news

Press release and submitted photo:

Each semester, the Fashion Program at Genesee Community College hosts its Fashion Speaker Series, which introduces students to experts from all areas of the booming industry.

The first speaker in the 2019-2020 series will be lecturer, writer and fashion aficionado, John A. Tiffany, who presents "DAWN: The Career of Legendary Fashion Retailer Dawn Mello" at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, in room T102 on GCC's Batavia Campus.

The event is free and open to the public.

Tiffany has been called a fashion historian and expert on the history of fashion in the 20th century. But, more than anything, he is a passionate storyteller who uncovers and shares the incredible untold stories of pioneering women.

Tiffany's most recent book, "DAWN: The Career of Legendary Fashion Retailer Dawn Mello" is a lavishly illustrated biography that spans her impressive career.

In 1975, Mello was hired as the fashion director and vice president of the department store Bergdorf Goodman, and charged to turn the retailer around and remake it in the image of Ira Neimark, who was the CEO at that time.

Together, they transformed a once dowdy department store into the retail center of luxury fashion.

Mello's strategy not only redefined and repositioned Bergdorf Goodman, but in doing so, she discovered and encouraged the rise of exciting modern designers, while inaugurating an exuberant, new type of fashion show.

After leaving Bergdorf Goodman, Mello moved on to revitalize Gucci, which became a modern case study for resuscitating a luxury brand. By the time she left, Gucci was back on top.

"Our faculty and students are both very excited to have Mr. Tiffany speak at our campus," Donna Ehrhart, GCC professor of Business and Fashion Design, said. "Each year, GCC's students plan and execute their own full-scale fashion show.

"Many students use their experience to launch their own impressive careers. Being able to hear the story of Dawn Mello will be very inspiring for their work this year."

GCC's Fashion Business degree program includes four separate areas of concentration:

• Fashion Design: covering the necessary principles and techniques of consumer and commercial fashion, apparel, accessories, and the management of fashion development projects. (A one-year certificate is also available for students who want to just hone their hands-on techniques.)
• Fashion Merchandising Management: providing the skills needed to succeed in a global, ever-changing billion dollar business of fashion buying, display, public relations, styles and sales.
• E-Commerce: preparing students to manage online inventories, design digital marketing plans and media, and to explore the world of online fashion retail.
• Event Planning: teaching the principles of event management, consumer behavior, space design, culinary choices, securing entertainment contracts and endorsements, and much more.

"One of the goals of the Fashion Speaker Series is to expose the students to as many possible careers in the industry as possible and to let them hear about the many paths to success," Ehrhart added. "Tiffany's work and his breadth of experience with a variety of individuals in the fashion industry made him a great choice for the first speaker in the series this year."

Tiffany grew up in California's Santa Ynez Valley, earned a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu in 1988, and has been a professional speaker, writer and author since 2011.

His first book, "Eleanor Lambert: STILL HERE" recounts this extraordinary and bona fide American pioneer's incredible journey which is credited with single-handedly putting American fashion on the global stage.

In addition to the speaker series, GCC Fashion students participate in trips to New York City to experience the Fashion District, and they tackle all aspects of producing a professional fashion show: designer, scene coordinator, director, marketing, public relations, and many other responsibilities from public safety to parking.

Each year, the Fashion Show draws an audience of more than 1,500 and is also live-streamed around the world.

This experience leads many GCC fashion majors to transfer agreements with institutions such as FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and LIM (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising) in NYC, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and others.

From the city Bureau of Maintenance:

ROADWORK DELAYED

Temporary road closures planned Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 16-17 in the City of Batavia are delayed.The new dates are Tuesday, Sept.17 and Wednesday, Sept. 18:

These road closures will now occur on Tuesday:

• Florence Avenue -- Between Cedar Street and Howard Street.
• Carolwood Drive – Between Garden Drive and end of road.
• Belvedere Lane – Naramore Drive to Naramore Drive.
• Woodcrest Drive – Between house #2 and #15.

The following roadwork is now planned for Wednesday:

• Union Street –Between Richmond Avenue and Oak Street. This impacts residents that live on Union Square limiting access. Any work not completed Tuesday is also going to be completed.

Residents will be notified by the company performing the work, Suit Kote, of the actual work schedule via fliers delivered door to door on the impacted streets a day in advance.

Residents of impacted areas are asked not to park on these streets while the work is ongoing and to park on adjacent side streets if possible.

This work is weather dependent and if delayed due to wet conditions the work will resume the next business day.

Contact the Bureau of Maintenance and ask to speak to the Superintendent at 585-345-6400, opt. 1, if you have any questions.

Press release:

Ithaca Beer Co. and Batavia Downs announced today they will launch the sale of the new Thurmanator Beer at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19^th at the 34 Rush Sports Bar.

“We’ve been looking forward to this special release for some time," said James Sapienza, head of Brand Development for Ithaca Beer Co. “The Thurmanator beer is an easy-drinking lager we hope will score big with hardcore Buffalo football fans, as well as those seeking a refreshing and crisp, light golden lager with a subtle sweetness and restrained hop character that lends a gentle floral quality and clean finish.”

The public event will include an appearance by the beer’s namesake, Buffalo Football Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas, and sampling from many of Ithaca’s line of products while attendees enjoy the Thursday Night Football game on the big screens.

Batavia Downs is located at 8315 Park Road in the City of Batavia.

About Ithaca Beer Co.

Begun in 1998 in a small renovated retail store just outside of Ithaca, the original space had a small seven barrel brewhouse, a modest tasting bar and sold full growlers to go as well as homebrew supplies.

Today, Ithaca Beer brews about 25,000 barrels of beer per year and features both 50 and five barrel pilot brew houses. In addition to a state-of-the-art brewing facility, Ithaca Beer has fully automated packaging capabilities for bottling, canning and kegging.

Ithaca Beer distributes beer to 54 wholesalers in 14 states in the Northeast from New England in the East to Ohio in the West and Virginia and North Carolina to the South.

From Alecia Kaus/Video News Service:

Malik I. Ayala, 27, of Walnut Street, Batavia, was to be sentenced on this afternoon (Sept. 12) in Genesee County Court, but he did not show up.

Public defender Jerry Ader told the court he could not appear today because he was admitted to an inpatient treatment program called Reflections at the Eastern Niagara Health System in Lockport.

The program is a chemical dependency treatment program available to adults ages 18 and over to help them recover from dependence on alcohol or other drugs. The program provides short-term treatment services.

Ader asked Judge Charles Zambito for an adjournment.

Ayala will remain at the inpatient facility until Oct. 2^nd.

Ayala has already accepted a plea deal and pled guilty to a charge of third-degree burglary, a class D felony.

He was picked up on Nov. 15 in connection with a string of burglaries in Genesee County after Investigator Chris Parker with the Sheriff’s Office identified a vehicle that was wanted in connection with the burglaries.

The vehicle was being operated by TeeSean T. Ayala, 20, Malik’s brother.

After the vehicle turned into a driveway at 317 Washington Ave., a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol was thrown from the vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office says TeeSean Ayala was in possession of a stolen handgun that had a defaced serial number in the vehicle during the traffic stop.

TeeSean Ayala, 20, of Batavia, was sentenced in Genesee County Court to five years in prison and five years post-release supervision last month. TeeSean pled guilty to one count of criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd, which satisfies seven other residential burglary charges dating back to 2015.

Due to Malik I. Ayala’s criminal history, First Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini opposed the adjournment today.

“We feel he is a second felony offender, prison is mandatory, we are opposed to this adjournment,” Cianfrini said.

Judge Zambito explained that there was no commitment on sentencing and that Ayala was not recommended for the inpatient treatment.

“The fact (is) that he is in treatment; we will adjourn until afterwards,” Zambito said.

The new sentencing schedule is 9:15 a.m. Oct. 3.

Press release:

Back and expanded by popular demand, please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a Westside Ghost Walk on three Fridays in October.

The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11, 18, and 25.

Take a walk on the Westside and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past.

Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell and other famous and infamous Batavians.

Admission is $10 and reservations are required.

Tours are limited to 25 people each. The tour begins and ends at the museum and is approximately one-and-a-half to two hours in length.

For tickets or more information, please call (585) 343-4727, email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stop by at 131 W. Main St., Batavia.

(Also, be sure to check out the Old Batavia Cemetery's Guided Ghost Walk on Saturday, Oct. 26; must RSVP by calling the Batavia Cemetery Association at (585) 943-5662.)

Living history reenactors portraying Dean and Mary Richmond; taken by Howard Owens on Oct. 13, 2012.

Press release:

Join us to meet the famous and infamous movers and shakers who shaped and influenced the City of Batavia on Saturday, Oct. 26th, when the Batavia Cemetery Association will host a candlelight guided ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia.

The guided tour on candlelit paths will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both.

Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the North; Ruth the unknown -- victim of a horrendous murder; Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons, are some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour.

Also visiting will be Civil War veteran General John H. Martindale, who was Military Governor of the District of Columbia in 1865.

Dean and Mary Richmond, who greatly influenced civic life in Batavia in the 1800s, will meet with guests in their mausoleum on the last stop of the tour. Dean Richmond made a great fortune in Great Lakes shipping and was the second president of the New York Central Railroad. Mary Richmond vastly expanded her husband’s fortune after his death and sat on the boards of many businesses and civic organizations.

Come and have some spooky fun! Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every 15 minutes until 8:30.

Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Reservations are required. For more information, or to make reservations, contact (585) 943-5662.

Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery.

Press release:

Sixth Annual Taste of Independence food-sampling extravaganza is being held by Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Ascension Parish -- Slomba Hall, 17 Sumner St., Batavia.

Guests can try some signature dishes of the Genesee region’s finest restaurants, plus a Live Auction, a basket raffle and 50/50 split club.

Among the restaurants that have signed on (in alphabetical order): Batavia’s Original Pizzeria; Black Creek Cidery; BW’s Restaurant & Banquet Facility; Eat Well Grill – Batavia; Eden Café & Bakeshop; Farmer’s Wife; Fishtails Hideaway; GVEP (Genesee Valley Educational Partnership) BOCES; Main St. Pizza Company; Pizza 151; Pizza Land; Smokin’ Eagle BBQ & Brew; T.F. Brown’s Restaurant; Tim Hortons; and Wegmans Food Market (Brockport).

Our thanks to non-restaurant event Bronze Sponsors: Crickler Vending Company Inc.; Design & Drafting by Gina LLC, Elderwood Residences, Fidelis Care; iCircle Care; United Healthcare Medicare Insurance; and Friend Sponsors: Fox Farm; and Gerace Realty. Additional sponsors would be welcome.

Tickets are $20 and can be picked up at the new ILGR office in the Crickler Building (former Pepsi Building), 319 W. Main St., Suite 10, Batavia. Space is limited!

To R.S.V.P., become a sponsor, or get more information call Donna Becker at 585-815-8501, ext. 411, or email: dbecker@wnyil.org

Funds raised will be used to help people with disabilities living in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties who are in emergency situations with employment, or moving forward with life goals, when there are no other financial resources available. 

ILGR's services include independent living skills training, advocacy, peer counseling, diabetes self-management classes, a loan closet of medical equipment, housing and employment assistance, Social Security and Medicaid assistance information and referral, and many more.

Information from New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health:

Genesee County is one of the state's top five farming counties by sales, with more acreage dedicated to corn for grain and silage than any other local crop. And this is the time of year motorists can expect to begin sharing the road more frequently with tractors, combines and other farm equipment.

So it's an especially good time to pay attention on rural roads to reduce the likelihood of accidents.

A fatal accident involving farm equipment occurred this year in Genesee County. In any given year, there are also accidents here involving farm equipment and motorists that result in minor or serious injuries.

Though only 19 out of every 100 Americans live in rural areas, more than half of fatal roadway accidents take place in rural areas, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that agriculture, forestry, and fishing as an occupational group has the third highest rate of work-related roadway crashes.

Collisions involving tractors and other farm equipment are the deadliest rural road accidents in New York.

In fact, crashes involving agricultural vehicles were found to be five times more fatal than that of non-ag crashes, according to the Rural Road Accident Study by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH).

The study was funded by Columbia University Center for Injury Science and Prevention and published recently in the Journal of Agromedicine. It was conducted because although agriculture-related crashes have been explored in the Midwest and South, little was known about agriculture-related crashes in the Northeast, specifically in New York.

NYCAMH released its findings this week in advance of National Farm Safety & Health Week (Sept. 15-21) and as the harvest season approaches.

For the study, electronic records from the NYS Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) Accident Reports (MV-104) for 2010-2012 were analyzed. Agricultural cases were identified using variables for the vehicle body type and vehicle registration.

During this three-year time frame, NYCAMH researchers identified 203 agriculture-related accidents involving 381 vehicles and 482 people.

Of the agriculture incidents, 91.6 property caused property damage, while 36 percent caused injury.

Incidents involving farm vehicles or equipment tended to be more severe than non-ag crashes in terms of the number of vehicles involved, the extent of the injuries, and the number of resulting deaths.

Of the agriculture-related incidents, the most common event was a collision with another vehicle (80.8 percent). The second most common was a collision with a fixed object such as a ditch or embankment (10.3 percent), followed by an overturn/non-collision event (3.4 percent).

Poor weather conditions were rarely a factor in these events.

The study found straightaways tend to be most common crash site and crashes on straight roads with a grade were twice as common in ag-related crashes than in non-ag crashes.

NYCAMH deputy director Erika Scott speculates that this is due to non-agriculture vehicles attempting to pass slower-moving agriculture machinery on straightaways.

Although one likes being caught behind a tractor or other slow-moving farm vehicle, waiting a minute or two before you pass could make a lifetime’s difference.

NYCAMH has worked with the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee on issues surrounding slow-moving vehicle use. These initiatives have brought together the farming community, safety professionals and emergency services to raise awareness of slow-moving vehicles on the roadway.

If you’d like more information on this research, please contact the NYCAMH information specialist at info@nycamh.org. The abstract for this article can be found here.

Know the Signs

A bright orange triangle-shaped Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem, by law, must be mounted on any machinery that travels less than 25 mph on public roads.

NEW: A Speed Identification Symbol (SIS) is newly required by NYS law for equipment that moves between 25 and 40 mph.

Examples of slow-moving vehicles that these regulations apply to include tractors, self-propelled agricultural equipment, implements of husbandry, road construction and maintenance machinery, and animal-powered vehicles.

Seconds Count -- Tips for Sharing the Road with Farm Equipment during the Growing Season:

Motorists:

• Slow down. The faster you drive, the longer the stopping distance. When speed doubles from 30 mph to 60 mph, the stopping distance more than triples.
• Never pass with limited visibility or in a no-passing zone.
• Be alert for farm equipment that may be turning left. Tractors not only turn onto roads or into driveways but can also turn into fields.
• Slow down and increase following distance if you come upon equipment with an SMV emblem.

Farmers:

• Machinery must display a slow moving vehicle emblem when traveling under 25 mph. In addition to the SMV emblem, tractors and machinery must also display a speed-appropriate speed identification symbol (SIS) when travelling between 25 and 40 mph. Never exceed the top-rated speed of any trailed implements.
• Use proper lighting on farm equipment, including flashing amber lights in the front and rear. Use lights and flashers at all times of the day for increased visibility. Use of lights on tractors is required after dark and during times when visibility is reduced under 1000 feet.
• Stay in the lane, do not drive equipment half on the shoulder and half on the road. A tractor can easily lose control on a soft shoulder. Ditches that parallel most rural NY roadsides can cause potentially fatal rollovers for tractors.

Both:

• Look down the road as far as possible to be aware of what is coming and increase your warning time. At 60 mph, a vehicle is covering 88 feet per second.
• Distractions can double your reaction time. Pay attention and keep your phone shut off while driving. Hands-free phones are legal to use but can still be a distraction.

Top photo -- file photo from accident scene on April 13, 2017 on Route 20, Bethany. The wrecked tractor-trailer passed another tractor-trailer on a hill only to come upon a farm tractor towing a manure spreader. The farm tractor had just made a left-hand turn into a driveway, but the manure spreader was still in the roadway and the passing tractor-trailer clipped the rear of it and tore off the spreader's rear axel. Loaded with 80,000 pounds of cargo, the big rig continued off roadway into a guard rail and down a deep culvert into a creek filled with water. The trucker suffered a big bump on his forehead. Citations were issued. They had a lot of manure to clean up on Route 20 as a result of the accident.

Inset photo of SMV/SIS sign and bottom photo on rural road courtesy of New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health.

NYCAMH, a program of Bassett Healthcare Network, is enhancing agricultural and rural health by preventing and treating occupational injury and illness.

​

Darel D. Tingue, 29, of Main Street, Arcade, is charged with: trespass; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Tingue was arrested on Sept. 10 after allegedly causing a disturbance at UMMC. He was asked to leave and not return, but he allegedly did return and was arrested at 10:01 a.m. for trespass. He was found at the time to allegedly possess a controlled substance and cocaine. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Darryle Streeter.

David Allen Bogue, 52, of Maple Street Road, Basom, is charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to keep right. Bogue was arrested at 2:58 p.m. Sept. 10 on Lewiston Road in Batavia after the investigation of a one-car accident. He was issued an appearance ticket for Oct. 24 in Batavia Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Jason R. Anderson, 38, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree -- with a previous conviction. Anderson was arrested following a Probation residence check at 12:09 p.m. Sept. 7 at his apartment on South Main Street. He was issued an appearance ticket and was due in Batavia City Court Sept. 10. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens.

Nicole Lee Woodruff, 39, of South Academy Street, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. At 5:54 p.m. on Sept. 11, Woodruff was arrested for allegedly stealing property from Sally Beauty Supply in the Towne Center at Batavia on Veterans Memorial Drive. She was released on an appearance ticket for Sept. 26 in Batavia Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Keriann Barbaritz, 40, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. At 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 10, Batavia police were requested for a shoplifting incident at a business on West Main Street in the city. Barbaritz was arrested, processed at the scene and released on an appearance ticket. She is due in Batavia City Court on Sept. 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Adam Tucker, assisted by Officer Jason Davis.

Rae Charlene Cook, 30, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. She was arrested as a result of an arrest warrant issued by Batavia City Court for this alleged incident which occurred at 3:57 p.m. Aug. 26 on East Main Street in Batavia. She was arraigned in city court on Sept. 11 and jailed in lieu of $250. She was due back in court this morning (Sept. 12). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Photo and information from reader Nora O'Neill.

We all smiled this morning at St. Joe's. Note the "earring" in the photo.

Each autumn Mrs. Case's kindergarten class "raises" monarchs from small caterpillars to chrysalises to butterflies.

One caterpillar escaped the habitat and overnight chose the plush llama's ear to nestle into chrysalis!

Student Ben was delighted to be the one to discover it this morning.

Press release:

In support of the Genesee County STOP-DWI program, the STOP-DWI Board invites all sixth- through 12^th-grade students to submit a poster design that reflects the dangers of drinking and driving.

Designs should focus on the affects drinking and driving have on an individual, their family and the community.

The theme for the 2019 poster contest is, "Drinking and Driving is a gamble that you just can’t win.”

 Guidelines:

• Contestants must be enrolled as a  sixth- through 12^th-grader in a Genesee County School;
• Poster should be no larger than 9’’ x 12” and must include the theme of: "Drinking and Driving is a gamble that you just can’t win”;
• Please submit your artwork in landscape (horizontal) orientation;
• Each submission should be the original student’s work. Submissions should be mailed or dropped off to the address below;
• Each entry must include the artist’s full name, address, phone number, grade, age and school on the back of the poster (no personal information should be on the illustration).

Designs can be in any medium, including computer-generated. However, we strongly recommend that students create strong, simple and colorful designs that will deliver the most visual impact for their message.

Grand Prize Winner -- gift card, T-shirt with their artwork on it and their artwork on a billboard in Genesee County. They will also be honored at the STOP DWI luncheon banquet in November.

First-  through third-place winners from each category (sixth - eighth grade; ninth - 12th grade; and graphic art) will receive a gift card, commendation and T-shirt with the overall winner’s design. They will also be recognized at the STOP-DWI luncheon banquet in November.

DEADLINE: Entries must be received in person or by mail by 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11.

Send submissions to:

Genesee County Youth Bureau

ATTN: STOP DWI Poster Contest

2 Bank St.

Batavia, NY 14020

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“On a day just like today 18 years ago, our nation came under attack. Nearly 3,000 citizens, firefighters and police officers, began their mornings just like any other. On that day they tragically lost their lives.

“No one could imagine the events that transpired that September morning, and for a moment our freedom was compromised.

“An attack intended to break our spirits and devastate our nation, in our darkest hour faced with pure evil, Americans responded with bravery and courage. An effort to tear us apart only brought us closer together.

“Today we hold the ones we love a little tighter, we remember those we lost and we honor those who gave everything to protect our freedom. 

“The memory of September 11, 2001 will remain in our hearts forever, but the strength and resiliency that defines this country will always prevail in the face of darkness.

“We will never forget.”

Crews are working furiously to finish construction of the new VanDetta Stadium with a scheduled home opener for the Batavia Blue Devils football team on Friday.

There's a lot of finishing touches to complete and the goal is to have everything ready to go by 3 p.m. tomorrow when players expect to move into their new lockers in the remodeled locker room.

Game time is 7 p.m. Friday but the public is invited to a pregame ceremonial ribbon cutting at 6:30 p.m.

Information provided by Patrick Fisher, event organizer for Us TOO Rochester:

The Center for Urology in Batavia, a practice of seven urologists in the city, is one of this year's major sponsors of the fifth annual Prostate Cancer Walk and Health Fair on Sunday, Sept. 15 inside The Mall at Greece Ridge.

Us TOO Rochester hosts the event, which is its primary fundraiser and proceeds benefit local patient programs. It is the regional affiliate chapter of Us TOO International, a nonprofit 501c3 organization providing patient support, education and advocacy for those affected by prostate cancer in Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region.

Registration for Sunday's Walk and Health Fair is $30 at the door and includes an event T-shirt while supplies last. All are welcome.

Online registration is only $20 and the last day to register online is Sept. 12. Click here to register online.

On-site registration opens at 8:30 a.m. and the final lap begins at 10 a.m.

Children age 13 and under are admitted free.

This is a family fun event that includes: prize drawings worth hundreds of dollars; DJ Blaze as Master of Ceremony; a collection of classic cars displayed by Street Machines of Rochester; entertainment by mascots for Rochester Red Wings (Spikes) and Amerks (Moose); face painting by Freckles; a performance by Oasis Senior Tappers; free Dunkin’ Donuts (The Luis Ribeiro Group); free Gloria Jean’s Coffee (Rumit Patel, Mgr.); and cookies by Kiss Me Cookie in Webster.

See the '10-foot-tall Enlarged Prostate'

Among the sights will be the region's largest “enlarged prostate” -- a 10-foot-tall educational tool that informs you about how prostate cancer develops and spreads when left untreated.

In addition to educational exhibits, UR Medicine Labs and Urology will conduct free PSA screening on site for qualified men who have no medical insurance.

Ample parking is available at the mall near door #8. For full details about the walk and fundraiser, visit here.

The Mall at Greece Ridge is located at 271 Greece Ridge Center Drive in Greece.

The annual Prostate Cancer Walk and Health Fair is held in September because it is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The disease is the most common non-skin cancer in American men, and the leading cause of cancer death in men second only to lung cancer.

The National Cancer Institute reports that 29,430 men in the United States will die from prostate cancer annually. More than 16,000 men in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region are diagnosed with the disease that left untreated may affect other organs or lead to bone cancer and death.

According to the NYS Department of Health, every year another 42 men from Batavia and Genesee County will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

African-American men are at even greater risk and from an earlier age than their caucasian counterpart. However, not only men suffer. This cancer has the potential to affect spouses, significant others and relationships in meaningful ways, too.

No Early Warning Signs

While medical research has advanced how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated, there are no early warning signs. The same BRCA2 gene that contributes to breast cancer in women, may also contribute to prostate cancer in men. Men who have a sister or mother known to have BRCA2 may benefit by being screened for prostate cancer.

Yet, the best outcomes begin with an early diagnosis. This makes it very important that men routinely talk with their provider about being screened for prostate cancer especially as they age.

Batavia's Dr. Anees Fazili, one of the urologists with the local Center for Urology, says he was honored to have helped bring a new exciting procedure to Western New York for the treatment of prostate cancer called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). It reduces some of the usual risks of treatment associated with this disease.

"At Rochester Regional Health we also just purchased the 'FocalOne' HIFU device, which is truly revolutionary and allows for same day focal therapy of prostate cancer, and we are one of only a handful of centers in the entire country offering this amazing treatment option," Fazili wrote in an email to The Batavian.

He operates out of both United Memorial Medical Center and Medina Memorial Hospital, and is working on starting an Us TOO chapter for Genesee County.

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, but the process for men to learn what they need to know in order to make informed decisions is a daunting task that typically requires many sleepless nights and weeks spent conducting research or getting second and third medical opinions.

Us TOO is a good resource for help and information.

Their monthly meetings provide a safe environment where men and their care givers may share about their experience or learn from others regarding current options.

Submitted photo and press release:

Nick Russo is incredibly excited to be running for City Council in Ward 3 and represent the great City of Batavia that he calls home.

Russo, a graduate of Albion High School, went to Genesee Community College and spent a great deal of time in Batavia and fell in love with the city and knew it was where he wanted to settle down. 

Russo has spent his entire career working in the entertainment industry, including being a DJ and working with theater companies all over Western New York. For the last couple of years he has served on the Youth Board and loved helping to create new opportunities to better serve the children who will be the future of our community.

Sammy DiSalvo (inset photo left) is running in Ward 5, has been involved with local politics for the past three years and currently serves as the president of the Genesee County Young Democrats and as a voting member on the Genesee County Democratic Executive Committee. 

After graduating from Batavia High School, he obtained a master’s degree in Education from SUNY Oswego and currently works at GCC helping local area low-income, first-generation college students discover their life’s passion and then apply for college.

DiSalvo also co-owns a pop-up business in Batavia called Decks, Dice, and Meeples where he brings family-friendly game nights to various coffee shops, libraries, and bars. He is intertwined with Batavia’s citizens and the larger city, and wants to see it be the best.

Both candidates look forward meeting voters from all over the City of Batavia on the campaign trail in the coming months. 

On Monday, Sept. 16, temporary road closures will occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. These road closures are for the roadway resurfacing of the following streets. (The duration of each closure will be approximately four hours before traffic can ride on the treatment):

• Florence Avenue -- between Cedar Street and Howard Street. Carolwood Drive – between Garden Drive and end of road.
• Belvedere Lane – Naramore Drive to Naramore Drive. Woodcrest Drive – Between house #2 and #15.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, a temporary road closure shall occur on:

• Union Street – between Richmond Avenue and Oak Street. This impacts residents that live on Union Square limiting access.

Also on Tuesday, any work not completed on listed streets from Monday will be completed. Working hours will be between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Resident’s will be notified by the company doing the work -- Suit Kote -- of the actual work schedule via fliers delivered door to door on the impacted streets a day in advance.

Residents of impacted areas are asked not to park on these streets while the work is ongoing and to park on adjacent side streets if possible.

This work is weather dependent and if delayed due to wet conditions the work will resume the next business day.

Contact the Bureau of Maintenance and ask to speak to the Superintendent at 585-345-6400, opt. 1, if you have any questions.

A 29-year-old resident of Holley and an alleged accomplice are accused of stealing $75 worth of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups from the Top's Market in Batavia this morning.

Kay E. Dilker is charged with petit larceny. Also arrested was 37-year-old Joseph Turner (charges not specified in the press release and no address provided).

Batavia PD was dispatched at 11:05 a.m. for a report of a shoplifting in progress at Tops.

When patrols arrived, Dilker and Turner reportedly tried to evade police by jumping over a fence and into the yard of a residence on Redfield Parkway.

Once apprehended, the duo was allegedly found in possession of a large bag of peanut butter cups.

Dilker was jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond. Turner was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The case was investigated by officers Adam Tucker and Jason Davis.