Sponsored Post

Is there a local business you just love? Do you want to make sure other Genesee County residents know how great it is? Would you like a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to that business?

Go to Shop Batavia right now, find that business listing, leave a five-star review and be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate.

On June 25, we'll select one review in a random drawing. The person who wrote it will win a $100 gift certificate to the business.

This morning I realized, gee, we haven't picked the winners yet of our two most recent Facebook contests.

So, here they are:

Sam Tambe wins the Bontrager Auction content. Sam wins a $100 gift certificate to be redeemed at an auction.

Joshua Martin wins the Hardcor Audio contest. Joshua wins a Parrot Minikit from Hardcor.

Both winners became eligible by Liking the respective businesses on Facebook and then registering for the contest.

Business owners: What to boost the number of followers you have on Facebook? Contact Lisa Ace at 250-4118 and ask about our Facebook contests.

Batavia's newest All-American restaurant is now open -- City Slickers, at 59 Main St. (the former South Beach location) -- featuring a completely renovated interior with original art and an Americana theme.

The menu is all new, too.

City Slicker's serves 24 different draft beers and there are 10 big screen TVs in the bar area.

The new menu offers a variety items, from steaks and ribs, rotisserie chicken, and cheeseburgers, to quesadillas and a large selection of salads.

Be sure to try the Freedom Fries!

Join the fun on select evenings for City Slicker's upbeat piano bar of Americana and Southern Rock music.

FRIDAY NIGHT: From 7 to 11 p.m., Wes Chapman on piano and starting at 11 p.m., MTV's Johnny Bananas will be at City Slicker's for pictures and autographs.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Wes Chapman is back at the piano from 7 to 11 p.m.

And, The Patio is Open! Come on Down!

To be eligible to win, you must Like Bontrager's page on Facebook (no other Like qualifies) and register for the contest. To enter the contest, click here.

Reminder: To be eligible for the drawing, you must both "Like" the page on Facebook and complete the registration form. Only registered entrants are eligible in the drawing.

To enter the contest, click on the graphic, or click here.

Batavia's Jenna Hubbard is making a splash in the modeling world and Next Level Fitness is proud to be part of it and you can help her, too. Hubbard recently competed in a modeling contest in Buffalo and after five weeks of models competing to make it to the finals, Hubbard has advanced to the final six.

The model search is sponsored by one of Buffalo's largest nightclubs, Bayou, and hosted by Kiss 98.5 radio personality Tony Mamaluke. Each week 15-20 new girls competed for a chance to advance, and there has been a total of upwards of 100 girls competing. This past Thursday, Hubbard had her chance to shine as she surpassed the 17 week five contestants and advanced.

The contest is scored on a four-part system with part of the score being Facebook "LIKE" votes. Next Level is encouraging everyone to click "LIKE" and "SHARE" on her photo to help her win. Next Level has helped with her a gym membership to stay in shape and she has also been tanning there as well, so she is able to look her best for the competition.

"This is a great opportunity for me and I want to thank Next Level for sponsoring me and making this possible!" Hubbard said.

She is the only finalist from Genesee County and is competing for the title of Miss Bayou Buffalo, $500 cash, and a photo shoot to be featured on the nightclub's billboards in Downtown Buffalo.

If she wins, she plans to donate part of the winnings to "Austin's Army" to benefit Pembroke senior Austin Heineman who was recently diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of childhood cancer.

The finals are scheduled for this Thursday night and the Facebook voting ends at 8 p.m. that night. To vote for Jenna, click LIKE on the photo here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150756177625759&set=t.100000085482467&type=3&theater

THANK YOU BATAVIA!

Thank you for being a great community to live in and do business in. And thanks to all those who help us to better serve our clients. 

If not for the great service of the Post Office, the banks, the brokers and the attorneys who help us with our clients, and the police who watch out for us late at night, and the DPW for treating our street like their street, and the restaurants for keeping us fed and smiling, and our business neighbors for helping and caring, we wouldn’t be successful.

Especially, thank you to each and every client for allowing us to serve you.

Batavia is a GREAT place to live and work.

We are proud to be Batavians!

Matteo & Mullen CPAs

Thomas D. Matteo & Jeffrey R. Mullen

Congratulations to Julia Matusak, who wins the Alex's Place Facebook Like Contest.

Julia wins dinner for 4 / $100 gift card (does not include alcohol or gratuity) from Alex's Place.

The winner was selected at random from among a group of people who "Liked" Alex's Facebook page and then completed the online registration form.

Any Genesee County business that would like to participate in a Facebook contest, call The Batavian at 250-4118.

To LIKE Alex's Place and then register for the contest, click here.

Why pay a higher bill when you'll be outside enjoying the weather?

When you want to shop locally and shop online, there's only one place to do it: Shop Batavia.

Here's some of the great offers on Shop Batavia now:

• Save $40 on a Hot Diamonds Sterling Silver and Black Agate bracelet from Lambert's
• Buy One Get One Free set of guitar strings from Roxy's Music
• Get a free T-shirt with every hoodie purchased (offer expires today) from Pink Gorilla
• $5 off your first massage from Rae Ann's Hands Relaxation and Therapeutic Massage
• $10 off repairs of $100 or more from L&L Transmissions
• 25-percent off your entire purchase from Anything Goes Books and More
• A $40 photo session with Jes Richardson Photography

You can also buy gift certificates for local businesses. Click here.

Check Shop Batavia's home page daily for new offers and promotions from local businesses.

When you shop locally, more of your hard earned dollars stay in the local community where they do the most good. Shop Locally. Shop Batavia.

With Shop Batavia, you can shop local (keeping more of your dollars in the local economy) and save money.

Check out the coupon page for great offers from local businesses, including, but not limited to:

• $5 off a new battery from Darien Auto.
• $100 off a shed
• $10 off a bill of $20 or more at North Pembroke Hotel
• $1 off a large sub from Northside Deli
• Buy one set of guitar strings, get a second free, from Roxy's Music
• Half-price tire rotation & spin balance from Sloat Tire

Also, from Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning, you can purchase a special deal -- $25 off a residential heating and air diagnostic.

There are now 118 businesses signed on as sponsors of The Batavian. That's the highest total ever.

In the past two months, we've been please to have the following businesses sign on as sponsors:

• Awakenings Holistic Center
• Bill Fox Construction & Remodeling, LLC
• Exhale Yoga
• Greased Lightning
• Hot Heads of Le Roy
• Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant
• Louis Andolora, Tax Preparer Extraordinaire
• Palm Island Indoor Waterpark
• Pembroke Family Medicine
• R&D Factory Outlet
• Scooter's Family Restaurant
• Sweet Ecstasy Bakery
• Terri Starowitz, CPA
• Turnbull Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
• YWCA

I've written before about how supporting local businesses keeps more local dollars in our home community. Communities with vibrant local businesses demonstrate all kinds of benefits for local residents.

Along those lines, a recent study found that counties with thriving small businesses also have healthier residents.

The study of 3,060 counties and parishes in the contiguous United States -- published online in the "Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society" and forthcoming in its March print issue -- brings new evidence to a body of research literature and a debate among sociologists, who traditionally have advanced two competing hypotheses about how small business impacts public health.

Some sociologists argue that small businesses — unlike chain retail "big box" stores and large manufacturing plants — have a greater investment in the community and thus have more at stake when it comes to the well-being of employees, customers and other local citizens. The LSU and Baylor University researchers, who analyzed national population, health, business and housing data, found that the greater the proportion of small businesses, the healthier the population.

"Some communities appear to have thriving small-business sectors that feature entrepreneurial cultures that promote public health. A place like this has a can-do climate, a practical problem-solving approach in which a community takes control of its own destiny," said co-author Charles M. Tolbert, Ph.D., chair of the Sociology department at Baylor. "The alternative is the attitude that 'Things are out of our control.' "

It's critical we all do all we can to support locally owned businesses.

On The Batavian, you can find information, now, about 118 local businesses. On Shop Batavia, there are now close to 157 local businesses posting information about who they are and what they do.

In other words, it's now easier than ever to support your local business community.

Here's a complete list of sponsors of The Batavian:

• Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle
• Alabama Hotel
• Alberty Drug Store
• Alex's Place
• Alli's Cones and Dogs
• Awakenings Holistic Center
• Baker's Frontier Kitchens
• Barrett's Batavia Marine and Sporting Supplies
• Batavia Downs
• Bill Fox Construction & Remodeling, LLC
• Beds 'n' Bones Pet Lodge
• Belhaven Kennels
• Bohn's Restaurant
• Bontrager's Auction
• Bontrager's Real Estate
• Bourbon & Burger Co.
• Bruggie's
• Carlson's Studio
• CB Beach Mortuary
• Cedar St. Sales and Rentals
• Center Street Smoke House
• CPR (Computer & Phone Repair)
• Crazy Cheap Cars
• D&R Depot Restaurant
• Dan's Tire
• Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern
• The Detail Shop
• Dupont TV
• Empire Tractor
• Espresso Salads and Subs
• Exhale Yoga
• EZ Budget Insurance
• Fastec Automotive
• Ficarella's Pizzeria
• Foxprowl Collectibles
• Genesee Community College
• Genesee County Emergency Services
• Genesee Dental Group
• Genesee Graphics
• Gilmartin
• Godfrey's Pond
• Grammy's Laundry
• Greased Lightning
• Greens of Le Roy
• Greg'ry's Bakery
• H.E. Turner & Co.
• Hardcor Audio
• Haul-4-Less
• High Voltage Tattoo
• Holy Family School
• Hot Heads
• I.R. Systems
• Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant
• The Insurance Center
• J. Leonard McAndrew
• Jagged Edges Salon
• John's Service Station
• Ken Barrett
• KleenAll
• Kravings Kafe
• Kreative Design Kitchen & Bath
• L.C. Mosman

• Lamb Family Medicine
• Lambert's Design Jewelers
• Larry's Steakhouse
• Le Roy Hearth and Home
• Louis Andolora
• LPL Financial
• Main St. Pizza Company
• Making Memories of Travel
• The Mane Attraction
• The Manor House
• Mark Lewis Agency
• Matteo & Mullen, CPA
• Max Pies
• Michael Tomaszewski
• Millennium Computer
• Mr. Wine & Liquor
• Next Level Fitness
• Nothnagle - Danielle Torcello
• Nothnagle - Frank Minuto
• O'Lacy's Irish Pub
• Oliver's Candies
• Optique
• Palm Island Indoor Water Park
• Pauly's Pizza
• Pellegrino Auto Sales
• Pembroke Family Medicine
• Planned Parenthood
• Present Tense Books
• Pudgie's Lawn and Garden Center
• R&D Outlet
• Rancho Viejo
• Rebecca's Salon
• Reeb Family Moving
• Roxy's Music
• Salon VIP
• Salsa & Curry
• Scooter's Family Restaurant
• Scratch Bakery
• Select Collision
• Settler's Restaurant
• Sloat's Tire
• South Beach
• South Main Country Store
• Southside Deli
• Spirits
• Sweet Ecstasy Bakery
• Ten Cent Millionaire Tavern
• Terri Starowitz, CPA
• Terry Hills
• T.F. Brown's
• The Finishing Line
• TIm Kabel Builders
• Tri-County Glass
• Turnbull Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
• Valle Jewelers
• Viking Valhalla Restaurant & Rose Garden Bowl
• West Main Wine & Spirits
• WNY Fireplace Outlet
• Yasses Trucking & Construction
• YWCA
• Zoom & Groom Dog Grooming

There's been some great activity taking place on Shop Batavia recently:

• Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning has signed on as a premium business.
• Making Memories of Travel WNY provides nearly daily updates about specials and events.
• About Morgs Sawz & Stoves is offering a free ton of pellets with purchase (a $244 value).
• Dumbleton Used Auto Parts Inc.'s Online Store is offering 5 percent off any purchase of $25 or more.
• Bill Fox & Son Construction & Remodeling has a new listing, as does Foxprowl Collectables.
• McAuley's Bargain Bin is offering a FREE gift with a purchase of $5 or more.

And the list could go on.

If you check the home page of Shop Batavia daily, you'll find new specials and new information about great local businesses.

Remember, when you shop locally, more of your dollars stay in the local community to help our community grow and thrive.

The winner in our most recent Shop Batavia contest is Trish Cody.

Trish wins a set of handcrafted Valentine's glasses from Bruggie's.

The winner was selected at random from among people who "Liked" Shop Batavia on Facebook and registered for the contest.

Shop local!

Shop Batavia -- the only place in Genesee County to shop at locally owned businesses online, all in one place, and find coupons, gift certificates, recommendations and merchandise from local shops.