Pictured front row (from left to right): Vice-District Gov. Tom Flaherty, Linda Olsen - new member, Dr. Ross Fanara - board member, Roger Bohn - membership chairperson. Middle row (left to right) Hal Mitchell - board member, Zac Curtis - new member, Mike Taggert - new member, John Bohn - new member. Back row: Ron Metz - President of the Lion's Club.
Press Release:
Batavia Lion's Club inducted new members at their monthly meeting, Dr. Ross Fanara led the induction.
Alexander beat Elba 68-32 in the first round of the Peter Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament in the small school division at Genesee Community College on Friday.
The final score: 68-32.
Kingston Woods scored 16 points for the Trojans, and Dylan Pohl scored 14.
Nicholas Scott and Ryan Marsceill each scored 10 for the Lancers.
Photo of Batavia Lions speaker Julia Rogers, coordinator of Community Schools, and Batavia Lions President Ronald Metz. Submitted photo.
Press Release:
At the Lions Club most recent meeting, guest speaker Julia Rogers, coordinator of Community School Programs, spoke about her work and a grant that the Batavia City School District received.
The grant is designed to help students overcome barriers that affect or interrupt their education. Focus on these issues is also available to the families. Necessities such as clothes, food, toiletries, and hygiene materials can be provided to the students, and the program can also help with beds and mattresses for children as well.
She added that the grant can be used to get mental health for students. The program is looking for volunteers and volunteer groups that can help students through mentoring and other activities.
Rogers thanked the Lions Club for the sight screening program for preschoolers. In return, she’s boosting the Lions Club among the faculty when she can, and was almost drafted into membership before she left. Rogers said her group looks forward to community contacts for problem-solving.
The Batavia Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Everyone is welcome to visit the American Legion at 8960 Alexander Road, Batavia.
Submitted photo of program Speaker Brian Cousins, president of Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, and Ronald Metz, Batavia Lions president.
Press Release:
Brian Cousins, president of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, introduced the Chamber stating their goal is to further the interests of the local business community in Genesee County, in turn creating a better community for all of us to live.
The Chamber is a private, not-for-profit, membership-driven organization that brings together representatives throughout the county to promote a vibrant local economy. Brian stated many are in the planning loop for the anticipated Solar Eclipse Festival on Friday to Sunday, April 5-7, at the Genesee County Village & Museum.
The Chamber’s purpose is to promote and support local 500 business members and organizations, involving many others rather than the chamber running activities itself. There are 30 to 40 events scheduled in Genesee County around the eclipse.
The Chamber has produced eclipse posters and a children’s book, which was favorably reviewed in Forbes, and has distributed over 20,000 pairs of glasses to safely observe it. He also noted that the Home Show is coming on April 12-14 and that Windy Brew will be hosting a business after-hours in Batavia on April 25.
The Batavia Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month and everyone is welcome to visit the American Legion, 8960 Alexander Road, Batavia.
Submitted photo of Jodie Coburn, Functional Medicine Health Coach.
Jo Coburn was the recent speaker at the Batavia Lions Meeting. The talk was ‘Functional Wellness - Holistic Medicine’, a Natural Health and Wellness Option.
She noted that Holistic medicine takes a broader approach than traditional medical care by considering the individual as a whole and doesn’t treat, diagnose, or cure, but works on the foundations of a healthy lifestyle and works to restore proper functions in the body.
Her work focuses on eliminating the need for multiple medications to maintain health. While traditional medicine focuses on identifying specific symptoms to label conditions and treating them with medication, Holistic medicine uses natural remedies and therapies to support the body’s natural healing ability.
Mrs. Coburn, a Functional Wellness Practitioner, likened her work to helping clients build a home. It is difficult to build a house when you have missing parts. In her work to build a strong and resilient person, you must have all the necessary nutrients and functioning parts.
It is hard to build a home without nails, or a body without magnesium. And it is difficult to keep a home functioning without a working sewer system or a body without good elimination. To further the analogy, she considers certain behaviors as the foundation on which good health is built: nutrition, hydration, breathing, digestion, elimination, and so on.
Her clients are concerned about Stress & Mental Health, Hormone Imbalances, Digestive Issues, Fatigue and Energy Levels, Sleep Disturbances, and Chronic Pain; and she works with individuals and families.
The initial workup begins with standard lab tests you may already have had from your medical provider along with functional testing to determine where the client is deficient in minerals and nutrients, then helps build a healthy lifestyle for the client.
The goal is a personalized insight into health with practical tools to enhance wellness in a supportive community for maximized benefits.
Further information is available by booking a free consultation at https://jocoburn.com/. The Batavia Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month and everyone is welcome to visit the American Legion, 8960 Alexander Road, Batavia.
Submitted photo of Batavia Lions President Ronald Metz and Program Speaker Grace Marzolf, MPH of Genesee County Health Department
Press Release:
Grace Marzolf, MPH, Public Health Educator from the Genesee County Health Department was the guest speaker whose topic was about childhood lead poisoning prevention at the recent Lions meeting.
She noted that the health department has various programs such as the Children with Special Needs Program, Community Health Services, Emergency Preparedness, Environmental Health, Public Health Education, and Weights and Measures.
The department also has a Lead Poisoning Prevention Program that services Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) Counties. Lead is toxic to the human body and there is an average of thirty childhood lead poisoning cases throughout Genesee and Orleans Counties each year.
Grace also informed the group they have programs to test for lead in homes with small children and pregnant women. Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint or plumbing, but lead can also be in imported toys and jewelry and contaminated soil.
Exposure and rising lead levels occur with no obvious symptoms and frequently go unrecognized. There is no safe level of lead for children, especially vulnerable because of their developing bodies. Lead affects a child’s behavior and ability to learn but can be managed if caught in time.
Screening and remediation are available to qualified homeowners and landlords throughout the GLOW region as part of the HUD grant. Further information is available at the Health Department (585) 344-2850 x5555 or GOHealthNY.org.
The Batavia Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month and everyone is welcome to visit the American Legion, 8960 Alexander Road, Batavia.
Submitted photo of Ron Metz (left), president of Lions Club of Batavia, and John Bender, executive director of the GLOW YMCA.
Press Release:
Lion Ron Metz, president of the Lions Club of Batavia, welcomed Josh Bender, executive director of the GLOW YMCA, who updated club members about YMCA's progress with the ongoing Healthy Living campus project in downtown Batavia.
The director noted that it started six years ago when a casual group of people had an initial discussion about proposals of remodeling locker rooms. With time, the ideas morphed into a $30 million project shared with Rochester Regional Hospital.
The grand opening is projected for the fall of this year, with most of the glass enclosure facing Main Street nearing completion. Josh noted three-quarters of the new 80,000-square-foot facility will be occupied by YMCA programming and have children, teens, and multipurpose rooms, as well as the gym, workout rooms, and traditional “Y’ spaces.
The new project has plans to employ 200 full- and part-time staff, and membership is projected to be 4,000 or more.
The Batavia Police Department would like to thank the Batavia Lions Club for its generous donation and work during the Day of Caring. Batavia PD donated several slightly used bicycles to the Lions Club.
During the Genesee County Day of Caring, the Lions Club partnered with Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle to service/fix up these bikes. Once the tuneups were completed, the Lions Club donated eight bicycles back to Batavia PD to be distributed to local children in need.
The Batavia PD School Resource Officers teamed up with guidance counselors from Batavia City Schools to select these children. Batavia PD and the Lions Club have agreed to continue this partnership in the years to come to ensure we can help the community in which we serve.
Batavia PD would like to thank the Lions Club, Adam Millers, and the Batavia City Schools for their assistance in this newly founded program.
As the Batavia Lions Club continues to move past the pandemic, we are reconnecting with our partners from past projects.
For many years the Club had been working with the Batavia Police Department and Adam Millers to refurbish bikes that have been recovered by the BPD and get them into the hands of children and adults who can use them. To that end, Detectives James Defreze and Matthew Wojtaszczyk (pictured above with Lions President Diane Hawn) visited the Club to review how bikes might be recovered and be eligible for donation to the Lions Club.
Many bikes are recovered each year that are damaged beyond repair. Those bikes are disposed of. If owners can be found for the usable bikes, they will be returned. If there is no way to determine ownership, they can be donated to an organization like the Lions. In past years those bikes have been refurbished and distributed to organizations such as The Salvation Army and ARC.
The detectives do encourage people to register their bikes with the BPD so if they are recovered, the bikes can be returned to the owner.
A relaxed discussion followed on several issues that the BPD faces every day and the complexity of modern law enforcement. Detectives Defreze and Wojtaszczyk were relaxed and informative in the give-and-take with the Lions Club. The Club looks forward to re-establishing the bike program and working with BPD to serve the community.
Top photo: Submitted.
File photo from 2014 Day of Caring outside Adam Miller Toys and Bicycles by Howard Owens, from front: John Huntzinger, Chuck Brenner, Bob Swanson, Tom Clark, Pier Chipollone, Dave Cuttia, John Roach and Van Scoy.
Roger Bohn, a 51-year member of the Batavia Lions Club, was honored Monday night at the civic club's weekly meeting held at the American Legion in Batavia with the Robert J Uplinger Award.
The Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award was established in 1993. The award honors outstanding individuals (both Lions and non-Lions) or organizations who provide a significant service to their club, district or community.
The Lions Clubs motto is "We serve," and Bohn has fulfilled that duty by being a past president, as well as holding a variety of other offices, and serving on countless committees to serve our community for 51 years, including many events to assist the NYS School for the Blind.
Bohn is pictured with Diane Hawn, current Batavia Lions Club president.
Merritt Holly, Jr., unloaded on Attica for 27 points on Tuesday evening in the opening game of the 2022 Lions Tournament at GCC to lead Le Roy to a 48-30 win over Attica.
Jean Agosto scored 12 points for the Oatkan Knights.
Cole Harding scored 18 points for the Blue Devils.
Other opening-round games today:
Elba vs. Oakfield-Alabama (started at 5:15 p.m.)
Medina vs. Notre Dame (started at 6:30 p.m.)
Roy-Hart vs. Batavia (starts at 8 p.m.)
On Thursday, the small school championship game is at 6:30 p.m. and the large school championship game is at 8 p.m. Both games are being played at GCC.
For the first 12 minutes of their championship match at GCC on Thursday night, Le Roy and Attica looked pretty evenly matched, then in the waning minutes of the first half, the Oatkan Knights offense caught fire.
By the end, the score wasn't close.
Le Roy won the large school division crown of the 39th Annual Pete Arras Lions Tournament 58-34.
The Knights held the Blue Devils to only 14 points in the second half, only four points in the final quarter.
For Le Roy, Mitchel Hockey scored 28 points, Merritt Holly scored nine, John Penepento, 9, and Finn Shelby, 9.
For Attica, Cole Harding scored 11 points.
The all-tournament team for the large school division:
Oakfield-Alabama prevailed over Notre Dame on Thursday to win the small schools division of the 39th Annual Pete Arras Lions Tournament at Genesee Community College.
The final score was 74-61.
Kaden Cusmano scored 20 points for the Hornets, Kam Cusmano, 18, and Gaige Armbrewster, 11.
For Notre Dame, Jordan Welker scored 24 points and Cody Henry scored 17 points.
The small schools' all-tournament team:
CJ Gottler, Elba
Cody Henry, Notre Dame
Jordan Welker, Notre Dame
Gaige Armbrewster, Oakfield-Alabama
Kaden Cusmano, Oakfield-Alabama
Kameron Cusmano, Oakfield-Alabama (MVP)
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos, click here.
After trailing for much of the game, including, at times, by double-digits, the Batavia Blue Devils put together a final quarter rally but still fell short against Attica, 50-48.
Carter McFollins scored 19 points for Batavia while Tanner Mountain added 12 points.
For Attica, Simon Lamparell scored 16 points and Luke George scored 10.
Attica advances to the championship game at 9 p.m., Thursday, at the GCC gym against Le Roy.
The Fighting Irish are advancing to the championship round the 39th Annual Lions Club Tournament in the small school division after beating Alexander on Tuesday 66-51.
Notre Dame will play Oakfield-Alabama at 7 p.m., Thursday.
For the Irish, Cody Henry scored 22 points, Jordan Welker, 17, Ryan Fitzpatrick, 11, and Jimmy Fanara, nine.
For the Trojans, Nick Kramer scored 14 points, Dylan Pohl, 10, and Trent Woods, 8.
Photo: Roger Bohn, of Batavia Lions Club, Lions Club President Joe Teresi and T.F. Brown's Restaurant owner Rick Mancuso.
Submitted photo and information:
You and your family are cordially invited to the annual Christmas Day Community Dinner, sponsored by the Batavia Lions Club and T.F. Brown's Restaurant, where it is held. The dinner is an opportunity for those who maybe alone for the day, the less fortunate, or simply those who would like to share dinner with fellow community members.
For more than 20 years, this partnership has provided a free, traditional buffet-style Christmas meal to people in the community and a special gift for each child who attends. (The restaurant is not officially open and the full menu is not available. The bar is closed.)
Two seatings are available at the restaurant, located at 214 E. Main St. in the City of Batavia: at noon, and at 1 p.m. Dec. 25.
Please RSVP no later than Dec. 20.
To attend, click on the PDF invitation here, fill it out and return it. Or call 345-1000 -- the office at T.F. Brown's -- and let Barb know how many will be attending, which seating time you prefer; most importantly, let her know the age/gender and first names of children attending so they can receive a special gift.
Completed invitations can be faxed to 345-1003, or emailed to Barb at: barb@mancusoproperties.com
As in the past, your hosts promise all a great meal, a special gift for the younger family members and plenty of Holiday Joy.
In the past, they have served dinners to more than 300 individuals and presented Christmas presents to all of the younger family members in attendance.
The annual Peter Arras Lions Basketball Tournament tips off at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 27 at Genesee Community College with Roy Hart, Attica, Elba, Oakfield-Alabama, Notre Dame, Perry, Le Roy, and Batavia high schools competing for large school and small school trophies.
Roy Hart and Attica play the first game at 3:30 p.m.
Elba vs. O-A is at 5:15 p.m.
Perry vs Notre Dame at 7 p.m.
Le Roy vs. BHS, at 8:45 p.m.
The championship games are Dec. 30, with consolidation games at 3:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. The small school championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the large school championship game at 9 p.m.
Submitted photo and information.
Photo: front row -- Aiden Johnson, O-A, Bryce Reigle, Batavia, Joey Burdick, O-A, Reed Albee, Roy Hart; back row -- Franic Bisceglie, Attica, Michael Hockey, Perry, Grant Gilligan, Le Roy, Colton Dillion, Elba.
At the Muckdogs' game, the Batavia Lions Club held their annual bike giveaway. This year's winners were Emerson Mager, of Batavia, and Charlie Pratt, of Ware Shoals, S.C.
