Press release:

The City of Batavia Republican Committee is seeking City Republicans who are interested in being considered for the Committee’s recommendation for Council-At-Large.

This position is for the seat soon to be vacated by Adam Tabelski.

The City of Batavia Republican Committee will make a recommendation to City Council with the appointment being made by City Council for the unexpired term. Letters of interest can be emailed to City Republican Chairman David Saleh at salehdavej@gmail.com by Aug. 24^th.

Press release:

Manufacturers, agribusinesses and the skilled trades have been sounding the alarm about the needs to bring more awareness and preparedness for a future workforce in order to meet the demands of the ever-changing workplace and the wave of retirements anticipated as a result of an aging workforce.

In the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming County (GLOW) Region, economic development agencies, workforce development leaders and educators are doing just that through a new initiative formally announced today by New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.

The daylong hands-on career exploration event – GLOW With Your Hands – will be held on Sept. 24 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds.

More than 1,000 students from 28 school districts across the GLOW Region are expected to attend the event where they will be able to experience first-hand activities associated with careers, like welding, bricklaying, electrical wiring, heavy equipment operation, advanced manufacturing, and many others.

"As our economy evolves with growing opportunities in clean energy, construction, and advanced manufacturing fields, New Yorkers will have increased access to workforce development and training for jobs of the future," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who spoke at today's event.

"Collaborative visions to bring together events like these are part of our ongoing effort to ensure young people have the skills they need to get a good-paying job and achieve their fullest potential.”

The economic and workforce development agencies and education groups are collaborating to make students aware that there are real family-sustaining jobs in the GLOW Region that do not necessarily require a four-year college degree.

More and more school districts in the GLOW Region are creating a curriculum to meet the workplace needs of employers. The demand by employers for workers to fill these jobs is growing every day and organizers of the event want to communicate to students that they can have successful careers immediately after high school graduation.

GLOW With Your Hands organizers include the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), the Livingston County Economic Development, Orleans County EDA, Wyoming County IDA, GLOW Workforce Development Board, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties' Business Education alliances and the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

Major employers in the GLOW Region and various construction trades unions will be attending the event to simulate the functions and skills of the various jobs that are in demand.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Genesee County Suicide Prevention Coalition partners with Batavia High School and its Sources of Strength program, which recently made a donation to the local coalition.

Pictured above are students Lily Whiting and Benjamin Best from the BHS Sources of Strength program.

During Sources of Strength Kindness Week, SOS members collected donations in decorated jugs. The donations help to support the coalition work that includes providing resources at community events as well as support for local suicide prevention workshops/trainings.  

The coalition especially thanks Kelly Deneka and Heidi Meides, SOS adiversers at BHS, for their continued support of the SPC and the work they do with young people. You are making a difference!

The 19^th Annual Van Hulburt Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit the comfort care home Crossroads House and Masonic Charities will take place Thursday, Aug. 15, at the Batavia Country Club.

It is hosted by Hesperus Masonic Lodge #837, Bergen.

Cost is $70 per person and includes: 18 holes of golf with cart; lunch; dinner; prizes -- men & women  / closest to the pin / longest drive / tournament winners.

Guests are welcome for a $22 fee.

The tournament is a four-person scramble. Sign in is at 11 a.m., lunch is 11:30, shotgun start is at noon.

All teams must be paid by Aug. 9^th to guarantee placement in this tournament.

There will also be basket raffles, a 50/50, and Chinese auction.

For more information, contact Marty Krause at (585) 730-2809.

The tournament is sponsored by Triple-0-Mechanical Inc. Other sponsors include: Alexander Country Deli; Bergen C-Store & Dunkin Donuts; Ashley Capital; Ralph & Rosie's Deli & Pizzeria; Bonduelle USA; Jerry Hulburt & Family.

The tournament's namesake, Van Hulburt, worked for 35 years at Byron-Bergen Central School as a teacher, counselor and he coached golf for 25 years. He was a Past Master of Hesperus Lodge and a beloved member of the Masonic community.

A minor injury accident involving a car and a farm tractor is reported at Fisher and Maltby roads in Oakfield.

Oakfield fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:46 a.m.: Oakfield and Elba fire police requested to the scene.

Submitted photo and press release:

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Batavia Muckdogs ended a three-game losing streak with a doubleheader sweep of the Williamsport Crosscutters by identical scores of 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Despite a six-run first inning in game one and a huge clutch triple in game two, the story of the night was the dominating pitching performance of Easton Lucas. He reached his pitch limit in the fourth and did not get the decision, but Batavia Pitching Coach Chad Rhodes said he did his job.

"He did for us what we needed and plus some," Rhodes said. "He took the spirit out of them with his command and tied up some good hitters with his fastball inside."

Williamsport started the night with a six-game win streak.

"His fastball coupled with his command set the tone and made hitters have to cover the whole zone which allowed him to push and pull them with his changeup tonight," Rhodes said. "He was very crisp and in complete control."

Lucas struck out eight in 3.1 innings and walked one, gave up one hit and one run. Lucas is 1-1 on the season with 26 strikeouts in 21 innings allowing just four walks and six runs all year with a 0.86 WHIP and a 2.57 ERA.

Geremy Galindez improved to 4-0 on the mound as he threw the final two innings of the second game, striking out one, did not walk a batter and gave up three hits.

Brock Love tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out three without giving up a hit. Love is a 2019 draft pick of the Marlins out of the University of Alabama.

The big hit was from shortstop Dalvy Rosario, who broke a 2-2 tie in the final inning with a triple to centerfield.

Rosario finished with two hits and run while Andrew Turner was 2-for-4 with a run to increase his average to .283 (Turner had a 2-RBI single which was later ruled a fielder's choice), Nic Ready had a RBI and scored while Jack Strunc had a RBI single and catcher Mikey Hernandez ripped a double.

Milton Smith II stole second and third, for 14 steals on the season while Rosario stole his 10th base of the season and Ready swiped his third steal.

In the first game, Batavia scored six runs in the top of the first to seal the 6-3 victory.

From there, four pitchers took over. Edgar Martinez went the first three, striking out three without allowing a walk, Josh Simpson picked up his first win of the season, going two innings and striking out two with no walks and one run, the first he has given up this season. His ERA is a minuscule 0.71. Simpson is a 6-foot-2 lefty out of Columbia and a 32nd round pick of the Marlins this year.

Joey Steele earned his third hold of the season, throwing one inning of shut out ball with two strikeouts, no walks and one hit.

Steele has a 0.00 ERA this season. The 6-foot-2 righty, a 30th round draft pick this year out of University of San Francisco has appeared in 12 games, thrown 11 innings with 18 strikeouts and one walk, not allowing a single run.

Evan Brabrand picked up his 11th save of the season, throwing the final inning, striking out one and not allowing a walk, run or hit. Brabrand, a ninth-round pick this year out of Liberty University (Lynchburg, Va.) has made the most of his 14 appearances, going 2-1 with 11 saves, a 2.03 ERA and has struck out 18 in 13.1 innings.

At the plate, Julian Infante, a 36th-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.) this season, went 3-for-4 with a RBI double, a run and increased his average to .304.

J.D. Orr is hitting a lead-leading .383 as he had a RBI single, scored a run, walked and stole his 22nd base of the season.

Brayan Hernandez (RBI), Dustin Skelton and Strunc (RBI, run) all had hits.

Batavia is at State College (Pa.) Thursday, Friday and Saturday and return to Dwyer Stadium for a 5:05 p.m. game on Sunday with Mahoning Valley.

Tickets are available at muckdogs.com or stop by the Dwyer Stadium Ticket office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week. The number is 585-483-3647.

Photo: Batavia pitcher Easton Lucas struck out the first six batters of game 2 to set the tone of Batavia’s 6-3 win. The Muckdogs are 31-21 with a four-game lead in first place.

For the first time, the annual National Night Out, an event of the Batavia Police Department, was held at City Church's St. Anthony's.

Below: A bonus short video of firefighters hoisting a stokes basket.

John Bennett, executive director of GCASA, has gone in a short time from the shock and disappointment he felt when people in the City of Batavia reacted with anger to a proposed social center at the former St. Nick's on Swan Street, to gratitude for the acceptance the same proposal for another property in the Town of Batavia.

Tuesday night there was a public hearing on a request for a special use permit to convert the former Bohn's Restaurant location on Clinton Street Road into a recreation center for people in recovery. There was no opposition and several people spoke in support of it. The Town of Batavia Planning Board subsequently passed all the necessary resolutions unanimously to give the project a green light.

"I'll say when I came to the town to meet with the town board originally, that I got a little choked up," Bennett said. "I got a little emotional because my reception was so different than what happened on the Southside in the city.

"(Town officials) were welcoming and they really had seemed to have an understanding of addiction and they said that this is needed in the community. I just feel blessed, actually, to be connected with this project and the town and they've welcomed us with open arms and they see the benefit of it."

The center will be the first of its kind in Batavia, a place where people who don't want to be an environment where beer, wine and liquor are part of the fabric of the party, and some people might show up with drugs. That's because the context of such an atmosphere makes it harder to resist the temptation to partake. Instead, they'll have a place to go to relax, socialize, make friends, and have a good time.

Several speakers at the public said the new center will make it easier for people in recovery to stay in recovery.

"The recovery center itself is it really a meet and greet," said Kathy Miller. "After you go in and you get treatment, you start living your life and you start getting normal, doing normal everyday things like get a job, buy a house, buy a car, have a baby -- living your life.

"You're not meeting anyone in recovery because now you're doing things and there's no place to go unless you can go into a recovery center. Then, when you're meeting other people, you don't have to say, 'hey, I'm in recovery,' because you already are there meeting people in recovery."

If you don't change the people you hang out with, Miller said, it's harder to stay in recovery.

"You need to change the people, places, and things around you," Miller said. "And sometimes that means your old friends, sometimes that's the people that are still doing the same old things they used to do. You have to find a new place. You have to find a way to live in it."

Jason Adams said a social and recreation center for people in recovery will be a game-changer for people locally. It will give them a place to engage in a variety of activities, watch sports on TV, or just hang out and talk, all without thinking about easy access to booze.

"The sky's the limit of what the program is available to do," Adams said.

The closest thing to an objection to the proposed recreation center on Clinton Street Road came from a nearby neighbor who said she supports the concept -- she understands the struggle of people in recovery because she's a cigarette smoker herself -- but was concerned that people using the center might loiter in the area or along the street, which could diminish her privacy.

A board member asked if a privacy fence would help. She said it would.

As soon as the public hearing was completed, the woman left.

During the board discussion of the project, Code Enforcement Officer Dan Lang looked up her property on a parcel map and said it was really too far from the actual Bohn's property to warrant a privacy fence.  

There is a parcel in between the Bohn's Restaurant property and the woman's property, and that property, Bennett revealed is subject of a negotiation with the town -- GCASA may swap that property with the town to settle some tax issues.

The board agreed to approve the project without the privacy fence, but left the door open to revisit the issue should circumstances make it more apparent a fence is needed.

Bennett said he totally understands the concern about people loitering and smoking cigarettes outside. He's aware of complaints about similar activity outside the GCASA property along East Main Street.

The state agency that oversees drug rehabilitation facilities has always frowned on designated smoking areas on the property of such programs or facilities but that policy is changing. GCASA has been given the approval to have a designated smoking area on the Bohn's property. He said he's working on getting approval for smoking areas on all of GCASA's properties.

"I think smoking in general in front of restaurants and other buildings the community is an eyesore and we working to remedy that," Bennett said.

Bennett said the community opposition to GCASA opening a recovery center on Swan Street caught him by surprise but admitted it may have been his own fault. He wasn't prepared for the opposition and therefore did a poor job of setting the stage and explaining the project.

At a 400 Towers community meeting where residents expressed a great deal of anger about the proposal, he could barely say anything to try and explain the project, there were so many other voices dominating the conversation.

"I guess I didn't get out ahead of this in terms of really getting out and educating people because it was such a quick grant that we got," Bennett said. "And I really guess I didn't think people would have an issue with a recovery center because people in recovery really are just like you and I.

"If you stood in a room full of  -- I bet you couldn't tell tonight who was in recovery and who wasn't, right? And the methadone clinic kind of went off without a hitch, so I just kind of thought the recovery center would, too.

"I didn't really see people being upset and angry about this. I missed that and then I should have done a couple more things to educate the public, especially down on the Southside."

Photo: Sue Gagne and John Bennett.

Last month, the Genesee County Economic Development Center issued an open letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking for his help in getting final approval on a complex financial package -- involving private investment, state and local tax incentives, grants, and investment credits -- from state officials.

Following an event today about workforce development (more later), we asked Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul about the delay of the project. She says the governor's office is working to finalize a financial package for Ellicott Station.

The Ellicott Station project will transform the former Della Penna property on Ellicott Street from a crumbling and distressed property into a mixed-used development that will include housing, office space, and a restaurant/brewery.

In an interview with The Batavian following an event at the Genesee County Fair Grounds, where Lt. Kathy Hochul participated in the announcement of a new workforce development program (more later), Hochul defended passage of the farm labor bill.

She said it was needed, even though it was opposed by farmers and farmworkers, because it will improve working conditions for farmworkers and help farmers attract more qualified job candidates.

Hochul said what's missing in complaints about the farm labor bill is that farmers participated in crafting compromise legislation.

The bedrooms are very spacious with plenty of closet space. There is oversized family room in the lower level for all your rec room fun. Also an awesome sunny and bright bonus room with lots of windows overlooking private back yard, which has in-ground swimming pool, plenty of privacy for all your summer fun!

This home is large bright, cheerful and ready for lots of energy! Easy to see! Call Lynn Bezon today at 344-HOME or click here for more information on this listing.

Press release:

Standing amidst a swarm of advocates, at the Rochester Beekeepers Association’s beehives at Tinker Nature Park, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed how a recent under-the-radar decision on bees could sting Upstate, the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, its local agriculture efforts, and even a budding jobs niche that supplies summer farmers’ markets and local restaurants.

Schumer detailed a recent fed decision by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stop collecting data on honeybees that puts the species and Upstate New York’s economy, at risk. Schumer said that the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region is a hive of productivity, but that this recent decision by the feds could derail much of what keeps Upstate competitive and robust as an agricultural hub.

Calls on USDA to 'reverse course immediately'

The senator called on the USDA to reverse course immediately, and instead, step up their work on bee populations. He revealed numbers that proved his point and hit home the critical importance of honeybees to Upstate New York and the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region’s agriculture sector.

“It sure helps, but you don’t need to be a beekeeper to understand the benefit pollinating bees have on the Upstate economy and the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region,” Schumer said. “Look around and you will see that they boost an agricultural hive of economic productivity.

"From farmers’ markets, to farm-to-table restaurants, to the farms and apple and cherry orchards that solidify the Rochester-Finger Lakes area as an agricultural hub, we have a lot to tout —and it is because of bees like these. So to find out that, in an under-the-radar move from Washington, the USDA has clipped the wings of a critical data-collection program on honeybee colonies, impacting jobs and productivity in places like Rochester, really stings.”

Schumer explained that earlier this July, USDA said it would stop collecting data for its "Honey Bee Colonies" report. The "Honey Bee Colonies" report, conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, is released on an annual basis and contains critical data, tracking active honeybee colonies, new colonies and lost colonies.

The senator called the decision to suspend data collection for the report especially concerning, considering the devastating honeybee colony losses experienced in the United States over the past few decades.

Plummeting honeybee colonies

According to a report from USDA, the number of active honeybee colonies plummeted from six million in the 1940s to roughly 2.5 million in 2017. More recently, during the winter of 2018, beekeepers suffered their worst losses on record.

Data from the University of Maryland’s Bee Informed Partnership shows that beekeepers lost 37.7 percent of their colonies during this season, 8.9 percent higher than the average for winter. Schumer argued that this historic population decline shows that USDA should ratchet up its honeybee data collection, not shut it down.

Schumer said that New York State and the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region have not been immune to the devastation of honeybee colonies.

According to the most recent "Honey Bee Colonies" report released by USDA, between January and December of 2017, New York State beekeepers lost a total of 17,700 colonies of honeybees. Meanwhile, in the first six months of 2018, New York State beekeepers lost 7,000 colonies.

Schumer said these losses, combined with the fact that according to a June 2018 New York State Department of Agriculture report, crops dependent on honeybee pollination are worth $1.2 billion annually to the state, present a critical need to understand what exactly is causing them and how they can be reversed. This data is critical to protecting the honeybee-reliant Upstate New York agricultural industry.

Upstate ag is 'honeybee-reliant'

“We need this data to keep New York as an agricultural juggernaut,” added Schumer. “What’s the real stinger here is that the bees are part of the economy. They keep local businesses and jobs buzzing. To enact a new policy that discounts bees and their impact on New York is bad environmental, economic and agricultural policy. We are here today to say: reverse the decision, and instead step things up as this insect’s population spirals.”

The dwindling bee population is of particular concern for the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region’s agricultural industry, which is a hive of economic activity.

According to USDA, $234,935,000 worth of agricultural products were sold out of Genesee County in 2017; $221,295,000 worth of agricultural products were sold out of Wayne County in 2017; $205,160,000 worth of agricultural products were sold out of Ontario County in 2017; $155,282,000 worth of agricultural products were sold out of Orleans County in 2017; and $76,643,000 worth of agricultural products were sold out of Monroe County.

Furthermore, in 2017, Wayne County was home to 25,939 acres of non-citrus fruit and nut farms with 185 total farms; Ontario County was home to 1,384 acres of non-citrus fruit and nut farms and 53 total farms; Orleans County was home to 57 total farms; Genesee County was home to 21,927 acres of vegetable production; and Monroe County was home to 1,100 acres of non-citrus fruit and nut farms and 44 total farms.

New York ranks second in the nation in apple production, and Wayne and Orleans counties are the two top apple-producing counties in the state, meaning the bee population is imperative to the sustainability of this critical agricultural sector in the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region.

Wayne County produces more apples than any other county in New York State, and nationally ranks as the fourth-highest apple-producing county in the country. More than 25,000 acres of farm land in Wayne County is devoted to apples, which accounts for over half of the total apple acreage in all of New York State.

Prospect of extinction

The prospect of the extinction of honeybees also presents a significant to challenge to New York State’s burgeoning honey industry. In 2017 alone, 3,046,315 pounds of honey were collected from New York State farms and sales totaled $8,660,000. Schumer said that should honeybee colony numbers continue plummeting, not only would these sales be jeopardized, but Rochester-Finger Lakes restaurants and farmers’ markets would be forced to pay more for or completely stripped of the freshest, locally sourced honey.

Schumer explained that these dire numbers show the absolute necessity of USDA’s "Honey Bee Colonies" report. Therefore, Schumer urged the USDA to reverse course and maintain the collection of data for the "Honey Bee Colonies" report, to accurately track honeybees in the United States and protect Rochester-Finger Lakes agriculture from getting stung.

Advocates rally: beekeepers, farm-to-table restaurateurs, growers and educators

Schumer was joined by Pat Bono (beekeeper/owner of Seaway Trail Honey, director for NY Bee Wellness, an educational 501c3, and organizer of Rochester Beekeepers), Tim Pratt (beekeeper & director of programs at Tinker Nature Center); Dan Winter (president, Empire State Honey Producers Assoc. & owner of Winter Apiaries in Wolcott, Wayne County), farm-to-table restaurateurs: Stephen Rees (owner, Relish restaurant in Rochester’s Southwedge) Dan Martello (owner, Good Luck restaurant in Downtown Rochester), Lizzie Clapp (owner, Le Petit Poutine food truck), and Evan Schutt (owner, Schutts Apple Mill in Penfield).

“The USDA 'Honey Bee Colonies' report has provided critical data for decades that beekeepers rely on to protect the health of our colonies and that farmers depend on to safeguard the viability of their next pollinator dependent crop," Bono said. "I appreciate Senator Schumer’s efforts to resume this reporting because ceasing this data collection leaves us in the dark, unable to see or anticipate trends that are vital to preserve our local honeybee hives.”

“New York Farm Bureau values the role that pollinators play in the agriculture industry and New York Farm Bureau membership represents the diversity of New York agriculture including farmers that rely on honey bees to perform pollinator services as well as the beekeepers that provide these valuable services," said Rene St. Jacques, assistant director of Public Policy for the New York Farm Bureau.

Sweet cash: pollination-dependent crops pour $1.2 billion into NYS ag economy

"Pollinators are incredibly important to the agricultural economy in New York State, which is a leading producer of specialty crops that require or benefit from pollination, including apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, pumpkins, and beans, just to name a few. These pollination dependent crops contribute $1.2 billion annually to the state’s agricultural economy.

"The honeybee provides 50 percent of crop pollination services in New York State, yet there continue to be losses of honeybee colonies year after year. These losses not only impact honeybee producers and their livelihoods but the overall agricultural economy and well as the sustainability of the New York State food system.

"For the benefit of the entire New York agriculture industry, it is imperative that honeybee colonies continue to thrive and in turn must be accurately monitored to ensure longevity of both bees and farmers."

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul says she has no interest in running for Congress again, not even after redistricting in 2022 because she thinks she is having a more positive impact for the people of Western New York in Albany than she could have in Washington, D.C.

Hochul represented WNY in Congress in 2011 and 2012 before losing a close election to Rep. Chris Collins.

She did say, however, if she ran this year, she would win.

Collins, fighting a federal criminal indictment and facing a House Ethics Committee investigation, has made no official announcement regarding his reelection plans. But he has transferred $500,000 of personal funds to his campaign. He is facing at least two primary challengers and if he runs the Democrats may send Nate McMurray up against him again, who narrowly lost to Collins in 2018.  

Regardless of who runs against Collins, Hochul said Collins will soon be known as "the former congressman" because "he will lose the election."

Hochul was in Batavia for the announcement of a new workforce development program. We will have more coverage on that later.

The public is invited to the Batavia Radio Control Flying Club's "Wings & Wheels" Fun Fly and Car Show on the weekend of Aug. 17-18 in Le Roy.

It takes place from 10 a.m. to dusk each day at 6684 Randall Road. Children are encouraged to attend with their families.

Show off your special ride! Classic muscle and antique cars and motorcycles welcome. Flyers: Turbines welcome; pilot AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) required.

Entry is FREE. No landing fees either.

Food and beverages available.

50/50 raffles throughout the day.

Primitive camping allowed -- no hookups.

For more information, call Gary Bobzin at (585) 354-4880.

Kayaking at the pond at DeWitt Recreation Area, which was cancelled last month due to the heat wave, will be offered this Saturday.

Preregistration is required on or before Thursday Aug. 8th, call 585-344-1122.

A maximum of 20 participants will be allowed.

Seize the day with a guided kayak tour of DeWitt Pond! Explore the pond by water and discover a new world.

• Session 1 takes place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Session 2 takes place from 1 to 3 p.m.

Meet at the boat launch at DeWitt Recreation Area. No experience needed, a beginner kayaking lesson is provided! Rent a kayak or bring your own. Kayak rentals with life vests are provided by Adventures in Fitness Inc. Solo kayak rentals are available for ages 12 and up, tandem kayak rentals are available for kids under 12 and must be piloted by an adult.

Guided tour fee is $20/person without rental or $25/person with kayak rental per session. Fee for children under 12 is $12 per session. Maximum 20 participants per session.

For more information visit the website here, or contact Kayla Edmunds Park.AmeriCorps@.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Press release:

On Saturday, Aug. 24^th from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Mercy Flight will host its annual open house at the Mercy EMS Base.

The Mercy Flight Batavia Base, located at 8050 Call Parkway, will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. We kindly ask you to support this remarkable celebration.

The day will be filled with plenty to enjoy, including a tour of the base, food, refreshments, and activities for the family.

Mercy Flight was founded on the premise of wanting to help more patients during their time of need. Since our inception in 1981, Mercy Flight has grown from one part-time crew to 24/7 air operations in Buffalo, Batavia, and Olean, and ground ambulance operations in Springville, Genesee County, and Niagara County.

Having transported more than 26,000 patients by helicopter and conducting countless ground ambulance missions, Mercy Flight has truly been Western New York’s beacon of hope WHEN MINUTES MATTER.

At Mercy Flight, we pride ourselves on performing our lifesaving services without regard to our patients’ insurance status or their ability to pay. While third-party payers reimburse a portion of each flight’s cost, we rely heavily on the generous support of community contributors like you.

We would greatly appreciate the donation of a product or service to support this essential and well-attended community event. Would you so generously consider donating an item or certificate for our basket auction?

I would be happy to pick up any donations you offer. Please contact me at 585.250.3002 or pcherry@mercyflight.org to arrange.

Pam Cherry, Outreach Coordinator - Batavia, Mercy Flight Inc.

Submitted photos and press release:

TOWN OF BATAVIA

• William J. Allen Jr. 
• Josh K. Boyle
• Thomas M. Garlock 
• Clayton A. Gorski 
• Thomas E. Marlowe 
• Bryan A. Moscicki

EAST PEMBROKE

• Matthew N. Allen 
• Samantha M. Cavalieri

One of five modules required to earn  the Fire Officer 1 certification, the Company Training & Community Risk Reduction course covers the basic responsibilities of the fire officer as they relate to community relations, company-level building inspections and community risk reduction.

Additionally, this course provides potential fire officers with the basic knowledge of how to determine company-level training needs, teaching from a lesson plan, documentation of training activities, and different methods to conduct company-level training. 

Submitted photo and press release:

The United Memorial Medical Center League is celebrating its 50^th anniversary.

The organization was founded by local volunteers in 1969 who wanted to give back to the community by raising money and collecting resources to support United Memorial Medical Center. Through these efforts, they have made our community a healthier and better place to live.

Recent UMMC League initiatives include the purchase of water bottles, through the continued dues support of League members, for patients at the Lipson Cancer Center at UMMC.

In the above photo with the water bottles are, from left: Laura Phillips, Patient Access specialist at Lipson Cancer Center; Elaine Dorris, volunteer at Lipson Cancer Center; Mary Smith, UMMC League co-president; and Pam Whitcombe, UMMC League Board member.

Another initiative is the Women’s Health Fund, which the League established 15 years ago to provide nursing education books to the Maternity Department at UMMC. These books are distributed to all new moms.

In the photo below are supporters of the Women's Health Fund, from left: Mary Smith, UMMC League co-president; Pam Whitcombe, UMMC League Board member; Olivia Barren, Nurse Manager on Maternity; and Barb Hale, UMMC League Board member.

Arc of Genesee Orleans will hold its 15th annual Family & Friends 5K and Fun Walk on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Elba.

There will be food, music, kids' activities and face painting at a post-party afterward. It all begins and ends at the Day Habilitation Center, 4603 Barrville Road.

Registration / check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. The 5K run starts at 10 o'clock, with the Fun Walk immediately following.

Register by Sept. 16 for best pricing. After that, rates increase to $25 (5K) and $20 (Fun Walk) up to and including race day.

Sponsorships are available.

Funds raised benefit education through the Arc of Genesee Orleans Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship Fund and programs and services for people served by Arc.

Register online here.

For more information, call Sandy at 585-343-4203, ext. 223.