Press release:

The Genesee County Health Department will be hosting a FREE drive-thru anti-rabies immunization clinic on Thursday, May 20^th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 E. Main St., Batavia). 

“We encourage all Genesee County residents to take advantage of this opportunity to make sure that their animals are immunized against rabies and that the vaccinations are kept up to date,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).

“Rabies continues to be a serious public health concern in Genesee County and is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Please leave wildlife alone and do not feed, touch, or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats.”

Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats and ferrets, but voluntary donations are accepted. Animals must be at least 3 months old. Each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. Limit four pets per car maximum. 

Face coverings are required and please follow all social distancing requirements. 

To save you time, please click here to fill out your registration form in advance. Be sure to print out two copies for each pet to be vaccinated and bring them with you to the clinic. 

The next anti-rabies immunization clinic in Genesee County will be held on Aug. 12^th. For more information, please contact the Genesee County Health Department: (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555 or Health.Dept@co.genesee.ny.us

Press release:

Today, Empire Access announced its participation in the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. This temporary benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband internet service for eligible households during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The $3.2B Emergency Broadband Benefit program provides a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband internet service for eligible households. Having a broadband connection is essential for households to gain access to jobs, healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more.

“This program provides the much needed financial relief for families during these challenging times,” said Jim Baase, chief operating officer for Empire Access. “Our customers will still receive the same great speeds and high-quality service under the FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit program.”

A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

• Has an income that is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid or the FCC’s Lifeline program;
• Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
• Experienced a substantial loss of income through job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

Emergency Broadband Benefit enrollment will begin (open) today, May 12. For more information on eligibility and enrollment, contact Empire Access at (800) 338-3300 or visit www.empireaccess.com/EBB

Press release:

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminds taxpayers that the deadline to file personal income tax returns is Monday, May 17. Resources to help you file an accurate and on-time return are available anytime online at www.tax.ny.gov.

"The Tax Department website is an essential resource that allows taxpayers to efficiently fulfill their filing obligations,” said Acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Amanda Hiller. “You can access everything from free filing software to answers to frequently asked questions. I encourage all New Yorkers to visit www.tax.ny.gov to ease the stress of last-minute filing."

Our Filing season resource center can help you complete a range of tasks, including filing your tax return, responding to a request for additional information, or checking the status of your refund.

E-file for free. Free File software is accessible from the Tax Department website at Free File your income tax return. Taxpayers with incomes of $72,000 or less in 2020 can electronically complete and submit their federal and New York State income tax returns online at no cost. More than 192,000 New York taxpayers have used our Free File software so far this year. It’s easy, fast, and secure.

To ensure you're not charged a fee, you must go to the Tax Department’s website to complete your return. You’ll save on preparation fees, prevent costly errors, and ensure that you receive any refund you’re owed in the most efficient way possible.

By e-filing your return and choosing direct deposit you’ll receive your refund up to two weeks sooner.

To use direct deposit, simply check direct deposit on your tax return, then enter your bank’s nine-digit routing number and your account number. For checking accounts, this information is available on your checks; for savings accounts, contact your bank.

Check your refund online. Taxpayers can also quickly view the status of their New York State tax refund anytime using the Check Your Refund Status tool on the Tax Department website (visit www.tax.ny.gov and search: refund). It’s the fastest and most convenient way to know when to expect your refund. It’s updated daily and provides the same information available to our phone representatives—only without the wait!

You can also sign up to receive an email about your refund issue date. Visit the Tax Department homepage at www.tax.ny.gov, select Subscribe under the Connect With Us heading at the bottom of the page, then choose Sign up for alerts.

Communicate directly with the Tax Department. If you receive a letter asking for documentation to support entries on your return, it doesn't mean you did anything wrong. It's one of several steps the Tax Department takes to ensure that returns are accurate and refunds amounts are correct. The goal is to stop questionable returns and refund claims, not to delay refunds.

Create an Individual Online Services account. If you have an Online Services account, you can review your Account Summary homepage for important information about your tax account. You can view any payments you already made toward your income tax to confirm the total amount you paid, so it’s easy to report on your tax return when filing. These payments include estimated tax payments made throughout the year, any overpayment carried forward from the previous year, as well as payments made with your extension of time to file.

Request an extension of time to file. You can obtain an automatic extension of time to file if you’re unable to submit a completed income tax return by the May 17 deadline. The extension request is due Monday, May 17 at 11:59 p.m. You must also make your extension payment by May 17. Personal income tax returns with an extension are due on or before Friday, Oct. 15.

Get your questions answered. Tax Department representatives are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET at (518) 457-5181 on weekdays. Additionally, representatives will be available until 7 p.m. on the filing deadline Monday, May 17 to answer last minute questions.

Before you call, however, consider that the most efficient way to obtain tax filing guidance and information, including answers to common questions, is to visit the Tax Department’s website, www.tax.ny.gov. Our Filing season resource center is a good place to start.

The Genesee County Planning Board is in for a busy night on Thursday with an agenda featuring 17 referrals, including a proposal to build an outdoor dining space at the Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford and another to develop a 346-site campground and recreation area on Perry Road in Pavilion.

The meeting will take place at 7 o’clock via Zoom videoconferencing.

Owners Timothy Adams and Steven Foster have submitted a site plan and request for a special use permit to place an outdoor dining pavilion at the rear of the Red Osier property on Route 5.

Plans call for the covered shelter to be set on a 30- by 40-foot concrete pad to the south of the restaurant. The owners also are looking to add a portable 12- by 24-foot manufactured shed for storage and aesthetics, adding that the dumpster will be relocated away from that area and also will be on a concrete pad and fenced in.

Preliminary word is that planning department staff suggests approval of the referral, stating that the proposed pavilion and improvements should pose no significant countywide or intercommunity impact.

Jesse Coots, of Le Roy, submitted a site plan and is asking for a special use permit to create and operate the campground at 10156 Perry Road. The plan calls for building it in two phases, using 20 to 30 acres of a 94-acre parcel that is zoned Agricultural-Residential. Currently, the land consists of woodland and farm fields.

Approval with modification is recommended by planning staff, who are asking the board to require the applicant to provide proof that there will be no adverse impact upon wetlands and to obtain a stormwater permit from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Other referrals include the following:

• Rezoning of 211 E. Main St., Batavia, from P-2 (Planned Development) to C-3 (Commercial) for consistency purposes prior to demolition of Cary Hall and eventual construction of the Healthy Living Campus joint venture between the GLOW YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Currently, Cary Hall is not being used. It formerly housed medical offices and, before that, was the home of the McAuley School of Practical Nursing.

County planning staff has determined that the zoning change is not inconsistent with the City of Batavia’s comprehensive plan adopted in 2017 and should go forward.

• A site plan review of a new liquor store at 9 E. Main St., Corfu, to be owned and operated by Brittany Schafer.

In documents submitted by Schafer, she plans to call the business Brittany’s Booze Barn and be open from the hours of 1 to 8 p.m., hopefully by July 4. It is in a Commercial-Residential District with existing residential space upstairs.

Planning staff recommends approval.

• A special use permit to develop a 5-megawatt community solar project at 7209 Oak Orchard Road, Elba, just south of Route 262, covering half of a 55-acre parcel owned by CY Properties LLC.

Documents state that NY CDG Genesee I LLC, of Acton, Ontario, Canada, is planning to install about 16,400 solar panels on 200 free standing tracking solar table modules, as well as new electrical equipment, accessories, concrete pads for equipment and new gravel access drive.

The land is zoned Business and Agricultural-Residential.

A letter from LaBella Associates, representing the solar group, indicates that a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement through the Genesee County Economic Development Center will be requested.

County planning staff has determined that since the project will be on prime farm land, the applicant should relocate the portion of the driveway and equipment pad currently proposed through the middle of the field to the edge of the field or amend the decommissioning plan to minimize the impact on the soil.

• A special use permit request by Tanya Peal to operate a one-chair hair salon in her home at 1 Farnsworth Ave., Oakfield, in a Residential District. Her paperwork indicates that customers will be received on an appointment-only basis and she has room to park four vehicles.

The recommendation of county staff is for approval.

• An area variance for Rochester Regional Health to modify the size of parking spaces from 10- by 20-feet to 9- by 18-feet at the site of its proposed 140,000-square-foot medical office building at 8103 Oak Orchard Road, Batavia – north of the Thruway exit. The change would increase the number of parking spots from 360 to 432.

Consultants for RRH state that the modification will allow the required amount of onsite parking to be provided, while satisfying the town’s request for an access agreement along the northern boundary of the site. The access requirement reduces slightly the space for parking, resulting in the need to go to a 9 by 18 parking spot configuration.

Planning staff has determined that the proposed variance should pose no significant countywide or intercommunity impact.

Submitted photos and press release:

Genesee County Youth Court members participated in a Mock Trial in honor of Law Day May 1. There are currently 34 Youth Court members representing seven of our nine school districts as well as Notre Dame.

The Youth Bureau is proud to coordinate this important component of the justice system. Any eighth-  through 11^th-graders who are interested in becoming a member of Genesee County Youth Court can find an application online here or call the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960.

Genesee County Youth Court also celebrated Law Day by acknowledging their seniors who will head off to college this fall.

Some of these members have been involved with Genesee County Youth Court since their swearing in, which took place in January of 2018. The court was lucky enough to have such great youth to represent Genesee County Youth Court!

Pictured above are senior members of the Genesee County Youth Court: Julie Muntz (Oakfield), Luke Rindell (Batavia), Sadie Nickels (Oakfield), Ariana Desa e Frias (Batavia), and Evan Amberger (Pavilion). Not pictured is Ava Flores, a senior from Oakfield.

Above, at the Law Day Mock Trial are: Evan Amberger (Respondent) being questioned by (Prosecution Attorney) Matthew Tanner from Byron-Bergen.

Above, at the Law Day Mock Trial are: Evan Amberger (Respondent) being questioned by (Defense Attorney) Ariana Desa e Frias from Batavia.

David J. Reschke, no age or address provided, was arrested after an investigation by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office into a reported burglary Feb. 12 at a detached garage on Transit Road in the Town of Stafford. He is charged with two counts of second-degree forgery and one count of criminal possession of stolen property. It is also alleged that the stolen property from the burglary was sold at a business in the Town of Batavia under a false name and that an additional sales transaction was made on a separate date at a business in the Town of Batavia by Reschke under a false name. He was arraigned virtually in Genesee County Court and released on his own recognizance because the charges against him do not qualify for bail under the NYS bail reform law. Reschke is due in Town of Batavia Court at a later, unspecified date.

Aaron Michael Raegan Hatt, 25, of Broadway Road, Alexander, is charged with second-degree burglary and first-degree criminal contempt. Hatt was arrested following a complaint on Broadway Road, Alexander at 4:30 a.m. April 28. It is alleged that the defendant entered a residence of protected persons, who have a full stay away order of protection against him, ultimately resulting in subjecting them to physical contact. Hatt was arraigned in Genesee County Court and put in jail on $1,000 cash bail, $2,500 bond or $5,000 partially secured bond. He is due for a call appearance in Town of Alexander Court on May 25. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Howard Wilson, assisted by Deputy Rachel Diehl.

There will likely be a traditional graduation ceremony for the seniors of Batavia High School but it will comply with the state's COVID-19 guidelines, according to Superintendent Anibal Soler.

The plans for the ceremony are in development in cooperation with students and families, Soler said.

The June 26 ceremony will be held at Van Detta Stadium and each graduate will be allowed four guests. Because of state guidelines for events attended by more than 200 people, attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

Students and families that opt out of the requirements will be able to participate in what Soler called a "micro-ceremony."  

"Every student will get their moment of getting their diploma," Soler told the school board on Monday evening.

Plans are also being finalized for a senior prom with attendance limited to less than 200 people and held outdoors. Under state guidelines, that event won't require proof of vaccination or a negative test.

Nicole Mayers, a Batavia Middle School counselor, has been selected by the NYS School Counselor Association as the state's Counselor of the Year.

Mayers has been a school counselor for 16 years and worked at BMS for eight years.  

Currently, her focus is on school attendance, academic achievement, and providing social-emotional skills to students.

She was instrumental, according to information released by the school district, in implementing a daily social-emotional learning program for middle school students. Students are given daily SEL prompts that officials say have been beneficial during the coronavirus pandemic.

She is a certified trauma illness and grief responder.

From Genesee County Highway Department:

North Bergen Road between Merrill Road and Bird Road in Byron will be closed effective immediately for approximately two weeks for bridge repair work. It will not be open to local traffic.

The public will be notified when the road reopens.

Photos and information from Glenn Adams:

Residents from the Town of Bethany said farewell to its long-serving Town Clerk on Monday evening, May 10. Debbie Douglas (in top photo) was presented with a number of gifts by the Town. But, she and husband, Tom, made their own donations to the Town.

"Bethany has done so much for us," she said, "and we wanted to give back in some small way."

Debbie and Tom donated two defibrillators, one for the Town Hall, and one for the highway garage.

They also donated a trainer to get employees up to speed on how to use the defibrillators.

In addition to gifts for the Town, they donated a second defibrillator trainer to the fire department, along with two seek retractors, and two thermal imaging cameras, which will be useful in fire situations where dense smoke precluded being able to see inside buildings.

We will sorely miss her as Town Clerk, and wish her and Tom the very best in retirement.

Below, Interim Town Clerk Ruth Bodkins presents Debbie Douglas with a gift from the Town.

Below, Bethany Fire Chief Jeff Fluker, Debbie Douglas, Tom Douglas, and Bethany Town Supervisor Karl Hyde.

From the Batavia Police Department:

The Batavia Police Department has recently been investigating a plethora of larcenies from vehicles in the city. These larcenies have been occurring mainly in the overnight hours, and from (unfortunately) unlocked motor vehicles.

Patrols remain vigilant in the overnight hours, and we are asking for assistance from the public in reducing the amount of these incidents.

Please remember: ALWAYS lock your car doors. Leave exterior lighting on if possible.

ALWAYS lock your car doors. Remove valuables from your vehicle.

ALWAYS lock your car doors. Theft prevention starts with you, and it starts before you even leave your vehicle.

As always, if you notice anything suspicious around your property, please do not hesitate to the contact the police department.

Presented by Batavia City Schools

A tractor waiting to do more work this morning in a field off of Downey Road in Oakfield.

A total of 37 pots filled with flowering plants will be placed along Main Street in the Village of Oakfield this spring and summer, paid for by residents and business owners to help bring a little color and vibrancy to the community. 

Spearheaded by Village Clerk Kim Staniszewski and Judy Boyle, they asked people to donate $25 for each pot and then the donor will have a sign in the pot recognizing a local achievement (such as the fine seasons of the basketball teams), memorializing a loved one, or mentioning a business sponsor.

The plants and material were purchased from Pudgie's Lawn and Garden with Pudgie's staff assisting in selecting the plants so "we make sure this spring and summer they really grow and flourish and look pretty," Staniszewski said.

Today, members of Oakfield-Alabama's Future Farmers of American potted the plants.

Kaden Cusmano

Colton Yasses

Karly Smith

Sixth Ward Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian spoke up Monday at the city schools board of trustees meeting on behalf, she said, of her constituents, decrying the high cost of education in an age of tighter household budgets.

"I really don't have any solution," Christian said near the end of her remarks. "I'm asking you to seriously think about the people who live in this community and are having a hard time right now."

She noted that assessments have gone up throughout the city and that is putting more of a squeeze on some households.

She asked if the board considered reducing salaries for teachers and other staff members.

"Everything is escalating and it's hurting everyone, even you," she said.

She also asked that Sacred Heart once again be used as a polling station in school district elections.

On May 8, voters will chose among four candidates for three positions on the school board and whether to approve a $661 spending plan for the district for 2021-22, an increase of $625,935 from the current year.

The proposed tax levy (the aggregated of all property taxes collected in the school tax) is $19,493,958, exactly as it is in the current year.  

State and federal aid covers most of the rest of the district's spending.

Photo: Still from video of Monday's meeting.

Press release:

New data format: We will be reporting the total number of positive cases, ages, number of active cases / mandatory isolation and on Fridays we will include the NYS Fatality Data.

We will no longer be reporting by region, facility data, negative and recovered numbers.

Hospitalizations and ages of new positive individuals will be reported in the narrative. 

The total age breakdown and potential community exposure risks will continue to be posted on our websites. The data reporting chart will also include the Finger Lakes COVID Vaccination Hub updates on vaccination in both total number and percentage.

Genesee County is reporting 32 new positive cases of COVID-19 since Friday. 

• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. 
• Five of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

​

Orleans County is reporting 37 new positive cases of COVID-19 since Friday.  

• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
• Zero of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Press release:

The City Water Department has to do an emergency water shut-off on Wednesday, May 12.

The water will be shut on Ellicott Street from Liberty to Swan, Hutchins from Ellicott to Sumner, Goade, and Hyde Park. This will start at 7:30 a.m. and water will be off until 12 p.m.

We appreciate the patience of the citizens involved.

Submitted photo and press release:

GLOW Women Rise invites the community to join us for our second annual Empowerment Forum, which will be held virtually on Saturday, June 5. The focus will be on the International Women's Day theme #ChooseToChallenge.

Discussions and workshops were selected to motivate participants to challenge themselves and each other in the areas of discrimination, personal finances, body positivity, and community. The Empowerment Forum is a free event (donations gratefully accepted) and is open to the community. 

The keynote speaker will be the author and award-winning lecturer Tamara L. McMillan (inset photo right), Ph.D.c, CPSC. A Buffalo native, McMillan is also the founder of McMillan Empowerment Enterprises (MEE).

As an agent of change, MEE has shaped the lives of countless girls and women worldwide by providing tools of transformation while passionately empowering them to reconnect to their own life's purpose to embrace and narrate their own stories. 

The Empowerment Forum encourages women's growth and networking across the region and is appropriate for adolescents and older, and is open to anyone interested in empowering women! Please encourage participation from the teen and young adult women in your lives.

GLOW Women Rise will also be honoring the GRIT Award winners.

The GRIT Award is given to women within the community who exhibit tenacity, fearlessness, and spirit in advocating for an underrepresented group in the GLOW region. Nominees for this honor can be submitted through the organization's website and are due by May 14.

The event includes taking a moment to recognize the loss of many women in our communities and our families. GLOW Women Rise encourages you to participate in this tribute by submitting a memorial at bit.ly/GWRMemorial.

The Empowerment Forum will be held virtually and can be viewed on computers, tablets, and on most cell phones.

To learn more and register, click here. 

To nominate someone for the GRIT Award or to memorialize someone, please click here.

GLOW Women Rise is a registered 501c3.

Eli Fish Brewing Co. is counting on Sanzo Beverage to distribute and promote its core brands, with the goal of introducing Western New York to the independent brewery’s expertise in the craft beer industry and to attract beer lovers to the City of Batavia.

Owners and key employees of the two Batavia businesses announced the joint venture Monday afternoon at the Eli Fish location at 109 Main St.

“We’ve been established as a maker of fine products and for our restaurant in Batavia and we just celebrated our third anniversary,” said Matt Gray, Eli Fish co-owner. “We’ve grown each and every year, and the next logical step is to start this distribution in our own home territory and we’re really thrilled about partnering with Sanzo Beverage.”

Rick Sanzo, owner of Sanzo Beverage, which has been in Batavia since Jan. 1, 1995, said his distribution system is set up for Eli Fish to grow its market share.

“I always told Matt that I would be interested in being a part of Eli Fish if the opportunity every arose,” Sanzo said. “Now, they are making enough beer – they have the tanks to support a mobile canning line – for the hauling of cans and kegs (draft beer). Matty finally let me know that they had the capacity, that they could branch out and we were very interested in branching out with them.”

Sanzo said his company currently trucks beer to Genesee, Wyoming, Orleans, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties and has a group that will distribute it to Erie, Niagara and Monroe counties.

“Batavia is making great beer and Adam (Burnett, the head brewer at Eli Fish) is very well respected in the brewing industry. If we can get it into people’s hands and make Batavia a destination – get people to come here and try the beer – we think it’s great for our community as there are a lot of locally owned businesses that people can go to here.”

Initially, the plan is to distribute three principal brands -- Strange Days, a Scotch ale; Pillow Talk, a witbier (Belgian wheat), and Maple Blueberry Sunshine, a Six Flags Darien Lake co-branded product. The latter is brewed, packaged and sold by Eli Fish for Darien Lake to sell under its name.

“We’re excited about the initial launch of Strange Days, Pillow Talk and Maple Blueberry, both in cans and draft,” said Mark Stark, vice president/craft for Sanzo Beverage. “The nice thing about having a hometown brewery in our network is that if you have the obscure place that is looking for something a bit different, Eli Fish has 23 varieties on tap. We can come and get them because they’re right in our backyard, and we are able to provide these brews to our customers.”

Burnett said that 23 of the 24 beers on tap at the brewery are Eli Fish-made beers, with the other being a cider that is mixed outside of Batavia.

“We have light lagers, pale ales, IPAs (India Pale Ale), stouts, sours, fruited beers and seltzers,” Burnett said. “I try to keep at least two or three of each of those on all the time.”

Eli Fish co-owner Jon Mager handled the brewing on a full-time basis when the business opened, but now assists Burnett.

“I was brewing everything for about a year but working with my other day job (as the owner of Arctic Refrigeration), it started to take a toll,” he said. “I knew Adam from high school and we brought him in full time. Now, I relieve Adam when he needs a break.”

Burnett pointed out that they get all of the malt needed for the brews from Batavian Ted Hawley, who provides it from his Bank Street Road location.

“About 95 percent of beer is malt while hops are minimal,” Burnett explained. “A normal batch of beer is going to be 500 pounds of malt and five pounds of hops. We dechlorinate city water and use salts to make the profile mimic the styles were trying to create.”

Gray said his company has done “very limited self-distribution to a couple local restaurants in town that we have relationships with (including Alex’s Place, which he also owns).”

Sanzo said his drivers will take the beer to restaurants, bars, stores – any venue that has a liquor license.

“They’re already partnering with Darien Lake so that’s a huge sampling opportunity. Maybe this year, the amphitheater will open up again and we can do some sampling there, too,” he said.

Eli Fish also makes Muckdog beer – the official craft beer of the Batavia Muckdogs, who open their baseball season at Dwyer Stadium on June 4.

Gray said he hopes that getting Eli Fish beer to other locales will result in more traffic in Downtown Batavia.

“We’re a community-focused business and we love being downtown, We chose to be downtown for a reason,” he said. “We hope that people who do visit here walk downtown, go to other restaurants and other bars, and go shopping. It helps the entire community.”

For more information about Eli Fish Brewing Co., go to its website – www.elifishbrewing.com.

Photo at top: Jon Mager and Matt Gray of Eli Fish Brewing Co.; Rick Sanzo of Sanzo Beverage, and Adam Burnett, head brewer for Eli Fish; bottom, Adam Burnett stands next to brewing apparatus. Photos by Mike Pettinella.