Press Release:

Lawley, an independent family-owned insurance broker and employee benefits firm, has been named to Business Insurance's annual Best Places to Work in Insurance list, which recognizes employers for their outstanding performance in establishing workplaces where employees can thrive, enjoy their work, and help their companies grow.

“This recognition represents the great teamwork that is needed to create our culture, where we share one voice and one vision,” says Lawley Principal, Bill Lawley, Jr. “We're so proud of our associates, our greatest asset, who work diligently to deliver exceptional service to our customers." 

Established and headquartered in Buffalo for over 65 years, Lawley’s story has been one of steady, well-managed growth with deep community involvement. We protect assets and minimize risk to help our customers avoid financial hardship and understand that being a partner of choice is dependent upon all of us working together. Lawley’s core values – relationship building, respect & integrity, passion, accountability, and community partners – are in action each and every day collectively shaping our culture of inclusion.

Best Places to Work in Insurance is an annual sponsored content feature presented by the Custom Publishing unit of Business Insurance and Best Companies Group that lists the agents, brokers, insurance companies, and other providers with the highest levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. Harrisburg, PA-based Best Companies Group identifies the leading employers in the insurance industry by conducting a free two-part assessment of each company. The first part is a questionnaire completed by the employer about company policies, practices, and demographics. The second part is a confidential employee survey on engagement and satisfaction.

The program divides employers into the categories of small, 25-249 employees; medium, 250-999 employees; and large, 1,000 or more employees. This year’s report features 100 companies of various sizes, from 25 employees to more than 4,000. 

The ranking and profiles of the winning companies will be unveiled in the November issue of Business Insurance Magazine and online at BusinessInsurance.com.

Lawley strives to be the partner of choice for customers, insurance carriers, and employees looking for long-term relationships built on a foundation of trust. This recognition signifies our efforts to actively and continuously work to build and grow a diverse and equitable team of associates who will strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our clients and the communities we serve. 

"We are so proud of the commitment to teamwork and honored to create an environment where all can succeed across our footprint,” says Director of People Strategy and Recruitment, Kim Navagh. 

"As we continue to expand across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and beyond, it's amazing to see the collaboration and shared focus on our core values and vision so that we can serve our clients in the best possible way," says Director of Operations, Reggie Dejean.

Press Release:

“Growing up, I always thought Batavia was too small. Nothing exciting ever happened here,” says Anni. “Then I had the experience of living and working in a big city, and realized that Batavia is a perfect place to work and raise a family. So when I got married and had a baby, I was ready to come home.”

Anneliese Aliasso, Anni to friends and family, has returned to her home town, and will be working with Peter Casey at Del Plato Casey Law, LLP, at their new offices at 81 Main Street. 

“It’s so good to be back with my family and get reconnected with so many friends,” says Anni. “My grandmother, Sandi Clark, worked at HSBC Bank (and previously Marine Midland) just next door for years, so it is truly a full circle moment to be back here.”

Anni met her husband, Mike Fabiano, in Syracuse, where his family lives. He is a Surgical Technologist and will be working at a hospital in the area. “His family is close enough that we’ll be visiting often, and they’ll be coming here as well. We’re hoping to get them to a Muckdogs game this summer with our son, Clark.”

“I’m really lucky that I get to work with Peter – everyone knows and likes him. He’s kind of a fixture in Batavia,” she says. “And Peter’s team, Karen, Michelle and Kathy, are just so much fun to work with. I’m really looking forward to seeing and helping my friends and Batavia neighbors.”

“We are so incredibly grateful that Anni chose to join our firm here in Batavia,” says Peter Casey, current managing partner at DelPlato Casey Law Firm. “She had already established herself as a skillful attorney in Syracuse and her roots here in Genesee County will serve her well as she becomes an asset to our local community—legal and beyond. Anni is a great person with sound values and an ascending legal talent that will serve the legal needs of many for years to come.”

Growing up, Anni attended John Kennedy Elementary, Batavia Middle School, and Notre Dame High School.

 She continued her education at Cazenovia College, where she swam and played soccer. She took advantage of their study abroad program and studied in Canterbury, England. 

And finally, she was valedictorian of her class, earning a bachelor’s degree in international studies.

From there, Anni moved to Albany to attend Albany Law School where she was just as active. In addition to playing soccer, she became a teaching assistant, was Editor in Chief of the Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology, did pro bono legal work, and won several awards for achievement. And again, Anni graduated at the top of her class, summa cum laude, in 2018. 

After graduation, Annie worked at two firms in Syracuse, New York, before deciding to relocate back to Batavia. 

“It’s just so good to be home,” says Anni.

The city and town of Batavia have potentially come to an agreement about wastewater capacity, and HP Hood will be able to proceed with its $120 million expansion project that’s been halted since March, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

Hood’s project was, which involved a state environmental review, temporarily stalled when the city discovered that the town was in violation of a contracted wastewater capacity limit and had also taken on the lead agency role for the proposed expansion of process lines with no word to the city.

At that point, the city said the project cannot proceed, and it has been halted ever since. When asked about the project since then, Tabelski has said that “we are in active negotiations with the towns regarding a new purchase capacity agreement” and an agreement has now been reached.

“We will lift the SEQR challenge to the HP Hood project,” Tabelski said to The Batavian Monday evening, though the agreement still has to go through the official process of votes by the town board and City Council. 

Tabelski reviewed the new purchasing terms during Monday’s conference session. The town’s total wastewater flows average 1.4 million gallons per day at four total pump stations, which exceeds the town’s current contractual limit, Tabelski said. The current sewer capacity limit of the town is 850,000 GPD as established in the wastewater facility agreement of Feb. 23, 2015 between the city and town of Batavia.

A new agreement means the town can purchase an additional 350,000 GPD of treatment capacity for a total of 1.2 million for $1,382,500. If the town goes past the 1.2 million, a higher rate of purchase kicks in — the penalty rate — which serves as incentive for the town to remain at that 1.2 million output, Tabelski said. 

“We’re trying to incentivize them. We know they’re at 1.4, but we’re trying to get it down to 1.2,” Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said. 

Councilman Rich Richmond said that he was looking at the overage rates and believes “that’s a pretty good incentive.”

“So I want to thank you for doing this because I know, I heard how long it took, you had infinite patience, and you negotiated very well for the city,” he said. 

Jankowski asked if City Attorney George Van Nest reviewed the deal. He looked at it and worked with the city manager and assistant manager to ensure the numbers covered the city’s thresholds, he said. 

“I'm very concerned about making sure that we're within our operating limits, that we’re not pushing it too far, or as much as I love to help out, we only have so much capacity,” Jankowski said.

Jankowski preferred to move the vote to a future meeting so the council could get more public input rather than vote immediately, he said. The town of Batavia is expected to discuss the agreement at its next meeting on Sept. 18. 

At this time and until this agreement amendment is revisited, the town's total threshold will be 1,650,000 gallons per day max discharge. The city and town agree to meet every six months to review town flows to ensure that the town stays below the 1.65 GPD max discharge. If it is determined that the town has exceeded that amount, the city reserves all rights and remedies to protect the wastewater treatment facility permit. 

Does the city have enough capacity to maintain this additional amount for the town long-term? Is there a future solution?

“Town and city (of Batavia) have plans to move forward with a wastewater treatment plant growth study to support future development,” Tabelski said. “There is remaining capacity reserved for O-AT-KA, other city industries, and housing in the city of Batavia.”

Given the uncertainty regarding the wastewater treatment plant draft permit limits, the town will be solely responsible for funding an expansion study, which will be initiated as soon as practically possible. The city will act as project manager of the expansion study with a professional engineering firm of its selection and will bill the town as invoices are received.

In 1983, the city and town entered into a wastewater facility agreement that outlined the ownership and operation of the new treatment plant. In February 2015, they entered into a wastewater facility agreement and a wastewater metering agreement. The city currently owns 84.55% of the total plant capacity, and the town owns 15.45%. 

Due to ongoing development in the town, including the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, the town’s sanitary sewer flows are exceeding the contractual limit of .85 million gallons per day (MGD) or 15.45% of the total capacity, Tableksi said. 

Each city and town resolution in May 2023 identified the parties’ mutual concerns about potential increased flow resulting from the Kings Plaza pump station project, and the average sewer flow was 1.2 MGD. In fall 2023, the town advised the city that HP Hood was expanding but that it was only the warehouse and would not create additional demand for water or sewer capacity. Hood already discharges 1.1 to 1.2 MGD. By the end of 2023, the town’s average sewer flow had increased to 1.33 MGD, Tabelski said. 

“This is well in excess of the town’s contractual limit of .85 MGD,” she said. “Consequently, the town has no capacity to allocate to expansion of HP Hood or any other facility at this time.” 

The city also cannot permit increased sewer flows from the town of Batavia until the wastewater treatment plan expansion study is complete, she said. 

“The city and town still need to enter into a proposed wastewater agreement that was circulated in January 2024. However, this agreement will still not allow for increased discharge beyond 1.2 MGD. This pending agreement will be the town’s limit for wastewater discharge.”

As for its objection to the town being lead agency for the Hood project, Tabelski said that “the town has failed to accurately and timely inform the city about the expansion of wastewater capacity demand at the Ag Park.”

“In addition, the town is in breach of the wastewater agreement with the city by discharging in excess of .85 MGD,” she said. “A lead agent under SEQR is responsible for thoroughly and accurately evaluating the potential environmental impacts prior to making a determination of significance on the action.

“The town’s excess wastewater discharge beyond contract limits threatens the city’s discharge limits and has the potential to exceed the city’s (State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit,” she said. “As a result, the city objects to the town’s lead agency designation for this action under SEQR.”

This has been a good week for Hood, which was named Dairy Plant of the Year. The Hood expansion is to be 32,500 square feet and pledges to create 48 new jobs while retaining 455 full-time equivalent jobs at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. This project accommodates its automatic storage and retrieval system refrigerated warehouse. It will also include new batching and processing systems and other upgrades, which will allow the company to increase capacity and begin a new production line.

For prior coverage about this issue, go to wastewater.

Eight years after acquiring a plant in Batavia originally designed to produce a Greek-style yogurt marketed as such, H.P. Hood has been honored by an industry trade magazine for operating 2024's Dairy Plant of the Year.

The honor follows the company's being named partner of the year for 2020 by Genesee County Economic Development Center and winning an operational excellence award in 2023 by Buffalo Business First.

Dairy Plant of the Year is an honor bestowed by the dairy industry publication Dairy Foods.

The award recognizes the 458,000-square-foot H.P. Hood plant for its automation processing equipment, wide array of products it produces, employee safety record, sustainability efforts, and community involvement.

The Lynnfield, Mass.-based company employs 418 people in Batavia.

Hood has installed state-of-the-art technology, including an automated layer and pick system, full pallet labelers, and advanced chiller and air management systems.

Hood has developed an extensive safety plan with regular employee training.

Sitting on 133.4 acres in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, the Hood plant strives to use equipment and processes that are environmentally friendly, including efficient energy use and waste reduction. The company conducts regular energy audits and upgrades infrastructure as needed.

Hood is now among Batavia's larger employers. Community involvement initiatives include supporting the Crossroad House's flower sale, participating in Day of Caring, the Holland Land Office Museum Winter Wonderland of Trees, and supporting the Batavia Muckdogs, Community Action, the Salvation Army, and the Kwians's Club's Books for Babies.

More than 60 percent of the company's employees live in Genesee County.

The Genesee Chorale is opening its 2024 Fall Season and is looking for a few good singers.

The Chorale held its opening rehearsal on Monday at St. James.

For more information on joining, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

Our Faith Formation programs at Ascension Roman Catholic Community and Resurrection RC Parish kicked off on Sunday, September 8 with Mass, a family lunch, meetings, and fun games!

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist Mary Jo Whitman on Tuesday, September 10 at Go-Art/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia At 7 p.m. 

Mary Jo plans to give an overview of the grant process for artists, including where to find grant opportunities, tips on writing project narratives, formulating budgets, and providing quality support materials. 

This info will be bennificial to many artist who never thought they could get grant money for projects! This event is open to non-member for a $5 fee. Light refreshments will be served. The 2.o.1. Tavern will be open for cash purchases.

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Genesee County Republican Committee Chairman Scott D. German is happy to announce the committee will be holding its Grand Opening of the Genesee County Republican Headquarters located at 244 West Main Street in Batavia (formerly Time Buyers Auto) across from CVS at noon on Saturday, September 14.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Senator George Borrello, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Sheriff Candidate Joe Graff and County Treasurer Candidate Kevin Andrews are all expected to be in attendance.

Anyone wishing to pick up free signs for Trump, Tenney, Borrello, Hawley, Graff or Andrews are more than welcome to stop by and pick them up on Saturday.

A tornado warning has been issued for southwestern Genesee County.

At 8:33 p.m., a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Pembroke, seven miles north of Darien Lake State Park.  It is moving southeast at 15 mph.

The warning is in effect until 9 p.m.

According to the National Weather Service, there is the potential for flying debris that is dangerous to those without shelter. Mobile homes could be damaged or destroyed. There could be damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles. Tree damage is likely. 
 

Click here for more information on this listing!

Members of United Way and Genesee Symphony Orchestra got together this weekend for a joint fundraiser and to Kick things off for GSO's annual Summer Serenade at the top of its 78th season.

The event includes food and drink, music and mingling Saturday at Terry Hills in Batavia. 

The gathering didn't mean there were any secrets shared about the upcoming concert season, as those musical treats are never revealed until the day of performance, Maestro Shade Zajac says.

The season begins on Sept. 28 with How to Build an Orchestra, followed with Hope Amidst Sorrow on Nov. 16, Holiday Miracles on Dec. 8 and Encore 2024/Holiday Pops Concert on Dec. 14, all at Stuart Steiner Theater at Genesee Community College. 

For more information, go to www.geneseesymphony.com

Photos by Nick Serrata

Press release:

On Sept. 9 at approximately 11 a.m. the city of Batavia Emergency Response Team (ERT), comprised of members from the city of Batavia Police Department and Genesee County Sheriff's Office, assisted the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force with the execution of two search warrants at separate addresses on South Main Street in the City of Batavia. 

The search warrants were executed at apartments located at 11 South Main St. and 61 South Main St. Several people were taken into custody and are being processed by the Drug Task Force at this time.  

Further information on the identity of those arrested and charges will be released by the Drug Task Force at a later time. 

There were no reported injuries during either search warrant execution, and the immediate area was evacuated or advised to shelter in place during the operation as a precaution.  

"We wish to thank the community for their tips and information on both of these addresses as we work hard to hold those accountable that illegally distribute drugs in our City," said Chief Shawn Heubusch.

On a cooler rainy September Friday night, it didn’t stop anyone from dancing and grooving to T-Pain, who opened for Pitbull at Darien Lake Amphitheater. 

A sold-out 22,000 plus crowd packed the venue to greatest hits by both performers including a few dressed up Pitbull outfits.

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba dropped its season opener on Saturday, losing to Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry 27-13.

OAE Stats:

• QB Gavin Armbrewster - Six carries, 42 yards, one rushing TD while going  6-9 passing for 53 Yards
• RB/LB Avery Watterson - Seven carries and two Receptions for 61 total yards; on defense,  16 tackles.
• RB/LB Jack Cianfrini - 10 carries, 92 yards, TD, and nine tackles
• SR LB Carson Warner - Eight tackles
• SR DL Aedyn Groth - One sack and a forced fumble

"Kudos to a tough, physical, and well-coached LPW team," said OEC Coach Tyler Winters. "We knew we would have our hands full in week one taking on a Class C contender like them.  Today's game will serve as great feedback for our group on the areas we need to improve on to accomplish our goals.  The outcome was far from what we hoped for, but the narrative did not change for our team.  We will hit the film and begin to shift our sights to Week 2."

Photos by Debra Reilly

Photos by Philip Casper.

Lei-Ti Campground came through big this year with a donation of $9,050 for Mercy Flight during its annual fundraiser for a nonprofit group. This year's event included 200 basket raffles, a tour of a Mercy Flight helicopter and sales of hotdogs and sausages. 

It was a historic night at Hartwood Park in Le Roy. The newly merged Le Roy and Cal-Mum football programs took the field as one team, the Rivals, to play against the Batavia Blue Devils.

It's been at least 15 years since Batavia played a regular season game in Le Roy.

In a game shorted by weather, the Blue Devils came out on top 32-0.

There were no stats released for the game.

Also on Friday, Alexander traveled to Bath-Haverling and returned home with a 13-12 win. 

In a season opener for Boys Soccer, Byron-Bergen/Elba battled to a 1-1 tie with Le Roy/Cal-Mum.

Jacob Wiley, for the Rivals, scored first with an assist from Jack Curran. 

Colin Rea scored for the Bees.

The game went into a brief OT period but lightning cut the game short.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro