Bootcamp graduates celebrate completing the program Thursday at Genesee Valley BOCES. Photo courtesy of Philip Wells
For the six consecutive year, the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association hosted the Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp. It was a six-week training program in which GLOW region and Monroe County students attended class in the morning and worked afternoons at local manufacturers, from whom they receive paid on-the-job training.
Since 2021, the Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp has grown to connect 50-plus students to in-demand careers with local employers including Oxbo International, Upstate Niagara Cooperative Dairy, Tambe Electric among others.
The program is sponsored by the Rochester Technology Manufacturing Association, Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program, Genesee Valley BOCES, GLOW Workforce Development Board, the Genesee County Economic Development Center, SUNY Genesee Community College and the American Apprenticeship Institute of WNY.
Next Thursday's unveiling of a highway sign along Route 19 honoring Gary A. Scott will be brief and there won't be room for very many people to attend, Le Roy's historian says. The dedication will continue at Trigon Park, however, where the community can gather to honor the Le
The Genesee County Career Center will host a Job Fair on Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Career Center, 587 East Main St., Batavia, NY.
The event will bring together local and regional employers seeking qualified candidates for a variety of career opportunities.
"We are excited to provide job seekers with an opportunity to meet employers face-to-face, learn about available positions, and explore career paths in our community," Teresa Van Son, director of the Career Center, said.
The Job Fair is also a great opportunity for recent high school graduates who are not attending college, are considering their options, or simply aren't sure what they want to do next. Whether you are looking for your first job, interested in learning a trade, exploring a career, or ready to start working, this is a chance to meet employers, ask questions, and discover what opportunities are available. Not sure where to start? Let us help you get started.
Participating employers represent a broad range of industries, including healthcare, human services, manufacturing, public service, education, transportation, retail, hospitality and professional services.
Job seekers of all experience levels are encouraged to attend, connect with hiring representatives, learn about current openings, and explore opportunities throughout Genesee County and the surrounding area.
For additional information, contact the Genesee County Career Center at 585-344-2042.
Save the date. Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Genesee County Master Gardeners will be hosting their annual Fall Garden Gala and Plant Sale at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 East Main St. in Batavia.
This plant sale features hardy garden perennials, most of which are grown by Master Gardeners. Fall is a good time to plant many perennials as there is still time for them to grow a strong root system before winter. A wide variety of house plants will also be available for sale.
Learn how to artfully arrange flowers fresh from the garden, as talented Master Gardeners create arrangements and bouquets right before your eyes. These beautiful flower arrangements will be available for sale.
We will also be selling gently used garden/horticulture related books. All books will be 50% off their marked price. The Master Gardener Helpline will be open to answer your gardening questions.
Don't forget to stop inside for the Basket Auction. You never know what treasures may appear. Ticket sales will be from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Winners will be notified on Monday, Sept. 21, after 9 a.m. Winners will be able to pick up their baskets during CCE office hours Sept. 21-25.
Don't miss your chance to pick up some great plants at great prices. Arrive at 10 a.m. for the best plant selection. No early birds, please.
All proceeds benefit the educational outreach of the Genesee County Master Gardener Program.
For more information contact Jan Beglinger at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 585-343-3040, ext. 132, or stop by the Extension office at 420 East Main St. in Batavia. Visit our website at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events for more information. Like us on our Facebook page for Gala and other Master Gardener program updates: https://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee.
The Village of Corfu will host a free community ice cream social from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, at Corfu Homestead Park at the Corfu Village Commons, 81 East Main Street, Corfu.
The event is part of the village's celebration of America's 250th anniversary, organizers said.
The social will include free ice cream, live music, activities for children and a chance for residents to meet their neighbors. Local organizations will sell food and beverages.
The event is free and open to everyone, organizers said. Corfu Community Heart & Soul sponsors the event.
Fall fun is popping up all over Downtown Batavia, and the Batavia Business Improvement District is kicking off the 2026 Downtown Scarecrow Contest.
Businesses, agencies, organizations, families and creative scarecrow-makers of all kinds are invited to join the fun, show off their creativity and add some extra personality to Main Street this fall.
Whether your scarecrow is funny, spooky, clever, cute, completely over the top or a little bit of everything, we want to see what you come up with.
It's a great way to get involved, have some fun and help make Downtown Batavia festive and colorful for the fall season.
Ready to join the fun?
Please see the attached registration form for all contest information, important dates and details on how to participate.
Grab your ideas, gather your crew and start planning your scarecrow — we can't wait to see Downtown Batavia come to life.
Organizers of the Bergen Makes Art Show have extended the deadline for artist submissions to Sept. 14, giving artists more time to enter the community exhibition planned in honor of the late Bergen designer Vickie Almquist.
About 17 pieces have been submitted so far, and organizers said there is room for more.
The show, first detailed in a May story on The Batavian, is set for Nov. 7 at the Sage Pavilion in Bergen. Almquist, a Bergen native who spent nearly four decades working in fashion and graphic design in New York City, died in August 2025 after battling cancer. Friends and fellow artists organized the show to realize an exhibition she had long dreamed of but never saw come to fruition.
Organizers said the show is open to all local artists, not just those who live in Bergen.
Reminders of how the Deal of the Day program works:
To make purchases, you must be registered. Deal of the Day uses a registration system that is not connected to the registration for commenting on The Batavian (the main user login in the upper left of the homepage).
Once registered you must sign in using the "sign-in" link in this box.
You click on the orange button, which appears if the item is not sold out, and it takes you to a PayPal button. This allows you to pay either with your PayPal account or with a credit card/debit card. The login for PayPal is completely separate from our accounts.
The first person to successfully complete the PayPal transaction wins the gift certificate.
You are eligible to buy the same item only once in a four-month period. We use the registration system to track this for you so you don't have to.
Only one gift certificate from the same business PER HOUSEHOLD is allowed in each four-month period. We do not have a way to automatically track duplicate purchases within a household; however, if we notice such a purchase, we reserve the right to cancel the purchase and refund the purchase money. Each individual buyer must use his or her own PayPal account for purchases. It's important that participating businesses not be asked to redeem multiple gift certificates from the same person/family at the same time.
You will receive your physical gift certificate through postal mail. If you have questions about the receipt of your gift certificate before opening a dispute with PayPal, please use the contact email address below.
Gift certificates should be used within 30 days of receipt.
Sign-in issues? First, make sure you are registered for Day using the link at the top of this post; Second, if you know you're registered, use the "sign-in" link in this post; do not use the "login" box on the left side of the page.
Problems, questions, concerns about the Deal of the Day? Email Kara Richenberg: kara@thebatavian.com
File Photo of GSO members with Conductor S. Shade Zajac during a Summer Serenade at Terry Hills in Batavia.
Although S. Shade Zajac is now on the heels of his 10th anniversary as principal conductor of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, the group itself will be ringing in eight decades as a longstanding musical treasure in this community — something worthy of yet another emotionally fulfilling season set to begin this fall.
This year’s theme is “Landscapes of the Soul,” an inspired title and meaning that unfolds throughout “Symphony no. 2 in D Major” by Sibelius, “Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde” by Wagner; “Das Lied von Der Erde” by Mahler; the world premier of a piece commissioned for GSO; and even the components of Move Night Strikes Back, Zajac said.
“I heard that turn of phrase when talking about the the Sibelius Symphony, and the piece goes through all sorts of different moods, and again, it references the Wagner, Tristan, and Zolla, which is about love and not being able to be with the person that you love the most. And until the very end when they both die and all that, it's uplifting, but not really uplifting,” he said. “And then the Mahler, too, it doesn't end with a bang, and it talks about what what it means to be a human being, and what it means to face these questions that we all think about, like dying and what comes after and how do we deal with these things, and the good things and bad things that that happen in life that everyone experiences.
“So I liked the turn of phrase, and I thought that it related very well to lots of the the pieces that we were doing,” he said. “And even the movie concert too. You know, movies, like opera, everything else, you have funny things, and you have tragic things, and sometimes within seconds or minutes of each other. So that's kind of how I did it.”
Before the fall season begins, GSO will perform its Summer Serenade at 5 p.m. Sunday at Terry Hills Golf Course and Banquet Facility, Clinton Street Road, Batavia. Proceeds from this event go to United Way’s Backpack Program in Genesee County and GSO.
“So each year I try to keep it a little different. And this year, all I'll say is that we are focusing on one composer who is a pretty famous composer. So people will be happy. It'll be a lovely evening,” Zajac said. “We will be joined by my dear friend Jessica Moss, who has sung with the orchestra before. She is coming to sing a couple things, which we can't talk about. But this will be the first time that we've had for this program an outside soloist come in.
"And she's a dear friend, and has sung with the orchestra, and has sung with other groups I've worked with. And I asked her if she'd be willing to do this, as it's a fundraiser for the orchestra, and she said yes,” he said. “So we're happy to have her back, and I think it's going to be lots of fun.”
Tickets are $50 and include dinner, concert, dessert, with cash bar available. Tickets available from any GSO members, Lawley Insurance, or at GSO.
Now, onto a review of the upcoming season for Landscapes of the Soul. First up is a concert at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Stuart Steiner Theater at the Batavia Genesee Community College campus, 1 College Road.
“Even though we came right off a celebration of my 10th season, this is the orchestra’s 80th season, which is a pretty big accomplishment, and being one of the oldest in the state, if not the country, of our kind of orchestra, which is a pretty neat thing,” he said. “But with every year, I want to change things up and do things that maybe the orchestra has not done before or hasn't done for a very long time, and then, of course, do things that we know that people will really love and appreciate, and get a kick out of.”
Jean Sibelius is a Finnish composer, and the second symphony is probably his most well-known and famous, Zajac said. He had attended an International Conductors Guild event in California, and heard a lecture given about that piece. While everyone else went to lunch, “I went through my score again, and was like, OK, I really understand that. So that’s what we end the program with."
The first half features two pieces, including the 2026 Young Artists Competition winner, Hannah Witkowski with a clarinet concerto, followed by Wagner’s “Prelude and Liebestod” from the opera “Tristan und Isolde.”
“So it's one of the most important and famous pieces. In the repertoire, it's an opera, and the prelude has a chord which is called the Tristan chord. And there has been so much written about this one chord, and it inspired, it still inspires, people today. People use that chord. People reference it. They quote it. And it gives this unresolved feeling, and that's kind of what the opera is about, this unresolved love,” Zajac said. “These two people that can't be together, and for four and a half hours, you want this to resolved, and it doesn’t, until the very end — four hours later, and it's when it finally happens. It's one of the most glorious moments in music."
Obviously, the orchestra is not going to do the entire five-hour opera, he said, so they do some condensing. They will perform the prelude and skip to the last several minutes of the opera — the Liebestod — which is called the love-death, where Isolde sings over the dead body of Tristan before dying of pure ecstasy and grief.
“And that kind of gives the audience what the whole piece is about, and we're doing it because, like I mentioned, this piece inspired so many composers,” Zajac said. “Even today, it's still talked about.”
Something a little more festive, in time for the season, is the Holiday Wishlist at 3 p.m. Dec. 6 at Stuart Steiner Theater. This year’s concert promises “a great rendition of “The Night Before Christmas” that’s lots of fun, with several surprises that Zajac won’t spoil before their time, he said.
The musical lineup includes Anderson’s popular “The Typewriter,” “Christmas Festival” and “Sleigh Ride,” and other holiday favorites.
Back by popular demand — from both the orchestra and audience members — movie night will return this year, Zajac said. Set for 3 p.m. Feb. 7 at Stuart Steiner Theater, Movie Night Strikes Back includes plenty of popular classics, including:
“Suite from Back to the Future,” Alan Silvestri
“Casablanca,” Max Steiner
“The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly: Theme, and Ecstasy of Gold,” Ennio Morricone
“Symphonic Suite from the Fellowship of the Ring,” Howard Shore
“Superman March,” John Williams
“Theme From Jurassic Park,” John Williams
“The Asteroid Field from Empire Strikes Back,” John Williams
"Luke and Leia from Return of the Jedi,” John Williams
“Adventures on Earth from E.T.,” John Williams
“I love doing movie concerts,” Zajac said. “We talk in movie quotes all the time, that’s our language.”
At 3 p.m. May 23, a “Song of the Earth” concert will wrap up the season with featured members from the String Workshop, and a hot-off-the-press debut of a piece composed by Josh Oxford, a fellow musician Zajac has known from when growing up in Ithaca. Though Zajac was at the middle-high school age, his grandfather was associated with Ithaca College, where Oxford was attending, and the two ended up meeting.
“And he is a really incredible musician, and we of course got to know each other a little bit and bonded over our love of not only classical music but rock and roll music,” Zajac said. “So he’s writing us a new piece, which is always really exciting. It’ll be the world premiere. I don’t know what it’s called yet, won’t know for a while.
“And then to close out the program and the season, we’re doing a really special piece of music that the orchestra has never done before, the ‘Das Lied von Der Erd,’ which is by Gustav Mahler. In English, it means the song of the earth,” he said. “Gustav Mahler is one of my all-time favorite composers, and he wrote nine symphonies, and he was really afraid of what’s called the curse of the Ninth Symphony.”
Other famous composers have died either after or during their ninth symphony, so Mahler tried to circumvent this perceived curse by inserting two vocal soloists into his piece — a tenor and mezzo-soprano. He still died, unable to ever hear his masterpiece.
“There are, let's see, 125 movements in all, and it's some of the most beautiful music that Mahler ever wrote. And the text deals with lots of things. There's things about love. There's things about two friends having a drink together, and then one walks off into eternity. So there's a lot of really touching moments. Mahler is a really exciting composer to play for any orchestra because he usually calls for great forces and he treats everyone in the orchestra like they are a virtuoso,” Zajac said. “So it's a lot of fun. It's really scary and satisfying for a conductor because we know that Mahler was also a great conductor, and in his scores he writes so many detailed notes about how to conduct his piece, and he knows your mind so well, and he'll say, ‘don't rush here.’
“I mean, it's extensive to translate all of these German instructions, but it's thrilling at the same time. And this will be the first time the orchestra and I have done Mahler together,” he said. “This will be the first time the orchestra has done this piece in its 80-year history, so I thought it would be a fitting way to close out this season.”
Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation President and CEO Byron Brown updates the board on revenue this year. Photo by Brian Quinn
The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (WROTB) plans to review this year's Rockin' the Downs Summer Concert Series next month, a series that wrapped up with an Aug. 14 Jo Dee Messina show that brought in over $57,000.
The concert ticket revenue was $57,553. Drink ticket revenue was $37,295. Messina merchandise revenue was $2,606. In-house concessions generated $2,341. Net revenue from food, beverage and gaming increased by $23,350. WROTB President and CEO Byron Brown shared the numbers with the Board of Directors during its meeting Thursday.
There were 2,325 tickets sold for the country star's show. Veterans received 350 tickets.
"This corporation has had an admirable commitment to our veterans. A lot of veterans come here," Brown said. "A lot of veterans are our customers. The combination of tickets purchased and tickets that were distributed to sponsors and veterans. There were 3,375 people in attendance at the concert. It was our largest attendance of the seven concerts."
Brown said that at the Sept. 24 meeting, the board will have a complete review of the seven Rockin' the Downs shows.
Director Dennis Bassett said it is good to have a report on the shows this year, with the understanding that Batavia Downs won't have the same success with every concert as it did with Messina.
This year's lineup began with Motown legends The Spinners, and included classic rock, disco and country.
"In the spirit of making sure that our concerts are diverse, understanding that The Spinners didn't draw that kind of a crowd, but it did draw a crowd that brought new people to Batavia Downs," Bassett said. "That's important for us to know. So, I think top-line growth is good, but diversity of audience is also good, and we must continue to weigh that against the bottom-line numbers."
Brown told Bassett WROTB will consider that.
"We will be meeting with the staff and our promoter to review the season and how we can improve and set up our concert plan for next year," he said. "That concert plan for next year will also be presented to the board for your review."
Brown had more numbers for the board, such as about the additional vendor fee. Through Aug. 17, WROTB earned $3.1 million in additional vendor fee revenue. The state budget reduced WROTB's gaming tax rate for Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel from 49% to 44%.
"Based on year-to-date performance and the assumptions incorporated into the 2026 operating plan, management projects an additional $2 million in revenue during the remainder of 2026, which will result in total projected additional vendor fee revenue of approximately $5 million for the year," Brown said. "This project represents an approximately 13% increase in additional vendor fee revenue for the June-through-December period, compared to the same period in 2025."
Since its inception, the WROTB has made more than $5.7 million in additional vendor fee revenue, Brown said. That's been the primary contributor to the record distributions, he said.
"Our tax rate reduction is certainly showing up very big for our corporation," Brown said.
Jerry Archibald, Marco Altieri, Gloria Crittenden, Cynda Watroba, Matthew Fernaays and John Slenker. Submitted photo.
Press Release:
Oak Orchard Health, a leading healthcare provider serving rural communities across upstate New York, dedicated the Oak Orchard Health Alexander Health Center to board Vice Chair and Secretary Cynda Watroba in recognition of her leadership and commitment to the organization's mission.
Cynda first supported Oak Orchard Health during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating high-quality cloth masks for staff, their families and the neighborhood. Her hands-on service reflected a deep commitment to community health and made joining Oak Orchard's board of directors a natural next step in her ongoing advocacy.
She has served on the board of directors since 2022 and is committed to assuring equitable access to care for all members of our community. Dedicated to her board role, Cynda serves on the board's Human Resources, Finance, Special Populations, Governance, Strategic Planning, Corporate Compliance and Executive committees.
The dedication ceremony took place Thursday, Aug. 6, during the agency's National Health Center Week celebrations. The ceremony included a speech from President and CEO Marco Altieri, who emphasized Cynda's tireless commitment to the organization and thanked her for her service. John Slenker, board chair and friend of Cynda, presented the plaque and attested to the long hours that she dedicates to Oak Orchard Health.
Cynda shared the story of her journey with the organization, which started with a visit to the Alexander Office, when her wife, Gloria, pointed out the board of directors' sign in the lobby and encouraged her to join. Both Cynda and Gloria are long-time patients of the Alexander Office.
John Slenker, board chair, said, "Cynda sets the standard for the board of directors, and we are incredibly grateful for her leadership and dedication; her tireless commitment to Oak Orchard Health is unmatched."
"Cynda, you have given us your brain, and most importantly, your heart. You have given us what we needed at the right time ... some stories are meant to go untold, but this one isn't," Marco Altieri, CEO, said.
Oak Orchard Health is proud to introduce the Alexander Office as "The Cynda Watroba Health Center."
Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R,C-Batavia, highlighted $500,000 in state funding awarded to the city of Batavia through the second round of the County Infrastructure Grant Program to support improvements at the DeWitt Recreation Area.
The funding will support the DeWitt Recreation Area Shoreline Infrastructure Project, which will address critical public infrastructure needs along the DeWitt Pond waterfront. Planned improvements include shoreline stabilization, ADA-accessible pathways and boardwalks, a reconstructed fishing platform and cantilevered deck, as well as stormwater and drainage infrastructure.
The project is expected to improve public safety, expand recreational opportunities and tourism, support year-round programming and strengthen connections between the DeWitt Recreation Area, the Ellicott Trail and downtown Batavia.
"Making sure our local communities have the infrastructure they need to grow and provide quality recreational opportunities should always be a priority," Hawley said. "These improvements at DeWitt Recreation Area will provide tangible benefits for Batavia residents and visitors by improving accessibility, safety and the overall experience at one of our community's important recreational assets. I will continue working to make sure Batavia and Genesee County receive the attention and resources they deserve."
The $500,000 award is part of more than $38 million awarded to 49 projects statewide through the second round of the County Infrastructure Grant Program. The program supports small- and medium-sized county-led infrastructure projects focused on economic development, placemaking and tourism.
CSX Railroad has closed the railroad crossings on Upton Road and Donahue Road for track repairs, shutting both roads to through traffic between Route 33/Pearl Street Road and Rose Road.
The closures began Thursday and are expected to last through Friday, Aug. 28, according to a media release.
All through traffic will need to find an alternate route, according to the release.
Local traffic can still reach some addresses along the two roads. On Upton Road, residents at addresses up to 8974 can use Route 33/Pearl Street Road, while those at addresses 9060 to 9119 can use Rose Road.
On Donahue Road, addresses 8715 to 8773 can be reached via Route 33/Pearl Street Road, and addresses 8820 to 9016 can be reached via Rose Road.
Motorists were advised to seek alternate routes while the work continues.
Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation's Board of Directors say they want to review employment contracts for corporation officers rather than just automatically renewing them. File photo
The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (WROTB) Board of Directors says it will not automatically renew employment contracts of full-time officers whose contracts end Dec. 31. It will take some time to review them, board members say.
During today's meeting, the board passed a resolution giving notice that it will not have automatic renewals.
"There are current contracts for officers, who were given contracts in late April of 2023. They automatically renew if we don't give them notice by Sept. 30 that we're not executing that option," Director Timothy Callan said before the meeting. "Instead, the board ... is going through the strategic planning process with a consultant. We're going to review all contracts, all performance from officers, before doing anything."
Nobody's being fired. Nobody's being terminated, Callan said.
"We're just not automatically renewing because, in the last couple of years, a number of these people's contracts have automatically renewed just because we didn't talk about them," he said.
Board Chair Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney said the board gave notice that it is not automatically renewing contracts.
"We don't have a deadline yet, but the board is going to get together. We're doing this to make sure we have enough time to review all of the contracts."
In a statement this afternoon, Rodriguez-Dabney said the board's decision not to automatically renew employment contracts shouldn't be seen as a decision to terminate any employees.
"Nor is it punitive or directed at any individual employee," Rodriguez-Dabney said. "We value the people who work for the organization and the contributions they make every day."
The resolution the board approved stated it wants to review employment contract practices before allowing any further automatic renewals.
"The contracts currently in place contain varying provisions related to healthcare, severance, benefits and other terms of employment," Rodriguez-Dabney said in her statement. "As part of the board's responsibility to provide appropriate governance and oversight, we believe it is important to take a comprehensive look at these arrangements and determine what structure best serves the organization now and moving forward. The board needed to act now in order to prevent the contracts from automatically renewing before we have had an opportunity to complete that review."
The Betterment Committee of Stafford is happy to announce its first-ever Car Cruise and Vendor Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Emery Park on Main Street.
There will be live music by Gingerwood Duo, more than 60 vendors, and food and beverages available for purchase, including Jim’s Smokin’ BBQ.
"We are very excited about this event, as it is our sincere desire to bring the community together," committee member James Pontillo said.
This event will take place rain or shine.
Organizers ask that you please leave your pets at home.
Citing a concern for the community's welfare, the Batavia Town Board passed a local law to outlaw large battery energy storage systems.
Local Law No. 3 of 2026 approved Wednesday, amends portions of the Town Code.
Town Supervisor Greg Post said his primary concern, and what a committee looking into a local law was doing, was looking at safety first.
"We had reports from emergency responders who have attended meetings and discusses their concerns with the lack of equipment, manpower and resources to contain a battery storage fire," Post said after the meeting. "In hopes that technology changes, our local law may be amended in the future. We know there have been a couple of pretty significant fires regarding battery storage facilities that resulted in the evacuation of a circle 2 miles in diameter, until such time as the fire was able to be contained or burned itself out."
Having to evacuate a circle that large in the town for the time it would take to contain a storage facility fire would cripple traffic, the local economy and the ability to house those displaced by a fire, the town supervisor said.
"Our concern is, until the technology has been proven to be safe and that the clear path for the cost of potential cleanup on this is established in law, our apprehensions are that someone may be leasing parcels and that, if there is an issue, we're not sure who would be responsible for the cleanup of anybody downwind," he said. "We're pretty concentrated. We have a high density of business, industry and residential here. Anything that we do would certainly impact the city of Batavia."
Town Board member Chad Zambito said after the meeting that the new law, passed after a public hearing took place Wednesday, prohibits anything but Tier 1 battery storage systems.
"That's defined as less than 600 kilowatt-hours, which is usually geared for residential use and smaller uses than large-scale," he said.
Don’t miss the premier Batavia community event this September!
The 2026 Wings Over Batavia Air Show is set to shake the skies with a world‑class lineup featuring the USAF F‑16 Viper Demonstration Team, the Red Bull Air Force, Michael Goulian, and so much more!
And as the sun sets for the day, the excitement only grows. The action rolls straight into the evening and ends with our iconic pyromusical — a massive display of fireworks, music, nighttime flying, drones, and lasers!
Join us on September 5 & 6 at the Batavia Airport and experience it live!
The Town of Batavia Fire Department will have eight new firefighters. Photo by Brian Quinn
The town of Batavia Fire Department made a request for eight new members and got what it requested Wednesday evening.
Matthew Allen, Lucy Ferrick, Cooper Konieczny, Tyler Lang, Hamza Mohamed, Alex Snell, Amy Woodward and Jeffrey Whitcomb are the department's newest members following approval by the Town Board.
Town Supervisor Greg Post said he applauds the department for its recruiting effort.
"As well, welcome these candidates that have been inducted. Wish them the best in their careers. They choose to serve our community," he said. "I really appreciate how well-attended we are by our fire departments in this community. Both the town of Batavia and the East Pembroke volunteer fire departments provide untold comfort to millions and millions of dollars of valued property, and the health and safety of our citizens.
Steve Mountain has spent roughly the last two decades as the town of Batavia's engineer. That will come to an end this fall when he retires from the position.
His successor, Jonathan Long, received the Town Board's approval during its meeting Wednesday night. Long currently serves as chairman of the Planning Board.
"Jonathan Long has the skills and qualifications to satisfy the position of town engineer. It is anticipated that the appointment of Jonathan Long will most effectively ensure the provision of necessary services to the town of Batavia and its residents," Deputy Supervisor Dan Underhill read from the resolution to approve Long.
After the meeting, Town Supervisor Greg Post and Underhill said Mountain was hired at least 20 years ago to be town engineer.
"He was one of our first hires when I was elected in 2006," Post said.
The specific date Long will start as town engineer isn't set. There will be a transition period during which he works with Mountain.
"I think we've had a great experience with him as Planning Board chairman. He certainly showed aptitude and demonstrates a lot of leadership and a lot of qualities we look for in all of our engineering staff," Post said.
Last week, Mountain led a presentation on the proposed formation of Northwest Water District. At its meeting Wednesday, the Town Board set a public hearing for Sept. 2 for the proposal. The board also endorsed consolidation of that district and 17 other water districts in the town into a single district.
A Northwest Water District would bring public water to parts of Galloway and Slusser roads, Harloff, Stegman and Miller roads.
A water district supplies public water to property owners within the district if they want it.
If the Town Board starts the Batavia Northwest Water District on its own or through a petition by property owners, the cost of the project is estimated at just under $5.5 million. Individual property owners would have additional costs.
The costs associated with the project include annual debt service payments (mortgage), the cost of the water supply and operation and maintenance for those who choose to connect to it and use it. Mountain said the project would be financed over 38 years at 3% interest. The annual debt service is expected to be $1,454,498. The rate would be $1.36 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The supply and operation and maintenance costs are based on water usage. The current rate is $7.23 per 1,000 gallons of water. The average water usage annually is about 62,000 gallons per single-family property for a total cost of $448. The number of people in a family is also a factor.
