Stories from

The Byron-Bergen Bees, behind a balanced attack, turned back Oakfield-Alabama, 65-48, on Wednesday night in a Genesee Region boys’ basketball contest at O-A.

Six players got into the scoring column in the opening half as the visitors jumped out to a 32-15 advantage.

In the second half, Braedyn Chambry scored 14 of his game-high 20 points to keep B-B comfortably on top.

Brandon Pimm and Colin Martin tallied 11 apiece and Brody Baubie added 10 and Craig DiQuattro six for the winners. For the Hornets, Brendan Wescott and Avery Watterson scored 17 and 13, respectively.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

Elba defeated host Notre Dame, 49-44, in Genesee Region girls’ basketball action Wednesday night.

Sofia Falleti recorded a double-double for the Irish, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Nina Bartz added 12 for ND.

ND Coach Vinny Falleti:

“Our team played hard tonight and made runs to come back but couldn’t put together a complete game against a physical Elba team. The game was back and forth with a lot of intensity. We will see each other again late in the season.”

Statistics from Elba have yet to be submitted.

For more high school sports competition from last night, click on the Sports tab at the top of the home page.

Photos by Debra Reilly

Photos by Steve Ognibene

In a game that was closer than the final score indicated, host Batavia High fell to Vertus Charter, 59-39, in Section V boys' varsity basketball Monday night.

The Blue Devils held a 37-35 lead after three quarters, but a couple of charge/blocking foul calls that went the visitors' way set the stage for a 24-2 final period for the Warriors, now 3-2.

Talhah Ali scored seven of his game-high 20 points in the final frame, while Reggie Pough had eight of his 14 and Dah'mere Brown six of his 14 in the closing eight minutes.

For Batavia, 2-2, junior guard Carter Mullen tallied 11 points.

Visiting Byron-Bergen/Elba defeated Caledonia-Mumford, 36-17, on Monday night in Section V varsity wrestling action.

Highlights of the match, which featured several close bouts:

116 pounds -- James Lamb (B-B/E) def. Jakob Bishop, 1-0.
124 pounds -- Parker Moore (B-B/E) def. David Scott, 8-5.
145 pounds -- Solomon Smith (B-B/E) def. James Patanella, 13-10.
152 pounds -- Roman Smith (B-B/E) def. Austin Pittman, 7-4.
170 pounds -- JC Starowitz (B-B/E) def. Garret Thompson, 5-3.
285 pounds -- Lukas Volkmar (B-B/E) def. Drake Kritzberger, 9-5.

Travis Shallenberger (138), Malachi Smith (195) and Bradley Tatar (215) registered pins for B-B/Elba.

For Cal-Mum, Jackson Peet notched its only win, 20-5 over Zack Brookhart at 160 pounds.

Photos by Doug McFarland.

Calling it “a good market that just needs some work,” Robbie Nichols is ready to perform his baseball magic in Niagara Falls.

Nichols, owner of Can-USA Sports along with his wife, Nellie, (photo above) confirmed today that his organization has purchased the Niagara Falls Americans’ franchise of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League and has signed on to manage Sal Maglie Stadium, the team’s home ballpark.

Can-USA Sports also owns the Elmira Pioneers and the Batavia Muckdogs, both members of the PGCBL. Nichols, General Manager Marc Witt and their staff have been credited for rejuvenating baseball in Batavia.

“Niagara Falls, I believe, is a good market that just needs some work,” Nichols said. “The gentleman that owned the team last year wasn’t returning and I think our league needs a team there.”

Last year, the team was called the Niagara Power and competed in the PGCBL’s West Division along with Batavia, Elmira, Jamestown, Auburn, Newark and Geneva.

Nichols said Niagara Falls’ leaders have committed more than $2 million for repairs of Sal Maglie Stadium.

“They put in a new turf field. It will be a very good-looking ballpark,” he noted, adding that Michael Gabriele, a former Niagara University baseball player, will be the club’s manager. He said the team already is signing players for the 2024 season.

City and state politicians reportedly are enthusiastic about the team’s prospects with Can-USA Sports on board.

“We are really excited to introduce them to the city of Niagara Falls and the Sal Maglie Stadium,” Mayor Rob Restaino told WIVB-TV.

State Sen. Rob Ortt echoed his sentiments, telling the television station that the Nichols team “chose Niagara Falls because of the stadium, because of the history, because they believe in Niagara Falls.”

“And hopefully that will inspire and tell a lot of other people here that we too should believe in Niagara Falls.”

Nichols announced that Niagara County Community College and D’Youville University baseball teams will play their home games at Sal Maglie Stadium next year. He said he plans to book many other events there, just as he does with Dwyer Stadium in Batavia.

When asked if he was stretching himself too thin – having to juggle the activities of three franchises, Nichols said he will continue to be “stationed” in Batavia once the season starts but will rotate among the three.

“I’ll probably be at 65 baseball games, working, so it will be a busy summer,” he said. “Nellie and I are excited about the new opportunity. It’s a market that needs work, but we’re not afraid of a little work.”

Nichols admitted he’s taking a financial risk as the Niagara Falls team did not attract many fans last year,

“Definitely, it’s a risk because it’s no Batavia. They weren’t drawing the crowds that we were drawing last year,” he said. “Everything’s a risk, but our staff – and how hard we work – I’m confident that we can turn Niagara Falls around.”

File photo: Robbie and Nellie Nichols by Jim Burns.

Chris Bailey of Batavia rolled a flurry of strikes in Genesee Region USBC league action this week, posting a 785 series in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

The 42-year-old right-hander recorded games of 239, 279 and 267 on lanes 1-2 for his personal best series ever. He had 11 strikes in the second game and nine more in the third game to raise his average to 210.

Left-hander Nick Johnson popped a 269 game en route to a 740 series on lanes 3-4, raising his average to 224.

Other high scores for the week:

-- Geoff Harloff of Batavia rolled 745 and 758 on consecutive nights in the Toyota of Batavia 4-Man and the County Line Stone Friday Trios leagues at Mancuso's. Batavian Scott Shields led the way on Friday with a 767 series, while Haley Luce of Oakfield posted a 235 game and 649 series in that league.

-- At Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, Kevin Gray Sr. spun 278--740 and Kevin Gray Jr. had 277--717 in the Thursday Owls League.

GRUSBC YOUTH DOUBLES WINNERS

Teams from Perry Bowling Center and StrikeForce Lanes in Oakfield placed first in the Genesee Region USBC Youth Doubles Tournament on Dec. 9-10 at StrikeForce Lanes.

In Division A (250 combined average and above), Mason Herman and Hunter Clark of Perry led the list of 11 teams with a 1,414 total with handicap. The boys each will earn $100 scholarships and a trophy.

In Division B (249 and under), Jameson Liles and Lukas Leddick of Oakfield led the way with 1,264 with handicap. They, too, will earn $100 scholarships and trophies. Eight teams competed in that division.

The top-ranking official of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. says many factors will be taken into consideration in the coming weeks to determine the future of the public benefit company’s OTB branches.

Meanwhile, the representative of the employees’ union is reiterating her insistence that the workers at those eight locations are included in the process.

With only two of the branches projected to show a profit for 2024, management and the board of directors will be taking a deep dive into that segment of WROTB’s organization soon after the first of the year, President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said on Friday.

“It’s definitely a concern, and it’s something that the board has asked us to address,” he said. “We will address it with our employees, we will look at it and we will make decisions that are in the best interests of the company as to what the mix might be between branches and EZ Bet locations.”

As she did after a WROTB board meeting in August, Antonella Rotilio, labor relations rep for United Public Service Employees Union Local 1222, contends that no decisions should be made without the input of the branch employees.

"Right now, we're in the dark,” she said, also on Friday. “There have been no conversations about saving the branches. We know that Henry’s goal is to close the branches. All we’re looking for is some transparency and to be part of the conversation before they take action and go to the board to approve what they’ve done.”

Rotilio (photo at left) said she believes that management nor the board respects the union.

“We have employees who have been with the corporation for 30 years and they should not be reading anything in print about possibly losing their jobs. It should be a discussion at the very least with the union,” she said.

When asked about respect for the employees, Wojtaszek replied that he has “great respect for our employees; they do a great job. We've tried to reward them for the great year that they've had (with a 4 ½ percent raise for 2024). We love the way they treat our customers. We love our employees.”

When asked about respect for the union, he said, “We love our employees.”

Over the years, WROTB, headquartered at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road, has whittled down the number of branches to the current eight while increasing its EZ Bet location presence to 28. EZ Bets are employee-less sites at existing businesses where customers can wager on horse racing.

Rotilio said the branches employ about 40 people, many who have been on the job for quite some time, in Auburn, Jamestown, Rochester, Monroe County (two), Erie County (two), Niagara County and at Batavia Downs Gaming.

The corporation’s operating plan for next year lists only the Clinton branch in Erie County and the Lyell branch in Rochester as profitable. All told, the projected net loss for the branches is close to $300,000. The total handle for all the branches is projected to exceed $22 million.

Rotilio said the branches provide a vital service to the customers and host communities and believes that more effort should be put into promoting them.

“They (management) don’t come to us and say, ‘Hey, this branch has been underperforming for this amount of time or this many years, we need to work on a plan. It’s just they show up one day and say, ‘We're closing the branch.’ So, it's coming out of nowhere,” she said.

In October, the board voted in favor of the sale of OTB branches in Phoenix, Oswego County, and West Ridge Road, Monroe County.

Branch employees’ lives are in limbo, fearing that their jobs could be terminated at a moment’s notice, Rotilio added.

“I have said to board members that before you vote on a decision based on (financial) numbers that you’re seeing, you need to meet with us, talk to the members (union employees) because it affects the communities as well,” she said. “We hear from the customers, telling us that this has been part of their lives for a long time.”

Wojtaszek said the plan is to communicate with the employees and share their concerns with the board.

“In the end, the board will do what is best for the company,” he said, emphasizing that no one in the corporation has brought up eliminating all of the branches.

He noted that he would like to see legislation at the state level that would allow sports betting to take place at OTB branches.

“We've always talked about that. If sports betting was allowed in these OTB branches, that certainly will make a difference,” he said. “Part of the problem is they made it available so that some of these sports betting companies can take horse bets but not the reverse. FanDuel now has horse race betting on their website, but we can’t offer sports betting.”

A raise for all Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. employees, a plan to expand The Hotel at Batavia Downs and an application to add more terminals to the gaming floor.

Those items and the passage of about 65 resolutions that had been in the hopper for up to three months gave WROTB directors plenty of activity at this morning’s board meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

Directors voted in favor of a resolution granting all employees of the public benefit company a 4 ½ percent raise, effective Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2024.

“The organization is only as good as the people who support the organization,” said Temporary Chair Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester). “… It a step in the right direction for us as a board.”

The pay increase extends to all employees, union and non-union, including senior management, who were given a three-year contract last spring.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said the (United Professional & Service Employees) Union signed a contract “that gives those workers the same raise as the entire corporation.”

“In the old days, they had a separate clause in there where they would have a raise depending upon what they negotiated that year,” he said. “But the latest contract that they signed, they get the same as every other employee at WROTB.”

The resolutions stated that Batavia Downs Gaming’s net win (money left in the gaming machines after payouts to customers) rose by $7.2 million from 2022 to 2023 and attendance increased by more than 58,000 during that same period. Additionally, food and beverage, and hotel room sales increased by 14 percent.

Update: Antonella Rotilio, UPSEU labor relations representative, said that the union is "very pleased that the board acknowledges the success of the corporation because of the members and the employees. Those are big steps."

HOTEL FEASIBILITY STUDY APPROVED

The board passed two resolutions pertaining to The Hotel at Batavia Downs – one to extend its contract with Hart Hotel Inc. to manage the 84-room facility for three more years at a cost not to exceed $9,000 per month and the other to authorize spending up to $100,000 for a feasibility study to determine if expansion is warranted.

Wojtaszek said that Dave Hart, owner of Hart Hotel Inc., will “take the lead on looking for an architect to do the drawing and for a company to study how an expansion would affect our business.”

He said the board will not make a decision until the feasibility study is complete and submitted for review. He said adding 40 rooms has been talked about but “nothing is definite at this point.”

MORE GAMES ON THE FLOOR?

Vice President/Operations Sean Schiano has applied to the New York State Gaming Commission for the right to add 18 more Video Lottery Terminals to the gaming floor.

Wojtaszek said the addition of 18 games would max out the floor, increasing the total number to 928.

“After that (approval) we probably will not have much more room to expand on the current floor, so we’d have to take a different approach,” he said. “But those 18 will fit on our current makeup.”

In other action, the board voted to approve the 2024 Operating Plan that was submitted by Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach and her staff. 

Previously: Member municipality distributions to approach $10 million in 2024: WROTB chief financial officer

The makeup of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. board of directors is changing once again.

As a result of a New York State law prohibiting political party officials from obtaining a license from the state Gaming Commission to serve on the WROTB board, Jennifer Hibit, who was appointed to represent Erie County in June, has resigned.

Hibit is the secretary of the Erie County Democratic Committee.

WROTB President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek today confirmed that Hibit is no longer on the 17-member board and has been replaced by Deputy County Comptroller Timothy Callan.

Callan was not at this morning’s directors’ meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming because he has yet to receive his license from the Gaming Commission.

Following the meeting, Wojtaszek told The Batavian that the law covers two areas – someone who is a party officer and someone who is a public officer that potentially could have a conflict of interest.

“The law defines a party officer as someone with a national, state or county political committee, and that applies to Hibit as well as Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney (City of Buffalo representative),” he said.

Wojtaszek noted that Rodriguez-Dabney, who is the vice chair of the Erie County Democratic Committee, has not indicated whether she will be resigning yet.

Continuing, he said the when looking at the public officer portion of the law, it defines someone that could be ineligible as an elected or appointed official “who has a conflict due to dealing with the pari-mutuel betting process or taxation thereof.”

When exploring that section of the law, there are five current WROTB directors that fall into that category:

-- Terrance Baxter, Moravia (Cayuga County) town supervisor;
-- Edward Morgan, Orleans County legislator;
-- Paul Bartow, Schuyler County planning commission and historical society board member;
-- Michael Horton, Savona (Steuben County) Village Court judge;
-- Susan Way, member of the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors.

Wojtaszek said those five were required to sign a form indicating there was no conflict of interest, action that was confirmed by Morgan during a break in today’s meeting.

“They can stay on the board as long as they certify that there is no conflict and that the prohibition does not apply to them,” Wojtaszek added.

With Hibit not there because of her resignation and Rodriguez-Dabney also absent, the board needed the presence of Monroe County director James A. Wilmot to be in attendance – and he was -- to have a quorum. Erie County has 24 votes and Buffalo has 10 out of the 100 votes in the weighted voting system; Monroe County has 20 votes.

Hibit’s replacement, Callan, works for County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick, who has publicly spoken out against WROTB’s policies and practices.

In a report from a Buffalo-based publication, Hibit said she had disclosed her role with the Democratic Committee when she applied for the position, and a Gaming Commission official stated that it was an oversight until recently.

In a related matter, the board is scheduled to vote on a new permanent chairperson at its January meeting. Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) has been serving as the temporary chair.

Calling it “the most fun and entertaining series we’ve ever had,” Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. President Henry Wojtaszek (photo above) this morning unveiled a nine-week, 14-performer Rockin’ the Downs 2024 Summer Concert Series.

The Friday night series begins on June 21 with Smash Mouth, the California-based rock band that made a big splash in the 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as “Walkin' on the Sun,” “All-Star,” “Then the Morning Comes,” and a cover of The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.”

It concludes on Aug. 16 with a trio of acts featuring former members of the legendary Boston (Tommy DeCarlo), Chicago (Jason Scheff) and Dennis DeYoung of Styx (August Zadra).

In between, there will be six “tribute” bands showcasing the music of Heart, The Guess Who, The Doors, Jimmy Buffett, Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty, along with April Wine, country star Clay Walker, The Bacon Brothers (featuring Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon) and 38 Special.

Batavia Downs' press release indicated that the Bacon Brothers -- Kevin and Michael, an Emmy Award-winning composer), have spent the better part of three decades creating their own mix of folk, rock, soul, and country music, a diverse sound they call "forosoco."  The Landsharks Band (tribute to Jimmy Buffett) will open the show.

“When I say the most fun and entertaining, it’s because of the ‘sing-along’ nature of the music,” Wojtaszek said following a brief press conference at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road. “The audience is going to know most of the songs and surely will have a great time.”

The concert series lineup is as follows:

-- June 21, Smash Mouth.
-- June 28, Barracuda (Heart tribute).
-- July 5, April Wine and Carl Dixon (The Guess Who tribute).
-- July 12, Clay Walker.
-- July 19, Peace Frog (The Doors tribute).
-- July 26, The Bacon Brothers, Landsharks Band (Jimmy Buffett tribute).
-- Aug. 2, Rumours (Fleetwood Mac tribute), Practically Petty (Tom Petty tribute).
-- Aug. 9, 38 Special.
-- Aug. 16, Tommy DeCarlo (music of Boston), Jason Scheff (music of Chicago), August Zadra (music of Styx).

Tickets at four price points (General Admission, VIP, Premium and Front Row) can be purchased after 10 a.m. Tuesday by going to www.bataviaconcerts.com.

Tickets are $15 for General Admission, $30 for VIP, $60 for Premium and $75 for front row seats.  All tickets can be redeemed at Player’s Club at any time in the three days following the concert for $10 Free Play.

A season pass for general admission will be $100 (a savings of $20), and season passes for VIP tickets are $200 (a savings of $40). A Premium Season Pass is $400 (a savings of $80). Season passes may only be purchased online.

Until New Year’s Day, tickets purchased online or at the Lucky Treasures Gift shop for the General Admission section will be only $10.  Concertgoers will still receive $10 in Free Play on show day with this ticket.

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Two bowlers found perfection in league action at Genesee County bowling centers this week.

At Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, Shayne Herold of Batavia finished with a 300 game for a 718 series in the Mancuso Real Estate League on Monday night. It is the fourth United States Bowling Congress-certified perfect game for the 33-year-old right-hander.

At Le Roy Legion Lanes, Rob Panepento of Le Roy started with a 300 game en route to a 706 series in the American Legion Thursday Men's League. It is the second USBC-certified perfect game for the 48-year-old righty, his first coming in 2009 at Legion Lanes.

In other action, Adam Philp of Batavia rolled a 290 middle game in a 757 series in the County Line Stone Friday Trios League at Mancuso's; Jim Foss of Medina posted a 300 game in the Buffalo senior league at Airport Lanes and Shannon Parker of Medina registered a 774 series in the Thursday Firefighters League at Medina Lanes.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

A senior associate with a Rochester-based engineering firm on Tuesday night updated the Batavia Town Planning Board on a proposed solar project on Oak Orchard Road, outlining four changes from the site plan that originally was submitted nearly a year ago.

Marc Kenward of Erdman Anthony LLC, representing New Leaf Energy of Lowell, Mass., said revisions have been made in four areas – type of solar panels, potential glare, the entrance to the array and location of National Grid’s inner-connection service line.

The plan is to place a 5-megawatt solar farm on 20 acres at 7757 Oak Orchard Rd., property owned by Batavia businessman and farmer Tim Call. As initially presented, the solar installation will go on an 85.5-acre parcel just south of Daws Corners on Route 98.

The large tract already contains a 15-acre solar farm, which will share its existing entrance with the New Leaf Energy project, Kenward told the board during the meeting at the Batavia Town Hall of West Main Street Road.

Kenward, working off a large drawing of the area in question, said that “the company that owns the array out back – we’re still waiting on that signed agreement to use this existing entrance, which we were rather forced to do because the DOT (state Department of Transportation) only allows one entrance to a parcel like this.”

Earlier, he informed the board that the New Leaf Energy project is switching from “fixed” solar panels to what he called “trackers” that move “and follow the sun the whole day.” The trackers will be placed in a north-south direction, unlike the fixed panels that were lined up in an east-west direction.

He said a glare study was conducted about three months ago and has been deemed “satisfactory” and that the National Grid inner-connection was moved south by about 80 to 100 fee to become perpendicular with Route 98. A turnaround for National Grid trucks to maneuver also has been added.

Following his 11-minute update, the board unanimously voted to approve the revised site plan. Work on the property is several months away, Kenward noted, added that construction plans need to be drawn up.

For the second straight year, the Karl Marth Cup came down to the final match and for the second straight year, the BBA North team came out on top.

In competition on Saturday at Medina Lanes, the North squad, comprised mostly of bowlers from the Medina and Oakfield area, defeated the South team of mostly Batavia-area bowlers by a score of 62.5-60.5.

Points were awarded for winning scores in Doubles, Singles, Baker Doubles and Baker Team events. The North team now holds a 17-12 advantage in the series, which began in 1994 as a Batavia versus Albion match in the former Batavia Bowling Association.

This year, the North withstood a spirited rally by the South, surviving by taking one of three closing Baker team events. The North came out hot, winning all six Doubles matches.

The teams split the points in Singles and Baker Doubles, and the South won two of the three Baker Team events but just fell short.

Last year, the North won, 62-61, at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Individually, Alex Allis of Medina earned the Scott Wright Memorial Award by winning three of his four matches for the North. The South’s Paul Bacon received the Joe Trigilio Memorial Award, also taking three of his four matches.

Scott Gibson and Jake Rosenbeck each averaged 229 for the day to lead the North while Scott Culp’s 225 and Mike Johnson’s 223 paced the South.

Chase Cone of Bergen experienced the thrill of a United States Bowling Congress-certified 300 game this week when he strung 12 consecutive strikes in the opening game of the Tuesday Night Coed League at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

The 37-year-old right-hander registered a perfect game a couple years ago, but it was in a non-certified league at Mancuso's.

By rolling a 300 game in a certified league, he can claim his ring from the USBC.

Using a Brunswick Infinity bowling ball, Cone put all 12 shots in the 1-3 pocket, finishing on lane 13. He added games of 236 and 208 for a 744 series.

Employed as a damage prevention tech at Bermex Inc. in Rochester, Cone's previous high certified game was 279.

In other Genesee Region USBC league action:

-- Robbie Hanks stayed hot in the Thursday Men's Triples at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, posting 264-276-216--756 to lead the way.

-- Rich Wagner of Batavia topped the list of scores in the Toyota of Batavia 4-Man at Mancuso's with 263-245-244--752.

-- Matt Bourg of Alexander recorded his first 700 series, starting with 265 in a 707 effort in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples at Mancuso's.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

The annual Karl Marth Cup challenge match takes place this afternoon at Medina Lanes with the BBA South team hoping to avenge a narrow defeat last year and close the gap in the all-time series against the BBA North squad.

Dedicated to Karl Marth, a Batavia Bowling Association Hall of Famer who died in 2003, the event also keeps alive the memory of the former BBA, which listed bowling centers in Genesee and Orleans counties.

Competition takes place in Doubles, Singles, Baker Doubles and Baker Team. In Baker-style bowling, bowlers alternate frames.

In 2022, the North edged the South, 62-61, and now leads the series, 16-12.

Today’s match is scheduled for 1 p.m. and is open to the public.

Members of the North team are Hayden Allis (captain), Alex Allis, Scott Allis, Roger Allis, Scott Gibson, Garrett Gibson, Jim Foss, Brian Cline, Jason Mahnke, Jake Rosenbeck, Dean Cadieux Jr. and Ray Neuman.

Members of the South team are Ed Doody (captain), Fred Gravanda, Matt Balduf, Dave Montemarano Jr., Scott Shields, James Townsend, Geoff Harloff, Steve O’Dell, Mike Johnson, Paul Bacon, Rick Underhill and Scott Culp.

Rob Gustke of Rochester gave himself an early birthday present on Saturday by winning the Genesee Region USBC Senior Masters Tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

The high-revving right-hander, who turned 53 on Monday, was making his first appearance in the event for GRUSBC bowlers 50 years of age and older. He is a member of the Pizzaland Doubles League at Le Roy Legion Lanes.

Photo: From left, Brian Weber, Rob Gustke, Rob Manners.

Gustke defeated Rob Manners, also of Rochester, 194-181, in the title match, to claim the $300 first prize. He also earned a free entry into the GRUSBC Scratch Memorial Tournament in January and a championship plaque.

Manners won $200 for placing second while Brian Weber of Perry pocketed $150 for finishing in third place. Manners turned back Weber, 267-224, in the opening match of the three-bowler stepladder finals to move on to face the top-seeded Gustke.

Gustke was the second-high qualifier with a three-game total of 712 and then rolled 494 for two games to reach the top six. His 213 in the third round enabled him to secure the No. 1 seed for the finals.

The victory adds to his impressive list of titles, mostly compiled in the Rochester NY USBC.

“I think I'm up to seven or eight city titles now … and I won the Mount Morris Open in 2019,” said Gustke, a machinist by trade. “They were all scratch tournaments, and I bowl more for the titles than the money.”

Gustke said he used three bowling balls over his seven games – the Storm DNA, Storm IQ Nano Pearl and the 900 Global Ordnance C4.

The tournament drew 43 entries over two qualifying squads.

In qualifying, Jim Foss of Medina led the way with a 749 series, followed by Gustke (712), Scott Shields of Batavia 705, Weber 704, Mickey Hyde of Le Roy 698, Dean Cadieux Jr. of Oakfield 694, Manners 684, defending champion Roger Allis of Medina 670, Bill Neubert of Batavia 667, Scott Gibson of Oakfield 666, Mark Brown of Attica 661 and John Lowe of Le Roy 650.

Gustke (494 for two games), Manners (463), Brown (462), Allis (449), Weber (446) and Neubert (437) advanced through the second round, with Weber (225 for one game), Manners (224) and Gustke (213) reaching the stepladder finals.

Allis, Neubert and Brown each won $100 while the six other cashers earned $75 apiece. The GRUSBC added $200 to the prize fund and another $200 was added from a special Masters fund administered by tournament director Paul Spiotta.

Once an outstanding youth bowler in the Oakfield junior program run by his father, Garrett Gibson is making his mark on the adult league and tournament bowling scene.

Gibson, now 30, posted his third United States Bowling Congress-certified 300 game yesterday morning while competing in the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes -- a weekly singles competition that also includes his dad, Scott.

The right-hander fired games of 243-300-246 for a 789 series to lead all bowlers.

In April of this year, he recorded a perfect game at the New York State Open Championships at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes in Rochester. His first 300 game came in 2015 at Scopano's Lanes (now StrikeForce Lanes) in his hometown of Oakfield.

Garrett is employed as an electrical engineering technician at MGA Research Corp. in Akron.

In other league action around the Genesee Region USBC, Middleport left-hander Brian Cline continued his stellar bowling with a 280 game and 761 series in the Mancuso Real Estate Doubles League at Mancuso Bowling Center. Cline is averaging over 230 in the league.

For a list of high scores for the week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

Calling it a “failure of the governor’s office and her team,” State Sen. George Borrello (photo at right) voiced his frustration earlier this week with New York’s inability to forge a new gaming agreement with the Seneca Nation of Indians.

The contract, officially known as the Seneca Nation Compact, expires on Dec. 9 -- just 15 days away.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Seneca Nation leadership thought they had a preliminary deal five months ago, but that was quashed by state lawmakers when it was learned – after the fact -- that the new compact terms included placement of a Seneca Nation-operated casino in Rochester.

Since then, there hasn’t been any news about the status of a new contract, and Borrello, along with other local politicians, isn’t happy about it.

“I've heard that they're trying to sign some kind of an extension,” he said by telephone on Monday. “But really, this is a failure of the governor's office and her team to not negotiate in a timely manner.

“There have been just many broken promises, agreements in principle where the governor backed out. It's just that the governor's team has not been negotiating in good faith. And we've been trying to bring light to the fact that they need to come to the table in good faith.”

Borrello said that once the deadline passes (barring an extension), Seneca Nation has no obligation to pay out any funds to the state because the contract will have expired.

“It really behooves the governor to fix it immediately,” he added.

Borrello, noting that the original compact was signed in 2002, said New York State “changed the rules of the game and pulled the rug out from underneath the Seneca Nation when they created three state-run casinos.”

“And you have sports gaming now, which wasn’t in place then,” he said. “New York State has saturated the market, and that has had a negative impact on revenue. So, I don’t think the previous contract is fair in light of the new situation.”

Per the original compact, the Seneca Nation pays 25 percent of its revenues on slot machines and other games to the state in exchange for the right to offer gaming west of Route 14.

The Seneca Nation currently owns and operates three casinos: the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel on the Niagara Falls Territory in Niagara Falls, New York; the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca on the Allegany Territory; and the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown Buffalo on the Buffalo Creek Territory.

Borrello represents the nation’s interests in Allegany and Cattaraugus territories.

According to a published report in The Buffalo News, the Senecas had agreed to pay 19.5 percent of revenue on slot machines to the state, but only if a Rochester casino was included. Now, they are seeking a lower rate.

A call to Rickey Armstrong, Seneca Nations president, was not returned.

Henry Wojtaszek, president and chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., which is based at Batavia Downs Gaming, said he agreed with Borrello that the market is oversaturated and is supporting the Fair Compact for All coalition that is representing gaming, organized labor, and community interests across the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions.

Members of the coalition, which includes Batavia Downs Gaming, del Lago Resort & Casino, Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack and Hamburg Gaming, said their goal is to ensure a transparent and equitable process as New York negotiates a new gaming compact with the Seneca Nation.

“We’ve combined to at least get the message out that we think a further gaming facility in the Rochester/Monroe County area would be oversaturating the market,” Wojtaszek said. “This would not be a good thing for the employees, it wouldn’t be a good thing for the communities and it wouldn’t be a good thing for the municipalities that receive funds (from earnings at Batavia Downs and elsewhere). It’s oversaturated even according to the state’s own studies that they’ve commissioned.”

Borrello said that even if an agreement is reached prior to Dec. 9, there are several hurdles to cross before ratification.

“Whatever agreement is reached, it has to be approved by the New York State Legislature,” he explained. “And it has to be approved by a vote of the people of the Seneca Nation, and it has to be approved by the Federal Department of Interior.”