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Kelly's Holland Inn celebrates 50 years of family ownership

By Howard B. Owens
Second generation owner Gerry Potrzebowski in front of his 50th anniversary celebration plaque  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Second-generation owner Gerry Potrzebowski with is his 50th-anniversary celebration plaque  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Low-key, unpretentious, cold beer at affordable prices -- that seems to be what keeps customers coming back to Kelly's Holland Inn on Evans Street in Batavia.

On Sunday, owner Gerry Potrzebowski celebrated the 50th anniversary of his father becoming the bar's owner.

Potrzebowski was still in high school when his father took on bar ownership on Feb. 17, 1994.  The young man started working there a couple of years later, when he turned 18 and bought it from his father 11 years later, and he has plans to celebrate his 40th year as a tavern owner in August 2025.

"When my father first opened in 74, Doehler's was down the road," Potrzebowski said. "There were three full shifts. I mean, Doehler's was one of the big industries here. Then they closed, and all that changed. We used to have a kitchen, but after they closed up, there was no need for it."

Today, the clientele is a lot of local residents, but hockey at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena is also a big draw. Potrzebowski himself played hockey for 40 years and was a long-time member of the Batavia Men's League. He's still involved with the league but stopped playing after back surgery a few years ago.  Kelly's is a frequent hangout for league members.

Potrzebowski figures Kelly's and The Harvester are the only two true neighborhood, or corner, bars left in the city of Batavia.

"People that come to the hockey games -- we get a lot of people from out of town -- they're like, 'Wow, this is like a place out of the past.' They remember a lot of places like this that were once in Buffalo and Rochester. They come in, and they're like, 'Wow, this is like the bar we grew up with.' There aren't a lot of bars like this anymore."

Steve Pies, co-owner of Max Pies, who is also a Southside resident and long-time member of the men's hockey league, said Kelly's is a local institution.

"Gerry Potrzebowski is one of the most genuine, kind-hearted people you'll ever meet," Pies said. "Kelly's Holland Inn attracts all walks of life, and the mystique atmosphere is always consistent.  The most inexpensive and coldest beer in Batavia.  A true gem to our community."

The kitchen may be gone -- replaced by a chip rack, or the "food court," as Potrzebowski said customers call it -- but nearly everything else has remained pretty consistent at Kelly's for these past 50 years. It's still a friendly place for a cold one and good company.  The biggest change recently, Potrzebowski said, is closing hours. Before the pandemic, bars stayed open until 2 a.m.  Now, most are closed by 10 p.m.  That's been driven by customer behavior, Potrzebowski suggested.

"I'd say 99 percent of the people who come in here have been hard-working people," Potrzebowski said. "That's what we cater to. We ain't no highfalutin place. It's pretty much, come in, have a couple of beers. The thing that is way different is from when I first started (the pandemic); bars were open until two o'clock every day, and that doesn't happen anymore.  People go home early. Everybody is home, and that's just the way the business is now."

Photos by Steve Ognibene. Steve Ognibene conducted the interviews for this story.

Owner Gerry Potrzebowski ready to wait on customers.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Owner Gerry Potrzebowski ready to wait on customers.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Some of Kelly's Holland inn regular cusomers enjoying an afternoon.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Some of Kelly's Holland Inn's regular customers are enjoying an afternoon.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Kelly's Holland Inn sign with owner Gerry.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Kelly's Holland Inn sign with owner Gerry.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Bryce Yockel earns named scholarship at Baldwin Wallace University

By Press Release

Press Release:

BEREA, OH (12/08/2021)-- Bryce Yockel of Byron (14422) was among over 660 students who earned named scholarships at Baldwin Wallace University this fall. Yockel, a graduate of Byron-Bergen High School, earned the Florence N. Gray Scholarship.

BW has a long history of scholarship support from alumni, faculty, trustees and friends. Over 400 named scholarships provide more than $3.8 million to help students attend, persist and graduate from BW. In addition, they carry on the donors' legacies through the lives of the students who receive their support. The scholarships vary in requirements, with many specifying financial need, a course of study, involvement on campus or a commitment to excellence in a particular field. BW offers a wide range of financial support to its students - more than $50 million for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Baldwin Wallace University, founded in 1845, was one of the first colleges to admit students without regard to race or gender. An independent, coeducational university of 3,500 students, BW offers coursework in the liberal arts tradition in more than 80 academic areas. Located in Berea, 12 miles from downtown Cleveland, BW offers students the cultural, educational and business advantages of a major metropolitan area.

Pembroke's Quinn Audsley named to spring dean's list at St. Lawrence University

By Billie Owens

Canton -- Quinn D. Audsley has been selected for inclusion on St. Lawrence University's dean's list for academic achievement during the Spring 2020 semester.

Audsley is a member of the Class of 2020 and is majoring in Sociology. Audsley attended Pembroke Central School.

To be eligible for the dean's list, a student must have completed at least four courses and have an academic average of 3.6 based on a 4.0 scale for the semester.

About St. Lawrence University:

Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, independent liberal arts institution of about 2,500 students located in Canton, NY. The educational opportunities at St. Lawrence inspire students and prepare them to be critical and creative thinkers, to find a compass for their lives and careers, and to pursue knowledge and understanding for the benefit of themselves, humanity and the planet.

Through its focus on active engagement with ideas in and beyond the classroom, a St. Lawrence education leads students to make connections that transform lives and communities, from the local to the global. Visit www.stlawu.edu.

Batavia's James Zickl completed intense college research project on pandemic

By Billie Owens

WORCESTER, Mass. -- James Zickl, of Batavia, a member of the Class of 2021 majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense research project titled FTS Pandemic. 

At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. Nearly 90 percent of students typically complete a project in collaboration with partners in communities across the country and around the world, through the university's 50-plus project centers.

Students usually travel to the project center for seven-week terms; this spring, however, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, they worked remotely, using video conferencing and other technology to complete their projects.

A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people's lives -- and make a difference before they graduate.

"The WPI project-based curriculum's focus on global studies brings students out of their comfort zones to apply their knowledge to solve real problems for people in communities around the globe," said Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of the WPI Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division.

"Students have the opportunity to learn about a different culture, from the way people live and work to the values they hold to the foods they eat -- all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today's global marketplace.

"They also learn the meaning and magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference; and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school application."

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