open house

The Genesee County Office for the Aging is encouraging people to attend this week’s Open House, especially those who:
  • recently turned 60 years of age;
  • are seeking volunteer opportunities and are 55 and older;
  • are caregivers of older adults;
  • are under 60 and with living with disabilities.
 
Office for the Aging (OFA) offers a wide variety of activities, programs and services which together keep older adults active, engaged and supported in our community.  Staff is looking forward to meeting you and sharing all we have to offer!
 
This program is made possible through funds from the NYS Office for the Aging, NY Connects, Administration for Community Living, AmeriCorps Seniors and the Genesee County Legislature.  Requests for reasonable accommodations can be made by calling (585) 343-1611.

OPEN HOUSE: 71 East Main Street, LeRoy – Saturday 11am - 1pm. Introducing this impeccably maintained vintage village charmer located on E Main Street in the Village of LeRoy! You will love the home’s style, character, and attention to detail as you pass through each room of this 4308 sq ft stunner. Public records indicate 5 bedrooms, but multiple bonus rooms and finished spaces could also be bedrooms as new owners see fit, including 2 on the first floor. Hardwoods, crown moldings, Front and rear staircases, WBFP, Sunrise double hung vinyl windows, newer boiler, and updates throughout make this one of the most desirable homes in LeRoy. Location, location, location - tree lined main street w/ village sidewalks - you will love love love being in this home! Again, do not let this one slip by. It could be years before another one of these historic LeRoy homes comes up for sale! Showings begin Friday 4/21 @ 10am and Negotiations may begin anytime after 8pm Wednesday 4/26.

71emainstreet.howardhanna.com

OPEN HOUSE - SATURDAY APR. 15th, 11am - 12:30pm. They just don't build them like this anymore! This is just a good quality, well built 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home on lovely lot! This home features spacious rooms and awesome floor plan-so well laid out and it immediately feels homey and welcoming the minute you step in the door! Lovingly and well maintained throughout the years it had a tear off roof put on in 2018, that will come with a transferable warranty as well! Boiler system just serviced and new updated electric panel box being installed as we speak! It's also generator ready! The basement is large and open perfect – for additional hang out space or work area. The setting is super picturesque with great country views all around you and yet you are just minutes from town! This home is located in the Alexander School System. Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today, 585-344-HOME (4663).

5399 Horseshoe Lake Road, Batavia. If you want one floor living in awesome setting, then this solid ranch checks all the boxes! Hillside location has scenic views from all windows! Set back from road you can look out front across to see Horseshoe Lake and out back to a gorgeous wooded backdrop-best of all worlds! Home features 3 large bedrooms -master bedroom with full bath-as well as a second full bath and roomy guest bedrooms. Large living room and unique split kitchen/dining room or cozy secondary family gathering spot with wood stove looking out sliding glass door to back yard! Truly the gathering spot of this home it makes you want to stay and watch the seasons change! There is large pantry style closet for all your kitchen supplies as well as a great utility/laundry room for all the other necessities! This room also has direct access to covered carport for easy in and out for unloading the cars! Also there is enclosed front entryway, extra large foyer, and xtra wide hallway. This home packs a lot in! This owner did all the right things through out the years maintenance wise, all that is needed is for the next person to make it their own! Don't underestimate all the possibilities here-this is a FOREVER HOME!! Call Reliant Real Estate today 585-344-HOME (4663).

**OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY JAN 21st @ 11-12:30** Solid ranch that checks all the boxes! Hillside location has scenic views from all windows! Set back from road, you can look out front across to see Horseshoe Lake and out back to a gorgeous wooded backdrop-best of all worlds! Home features three large bedrooms; master bedroom with full bath-as well as a second full bath and roomy guest bedrooms. A large living room and unique split kitchen/dining room or cozy secondary family gathering spot with wood stove looking out sliding glass door to back yard! Truly the gathering spot of this home it makes you want to stay and watch the seasons change! There is large pantry style closet for all your kitchen supplies as well as a great utility/laundry room for all the other necessities! This room also has direct access to covered carport for easy in and out for unloading the cars! Also there is enclosed front entryway, extra large foyer, and extra wide hallway. This home packs a lot in! This owner did all the right things through out the years maintenance wise, all that is needed is for the next person to make it their own! Don't underestimate all the possibilities here-this is a FOREVER HOME!!

Click here for more information on these listings and more. Call Reliant Real Estate today!

OPEN HOUSE THIS SATURDAY 11am-12:30pm - 6380 Oak Orchard Road, Elba. A solid country home! If you are looking for a little land in the country -the kind that is move in ready but you can still make your own with an affordable price tag?? Then here you go! This home sits on over an acre of land, surrounded by fields and pasture views with a new 16x24 back deck to enjoy great nites! This home has 4 bedrooms (including a first floor bedroom, if needed!) There is first floor laundry, sunny and bright kitchen and large open living and dining room floor plan -perfect for large gatherings!! New roof and gutters in 2019 as well as new furnace and central air too!! All new windows on first floor, bathroom redone as well as kitchen. This home is ready for the next person to make it their own! Easy to check out, come see for your self! Call Reliant Real Estate today! Call 344-HOME(4663)

Maddasin DuBois attended her first Gophers Open House Thursday. Though she had never thought much about these events, this year seemed different.

“My teachers kept talking about it,” said the new sixth-grader.

Her cousin, Alaina Rowe, went to see “my friends,” she said. They ate from one of the four food trucks, visited school booths, watched kids try to nail the target for a dunk tank and hung out at the Middle-Senior High School on Big Tree Road, Pavilion. Crystal DuBois, who is mom to both girls, said it was a first time for them. In the past, the girls hadn’t shown any interest, she said. But this year they all went and learned a thing or two.

“They have clubs and programs I didn’t know about, and maybe I can get them interested,” Crystal said.

The Gopher Gathering is Pavilion’s third annual open house, English teacher Rachel Kress said. Food trucks, games, informal meetings with teachers and Board of Education members, visiting a petting zoo hosted by Future Farmers of America and other activities filled the late afternoon until 7 p.m.

Ninth-grader Erin Andrews was one of several student volunteers to help out with the event. Erin had a face painting station set up for sparkle-adorned designs and temporary tattoos.

Sabrina Sanner, a newly hired music teacher, had never been to prior events and said it was a good idea. School districts often have events that bring families into the school classrooms for more formal types of interactions, she said. Pavilion's was out on the lawns, lined with tables, activities and information.

“I think it’s nice, it’s a better way to do an open house,” the 24-year-old said.

Next to her at the table was Eric Weaver, an art teacher. After all summer, this was "kind of like a reunion," he said.

“I think it’s a way for the community to get together,” he said. “This is kind of the first opportunity we’ve had to get together … and parents turn into supportive parents for their child’s education.”

He held up sign-up sheets with several student names on them indicating interest in art class. Aside from the general theme of meeting one another, there was another one: wearing the school colors of purple and gold. 

Groups of students sat talking on a nearby curb while others took turns trying to dunk Assistant Principal Charles Martelle in a tank of cold water. The school’s resource officer was on hand to talk to families and take photos for the bulletin board. Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies were there as well, in addition to about 75 faculty and staff, said Deb Barie, director of pupil personnel services.

“I think it’s a great way to have the whole family involved in the school,” she said. “They’re getting to know the teachers in a comfortable, safe setting. (Parents) can enjoy a night out with the kids. The student volunteers are showing off their extracurriculars to show what they do during the school day and outside of school.”

Top Photo: Pavilion Middle-High School students relax with some treats from food trucks during the annual Gopher Gathering at the school on Big Tree Road; Erin Andrews decorates a tattoo on first-grader Caroline Mead's hand; school faculty Eric Weaver and Sabrina Sanner share their passions for art and music, respectively, during the event Thursday; students take turns whipping the yellow ball at a dunk tank target in hopes of dropping Assistant Principal Charles Martelle into the water (some were successful); and photo above, school secretary Coreena Green, substitute teacher Jonathan Holland and Deb Barie, director of Pupil Personnel Services, meet families and hand out informational flyers. Photos by Joanne Beck.

What began as an innocent conversation at a parent meeting has turned into a new role and title for Tina Bak of Oakfield.

During the meeting that also included Susan Zeliff, who with her husband owns and operates The Goose and founded Warrior House, Bak learned that the wheels were not yet in motion for an upcoming benefit for the nonprofit.

“We were just chit chatting at the last PTO meeting that I came to — she has let us use the Goose … and she told me that she wanted to have this benefit during garage sale weekend in June, and hasn't started planning it yet. We got together and met like a couple days later, and I started calling around for donations,” Bak said during an interview with The Batavian. “She's like, ‘holy smokes, you're on a roll.’ She goes, you're not just my volunteer, you're the fundraiser coordinator.”

Bak has had great success in getting donations, with the total being more than 200 items for an upcoming basket raffle. Generous businesses have wanted to be part of the fundraising effort for this cause, and Bak has collected goods from “Buffalo to Rochester, and everywhere in between,” she said.

The event is an open house and basket raffle for Warrior House, and runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Goose, 33 South Main St., Oakfield.

Warrior House is a concept as much as a location. In fact, it stemmed from a conversation by the Zeliff family when deciding what to do with a farmhouse on a piece of property the family purchased. The original mission and location have changed and expanded, moving from Orleans to Genesee County and, in addition to supporting men and women veterans, it includes a food pantry, community center, meeting room, seasonal hunts and school supply, toy and clothing drives.

As of this past fall, the Zeliffs purchased the former Camp Hough property at Silver Lake, so they could also provide additional camping opportunities for veterans and their families. (See related article here.)

Proceeds from the basket and 50/50 raffles will help offset costs of community events such as paint nights, monthly community meals and arts and crafts activities for adults and children, all free of charge to the public.

“It’s been kind of fun, it’s just an exciting thing to see what we've secured. This is going to be a huge raffle. We've got something for everyone,” Bak said. “We've got dinner, and restaurants and entertainment, and just fun gift cards … we’ve got something for literally everyone.”

Golf packages worth up to $425, Maid of the Mist tickets, wine tours, an exercise bike, pizza for a year from Santino’s, a $250 Target gift card, Jim Kelly autographed football, $100 cash, NFL and NHL signed memorabilia, a GLOW YMCA family membership for a year in Batavia are just some of the raffle items.

Or maybe Stokoe Farms admission, Oliver’s, Alex’s Place and Eli Fish Brewing Company gift cards, a Valle Jewelers bracelet, a Miss Buffalo cruise, a Mary Kay beauty basket and a Batavia Downs Gaming stay and play package are more enticing.

For higher value items, tickets are $1 each, $5 for six or $10 for 12, and remaining basket raffle items are $5 for a sheet of 26 tickets or $10 for three sheets. A 50/50 raffle will be $1 per ticket, $5 for six tickets or $10 for 12.

The Goose has become the central hub for many activities and events, and it has been getting some major touch-ups this past year. Some grant monies have helped to pay for renovations, including a commercial kitchen still in progress, Bak said.

The site has been topped with a new roof, while inside renovation progress is near completion. The food pantry, which has its own location within the building, and the Community Room, are still in progress, the bathrooms are finished and a commercial kitchen is nearing the finish line. Another addition, probably for next summer, will be a Farmers Market location within the building.

The food pantry helps out 50 to 60 families each month, and a Christmastime toy and clothing drive helped out untold numbers of folks during that season. A common phrase nowadays is food insecurity, which simply means that folks are struggling to make ends meet, pay their bills and also put a meal on the table for the family.

It’s all  “pretty cool,” Bak said.

“We hope to see it being used by the community for events, dinners, activities, and by groups to who need a space for meetings or other activities,” Bak said. “We are excited to have this project come to fruition. We would not be where we are now without the donations from our generous sponsors."

For more information, email thegoose33@aol.com or call (315) 730-0606. Tickets may be purchased during the open house or online with Venmo or PayPal. When ordering online, indicate if the purchase is for the 50/50 or basket raffle. A gallery of baskets are online for viewing at The Goose on Facebook. For online orders, pay to Susan Zeliff and @warriorhousewny

Photos: A large display of baskets are being prepared in the Community Center at The Goose in Oakfield. Photos submitted by Tina Bak.

 

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After 26 years of being cautious, solo beauty stylist Cheryl Fisher has decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. Her new business, Wisteria Studios Inc., is open for business at 617 East Main St., Batavia.

“This is kind of a lifelong dream. I never really expected it to come to fruition,” Fisher said Wednesday at her site. “I got lucky, and I fell upon this building. I’m stepping outside my comfort zone. God has me in this place for a purpose.“

Fisher, an Alexander native and Batavia resident, is proud to show off her business during an open house Friday. From 6 to 7:30 p.m., beauty professionals are welcome to check it out, ask questions and obtain more information about renting one of the two available studios. Friends and family may then also browse the gray marble floor, silver, white and gray-themed decor and a splash of painted lavender accents from 7 to 9 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be part of the celebration, she said. 

Fisher, a licensed cosmetologist, began her career with the late Joseph Gerace, who she credits for her success.

“I would not be where I am without him,” she said. 

She was with Gerace for 10 years before operating a home salon for another eight years. Then life happened, and a divorce prompted her to move her beauty services in 2012 to a shack next to O’Lacy’s on School Street. Nine years later she spotted her next venture: the former Kentucky Fried Chicken-turned-auto shop-turned computer store on East Main Street. 

Major renovations included a complete dig-out of the foundation via Bobcat, removal of the signature KFC cupola and other restaurant memorabilia left behind of the Colonel Sanders fame. Fisher wants to preserve the history of when the Lazarony family bought the building for KFC in 1963, and how it transformed into other businesses up to now.  

Floor space of 2,000 square feet has been subdivided into four studios.

“It’s gorgeous. Hopefully it’s going to stay like that for a long time,” she said. “There’s a common waiting room, a break room, a corridor and each stylist renting a space will be behind closed doors.”

Her dream included a studio salon at which clients aren’t clustered next to each other during services. So the studios — fully equipped with storage cabinets, freestyle dryers, a shampoo station and styling chair — provide a comfortable and private environment for each client, Fisher said. Add to that amenities of on-site laundry, WiFi, garbage removal and snow plowing. She already has one tenant to offer Mary Kay products, facials and classes, and is looking to fill two more spaces with stylists, a barber or esthetician.

Supported by a silent partner, Fisher said this venture has been filled with challenges, from lack of supplies due to COVID-19 to not being able to do hands-on shopping for decor and accessories. She wasn’t certain of what to name the place, and came across some wallpaper with purple wisterias dripping down from ceiling to floor. She liked the color, and locked in her business name after reading a definition of wisteria: “a plant that never settles and never stops growing,” she said. 

“The beauty industry is the same, it never settles and never stops growing. And that’s me,” she said. “I want (tenants) to come in, be happy, have fun and enjoy what they do. Everyone is their own entity, they all do their own thing. I’m looking forward to my own space, but having people in the building. I have put my lifetime investment into it.” 

For more information, call 585-343-1247 or email wisteriastudios.617@gmail.com.

Stylist and business owner Cheryl Fisher works on a customer's hair at her new place, Wisteria Studios Inc. Photos by Jim Burns