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Batavia First Presbyterian Church

Photos: Community Easter celebration at Batavia First Presbyterian

By Howard B. Owens
first-presbyterian-easter-egg-hunt-2024

The Easter Bunny visited Batavia First Presbyterian Church on Saturday.

Snow and cold moved the Easter egg hunt indoors. There were also games, face painting, refreshments, and a basket raffle. The event was also a fundraiser for the North Bergen Community Food Pantry.

Photos by Howard Owens.

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Early Easter event includes bunny, egg hunt, fun activities and basket fundraiser for food pantry

By Joanne Beck
North Bergen Pantry
North Bergen Pantry's temporary digs at Bergen United Methodist Church as it conducts fundraisers to find a larger and more permanent home.
Submitted Photo

Alesha Smith says that at the end of 2023, when North Bergen Community Food Pantry lost its home, a team of folks has been doing what it can to raise money for a more permanent space to accommodate the generous donations that come pouring in along with Foodlink.

Not that anyone begrudges the hospitality shown to pantry volunteers by Bergen United Methodist Church, which stepped in to provide a room, albeit smaller than the former space at North Bergen Presbyterian Church that closed in December, she said, but the pantry really could use much more breathing room. 

"The North Bergen Food Pantry was an undertaking that Dave Fish was very passionate to bring to the rural community. Although there is a large need for these items amongst us country folk, Dave does not turn anyone away,” Smith said. “Since opening the pantry, he has helped serve over 400 households." 

So, with Easter right around the corner, the nonprofit has collaborated with the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia First Presbyterian for an Easter Egg Hunt. Meant to be a pre-Easter fun event and raise some funds toward the pantry’s new future home, it’s set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 23 at the church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

“The event will include crafts and activities for kids, doughnuts (from Sweet Ally’s in Oakfield), pictures with the Easter bunny, goodie bags, an egg hunt, and a basket raffle,” Alkhouri said. “It is free and open to all. Our hope is to share the joy of Easter by helping the children in our community have a positive and fun event. The event will be indoors. This started for us during COVID when children were unable to have group activities or school. We held the event outside, but now we can use the inside of the church to have fun without worrying about the weather.”

"In August of 2019, Dave and four volunteers took the appropriate training and obtained all the required equipment to open the pantry," Smith said. "They obtained everything from food items, pet food, stationery, and personal hygiene products from Foodlink, and through personal donations. Now they officially have seven board members.”

Smith and two others, Melodi Leaton and Kassie Bowen, comprise the fundraising committee. After meeting up with Fish, they all learned of his “welcoming, friendly demeanor, compassion and listening ear,” and helped to connect everyone to work together and, in time, become good friends as well, she said. 

Smith is grateful to be working with the Batavia church for this event, she said. The pantry's goal was to collect enough donations to raffle 10 baskets, and that goal has already been exceeded, she said. There will be assorted theme baskets of kitchenware items, a teenage girl’s basket filled with slippers, nail polish, and other pampering items, a mandala coloring book and colored pencils, kids’ Easter baskets, and many more, she said. 

“The optional baskets will be the only cost, but will greatly help raise the much-needed funds for our pantry to find a home of our own,” she said. “While several other egg hunts are happening the same time/day, we would love for our community members to know that not only do we have more to offer — face painting, crafts, doughnuts, egg hunt, goodie bags and the bunny, of course — we will also be having several raffle baskets. Our event is free and open to everyone."

Fish has said that the pantry has the equipment, including refrigerators, freezers, shelving units, and, most importantly, volunteers who are willing to continue the mission. What it needs is at least 2,000 square feet of space that offers a handicapped entrance, parking, and a restroom, he said. 

Board members are Nancy Cook, Karen Tennity, Amanda Cook, Dawn Sprague, Kevin Kent, Rick Woodring, and Patty Lamon, and Hal Milward, pastor of Bergen United Methodist Church, has been a huge supporter, Smith said. 

Basket tickets will be sold at the event for $5 per sheet of 25. Winners need not be present to receive the basket. 

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2022 File Photo of Brielle, then 3, and Everly, then 5, with their Easter egg finds at the Easter egg hunt at Batavia First Presbyterian Church. 
Photo by Howard Owens.

 

New Year's Eve worship and brunch celebration

By Joanne Beck

Who says you have to wait until midnight to celebrate the New Year? Batavia First Presbyterian Church is hosting a morning celebration from 10 to 11 a.m. with worship, songs, stories, and prayer and 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday with brunch and games to ring in the New Year. There will also be a photo booth, hats, tiaras and other New Year’s goodies to ring in 2024, organizers say.

The public is welcome to attend at 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

Spirit of St. Nicholas alive and well at Bethlehem Walk

By Joanne Beck

 

Dan Dedo St. Nicholas
Dan Dedo of Batavia, aptly fills the role of St. Nicholas during the Bethlehem Walk Wednesday evening at Batavia First Presbyterian Church. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

When tapped to play St. Nicholas for the Bethlehem Walk Wednesday evening, Dan Dedo didn’t cut any corners.

His wife made him a lavish suit of a metallic gold vest and a long hooded, red crushed velvet cape, and he wore a thick white, curly-haired beard and carried his own tall wooden staff that a friend had made for him. His hat, purchased with a gold cross on the front and back resembling that of a bishop, completed the outfit. 

Being unfamiliar with St. Nicholas, Dedo also did some research so he would be prepared for his duties during the event at Batavia First Presbyterian Church. 

No matter how long ago St. Nicholas originated, he still has a lesson for the modern-day world, Dedo said.

“It reminds everybody that it's a season where we should all be kind and generous to those in need and that St. Nicholas was that way throughout the year, which we have to remember, too,” he said. “So I enjoyed learning about him.”

St. Nicholas, who in later decades has been called St. Nick, served as the inspiration for Santa Claus, who is said to travel by way of sleigh and reindeer to rooftops and climb into chimneys to deliver his gifts to strangers’ homes. Dedo learned about his much earlier existence.

“Well, I was given a book that I read for everybody here. And then, I did some research online. St. Nicholas was born in 200 AD in what is now Turkey. His parents were rich; he became a priest in the Greek church, and his parents died and left him all their money. And St. Nicholas gave all the money to people in need: the sick, the hungry, people that needed housing,” Dedo said. “And there's a story about an old man with three daughters. And to get married in those days, you had to have money for a dowry. And they had no money, and the old man was worried about his daughters. So St. Nicholas heard about this, and at night, he threw a bag of gold through the window of the house. And they were overjoyed. And she was able to get married, then the middle-aged girl came of age to get married. And he did it again, he threw another bag of gold into the house. 

“Now, when the third daughter was old enough to get married, the old man was waiting to find out who this generous person was. And St. Nicholas liked to give anonymously. So he climbed up on the rooftop and threw the bag of gold down through the chimney. And the girl had hung her socks and stockings to dry under the chimney,” he said. “And the legend has it that the bag of gold fell into the stocking. And I mean, he inspired a lot of generosity and kindness on the part of other people. So we still remember him to this day for that reason.”

The event venue had tables full of nativity sets — collections on loan from Laura Dommer and Liz Saleh, plus a few others brought in from other church members — and hot homemade soup, decorated sugar cookies, music, children’s games and lots of mingling. 

Sheryl Maier and her daughter Tallulah were browsing a table of nativity scenes, and it didn’t take long for Tallulah to spot her favorite one.

“I like this one,” she said, pointing to a puzzle nativity. “I like doing puzzles, and I like doing puzzles of baby Jesus.”

As it so happens, her mom read the five-year-old the story of St. Nicholas at home before they attended the event, so Tallulah was quite familiar with the tall bearded chap when they arrived. He gave her some gold coins (chocolate wrapped in foil), and he walked around handing out the symbolic gift St. Nicholas threw into poor people’s homes as a token of compassion.

Olivia Fanton had gotten some coins but was waiting to eat her Italian wedding soup first. It was too hot at the moment, she said. The 11-year-old Batavia Middle School student had checked out the nativity scenes and especially liked one lone white decorative angel. 

“That’s my favorite,” she said. “I like the face of the angel.”

It was one piece of a collection that Dommer no longer had assembled together, she said. When she heard that Olivia liked the angel, she decided to follow in the footsteps of St. Nicholas and give it to the sixth-grader.

“I did it because she has a Bills shirt on,” Dommer joked. 

Laura Dommer and Olivia
Laura Dommer, left, and Olivia Fanton with her new angel.
Photo by Joanne Beck
Bethlehem Walk
St. Nicholas visits at event
Visitor Mary Brenner chats with St. Nicholas, aka, Dan Dedo.
Photo by Joanne Beck
Laura Dommer and nativity sets
Laura Dommer of Batavia with her collection of 108 nativity sets.
Photo by Joanne Beck
Sheryl Maier and Tallulah
Sheryl Maier and her daughter Tallulah check out some of the nativity sets at the Bethlehem Walk Wednesday evening at Batavia First Presbyterian Church.
Photo by Joanne Beck
St. Nicholas and Olivia
St. Nicholas hands Olivia Fanton a gold coin. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

Nativity display, warm soup and cookies, the story of St. Nicholas to offer a taste of tradition

By Joanne Beck
Roula Alkhouri and Liz Salih
The Rev. Roula Alkhouri, left, and Liz Saleh get ready for Bethlehem Walk with St. Nicholas & Community Dinner at Batavia First Presbyterian Church as they set up a nativity display Friday at the church. Saleh is holding up a mobile from India. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

Liz Saleh held up the tiniest of nativity scenes that she has acquired over the years as one of nearly 100 in her vast collection.

The piece — a polished brown exterior with a white interior resembling ivory — has been carved out of a tagua nut from the South American Amazon rain forest. It represents one of several countries in a display that will be opened to the public next week. Her collection began with a merged nativity set from the childhoods of her and her late husband, David, dating back more than 70 years. 

Ever since then, she just kept amassing more of the iconic Christmas scenes, typically featuring a manger, Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and animals.

“I just loved them, and people started giving them to me. Once they know you like something, they keep giving them to you,” Saleh said while setting up her pieces Friday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church. “And I just started collecting them.”

Bethlehem Walk with St. Nicholas & Community Dinner will feature nativity scenes from Saleh and fellow Batavia resident Laura Dommer. The event will also include a meal of bread, homemade minestrone, Italian wedding soups and Advent-themed sugar cookies, and a visit from the traditional St. Nicholas. It is free of charge and is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

Most likely, you’ve either grown up with a nativity scene in your home or you have seen one somewhere, and they are steeped in deep history from St. Francis of Assisi, who more than 800 years ago wanted to remind the world that the season was about more than just giving or receiving gifts; it was about celebrating the birth of Jesus. Though, certainly, many nativity scenes have included the three wisemen bringing gifts to Jesus, all of them have not depicted that aspect. 

The set that Saleh has, for example, from Assisi, is very simple, with a modest manger, and the key characters of Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and a few animals arranged in front of it. A colorful metal display from Mexico, on the other hand, more brilliantly shows the wise men holding up their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Each country seems to tell a slightly different story in how the nativity is portrayed through materials, colors, simplicity or complexity, and the presence of animals as an important piece to the story. 

Saleh’s collection also includes a trifold-certified painting of Byzantine art using tempera paint — with egg yolks mixed in for a rich golden cast — from a museum in Boston, and materials of pottery, wood, hand-spun lambswool, a milked, anise star, sticks, grapevine wreath, pieces of cloth and other items from Mother Nature. 

There are sets from countries including Indonesia, Ecuador, Peru, Africa, Jerusalem, Germany, Portugal, Venice, Vietnam, Armenia, Italy, Bangladesh, India and the United States. 

As Saleh unpacked items, she talked about how dear friends made something for her or gave a set to her, and each unpacked box sparked more memories. She unwrapped a second one from Mexico, with small, intricate details painted onto the figurines. 

“I fell in love with this,” she said. “I think it’s beautiful, it’s hand-painted.”

Dommer has 108 nativity sets, mostly given to her as gifts, she said. She usually keeps about three favorites out while the remaining are tucked away in storage — a Peanuts Charlie Brown set, Fisher Price, and part of a Fontanini Village collection. 

A nativity goes beyond an aesthetic decoration, Dommer said.

“To me, it means I really understand what Christmas is about, it’s about the birth of our savior,” she said. “It’s going to be interesting to see what people say (about the collection). Some are very, very unique. I think they might say how did you find this or where did you get this. I do have one over two feet tall.”

Her grandmother used to work at Bethany Ridge apartments, and they were cleaning out the attic and discovered the two-foot nativity with the intent to throw it away. Grandma said no, she knew of a better home for it, Dommer said.

During the evening, St. Nicholas will be reading the story of his namesake — the actual story of St. Nicholas, a bishop in Turkey who heard about impoverished parents who were going to sell their daughters into servitude. St. Nicholas threw a bag of gold coins down the chimney to help them out and alleviate the need to sell their daughters. 

That has served as the foundation for Feast Day of St. Nicholas and a tradition of giving chocolate coins to children, which will also be part of the event, the Rev. Roula Alkhouri said.

“That’s the whole spirit of this, people can come and share in this and the story of how love evolved in different ways, and how people have imagined it in different ways,” she said. 

Parishioners will also be bringing in their nativities, and a nativity tree is decorated with dozens of Saleh’s nativity ornaments. 

Liz with tagua nut
Liz Saleh shows one of her smallest nativities carved out of a tagua nut from the Amazon rain forest.
Photo by Joanne Beck
Nativity from Mexico
Nativity from Peru
Liz with byzantine art
Liz Saleh holds up a piece of Byzantine art that used tempera paint with egg yolks, from a Boston museum. 
Photo by Joanne Beck
Nativity from Mexico
Nativity tree and Liz Sale
Tiny nativity

GLOW OUT! organizers are hosting a celebration open house this Sunday

By Press Release
GLOW OUT! pic
GLOW OUT! organizers invite the public to a Coming Out celebration and Open House from 12 to 2 p.m. Sunday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church. 
Submitted Photo

Press Release:

GLOW OUT!, the LGBTQ+ outreach agency serving the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) region of Western New York, is thrilled to invite the community to a special event this weekend. 

GLOW OUT! organizers encourage everyone to join them at the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia at 300 E. Main St. in Batavia from 12 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 22 to celebrate Coming Out Day. 

This Open House and Celebration will showcase the variety of programs the organization offers, including the youth LGBTQ+ Drop-In Center which meets weekly on Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. at the church. 

LGBTQ+ youth, ages 12-18, and their ally friends are encouraged to tour the space and meet fellow youth members during the Open House.

GLOW OUT! is taking the celebration of Coming Out Day to a new level by introducing the Living Library experience. Attendees will have the opportunity to “check out” a human book, each of whom will share their unique Coming Out journey in small group settings. 

This initiative aims to encourage dialogue, foster a deeper understanding of the LGBTQ+ experience, and empower attendees to better support individuals in their lives who may be going through the Coming Out process. 

In addition to the Living Library experience, GLOW OUT! is using this event to mark the beginning of a year dedicated to storytelling as a powerful educator. 

In 2023, the organization received Anti-Stigma funding from the NYS Legislature and the Office of Mental Health, allowing them to establish a youth LGBTQ+ theatre troupe, starting in the spring of 2024. This troupe’s mission is twofold: suicide prevention and education on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth. 

For more details on this exciting endeavor and the impact on the GLOW region, please contact director Sara Vacin at svacin@glowout.org .

Sunday’s celebration will also feature a craft, basket, and bake sale, with all proceeds contributing to our vital LGBTQ+ support programs and services. Items for sale will include candles, painted potted plants, bookmarks, and youth designed T-shirts – all illustrating their unique perspectives and immense talent. 

The group will also have chili available (vegan and meat options) and encourages participants to warm up with a hearty bowl while listening to impactful stories, perusing the youth-made artistry, and helping to build a more inclusive, caring community.

Learn more about the organization, show support for LGBTQ+ youth, and help build up the vibrant community that embraces them. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit www.glowout.org or email your questions to info@glowout.org.

The day is to include a craft sale, basket raffle, 50/50 and a living library, with an enlightening and opportunity to delve into the diverse coming out stories of LGBTQ+ leaders for participants of all ages

The open house will feature a designated youth space where PFLAG and SAGE meetings will be taking place. Meet board members, Act Out leaders and learn about exciting opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies happening in the GLOW region, organizers said.

This event is free and open to the public.

Act Out leaders
Act Out leaders having having some fun.
Submitted Photo

Friends reflect on 'integral' member of musical community

By Joanne Beck
Roxie Choate
Roxanne "Roxie" Choate

Generosity — of her time, friendship, possessions, and passion for music, life, and all creatures — is something that Roxanne “Roxie” Choate will be remembered for by her friends, family, and fellow choir members, they say.

A music teacher at Oakfield-Alabama school, president of Genesee Symphony Orchestra, choir director and bell choir member, and organist at Batavia First Presbyterian Church for many years, Choate became a fixture to many for her connections to the notes on the page and the songs in the air. She died on Oct. 5 at Le Roy Village Green Nursing Home.

“Roxie loved music and loved to share it with others. She had the gift of discovering talent and connecting people to choirs or musical groups. Many of our music leaders in the church today were mentored by Roxie,” the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia First Presbyterian said. “I loved watching the friendship she had with Melzie Case, our organist/choir director. The music was what brought them together, but their friendship grew deep. We are so grateful to have Melzie, but without Roxie, it would not have been possible.

"The same is true of Cheri Kolb. Roxie was the connection for Cheri to our church,” Alkhouri said. “The Bell Choir is something that she started in our church as well.”

Alkhouri also noted Choate’s tremendous generosity when it came to her time, talent, and resources. She had an apparent green thumb and was also skilled in the culinary world. 

“Every summer I got tomatoes and other goodies from her garden. Every Christmas, I received a beautiful wreath for our home to put on our door. I got to taste many of her wonderful meals as she often shared them with me,” Alkhouri said. “Every year she spent a lot of time and effort thinking about the Christmas gifts she was going to give to the members of her bell choir. She would get so excited about the selection. One year, she found beautiful ornaments that were quite expensive and bought only a few of them at a time until she was ready to share them by Christmas. Roxie was also generous with her time and energy. She volunteered for anything that was needed at church, even for jobs she didn’t necessarily enjoy. Her spirit of service was exemplary.”

Melzie Case met Choate several years ago when in the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, where she developed a friendship with someone who was an “advocate, leader, and volunteer in the GSO for numerous years,” and also served as Board president, vice president, personnel manager, ad book co-chair, string workshop coordinator and helped to organize the first Summer Serenade events, “in addition to performing countless tasks behind the scenes that have helped the GSO to thrive.”

“She was integral in virtually every aspect of the orchestra’s operations and I believe the GSO is successful today because of her work and contributions,” Case said. “I first met Roxie in 2009 when I became involved with the GSO as a high school student, and we worked closely together on the Board over the years. In 2019 Roxie asked me to accompany the choir at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church where I also enjoyed playing piano and organ duets with her. Whether it was a phone call about the orchestra or a choir rehearsal, we shared many laughs and the joy of making music over the years. 

“Roxie, a music educator, was passionate about bringing music to the community,” Case said. “She was a friend in music to me and so many others, and her impact will be felt for years to come.” 

Paul Saskowski worked with Choate on the GSO board about eight years ago and recalled how she covered many positions at the time.

“And (she) would tirelessly work for the GSO. We worked as co-presidents through the process to hire Shade,” Saskowski said. “She was dedicated and relentless.”

Sarah Wahl and Sherry Mosher shared how tenacious Choate was when it came to leading the bell choir. She took on that role in 2009, and passed along “to all of us handbell ringers her passion for precision and excellence,” Mosher shared on behalf of her and Wahl.

“Many of us wondered how she was able to detect a wrong bell was played when five bells played a chord. ‘Someone picked up the wrong bell; that was supposed to be a B flat,’ she would promptly say. Either no one admitted to it or you would hear a loud ‘Oh no, how could she possibly catch that.’ We became performance-ready in no time thanks to her leadership,"  Mosher said.

The bell choir performed at the Holland Land Office Museum, the VA, and Genesee County Nursing Home (now Premier) and for many worship services at the church.  The season was capped off when “Roxie graciously hosted a wonderful party for the ringers and spouses at her and Mike's beautiful home,” she said.

It wasn’t all fun and games, though Choate’s leadership did come with a sense of humor, Mosher said. She answered the call to lead the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Choir when a director was needed and never held back from selecting challenging anthems.

“More than once, after one or two go-arounds on a new song, many of us questioned whether we could ever learn the song. In fact, the first whirl on one song with multiple key changes and back-and-forth repeats, we ended up in a loud outburst of laughter,” Mosher said. “However, with Roxie's persistence and direction,  we learned it and performed it very well. No doubt, Roxie passed along to us her love of music, pride, and performance perfectionism. For all FPC Handbell Ringers and Choir members alike, we all miss Roxie and deeply value our years of friendship, leadership, and her passion for music.”

As much as she loved music, Choate also had a deep faith and loved God, Jesus, and the church, Alkhouri said.  For Mother’s Day each year, the gift she asked for was to have her whole family go to church with her. 

“Even during her recent illness, Roxie never waivered in her trust in God’s care for her. She was not afraid because she knew and felt the love of God,” Alkhouri said. “Roxie loved her family so much. I would often get to hear the love in her voice as she spoke about her children and their family. She was an amazing mother, grandmother, and a great-grandmother.

“Roxie was such a great example of strength. She faced all the challenges of life with a sense of commitment to the common good no matter what she was facing. Until the middle of June, Roxie was always on the go and was involved in so many community activities, even as she cared for her husband,” Alkhouri said. “She inspired me in times of hardship. During the pandemic, Roxie was also willing to adapt and change to meet the music needs of the church.” 

A truism about Choate was that “once you became Roxie’s friend, you became a friend for life,” Alhouri said. That was true even for the cherished kitties under her care. 

“Roxie has had a huge impact on my life and the lives of many. I know that I am a better person because of knowing Roxie and having her as my friend,” Alkhouri said. “What a blessing to have had her in my life and as part of our community.”

Flautist to perform music 'from the last 100 years' during free concert

By Joanne Beck

 

Jaclyn Breeze
Jaclyn Breeze of Chili during one of her flute concerts. She will be performing at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church.
Submitted Photo

While the thought of composing a song with indigenous birds may seem intriguing, doing so for two violins, which at first blush don’t quite seem to fit the mode of a tweet or cackle, and for seven minutes, sounds even more daunting a task.

Yet songwriter Jaclyn Breeze of Chili, who obtained her master’s in music composition this May from Syracuse University and bachelor’s in flute performance from Roberts Wesleyan College,  described it as anything but.

“A teacher in Wisconsin at St. Norbert College was having a bird-themed recital this fall, and she was familiar with my work. And she said that she wanted to use the calls of the birds in her area kind of as a basis for the piece. And so from there, I was free to do what I wanted. Just with that idea in mind,” Breeze said during an interview with The Batavian. “It was fun. It’s going to be premiered in November.”

Breeze’s primary focus while pursuing her master’s degree was composing music, which she does on a commission basis for groups and individuals, but then she began to miss the performance aspect of her work, she said, and so she promoted her flute concerts to area churches and organizations.

“I loved going for my master's degree doing composition. But I found that I really missed performing, which, you know, I got to do a lot as a performance major in my undergrad,” she said. So after I graduated, I decided that was something that I was going to make a priority in my life, make sure that I was still getting my performance.”

She will be part of the Fall Concert Series at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, with a concert at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

As many kids do in elementary school, Breeze began her instrumental career. When asked why she picked the flute out of all the possible instruments, Breeze wasn’t entirely sure. 

“I don't know, I just enjoy it. It's fun to work on. I'm not really sure why I chose that. I guess when I went to college, I kind of was deciding between doing flute and going for vocal performance. And I just started on flute,” she said. “And that was kind of that. I had taken lessons for both in high school. I don't really know when this decision was made, or why I made it.”

She also plays piano and saxophone, and comes from a musical family — her mom always sang with Breeze as a child, she said, and her great-grandpa played a lot of different instruments. 

“He was always trying to get different instruments and getting new things. He usually had a harmonica with him. And I remember him playing just different string instruments. I'm not sure exactly. You know now I can't remember what they all were,” she said. “When it came time to pick an instrument in fourth grade, I was really excited about it. I think by the time I was in high school, I knew that music was what I wanted to do.”

Breeze has taught music at the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University as a teaching assistant and was a guest lecturer at the University of Kentucky for Intro to Music and Jazz History. 

She has collaborated on new music compositions with the Society for New Music in Syracuse the last two years and has also had several commissioned works with groups including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Rococo Quartet.

Self-described as a “composer, collaborator and creator” on her website, she’s a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, an age group winner of the 2022 Warren County Summer Music School’s Promising Young Composer Competition and received Honorable Mention in 2021 for the Hypotenuse Trio COVID Commission.

When asked about the difference between playing the flute and clarinet, two woodwind instruments usually found near each other in a band, she said that all of the air has to be blown into the clarinet, versus the flute, which gets about 70 percent of the air, meaning that 30 percent of the air is lost. 

“So it definitely takes a good amount of air to get that going, get the sound going, and keep it,” she said, addressing prospective concertgoers. “I don’t want them to see a flute concert and think ‘Oh, this is going to be boring.’ The program that I have set up is music of pretty much the last 100 years. And some of that is really beautiful impressionist music, and some of that is rock music that was written six months ago. The program is varied and there is stuff that anyone who likes going to a strictly classical concert will enjoy. There’s also stuff that people who don’t typically enjoy classical music will enjoy.”

Her portion of the concert will be about 45 minutes, and local musician Melzie Case will lead a hymn sing for another 15 minutes. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Breeze is also scheduled for a free concert at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 at Le Roy Presbyterian Church, 7 Clay St., Le Roy. 

To hear samples of her work, go to https://www.jaclynbreeze.com

Artist creates meditative tool for Batavia church, blessing ceremony Saturday

By Joanne Beck
Dan Butler with labyrinth
Artist Dan Butler with his handmade labyrinth, a project commissioned by Batavia First Presbyterian Church, which will be having a blessing ceremony for the creation this Saturday.
Submitted photo.

Artist Dan Butler has worked on a variety of projects and mediums over the years, from murals on exterior brick walls, sunflowers on a silo, artwork on headstones, a propane tank, a Kitchen Aid mixer, wood barns, an American flag on the side of a garage, and the inside wall of a Harvester Avenue art project called The Harve.

Now he can add a labyrinth to his portfolio. 

Commissioned by Batavia First Presbyterian Church, it was much more of an undertaking than the Perry resident and business owner thought it would be.

“It was mainly figuring out what type of, like, I had no idea, and neither did Dr. Roula as far as what material that we needed to get, and we needed to find a source for it. And you know, we knew we wanted a big canvas, but what is it exactly called? How heavy is it? That kind of thing,” Butler said during an interview with The Batavian. “We eventually found a source and went with, I think, it was like a 13-pound duck cloth or something like that. And then, I had to come up with a design. We knew we wanted the seven-layer labyrinth design … when you actually see the labyrinth, it goes back on itself seven times. Well, there are seven rings anyway. And you can have all sorts of different things to it.”

Though that may have seemed the tough part, it was the easier task, compared to actually working on the project, he said. He had to find a space large enough to accommodate the fabric — 18 feet tall by 18 feet wide, and it had to lay flat for him to paint, and then dry and remain there while he continued with the creation.

You may have seen a labyrinth outdoors, with a combination of paths or passages for one to navigate and focus on from entry to exit. These exist in parks and gardens as a series of mazes, though they can also serve as a spiritual or meditative journey to walk around the circles from beginning to end and back again.

Butler’s understanding of the labyrinth is that it’s a tool to help the participant to focus while walking from step to step — or in this case, painted brick by brick — which can be meditative and draw one’s focus to a central point. These tools are said to be metaphors for personal journeys into the self and back into the world. 

Butler designed the labyrinth in keeping with a church theme, using gray rustic bricks — “stone bricks, kind of like the old school cathedral kind of thing,” he said — for the path, and four stained glass designs, one for each corner. 

The church leadership had selected four words for those designs: faith, peace, trust and love. A colorful heart represents the love. 

Faith for labyrinth

“But the hardest part to all of this was finding a space big enough to work on it. So I ended up doing it out in the field at my sister-in-law’s and primed it that way. Like we did like three coats of white, just because it's like a duck cloth. It's just like a beige canvas,” he said. “Then I tried doing a projector to try to line up the artwork to it, but I couldn't get it right in everything.”

So he had to get a little more creative, and he moved the project over to his very newly purchased business site, Image Out Graphics in Perry. Purchased in July, he’s just getting his feet wet at the property and has ample space to spread out and work on his designs and hand-painted craft. 

If it seems simple enough to draw and paint seven circles and four corner designs, everything had to be aligned with the right width out from the center, and each stone properly placed for feet to walk it. Upon completion, Butler tested it out to make sure it worked.

“I walked it plenty of times,” he said. “You’re focusing on trying to make sure you’re following the path correctly. You’re so focused on the path, you don’t think about anything else. It kind of resets you.”

He used acrylic paints and a sealant to preserve his hard labor, about 40 hours total. In hindsight, it was “definitely not that easy,” he said, and took longer than he had estimated. 

With his new business, Butler, 47, now has two full-time jobs, he said. He also works for GLOW Creatives as a visual artist for the Arts Councils of Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming and Livingston counties. That involves him in drawing caricatures at a farmers market, leading a regular drink and draw at a Perry brewery, organizing activities at Medina’s Day of the Dead, and “all sorts of visual media,” he said. 

He has painted a mural outside of the GO Art! building in Batavia, and inside the kitchen for a culinary program, as well as participated in The Harve’s Mad Hatter, large baby, caterpillar, and Cheshire cat displays at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. 

That’s how he obtained this gig — GO Art! Executive Director Gregory Hallock recommended him to First Presbyterian Church, Butler said. He had no prior experience with labyrinths, but he can now chalk up another medium and type of project under his belt as being done. 

The Rev. Roula Alkhouri said the church will be celebrating the work, “which we hope to use in community events to help people pray or meditate through walking,” she said. “Dan did a great job with this project.”

There will be a blessing ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the church, 300 East Main St., Batavia. Everyone is welcome to attend, and “join us in thanking artist Dan Butler for the fabric labyrinth he created for our community,” Alkhouri said. “You will also have the chance to walk the labyrinth.” 

A first-time Family Festival will follow at 5:30 p.m.

Submitted photos.

Heart labyrinth
Peace labyrinth
Trust labyrinth

Family Festival a way to give back to community, organizers say

By Joanne Beck

Now that school has begun, some local organizations are throwing a celebratory event to kick off the season right, with an evening of art, food, fun activities, and music, organizers say.

Batavia First Presbyterian Church will be hosting the event in collaboration with St. James Episcopal Church, GO Art! and Genesee County Youth Bureau.

“We have put a lot of thought into how to create a fun and engaging atmosphere for families and children," Genesee County Youth Bureau Director Daniel Calkins said. “Although the church has done these types of events before, this is the first time this particular event will be taking place. Pastor Roula and her congregation have been very open about wanting to give back to the community, and this event is an extension of that."

The event is set for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St., Batavia.

“This is a free event for anybody that would like to come and enjoy the activities provided in an intentional showing of communal love,” Calkins said. “The Youth Bureau is excited to continue to grow through these events and partnerships. We are continually invested into showing Genesee County residents that we care about them and their families and want them to have fun and be provided for.”

The evening will include hamburgers, hotdogs, and chips, and ice cream from the Ice Cream and Chill truck. The Youth Bureau will have a tent outside with a cotton candy machine and all its sticky sweetness, plus there will be a bounce house for children to enjoy, a T-shirt tie-dye station offered by GO ART!, and BDC rock painting.

After the kids get creative painting rocks, they will be placed around town, and then whoever finds 20 of them and takes pictures to post on social media (tagged on the back of the rocks), will get a gift card as a prize. 

Other activities will include an art spinning paint station, yard games, including corn hole, ring toss, basketball, and colorful chalks for kids to use in the church parking lot. Children will have the opportunity to create their own art, which will be framed and displayed at the church for the next month. 

There will also be live music throughout the evening during this family-friendly event, the Rev. Roula Alkhouri said.

“We are really excited to help families celebrate the beginning of the school year and hope that families will enjoy a fun community evening,” Alkhouri said.

The event is free and open to the public.

Westminster youth choir to tour, sing and share evening of fellowship June 14 in Batavia

By Joanne Beck

 

Last Concert Knox Choir
The Knox Youth Choir, shown here during its last concert, will be performing at First Presbyterian Church in Batavia on June 14.

The Knox Youth Choir, one of eight choirs of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio, will be taking an eight-day concert tour of the Northeast, including a pit stop at Batavia First Presbyterian Church.

A spiritual version of dinner and a show will feature picnic fare of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, salads, and fruit at 6 p.m., followed by a choir concert at 7 p.m. on June 14 at the church, 300 East Main St., Batavia.

Unlike many churches that serve up gospel with singing, Westminster is the birthplace of Westminster Choir College, and as such, is a music-based church, Nancy Hodgkins said.  Westminster Choir College is a historic conservatory of music currently operating on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ.

“And so we've always had this big tradition of music. It's the one thing you can do from the time you were four years old until you can no longer climb the stairs to the planet. So we have three children's choirs. We have the youth choir that will be coming into Batavia. And then we have an adult choir. And we also have three Bell choirs. And we started doing choir trips. Well, in 2002, I took the kids to Scotland for a Presbyterian Heritage tour. We had a fantastic experience, except we were just tourists; all we did was get on and off the bus,” Hodgkins said during an interview with The Batavian. “And I really wanted the kids to have an opportunity to meet people and to interact with people. And so in 2007, we returned to Scotland as a choir … we had quite a trip. And we sang in three small churches in Scotland and had a fantastic experience.”

With the title of associate pastor for youth and mission, it could go either way how involved Hodgkins is with the musical lessons. Turns out not at all. Admittedly, she’s “not very musical,” which, given the atmosphere, steeped in staffs, scores, g clefs, tone, range, crescendos, intonation and performance space reliant on acoustics, it seems kind of ironic.

"I can hardly carry a tune in a bucket,” she joked. “But yet they still let me work here, which is a blessing because all my other colleagues are beautiful vocalists. And it's been a great partnership. I basically manage the trip, plan the trip, handle, you know, all the group dynamics and logistics, and (Rev. John Neely, associate pastor for music), and the rest of the music staff help them sing beautifully. So we'll also be traveling with our music associates, who will be the primary accompanists."

The choir will be performing a wide variety of gospel-based songs, from the familiar and traditional to others from around the globe and a medley from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Hodgkins and Rev. Roula Alkhouri went to seminary together and have maintained a friendship for these visits, which happened once before. There was a larger group here for a community service project, and “it was really too hard to find ways to engage all of us in a meaningful way,” Hodgkins said, “so we kind of dropped that piece.”

“But we’ll be doing some sight-seeing, we’ll go to Niagara Falls and are doing some local sites; they’re mostly churches that we have some sort of personal relationship with,” she said. “So we have some of these personal connections to these churches, but I really like the kids to see churches that are different sizes, have different traditions and experiences that they do here at Westminster. The churches have been very generous, and they’re welcoming of the kids and supportive of the kids. Really, music is a huge part of their faith.”

Kids will spend from three to five hours together each Sunday for choir rehearsal and dinner youth group, plus perhaps some bell-ringing. One of the big things that helped the group was the church's willingness to support its Scotland trip last year, Hodgkins said.

“Everything just kind of lined up; we were able to, by the time we traveled last summer, they lifted all the restrictions. We did still sing with masks, but we were able to visit these little churches in Scotland, and because we had something to work towards, the kids really came back strong. Families came back strong last year,” she said. “And then we decided to go to the Northeast again this year because, well, one, it was time because we've got kids who will graduate who hadn't had a Northeast experience. So this was the time to go. But also just to really help them to continue to regain the repertoire.”

As much as the kids use their vocal skills in the choir, most don’t pursue musical majors beyond that, she said. Only two that she knew of were singing in choirs at college. Hodgkins credited her colleague, Rev. John Neely, for his ability of “blending their voices together” rather than strictly focusing on auditions and rehearsals for an end product.

“John works really hard at making sure it’s a fun experience for them, that we are sort of focusing on the words and the sharing of the gospel in music, she said. “I guess because it’s more about community and fellowship and sharing an experience of God and music than a shiny, perfect performance.”

The Northeast tour is designed to help smaller communities enjoy an evening of diverse music and to help and support the ministry of the churches they visit, Alkhouri said.

Dinner and the concert are free, and registration is recommended. Call 585-343-0505 or email fpcbatavia@fpcbatavia.org.

Curious about the value of that curio? Appraisals on Main is May 20

By Joanne Beck
Holland Land Office Museum Director Ryan Duffy
Holland Land Office Museum Executive Director Ryan Duffy
Photo by Howard Owens

You know that old Tiffany-style lamp in the attic? The one next to the cuckoo clock circa 1965? Haven’t you ever wondered what they’re worth, whether to sell it or just in case there was ever a fire?

Well, now’s your chance, Ryan Duffy says. Appraisals on Main: HLOM Appraisal Day will have three experts available to examine and appraise up to five items per person.

“The whole concept is people bring in the items that they want to either learn what their value is, in terms of monetary worth, but also to maybe learn a little bit more about their history or use or what we call provenance, which is sort of background information that they might not know,” said Duffy, Holland Land Office Museum’s executive director, during an interview Wednesday.

The event is a fundraiser for the Holland Land Office and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 20 at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St., Batavia. 

Appointments are required and may be made online or, for those without access to technology, by calling the museum at 585-343-4727.  

There will be three appraisers on hand from Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, Schultz Auctioneers in Clarence and Cottone Auctions in Geneseo. They will meet with people for approximately 10 minutes, depending on how many items are brought in, and discuss what is presented before them.

“The beauty of having these three gentlemen is that they can pretty much look at anything. They've got a wide range of expertise, and it's kind of seeing just about everything you can see in the field, so we're really not limiting it,” Duffy said. “I will add that if somebody has an item that maybe is too big or they're not comfortable bringing that in, they can bring in photographs as a substitute,  images of them that they can have the appraisers look at to help give them some information.”

The cost is $5 per item, and proceeds will go toward "more programming," Duffy said.

As for Duffy’s personal experience in such appraisals, “I shy away from it,” he said. He has gone through the process, but not so much for any of his own personal items, he said. The museum has obtained these appraisers for past events and is familiar with their work, he said. Appraisals on Main are to help with the operation of the museum.

“We’re working on summer programming, another thing we're working towards is the west wing addition, hopefully moving forward in that process going forward. That's a multi-year project for sure. But we're in the beginning stages of that,” he said. “And working on new exhibits, as well. And other larger programming throughout the seasonal, major programs.”

Todd Jantzi, an appraiser from Bontrager, has been in the business for 27 years. It wasn’t his first career choice, he said, as his college aspirations were to become a teacher. When Jantzi was 10, his uncle took him along to an auction, and Jantzi found it “intriguing,” except for working on Saturdays, weekends, nights and in cold weather.

But the auctioneer’s call was too strong, and he was drawn back. Once he joined the family business, he stayed and never looked back. “It’s been a great position, a great occupation,” he said.

His advice for what people should bring to this event?
“People can bring in unique items, items of interest, be it local, unusual, is always the most interesting. They bring in what they think has value,” he said. “And we can share with them if it does or doesn't, they can bring items that they might want to have an appraisal for insurance reasons, so not necessarily even what they're thinking of selling, but just in case if they have something in their home.”

With a background of an uncle founding the Bontrager business in 1935, first in Lancaster, then moving to Darien and settling onto Wortendyke Road in Batavia, Jantzi may know a thing or two of what he’s talking about. What used to be conducted on-site, auctions are completely now online and happen about twice a week, he said.

He runs into items that have more sentimental than monetary value, and folks may have to hear that as well as the sound of a nice dollar figure for their goods.

What about that massive vanity set with mirror attached?
If items are too large or cumbersome to bring in, people may bring in photos  — Jantzi suggests taking five or six shots from all angles to allow for the best perception of the item. 

Has he ever encountered that big jackpot item that shocked its owner? 
No.

“You get 90 percent with similar items like in our own homes,” he said.

These are verbal appraisals, and if people would like a written one, they can follow up individually with the appraiser after the event.

Several dozen people have signed up already, but there are plenty of slots remaining, Duffy said. The slots are in one-hour blocks for 10-minute segments. To sign up, go HERE. Or call 585-343-4727.

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