we schedule this individual, let's say, for two competency evaluations by two different psychologists, and then they will make the determination as to whether or not they're competent to stand trial or not,” Battaglia said. 

A report is returned to the judge when a defendant is found incompetent. The judge decides whether he or she agrees with the evaluation. Therefore, it is not a decision of the Mental Health Department; it is a criminal justice system decision, she said.

If the judge agrees with the report that the person is not competent, then he will be designated to a facility for restoration services and may go back to the jail and wait for a bed to be designated, she said. When a bed is designated, her office is notified, and the jail transports the person. During that time in the facility, a treatment team does “whatever they need to do in order to try to restore competency.”

“Oftentimes, that might be medication over objection, that might be going through some mock trials to see if they understand the charges. Once restoration is restored, they go back,” she said. “Sometimes their charges may be dropped if they're lower misdemeanor charges because of the lot of time that they've spent in the jail and facility, they might just say, Okay, your time's kind of been served. If they're felony charges, they're going to come back to the jail and stand trial."

Others could be ordered to serve a few months in jail, and once released, they're back in the community and may commit another crime. That could mean another 730 proceeding is ordered. 

"When you think about an individual who has developmental disabilities, if somebody has a cognitive developmental disability, the restoration for that is, I hate to say it, but it's nothing," she said. "We can't restore that cognitive functioning. So they come back in the community, try to wrap services around them, work with service providers. But ultimately, that person has autonomy, and they can decide whether or not they want those services. They might not want them, and therefore the cycle continues.”

Those who are restored go on to face a trial, and some may end up going to state prison, returning to the community, and/or obtaining additional legal services. It’s “very, very individualized,” she said, depending on the crime.

The Human Services Committee agreed to pass along the resolution for approval to transfer an amount of $166,000 to cover the expense of competency restorations for individuals found unable to assist in their defense at a court hearing in the year 2024. 

Two workers for Casella Waste Systems, Inc. were struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning on Ellicott Avenue in the city of Batavia and taken to Strong Memorial Hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries, Batavia Police said in a press release.

At approximately 7:16 a.m., the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center received a call for a report of a car vs. pedestrian accident in the area of 40 Ellicott Ave. Patrols arrived within minutes to find a passenger vehicle had struck a garbage truck and two workers that were outside of the truck at the time.

The individuals that were struck are identified as Scott Shea, 33, and Michael Cowham, 39, both employees of Casella. Officers, an off-duty City of Batavia fireman and bystanders provided aid to the injured until Mercy EMS and City of Batavia Fire Department arrived, the release stated.

Mercy EMS transported both Casella employees to the Rochester hospital, and the driver of the passenger vehicle, identified as Kimberly Przybysz, 38, of Batavia, was taken to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia as a precautionary measure.

Initial investigation shows that the Casella employees were stationary outside of the garbage truck, which was parked alongside the westside of Ellicott Avenue, for a normal pick-up. The operator of the passenger vehicle was northbound on Ellicott Avenue, crossed the street and drove into the side of the garbage truck, striking the truck and both employees. 

Initial investigation reveals the driver of the passenger vehicle may have suffered a medical event, and therefore momentarily lost control of the vehicle. The operator of the passenger vehicle was issued a traffic ticket for failure to keep right, the release stated.

Anyone with information regarding the accident is asked to contact Officer Wesley Rissinger at 585-345-6350. 

Considering that Eleanor Davis was celebrating her 38,690th day of life on Monday, she was taking it rather casually.

When asked how it felt to turn 106, she dryly responded, "The same as 105, just a different day,” during her birthday party at Premier Genesee in Batavia. “I had nothing to do with it.”

Actually, according to a family member and therapist, that may not be quite true. The Long Island native who grew up and lived in the same house for 75 years, eventually moving to Manor House in Batavia when she was 100, had a daily regimen that seemed to work for her.

“A couple of cocktails, dry martinis,” daughter Patricia Davis of Albion said. “Her sister is 15 years younger and is in worse shape than she’s in.”

Teressa Monroe, who has asked Eleanor her secret for longevity while working with her as speech therapist, said there has been a definite answer.

“Chocolate, vodka, and thinking young,” Monroe said, giving the sweet stuff its due. “My grandma ate a pound a week, so I buy into the chocolate.”

Fellow Premier residents gathered together for a round of “Happy Birthday” and a piece of cake to help Eleanor celebrate her big day. There are “quite a few in the upper 90s,” and staff just threw a party for another resident who turned 104 a couple of weeks ago, Hawley said. 

As for her steadfastness, Eleanor has not subscribed to the traditional physical recommendations of regular walking, her daughter said, and she does miss the salt water of her homeland so she wasn’t as much a landlubber.

Eleanor does have hearing and vision issues, but, as Activity Director Julie Hawley put it, “she’s still full of it.” Eleanor was honored as Resident of the Month at Premier when she was all of 105, which meant being recognized in the monthly newsletter. 

She provided tidbits of information, including her favorite foods of tiramisu and chocolate ice cream; her favorite animal of a cat; the best day of her life was getting married; giving advice to the next generation to “go with the flow;” and three words to describe her: easygoing, smart and compassionate. 

When asked at the party about her secret for long life, she spiced up her usual answer.

“A Bloody Mary every night,” she said. 

Matt Hlushak is not afraid of career diversity, and has always tried to use what he learned in both his personal and professional experience, he says. 

A native of Pennsylvania, he worked for many years as a cook, some in retail, and eventually made his way to Batavia, where he has lived for about six and a half years, working for most of that as a document specialist. Then came the time to leave.

“I quit my job to do this because of my family’s needs. My daughter is involved in dance; she has four dance classes a week, and my son has special needs. So this was a business I thought I could set up to probably sustain a family, using the skills that I have already and based on the needs that I do have. It absolutely gives me more flexibility,” he said of his new business at The Harvester Center. “This business was more about my experience as a customer, by buying the smoking accessories and buying toys and playing with the toys after I've used the accessories. And I was just thinking, since the cannabis industry is a relatively new thing here in New York, how can I get involved in it without having money for licensures, and I’m not predisposed to a criminal record to get ahead of the list or anything? So this is how I figured I could be part of it.”

CleanHit Services will open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. It’s Unit 103 on the first floor and can be accessed from the outside. Hlushak plans to give away samples of Stacey’s Pies for opening day.

As it may sound, CleanHit cleans cannabis accessories of tar residues left behind from using glass and metal paraphernalia and also cleans jewelry. Hlushak was surprised to learn that many people would just toss out their stuff and buy new ones instead of cleaning or having them cleaned, he said. He brings his personal experience to the table, as well as his prior work in a hospital using ultrasonic equipment for a central sterilization unit, he said.  

He took that resume bullet item and put it to good use with his own equipment and mission statement to help others save some money, reuse their goods instead of throwing them out and buying new, and preserve what might be sentimental from having been a gift. He doesn’t sell any actual cannabis, CBD or THC products. 

“It’s just a cleaning service with a relaxing place to wait while we clean your stuff, a place to shop if you’d like to look around,” he said. “A lot of smoking accessories are made out of glass. They're not all glass, they actually make them out of silicone and stuff. And I can clean those as well. But there's a lot of other small parts that are glass or metal. And with the ultrasonic cleaning and then doing it by hand as well, I can really get into some spaces and clean it up so that you can get a clean hit the next time around.”

He opted for the east side’s Harvester complex for various reasons.

“As far as setting up for somebody who’s brand new to setting up a business, I think it’s fantastic. The business incubator thing, I think, is a great idea for repurposing this old factory instead of tearing it down or doing some other unthinkable thing with it. I think it’s a fantastic use of the property, and I think it’s great that it allowed an opportunity for me personally that I appreciate,” he said. “And it was really simple to get in; it’s low rent and a smooth, easygoing process. All of these furnishings I got locally. I’m trying to find local craftspeople and artisans … I’m still looking for people. If they have crafts, I’d give them a shelf, they can consign, or I can buy at a discount and sell them.”

He has a table and two chairs set up for a game of checkers or chess, and a ring and hook game available to customers, along with a small couch and upholstered chairs, what he calls “a little light display,” which was showing a space backdrop and will switch scenes so as not to get stale, he said. 

Toys include “fidgety, sensory type of things,” such as bendable spacemen, aliens, astronauts, a wooden puzzle or a block to unravel into a snake, and then one can turn it into different shapes. There are also squishy items and slimes and more traditional paraphernalia, though he’s not in this to compete with anyone, he said.

“I’m not trying to compete with any of the head shops in town or Adam Miller with their toys. The toys I’m selling are things they don’t generally have for sale,” he said. “I’m not trying to undercut anybody or say, shop with me instead. But I have a couple of things that were harder for me to find that I really liked and I think other people would like to use. So once I got my tax ID and I was able to buy in bulk, then I had access to the things that I can’t always find myself.”

Explain your process for cleaning these items.

“There’s some hand cleaning involved and there’s ultrasonic cleaning machines that I have. So you would put it in water, and you can treat it with an ultrasonic cleanser, and it could get sort of like the tiny bits of dirt and debris that you get in your rings and takes away the luster from your gems and your bracelets,” he said. “That ultrasonic machine with a bit of cleanser can loosen that up, free it up, and make it look practically like new. And I also have polishing cloths, so I can dry and polish them just like you would if you went back to your jewelry store where you got your original pieces. 

“The paraphernalia is more of a hand cleaning, but sometimes they get neglected, and the tar just gets built up, and the ultrasonic portion of that will help free it up and really renew your glass pieces and your metal pieces,” he said. “I would always clean mine because I didn’t always want to spend anywhere from $5 to $40 every time I needed a new one, so I would clean it out myself, and I realized that I really did a pretty decent job. And then I thought that this is a really dirty job that a lot of people probably don’t want to do, so I can offer, I will gladly do it.”

He offers walk-in service, and wait time is about 15 to 20 minutes, he said, depending on how much a customer brings in to clean.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

For more information, call 585-813-6202.

As predicted later last year by city officials and a property realtor, the former JC Penney’s site will be put on the auction block later this month for default of money owed by California owner Yong Guang Ye.

The site that served as anchor to Genesee Country Mall-turned Batavia City Centre for decades closed its doors in fall of 2020, and was purchased for $500,000 by Ye in February 2021. It will go up for sale — via public auction — at 10 a.m. Jan. 16  in the second floor waiting area of the Genesee County Courts Facility, 1 W. Main St., Batavia.

Batavia Development Corporation Executive Director Tammy Hathaway has fingers crossed that this time an owner will take hold of the possibilities and future for the building.

“I’m hopeful that someone viable will bid on it, but my optimism is slightly plagued, as I don’t know how well broadcasted the auction public notice was,” Hathaway said Thursday. “So I’ve been sharing it personally with business owners and developers that I’ve had conversations with about the building.”

During a tour of updates at City Centre with The Batavian in early December, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said she thought the property owner was about one year behind in paying his taxes, and the lender was planning to put the 38,524-square-foot site up for mortgage foreclosure auction. A judgment of foreclosure was filed on property owner Yong Guang Ye on Nov. 8 for the amount of $179,141.46 plus interest and costs. 

City officials, including Tabelski and Hathaway, also had an open house with renderings of ideas for the Penney’s site and adjacent parking lot, and the south Creek Side Park area along the Tonawanda.Both sides of the city focused largely on housing concepts. 

According to online records, the Penney’s property is assessed at $400,000. The property is sold subject to the terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Premises are identified as Tax Account No. 84.049-1-9.

There was a large turnout for the annual First Night fireworks in the village of Le Roy Tuesday night to bid farewell to 2024 and ring in a New Year. Happy 2025!

Photos by Nick Serrata.

City Manager Rachael J. Tabelski issued a statement Tuesday afternoon about the situation between the city and Batavia Players in which the nonprofit owes back rent for Main St. 56 Theater and has been awaiting word as its lease comes up for renewal Wednesday.

"Currently, the City of Batavia considers the Batavia Players as a holdover tenant in the space that they rent at City Centre.  The Theater has provided myself and the City Attorney an executive plan and proposed budget forecast for the next five years," Tabelski said in an emailed statement. "The City recognizes the Batavia Players as a valuable asset to the community. However, they must prove their ability to remain viable and pay debts while continuing to operate.  We look forward to meeting with members of the Players' executive committee in the New Year. 

As the saying goes, the show — or, in this case, the awards gala — must go on no matter what. 

And no matter if there hasn’t been a definitive answer to Batavia Players’ third attempt to fulfill the city’s request for a five-year financial plan to pay rent and pay back rent owed, the group is preparing for its Harvie Awards gala later next month, Patrick Burk says.

"I have not heard from the city. I think the last letter that we got from the city was an explanation of what they were required to make a decision, and that was on December 19. We have sent them a number of pages of information, including our budget,” Burk said Monday. “You know, we have been working on making sure that we are attempting a plan to pay that COVID rent back; even though many people are questioning why we have to pay rent when we weren't allowed to go into the facility, we still just want to get on with what we do best, which is entertaining people and providing theater. And we're doing that very successfully. 

“It's important for people to understand that we've been paying all of our bills. We owe nobody, every single month we've paid every single bill,” he said. “We've made arrangements for things to be paid on a timely basis, and we're doing our best with everything, including sell-out shows, and more audience members and bigger box office numbers than we've ever seen before.”

The five-year plan was requested as part of a resolution to the Players owing back rent for its new theater, which was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theater folks have said it was difficult to raise revenue during a time when they weren’t even allowed in the building to put on a show and charge admission. 

Meanwhile, city officials and the theater’s landlord have said there are still operating and maintenance expenses and that unpaid bills end up costing taxpayers. City Council President Eugene Jankowski has said that no one is against the theater but that the tab does have to be paid, and he’s hoping a solution can be found. 

During council’s Dec. 10 conference meeting, two representatives of Batavia Players spoke about the attributes of their organization and asked that city leaders give them some time and understanding to pay back the money. City Manager Rachael Tabelski said the owed amount was approximately $27,000. 

“We are awaiting an executive summary and five-year financial projections of the Players' plan moving forward,” she had said.

The lease expires on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

Burk is taking the contract to its word that the lease is “automatically renewed” on the first of the year, he said. Since he hasn’t heard from the city otherwise, plans are already being made for three events in January, including the 2025 Pure Imagination Harvie Awards Gala. 

“We’re just going through that it's automatically renewed. I don't know what else we can do. Again, I only want to provide good entertainment shows. We've got a lot of things planned for the coming year; we're going to be announcing a new season relatively soon. We're working on securing that, like, right after the first of the year so that we can make a definitive announcement at the gala,” he said. “We've already started with programs in January that are not season-related. We have three weekends, the 11th, the 18th and the 25th, where things are going on at the theater. Two of them are from outside groups, and our gala is going to be wonderful.”

Set for 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia City Centre, this annual event recognizes and honors exceptional talents of actors showcased in Batavia Players productions from throughout the past year. Awards are given in several categories for male and female lead and supporting performances, venues of plays, cabarets, musicals, and from child to adult actors.  

Tickets are $30 and available at Batavia Players. 

2025 Harvie Award nominations are:

Best Male Lead Performance in a Play

• James Barcomb - Whirligig in Time
• Richard Ferris – Pygmalion
• Anthony Haitz – King John
• Stephen Van Valkenburg – Love Lines

Best Female Lead Performance in a Play

• Samantha Balbi – Love Lines
• Dorothy Gerhart – King John
• Sarah Hill – Whirligig in Time
• Sophie Houseman – Pygmalion

Best Male Supporting Performance in a Play

• Seth Coburn – Whirligig in Time
• Steve Coburn – Pygmalion
• Richard Ferris – King John
• Kerrick Woyshner – King John

Best Female Supporting Performance in a Play

• Dorothy Gerhart – Pygmalion
• Dorothy Gerhart – Whirligig in Time
• Abigail Noonan – Love Lines
• Amanda Melissa Taylor – Love Lines

Best Male Featured Performance in a Play

• Samuel Bowman – King John
• Patrick Burk – Love Lines
• Jack Patrick Crandall – King John
• Deacon Smith – Murder in the Speakeasy
• Elijah Van Epps – Pygmalion

Best Female Featured Performance in a Play

• Sophie Crandall – Love Lines
• Spencer Efing – Pygmalion
• Heather Ferris – King John
• Sophie Houseman – Whirligig in Time
• Mollie Wadhams – Pygmalion

Best Male Lead Performance in a Musical

• Anthony Haitz – White Christmas
• Sam Sevor – White Christmas
• Deacon Smith – Bye Bye Birdie
• Elijah Van Epps – Evita

Best Female Lead Performance in a Musical

• Samantha Balbi – Bye Bye Birdie
• Kristin Gelia – Evita
• Kristin Gelia – White Christmas
• Sophie Houseman – White Christmas

Best Male Supporting Performance in a Musical

• Robert Balbick – White Christmas
• Skylar Dence – Evita
• Cameron Liedmann – Bye Bye Birdie
• Deacon Smith – White Christmas

Best Female Supporting Performance in a Musical

• Cass Dzielski – Bye Bye Birdie
• Teressa Hirsch – White Christmas
• Rose Mosher – Bye Bye Birdie
• Maia Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie

Best Male Featured Performance in a Musical

• Seth Coburn – Bye Bye Birdie
• Bill Moon – White Christmas
• Deacon Smith – Evita
• Kerrick Woyshner – Evita
• William Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie

Best Female Featured Performance in a Musical

• Jessica Brandt – White Christmas
• Mia Pellegrino – White Christmas
• Rory Van Epps – Evita
• Mollie Wadhams – White Christmas

Best Male Performance in a Cabaret

• James Barcomb – Just One More Time & Something New
• Patrick Burk – Just One More Time & Something New
• Deacon Smith – Four the Record
• Kerrick Woyshner – Wickedly Musical

Best Female Performance in a Cabaret

• Jocelyn Coburn – Four the Record
• Kristin Gelia – Just One More Time & Something New
• Sophie Houseman – Just One More Time & Something New
• Amelia Schuster – Wickedly Musical
• Tess Uline – Wickedly Musical

Best Group Performance in a Cabaret

• At the Ballet – Four the Record
• Murder Murder – Wickedly Musical
• Side by Side – Just One More Time & Something New
• Standing On the Corner – Just One More Time & Something New
• This Man – Just One More Time & Something New

Best Solo Performance in a Cabaret

• Ian Cannioto – Confrontation – Wickedly Musical
• Kristin Gelia – What Only Love Can See – Just One More Time & Something New
• Sophie Houseman – When It All Falls Down – Just One More Time & Something New
• Lilah Mordell – Circus – Wickedly Musical
• Kerrick Woyshner – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – Wickedly Musical

Best Youth Performance in a Cabaret

• Lilah Mordell – Just One More Time & Something New
• Lilah Mordell – Wickedly Musical
• Elle Williams – Christmas Party
• William Zerillo – Just One More Time & Something New

Best Youth Performance in a Musical or Play

• Sophie Crandall – King John
• Ephraim Hanna – King John
• Lily Kaspryzyk – King John
• Maia Zerillo – Bye Bye Birdie

Best Child Performance in a Musical or Play

• Annalie Crandall – Little Mermaid Jr.
• Adelynn Gephart – Little Mermaid Jr.
• Adam Jursted – Bye Bye Birdie
• Sylar Kuenzi – Little Mermaid Jr.
• Elle Williams – White Christmas

Best Solo Performance in a Musical

• Kristin Gelia – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina – Evita
• Kristin Gelia – Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me – White Christmas
• Rory Van Epps – Another Suitcase Another Hall – Evita
• Elle Williams – Let Me Sing/I’m Happy – White Christmas
• Maia Zerillo – How Lovely To Be A Woman – Bye Bye Birdie

Best Group Performance in a Musical

• And the Money Kept Rolling In - Evita
• Baby Talk to Me – Bye Bye Birdie
• Human Stuff – Little Mermaid Jr.
• I Love A Piano – White Christmas
• White Christmas – White Christmas