There likely won’t be much fanfare with the departure of Business Administrator Scott Rozanski from the city school district, despite his routine presence for two decades.

No surprise, Rozanski was the one to present the yearly budget and the potential financial trappings of bus purchases, school equipment and additional personnel.

More recently, with the dawning of social media, he was also the one to bear the brunt of retorts when stating possible tax rate increases. 

Rozanski has laid it all out with seemingly thoughtful patience, from the multi-page spending plan to myriad school repairs requiring board approval. Whether it was a clock and public address system or a high school roof that was blown apart by a windstorm, it was on Rozanski to explain the expense.

He was hired as Business Administrator in 2003, and as a key advisor to the superintendent, Rozanski oversaw the preparation and administration of the district’s annual operating and capital budgets, administration of internal business operations, audits, management of state aid, insurance, transportation, contract negotiations, and planning of capital construction projects.  

In a prepared statement, he said that it has been an honor and privilege to work for the Batavia City School District and that “I am grateful to have been able to assist our various superintendents and Boards of Education in meeting the educational and community needs in a fiscally responsible manner.”

“The Board has continually provided balance in offering increased opportunities and improvements to both the students and to the community in a cost-effective manner and often at times without increasing the local burden,” he said. “Personally, it has truly been both a deeply satisfying and rewarding aspect of my career, and I am pleased to have been a part of contributing to the many accomplishments. I will always cherish my time here, my Batavia CSD colleagues, and the fine people of Batavia.”

The board approved Andrew Lang as the new business administrator during its meeting Monday evening. Lang and his family sat in the audience during the meeting — mostly quiet except for one of his four young children apparently cheering Daddy on.

Most recently, Lang served as school business administrator for the Royalton-Hartland Central School District in Middleport. He is a graduate of Erie Community College and the State University of New York at Brockport, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree, his Master's in Educational Administration, and a Certificate of Advanced Study as a School Business Leader.

He thanked the board for the vote of confidence. He's a Batavia resident whose wife is a Batavia High School grad.

“I appreciate the board and the opportunity to serve with the BCSD team,” he said. “My kids will either attend or be attending.”

In a press release issued Monday evening, Superintendent Jason Smith said that Lang will be a “wonderful addition” to the school district’s leadership team, though he has big shoes to fill with the departure of Rozanski. 

Lang was hired on a three-year probationary term for a pro-rated salary of $102,750. 

The Stumblin' Inn is gone but nowhere near forgotten. It's been five years since the hub of community life in Elba, and a favorite venue of area musicians was lost in a fire.

The community came together on Saturday to recall some of those memories, celebrate the good times, listen to -- and play -- some favorite music, and help raise some money for a charity that benefits young adults and adolescents dealing with cancer.

"This was about bringing the community together and paying tribute to my ad, Jim Goff, and my uncle, Stork, and the Stumblin' Inn, and it's nice to see everybody show up and support a good cause," said Jessica Goff. "It's good to get everybody together again. It's a great turnout."

Jessica was selling Stumblin' Inn memorability to benefit the Dear Jack Foundation.

The event was organized by the Elba Betterment Committee. 

There were three hours of music provided by Savage Cabbage, Dave Viterna, Mac, Front Porch Pickers, and Dylan Desmit.

"It does bring back memories," said Barbie Starowitz, whose brothers are members of Savage Cabbage. "We all grew up coming to the Stumblin' Inn. We were all working in the fields, and this is where we'd come. There are a of really good memories.  Our entire family always went to the Stumblin' Inn for a nice cold one and a good laugh. It was like Cheers.  You walked in, and it didn't matter what you were wearing or how you were doing or how you felt; you always left laughing and having a good time."

Photos by Howard Owens

The most anticipated division of New York Sire Stake horses will be at Batavia Downs on Tuesday (August 8). That’s when the 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings will assemble for one, $119,800 dash that headlines a 14-race card beginning at 6 p.m. 

The track handicapper has given the nod to Metal Man as the early choice, a horse that has shown some great speed this year, but also inconsistency. 

Metal Man (Huntsville-Apple Delight) was unraced at two, but started his 3-year-old season a winner in an overnight at the Meadowlands in 1:52.3. In his next start he broke and then was subsequently scratched in back-to-back races. He qualified back after five weeks off and then won back to back overnight races at Yonkers, one in 1:52.4 over the hilltop half mile. Since that time he has made consecutive breaks again and was forced to qualify on July 12. He just won his last outing in another overnight at Yonkers in 1:53.2, but he has yet to win a NYSS event. 

Jim Morrill Jr. will be up behind Metal Man for the first time for trainer Travis Alexander and has drawn post five. 

It’s A Me Mario (American Ideal-Nf Salsa) is one of only two horses in this race that has won a NYSS event this year and has already faced the best 3-year-olds in the country. After starting the year with four straight wins at Yonkers, It’s A Me Mario won his first NYSS event at Vernon in a lifetime best 1:49.4 effort to run his streak to five. He then headed to the Grand Circuit and had some bad draw and racing luck. In the Messenger at Yonkers he drew post seven and was 11-¼ lengths off the leader at the quarter before taking air for almost the rest of the mile. Then in the Meadowlands Pace elimination, he drew post seven again but was able to finish a very impressive third, timed in 1:48.3. Then in that final, It’s A Me Mario drew post eight, was tenth at the half and chased an impossible :52.2 back half and :25.4 last quarter set by Confederate. His next outing was a NYSS race at Monticello where he drew post seven and was interfered with before the quarter, but still was able to grab a check. 

He still drew post six in here, but It’s A Me Mario looks for some better racing luck this week for driver Lauren Tritton who will steer for trainer Shane Tritton.  

The other NYSS winner from this year is Duval Street (Huntsville-Native Bride) who got that 1:52.4 tally at Saratoga on June 24, but that wasn’t his best outing of the season. Duval Street has a pair of 1:50.2 victories; one at the Meadows in a 7-½ length romp and one at Mohegan Sun Pocono. He finished third in his last two starts, which were both NYSS events, behind Thunder Hunter Joe and Storm The Court, neither of which are entered here this week. His versatility allows him to either leave or race from behind, giving him a big advantage if the inside speed develops early. 

Regular driver Jason Bartlett is back behind Duval Street for trainer Ed Hart and they will start from post three. 

There are also three $20,000 NYSS Excelsior divisions on the program and those splits will be contested in races six, seven, and eight. The NYSS main event is carded as race 10. 

Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.

A four-unit residential complex at 6163 North Lake Road, Bergen, is reportedly filled with smoke.

There is smoke in the basement.

The units have been evacuated except for one unit, which may not be occupied.

Bergen Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 2:42 p.m.: Possible hot water tank fire that is now out.

Press Release:

The Fargo Road Bridge Replacement Project is set to commence on August 14, bringing essential improvements to the bridge located over Black Creek near Route 63 and Little Canada Extension.

The current 11-foot-wide jack arch bridge will be replaced with a modern 28-foot precast concrete arch bridge to meet hydraulic capacity requirements. This upgrade is crucial for maintaining smooth truck routes, as Fargo Road serves as a superload route within the County.

The project is locally funded, with Ravi Engineering in Rochester leading as the Engineer and LC Whitford as the Contractor. Construction is planned to continue diligently until the end of November.

Fargo Road will be closed during the construction period for the safety of motorists and construction workers. However, a well-marked detour will be in place to guide motorists and trucks efficiently.

On Thursday, members of the Genesee County Planning Board will discuss whether to grant a special use permit for a new travel plaza near the Pembroke exit of the Thruway.

If approved by the Town of Pembroke, construction crews will build the travel plaza along Alleghany Road. 

Currently, the TA Travel Center, the Flying J Travel Center, and a new Speedway operate in the area.

Planning Board members are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. on Aug. 10 in the large conference room at County Building No. 2 at 3837 W. Main Street Road in Batavia.  The board's authority is whether to recommend approval or not and whether any modifications should be considered. The Town of Pembroke's planning board has the final say on the application for a special use permit.

According to a Planning Board referral, this travel plaza will sell food and fuel and have a convenience store, a car wash and offer charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs).

The new development will sit on a 49.60-acre parcel, which is currently undeveloped. The site contains several wetlands. The entrance roads must cross over Murder Creek to access the site.

In a separate project, the board is also being asked to consider a special use permit for multi-family development in the same area as the travel plaza.

The area is seeing rapid growth this year.  A new distribution center is currently under construction next to the Thruway.  A mixed-use building opened at Brickhouse Corners (Route 5 and Route 77) earlier this year.

As The Batavian reported in January, the distribution center will take up 100 acres and was pitched as a great location for a distribution center — halfway between Rochester and Buffalo.  

The Coots family hosted its annual party for auto enthusiasts, the Hardcore Happening, in Pavilion on Saturday.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Supporting acts for headliner Don Felder were the High Water Band and Yachut Fathers.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Photos by Philip Casper.

There are continuous fundraisers for MaryLand, a Haven for Horses to help offset the expense of sheltering, feeding, and caring for 10 horses, the future purchase of a tractor, and the goal to house 10 more horses with a new barn.

There will be a big craft fair on site from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 30 at 8132 West Bergen Road, Le Roy. Craft vendors, a food truck, and a track photographer will be available to take photos of your kids with the horses for a fee, with all proceeds going to the nonprofit. 

This event will also serve as an open house for folks to see for themselves what MaryLand is all about, the nonprofit President and CEO Maryanne Arena said. 

“Our mission is to provide a safe and dignified retirement to Standardbred race horses. We also want to educate the public on harness racing which is a wonderful sport,” she said. “We want to promote responsible horse ownership. These horses run their hearts out for you and deserve a great retirement.”

MaryLand has a board of directors and dedicated workers, plus trainers who work with and advise Arena, she said. 

"Alana Caprio is my mentor, and she has taught me and continues teaching me about Standardbred race horses. She cares about her horses deeply and has a wealth of experience and knowledge," Arena said. "Denny Bucceri is also a trainer who I've worked with who would never put a horse in danger. I always respected Denny's love and respect for horses, and Jim McNeight is humane and ethical.

"I need to thank the board members because they work continuously for the horses. Board member Amber and her dad volunteer to help at the farm. It's all done out of love, and no one gets a salary or compensated," she said. "It's for the love of the horses and providing them a forever home."

Arena wants to share the message that people who dislike horseracing and think that it’s cruel "need to know there are some good and responsible trainers out there." She has learned from some great ones, she said.

Early in the morning, after enough stillness has set in, they can hear the hoofbeats. It's as if a train is ramming down the 15-acre field. Maryanne Arena and daughter Jaime take bets on who will finish first.

Neither Arena is surprised at the impromptu race that has become like daily clockwork at MaryLand, a Haven for Horses, on West Bergen Road in Le Roy. After all, these magnificent creatures were once fine-tuned for racing -- Standardbreds, whose job was to get on the track and win.

 Now, they just do it innately amongst themselves, with nobody else calling the shots.

"It's a wonderful thing to watch the race horses race on their own," Maryanne said at her home of 15 years that now also serves as the retirement sanctuary for 10 horses.

"We bring retired Standardbred racehorses here for the rest of their lives. Once a horse is accepted at MaryLand, it has a lifetime home," she said. "This is the difference between a 'rescue' and a 'sanctuary.' A rescue retrains and then finds adoptive homes for the horse. We accept and give a lifetime home where they are safe and have a dignified retirement."

Admittedly a poor kid from Brooklyn, she always loved horses, but her parents couldn't afford to buy and keep a horse at a stable, Arena said. Some of her earliest memories, with photos to preserve them, are of Arena with ponies.

"My father introduced me to horse racing, and I've been a fan ever since," she said. "Always dreamed of having my own horse farm and racing horses. I have done both. Started with a horse farm in Saratoga County, worked as a horse ranger for Saratoga National Battlefield.

"When I got my first racehorse, I asked the trainer what happens when a horse is finished racing. She gave me several options, and I thought then that I had to get a farm to retire that horse to," Arena said. "I did, and later that farm would evolve into MaryLand, not only for my horse but for others who needed a home to retire to."

There are 10 horses that fill 10 stalls in the barn on site, with future plans and fundraising for a second barn to take on more horses. But Arena knows enough to know that "I will not take on more than we can afford at one time." And she won't allow any horses to live out in the elements 24 hours a day, she said.

So besides the crucial need for shelter, there are the other challenges of being a caretaker: "Horses are expensive, and you cannot cut corners," she said.

"They need food, clean stalls, hay, vet care, a farrier, blankets, halters, and many other things," Arena said. "Right now, I pay for most of the care myself, along with the fundraising the organization does. The goal is to become sustainable so we can continue saving horses without worrying month to month about expenses."

So let's back up; when did Arena get her very first horse?

As a police officer in Brooklyn. His name was Romeo, and he led her on a love affair that's ever strong today. She's out at the barn by 7 a.m. each morning and there to say good night, feeding the house guests "plenty of cookies" before bedtime. In between that, there are chores that Jaime helps out with, such as cleaning stalls, scrubbing buckets and giving them fresh water. She's allergic to the dust in the barn and so wears her U.S. Navy mask to better tolerate the air.

Both Jaime and Maryanne would like to have some type of program for children and veterans to be able to visit with the horses for some type of trauma therapy. There have been such programs developed using horses and other animals to assist people in therapeutic healing, and Jaime has struggled with PTSD, she said, and believes in the power of equine therapy.

"It's the dream to start a program for vets someday," she said.

Obviously, as someone who still has a horse in the race, literally -- Maryanne's Sissy just won at Batavia Downs -- she knows horses, and she knows these horses -- beginning with Slim, the first one that she took in and then never looked back. 

And there's Grandmother, the 31-year-old who went running on the ice and fell, ripping her knee apart to the bone. "We almost lost her," Arena said of that winter incident, but the tough granny pulled through and is now fine.

Slim is "the man," first in charge of the group, with Rocky second in command. Each horse has its own distinctive personality, she said.

"They are flight animals and have emotions. They, if treated gently, they will be gentle. They are very smart and respond to the human they are with. I have a great respect for horses," she said. "Most of all, I agree with the great trainer Monty Roberts, who says that if a horse does something wrong, it is the human that did something wrong."

Despite the work involved, there are also rewards for the effort.

"Every day when I get up and go to the barn to feed them and turn them out I see happy and healthy horses," she said. "Horses I love to show people. Horses I want to spend time with. They are great therapy. Good for the soul and mental health. That is the reward."

For more information, go to MaryLand.

Photos by Howard Owens.

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For the third straight year, Kim Mills of Oakfield and representing Batavia City Schools, was the top women's runner in the GLOW Corporate Cup, finishing with a time of 20:25.

Zac Jantzi, running on the Bontrager Auction and Real Estate Team, finished first overall with a time of 17:16, beating his second-place time of 2022 of 17:24.

Bontrager's won the Corporate Cup, represented by Jantzi, John Bruggman (2nd overall at 17:59), and Abby Jantzi (2nd among women with a time of 21:20).

Genesee Valley BOCES was the second-place team. Their top three finishers were John Scnitter, Samantha Walker, and Lisa Nixon.

Third place went to Liberty Pumps (Jacob Cone, Nathan Balduf, and Bryson Tobolski).

There was a total of 605 people who completed the course either as runners or walkers.

For complete results, click here.

Photos by Philip Casper.

The Edge Softball Travel Team is holding tryouts starting Aug. 7 at Batavia High School.

Tryout times are 6 to 6:30 p.m. for pitchers and catchers, 6:30 to 8 p.m. for all other positions.

Registration begins 15 minutes prior to tryout.

Teams:

• Aug. 7, 16u and 18u
• Aug. 8, 12u and 14u
• Aug. 9, 16u and 18u
• Aug. 10, 12u & 14u.

For pre-registration text or email Coach Brian Mruczek, brianmruczek@yahoo.com or 585-993*1170. Please include the player's name, date of birth, contact information, and position.

Seven-on-seven flag football returns to Batavia on Aug. 27 for a cash-prize tournament for teams of seven to 13 players.

The tournament is being organized by Ray Williams, Thomas Ognibene, and Noah Talone.

Team sign-ups are being accepted up until the week of the tournament, and the cost is $650 per team.

The total cash prize for the winning team will be announced once organizers know how many teams are participating.  In the past, the first-place prize has been $2,500.

Participants receive a team shirt.

For more information, call Ray at 585-356-5956, Thomas at 585-297-9409, or Noah at 585-813-8733.

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist Karen Crittenden at 7 p.m. this Tuesday at GO ART!/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. 

Karen will be doing a hands-On Gelli Plates and Alcohol Inks demonstration.  All materials will be provided at no cost.  Refreshments are provided.  Non-members are welcome for a $5 fee.  The 2.o.1. Tavern will be open for cash purchases. 

Please join us for a fun and interesting evening of making art!  Any questions, please call Teresa Tamfer at 585-506-2465.

Press Release:

Senator George Borrello has introduced legislation mandating that New York City, the largest consumer of energy in the state and the most fossil fuel dependent, accept turbine installations at a rate equal to that of upstate New York. 

“New York State’s leadership has expressed a commitment to making the state the most progressive in the country in its energy policy and conversion to renewables. To clear the path for their agenda, they have trampled on the state’s constitutional home rule doctrine, forcing upstate localities to accept industrial wind turbine installations even when local officials and residents are fiercely opposed,” said Sen. Borrello.

“The special interests and legislators pushing this conversion to all-renewables are largely from New York City. As upstate New York’s beautiful landscapes and Long Island’s shoreline are destroyed to make way for industrial turbine installations, the city has not had to make any comparable sacrifices, despite the fact that most of the energy produced will be diverted to the five boroughs,” said Sen. Borrello.

Specifically, the legislation would prohibit the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment from granting a certificate for the construction of an industrial wind turbine within New York State unless a certificate for a wind turbine within New York City was also issued.

“As it stands now, the loss of green space as well as the wildlife and ecosystem damage that turbines cause will be solely borne by upstate and Long Island communities, which is not only unfair, but contradicts the ‘urgency of the climate crisis’ narrative that we hear often from New York leaders,” Sen. Borrello said. “If climate change is truly an ‘existential threat to humanity’ then the cost and logistical challenges of placing wind turbines in New York City should be tackled with the same urgency of those efforts that are ongoing in other parts of the state.”

Senator Borrello also noted that upstate New York’s energy generation is already more than 90 percent emission-free, thanks to hydropower and nuclear resources.  In contrast, New York City’s energy production is largely dependent on fossil fuels.

“New York’s transition to renewable energy is going to require great sacrifices and higher costs. Those burdens shouldn’t fall disproportionately on the shoulders of upstate and Long Island residents. This measure is aimed at ensuring all regions of the state bear their fair share of the difficulties that will accompany this transition.”  

Press Release:

Notre Dame High School is proud to announce its 2023 Sports Hall of Fame Class. The Induction program will be held on Saturday, November 18 on the Notre Dame campus.

The program will begin with a social hour and dinner with the Induction recognition portion to follow.

Inductees to be honored on November 18, 2023 are:

• Jimmy Fanara '67 Coach & Contributor
• John Borrelli '86 Athlete
• Jeff “Bingo” Messina '87 Athlete
• Margaret Dwyer Niedzwiecki '88 Athlete
• Carolyn Dwyer Babcock '91 Athlete
• Maura Flynn Sprague '00 Athlete
• 1999 NYSPHSAA NYS and NYS Federation Girls Basketball State Championship Team

Ticket information for the November 18th Induction Program will be announced shortly.