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Deal of the Day: Dinner and a show

By Howard B. Owens

Today we're offering half-price gift certificates for T.F. Brown's and Main St. Pizza Company, as well as half-price tickets to see the Batavia Players perform The Lion in Winter.

Combine your purchases for a great night out this Friday or Saturday!

The T.F. Brown's and main St. Pizza Company gift certificates are worth $25 each, and they're available through The Batavian for $12.50.

The Lion and Winter Tickets are $10 and The Batavian is selling them for $5 each. Order as many as you like -- take your whole family! For more information on the play and picking up your tickets, click here.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value.  People who have won a certificate in the past 30 days are not eligible to win a certificate from the same business as before.  Gift certificates cannot be used, by state law, to purchase alcohol.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Ideally, the winner will arrange to stop by my office on Main Street before 5:00 p.m. to pick up gift certificate. Mail is an option, but it would be better to hand you the gift certificate. 

If you want to be notified via e-mail of future Deals of the Day, sign up for the Deals of the Day e-mail list by clicking here.

Merchants: If you would like your business featured in Deal of the Day, call Howard Owens at 260-6970.

T. F. Brown's

SOLD

Main St. Pizza Company

SOLD

Batavia Players: The Lion in Winter

NOTE: Starting Friday, we'll start charging a $1 service fee on Deals of The Day. This is to cover the fee we're charged by PayPal to process the sale.

Bird's Eye View Of Some Feathered Friends

By JIM NIGRO

There’s been plenty of songbird activity around our home in recent days. The Northern Baltimore Oriole pictured here is nesting in the small woodlot next to our home, but each day makes numerous visits to our apple tree.

 

This mother robin is incubating her clutch of eggs in our mulberry tree

While the songbird nesting season is just getting underway, numerous waterfowl have already become new parents, as evidenced by a pair of geese keep a watchful eye on their brood of goslings.

 

Nominations Sought For Batavia Blue Devil Athletic Hall of Fame

By JIM NIGRO

Nominations are still being accepted for The eight annual Batavia Blue Devil Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner to be held October 17, at Terry Hills Restaurant. The Hall of Fame Committee is accepting applications through May 31. 

In honoring former athletes, coaches, administrators and various contributors, the Hall of Fame recognizes the great accomplishments and outstanding contributions of those associated with the Blue Devil’s athletic program. 

All nominations received by the committee, in addition to those already on file, will be taken into consideration.

The selection process includes the following criteria:                                            

1. In addition to outstanding athletes, coaches and administrators, the Hall of Fame will recognize outstanding contributors such as worthy booster club presidents, parent volunteers, team doctors, etc.   

2.  Athletes become eligible five years after graduation and coaches five years after retirement. Said time frame will also apply to contributors.

3. The nominee must have made an outstanding contribution to his or her sport, such as attaining all-league, all-county or all-state honors, all-time leading scorer, winning state championship, etc.

4. The nominee must be a positive role model, having displayed exemplary character while representing Batavia athletics and also in his or her life following graduation, worthy of being emulated by current and future students.

Nomination forms are available on the district web site at bataviacsd.org or by contacting the athletic director’s office at 343-2480, ext. 2003    

 

1,000 firearm safety kits being distributed

By Billie Owens

The City of Batavia Police Department is providing free firearm safety kits to local residents while supplies last.

The department in partnership with national Project SafeChild will distribute 1,000 kits, which include a gun lock.

The police headquarters is located at 10 W. Main St. and hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

"We encourage residents to pick up a Project SafeChild safety kit so that they can securely store their firearm," said Chief Randy Baker in a press release. "Each kit contains a safety curriculum and a cable-style gun lock.

"The lock fits on most types of handguns, rifles and shotguns. The goal is to prevent a child or any other unauthorized person from accessing a firearm in your home."

Holland Land Office Museum Anounces 2009 Summer Program for Kids Lineup

By Holland Land Office Museum

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the line up for the 2009 Summer Program. The program, for children 7 to 13 years old, consists of sixteen different sessions based on local history. The program is sponsored by The Bank of Castile and the Kiwanis Club of Batavia.

Registration is now open and available on the Museum’s website at www.hollandlandoffice.com or a flyer is available by calling the Museum at (585) 343-4727. The class will fill up fast, so sign your child up today!

Mail truck rear ended at Main and Center

By Howard B. Owens

Just outside the office of The Batavian, a red Cadillac rear ended a U.S. Postal Service delivery truck. There are no apparent injuries. The vehicles have just been moved from the intersection. I didn't see the accident, only heard it.

Chris Lee supporting legislation dealing with trade imbalance with China

By Howard B. Owens

Rep. Chris Lee issued a statement today expressing support for bi-partisan legislation that supporters say will fix problems with currency exchange with China and help protect WNY jobs.

Lee called Chinese trade practices illegal.

The legislation is aimed at stopping Chinese manipulation of currency exchange, which may be leading to the yuan being undervalued by as much as 40 percent.

Full press release after the jump:

 

 

ROCHESTER – Congressman Chris Lee (NY-26) appeared today at Precision Grinding and Manufacturing in Rochester to announce his support for major bipartisan legislation combating illegal Chinese trade practices that have contributed to the loss of good-paying jobs in Western New York.

The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (CRFTA) of 2009 specifically takes aim at currency manipulation. A broad range of economists believe, for instance, that the Chinese yuan may be undervalued by as much as 40%. The practical impact of China intentionally lowering its currency's value is to make its goods cheaper. This means that when Chinese manufacturers export a product, they effectively receive a 40% subsidy on their exports, a nearly insurmountable advantage over U.S. producers.

“American workers can compete with anyone in the world, but free trade has to be fair in both directions,” Congressman Lee said. “The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act is an effective bipartisan solution that levels the playing field for American manufacturers and protects American jobs. It closes loopholes that allow currency manipulation to run afoul of international trade policies and gives our negotiators the tools they need to take a tougher stance on this issue without provoking a trade dispute. With our economy in crisis and our region hemorrhaging manufacturing jobs, we can no longer afford to delay action.” 

The lawmaker noted during the press conference that over the course of this decade, Western New York has lost more than 1 in 4 manufacturing jobs, while our nation’s trade deficit with China has more than tripled. 

Kevin Kelley, executive director of the Rochester Tooling and Machining Association (RTMA), added: “China’s manipulation of its currency continues to represent a significant threat to our region’s manufacturing jobs. We’ve seen plenty of talk on this issue, but not enough action. The legislation Congressman Lee is supporting would ensure a level playing field on which our businesses can compete in the global marketplace.”
The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act is set to be introduced in Congress this week, according to Congressman Lee, who added, “This is a smart proposal that ensures the United States remains faithful to its own international trade obligations.”

Half-price tickets for Lion in Winter by the Batavia Players

By Howard B. Owens

The Batavia Players will present The Lion in Winter this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Through a special arrangement with the Batavia Players, The Batavian is making available to its readers tickets to either show for half price. The normal $10 ticket is $5 when purchased online through The Batavian.

Use the PayPal button below to make your purchase.  To redeem your purchase, take your PayPal receipt to the box office.

Your receipt is redeemable for tickets on either night.

Here's more information about the show:

The Lion In Winter
written by James Goldman
 
A semi-historical and often amusing account on Christmas at the court of Henry II of England and his imprisoned wife Eleanor of Acquitaine.  Joining them are thier three living sons, Henry's mistree Princess Alais and Phillip, the young King of France.  The Lion In Winter is a tremendously popular play that was turned into a movie starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn.  Ms. Hepburn won the Oscar for her role as Eleanor of Acqutaine.
 
Friday, May 15 & Saturday, May 16
Batavia Middle School
7:30PM

 
Directed by E. Jane Burk
and Produced, Designed and Adapted for the Batavia Players Stage by Patrick D. Burk
 
Normal Ticket Cost is $10for General Admisssion
 
HERE IS THE CAST LIST:
 
Henry II of England              Kevin Partridge
Eleanor of Aquitaine             Lynda Hodgins
Prince Richard                    Jesse Conklin
Prince Geoffrey                   Anthony Giambrone
Prince John                        James Earl
Princess Alais of France      Rachel Oshlag
KIng Philip of France           Jared Morgan

Deal of the Day: Essence of Candles

By Howard B. Owens

Today's deal is a $25 gift certificate from Essence of Candles for $12.40 - Half Off!.

Essence of Candles is located at 201 Liberty St. and features a variety of handmade candles -- made right here in Batavia. Store hours are Tuesday through Friday, 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value.  People who have won a certificate in the past 30 days are not eligible to win a certificate from the same business as before.  Gift certificates cannot be used, by state law, to purchase alcohol.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Ideally, the winner will arrange to stop by my office on Main Street before 5:00 p.m. to pick up gift certificate. Mail is an option, but it would be better to hand you the gift certificate. 

If you want to be notified via e-mail of future Deals of the Day, sign up for the Deals of the Day e-mail list by clicking here.

Merchants: If you would like your business featured in Deal of the Day, call Howard Owens at 260-6970.

SOLD

Police Beat: Man without a home accused of violating protection order

By Howard B. Owens

Leon C. Bloom, Jr., 27, who has no permanent address, was arrested last night at 11:40 p.m. for allegedly violating an order of protection. Bloom reportedly went to the residence of the protected person. Bloom is being held on $1,000 bail.

Chad D. Vanburen, Jr., 18, of Lockport, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Vanburen was stopped for allegedly speeding in Pembroke when deputies reportedly found he had marijuana with him. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Stafford council agrees to buy $250 in plants for Illette Park

By Howard B. Owens

Illette Park in Stafford could soon benefit from a little sprucing up thanks to the quiet persistance of Jean Ianni, member of the Stafford Garden Club.

Ianni came to the Town Council meeting Monday night representing the club with no specific request for help from the town, but walked away with a promise of $250 to help plant either trees or bushes along the property line of the park.

When a council member asked Ianni what the garden club expected, what the plans were, how much money or help was needed, Ianni simply said, "We don't do anything until we get some help."

After some discussion about whether to plant trees or bushes, or maybe using some available paving stones to create a walkway, Highway Supervisor Steve Boldt looked over the budget for his department and said that between the maintenance for the part and weed removal, he might be able to free up $250 for the project.

That led more discussion on when to plant trees, if that was the plan.

"If you wait until Memorial Day, you will be water them all summer," said Councilman Ronald Panek. "The time to plant is now."

Soon, a motion was made, seconded and a unanimous vote cast to set aside $250 for the garden club to buy some plants for the park.

Stafford accepts bid to buy piece of heavy equipment

By Howard B. Owens

The Stafford Town Council approved the purchase of a John Deere Model 644 Loader Monday night for $98,000.

The piece of heavy machinery can serve a number of uses in the town, from earth movement to snow removal.

The full price is $166,000, but the town will get $68,000 trade in value for its current loader.

The winning bid was submitted by Five Star Equipment of Rochester. It was the only bid of four that met all of the criteria of the bid request, according to Highway Superintended Steve Boldt.

Do you complain about free trade and shop at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.?

By Howard B. Owens

As a transplant to Western New York, my impression that WNY is a hotbed of anti-free-trade sentiment.

NAFTA is a dirty word in these parts.

Certainly, trade was a hot button issue in the 26th Congressional race last fall.

Yet, every time I drive past Wal-Mart or Target, or any of the other Big Boxes in Batavia, the parking lots are full.

I wonder how many people realize that Wal-Mart and its ilk are a bigger cause of good paying manufacturing jobs in the USA being shipped overseas than NAFTA?

Black and Decker, for example, started a process of closing factories in the U.S. in 2002 that lead over the next 24 months of 4,000 jobs lost. The tool maker was pressured by Home Depot and Lowes to lower prices and that could only happen by shifting manufacturing overseas. In 1990, Levi owned several factories in the U.S., which produced about 90 percent of the product sold under the brand. In an effort to meet the demands of Wal-Mart and Target for ever lower prices, Levi eventually shuttered all of it's U.S. plants and now out sources all of its manufacturing overseas. Twenty-five thousand people lost their jobs.

If you're anti-immigration, the next time you step into Wal-Mart, consider than some 40,000 jobs have been lost in Latin America since the mid-1990s as clothes making was shifted from those countries to China.

We all love low prices, but those prices come at a price (and Wal-Mart doesn't always have the lowest prices in town -- sometimes, the locally owned retailers meet or beat those prices).

I'm not sure we can reconcile being anti-free trade, and even anti-immigration, and do the majority of our shopping at big box stores.

Buying local keeps more local jobs in the local community and helps grow the local economy.  In current conditions, the big boxes can be unavoidable at times, but they should be a last resort.

Scanner quote of the day

By Howard B. Owens

Just overheard on the scanner (source unknown): "Gee, I guess you can't take a truck that's 14' 3" and put it under an awning that's 11' 6". "

Response: "Why's that?"

"Gee, I don't know."

Now, I have no idea what that was all about, but it sounds like something got crunched.

City looking to fill vacancies on various committees and boards

By Howard B. Owens

For residents looking for volunteer opportunities in the city, Batavia has five openings on four different boards/committees.

The Neighborhood Improvement Committee has an opening in Ward 1. The Planning & Development Committee has an opening in Ward 6. The Plumbing Board has an opening in Ward 6 for a master plumber. The Zoning Board of Appeals has an openings in Ward 2 and Ward 5.

From the City Clerk's press release:

Residents interested in applying can obtain an application from the City Clerk’s Office or can visit our website at www.batavianewyork.com and download a Committee/Board Application under Downloadable Forms.  The City is hoping to fill these vacancies as soon as possible.  Applications will be taken for any board to be kept on file for future use.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact:

Office of the City Clerk
One Batavia City Centre
Batavia, New York 14020
Phone:   (585) 345-6305
Fax:        (585) 343-9221
E-mail:   hparker@batavianewyork.com
 

WBTA back on the air after transmission lines knocked out

By Howard B. Owens

WBTA was off the air for nearly 90 minutes this morning after the lines that carry the radio signal from the studio at Main and Center to the transmission tower was knocked out.

The cause was apparently related to work being done by Verizon, according to Debbie Fischer.

WBTA started transmitting again at 10:55 a.m.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: Dan Fischer just came on air to explain the situation. The Verizon lines remain out of service and the station is using a temporary patch to get the signal to transmission tower. "This is about the third time this has happened with Verizon, but we'll keep those thoughts to ourselves," Fischer said. The in-studio sound is degraded with the temporary fix and Fischer asks listeners to be patient while repairs are underway.

Deals of the Day: Batavia Downs and Herbly Wonderful

By Howard B. Owens

We're putting up TWO items today: Herbly Wonderful and Batavia Downs Grandstands Bar and Grille.

Both are $25 gift certificates for $12.50. Half Off!

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value.  People who have won a certificate in the past 30 days are not eligible to win a certificate from the same business as before.  Gift certificates cannot be used, by state law, to purchase alcohol.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Ideally, the winner will arrange to stop by my office on Main Street before 5:00 p.m. on MONDAY to pick up gift certificate. Mail is an option, but it would be better to hand you the gift certificate. 

If you want to be notified via e-mail of future Deals of the Day, sign up for the Deals of the Day e-mail list by clicking here.

Merchants: If you would like your business featured in Deal of the Day, call Howard Owens at 260-6970.

Herbly Wonderful

SOLD

Batavia Downs

SOLD

Top Items on Batavia's List

Town Court Clerk Below are two lists: one details the myriad responsibilities that fall within the purview of the court clerk; the other summarizes the knowledge and abilities that court clerks possess or acquire through training. These lists are provided so that a judge and municipality can intelligently discuss the benefits that a court clerk can provide. The items below can also form the basis for a list of job duties should a municipality need to fill a vacancy in a court clerk position. Primary Responsibilities A. Maintain confidentiality of records and information when required to do so B. Prepare court calendar C. Collect monies, reconcile daily receipts, deposit receipts, prepare reports for monthly disbursements, reconcile bank accounts, and prepare administrative reports D. Enter convictions on drivers' licenses and prepare conviction reports electronically transmitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles E. Enter criminal conviction on NCIC reports and electronically send same to Division of Criminal Justice Services F. Respond to inquiries-in person, by phone, by e-mail and by mail-and provide assistance to lawyers, litigants, media, and members of the public G. Prepare monthly reports that are electronically sent to the Office of the State Comptroller H. Prepare orders, summonses, warrants and other court forms i. Communicate with outside agencies in order to coordinate the Court's activities and provide services to litigants. Such agencies include: ii. Law enforcement agencies, such as local police departments, New York State Police, Sheriffs office, FBI and CIA, US Armed Forces, and the Office of the District Attorney; I. Other courts, including superior courts and other local town and village courts; and i. Miscellaneous county agencies, such as Community Service, Community Dispute Resolution Center, Pre-trial Release, Probation, Stop DWI program, Victim Impact Panel, and Youth Court. ii. State agencies that require periodic reporting, including the New York State Unified Court System, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office of the State Comptroller, the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and the Office of Court Record Retention. J. Examine court documents to ensure their accuracy and completeness K. Receive and file summonses, traffic tickets and other documents for court proceedings i. Assist the Justice at the bench during all Court proceedings Knowledge of: 1. The functions and organization of the Unified Court System ii. Basic legal terminology, codes and abbreviations iii. Court forms, practices and procedures, including those set forth in the Uniform Justice Court Act and the Uniform Civil Rules for the Justice Courts (22 NYCRR Part 214) 2. Ability to: i. Prepare judicial orders and decisions ii. Effectively communicate information orally and in writing iii. File and retrieve materials, extract data from various sources for entry onto court form iv. Research and interpret laws outlined in court documents and litigants' motions and other papers v. Perform mathematical tasks in order to compile court activity reports, total receipts, accept payments, and verify bills vi. Refer to appropriate documents, statutes, citations or other sources in order to respond to specific questions from attorneys, litigants and members of the general public vii. Interpret policies, statutes, rules and regulations and apply them in specific contexts viii. Establish work priorities ix. Constructively manage conflict with court users Qualifications: Highschool diploma recognized by the NYS Dept of Education or appropriate equivalent. Along with 4 years of college, specialization in criminal justice, law, business administration or related field. -OR- 2 years college with specialization in Business Administration or related field. Please email your resume to abrownell@townofbatavia.com no later than 12/16/2024. Pay is based on experience.
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