Press Release:

The City of Batavia is “All-In” to revitalize our city through economic development and housing programs that will raise our standard of living and make our community one of the most attractive places to live, work, and play. The City is considering applying for Federal grant assistance to help income-eligible owner-occupied single-family homeowners with essential home improvements.

Sometimes the smallest things we can do for our neighborhoods can have the biggest impact. Home improvements are a catalyst for changing the look and feel of a neighborhood and improving residents’ quality of life. 

Here in Batavia, Summit Street is a perfect example of a street brought back to life with vibrancy and is now a model for other transformations across our City. When one resident makes improvements to their home, others follow.

Grant funds would enable homeowners to make home repairs with grant and deferred loan funding.  Any single-family homeowner is encouraged to apply.

If you own a single-family home in need of repairs, please click on the Residential Rehabilitation Survey button on the City’s homepage at www.batavianewyork.com.  You can also pick up a survey in the City Manager’s office, on the second floor, at City Hall. Surveys will also be available at the Richmond Memorial Library. 

The City’s goals include the following:

1. Create a viable urban community with decent housing
2. Ensure a suitable living environment for all (safe, sanitary, and habitable dwellings)
3. Expanding opportunities for all, including persons of low to moderate incomes
4. Rehabilitate the City one building at a time.

The City of Batavia is requesting your full cooperation to help us obtain housing rehabilitation grant funding. Please complete and mail in or drop off the surveys to the City Manager’s Office, One Batavia City Centre, by July 7.

Press Release:

Spots are still open for Environmental Science Camp at the Genesee County Park & Forest! This hands-on outdoor camp is for students entering 7th - 10th grade. Camp meets Monday through Friday, July 17 - 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Interpretive Nature Center at the Genesee County Park & Forest. 

This week-long adventure includes wildlife surveys, field and stream studies, outdoor recreation, a field trip, and more! The cost is $95/camper for the entire week. All materials and a camp T-shirt are provided. 

Transportation is provided from Batavia High School to and from camp each day. Maximum 20 campers. The registration deadline is Wednesday, July 5.

To register, download the registration form. Return completed forms with payment to:

Main Office  
Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Nature Center  
153 Cedar St.  
Batavia, NY 14020

Maximum 20 Campers  
Registration ends Wednesday, July 5th.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or  
contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Press Release:

Genesee County is pleased to announce the implementation of the Hiring Emergency Limited Placement (HELP) Program for several key positions. The New York State Department of Civil Service has approved Genesee County’s participation in this temporary program to help local government employers address current staffing issues for critical health and safety titles. It aims to enhance recruitment efforts, increase the number of qualified candidates for open positions, and address candidates' concerns about test requirements for job retention for specified titles.

Under the HELP Program, the following titles have been approved:

1. Emergency Services Dispatchers
2. MH Clinical Therapists
3. MH Clinical Social Workers
4. Caseworkers
5. Social Welfare Examiners

Effective from May 17, 2023, to May 17, 2024, the HELP Program will temporarily eliminate the 
requirement for Civil Service testing for the approved titles. Candidates hired during this period will be 
placed in the non-competitive classification until May 17, 2024. Genesee County aims to attract highly 
skilled professionals to join its workforce by offering this streamlined hiring process. 

The County's Human Resources Department will collaborate with the Department of Social Services, the Department of Mental Health, and the Sheriff's Office to facilitate the transition of current provisionals to the new program. Additionally, efforts will be made to recruit for other vacancies within 
the specified titles effectively.

While the Civil Service testing requirement is waived under the HELP Program, all candidates must still meet the minimum qualifications for their desired positions. The County remains committed to maintaining high standards and ensuring hired professionals are well-suited for their roles.

For further information or inquiries about the HELP Program, interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Genesee County Human Resources Department at 585-815-7805 or civilservice@co.genesee.ny.us

Press Release:

Justin Deleo led a cow past the playground and across the Byron-Bergen Elementary School campus as part of the annual Farm Day celebration. Justin and his cow were joined by goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, rabbits, tortoises, horses, more cows, and hundreds of Byron-Bergen Elementary School students. 

Farm Day was created as a tool to introduce the school community to the agricultural economy surrounding the campus. Despite the rural setting, many Byron-Bergen students do not know a lot about working farms.

“It is important to ensure that elementary students have a general understanding of the domestic animals and plants which surround them in their communities,” said High School Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor Jeffrey Parnapy. “Farm Day also creates interest and curiosity in agriculture, which leads to exploring agricultural career choices.”

Justin is President of the Byron-Bergen FFA Chapter and a member of the Genesee County 4-H Dairy Club. “I like teaching people about agriculture,” said Deleo, who emphasized safety. “Everyone has different animals here so it’s important to learn how to be safe. A cow is not like a dog. If you run up to a cow, it might kick you, and you could really get hurt.”

Students moved from tent to tent with excitement. Older students ran with full-grown goats on leashes as though they were dogs, while baby goats were held on students’ laps like cats. Younger students delighted in petting ducks and bunnies as pigs snuffled the ground, completely unaware of the interest they generated. 

Third-grade students Leanna Dietz and Brooklynn Sandow excitedly discussed the pigs who looked like piglets but were full-grown. Fellow third-grade students Naomi Allen and Scarlett Smith liked the bunnies the best, and Emily Davidson’s favorite animal was the German Shepard K-9 Officer from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation visiting with a handler and Byron-Bergen alumnus Officer Fay Fuerch.

Over by the playground, Cocoa, a Nigerian dwarf goat, and her two kids, Sandy and Potato, were also crowd favorites. “We use the goats for milk,” said sixth grader Riley Boland. “One time, we made ice cream.” Her family has a hobby farm that includes Lavender Orpington chickens.

Nearby, eighth-grade FFA member Michael Holley displayed eggs in different sizes, shapes, and colors while younger students guessed what kind of animals might have laid them. “I’m showing the younger kids how the eggs are produced and what we feed the chickens,” said Michael, who oversees letting out and bringing in the chickens daily at his family’s farm.

Michael was eager to participate in Farm Day, as was seventh-grade student Ava Williams. She let the younger students pet her cow, Lucky. “I have been working with him for the last few weeks, and he loves to be outside,” she said.

“I think Farm Day is valuable,” said eighth-grade FFA member Taylor Lundfelt. “It’s an informative day. It’s a good day for kids to learn.”

While the cows and pigs are the stars of the show, Farm Day is not all about animals. Students learned the difference between hay and straw, touched and compared different kinds of animal feed, and were given baggies with sunflower seeds in peat moss pellets, ready to be planted at home.

“Our students love to come to Farm Day because not only do they recognize the high school kids, but they love to look at the animals and ask questions,” said third-grade teacher Colleen Hardenbrook. “It’s a great opportunity for us to get outside and connect with the community.”

Photos courtesy of Gretchen Spittler

An emergency executive order that was put in place for Genesee County out of “an abundance of caution” to protect the county doesn't mean that's the end of the discussion, county manager Matt Landers says.

Those orders with potential fines attached for accepting asylum seekers from New York City and beyond were and are an attempt to protect the county.

Now in the face of a lawsuit brought on by New York City against the county and about 30 other municipalities for taking this very action, Landers said that he’s always open to conversation.

“I am fully aware of the crisis that NYS and NYC are facing with the large influx of asylum seekers from the United State’s southern border.  My phone line is open, and I am not against having an honest dialogue with anyone on what the capabilities are here in Genesee County,” Landers said Thursday to The Batavian. “Genesee County’s State of Emergency and Emergency Order were put in place out of an abundance of caution to prevent outside municipalities from shifting their burden onto Genesee County without first communicating and consulting with Genesee County officials. 

“I want to emphasize that we have not turned anyone away because we have not been contacted,” he said.

He did not specifically address the lawsuit itself, as is typical for legal matters, other than he was not surprised to see it come his way.

For more about the lawsuit, go HERE. 

Even dairy farmers know how to turn lemons into lemonade.

Volunteers had to act quickly Wednesday to reconfigure their annual Kinderfarmin' event at Hildene Farm in Pavilion after air quality concerns caused superintendents at eight of the 10 scheduled schools to cancel field trips.

"Agriculture never stops," noted organizer Natasha Sutherland, and neither do kindergarteners. 

But students at the schools that didn't make the trip to Hildene got the important message about the connection between dairy farms and the milk they might pour over their cereal in the morning.

"We're excited that many volunteers were able to pivot with us because the idea was thrown out very quickly that we could take the day to the students," Sutherland said. "I've got volunteers driving milk and swag bags to schools. There are also virtual dairy tours available on the internet that they are currently watching."

Hildene Farm, with 1,250 dairy cows, hosted the event last year, too. The event takes about 100 volunteers to run with the typical participation of 10 school districts and more than 600 students.

The smaller group of children this year at the farm meant that each child got more individual attention and could spend more time at each of the educational stations set up on the lawn.

"The kids are getting so much more one-on-one impact and exposure," Sutherland said. "I'm hoping that the day is so much more impactful because they're getting everything truly catered to them as individuals. It's exciting to see their little faces light up, and the kids that are here are truly enjoying every bit of that."

Sutherland said the event builds lifetime memories for the children who attend.

"It is the highlight of the year for these kindergarten students," Sutherland said. "It's not just about dairy. It's about the whole breadbasket that is Western New York. We've got beef producers, we've got sheep, we've got goats, we've got lambs, we've got rabbits. We've got people spinning wool, and we've got giant articulated tractors for children to sit in. Today is all about connecting kids to their food."

Genesee County is the last county in the state that still hosts a Kinderfarmin' event as originally designed, with a visit to a dairy farm that includes hands-on educational activities that are also fun for the kids, Sutherland said.

"Everyone's kind of morphed it into something else, but we're the last one that still keeps it completely school focused, completely focused on the kindergarteners sticking to the core curriculum," Sutherland said. "We work really hard to make sure that these kids get the originally intended day as education first and foremost, not just play."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Calling all investors!! Click here for S. 46 Main Street, Batavia.

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A child pedestrian has been involved in a motor vehicle accident in front of Batavia Middle School Thursday afternoon. The patient is breathing, conscious and alert.

The child was apparently crossing in the middle of a block on Washington Avenue near Ross Street when the accident occurred, according to city police Detective Eric Hill. It is not believed that the child sustained any serious injuries, and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital as a precaution, Hill said. 

Dispatchers have received a report of "multiple poles" taken down on Harvester Avenue.

A pole is reportedly down at Main and Harvester.

The cause of the accident is not stated.

City Fire responding.

UPDATED 3 p.m. by Joanne Beck: No poles are down on Harvester Avenue, and city fire is inspecting the poles on Harvester.

A tree-trimming truck seems to have caught some wires across Main Street and pulled them down. There are no poles down on Main Street, and the wires have been removed. Traffic is moving again along Main Street.

Press release:

The New York State Department of Health recommends that with the reduced air quality, everyone should limit their outdoor activities to reduce exposure. Masks will be available to the public at the following locations in Genesee and Orleans Counties on Thursday, June 8th, 2023, during normal business hours until supplies last. 

Genesee County- Business Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Emergency Management Office, 7690 State Street Road, Batavia
• Old Courthouse, 7 Main Street, Batavia

Orleans County- Business Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Orleans County Administration Building, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion

The New York State Department of Health provides the following tips to stay safe: 

• Limit time outdoors 
• Keep windows and doors closed
• Avoid strenuous activities outdoors, especially for those with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory health issues 
• Avoid prolonged exposure outdoors, especially for those with health vulnerabilities, such as cardiovascular disease or lung disease, and those who are pregnant
• For those that must be outside for a prolonged period of time, wear a tight-fitting mask 

Exposure to reduced air quality can pose negative health risks, including: 

• Irritation to eyes, nose, or throat
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Shortness of breath

Individuals with symptoms or related health concerns should contact their healthcare provider.

To monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) Forecast, visit the Department of Environmental Conservation Website. 

To monitor the current Air Quality in your area, visit the EPA AirNow website.

To access the Fire and Smoke Map, visit the AirNow Website. 

For more information, residents can call the New York State Air Quality Hotline at 1-800-535-1345. 

Genesee County,  remains under an air quality health advisory, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The air quality seems to have improved over a significant portion of Western New York, but Genesee County and further east is still a hazardous area, according to the most recent report.

The air quality in Genesee County is still considered hazardous, according to the DEC.

The DEC held a press conference this morning to brief the public on the ongoing air quality situation caused by wildfires in Canada.

Commissioner Basil Seggos, a DEC commissioner, said all of New York State, with the exception of the Adirondacks, are under a health advisory. 

Downstate is hardest hit, followed by Central New York, and WNY is enduring fewer pollutant particles in the air.

"We don't expect any relief in sight from the fires that are burning across the provinces," Seggos said.

There is no rain in the forecast for Canada or New York until next week. The rain could help with firefighting and clearing the air.

McDonald called on New Yorkers to limit, if not eliminate, campfires and open burns.

"We urge all New Yorkers to limit outdoor activity," Seggos said. "It's unhealthy for all New Yorkers. There are some groups, of course, who will experience greater conditions, greater health conditions, as a result of the smoke. We also urge New Yorkers to limit any kind of campfires they are burning. Not only are you potentially exacerbating local air quality issues, but this is a very dry state. We've been tracking a very dry state now for many weeks. We're looking at a prolonged period of dryness, which of course, gives rise to fire conditions here in New York, and we don't need our first responders running around putting out fires in New York."

James McDonald, the commissioner of the DEC, said all New Yorkers should take care to avoid exposure to the outside air, which is filled with fine particles from the fires. He said vulnerable people should especially stay indoors.  This includes, but is not limited to, people with existing lung disease, some with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, people with heart disease, people with congestive heart failure, and people who have had a prior heart attack.

For those who feel the need for the protection, he recommended wearing an N-95 mask when walking outside.

"These masks do remove particles; they do remove air pollution, as some of you might remember from the pandemic," McDonald said. "N95 masks are sold at major big box hardware stores for a reason -- some people in the construction industry use masks like this because there are very effective at removing particles and keeping the air pollutant particles we're talking about, which are much larger than viral particles."

To get updates on air quality, he recommended visiting airnow.gov.

One city resident has apparently learned the hard way that Batavia’s new ordinance banning several types of farm animals is being taken seriously.

At least it is by her neighbors who were paying attention.

According to one witness, city police were called to the resident’s home after it was discovered she was still harboring a goat. The woman, Jill Turner of Batavia, had apparently hidden it in her house “so that no one knew she still had it” after the May 15 ordinance date took effect.

This witness heard the goat one particular morning, and fellow neighbors had seen it before someone reported it to the police.

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch confirmed that there are “multiple charges” against goat owner Jill Turner of Burke Drive. Witnesses have also told The Batavian that Turner was screaming at a neighbor, “You’re dead, I’m going to (expletive) kill you.” Names are being withheld for fear of retaliation.

Hardly the first go-round for this neighborhood, Turner, at one point, had at least four goats, one or more chickens, and other domestic pets at her home. Neighbors had complained last year about the noise, smell, mess and fear that the animals created for them. That was a primary reason for why discussions came up about having farm animals in the city.

After public discussions with City Council and a public hearing, council voted to adopt the new ordinance banning most farm animals from city limits.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski said the city’s Code Enforcement Department has not issued any citations as of yet and will follow up for any complaints received through the proper code violation process.

Heubusch said a press release for Turner's charges had not yet been approved, so it had not been sent out by late Wednesday evening. 

As a reminder, the amended zoning ordinance to restrict animals and fowl on city property includes:

A. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall own, bring into, possess, keep, harbor or feed farm animals, cloven-hoofed animals, equine or fowl including, but not limited to, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, swine, llamas, alpacas,  ducks, turkey, geese , ponies, donkeys, mules or any other farm animal within the City limits.

B. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall own, keep, harbor, or feed wild animals, wild fowl (ducks, turkey, or geese) within the City limit.

C. Subject to the limited exceptions set forth herein; No person shall breed or maintain any farm animals, cloven-hoofed animals, equine or fowl including, but not limited to, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, swine, llamas, alpacas, ducks, turkey, geese, ponies, donkeys, mules or any other farm or wild animal within the City limit.

        Exceptions:

(a) A maximum of six (6) hen chickens may be kept as long as that they are penned appropriately, do not accumulate feces, cause odor, or an unsightly or unsafe condition.

(b)     Harborage, including transport to and from race tracks and all associated grounds

        (c)     Special events with the approval of an event application.

        (d)     Animals in transit through the City.

        (e)     Transport to and from veterinary hospitals/clinics, including short-term boarding for medical procedures/conditions.

D. No person shall permit an accumulation of animal and/or fowl feces on any property resulting in a foul odor or unsightly condition that makes travel or residence in the vicinity uncomfortable or which attracts flies or other insects or animals, thereby creating an unsanitary condition and may facilitate the spread of disease or which endangers the public comfort and repose.

The date of May 15 gave residents a six-month grace period from the time of adoption.

A New York City lawsuit so fresh that Genesee County Manager Matt Landers had yet been able to review the entire scope of it before providing comment Wednesday afternoon hits up 30 upstate municipalities, including Genesee County, seeking to invalidate their executive orders barring undocumented immigrants from entering their locales.

Landers had first issued a State of Emergency on May 17 “out of an abundance of caution” after word had it that busloads of immigrants were potentially being sent this way. Locally it began first with Orleans County, followed by Genesee, and one by one, counties began to jump on board with their own executive orders throughout Western New York and beyond.

Filed on Wednesday, the lawsuit claimed that those emergency orders obstructed NYC’s efforts to relocate migrants “in a manner that is explicitly permitted by law and required by a statewide emergency,” according to a news release.

The lawsuit asks the state Supreme Court to invalidate the emergency orders filed by the counties under the grounds that they are unconstitutional. It also asks to prohibit the locales from taking steps that "restrict or frustrate" New York City's efforts to address a statewide emergency, which Gov. Kathy Hochul declared on May 9.

The lawsuit claims the emergency orders are unconstitutional because the orders seek to impede the rights of people who are legally within the borders of the United States as asylum seekers to travel and use public accommodations. The suit argues that the prohibitions are impermissible because they target people based on their national origin, citizenship, or immigration status, which violates the Constitution. 

Moments prior to Landers issuing the county’s State of Emergency in May, the Legislature conducted an executive session to discuss the matter after Orleans County declared its own emergency. That seemed to be the tipping point, Landers had said at the time.

“Well, a lot of it was just meetings with various stakeholders; Orleans County issuing their state of emergency was probably a prompt. Because of that, we took notice of that. There was a lot of speculation that raised our concerns about how easily a group of asylum seekers could end up at our doorstep without us even knowing,” Landers said. “So I guess it was our vulnerability that came to light of how simple and how easy and how fast that could happen, that we wanted to have this in place, in case that were to happen.

“So that was probably some of the prompts that happened throughout the day that caused us to take this action,” he had said.

“This is more to get a better handle on control in Genesee County and have the situation to an abundance of caution to be able to respond to a situation where we're not aware of asylum seekers coming to our community, there’s channels out there, and I do have confidence in the governor's office, through their representative, that they would try to reach out to us if there was a group that was heading to Genesee County, but there's different avenues of which that they can come from and it's not all through the governor's office,” Landers said. “So I am in consultation with the governor's office and, and the representative has been very forthcoming and upfront with me, and I think we've got a great working relationship. But that's only one piece of the puzzle. So the state of emergency is kind of trying to cover multiple scenarios, you know … And, again, we'll evaluate the state of emergency in the next five days and see if we've covered everything, and maybe we strengthen it, modify it, or let it expire.”

The Local State of Emergency was declared for Genesee County due to New York City's program to rapidly increase the number of migrants in this County to unsustainable levels, he had said.  

“Pursuant to NYS Executive Law § 24, when a State of Emergency is in effect, the County  Manager may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control.

Fines were threatened, especially to local hotels and motels that might consider taking in any busloads of immigrants, of up to $2,000 a person.

By the time the county had extended the executive order for the third round, Batavia First Presbyterian Church stepped up and offered to provide comfort in the form of food, clothing and/or shelter for any immigrant in need.

Landers had said that could create issues for the county, and he asked that church leaders reach out to discuss the situation with him.

Landers said that he would respond to The Batavian's request for comment once he was more familiar with the lawsuit. 

Press Release:

On June 3rd-June 4th from Dusk to Dawn the Byron-Bergen Track & Field team hosted their second Over Night Relay. Students started running the track at 8:46 p.m. and stopped at 5:34 a.m.

Both boy's and girl's teams had a baton that they had to keep moving at all times throughout the night. Each hour there were fun activities occurring as well. 

The results:

• The girl's team ran 305 laps, totaling 76 1/4 miles
• The boy's team ran 356 laps, totaling 89 miles

Photo submitted by Ashley Hill

Press Release:

The Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars will be announcing the receipt of a $300,000 donation (Vernon J. Rupert Memorial Endowment Scholarship) to our organization to support scholarships for graduating Pembroke students. 

The senior awards ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday in the high school auditorium. News information will be provided at 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium by the Dollars for Scholars Board of Directors and school administration. 

Currently, the Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars (DFS) awards 24 scholarships to scholars annually. The addition of this new gift will allow us to more than double the financial awards to graduating students.

These new funds will be used to create and support FIVE- $5,000 annual awards for students pursuing trade school careers, 2-year associate degrees, and 4-year college or university studies.

In the last 14 years, the Corfu-Pembroke DFS chapter has awarded 186 scholars over $145,000 for college study. This year DFS is awarding $19,300 to graduating Pembroke seniors.

Press Release:

The Rotary Club of Batavia has awarded college scholarships of up to $6,000 to each of the three local students. This year's Rotary Scholarships were awarded to: Hannah Spencer, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (GVEP), LeRoy; Courtney Daniel, Notre Dame High School and Lauren Reimer, of Batavia High School. 25 applications were received for 2023 rewards, according to Andrea Aldinger, co-chairperson of the Rotary Scholarship Committee.

“Narrowing the selection down to three was close to impossible,” Aldinger said, “after all the interviews, it still was unclear as these students were so incredibly talented.” She noted that many of the students had already achieved their Associate's Degree before graduating high school.

The Rotary Scholarship program began more than 40 years ago. Each year one student is selected from Notre Dame HS, Batavia HS, and the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, formerly known as BOCES. Rotary awards each student $1,500 per year for four consecutive years as long as the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.0.

Committee Co-chair Mike Hodgins said at any one time, as many as 12 students are receiving annual awards totaling $18,000. The program is funded by various Rotary events throughout the year. The scholarships were awarded during a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Batavia. The students and their parents were invited to attend. 

Hannah Spencer, who attends LeRoy HS, told Rotarians that she studied with the Justice Academy at GVEP. She plans to pursue a Nursing Degree at GCC and transfer to another school for a Bachelor’s degree.

Scholarship winner Lauren Reimer of Batavia High School said she plans to pursue a medical degree at the University of Albany. She earned an unweighted cumulative high school average of 99.65%. Lauren will graduate high school with honors and has already earned an Associate’s Degree from GCC.

Courtney Daniels, Notre Dame’s awardee, is set to study Political Science at Fordham University. She was a member of the National Honor Society and attended The NY Governor’s Youth Council as a representative for Wyoming County. Her ultimate goal is to become a New York State senator.

Two previous winners attended this year's ceremony to update the club on how they were able to use their Rotary Scholarships. Carissa Kesler used her scholarship to buy a laptop computer in 2019 when the COVID pandemic hit.  She said it was her pipeline for remote learning at GCC and later at SUNY Brockport. “With the help of Rotary, I graduated with no student debt,” Carissa said.

Taylor Sanders attended Niagara University and is now pursuing her medical degree at LECOM in Bradenton, Florida.

Photos submitted by Dan Fischer

Press Release: 

Sen. George Borrello issued a statement regarding his sponsorship of critical legislation that will fix a problem that has emerged regarding the distribution of Nourish NY funds to regional food banks due to a misguided administrative action by the Department of Health. 

Senator Borrello helped spearhead the effort to make Nourish NY a permanent state program, through his advocacy and sponsorship of legislation in 2021 codifying the program into law. 

The statement reads:

“The effort to establish the COVID-era farm-to-food bank program Nourish NY as a recurring state program was driven by a desire to help food insecure New Yorkers and struggling farmers. This innovative effort established a process for our state’s regional food banks to purchase healthy and fresh New York State-sourced dairy, meats and produce for families in need with state funding.

I was proud to be one of the champions of this effort. Both the funding and operational processes were working well until September 2022 when the Department of Health unexpectedly merged the Nourish NY funding with the funding for the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), without any explanation or warning. 

The resulting Request for Funding (RFA) process was terribly flawed and did not account for the vastly different purpose, guidelines, and eligibility of each program. This led to steep funding cuts for some regional food banks, which is unacceptable. Nourish NY is one of those rare policy initiatives that was a ‘win’ for everyone. We cannot let a botched administrative action undermine its ability to help food-insecure New Yorkers and our farmers.

That is why I am co-sponsoring Senate Bill 7533, which would fix this error by clarifying that all Nourish NY funds are to be allocated to regional food banks, as originally intended. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this critically needed legislation before we adjourn.”

Press Release:

On Monday, June 5, 10 Batavia High School students signed with their perspective colleges for the fall. 

Photos submitted by Emily Benedict