These are photos from Saturday's Genesee County Home Show, which the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce hosted and organized.

The final day of the home show is Sunday (today), and it runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday's show was well attended, and about a dozen new vendors, plus many of the usual locally owned home improvement-related vendors, were on the floor of the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

Lights, Camera, Fashion! Get ready to experience glamour, style, and cinematic magic as GCC's fashion program presents its 43rd annual fashion show "A Night at the Cinema," an immersive journey through the silver screen's most iconic moments and timeless fashion inspirations. 

Set to take place on Saturday, May 4 at 6 p.m. at the Richard C. Call Arena on GCC's Batavia Campus, this exclusive event promises to be a testament to the creativity and talent of GCC's fashion students.

Each of the scene coordinators presents a line inspired by a genre of film. Whether you are enamored by rom-coms, intrigued by paranormal films, inspired by historical films, energized by sci-fi, captivated by the red carpet premiere, or mystified by fairytales and fantasy, you will find looks you love on the runway. From luxurious evening gowns to sleek, sophisticated suits, each garment has been meticulously designed to evoke the spirit of Hollywood. Merchandising students are also collaborating with local boutiques including Savers, Goodwill of Batavia, and Catwalk Consignments of Clarence to showcase a diverse range of styles and demonstrate the versatility of fashion through sustainable and thrift finds.

In addition to the breathtaking fashion showcase, "A Night at the Cinema" will feature immersive set designs and special surprises that promise to transport attendees to the golden age of cinema. With every detail curated to evoke the magic of the silver screen, guests will be immersed in a world where fashion and film converge in a display of artistry and elegance.

The GCC fashion program extends its gratitude to show sponsors Sage Rutty and Company, Inc., Cleaner Than Before and More Cleaning Services, and Whole Life Fitness for their unwavering commitment to fostering creativity and innovation in the fashion program. Their dedication to the students and community is deeply appreciated, and the College is honored to have them as partners in this spectacular event.

"I am incredibly excited for our students to showcase their talents and creativity through this year's fashion show," said GCC's Assistant Professor of Fashion Business Merchandising, Laura Taylor. "A Night at the Cinema" is a truly immersive production, featuring pre-show interviews, photo-ops with coordinators, and a post-show party and vendor market. Our students have put in a tremendous amount of work and effort to make this year's show, a truly unforgettable experience. We are immensely grateful to our generous sponsors whose support has made this event possible."

As it has in the past, the Fashion Show will include a vendor fair giving local businesses a chance to showcase their products and services. There are still a few tables available for additional vendors. Interested businesses should email FashionShow@genesee.edu. Tables are only $25.

This year's fashion show offers exclusive sponsorship opportunities for businesses, organizations, and individuals interested in supporting the GCC fashion program. For more information, please contact Laura Taylor at ljtaylor@genesee.edu. Don't miss out on this exciting event, celebrating the timelessness of fashion and the talent of GCC's fashion students.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a red carpet paparazzi photo shoot, vendor fair, and complimentary concession stand. Following the show, attendees can enjoy a meet and greet with the designers and stylists.

Tickets are on sale now at www.gccfashionshow.com. General admission tickets are available for $10 and include access to the vendor fair, meet and greet, and a selfie photo spot. VIP tickets are available for $25 and include the same perks of general admission along with seating in the VIP area and a gift bag. 

General admission tickets will be available until May 4 at 6 a.m., and a limited number of walk-in general admission tickets will be available at the door for cash only. VIP tickets will be available through May 1. VIP tickets will not be available at the door.

For more information contact Vice President, Development, Admissions, and External Affairs Justin M. Johnston at (585) 345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.

Press Release:

Join GCC's Forum Players as they present "Into the Woods" April 25 - 27 at 7 p.m. and April 28 at 2 p.m. at the Stuart Steiner Theatre. Featuring students from various majors at Genesee Community College, this production marks the return of musical theater to GCC after a multi-year hiatus. 

Tackling the complexities of Sondheim's classic tale, the cast embarks on the challenging journey of bringing his emotionally rich compositions and clever lyrics to life on stage, recognizing the difficulty and ultimate reward in mastering Sondheim's iconic music.

Into the Woods follows classic fairytale characters on an adventure to fulfill their deepest wishes. The Baker and his Wife want more than anything to have a child, Cinderella desires to attend the King's Festival, and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. 

When the Baker and his Wife realize their wish cannot come true because of a Witch's curse, they set out on a grand quest to break the spell. As their stories intertwine, they will all learn to be careful what they wish for. Even wishes don't come without consequences.

Lapine and Sondheim focused on the characters's individual quests in Act 1. The second act sees the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions and coming together as a community. One of Sondheim's most popular works, Into the Woods features exquisite music, whimsical settings, dark humor, and themes that will stay with the audience long after the curtain closes.

The cast includes Maya Webb as The Giant/The Narrator, Paul Daniszewski as The Baker, Ashlyn Puccio as The Baker's Wife, Isabella Wheeler as Cinderella, Qasim Huzair as Jack, Grace Wheeler as Little Red Riding Hood, Jeriko Suzette Nemeth as The Witch, Marc Sapareto as Cinderella's Prince / Wolf, Jasmine Wessel as Rapunzel, Chris Brown as Rapunzel's Prince, Chris Bush as Jack's Mother, Seth Coburn as the Mysterious Man, Cassidy Crawford as Cinderella's Stepmother, Rosie Carioti-Darling and Sienna Korytkowski as Cinderella's Stepsisters, Shakeem Walcott as Cinderella's Father, Lauren Ruch as Cinderella's Mother / Little Red's Granny, and Aden Chua as The Steward.

Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for GCC students and seniors. If you are a GCC Student or Employee, tickets are free. Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/GCC_IntoTheWoods. Contact boxoffice@genesee.edu with any questions.

Questions for the director? Contact Brodie McPherson at bqmcpherson@genesee.edu

Questions for the vocal director? Contact Lauren Picarro-Hoerbelt at lnpicarrohoerbelt@genesee.edu

General questions can be answered by Jessica Skehan, Arts Center assistant, via email at jeskehan@genesee.edu or call (585) 343-0055 x6490

Genesee Community College (GCC) proudly announces Dr. James Sunser, esteemed President of GCC, as the distinguished commencement speaker for the institution's 56th commencement ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 18 at 1 p.m. at GCC's Richard C. Call Arena.

Dr. Sunser's selection as commencement speaker marks a fitting tribute to his remarkable tenure of leadership and service to Genesee Community College. After more than 13 years at the helm, Dr. Sunser announced his intention to retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic year. His retirement comes after a career characterized by unwavering commitment to student success and transformative initiatives.

"I am deeply honored and humbled to have been selected as Genesee Community College's commencement speaker. It is a privilege to address such a vibrant community of learners as they embark on their next journey. I am thankful for the opportunity to inspire and celebrate the achievements of the class of 2024," said Dr. Sunser.

Under Dr. Sunser's stewardship, GCC witnessed significant milestones, including the development of the Richard C. Call Arena and the Student Success Center. These capital projects represented the largest fundraising efforts ever undertaken by the College, reinforcing Dr. Sunser's commitment to advancing educational opportunities for all students.

Moreover, Dr. Sunser provided exemplary leadership during the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring continuity of services while prioritizing the health and well-being of the campus community.

Prior to his tenure at GCC, Dr. Sunser held several senior-level positions at SUNY Onondaga Community College over a span of 22 years. His illustrious career also includes five years as an administrator at Syracuse University. Dr. Sunser's contributions extend beyond GCC; he currently serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education's Executive Committee, having previously served two terms as Chair in 2020 and 2021.

Genesee Community College extends a warm invitation to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the broader community to join in honoring Dr. Sunser at the 56th commencement ceremony. His address promises to inspire and resonate with graduates as they embark on their own paths of academic and personal fulfillment.

For more information contact Vice President, Admissions, Development, and External Affairs Justin Johnston at (585) 345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.

Press release:

Jason Upton is a singer/songwriter with the heart of a pastor. 

Whether Jason is leading people in worship through singing or speaking, Jason does his best to carry the Father’s heart. 

His songs and his messages reflect a life fully lived in a relationship with God, family and friends. Jason and Key of David Ministries have several recordings available that document Jason and his band expressing the heart of God for His people through song, instrumental spontaneity and spoken word. 

Jason currently lives in Wisconsin with his wife Rachel and their children Samuel, Emma, Lucy and Oliver. 

Upton performs at 7 p.m. on April 26 at EverPresent Church, 4 Batavia City Centre, Batavia.

For more information about Jason Upton and Key of David Ministries, please visit www.jasonupton.com.

Seating is very limited, so secure your ticket today.

To purchase tickets, follow this link: https://everpresentchurch.com/upcoming-events/

The Genesee County Health Department is seeking information about the location of a dog and its owner following a dog bite incident on Monday, April 1. The incident occurred at Centennial Park (151 State Street) in Batavia, NY. 

The owner was a middle-aged male with a reddish beard and black glasses. The dog involved in the incident was described as a black and tan German Shepard with a harness that was running loose in the park.   

The health department would like to locate the dog as soon as possible to confirm that it is healthy. This would indicate that the rabies virus would not have been transmitted at the time of the bite. 

If you have information about the location of the dog and its owner, please contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555.

The Batavian has sent several questions regarding the budget to Library Director Beth Paine, and will provide an updated article once responses are received. 

Paine said in the budget newsletter that she looks forward to upcoming programs and initiatives.

“As I look forward in 2024 and continuing into 2025, I see our continuing update projects for technology, a jam-packed Summer Reading Program, some brand new and innovative programs for all ages, like our new Minecraft Mondays that start on April 15, and some outdoor projects to enhance the beauty and use of space on the library’s property. And I am happy to report that even with all of these amazing updates, the Board of Trustees has been able to keep our budget increase to only 1%,” she said. “Our main goal is to not only provide Batavia residents with an open and free library to visit to check out a book, but also a community center where you can learn about everything from how to open an email account to how to create a journal, to getting help filing your taxes. We thank you for your consistent support and for allowing us to continue to serve you and the entire Batavia community.”

The budget is an increase of $15,753. One main question is about how the budget is outlined on the library’s website, but does not include the prospective tax rate increase to coincide with that $13,814 levy increase. How will this affect taxpayers?

The library has a robust race this year for the board, with three candidates running for two seats vacated by Board President Jessica Ecock Rotondo and Norm Argulsky. Those candidates are:

Christina Mortellaro is a native Batavian and lover of libraries. She is interested in becoming a Library Trustee because she firmly believes that public libraries are cornerstones of democracy, keepers of history, and providers of equitable access to information and space in a community.

Christina is the current Director of the TRIO Adult Educational Opportunity Center (AEOC) at SUNY Genesee Community College (GCC), a federally-funded college access program that supports adults who are low-income and potential first-generation students throughout Western New York. She holds an MSEd in Higher Education Administration from SUNY Brockport and a dual BA in English and Communication from SUNY Geneseo.

Prior to working as the director of AEOC, Christina was an Assistant Director and Student Advisor with the TRIO Upward Bound program at SUNY GCC, a similar program for high school students. Before working in higher education, Christina served two terms with Rochester Youth Year AmeriCorps VISTA, a different federally funded program working to alleviate the effects of poverty in Rochester, NY.

Christina currently serves as a Board Member At Large for the Association for Equality and Excellence in Education, Inc. (AEEE), a professional association that supports college access professionals at 125 colleges and universities in New York and New Jersey. She will transition to be AEEE’s Western New York Representative this fall.

Other current and relevant volunteer experience includes being a current volunteer with Richmond Memorial Library’s “Books Sandwiched In” committee, serving on the executive board of GCC’s Inclusive Excellence Committee, and being a former 13-year volunteer with HOBY Leadership.

In her spare time, Christina loves to spend time with family, friends, and the cats in her life. She loves to read, write, craft, travel, and support the arts.

Felipe Oltramari has been a resident of the City of Batavia for the past 17 years. Along with his wife, they have raised two daughters in Batavia. Felipe works as the Director of Planning for Genesee County and has been working for the department for over 20 years. Felipe graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo and received a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science, concentrating in Environmental and Community Land Planning, from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF). He is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and accredited with the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNUa).

John Roach is from Kenmore, in Erie County. He moved to Batavia in 1974, when he started working for New York State.

He retired from the New York State Department of Corrections as a Senior Counselor after 36 years, starting out as a Correction Officer at Attica. He also worked at the Wyoming, Orleans and Albion Correctional Facilities.

John is a Vietnam War Veteran who served as a Military Police Investigator. He then joined the US Army Reserve and retired after 32 total service as a Master Sergeant, working in Facility Management for the Division Engineer. Other positions in the Reserve were Nuclear Security, Drill Sergeant, Instructor, Training Evaluator and Division Engineer Office.

John was a volunteer with the local Boy Scouts for 29 years.

He served on the City of Batavia Charter Commission twice and on the Mall Operating Committee one term.

John believes in public libraries as a necessary part of a community and wants to help keep ours going.

The vote on May 2 will ask citizens to say yes or no to the tax levy of $1,395,283, and to vote for two out of the three candidates for a three-year term. 

Two people did different things, but the right things, which led to Walmart being evacuated Wednesday afternoon even though there was no threat to life or the safety of people at the store, said Chief Deputy Brian Frieday.

A local man had purchased a pellet rifle and, after apparently throwing out the packaging, decided to return it to Walmart. Frieday said the man did the right thing. He called the store in advance to let them know what he was doing.

A customer saw the man get out of his truck and walk into the store with the gun.  That customer called 9-1-1 and reported a person had loaded a shotgun and was walking into the store.

"Patrols converged on the Walmart store," Frieday said. "In that response, we're able to clear the store, locate the individual and locate what was not a shotgun. It turned out to be a pellet gun that they were returning to the store that didn't work properly. There is no fault whatsoever. I'm glad the person called in because that's the 'see something, say something.' I'm glad they called it in. I know it creates a little bit of an inconvenience for patrons of the store, the store itself, and anybody around, even traffic around. But that's a great outcome. It's just a little bit of an inconvenience compared to everything we're seeing around the country now."

The man was located by patrols outside the store without the gun.  He had left it at the gun counter in the store.  He is not facing any charges.

"It seems very innocuous," Frieday said. "It's a misunderstanding. It was an observation by somebody that they rightfully called in because it appeared that it could be something threatening."

The Sheriff's Office was the lead agency on the call, assisted by Batavia PD and New York State Police. At least 10 patrol units responded, according to a witness.

During the incident, the store was evacuated -- all employees and customers were asked to leave the building.  Once police officers determined there was no threat, employees and customers were allowed back in.

Photos by Howard Owens.

While the man did the right thing by calling the store in advance, Frieday suggested people who need to return a potentially threatening item that isn't in its original packaging can go a step further by asking an employee to meet them outside with some sort of bag or packing for the item.

Press Release:

GO ART! is excited to host the Western New York Steel Band Festival for its second year on Saturday, April 13, at 2:30 p.m., in the Batavia City Centre. Organized by teaching artist and percussionist Ted Canning, the event welcomes everyone to enjoy steel pan bands performing on this instrument developed in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Admission is a $5 suggested donation, and ample parking is available at the City Centre.  The Western New York Steel Band Festival is being presented as part of the activities of GLOW Creatives, a group of 10 artists (including Canning) at GO ART! who received a grant from the Creatives Rebuild New York Artist Employment Program, supported by the Mellon Foundation. 

GO ART! programming is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, which has the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Doors open at 2 p.m. for the public. Attendees can view a new City Center statue created collaboratively by GLOW Creatives artists Bill Schutt, Dan Butler, and Jill Pettigrew. 

Ithaca College’s IC Steel, Steel Alchemy Community Steelband, Rochester Institute of Technology’s Tiger Steel, Lancaster High School Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra, and Panloco Steelband are featured bands. 

The bands will showcase Caribbean music while also illustrating the many genres and rhythms that steel bands commonly perform. The concert will conclude on a high note with a joint performance of all the bands—about 70 players in all!

Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra was started by John Marone in 1974 and is the third oldest established continuing steel drum program in the United States. The group performs numerous concerts and events annually in the greater Buffalo area, has produced several recordings, and has traveled from Philadelphia, Chicago, Disney World, and Trinidad.

IC Steel was established in the 1990s by percussionist Gordon Stout and continues to offer students the opportunity for a diverse ensemble experience at the college. 

The RIT Tiger Steel band is an ensemble offered through the School of the Performing Arts, a campus-wide initiative to enhance the arts experience for all students. They have represented the university at events off campus and were featured in the 2022 holiday video card for the university. 

Steel Alchemy was formed in 2001 as a community-based band, open to anyone ages 13 and older. With an emphasis on intergenerational group learning, the band performs at town festivals, concert series, and private events throughout the Genesee Valley. 

Established in 1995, Panloco Steelband explores the unique musical qualities of the pan from its traditional Caribbean roots to pop, jazz, classical, and styles from around the world. They perform at private and public events in the region and with international performances in Sicily, Mexico City, and Siena, Italy.

“I’m excited to bring this festival to Batavia again,” says Canning.  “It might be surprising for people to learn that our part of the state has a significant connection to the Trinidadian steel band tradition and its founders, from the groups featured at the festival as well as Paul Ferrette’s Caribbean Extravaganza in Buffalo, Al St. John’s Trinidad and Tobago Steel band in Rochester, and a history of school bands in Rochester, Randolph, Ithaca, Naples, and Dundee. I’m looking forward to sharing this music with our community—it will be a great time!”