Batavia Kiwanis Club

Tonight’s Muckdogs game was sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Batavia and numerous events during the game were recognized. In 2011, Kiwanis Club of Batavia lost their location to hold their annual “Pancake Days” but since then Ken Dudek (center), manager of Countryside Travel Centers of America, received an appreciation plaque from President Pat Corona of Kiwanis (left) and organizer of the event at the ballpark, Anita Strollo (pictured far right). Dudek has generously donated all supplies for this event since then and the club honored him this evening.

The first pitch was thrown out by Pat Corona and followed by the first pitch was an ALS challenge Anita Strollo had to fulfill. She challenged Travis Sick, Eric Geitner, Dr. Antoinette Cecere, Ken Dudek and Serena Strollo-Dicenso. The ice bucket was thrown by Joe Forsyth and Pat Corona.

Bottom of the 4th inning Kiwanis announced two lucky winners of their annual children’s bike giveaway. The lucky girl was Madison Williams, age 6, and lucky boy was Matthew Covert, age 7.  Kiwanis Club members from left, pictured is Anita Strollo, Theresa Asmus-Roth, Michael Rimmer and Pat Corona.

All proceeds of Kiwanis Club benefits children's projects in Genesee County such as Thanksgiving Day Skate, Kiwanis Night at the Ballpark, Easter Egghunt, to name a few. This year’s Pancake Days will be on Saturday Oct. 25^th at the ARC Community Center on Woodrow Road behind Notre Dame High School.

Batavia lost to Jamestown tonight 4-3. Their next home game is next Friday night, Aug. 22, vs Mahoning Valley, 7:05 p.m. where they will try to set a new attendance record as previously mentioned on The Batavian.

When Stuart Lowe stopped at the visitor's information booth in the Holland Land Office Museum parking lot on West Main Street, he may not have been expecting the kind of welcome he received.

Lowe is from the U.K. and is riding a bicycle from San Francisco to Boston, following the path of Thomas Stevens, the first person to successfully cross the United States on a bike, which he did in 1884.

Lowe is making the trek in support of Doctors Without Borders.

Members of the Batavia Kiwanis Club often volunteer to staff the information booth, so when Lowe arrived and spoke with the volunteer there, local help for him was quickly mobilized. Kiwanis members came up with an expired gift certificate for the Days Inn and convinced the Days Inn manager to honor it. They also contacted Ken Mistler at City Slickers. Mistler provided Lowe with a hot meal.

By this morning, Lowe was heading east once again, following the trail first blazed by Stevens.

Top photo submitted by Anita Strollo. Bottom picture from Marc Tillery.

A video about Stevens:

The top senior scholars, musicians and citizens from Batavia High School were honored Thursday by the Batavia Kiwanis Club. Here's information provided by the school on each award recepient.

Sydney Loria is the daughter of Nathan and Kathy Loria, of Batavia. Sydney will be attending Colgate University this fall, majoring in Chemistry with hopes of continuing on to medical school in the future. She is the executive teasurer of Student Government and a member of National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and Z-Club. She is also the concertmaster of the Orchestra and has participated in JV and varsity volleyball for the past four years. Sydney enjoys volunteering and has spent the past two summers volunteering at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Alexis Kindig is the daughter of John and Diana Kindig, of Batavia. Alexis received the Presidential Scholarship and is enrolled in the Clinical Health Studies/Physical Therapy program at Ithaca College to obtain her doctorate and become a physical therapist. She is in National Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society, as well as Link Crew. She also plays violin in the school orchestra and is a member of Strings Sensations. She was a three-season scholar athlete all four years on the varsity cross-country, indoor track, and track and field teams.

Haley Case is the daughter of Dexter and Brenda Case. In the fall, Haley will be attending Genesee Community College to play volleyball. She will be majoring in Communications Studies with a minor in Political Science. Afterward, Haley will transfer to a four-year school before pursuing a plan to move on to law school. In high school, Haley was treasurer of National Honor Society, a member of National Art Honor Society, a mentor for Link Crew, and a representative for Student Government, including organizing the Mr. Batavia Pageant. Third in the class, Haley was also an eight-time scholar athlete.

Mike DiBacco is the son of Michael and Mary Beth DiBacco. Mike is a recipient of the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship and will be attending Carnegie Mellon University in the fall to study Mechanical Engineering. He is an active member of National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Model UN, and is president of Batavia’s Scholastic Bowl team. Mike served as co-mayor of the student body his senior year, and has participated in Student Government for three years. Mike is captain of the varsity swim team and is a two-time state finalist and national qualifier.

Ashlee Yasses is the daughter of Tim and Jill Yasses, of Batavia. Ashlee received the Presidential Scholarship and will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in Engineering.  Ashlee is involved in Student Government and is the school’s Executive Council secretary. She was also very involved in this past year’s Mr. Batavia competition as a cohost for the event. Ashlee has played volleyball all four years of her high school career and was a co-captain for the past two years. Ashlee is also involved in National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Z-Club and Link Crew.

Taylor Sanders is the daughter of Gerald and Lynn Sanders, of Batavia. Taylor will be attending Niagara University on the Trustees Scholarship. She will be majoring in Biology with a pre-medical advisement, along with a Chemistry minor and a possible Dance minor. Taylor hopes to one day be a pediatric doctor. Taylor is the president of the Class of 2014 and is in National Honor Society.  She is also the secretary of National Art Honor Society. Taylor is very involved with her dance studio Images in Dance and has been since she was young.

Courtney Jones is the daughter of Diana Miller and Carl Jones, of Batavia. Courtney received the Presidential Scholarship and the Fr. Dunne Scholarship, and will be attending Niagara University to major in Early Childhood/Childhood Education. She is a member of National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society, where she is public relations coordinator. Courtney is very active in the 4-H Horse Program, and competes in local shows as well as the county fair and state fair. She has volunteered for the Batavia Youth Football and Cheerleading Program and for the Holland Land Office Museum.

Courtney Smith is the daughter of Richard and Lisa Smith, of Batavia. Courtney received the Achievement Scholarship and will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology majoring in Political Science and Journalism. She attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference, a weeklong event hosted by George Mason University in Washington, D.C., in July 2013.  Courtney is a member of National Honor Society, volunteers at many community service events, participated in varsity soccer, and has worked at Sunny’s Restaurant for nearly three years.

James Fazio is the son of Jim and Nickie Fazio and resides in Batavia. He will be attending the University of Rochester in the fall and will be pursuing degrees in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. James is both a member of Batavia’s National Honor Society and Link Crew programs and has been a member of the BHS varsity baseball team for two years. He is also an active supporter of youth sports, as he contributes in the form of umpiring and refereeing youth baseball and basketball games.

Jessica Callisher is the daughter of Pamela and Arthur Callisher. Jess has received the Founder’s Scholarship from Syracuse University and will be attending there in the fall to major in Biology with the hopes to continue on to veterinary school. Jess is a scholar athlete for varsity soccer, and plays year-round. She is the secretary for National Honor Society, Student Government representative, treasurer for Stained Glass, volunteer for Mr. Batavia, and also an active member of the prom and dance committees.

Recipient for the 2014 Kiwanis Music Award Recipient for Band is Amanda Schelemanow. Amanda has participated in the concert band, jazz band, and marching band for the past four years. For the past two years, she has been lead trumpet for all ensembles. She also performs lead trumpet in our trumpet ensemble and is a member of our percussion ensemble. Amanda throughout her four years participated in the full orchestra. She is a member of our National Music Honor Society and BHS's National Honor Society. Next year she will be attending SUNY Fredonia where she is pursuing a career in Music Therapy and Psychology. Amanda will be dearly missed next year but I know she will excel next year at Fredonia.

Cassandra Warren is the daughter of Pamela Sivret and Scott DeSmit, of Batavia, and Eric Warren of Springfield, Mass. Cassandra will be attending Genesee Community College in the fall and will be majoring in Health Sciences with the hopes of continuing on to SUNY Brockport. Cassandra served as president of the Genesee Valley BOCES Chapter of the FFA in 2013-2014 school year, and has been active in Chorus since sixth grade. She has participated in Solo Fest all seven years, and was selected for All County Chorus this past March. Cassandra has also participated in both Drama Club and Production Club productions since the eighth grade, and has earned lead roles in her freshman, junior, and senior years. She has also participated in several productions for the Batavia Rotary Club, and Batavia Players. Cassandra also plays bass guitar and performs with area bands at various venues.She plans to join the Theater group at GCC. 

Val Palmer won the Kiwanis Citizenship Award for outstanding community service. Valerie is graduating this year, in just three years, still ranking in the top 15 percent of her graduating class. She is a scholar-athlete on the swimming and volleyball teams and is a member of the National Art Honor Society. Val has volunteered in the community by providing daycare for parents to attend school events and painting murals throughout the city. Her greatest passion has been working for Soup Supper at Sacred Heart Church. It is Val's generous heart and passion for helping others that has been displayed here. Val is passionate about helping others and will continue to do this as she pursues a degree in Elementary and Special Education at Canisius College in the fall.

At the annual Kiwanis Club Law Day Dinner Thursday night at Terry Hills, Deputy Joseph Corona was among those in the local criminal justice community who were honored for their work. Corona received the Exceptional Service Award from GCASA. In 2013, Corona, who joined the Sheriff's Office in 2012, had the highest number of DWI arrests in the county. 

Also honored were Chief Deputy Jerome E. Brewster, Batavia Police Officer Kevin M. DeFelice, Theresa Asmus-Roth, Area Supervisor at RESTORE, the Justice for Children Advocacy Center (the first time an organization has been honored), District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, former Public Defender Gary Horton and the Byron-Bergen High School Mock Trial Team.

The keynote speaker (pictured below) was Michelle Y. Spahn, resident agent-in-charge for the federal Drug Enforcement Administration office in Buffalo.

Press release with details of the awards after the jump.

Press release:

Kiwanis Club President Pat Corona announced the awards during a dinner held at Terry Hills Restaurant on Thursday, May 1, 2014. The awards dinner was held in partnership with the Genesee County Bar Association during its observance of Law Day. The honored speaker at the dinner was Michelle Y. Spahn, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) resident agent-in-charge of the Buffalo office.

KIWANIS CRIMINAL JUSTICE AWARD
The Kiwanis Club of Batavia Criminal Justice Award is presented to a member or members of the community, law enforcement, or a criminal justice agency serving the citizens of Genesee County whose exceptional career achievements and conscientiousness of citizenship have demonstrated a spirit of selfless public service or demonstrated an act of exceptional valor or heroism.

2014 AWARD RECIPIENTS:
Chief Deputy Jerome E. Brewster, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office
Chief Deputy Jerome E. Brewster has been a member of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office for more than 39 years.  
He started his law enforcement career as a dispatcher in 1975 and was appointed a Deputy Sheriff (Jail) in 1977. In 1979, he was assigned to road patrol and in 1982 he was promoted to road patrol sergeant. However, his true talent and heart was in criminal investigations, and in 1988, he was appointed an investigator. In 1994, Jerry was promoted to Chief Deputy in charge of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, a position he holds today. As Chief Deputy, he oversees not only the Criminal Investigation Division, but also the Youth Officers, Evidence Room, Pistol License Investigations and the Local Law Enforcement Drug Task Force. Chief Deputy Brewster has supervised several “high profile” criminal investigations for the Sheriff’s Office during his tenure and has represented the Sheriff’s Office on several matters related to criminal justice. He is the recipient of five Commendation awards, two Meritorious Service awards and was the Genesee County Sheriff’s Officer of the Year in 1993. Chief Deputy Brewster was nominated for this award by Sheriff Gary T. Maha.

Police Officer Kevin M. DeFelice, City of Batavia Police Department
Police Officer Kevin DeFelice is a six-year veteran of the City of Batavia Police Department. He is one of the most dedicated, conscientious, professional and community-relations-oriented officers of the Batavia Police Department. Kevin put forth great effort toward the establishment of a bicycle patrol, much on his own time and at his own expense. Officer DeFelice has provided Honor Guard duties for the Batavia Police Department at ceremonies and flag-raising events and again incurring personal expense. Kevin’s investigations are always thorough and complete, and he has successfully completed many complex and serious cases. He is always willing to put in the extra time and effort required to complete an investigation. Officer DeFelice is a Field Training Officer and is very fair and thorough with training new recruits. Kevin is a good example of what a police officer should be and sets a fine example for others to follow. Officer Kevin DeFelice was nominated for this award by Detective Sergeant Pat Corona and Detective Charles Dudek of the Batavia Police Department.

Theresa Asmus-Roth, Area Supervisor at RESTORE
Theresa Asmus-Roth started her distinguished service in Genesee County as an employee of Regional Action Phone (RAP). In 2001, she accepted a position as the Rape Crisis coordinator for Genesee County and was promoted to the position of coordinator for the GLOW region. Rape Crisis, now renamed RESTORE, provides various services to victims of sexual assaults. Theresa trains and mentors volunteers to cover a 24-hour hotline and was the catalyst for developing protocols with law enforcement on handling sexual assault cases. She has served as co-facilitator in working with male batterers and is one of the lead facilitators in training people in the “Darkness to Light” model to help keep children safe. Theresa is a passionate advocate for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center and has been the coordinator of the annual Genesee County Crime Victim’s Rights Week for several years. She has served as president of the Western New York Coalition for Crime Victims, was board member with the NYS Office of Victim Services and is current president of the Genesee County Inter-Agency Council. Theresa is the recipient of the 2012 NYS Mental Health Association Volunteer of the Year Award and will be the incoming president of the Kiwanis Club of Batavia. Theresa Asmus-Roth was nominated for this award by former Genesee County Jail Superintendent Ed Minardo.

Justice for Children Advocacy Center
The Genesee County Justice for Children Advocacy Center and its staff are being recognized by the Kiwanis Club of Batavia for the great work they do with providing services to children who have been physically or sexually abused. Not only are services provided to the child victim, but also to the victim’s family. Services such as counseling, emotional support and assistance with the legal process are provided on a daily basis. Forensic interviews and medical examinations provided at the Child Advocacy Center are invaluable during the prosecution of a sexual abuser, along with the expert testimony offered by the forensic interviewer. Justice for Children Advocacy Center team members Shannon Ford, director of Genesee Justice; Anne Bezon, CAC supervisor; Erin Martin, victim advocate; Jack Coyne, M.D.; Cecelia Lyons, P.N.P; Amy Hayward, nurse; Donna Harris, financial management assistant/victim advocate; Julie Walsh, therapist; and forensic interviewers Kathy Colgan and Laura Keleman are to be commended. This nomination was made by District Attorney Lawrence Friedman.

CHARLES L. MANCUSO MOCK TRIAL AWARD
The “Charles L. Mancuso Award” was presented to the members of the Byron-Bergen High School Mock Trial Team as winners of the 2014 GLOWS (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming and Steuben counties) District Competition in the New York State Bar Association High School Mock Trial Tournament. The award reads “Dedicated to the Memory of an Outstanding Attorney-Citizen”, Mr. Mancuso, a Batavia lawyer, served as coordinator of the local competition until his untimely death seven years ago. The Byron-Bergen High School team members honored at the dinner include:  Kaleb Bobzien, Christine Burke, A.J. DiQuattro, Bethany Ezard, Noelle Ferris, Milton Griffin, Meghan Johnson, Ashley Montgomery, Laura Redinger, Amanda Streeter and Dakota Zambito. Genesee County District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, who serves as coordinator of the local Mock Trial Program, and Genesee County Bar Association president Mary Kay Yanik presented the award.

GENESEE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Appreciation Award - District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, Esq.
Mary Kay Yanik, president of the Genesee County Bar Association presented the Appreciation Award to District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, Esq., in grateful appreciation for his years of outstanding dedication and commitment as Genesee County Mock Trial coordinator. The Mock Trial Program is sponsored by the New York Bar Association and is a statewide program. Under Mr. Friedman's tenure, Genesee County joined with Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties in competitions so that the students would be able to have additional teams to compete against. Mr. Friedman is retiring from this role as coordinator and Kristie DeFreze, Esq., an associate at the Bonarigo & McCutcheon, L.L.P., law firm will now take over that role.

Unsung Hero Award - Gary Horton, Esq.
Mary Kay Yanik, president of the Genesee County Bar Association, presented the Unsung Hero Award to Gary Horton, Esq., for his tireless dedication in providing quality, professional legal services to the indigent people of Genesee County. This award was last given in 2009. Mr. Horton has spent the majority of his career in working as a public defender eventually being named as the head of the Genesee County Public Defender's Office, which provides services to indigent criminal defendants as well as litigants in Family Court. Mr. Horton has retired from the Genesee County Public Defender's Office and will now be working as head of a legal services organization, here in Batavia, representing veterans.

GENESEE/ORLEANS COUNCIL ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE (GCASA) AWARD
Exceptional Service Award - Deputy Sheriff Joseph A. Corona. Bethany Iacucci, prevention educator for GCASA, presented the Exceptional Service Award to Deputy Sheriff Joseph A. Corona from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Corona started his career here in Genesee County on July 20, 2012, right out of the academy. He had the highest number of DWI arrests for 2013 and continues to lead again this year. He was instrumental in implementing the use of the Alco-Sensor for GCASA’s DWI Victim Impact Panel in January of this year. Deputy Corona not only assisted in creating the procedure but also went above and beyond to assure that every panel assignee was treated equally and with respect. When there were disruptive attendees, he assisted with defusing the situation. He demonstrates respect toward participants and GCASA staff, and goes out of his way to insure that our speakers feel comfortable and safe.

The Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt this morning at Centennial Park might be called an Easter Egg Scramble. It starts at 9 a.m. and pretty much all of the plastic eggs containing either candy or prize numbers are off the ground by 9:01.

To purchase prints, click here.

Members of the Kiwanis Club are just about ready to host the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Centennial Park. The hunt is at 9 a.m. a week from today.

Pictured are Club President Pat Corona, Allison Chua, Easter Bunny (Ross Chua), Adan Chua, Dave Chua and Phill Ricci.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

New location, new recipe, but same big success this year for the annual Pancake Days breakfast put on the by Kiwanis Club of Batavia.

Because of remodeling at the First Presbyterian Church, the event was moved to Daphne's on Swan Street this year.

Top photo, Sheriff Gary Maha pours out another batch of pancakes.

Andre Dunlap pauses from serving to enjoy his own breakfast.

Matt Landers, Anita Strollo (who chaired the event this year) and Dunlap.

Travis Sick serves breakfast.

The third annual "Bidding on a Brighter Future" gala and auction was hosted by the Kiwanis club of Batavia on Saturday night at Genesee Community College's forum. Big turn out, lots of auction items -- all signs of a hugely successful event.

Proceeds will go to the Child Advocacy Center/Justice for Children Foundation to provide the CAC with a permenant building for its operations.

No word yet on how much money was raised or the final total of attendees, but it was a full house.

To keep up on all the latest information about the upcoming Bidding on a Brighter Future Gala and Auction in support of the Child Advocacy Center, like the event's Facebook page. Like the page and complete the contest registration form and you will be eligible to win a $100 gift certificate from City Slickers. Click here to like the page and enter the contest.

Press release:

BATAVIA — Kiwanis Club of Batavia is gearing up for its third annual Gala fundraiser, "Bidding on a Brighter Future." With a different venue, live entertainment, a great menu and specialty raffles, this event will offer something for everyone as it raises money to help the Children's Advocacy Center right here in Batavia.

It's set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 at The Forum at Genesee Community College, 1 College Road.

Over the last two years, the gala has brought in more than $70,000 to support a new location for the Center. In the meantime, the Center has been in progress with moving to a temporary location next to First Presbyterian Church. That will allow Center staff to save money on rent and instead use it for crucial services for child victims of sexual abuse.

Hundreds of children and families use this center throughout the course of a year for medical, legal, emotional and law enforcement assistance. The Center serves families in Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming and Livingston counties.

The Gala Committee welcomes and encourages local businesses, organizations and individuals to support this event. You may do so by becoming a sponsor, making a donation for one of the many auctions or by purchasing a program ad.

Tickets are $50 a person or $400 for a table of 10. Special sponsorship levels are also available, such as a $500 table for 10 that includes promotional perks.

WHAT: Third annual Bidding on a Brighter Future Gala & Auction
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
WHERE: The Forum, Genesee Community College, 1 College Road, Batavia

CONTACT: Phone -- 815-5234 or e-mail info@biddingonabrighterfuture.org, or visit
www.biddingonabrighterfuture.org.

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia honored the top 10 seniors of Batavia High School during its weekly luncheon today.

Honorees were Jenna Mancuso, Niha Idrees, Alexis Logsdon, Andrea Raphael, Rachel Paige Henrici, Rebecca Zinni, Maria Robusto, Lindsay Wrobel, Mark Zinni and Zachary Hale.

Winning awards were Logsdon for citizenship, Samantha Mitchell for band, Wrobel for orchestera and Kaitlin Logsdon for chrous.

Last week the club honored the top 10 seniors from Notre Dame: Timothy Bergman, Ashleigh Cheverie, Margaret Marchese, Madison Cluck, Riley Norton, Jeongui Park, John Tipton, Grace Bergren, Julian Blackburn-Baskin, and Lindsay Hilburger. Awards were given to Peter Kehl, vocal, Cheverie, instrumental, and Bergren, citizenship.

UPDATE: Joe Scanlan e-mailed us pictures from last week's lunch with Notre Dame.

Over the past 90 years, the Kiwanis Club has become part of the fabric of the community, Secretary Peter Guppenberger told his fellow Kiwanians during the club's anniversary celebration at Bohn's Restaurant last night.

So many of the club's activities have come cherished community events, from the Easter Egg Hunt in Centennial Park, to Pancake Days, to the Thanksgiving Day Skate and the Golf Ball Race at Picnic in the Park.

Many of these events serve the children of the community, which is the primary mission of Kiwanis.

"When you see the smiles on the kids' faces, you realize that's what it's all about," Guppenberger said.

Past President Lawrence Friedman spoke about how the club's current long-term project has re-energized the organization.

The Kiwanis Club is working to raise $150,000 to provide the Child Advocacy Center with a permanent home that the agency owns. So far $80,000 has been raised, with $60,000 of it coming from a pair annual auction galas.

The project was meant to position the club to do something meaningful for the community, but it has also served to bring in new members, with about 15 people joining last year and another half dozen so far this year.

This year's gala will be Sept. 21 at Genesee Community College.

Current Club President Ed Minardo

Frank Romeo, Lt. Governor of the Genesee Division of Kiwanis

Barb Lewis, from Ladies of Kiwanis

Past President Patrick Forsyth

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia hosted its annual Law Day Dinner and honored six individuals for their outstanding career achievements in law and law enforcement.

Family Court Judge Eric Adams, above, was the keynote speaker.

Here are the honorees and information about their accomplishments as provided by the Kiwanis Club.

Gary A. Graber - Town Justice, Darien, New York
Judge Graber has been the Town Justice of Darien for the past 33 years, the longest presently sitting Justice in Genesee County. He has been a life member of the Darien Center Chemical Fire Department for 38 years, 10 years on the Board of Directors including two years as chairman. He also served as Darien Town constable prior to being elected town justice. Judge Graber has been an outstanding and recognized leader in the area of criminal justice in Genesee County, New York State and nationally.  He most recently was elected as president of the New York State Magistrates Association for 2012-2013 and has been a member of several committees and associations. Judge Graber was nominated for this award by retired Town of Bethany Justice Edgar J. Hollwedel.

Nicole Desmond – Treatment Court Coordinator, Batavia City Court
Nicole Desmond has had a substantial and significant impact on the criminal justice system in Genesee County.  She was hired in June of 2004 as a therapist with the Genesee County Mental Health Clinic and was assigned responsibility for Court Evaluations and the mental health needs of the inmates housed in the Genesee County Jail. In 2008, Ms. Desmond became the Drug Court coordinator, working out of Batavia City Court. She established weekend DWI testing protocols and worked along with several professionals and organizations to establish the Mental Health Court and the Veterans Track. Ms. Desmond has distinguished herself as a knowledgeable, passionate and hard-working professional dedicated to identifying gaps in systems and helping to facilitate humanistic programs to effect positive change. She was nominated for this award by Genesee County Jail Superintendent Ed Minardo.

Eugene A. Jankowski – Retired Lieutenant, City of Batavia Police Department
Eugene A. Jankowski served as the commander of the Batavia Police Department’s Emergency Response Team since its inception in 1994 until his retirement in 2013. He oversaw and organized the establishment of the team, sought out experts in the field, fostered relationships and arranged for the team’s training. Mr. Jankowski has dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and devotion to ensure that the team receives the proper training in up-to-date tactics and the best equipment, ensuring the safety of the team’s members and the success of the missions performed. Mr. Jankowski also was instrumental in the transition of the team from being solely a Batavia Police Department team to one that also incorporates members from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, enabling the team to provide services to all of Genesee County. Mr. Jankowski was nominated for this award by Batavia Police Detective Sergeant Patrick J. Corona.

Robert C. Noonan – Genesee County Judge, Genesee County Court
Robert C. Noonan is currently Genesee County Judge and has been since first elected in 1997.  He also serves as an acting Justice of the Genesee County Supreme Court. Judge Noonan served as Genesee County District Attorney from 1988 to 1996 and served as First Assistant District Attorney from 1980 to 1987. He attended St. Lawrence University and obtained a law degree from Fordham University Law School in 1975. Judge Noonan is former chair of the New York State Bar Association Special Committee on Procedures for Judicial Discipline and is past president of the County Court Judges’ Association of the State of New York. Judge Noonan has been a leader in criminal justice for several years and is well respected by his peers and members of the criminal justice system. Judge Noonan was nominated for this award by Genesee County Sheriff Gary T. Maha.

Sandy Wojtaszczyk – Child Protective Services Supervisor, Genesee County Department of Social Services
Sandy Wojtaszczyk began her employment with the Genesee County Department of Social Services in 1998 as an aide for Adult Services, was promoted in 2000 to caseworker and then to supervisor in 2009. She supervises a staff of eight full-time caseworkers who oversee 1,000 suspected cases of child abuse, neglect and/or maltreatment each year in the Genesee County area. Sandy is also responsible for the on-call system 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. She volunteers to supervise student interns from various local colleges that wish to obtain practical experience in the field of child welfare. Sandy has served on several teams and panels in the community and continuously volunteers at the Salvation Army during the holidays and for the women’s auxiliary at the Elba Fire Department. Ms. Wojtaszczyk is an efficient, effective, and respected supervisor that has served her community and county in many capacities in a humble, modest and respectful manner. Ms. Wojtaszczyk was nominated for this award by New York State Police Investigator Andre Dunlap.

Thomas A. Graham – Town Justice, Oakfield, New York
Judge Graham has been the Town Justice for Oakfield since 2006. He is the treasurer for the Genesee County Magistrates’ Association and is also responsible for coordinating training for the group. Previously, Judge Graham was employed as a sargeant with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and after serving 20 years, retired in 2005. During his tenure at the Sheriff’s Office, Judge Graham oversaw the Dispatch Center and its transition to the 800-megahertz radio system. Judge Graham is involved in educating the youth in Oakfield by allowing Boy Scout Troops and students to attend his court sessions and then stays after to answer questions and explain court procedures. In his role as Town Justice, Judge Graham has earned the respect of other judges and attorneys in the County by portraying a professional and fair attitude. Judge Graham was nominated for this award by fellow Oakfield Town Justice and Retired Batavia Police Chief Randy Baker.

CHARLES L. MANCUSO AWARD
The “Charles L. Mancuso Award” was presented to the members of the Batavia High School Mock Trial Team as winners of the 2013 GLOWS (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming and Steuben counties) District Competition in the New York State Bar Association High School Mock Trial Tournament.  The award reads “Dedicated to the Memory of an Outstanding Attorney-Citizen”, Mr. Mancuso, a Batavia lawyer, served as coordinator of the local competition until his untimely death seven years ago. The Batavia High School team members honored at the dinner include: Attorneys: Kaitlin Logsdon, Trey Abdella, McKenzie Stevens, Matthew Gabriele, Bryce Rogers, Beth Bennion, Rebecca Canale, Danielle Quinn. Witnesses: Brandon Smart,
Dylan Beckman, Samir Jain, Eric DiLaura, Katie Kesler, Cara Ranalli, Alex Mott, Adam Weaver, Chelsea Jensen.

Genesee County District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, who serves as coordinator of the local Mock Trial Program, and Genesee County Bar Association President Mary Kay Yanik presented the award.

Eugene Jankowski

Sheriff Gary Maha and Judge Robert C. Noonan

To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Bryanna Dunlap and Andre Dunlap serve up spaghetti Saturday night at the annual Kiwanis Club of Batavia Spaghetti Dinner at the YWCA.

It was a banner day at the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Batavia, with a donation in support of the club's long-term project and six new members joining the club on a single day.

Charlene Schoenenberger, representing the Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford club presented the Batavia club with a $1,365 check. The donation assists the Batavia club toward raising $150,000 for the Child Advocacy Center to build a new facility. The Batavia club is raising $100,000 and the other area Kiwanis clubs are being asked to chip in $50,000.

So far, $80,000 has been raised.

President Ed Minardo (above with Schoenenberger) said six members joining on the same day was probably a record for the club.

New members with their sponsors: From left, Gary Maha and new member (and returning member) Susan Maha; Past President David Chua and Rick Dunn; Jay Nickerson and new member Mike Rimer; Myra Schroeder with sponsor Jeanne Walton; Shannon Ford and Joycelyn Sikorski with sponsor President Ed Minardo.