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The Batavia Players production of “Evita,” hitting the 56 Main Theater stage this weekend, is high energy, said director Pat Burk.

There is nonstop singing and frequent dancing, and the main character, Kristen Gelia's Eva Peron, has 15 costume changes.

"Evita is very tough because she's rarely offstage," Burk said. If she's offstage, it's for 30 seconds. She literally sings over half the score, so it's a very difficult role. You need a strong voice, strong acting skills, and the ability to be very quick, manipulate, and move quickly."

Gelia, who was lead in the “Drowsy Chaperone” last spring, is a former Harvie Award winner and has been in a number of other Batavia Players’ productions, is doing a great job in the role, Burk said.

The cast -- which has only four named characters, and everybody else is an "ensemble" -- is active throughout the entire production, and Burk believes audiences will thoroughly enjoy the show they put on.

"I'm very, very pleased with our talent," Burk said. "This cast is doing a tremendous job. We have very long rehearsals, 10 hours on some days. And you're looking at people who volunteer their time to put on something that is not normally done in a regional or a community theater. We have great musicians in the pit, and you know that our tech is great. And so I hope people come and see it. It's a wonderful, wonderful show."

The Batavia Players production of Evita, hitting the 56 Main Theater stage this weekend, is high energy, said director Pat Burk.

There is nonstop singing and frequent dancing, and the main character, Kristen Gelia's Eva Peron, has 15 costume changes.

"Evita is very tough because she's rarely offstage," Burk said. If she's offstage, it's for 30 seconds. She literally sings over half the score, so it's a very difficult role. You need a strong voice, strong acting skills, and the ability to be very quick, manipulate, and move quickly."

Gelia, who was lead in the Drowsy Chaperone last spring, is a former Harvie Award winner, and has been in a number of other Batavia Player's productions, is doing a great job in the role, Burk said.

The cast -- which has only four named characters, and everybody else is an "ensemble" -- is active throughout the entire production, and Burk believes audiences will thoroughly enjoy the show they put on.

"I'm very, very pleased with our talent," Burk said. "This cast is doing a tremendous job. We have very long rehearsals, 10 hours on some days. And you're looking at people who volunteer their time to put on something that is not normally done in a regional or a community theater. We have great musicians in the pit, and you know that our tech is great. And so I hope people come and see it. It's a wonderful, wonderful show."

The story of Evita, meaning how Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice came to write the musical, begins with them writing the eventual hit song "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" when Webber and Rice became enthralled with the story of Eva Perón.

They wrote "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and decided to spin it out into a rock opera.  Evita was a concept album released in 1976 before it became a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. The production eventually toured nationally, was adopted to film in 1996, and has been performed on stages from London to Spain, Mexico and South Africa.

The musical tells the story of Eva, who was born poor in the small city of Junin. At 15, she seeks a better life in Buenos Aires and persuades tango singer-songwriter Agustin Magaldi to take her to Argentina's capital city.

Once there, Eva sleeps her way up the social ladder. She becomes a model, radio star, and actress. During this same period, Col. Juan Perón begins his rise to power. 

Following a charity concert in Luna Park to aid earthquake victims, Perón and Eva meet and begin an affair. Eva suggests she can help Perón rise to power.

Once the relationship is public, Eva is introduced to high society, only to be met with disdain from the upper classes and military.

"Surprisingly, at that time, the aristocrats in Argentina were basically people who fled from Nazi Germany as Nazis. In other words, after the war was over they checked out of Germany in order to be safe from being prosecuted," Burk said. "Also, a tremendous number of English people who were fascist and Nazi sympathizers (migrated). So it was a very wealthy group that was trying to run things, and she kind of upset the applecart."

That compelling story, along with the musical's iconic status, energy, and great work of the cast and crew, is why Burk hopes the community will be inspired to turn out for the production.

"It's been a favorite of mine for quite a few years," Burk said. "And it isn't always available for production; we're very lucky we were able to obtain the rights. It took us over two years to do that, to do the production here."

Evita opens at 56 Main St. Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by another 7:30 p.m. performance on Saturday and 2 p.m. shows on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $22 online, or $24 at the door, and students and seniors are $22.

Photos by Howard Owens

When Arron Brown, a sixth-grade teacher from Pembroke Intermediate School, heard about an opportunity to get money for their school to plant trees, he knew he had to see what it was all about.

Arron applied for a grant through the New York State Urban Forestry Council and was selected to receive $500 for his school to purchase trees. He decided on two trees to plant in celebration of Arbor Day (the last Friday of April). 

“I chose the red maple tree because they are strong and resilient, just like the district is helping them to grow up to be. I also chose a Japanese cherry blossom for its beauty and positivity. If the students are having a bad day they can come look at the tree and think of positive things, like when they all planted the tree this Arbor Day,” said Brown. 

There were two different ceremonies one for the third and fourth grade classes, which planted the red maple tree, and one for the fifth and sixth grade classes, which planted the Japanese cherry blossom.

Students participated in a week-long celebration, where they learned about the history of Arbor Day, the importance of trees, and got creative with a poem contest. 

Students who participated in the poem contest were only given the topic of trees. There was a total of 42 submitted poems. The winners were announced at each ceremony and were awarded a certificate and a Tim Horton's gift card. 

The teachers also awarded a few selected students to help shovel the first scoops of dirt. Students were recognized for their character traits of resilience and caring throughout the year.

Norman Foster, Pembroke Intermediate School Principal, also spoke to the students about how trees play a vital role in our everyday lives and how Arbor Day was recognized in 1972 by former President Richard Nixon who officially made it a holiday.

“Most importantly the students get to remember that they have planted these trees for future students to admire and enjoy,” Brown said.

Press Release:

With the arrival of spring, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are encouraging residents not to touch wildlife – including baby animals. 

Touching wildlife disrupts their natural behavior as well as poses risks to both human safety and animal welfare. During the spring months, many baby animals are born, and it can be common to encounter these animals. 

However, it is important to remember that wild animals should be left alone. Baby animals, while cute and seemingly harmless, can carry diseases such as rabies. 

Rabies, a viral infection, is spread by direct contact with saliva through cuts on the skin or mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes. Rabies is mostly seen in wildlife, including raccoons, bats, and skunks. It is essential to remember to keep a safe distance and admire wildlife and stray animals from afar.

In 2023, Genesee County investigated 191 animal bite and rabies incidents, and Orleans County investigated 137. Genesee County submitted 31 animal specimens, and 1 tested positive for rabies. Orleans County submitted 20 specimens, and 1 tested positive for rabies. Both positive tests were raccoons.

“If you come in contact with animals, including baby animals and strays, avoid touching them and call animal control. If you handle a wild or a stray animal or are bitten by one, immediately call the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments,” stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director for GO Health. 

“In the event that you are bitten by an animal, you should clean the wound with soap and water and get medical help right away.”

GO Health recommends the following guidance when encountering wildlife or stray animals:

• Observe from a distance and avoid contact: Love your own, leave the rest alone. Observing wildlife from a distance decreases the risk of disease transmission. By avoiding physical contact, you are keeping yourself, your family, and your pets safe.
• Report concerns: If you come in contact with a wild or stray animal, touch a wild or stray animal, or are bitten by a wild or stray animal, immediately seek medical attention and contact the Genesee or Orleans County Health Departments. If you encounter distressed wildlife, or wildlife is showing signs of rabies, immediately contact your local animal control agency. Signs of rabies in an animal may include aggression, excessive drool or saliva, confusion, hair loss, and loss of movement or function. 

Residents are encouraged to take note of our upcoming drive-thru rabies vaccination clinics for dogs, cats, and ferrets in Genesee and Orleans Counties that are offered at no charge.

Genesee County Rabies Clinics at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia)

• Thursday, May 16, from 4 - 7 p.m.
• Thursday, August 8, from 4 - 7 p.m.
• Thursday, October 10, from 4 - 6 p.m.

Orleans County Rabies Clinics at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 State Route 31, Albion)

• Wednesday, June 5, from 4 - 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, August 10, from 9 - 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday, October 19, from 9 - 11:30 a.m.

For more information on GO Health’s programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact your respective health department:

• Genesee County- 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us
• Orleans County- 585-589-3278 or OCPublicHealth@orleanscountyny.gov

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Instagram, and X at GOHealthNY.

A revised remedial plan was issued for work completed at the Batavia Iron Metal facility in Batavia due to the amount of PCBs and other contaminants and wetlands discovered at the Bank Street site, Project Manager Lisa Gorton says.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued the revision Wednesday now that all work has been completed for the project at the defunct metals processing plant next to Dwyer Stadium. 

"So, initially, those smaller areas that were identified were going to be removed and remediated. However, after our full investigation and design, we ended up removing much more waste than expected. So we essentially just cleaned the site up to a restricted residential use and commercial use standard, so it was much more protective than originally designed or issued under the decision,” Gorton said to The Batavian. “There were a few thousand tons scheduled to move off-site. But ultimately, I think we took 60,000 tons of topsoil off-site. So the work was considerably more than what was initially intended.”

She said all of the PCBs have been removed to an unrestricted use, and wetlands—a new element to the project—were identified and restored. 

“There’s no environmental easement that will be associated with it. It’s not a full unrestricted use only because the unoccupied building there stays in place, so if someone should buy the property and want to repurpose that building, there are some site management elements that go along with that piece of it,” she said. However, aside from that, the remainder of the site can be used in accordance with the zoning right now. So, it was much more protective than we originally had planned on in the decision only because we initially thought it might be used as commercial and would be more restricted under an easement. But just the way the PCBs were present on site and had to meet those regulations, the federal regulation for EPA and PCB removal became much more than we expected, but more protected, in a more protective way.”

The DEC continues to monitor the groundwater, which has tested to be safe, she said. 

The city of Batavia no longer owns the property, and as of November 2023, when remediation was still in progress, the plan was to move on foreclosure and devise a re-use strategy once this project was complete, City Manager Rachael Tabelski had said.

“Re-use of the site will be dependent on the level of clean-up.  If the site has been cleaned to unrestricted, residential and/or commercial activities would be allowed there,” Tabelski said. 

Cost Comparison
The price of this project jumped about $5 million due to “natural inflation from 2013 to 2023, and the increase in volume — approximately three times of material excavated (15,500 cubic yards projected versus 50,500 cubic yards actual) and disposed off site” the DEC report stated. That took the original cost of $8,177,000 up to about $13 million.

In much more expanded language, here are the steps and revisions of the original plan, which can also be found in its entirety on the DEC site (pdf)

Implementation of pre-design investigations and remedial activities described above identified the following new information that differs from the 2013 record of decision (ROD).

Additional impacted material off-site at 299 Bank Street was not identified in the ROD. These areas were identified and remediated during the investigation and remediation of the on-site debris piles at (AOC-3). 

Additional impacted material on-site (AOC-2) after removal of the waste piles. Impacted soil extended throughout the property boundaries, not only in the north and west portions of the site, as indicated in the ROD. 

Based on pre-design investigations for AOC-2, after remediation of AOC-3, neither VOCs or SVOCs were identified as primary contaminants of concern for soil. There were discrete exceedances of residential SCOs for each, but the locations were within the confines of the metals and PCB impacts and were therefore removed during implementation. 

Based on groundwater samples collected following the implementation of AOC-2, GA groundwater standards for VOCs are not currently exceeded. VOCs and AOCs are contaminants.

Sub-slab soil vapor samples collected beneath the on-site building had some detections of select VOCs. However, soil and groundwater beneath the building did not indicate any exceedances of VOC standards. Additional vapor intrusion investigation and mitigation if necessary, would need to be conducted if the building or the building’s footprint is reoccupied or redeveloped with an occupied building. 

Based on this new information and information obtained during the implementation of the IRM and Remedial Action the elements of the ROD are being modified as described further below: 

Record of Decision Design
ROD Element 1 is being modified to align the proposed design elements with the actual remedial action design prepared and executed in 2023. The design phase and remediation included re-delineating the wetland areas, fully characterizing the wetlands, remediating, and restoring the wetlands including additional wetland restoration at 299 Bank Street. The original Element 1 specified excavating contaminated sediment found in the wetland above the ecological SCO. The wetland impacts were fully delineated, remediated and restored, including installation of a 50-foot wetland buffer area. Green Remediation techniques were used as feasible during the 2023 remedial action, including reusing treated construction water from excavation dewatering for dust control, obtaining restoration materials (backfill, topsoil and trees) from nearby sources to reduce truck emissions, using onsite power instead of mobile generators, to lower greenhouse gas emissions and tracking greenhouse emissions during the remedial action to evaluate the green remediation techniques. 

Record of Decision Excavation 
Excavation of approximately 300 Cubic Yards (CY) from AOC #1 (PCB and pesticide impacted fill adjacent to the site building), 11,000 CY from AOC #2 (PCB and metals impacted soil/fill in north and western portion of the site), 4,100 CY from AOC #3 (Solid waste present throughout the site), and AOC #4 (Metals impacted soil at off-site 303 Bank St.).

The Remedial Action conducted in 2023 excavated 67,000 tons (≈(40,000 cubic yards) of impacted soil from AOC #2 and included the removal of the remaining impacted material west of the Site at 299 Bank St. and the remaining impacts from AOC #1. 

Record of Decision Enhanced Bioremediation 
ROD Element 3 included in-situ enhanced bioremediation to be employed to treat VOCs in groundwater in the area down gradient of AOC #2. During pre-investigation activities no VOC source areas were identified, additionally soil impacted with VOCs and SVOCs were co-located with metals and PCB impacted soil and therefore were removed as part of the excavations conducted as part of the 2017 IRM and 2023 Remedial Action. Six new monitoring wells and two temporary wells were installed onsite after excavation was completed in 2023. 

Record of Decision Institutional Controls 
ROD Element 5 included the imposition of Institutional Controls via an Environmental Easement, which included the restriction of groundwater use at the site as a source of potable or processed water, restricting future development for commercial and industrial use and compliance with a Site Management Plan. Based on the post-excavation sample results, the soil conditions generally meet the residential SCOs, and groundwater impacts are minimal. A Site Management Plan (SMP) will still be required to allow for inspection and minor repairs of the restored wetlands for five years after the final restoration is complete in the Spring of 2024 per the requirements of the United States Army Corp of Engineer (USACE) permit and for proper soil handling and disposal for soil under the building should the building be removed in the future. 

Record of Decision Site Management Plan 
Element 6 required an SMP to monitor the institutional controls from Element 5, provide a soil management plan, provide monitoring program to assess the performance and effectiveness of the remedy and provide an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Plan for in-place treatment systems. Based on the changes noted above, the Enhanced Bioremediation (Element 4) is being removed from the ROD. Due to the increased volume of impacted soil removed from the Site and the post-excavation soil results and post-remediation groundwater sampling results, continuing monitoring of the performance and effectiveness of the remedy is not required. Additionally, no in-place treatment system is required; therefore, an O&M Plan for an in-place treatment system is not needed. 

A Site Management Plan will be required to provide monitoring and maintenance of the wetland and wetland buffer areas for five years, provide a soil management plan to handle material under the existing building and  require a soil vapor intrusion evaluation in the event that the on-site building is reoccupied or the site is redeveloped with an occupied building and periodic groundwater sampling. Element 6 is being modified to include these revised requirements for the SMP.

Site History 
The Batavia Iron and Metal Company, Inc. Site (formerly Batavia Waste Material Co.) is located at 301 Bank St. in the City of Batavia, Genesee County, New York, and is approximately 6.8 acres. The Site operated as a metal recycling facility from 1951 to 1999. Batavia Iron and Metal also purchased and handled electrical transformers on the property. Two furnaces operated at the facility from the early 1970s until 1994 for the purpose of reclaiming wire and smelting white metals. Before using the furnaces, the facility utilized open burning in dumpsters in the yard to remove insulation from the wiring.

Remedial investigations began in 2006 and found surface and subsurface soils were impacted with PCBs and metals, and other pesticides on the immediate and adjacent properties. In 2014, 17 55-gallon drums of debris and waste materials were removed from the building, and a 1,000-gallon underground storage tank was removed from the site. During this time, interim remedial measures were conducted to remove impacted soil at the adjacent properties. Work has continued in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and was completed in April 2023 with the implementation of an on-site remedial action plan approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

While larger city fairs are struggling and even shutting down due to poor attendance, the one on Route 5 in Genesee County only gets better with an expanded schedule, Agricultural Society Treasurer Norm Pimm says.

“There’s very few that grow in attendance, and a lot that are hurting. Probably about four years ago, we went from a five-day fair to a seven-day period and then to an eight-day fair. And really, we’re almost a nine-day fair because now we’re starting the Friday night with the draft horses, because we just tried it, we can’t fit everything in the schedule we have, which is a great problem to have,” Pimm said during his annual report to legislators this week. “A lot of fairs now are actually either shrinking down their days or are, some of them just aren’t having them. So we’ve gotten the county support from you guys, the businesses and the attendees. That means a lot to us because that’s what we can use to keep running forward.”

Those larger areas on either side of this county, including Erie and Monroe, don’t seem as agriculturally focused — cue the more than 1,500 animals, 12 six-horse hitch teams from throughout the country, rating it the second largest show in New York State, 170 4-H youth participants aged 8 to 18 and another 35 ages 5 to 7 — and that seems a big draw from in and outside the county, Pimm said.

They were on track to meet or beat the prior year’s record attendance of 70,000; however, Mother Nature really showed up in full force for a first-time Enduro race, causing organizers to cancel that event. 

“We were going to do $5 admission all day, just to try and make it family friendly, the kids come in, you know, bring a family member and have a good day for 20 bucks. And then we had the rain,” he said. “So the sad part is, we had a ton of messages and phone calls on Friday and Saturday from people, like more than any other event, so we held off as long as we could. But we finally said we gotta cancel that. So that put us back a little bit. But we still had about 64,000, which is the year before it was 70, which was the biggest year ever by far.” 

Unlike in past years, when many outgoing calls had to be made to secure vendors and entertainers, he said many of them are requesting to come back this year. Musical groups, including an Eaglez tribute band and BB Dang, will be returning, and the draft horse show “continues to be really huge.”

“I’m not a horse person, so I don’t understand all of it, but they said our footing is the best around,” he said. “They want to be the biggest show in New York State. But it's the second biggest for now. We just don't have any more room to store any of those big, huge horses. They take a lot of space, so we're working on that. We had 122 of them last year, those big, big horses, which was every pen we had.” 

The Genesee County Fair’s midway is also popular and something not to be taken for granted, he said. 

“Midways are going away; it’s hard to do business in New York State,” he said. 

Although organizers would have liked a full week from Saturday to Saturday, this year’s midway will operate from Tuesday to Saturday, he said, per the company’s schedule. To fill in the first weekend of Saturday, Sunday and Monday, there will be bounce houses, roaming entertainment, and other activities, he said. 

The youth livestock auction will also return, competing with 2023’s record year intake of $340,000 of local support that went right back to the kids and to support youth programs, he said. 

Admission will remain the same at $10 per carload “even though expenses have been up by 20% the last two years,” he said. “We’re trying our best to keep it at that as long as we can,” he said. 

By comparison, Erie County charges $22.60 a person, he said.

The stage will feature new entertainment with Nerds Gone Wild and a fun 80s tribute band that has already attracted a Batavia High School class reunion requesting a piece of the action under the yellow tent.

This year’s fair—set for July 20 to 27—will also include remote-controlled race cars free for kids, an 80s night—come dressed in 80s attire—with discounted prices such as a $2 hotdog, entertainment slated for every night of the fair, two nights of fireworks, karaoke, a demolition derby, truck pull, small tractor pull and figure eight racing, plus, of course, the Chuck Wagon and other midway goodies and treats, games and activities. 

He said it takes large amounts of money to operate the fairgrounds year-round and pay for electrical maintenance—"our electric bill has gone up dramatically," he said—and on-site projects are always in the works.

“People don’t realize what it costs to run the fairgrounds for the year. I mean, it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep that place going, and us being a nonprofit and all-volunteer, nobody’s paid, but we do it obviously because it’s been here forever and wants to keep it going,” he said. “We do a lot outside of the fair. So camping does help when we have these livestock shows and horse shows. Those are good moneymakers for us. The food truck rodeos and the horse shows are booked almost every weekend in the summer between the horse show and the livestock show. And then besides, we have the racetrack that we lease that runs almost every weekend as well.”

Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein encouraged him to appeal to the county for more funds, given all that the Society members do and the community participation involved. The county increased its funding by $1,000, he said.

The group reviewed and approved a resolution for $12,000 in funding, $1,000 more than in 2023. The resolution will go to the full Legislature for final approval on May 8.

Press Release:

This year Mr. Batavia 2024 raised a total of $5,200. Since 2013, the annual event has raised more than $43,000 for local organizations. 

$2,600 went to Mr. Batavia Elijah Abdella, whose chosen charity was Genesee Cancer Assistance.

$1,300 went to runner-up Harry Southall's chosen charity, which was Batavia VA.

$1,300 went to runner-up Brian Calderon's chosen charity, Suicide Prevention of Genesee County.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

The 24th Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Baseball Tournament will take place on Saturday, May 4 at Dwyer Stadium.

Oakfield-Alabama and Notre Dame will play in the first game at 11 a.m. followed by Le Roy vs Batavia at 1:30 p.m. The Consolation Game will be at 4 p.m. with the Championship Game at 7 p.m.

An All-Day Admission Pass is $5 for an adult and $3 for a student or senior. Cash, Venmo, or credit card will be accepted for payment. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

New this year:

• We will be having the Batavia High Baseball Team’s “Senior Night” prior to the 1:30 p.m. game.
• Youths age 12 and under will get in free if they wear their baseball or softball uniforms to any of the games and attend with a parent/adult family member.
• Any Challenger Sports athletes and Unified Sports athletes will get in free if they wear their uniform or tee-shirt, and come with a parent/adult family member or adult caregiver.
• Tickets for the Rotary Club’s Fly-In Breakfast on Father’s Day will be available for purchase.

We look forward to seeing the community come out to cheer on our local athletes!

Press Release:

GO ART! is running a 4 week Saturday morning kids Culinary class starting May 4.

This class is tailored to students in grades 1-6. Each week we will be baking, cooking or learning about proper safety in the kitchen. All supplies will be included. 

For more informations go to https://goart.org/programming/exlporeart/exlporeart-children/, call (585) 343-9313, or
email Jodi at jfisher@goart.org.

Arbor House, 350 Bank St., Batavia. We are a community of believers and disciples of Jesus Christ. Arbor House was founded to be a place of safety, refreshment, and renewal for all. Each week we gather to hear the spoken Word, eat from the Lord’s Table, and enjoy fellowship with all who come. If you have been hurt by a church before we want to be the place where you can find healing and hope. All are welcome! Service will be in person on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. and available live stream on Facebook. For more information about Arbor House visit arborhousefmc.com.

Alabama-Basom Methodist Church, 1392 Lewiston Road, Alabama. Join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. This week our sermon title is "Love and Joy", led by Eric Phelps (CLM). 

Ascension Parish - Roman Catholic Church, 135 Swan St., Batavia. We are open for Mass in the Church on Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We hope to see you there! 

Assemblies of God-New Covenant Chapel, 6690 Oak Orchard Rd., Elba.14058. We welcome all seeking a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through His finished work on The Cross with The Power of The Holy Spirit. John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you want a small, close-knit church family and a place to make a difference, please join us. Worship Service is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Bible Study Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m. Contact us at (585)-757-6651 (585)-969-1528 or visit us on Youtube.

Batavia Assembly of God, 24 North Spruce St, Batavia. Join us for coffee in our café before our Sunday morning service that begins at 10:30 a.m. We offer "Movement Kids" (age 4 - grade 5) at 10:30 a.m. and "MVMT YTH" (grades 6-12) meet on Sunday nights at 7 p.m.

Batavia First Baptist Church, 306 E. Main St., Pastor David Weidman, where "Christ the Center, Love for All" is very evident to all who enter. We invite you to our Full Gospel Sunday services at 10 a.m.; The Thrift Shoppe is open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., come and browse in our beautifully renovated space. Donations are accepted during business hours. You can also enjoy a light lunch at Lydia's Kitchen while you shop. Questions? Email: firstbaptist2002@yahoo.com. Call us at (585)343-9002.

Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia, invites you to join us for in-person worship on Sundays at 9 a.m. (Arise-relaxed with band music) or 10:45 a.m. (Sanctuary -liturgical and organ) or on Livestream via Facebook Live for both times at: https://fpcbatavia.org/  or https://www.facebook.com/fpcbatavia/videos/.

Batavia First United Methodist Church, 8221 Lewiston Road, Batavia. Our mission & vision statement:  “To be disciples, we must listen, learn, lead, and love our way to God.” Reverend Wayne Mort leads our worship service every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in the church sanctuary. Childcare is offered for children birth-3 years old and Sunday school is offered for children ages 4-14 years old. You can also find the service on Facebook. We invite you to learn more about Batavia First UMC by visiting our website at www.BataviaFirstumc.com.

Byron Presbyterian Church, 6293 W. Main St., Byron. Pastor: Rev. Michael Fry. Musical Director: Laurence Tallman. Service and Sunday School at 9:45 A.M. Scripture Reading: Psalm 98 and Acts 10:44-48. Message: “Your Song”. Looking ahead: Mother’s Day, May 12 – Special Anthem – Join us as we honor the women of the church. All are welcome! Don’t forget to check out the Book Nook downstairs in the fellowship hall AND outside by the main driveway entrance.

Calvary Baptist Church of Le Roy, 8703 Lake Street Road, Le Roy.  If you do not already have a church that you attend regularly, we would like to invite you to give Calvary Baptist Church a try.  It would be a pleasure to have you join us for worship and fellowship on a Sunday morning or at one of our other mid-week events. As a multi-generational congregation that enjoys our time together, our Sunday worship service typically includes singing a mix of both traditional and contemporary songs and hymns, a children’s message, and a sermon from the Word of God. Our Sunday worship service begins at 10:15 a.m.

City Church, 210 E. Main St., Batavia, invites you for our Sunday morning services at 8:30 and 10 a.m. with Kids ministry at 10 a.m. and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to join us for worship and a message. We believe in doing life together and would love to do life with YOU!  You can also connect with us online at www.thecitychurch.com, through our Facebook page, The City Church, or our YouTube channel.  We do life together.

Corfu United Presbyterian Church 63 Alleghany Road, Corfu. Corfu United Presbyterian Church welcomes all visitors to come to worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. in person or via our Facebook livestream led by Pastor Evan Wildhack. Our mission at CUPC is to connect with Christ, connect with others, and connect others with Christ. Weekly Bible study is held on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. CUPC's food pantry is open on the third Saturday of the month from 9 - 10 a.m. Contact the church office by phone at (585) 599-6414 or via email at office@corfuchurch.org Office hours are Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cornerstone Church of East Pembroke, part of American Baptist Churches USA, 2583 Main Road, East Pembroke. Our Sunday service is at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Glenn Bloom preaching. Bible Study is every Wednesday at 10 a.m. We are a small church and welcome new members. (585) 762-8721

Darien Disciples Church, 1951 Broadway (Route 20), worship at 9 a.m. on Sundays. Prayer requests to Jerry at: jeromedmorrison@yahoo.com.

Discovery Chapel, 315 West Main Street, Batavia. Pastor Ingrim Green's services are on Sundays at 10 a.m. "Let's Talk Real Talk the Gospel For Real Life." Visit our website letstalkrealtalk.org for more information.

East Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5735 Ellicott Street Road, East Bethany. Our Sunday morning worship service is held at 10:30 a.m. and is led by Rev. Dr. Shiela McCullough. Visitors are always welcome. You can find out more information on our Facebook page or by emailing us at ebpresbyterian@gmail.com.

Elba First Baptist Church, 31 S. Main St., Elba, is open for the main service in person at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. For more information about our church go to www.fbcelba.net. The pastor is Michael Davis. Email: office@fbcelba.net / Phone (585) 757-2722

Emmanuel Baptist Church, 190 Oak St., Batavia. We would love to have you join us for our regular Sunday worship at 11 a.m. this weekend! We will be trekking through the book of Acts and learning about the reaction to the disciples suddenly speaking every language in the city square. There is also a bible study at 9:45 a.m. with free coffee. Also don't forget that we have free spots available in our community garden. Come learn and grow with us!

EverPresent Church, 4 Batavia City Centre, Batavia(off of Bank Street). We welcome you to come to experience the Holy Spirit in a fresh way. Jesus wants to set you free from your bondages. Wednesday Service at 6 p.m. & Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m., Toddlers dismissed at 10:15 a.m., Children's Church dismissed after 2nd Worship Song. For more info visit www.everpresentchurch.com. 

Grace Baptist Church, 238 Vine St., Batavia. Sunday Morning Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. Grace Kids for ages nursery – 5th grade meets during the 9:30 hour. The service is live-streamed at www.gracebatavia.org. or view it on our Facebook page: Grace Baptist. Kid Zone & Grace Student Ministries meet on Sunday evenings from 6-7:30 p.m. Visit our website or our Facebook page for other events happening throughout the year. 

Indian Falls Methodist Church, 7908 Alleghany Road, Corfu. We have our worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings, led by Rev. Karen L. McCaffery.  This week's message is "How Do You Say Goodbye?". To view our services online please go to our website https://indianfallsgmc.com/ for a link for Live Streaming. We offer Sunday School for all ages after the Worship Service at 11:30 a.m. Our Youth Group meets on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month from 6:30 - 8 p.m. We offer a Senior Lunch on Saturday, May 11 at 12 p.m. ($7ea). We will have our Annual Yard Sale on Saturday, May 18 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Le Roy First Presbyterian Church, 7 Clay St., Le Roy. Sunday morning in-person worship at 10 a.m. followed by coffee fellowship. We are an open and accepting church of all people.

Morganville United Church of Christ, 8466 Morganville Rd, Stafford. Enjoy a ride through the country to our "God is still speaking" church, Sunday at 10 a.m. for Reverend James Morasco’s sermon “Find Your Way.” The Sacrament of Holy Communion will be served. Please bring food items for the LeRoy Food Pantry. Our church is located at 8466 Morganville Road.  Friend us on Facebook! or better yet, visit us any Sunday!

North Darien Bible Church, 9768 Simonds Road, Corfu. We are open! Sunday worship service begins at 10 a.m. Children's Church classes are available for children ages birth through sixth grade, including a classroom for children with special needs. For more information, visit our website. You can also watch LIVE on our Facebook or YouTube channel. Join us from 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of every month for our free community closet, full of clothing, coats, and shoes for all. (585) 547-9646.

Northgate Free Methodist Church, 8160 Bank Street Road (North Campus), Batavia. Without purpose our lives can quickly become an exercise in going through the motions. So how can we live our lives with a clear and defined purpose? In this one-week series, we will take a look at the rich words of the Apostle Peter in the book of 1 Peter and see how the first step to understanding God’s purpose in our lives is fully submitting ourselves to the authority and direction of the Bible. Join us Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday morning at 9:30 and 11 a.m. For more information about Northgate Free Methodist Church and to watch our services online go to northgatefmc.com or facebook.com/northgatefmc. 

Oakfield-Alabama Baptist Church, 2210 Judge Road., Oakfield. Join us for Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m., followed by our worship service at 11 a.m. every Sunday! Visit our website (www.oabchurch.com) for additional information about our church, our beliefs, upcoming activities, and past messages. Men’s and Ladies’ Bible studies also meet on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. on the church grounds. We look forward to worshiping and fellowshipping with you! Questions? Email Pastor Matt Ervin at mervin@tyndale.edu.

Oakfield Community Bible Church, 82 North Main St. Oakfield. This Weeks May 5 “Oakfield Community Bible Church” Sunday Worship Service is at 11:15 a.m., with Special Praise & Worship Music by Keith Burroughs & Andrew Lacey. The morning message by Pastor, Timothy Young; is entitled: “God's Armor: Part 2”.  With Scripture:  Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV). Our Adult Sunday School is at 10 a.m., along with “Sunday School through Age-16”.  There will be a Time of “Fellowship Together” following our Worship Service! Bible Study is held on Thursday Mornings at 10 a.m. Come out and Join Us. All are welcome!

Our Lady of Mercy (44 Lake St. LeRoy) & St. Brigid (18 Gibson St. Bergen) parishes; Parish Office - 44 Lake Street, Le Roy. Weekend Masses Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (livestreamed); Sunday at 7:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m. (livestreamed), and 5:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Mercy. Also, Sunday at 9 a.m. at St. Brigid. Daily Masses Monday-Friday at 7:30 a.m. (livestreamed) and Saturday at 9 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy and Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at St. Brigid. View on YouTube and Facebook. Please visit the parish website (https://www.ourladyofmercyleroy.org/).

Resurrection Parish (St. Mary and St. Joseph churches in Batavia). St. Joseph’s Church masses are on Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at noon. Confessions are held at St. Joe's on Saturdays from 3 - 3:30 p.m. St. Mary's Church mass is on Sundays at 7:30 a.m. Vigil & Holy Days to be announced.

St. James Episcopal Church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia. Join us on Sundays at 9 a.m. on zoom, 10 a.m. in the church building, and on Facebook Live. Links and the bulletin can be found on our website: https://www.sjecbataviany.org/

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1 E. Main St., Le Roy, is open for in-person services at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. Communion will be offered to people in their seats and will only include bread. We welcome you to join us -- either in person or online. For more information, visit our website.

St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, 18 W. Main St., Corfu. Weekend Masses are celebrated: Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Corfu Church Site; and at 9 a.m. Sunday at the East Pembroke Church site, 8656 Church St., East Pembroke. Weekday Masses are celebrated on: Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in East Pembroke and Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Corfu followed by Adoration. Corfu Masses are also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. All information is on the church website and on Facebook. Email: stmaxkolbe09@gmail.com (585)-599-4833.

St. Padre Pio Parish, St. Cecilia, 56 Maple Ave., Oakfield Mass is celebrated on Sundays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. OR Our Lady of Fatima Church, 65 S. Main St., Elba, Mass is celebrated on Saturdays at 5:45 p.m. and Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6188 Main Road, Stafford. In-person service, including Holy Communion, is at 9 a.m. Sunday mornings. All  Are Welcome. 

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Batavia, 31 Washington Ave, Batavia. This coming Sunday (May 5) we will celebrate The Sixth Sunday of Easter. The sermon theme: “Unleashed to Love” is based on the scripture from John 15:9-17. Adult Bible Class meets at 8:30am and will continue with their study on Revelations. Our service begins at 10 a.m/ or can be viewed 'live' on Facebook. Our Youth class meets at 9:30 a.m. Sunday School children will attend the service through the children's sermon and will then go to their Sunday school rooms for their studies. Communion is part of the service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. Our Quilters group meets on Tuesdays from 9 - 11 a.m. God continues to bless us richly as we focus on Him and His plans for our congregation and community.

The Church In Alexander, 10540 Main St., Alexander. Join us for Sunday Worship at 10 a.m. weekly. For more information please visit our website at www.thechurchinalexander.com. We offer a Free Food Pantry for people in our community, please call ahead if you need items from our pantry. For more information on Programs and services please contact us at (585)591-1765 or by email at thechurchinalexander@gmail.com. Church office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:15 - 11:15 a.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church, 75 Main St. in Attica, worships together at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. All are welcome! Contact Frank White at uncleferter@msn.com for a ZOOM link or for prayer requests.

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"Spiritual Connections" -- The Batavian will post updates to connect people with their places of worship, religious services, fellowship opportunities, and/or spiritual advisors, etc. There is no charge for this service.

If you have information to announce, please email: news@thebatavian.com

Press Release:

Genesee County is upgrading essential infrastructure at County Building No. 1 and the Old County Courthouse to address water penetration concerns and ensure the safety of all occupants and visitors.

Project Details:

• May 3 - Protective enclosures will be installed around entrances to County Building No. 1 to ensure safety during roof and exterior masonry work.
• May 6 - Masonry work will commence on the parapet walls, followed by the roof recovery of County Building No. 1 and copper installation at the east entrance of the Old County Courthouse.
• During the project, all entrances will remain accessible.
• A protective enclosure for material storage will temporarily block off the central sidewalk, but access will still be available on both the east and west sides of the courtyard.
• The projects are expected to be completed by the end of June with a 2-week additional window for inclement weather.

Although minimal disruption to daily operations is expected, a safe working zone is of top priority, and the following safety measures have been implemented: 

• Designated areas for materials and equipment storage.
• Parking adjustments, including dumpsters in a street parking zone and coned-off contractor access to the lawn.
• Protective enclosures around entrances to County Building No. 1
• Please see the included staging plan for more details.

We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of all during this construction period.

You just never know when you’re going to make a difference in someone’s life, Sandy Wojtaszczyk says.

“We don’t always know what difference we make; no matter where you volunteer or what you do in your job, we never know. You never know what impact you have on anybody,” Wojtaszczyk said during this year’s Women of Inspiration Awards lunch at Batavia Downs. 

In her line of work in Social Services, with 15 out of 25 years as supervisor of the Child Protective unit, she had to do some of the hardest jobs by removing kids from their home situations and then wondering if she made a positive difference. 

She began her career at Genesee County Department of Social Services in 1998. In 2009, she became a department supervisor and was charged with training new workers in her unit regarding child abuse and the safety of children in Genesee County. In 2013, Wojtaszczyk received an award for her Outstanding Achievements in Law Enforcement. In 2021, she received the Leadership Genesee Outstanding Alumnus Award. 

During her career, she collaborated with many agencies, including YWCA, CASA, Juvenile Justice, Genesee County Family Courts, Genesee County schools, and law enforcement to ensure the safety of the children she served. 

“And I always hope that removing kids from a situation that's really, really bad. That is what can be done, knowing that I could have saved a child's life somewhere along the line. Will I ever know that? No,” she said. “I worked with teenagers for a period of time prior to being a supervisor. And I still am in contact with some of those girls. They sometimes call me, and they see me on the street … I still have Facebook friends, a lot of Facebook friends out there. 

“But you know, I look at that, and I don't think that I have an impact, but I did have an impact on their lives,” she said. “They were in foster care, and they didn't have good role models. And hopefully, that's what I was for them.”

She also talked about being involved in volunteer activities, from the early days of Jerry Lewis telethons and 4-H walkathons to current Salvation Army food drives to help out families at Christmas. 

It’s that giving spirit that she shares with the other recipients, including Judy Fuller, Susie Ott and Sue Gagne. 

Fuller volunteers many hours coordinating and managing My Sisters Closet for the YWCA of Genesee County. She has taken this on as her own and is always trying to come up with new ideas to help the program grow and reach more people in the community. The Closet supports and provides clothing to women in the nonprofit’s Domestic Violence program.

Fuller said that her primary role has been to help victims of domestic violence access clothing and other items “that they might not have,” she said.

“And anybody who hasn’t worked comes in for a job interview, and they get free clothes, so I help anybody who needs it,” she said. 

Ott is very active in the community, supporting many agencies and projects. She is currently the president of Batavia Rotary, chair of the United Way Day of Caring, treasurer of Batavia Job Development, board member of United Memorial Medical Center, and committee member of the Wings Over Batavia Air Show. 

She has received several awards for her volunteer work and community support, including the 2011 Leadership Genesee Outstanding Alumnus Award, the 2007 and 2022 Rotary Club Paul Harris Award, the 2015 Geneseean of the Year and the 2017 United Way Barber Conable Award.

Ott shared a quote that echoed Wojtaszczyk’s sentiments: Your impact on other people is bigger than you think. 

“Someone still giggles when they think of something funny that you said. Someone still smiles when they think of a compliment you gave them. Someone silently admires you. The advice you give has made a difference for people,” she said. “So I encourage everyone to continue giving back to the community and have fun while doing so. If you’re ever looking for ways to be involved, I have some ideas. And I’ll leave you with a quote by Les Brown: It’s in every day there are 1440 minutes. That means you have 1440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.”

Gagne has been a proactive human service advocate, volunteer and employee for decades. She has an extensive background in mental health, criminal justice and substance use disorders. 

Early in her career, she worked at ARC and as an assistant for the Genesee County Mental Health Association, later becoming a director. She volunteered on the board of directors for NAMI NYS, The GOW Opioid Task Force and the Suicide Prevention Task Force for GOW. She was instrumental in the founding of the GCASA Recovery Station and worked as coordinator of the Recovery Station through COVID.

Gagne is currently the assistant director of Adult Services at Wyoming County Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Genesee County. While working, she completed her degree in nursing at GCC and received the Leadership Award. She is now furthering her education at Brockport State College.

She shared a tip that she has learned from author and speaker John Maxwell about being an inspirational leader. It has to do with performing a daily habit that includes others throughout one’s day.

“He wakes up every morning, looks over his calendar and starts thinking about who he will see that day and how he can add value to them. He’d intentional about it,” Gagne said. “In the Bible, the book of Ephesians tells us that we are God’s handiwork, and if we think about that, you might be the answer to somebody’s prayer. Remember, you have a gift to give this world.

Her final words were to encourage others, especially if anyone struggles with knowing “how special and unique you are.”

“Get around good people,” she said. “My pastor continually tells us the person you will be in five years depends on the books you read and the friends you keep. So get around people who will encourage you, value and help you grow.”

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Press Release:

In recognition that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is hosting an Open House in our Reception Area from 9 - 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 16. It will take place at our office at 319 West Main Street in the Crickler Executive Business Center in Batavia.

The public is invited to stop by and learn how the Independent Living Center works with people who are facing mental health challenges.

For additional information, call Catherine DeMare at 585-815-8501, extension 400.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Press Release:

At the recent Solar Eclipse event “Total Eclipse of the Park”, the Oakfield Betterment Committee presented the Oakfield Fire Department with a co-branded pop-up event tent.

The volunteers of the Oakfield Fire Department not only sacrifice their time and efforts to protect our town, but they are also integral members of our community. 

Their members volunteer with many of our annual events and maintain a constant, on-site presence throughout our signature Labor Daze music and food festival.

Oakfield is truly a better place because of the dedicated men and women of the OFD and we are glad to bless them with an event tent for their fundraising, training, and to keep them shaded while on standby on Labor Day weekend.

Press Release:

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit #576 in Le Roy is proud to announce Abygale (Aby) Fernaays as our 2024 Poppy Girl. 

Aby is the daughter of Nathan Fernaays and Farrah Nolan, and the granddaughter of Michael and Cheryl Fernaays of Le Roy and Douglas and Marie Nolan of Ocala, FL. 

Aby and her family honor Memorial Day every year by remembering the sacrifice of the men and women who have given their lives for our country. 

We are excited to have Aby and her family participate in this year’s Poppy Program and in the Memorial Day Parade in Le Roy on Monday, May 27.

 The money raised by Aby and the Poppy Program will be used throughout the year to support our veterans in nursing homes and hospitals, along with assisting the color guard at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Pembroke. We appreciate your continued support.

Sharon Kubiniec, a downtown property owner and spokesperson for a group of businesses affected by construction staging of the new City of Batavia police facility, said Tuesday that a two-phase plan to alleviate a lack of handicap parking is “a step into the right direction.”

City Manager Rachael Tabelski sent the business owners and media a four-page plan and maps that would eventually bring back a first row of parking as one step toward improving the parking situation. 

“The proposed changes will help restore our trust in city government. Going forward we would hope that communication between city planners and  business owners/tenants would be frequent and ongoing,” Kubiniec said to The Batavian. “For instance, we need a plan for snow removal, salting the sidewalks and plowing the sidewalks in a timely matter. We can only hope that as this ever changing situation continues, we are given a chance to be heard. We need some things in writing and we still have some concerns about the final layout.”

Dr. Adam Gregor, a dentist at 180 Washington Ave., said that Phase II “does offer nearby parking,” but that “it’s hard to say that’s an improvement.”

“But, it is the city doing what they originally said they would. And for that, I’m thankful,” Gregor said. “Phase I still has concerns to me. Phase I should only be temporary and will last until June, when the weather won’t have as much of an effect. But I still won’t have any nearby or handicap parking during that time.

“I would suggest one additional curb cut near my office to try to limit patients being dropped off far away or at a potentially dangerous intersection,” he said. “Likewise, I would suggest that multiple spaces near the new access ramp be reserved for handicap parking or patients with limited mobility — they are the ones that need the access ramp the most.” 

Batavia city management sent out a new parking plan Tuesday for the downtown police station staging area in the parking lot at Alva Place and Bank Street. 

A dozen business owners have been without parking adjacent to their offices on the south side alongside the parking lot for the last three weeks, and some have complained to city management, City Council, local media and through a petition circulating on change.org. Those owners have been losing patients and/or getting cancellations and no-show appointments due to the safety issues and inconvenience of parking, they have said.

"Over the past two weeks, City leadership has held several meetings with the construction team and its project representatives, to find options that will allow for use of a portion of the City owned lot on Alva and Bank streets for customers of the adjacent businesses, while still allowing for the Police Station building project to be completed to the scale and scope originally intended,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said in a letter to Washington Avenue and State Street businesses. “Providing patients and customers access to local businesses is a key priority for the City. This past week, the City issued an emergency change directive to replace the current and proposed configuration of the safety fencing.

“Please encourage your staff to park in the JC Penney lot across Alva Place. We also encourage you to share this parking plan with your customers,” Tabelski said.  “We will keep you apprised as plans for both phases move forward. Thank you for your patience as the construction project proceeds.”

At only 61, Steve Hyde isn't planning a second career after his final days with the Genesee County Economic Development Center; he's planning to try out an actual retirement -- for awhile, at least.

"My kind of core values in retirement, I think are, I want to spend more time with my family, do a little traveling," Hyde said in an exclusive interview with The Batavian on Monday. "I'll try to be around to help out, but it's time to step away from the limelight and the leadership role a little bit."

Hyde has led the EDC for 21 years, overseeing the construction of eight shovel-ready industrial parks, including WNY STAMP, the Genesee Valley Agribusiness Park, Apple Tree Acres, Buffalo East Tech Park, and Gateway I & II corporate parks, among them. During that time, GCEDC has assisted with more than 500 projects, from building expansions to whole new factories, worth a combined $2 billion-plus of investments leading to the creation of thousands of new jobs and increased tax revenue for municipalities and school districts.

"I just think it's a good time for me (to retire)," Hyde said. "I mean, I hit critical milestones for our retirement plan. Things are in good shape at EDC. There's lots of progress and more to do. But, you know, my hope was to get things up and running and on plane, and with Edwards breaking ground and the Ag Park almost full, the great work going on with O-AT-KA and Upstate and HP Hood. The other parks are filling up. The next generation is ready to move, and it just seemed like a good time to do it."

Hyde graduated from Batavia High School. He earned a bachelor of science in marketing, finance, and agricultural economics from Cornell University and an MBA in finance in sales and marketing from RIT. 

After earning his MBA, Hyde became manager of strategic finance/mergers and acquisitions for Xerox, followed by taking a shot in the start-up world with a software company before landing a VP of business and technology development at ResMed in Rochester.

Jim Vincent was chairman of the GCEDC board in 2002 when the agency began its search for a new president and CEO. There were several qualified candidates, Vincent said in a recorded message shared at the GCEDC annual meeting on Friday.

"Steve Hyde was our selection," Vincent said. "He is a gifted individual with experience from the big corporate world of Xerox. We were not sure if he was a good fit for a small town and small county economic development. We were won over by his commitment to home and family and his desire to raise his family here in Genesee County."

That was the start of a four-minute video in which community leaders praised Hyde's efforts to help Genesee County improve its business climate.

"There was no project or client that was too big or imposing," said Charlie Cook, chairman of the board for Liberty Pumps in Bergen. "He was determined that Genesee County be recognized statewide, even nationwide, as a great place to locate.

"Steve's approach to economic development was comprehensive and creative," Cook added. "Beyond the projects themselves, he was focused on the supporting peripherals, such as park development, infrastructure, workforce supply, workforce development, and even housing."

Hyde was quick to point out during his interview with The Batavian that "it takes a village" to succeed in economic development and that not only has he been blessed with a great team while leading the industrial development agency, the agency has also had great partners at the state and regional level.

"It wasn't just me," Hyde said. "I was just a part of the partnership that was really focused. I think about the number of organizations that really locked arms together to advance our shovel-ready sites, workforce development, and downtown revitalization strategies. I've been just really pleased to see that."

Hyde believes those efforts have been successful for Genesee County.

"The industrial parks have really helped really bring manufacturing back," Hyde said. "That's really been our focus for the past 20 years. I think we've had some good progress there, and they'll continue growing. I think we're seeing things grow, though not everything's perfect. Our downtown areas are seeing tons of redevelopment, making it a better place to live, work and play, but not everything's perfect in economic development, as you know."

In 2022, the most recent data available, Hyde was paid a salary of $249,752.

While leading the GCEDC, Hyde also served on the board of education for Batavia City Schools from 2007 to 2011. He is a past chairman of the New York State Economic Development Council and a member of the board of directors of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. Those are all voluntary positions. 

Hyde's 21 years at the helm of the agency haven't been without choppy waters and controversy.

In 2011, the agency was criticized for $344,000 in bonuses paid to GCEDC employees from 2005 to 2009. The bonus plan was eventually eliminated. 

In 2013, The Batavian scrutinized tax abatements awarded to COR Development to help the owner of Batavia Towne Center on Veterans Memorial Drive attract Dick's Sporting Goods and Kohl's Department Store to the former Lowe's Home Improvement location, raising the level of corporate competition for local retailers.

In 2015, the sudden closure of the Muller Quaker yogurt plant in the Genesee Valley Agribusiness Park looked at first glance like a crushing blow to the cause of economic development. Pepsi Co. and the Muller Group from Germany invested more than $200 million in the plant only to shutter operations less than three years after its opening. The companies had been promised more than $11 million in tax abatements to build the plant, and people who misunderstood how tax abatements work thought the company was walking away with a windfall.  However, both companies lost any pending tax breaks (a big portion of that $11 million), and Pepsi, a publicly traded company, reported a $60 million loss on the project. It's unknown how much Muller lost as a result of the business failure.

In 2015, Dairy Farmers of America acquired the plant for $60 million, and after paying a full-load property tax bill of more than $600,000 in 2016 on the property, sold the plant in 2017 to H.P. Hood for $54,216,000.  Since then, the plant has undergone multiple expansions, employing hundreds of people beyond initial projections and turning it into one of GCEDC's biggest success stories.

Another yogurt plant, built by Alpina in the Ag Park, has undergone a similar transformation, from a failed business venture by the South America-based dairy company to a success for Upstate Niagara.

WNY STAMP has also seen its share of starts and stops.  The most notorious was the highly-touted plans to build innovative solar panels on property in the tech park in the town of Alabama. After 1366, Technologies was unable to secure backing from the Department of Energy (largely, it seems, because then Sen. Chris Collins failed to endorse the project). The company decided to build its plant in Malaysia.  It's unclear if that plant was ever built. It later merged with a solar company and became CubicPV, which, earlier this year, scrapped plans to build a new manufacturing plant in the United States.

No new development plans were announced for STAMP until 2021, when another green energy company, Plug Power, which converts water into hydrogen fuel, announced plans to build a $264 million plant there.  At this point, a good deal of the plant's development has been completed, but the company doesn't expect the plant to start producing fuel until 2025.  Plug Power is itself a controversial company, with the stock currently trading at $2.60. Investors have become increasingly weary of a company that has never made a profit in more than 20 years of its existence. Plug Power is awaiting word on a $1.5 billion low-interest loan from the Department of Energy that will help it complete its hydrogen fuel plants. Once fully operational, those plants are expected to lift company revenue sufficiently to close the profitability gap. Meanwhile, the company is facing a shareholder lawsuit.

WNY STAMP has also faced some opposition from environmental groups, and the Department of Environmental Conservation is being sued by the Tonawanda Senecas over its permitting of aspects of the project.  The GCEDC has already defeated a lawsuit filed by Orleans County, but the DEC did recently require modifications to the sewer pipeline that was going to carry some waste from STAMP, so the agency has reached agreements with the town of Alabama and the town of Oakfield for an alternative sewer line.

Hyde's retirement announcement, however, coincided with good news for the IDA.  Edwards Vacuum, planning a $319 million factory at STAMP, broke ground on Friday.

Hyde always takes all of these ups and downs in stride, saying, as he does often, that "economic development is a marathon, not a sprint."  The business world is full of challenges, and few things go as expected.

When a business deal falls apart, Hyde understands.  Those things are going to happen. 

What has been harder to deal with -- and it's largely a more recent phenomenon -- is the amount of reporting from some media outlets, especially in Buffalo, that either employ reporters who don't understand business and economics, leave out critical information, or get information wrong.

"I think the biggest challenge for the job, especially so in the last few years, is the amount of misinformation that gets out into the public because facts are made up or manipulated rather than properly stated," Hyde said. "You know, I thank you because you've been one of the media outlets that has always worked hard to bring the facts to the table, but other outlets across the region have really created a smokescreen of misinformation. So misinformation, I think, is one of the biggest challenges." 

Some of these outlets' inaccurate reporting has helped fuel social media attacks on Hyde. Asked if this has led him to seek an early exit, he said it hasn't.

"I'm a human being," Hyde said. "I have feelings, just like we all do. I've done nothing while in this role but to try and do everything I can to create more and better jobs for our residents and kids, you know, but being shot at by certain media outlets that don't have the facts portrayed correctly, it certainly is impactful and not helpful. I can't say that that drove me out of the job. No, but it can be heavy at times."

Hyde informed the GCEDC board months ago that he planned to retire in July. A committee has been busy seeking candidates, and Hyde suggested that his replacement could be announced soon.  Hiring his replacement is entirely up to the GCEDC board, though the input of the Genesee County Legislature and Empire State Development is possible.

"It's truly a local decision," Hyde said. "The County Legislature, of course, gets to provide some input, but they don't get deeply involved, either. They've been wonderful that way, great partners, through the years, but they empower the board to let it be a local decision based on the people who know how these agencies are run."

In retirement, he looks forward to relaxing with his wife JoAnn at their home at Conesus Lake, which will become their full-time residence.

Hyde has expertise in negotiating business development deals that might continue to be in demand, and he's also gone down the entrepreneurial start-up route once. Might he be lured back into one of these roles again?  Hyde has no such plans, he said. He said that going the start-up route once was enough, and while he's available to offer advice to his former colleagues, he thinks they're more than capable and will do fine just by keeping on doing what they're doing.

"At this juncture, I'm gonna take some time off and spend it with the family and friends, and probably for several months, if not longer, just to try to, you know, figure out what retirement looks like. Maybe something down the road, but I made a commitment to my wife JoAnn that we would do that. We've got to. We've got a second grandson coming in a couple of weeks, so I want to help out there. It'll be fun."

John and Debbie Konieczny have been frequent fliers in the downtown medical community for the last twenty years, getting their dental, podiatry and chiropractic needs met there. 

With physical challenges — he has ulcers on the bottom of his 68-year-old feet, and she has had two knee replacements, and both use canes to walk — they are now biding their time that adjacent handicapped parking will be restored next to their doctors’ offices.

“You can’t find parking on Washington, or if you do, you have to climb up the curb to get in, and it’s not safe when the grass is wet. We don’t know what the next step is, if he’s gonna have to be put in a wheelchair, if that’s the case, we won’t be coming,” Mrs. Konieczny, 72, said Monday while waiting for her appointment at Dr. Thomas Mazurkiewicz’s office at 184 Washington Ave. “I’m not making any decision because I know we both need his service, and my dentist is right next door. So there’s got to be something that can be done. They haven’t even broke ground yet, and they’ve got it all fenced off.”

She suggested that the city should have just taken the JC Penney building for a new police facility. However, that site was purchased quite awhile ago by a West Coast developer. According to consultant studies, the current police station at 10 W. Main St. has already been deemed too costly and awkward to retrofit for a police station that would work for all of the city’s needs. 

She said Mr. Konieczny cannot get to Canzoneri’s office, though, given his issues, he cannot afford to stop seeking medical care.

To be clear, it was fairly easy to walk to Canzoneri’s office on Monday. But there is to be a fence installed right up to the sidewalk, and a portion of the walkway removed as construction progresses, staff said. At that point, no one will have a path for getting into the office as there is no second entrance, and the sidewalk from State Street has uneven blocks of the walk and a hill from the street up toward a more level portion, which will make it difficult for people with canes, crutches and wheelchairs, staff said.

Canzoneri posted a notice on his building door and sent out a press release Monday that stated his business, Advanced Podiatry Associates, is making every effort to accommodate patients during the construction of the city police station. The doctor is currently attempting to secure a new temporary location for his practice with plenty of handicap accessibility and ample parking for the next two years.

Meanwhile, a staff member said there have been several cancellations—about 15 a day—since construction and a lack of nearby parking began three weeks ago. 

Mazurkiewicz’s office staff said his practice lost 10 to 15 patients in that same period, in addition to having more “no-shows.”

Next door is dentist Dr. Adam Gregor, who has been in the space since February 2022. He has a solid clientele of 3,000 people who have remained with him, though frustrated and late for appointments at times, he said. 

“I think to a certain extent, I don't think I've dealt with the same hardships as some other businesses here. I haven't had patients that have had to cancel their appointments that I'm aware of. I think for the most part, some patients are coming in late, understandably so. But for the most part, the patients I have scheduled, I still am able to see them. It's just sometimes they're late. Oftentimes, they're frustrated. But we're getting through it.

I think most of us, as business owners, are on the same page. We're not trying to hang up this project, or delay this project, or stop the project, it's just a matter of, what was presented to us originally, is different than the current situation. If we had been aware of what the true situation would have been, I think we would have been able to give some input or try to prevent some of these problems from developing. So, mainly, it's just a patient safety issue. It's one thing for a healthy patient to make a little extended walk, but for these patients that need handicapped parking or have difficulty with mobility, those are the people we're trying to look out for the most.”

Business owners have met with city management and council members, and Gregor said he thinks “they are aware of our concerns.” He said that the owners have been vocal and issued a petition to garner support from patients and the public, which has at least 300 signatures. But now it seems to be a matter of timing.

“I think they understand how serious of a concern it can be, I think they are listening. It’s just a matter of these measures: how fast can we implement them? Like, we needed them yesterday,” he said. “So that’s the thing: we don’t know how long or what kind of timetable we’re looking at.”

The Batavian reached out to City Manager Rachael Tabelski for an update on the situation and to respond to a business owner’s contention that more parking spots were being removed in the Alva and Bank lot Monday morning. 

“The fence has not moved today,” Tabelski said. “Updates in the next few days with parking accommodations.”

A patch of grass was being dug up alongside a sidewalk on the south side of the Washington Avenue buildings. Marc Johnson of Millennium Computer had previously offered use of his grassy property for a parking area, and Tabelski seemed to favor the idea. However, nothing official has been announced about that idea.

The bottom line for Gregor and Mazurkiewicz was to restore the first row of parking alongside the parking lot side of Washington Avenue businesses for handicapped parking. Other solutions that still put patients on Washington Avenue aren’t free from issues, such as what Kate, a paraplegic who didn’t want her last name used, deals with on a regular basis.

Kate goes to Mazurkiewicz in her modified truck with a door that opens up like a Lamborghini. 

“And I usually require a handicap spot with the crosshatch lines. Well, of course, the Jerome Center doesn't have those handicapped ones; they only just have handicapped spots. That's it. So how the hell am I supposed to get out of my truck?" she said. "So now I’ve got to drive around trying to find an end spot to get out of my truck, then I have to take my button, go all the way around to my appointment, not to mention right in the middle of trying to get on the sidewalk. There's huge, ginormous stones. So I had to go over those, and one almost got in my tire and stuck in it."

Parking on the street would mean opening that big door onto the street side, she said. And she’s apprehensive about the way people drive while she’d attempt getting in and out of her vehicle if parked on Washington.

“Not on this street. Absolutely not. I wouldn't trust it in a heartbeat,” she said. “People are not paying attention like some of them run through (the stop sign) or just texting and driving or yelling at a kid or something. They're not paying attention.”

She is used to some inconveniences, such as ignorance about giving her vehicle adequate space and respecting handicap rules, and isn’t sure how this whole thing will shake out over the next 18 months.

“That's another thing I hate about people with those stickers because they're taken away from us. Like, it's just not fair. And then I have a thing on my door that says, I have a modified vehicle, you know, park at least 15 feet away. Nobody reads it. And just ignorance. So, like I said, I don't think there's a solution to this,” she said. “And I don't know how long it's gonna take, but I mean, it's definitely like I had to come, I don't know, 25 minutes earlier to this appointment. Usually, I'm in and out in five minutes.”

Beyond the city’s support, another group — the downtown Business Improvement District — has been oddly quiet, some city business owners, including former BID President Paul Marchese said. 

All of the businesses involved in this issue pay BID property taxes and are members of the nonprofit group. Marchese emailed 33 BID members, encouraging them to unite and send a message to the city that what’s happening to those dozen businesses is not right and should be resolved.

A member of the Batavia Town Planning Board, Marchese is familiar with how state environmental quality reviews (SEQR) happen, and believes that perhaps this project didn’t merit a negative declaration, which means there would be no negative impact on the surrounding area and entities due to the project. 

The city filed a negative SEQR. “This is as far from that as possible. We would like SEQRA reopened, and the declaration changed to a positive one. We also request the fencing be removed and replaced with the one shown originally to all affected that provided them with parking in the lot of their respective businesses,” he said.

He also wanted to make clear that “we also resolve we are in full support of the police and all other emergency workers” as opposed to statements made by city leaders implying otherwise. He implored BID members to take a stand and have a voice instead of remaining silent in the face of the ongoing battle between those 12 businesses and city management.

Marchese was not certain who the current BID president was. The Batavian contacted BID Executive Director Shannon Maute for a current list of board members and president and asked if BID was going to respond to the parking issue. She did not return the phone call or email a response as requested.

Press release:

Advanced Podiatry Associates PLLC  is making every effort to accommodate our patients during the construction of the city police station.  We Sincerely appreciate your loyalty and patience during this time.  Dr. Canzoneri is currently attempting to secure a new temporary location for his practice with plenty of handicap accessibility and ample parking for the next two years. We are doing everything we can to facilitate your continued trust and confidence in the care we provide.

There will be a retirement party for Crossroads House founder Kathy Panepento from 4 to 7 p.m. June 21 at the Legacy Living Center, the second site for Crossroads House, at 409 E. Main St., Batavia.  Everyone is invited to the tent to be set up in the parking lot with hors d’oeuvres, cake and punch during this time as an opportunity for people to come out and send her off with best wishes and fond recollections.

Crossroads has served more than 600 patients over the years, Director Tracy Ford said, and Panepento will be spending some well-deserved time off with her husband Frank. 

“At Crossroads House, we lead with compassion. And no one embodies compassion more than our beloved founder, Kathy Panepento. For the past 26 years, she has challenged us all to find new and meaningful ways to support families with dying loved ones. Under her guidance, the community has rallied around and lifted up the families of Crossroads House,” Ford said. “We are incredibly thankful for Kathy's contributions, and it is with warm hearts that we share the news of her decision to embark on a journey of travel and quality time with her husband and grandchildren this summer. Don’t call it a retirement, but rather a new way to share her compassion with her own family. 

“I hope I will be able to continue her legacy,” Ford said. “She will be available as a consultant and as a trainer for the end-of-life doula program. Kathy’s an amazing lady, and we’re going to miss her.”

During her retirement party, Panepento hopes to see many of the families they have taken care of these past years, discharge planners, hospice workers, and all of the faces that have created a memory of some sort. 

Some people have surmised there’s a negative situation that has prompted Panepento’s departure, but that’s not it at all, she said. In fact, “if it was in disarray, I wouldn’t be leaving.”

“Our new director, Tracy Ford, is incredible. When you leave, you want to hand the baton to competent people,” she said. “It’s in the best place it’s been in a long time.”

If interested in the end-of-life doula training program, contact Panepento at 585-201-0048. 

Guests are asked to register for the retirement party by June 14. Email your RSVP to tracyford@crossroadshouse.com or call 585-297-8937.