Photographer Jennifer DiQuattro decided to take a nature walk in Dewitt Recreation Area on Tuesday and found herself on the Ellicott Trail.  Here are her photos from her stroll.

Registration is now open for the Boxcar Derby, sponsored by the Business Improvement District, and to be held at Centennial Park on Aug. 17.

The first opportunity to register is today at John Kennedy Intermediate School, 166 Vine St., Batavia, during the Mud Run, which starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes until 7:30 p.m.

There are 32 positions available.  The entry fee is $20 per racer.  There will be a BID Boxcar Derby booth at the Mud Run. The race is open to children ages 7 to 10.

“We encourage our racers to show their talents, personalities, and dedication,” Maute said. “My Cut Barbershop and our BID leaders do that daily in their businesses and our community, and we applaud them for sponsoring one of our great racers this year.” 

“We encourage our racers to show their talents, personalities, and dedication,” said BID Director Shannon Maute. “My Cut Barbershop and our BID leaders do that daily in their businesses and our community, and we applaud them for sponsoring one of our great racers this year.”

Additional forms will be available by request to Maute at director@downtownbataviany.com. 

“We’re excited to host another great day of fun, family-friendly activities as we celebrate the skills and sportsmanship of our racers,” Maute said.

My Cut Barbershop hosted a kick-off event recently.
 

Press Release:

The Batavia City School District (BCSD) is proud to acknowledge the Batavia High School Production Club’s recent success at the Rochester Broadway Theater League’s (RBTL) Stars of Tomorrow Competition held on Friday, May 10.

BHS was recognized for its March 2024 production of Footloose. 

45 schools in the Rochester area participated in this year’s competition, and Batavia High School’s production of Footloose received the following recognition from the RBTL:

• Excellence in Acting Ensemble
• Excellence in Vocal Ensemble
• Excellence in Dance Ensemble
• Excellence in Student Orchestra

Additionally, all of BHS’s eligible leads were recognized for Excellence in a Leading Role:

• Lilyana Burke
• Melania deSa e Frias 
• Ephraim Hanna
• Gavynn Trippany
• Peyton Woeller
• Kate Woodward

BHS Production Club Director Caryn Wood individually submitted honorees for “Future Star” and “Director’s Special Recognition.”

“Future Stars” are middle or elementary school students who are recognized by their directors for Outstanding Individual Performances in their high school musical.

Adam Jursted was honored by Batavia. “Adam is a 6th grader and already in his second show with BHS Production Club. He is developing into a wonderful performer, but he is also just a fantastic young man. His smile and one-liner comebacks are notorious to everyone in our club. He is wonderful to work with, and he lights up the stage every time he steps onto it. We are so grateful that Adam joined our cast once again this year,” said Caryn Wood.

“Director’s Special Recognition” is for those going above and beyond in the production of their show.

Ayden Carlson and Emerson Fitch were honored by Batavia. “Ayden Carlson has been an MVP member of BHS Drama and Production Clubs since their freshman year. They have shown amazing growth as a performer but are also a phenomenal friend and support to their peers. Ayden brings fantastic character to every role they have played. They are kind, honest, and work extremely hard to help make all scenes they appear in better for everyone in them. Ayden is one of our very talented senior performers; we will miss them so much next year,” said Caryn Wood.

"As a new member of the BHS Production Club, Emerson Fitch has brought amazing energy to our group. She is always willing to pitch in and help, and she is a very strong performer. She brings brightness and enthusiasm to every scene she appears in and is a wonderful role model to her peers. Emerson always goes the extra mile to support her fellow cast members. We want to thank Emerson for being such a wonderful and positive member of this cast,” said Caryn Wood.

Superintendent Jason Smith had this to say about the club’s recent recognition: “I couldn’t be more proud of our BHS Production Club’s achievements at this year’s Stars of Tomorrow competition. The club’s production of Footloose was incredibly fun and dynamic, and I’m not surprised RBTL recognized this talented group of students. Special thanks to Caryn Wood for her longtime dedication and commitment to this wonderful program at BHS.”

“The BHS Production Club and cast of our musical Footloose were excited to participate in the RBTL Stars of Tomorrow Program this year,” said Caryn Wood. “It’s a great opportunity for our students to perform on a professional stage and receive well-deserved love and support from other performance students across the region. Our cast, crew, and musicians all deserve continual kudos and congratulations for their energetic, brave, and outstanding production of Footloose earlier this year. It was a wonderful night full of performances and displays of shared community. Every participating school district should be extraordinarily proud of the amazing student performers and their awesome compassionate support of one another.”

At the annual Stars of Tomorrow Recognition Ceremony, participating schools have the opportunity to perform a selection from their musical on stage at the Auditorium Theatre.  Recognition is given to schools with the highest scores in each of the adjudicated categories, and students are given a chance to shine. Additionally, select students recognized for leading roles at the Stars of Tomorrow Ceremony are eligible to compete in Stars of Tomorrow NYC Bound for the chance to represent Rochester, at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards.”

More information on the Rochester Broadway Theater League’s Stars of Tomorrow, including participating schools and productions, can be found here.

The City of Batavia Fire Department would like to announce that Firefighter Craig Huntoon will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant effective June 12.

Firefighter Huntoon has served the residents of the City of Batavia since 2019. Prior to that, he was an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter in the Marine Corps. 

He has continually displayed a great deal of fire service knowledge and leadership ability. He has been and will continue to be an asset in his new role as Lieutenant for the 4th Platoon.

UPDATE: Xavier Ricks has been located and is safe.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating a runaway 15-year-old boy. 

Xavier Ricks was last seen on April 26 in Batavia. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and brown shoes. 

Xavier is about 5'11", 130 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. 

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350 or the NYS Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3543. Tips can also be submitted by clicking the "submit a tip" button at the bottom of this post on bataviapolice.org.

Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or “the Company”), is a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission-critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced today that it has filed a universal shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  

If and when the shelf registration is declared effective, it will permit the Company to offer and sell, from time to time in one or more offerings, up to $150 million of common stock, preferred stock, warrants, purchase contracts, units, or any combination of these securities.

Christopher J. Thome, Chief Financial Officer, commented, “We believe a shelf registration is a demonstration of good corporate governance as it provides GHM with enhanced financial flexibility to meet our long-term strategic goals.  It enables us to access the capital markets quickly and efficiently, if and when favorable conditions align for the Company and our shareholders."

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is once again partnering with Sunnking Sustainable Solutions to offer free electronic device collection and recycling for the community. 

Collection day will be Saturday, June 22 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the parking lot at 5130 E Main Street Rd. in Batavia. Pre-registration is requested of all attendees at the website https://form.jotform.com/Sunnking/eo-batavia---june-2024.

“Recycling is a small but impactful way we can help keep our communities clean and I’m grateful to the good people at Sunnking Sustainable Solutions for partnering with me for another year of work,” Hawley said. “Anything from cell phones to computers to TVs can be recycled, so please, register today and help keep our communities clean!”

Press Release:

A partner of the Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMCs) in Buffalo and Batavia, Western New York Independent Living, Inc. (WNYIL) received the sole contract for Veteran Directed Care (VDC) with the VA.  

While the Veteran Directed Care model is new to WNY, it has demonstrated success in self-directed care by Veterans across the nation. VA Medical Centers partner with non-profit Independent Living Centers to empower Veterans to employ their own aides (often already being provided by family members).

WNY Independent Living CEO, Douglas Usiak shares, “As an aging service-connected disabled Veteran myself, I am excited to know that my brother and sister Veterans will have the comfort to direct their own homecare needs and remain in their home of choice as long as possible. A secondary satisfaction to being involved in the launch of this program is the opportunity to work with the VAMC in the capacity of a partner, and not just one of their consumers of services. This partnership gives me the opportunity to advance my lifelong passion of promoting the Independent Living philosophy that believes that we all have a right to live in our homes, work in our communities, and engage in society as a person with a disability.”

A focus of this program is to reach the underserved rural parts of WNY where Veterans face provider shortages, geographic and distance barriers, limited broadband coverage which impairs their ability to participate in telehealth, and social determinants of health relative to rural living experiences (i.e., access to transportation, employment).  

To ensure a trust-built rapport with Veterans, WNY Independent Living has employed another Army Veteran, Thomas Patterson, to serve in the Person-Centered Counsellor role and interface directly with the Veterans in assessing their needs in their homes and communities. Veterans and Tom work together to build a Spending Plan to identify costs for their Personal Assistants and obtain any additional goods and services the Veteran requires to improve quality of life in their home and community.

The power of this Veteran Directed Care program can be recognized in the experiences of the individual Veterans who are participating in VDC. For example, a 94-year-old Veteran who functions independently in his own home and wants to remain there with some additional oversight for specific household tasks and community access – like going to the library for a new mystery novel, has employed his daughter-in-law for these functions.   Another Veteran depends on his granddaughter for activities of daily living and then she needs to go to her job in the community to support herself. Being able to be paid to continue the care she already provides to her “Poppy” will improve the quality of life for both. One thing is certain: their stories are being heard.

Crucial to WNY Independent Living’s successful launch as a VDC program, VDC Director Julie Andrews Krieger expresses gratitude for the mentorship of the other providers in the VDC community, including the Independent Living Center of Hudson Valley and VA Medical Center in Albany.

WNY Independent Living will support Veterans across the wider WNY region in Niagara, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties. We are proud to serve the Veterans in our community. To qualify for this program, a Veteran must request Veteran Directed Care from their VA physician and Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) at the local VA Medical Center or VA Clinic and an assessment is completed and referral made to the VDC program.

The Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.