Photos by Howard Owens.

Information from Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School:

Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School will present the Stephen Sondheim musical "Into the Woods" at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 12, and POSTPONED -- Friday and Saturday -- March 13 and 14 -- in the auditorium.

Tickets are $10 presale; $12 at the door. The school is located at 9300 South Street Road in Le Roy.

Based on the book by James Lapine, "Into the Woods" at first appears to be a familar story based on Grimm’s fairy tales that most of us grew up with. But there's frustration afoot as the audience delves into questioning what brings true happiness.

The story is a metaphor for life's journeys. What directions we choose to take in life and the discoveries we make along the way in regards to love, loss, values, choices, and responsibilities. The story also shows the lightness and darkness which we all encounter in life and focuses on how the choices we make in our lives truly do affect those who are around us and the journeys they take, says the production's Artistic Director Jacqueline McLean.

While this show poses a lot of serious questions and thoughts, it also has a delightful score full of beautiful and entertaining music, as well as several comedic characters and moments, and characters we all know who take us through the ups and downs of the journey called life.

Le Roy students have proven up to the extreme challenge of the difficult score as well as developing the deep characters.

"We spent an extensive amount of time developing our characters this year so that we would find ease forming the correct relationships on stage, thus hoping to make it believable," McLean says. "Through the process, students asked themselves questions and did a bit of self discovery as well. 

"There is not a person in the world that can’t relate to or see someone they know in the characters of 'Into the Woods'. While the students portray these characters, it is an exaggerated version of real-life stereotypes and personalities."

The cast includes:

• Erik Schwab (Narrator)
• Hailey Grasso -- Cinderella
• Brady Fix -- Cinderella's Prince
• Wade Dzedzic -- Rapunzel's Prince
• Sean Czyrca -- Wolf
• Evan Williams -- The Baker
• Alexis Pfendler -- The Baker's Wife
• Marlena Pencille -- The Witch
• Emily Overacker -- Jack's Mother
• Ashlyn Puccio -- Little Red Ridinghood
• Nathan Yauchzee -- Jack
• Jackson Cain -- Mysterious Man
• Maureen Klaiber -- Rapunzel
• Allison Primatera -- Cinderella's Stepmother
• Jillian Curtis -- Florinda
• Kylee Wright -- Lucinda 
• Amalia Morris -- Cinderella's Mother
• Catie Long -- Giant
• Jonathan Napper -- Cinderella's Father
• Cooper Terry -- Granny
• Ethan Riggs -- Steward
• Allyson Austin -- Snow White
• Anna Long --Sleeping Beauty
• Maria Calhoun -- Milky White

In addition to Artistic Director Jacqueline McLean, the production crew includes:

• Assistant Director -- Joseph Kusmierczak
• Vocal Director -- Jeffrey Fischer
• Choreographer -- Jessica Pcionek
• Pit Orchestra Director -- Nastassia Dotts
• Costumes -- Mary Platek, Heidi Austin
• Dance Captain -- Allison Primatera
• Assistant Dance Captian -- Aubrey Puccio

"Into the Woods" is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.

Press release:

Careers in healthcare have always ranked among the most rewarding in terms of salaries, job security, career advancement and overall employee satisfaction. Coupled with the continued shortage in qualified, credentialed healthcare workers in Western and Central New York, this is a great time to consider a career in compassion.

Genesee Community College has officially opened enrollment for its newest program, the Health Studies Associate in Science. Requiring a total of 62 credit hours, this program is designed to be completed in as little as two years and offers flexibility with up to 50 percent of its coursework available through online learning.

"The Health Studies associate degree was meticulously designed to meet the demands of our region," said Rafael Alicea-Maldonado, Ph.D., dean of Math, Science and Career Education. "Students who graduate from this program are fully prepared to transfer to a four-year institution under SUNY's Health Education Transfer Path for a bachelor's degree that leads to a variety of career options."

GCC Health Studies degree students fulfill their General Education requirements and focus on industry-specific information such as medical terminology, nutrition and the many issues revolving around health insurance.

This combination saves GCC students thousands of dollars in tuition, offers small classes with plenty of hands-on learning and one-to-one instruction. It also provides valuable exposure to the many different career paths in healthcare and the coursework includes all of the pre-requisite courses for GCC's other healthcare programs.

Upon graduation, GCC students are uniquely positioned to transfer and earn bachelor's degrees that can lead to high-demand and lucrative health-related employment opportunities.

Additionally, GCC also offers a Health Studies Certificate option where credit hours can be fully applied toward the associate degree and five additional healthcare degree programs including; Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant, Polysomnographic Technology, Respiratory Care and Veterinary Technology.

Details on all programs can be found here. 

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Marirose Ethington, GCC's director of Science at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6389, or email: mtethington@genesee.edu or Deborah Erion, student success coach dedicated to the Health Studies program at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6423, or email: daerion@genesee.edu.

Everybody needs a mentor, a trusted adult, to talk with about life's difficulties, Tom Thalen, an anti-bullying expert from Michigan told a group of sixth-graders at a youth conference at Genesee Community College on Tuesday.

True, most bullying takes place in middle school, but even 15 percent of 12th-graders report being bullied on a regular basis (meaning, at least three times a month).

And nearly 15 percent of adults report being bullied at their jobs.

"Your whole life, you're going to have to deal with people who are dealing with their own hurt, who are messed up, and are going to bully you," Thelen said. 

That means, we all need to learn how to control our response, remain calm, don't react in anger or hurt, don't lash out, and find a trusted adult to talk to about it. For schoolchildren, that often means reporting it to a teacher or administrator so an adult can deal with the issue.

Thelen said he was bullied as a child and was angry and sullen until he met Mrs. Burdick, a teacher who helped him learn to not let others control his thinking and his actions.

By the time he was in high school, he recognized bullying for what it is  -- it's not teasing, it's not a joke, it's something meant to humiliate another person that attacks their identity -- and he learned to control his response.

He also learned to help protect other students from bullying.

He recalled an incident in high school when he was standing in line at lunch in the cafeteria and two boys started making comments to a girl who was new to the school about the food she was putting on her plate.

"Take an extra dessert," they said.

They made similar comments about the types and amount of food on her plate. You know what they were getting at.

Thelen did nothing that day but he said it bothered him.

Then it happened the next day. And still, he did nothing.

That night, he looked at himself in the mirror, angry at himself, and became determined not to let it happen again.

When it happened again, he gently but firmly said, "Hey, guys, cut it out."

Years later, he got a note on Facebook from that girl praising him for being an inspiration and good example to his classmates. He was confused at first. He didn't immediately think of that incident. Then when he realized who she was -- the new girl, the girl who didn't know the old Tom, the Tom who was angry and sullen, only the Tom who was going through the process of being a better human being -- only then did he understand who it was she remembered.

She remembered the guy who stood up for her. And, he understood, it made a difference.

"I can’t change the rest of the world," Thelen told the sixth-graders. "I can't change what people do. But I can change what I do. You deserve to live an emotionally intelligent life."

Tom Thelen on the web.

Samantha Gail Reff, 30, of Middle Road, Caledonia, is charged with: Leandra's Law -- driving while ability impaired by drugs with two child passengers less than 16 years of age; driving while ability impaired by drugs; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; two counts of endangering the welfare of a child; and speeding. Reff was arrested March 10 after an investigation of a traffic stop which occurred at 10:38 p.m. on Dec. 3 on Kelsey Road in Batavia. Reff was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia Town Court on April 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Ann Marie Boyce, 43, of Woodrow Road, Batavia, is charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated DWI. On March 5, Batavia Police Officer Peter Post arrested Boyce at 1:32 p.m. on Jackson Street in Batavia. She is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court on March 25. Post was assisted by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Luis J. Santiago, 31, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. At 5:02 p.m. on March 8, Santiago was arrested after he allegedly violated an order of protection at an apartment on Edward Street in Batavia. He was processed, issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on March 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.

Julio Vazquez, 19, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with third-degree criminal tampering. On March 5, Batavia Police Officer Peter Post arrested Vazquez after a road-rage incident on Pearl Street in Batavia at 9:59 a.m. He is due in Batavia City Court on March 17. Post was assisted by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Pavilion Central School presents "The Wizard of Oz" this week.

Dorothy is played by Kali Markek, the Scarecrow by Anthony Brown, Tin Man by Alex Stalica, the Cowardly Lion by Jacob Taylor, and the Wizard of Oz by Aiden McConnel.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. tomorrow, 7 p.m. on Friday, and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $6 for seniors and children.

Press release:

Our district, NY-27, is home to the worst metropolitan job market in the country. 

Yes, you read that right: worst in the country. It’s clear that our leadership has failed us. 

It’s not that our district is lacking in resources and potential — far from it. Every time I drive across the Skyway in Buffalo, I look out at Lake Erie. I see windmills along the waterfront and parts of the shoreline restored. Along the paths of Tiff Nature Preserve, birds will literally eat out of your hand as hulking abandoned factories, standing relics from a lost era, loom in the background. 

Looking at it, I’m reminded of Ireland — the abandoned moss and ivy-covered castles of Cork and Chashel. But for the castles and the factories alike, no one is coming back anytime soon. And those factories once employed thousands of people. 

So where will the next generation work? How will we support this region and our families? The challenge is that many of the jobs we lost didn’t only go to Mexico or Asia — they just no longer exist. Automation and advances in technology will continue to take more jobs in the coming years. 

But we can’t lose hope. There are answers to these problems if we have the courage to take action and build on our strengths. 

SUPPORT FARMING 

Farming and agriculture is still our biggest local industry, but we must rethink its importance as a matter of national security. Think of it: If we can’t grow here, what country will we go to for food? And we have the best land in the world, dark, rich, and more arable land per mile than almost any nation or state. 

Like it or not, these farms need workers. That proves troublesome for the 80 percent of Upstate communities that have lost population in recent years. Immigration reform and a proper visa program (so migrants are not “illegal”) is a must. And our President needs to stop using our farmers as cannon fodder in failed trade wars. 

Finally, we must look at new crops. The hemp and cannabis industry continues to grow across our country — and the world. We can’t be the last to accept this and lose out on the benefits, including new jobs and a major boost to our economy. Time is running out. 

EMBRACE NEW TECH

To truly catch up to the modern era, we also need to embrace new technology. One hundred years ago, we laced this country in electric and telephone wire. Today, we must lace it with broadband to end the cable monopoly’s stranglehold on the local economy. Developing a network of broadband wires that send information at the speed of light will employ tens of thousands of union workers, including workers in the healthcare industry. Solar and wind projects — properly sited in a way that does not unreasonably mar our natural spaces — will do the same. 

INVEST IN CRAFTSMANSHIP

We must invest in trade schools and journeymen programs. Mechanics, plumbers, and electricians, to name a few, are needed right now. These are jobs that aren’t going anywhere. We will always need people to keep the lights on. Key cities in our region have some of the highest child poverty rates in the country and dismal high school graduation rates. If we invest in our schools, we will not lose another generation of builders and creators. 

REBUILD AMERICA

Crucially, we have to pass an infrastructure bill that will rebuild America. I have seen the mighty new airports, bridges, and superhighways built by our competitors in Asia. The tallest building in the World? It’s not in New York City. The longest suspension bridge? It’s not the Golden Gate. We built the vast majority of our infrastructure over 100 years ago. An investment in America is an investment in the jobs of the future. 

REMEMBER UNIONS BUILT THE MIDDLE CLASS

When our country had a high rate of unionization, the middle class had more buying power, more vacation time, and more savings for retirement. But our President is working to destroy unions. We must reverse this trend. 

Look at the facts. Trump-appointed two Supreme Court justices who have documented anti-union and anti-worker voting records. He appointed Antonin Scalia’s son (Eugene) to be the Secretary of Labor. Eugene’s entire career has been focused on anti-union litigation. And under Trump, the National Labor Relations Board has whittled down union rights by undercutting union apprentice programs, making it easier for employers to hire non-union subcontractors, and allowing employers to dis-regard and not recognize unions. 

DON’T GIVE UP HOPE

We can do this; I can help. I represented some of the biggest companies in the world. I helped create jobs as a local leader, attracting major businesses by investing in infrastructure and new technology. Under my leadership on the local level, buildings that were once closed for generations reopened, our town reached new levels of financial stability (under the tax cap!), and we filled dormant industrial space with new business.

Give me this job, and together we’ll get thousands more. 

Nathan D. McMurray
Candidate for Congress in NY-27

Batavia Downs hosted its fourth GLOW Wedding Expo on Saturday, with more than two dozen vendors, food, music, and a wedding gown fashion show.

Genesee County's first female fire chief, Stephanie Call, was named Firefighter of the Year for the Stafford Fire Department at the department's annual awards and installation banquet Saturday night.

Matt Hendershott, who takes over as chief in 2020, praised Call for her hard work and dedication, her countless hours of service, often behind the scenes doing the administrative work necessary to keep the department running, as well as her leadership and inspiration.

He also singled out an incident at Call's place of employment in Le Roy on Dec. 15 when an employee collapsed. Call found the coworker unresponsive on the floor and began CPR. She stayed with her coworker until police and EMS arrived.

Hendershott quoted the victim, "My family sees Stephanie as the woman who saved my life."

Ken Collins received the Chief's Award for his service to the department.

Stafford fire responded to 289 calls in 2019, up 17 percent from 2018. The top responder was Hendershott, who went to 145 calls.

David Krzemien is running against incumbent William Sheron for Genesee County Sheriff. He held a campaign kickoff on Saturday at Batavia Country Club. Here is a short, introductory video.

Submitted image and press release:

Genesee Community College is proud to announce the opening of one of its favorite annual exhibits -- the Fine Arts Student Exhibit - comprised entirely by GCC student creativity and talent!

This special display, themed "Express It" by the contributors, showcases the finest multimedia artwork recently produced by students enrolled in fine arts courses at Genesee Community College.

Painting, drawing, sculpture and ceramics will be among the work on display. The Fine Arts Student Exhibit opened on March 3 and will remain open through April 3.

The entire community is invited to meet the student artists at two public receptions scheduled for Thursday, March 19, at 12:30 p.m. and again at 5 p.m. in the gallery.

Throughout the season, the Roz Steiner Art Gallery is open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is also open during special events as published here.

 Admission is free. For more information, contact Gallery coordinator Mary Jo Whitman at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6490, or via email: mjwhitman@genesee.edu.

Genesee Community College is located at 1 College Road, Batavia.

Press release:

Applications are now being accepted at Genesee Community College for Genesee Promise Plus (GPP) Summer 2020 Scholarships!

The GPP scholarship program helps remove financial barriers to higher education for citizens in the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming (GLOW) counties by paying tuition costs for up to two courses this summer.

With more than 70 courses available over three summer session start dates, combined with the flexibility of courses being both online and at GCC's seven campus locations, the only challenge is finding a reason not to get started!

GP Scholarship eligibility is simple. Anyone in the following categories is encouraged to apply:

• High School Juniors (aka "rising seniors") and qualifying Homeschool Students are eligible for scholarship funding to take one summer 2020 course. 
• Graduating High School Seniors are eligible for scholarship funding to take one or two summer 2020 courses
• Adults who have never attended college are eligible for scholarship funding to take one course. This includes adults who have received a GED prior to May 1, 2020 or graduated from a GLOW area high school on or before December 2019. GCC will require a copy of high school transcripts.

GPP scholarship applications are available online at www.genesee.edu/promiseplus and will be accepted now through June 19 for the 2020 summer sessions which will run from:

• Full Session runs May 26 - Aug. 7
• Session 1 runs May 26 - June 26
• Session 2 runs July 6 - Aug. 7

"Summer is a perfect time for students to get a head start on their college coursework or explore possible career options," Lindsay Gerhardt, assistant dean for Recruitment and Admissions said. "The GPP program provides a wonderful opportunity to cost effectively earn up to eight transferrable credits before their first full semester even begins!"

GCC's summer session course list includes general education courses and prerequisites for a variety of programs to give students a head start. In addition, there are a wide array of introductory courses available for individuals looking to explore a new field or wanting to start on their academic degree program during the quieter summer session.

To view the complete list of courses being offered, visit here.

Applications, qualification criteria and additional information are available here. 

All interested individuals are encouraged to contact the office of admissions at admissions@genesee.edu or by calling (585) 345-6805 today!

Submitted photos and press release:

Congratulations to the Genesee County 4-H members who competed in the Regional 4-H Horse Extravaganza Contest at Midlakes School in Clifton Springs on Saturday, March 7^th.

4-H youth from across the Finger Lakes competed in Horse Quiz Bowl and Hippology equine knowledge contests. Horse Quiz Bowl is a Jeopardy-style competition, while Hippology is a hands-on test of identifying equipment, feeds and other equine facts.

4-H Horse Bowl Results:

• Senior Team of Alexandria Tarbell and Eva Rhoads placed second out of seven teams.
• Senior Individual Results: Alexandria Tarbell -- fourth place; Eva Rhoads -- sixth place.
• Junior Team of Leah Amend, Laura Grant and Alexandra Witmer placed fifth out of 11 teams.
• Junior Individual Results: Alexandra Witmer 14^th place; Laura Grant 17^th place.
• Novice Team including Wyatt Witmer placed third and Wyatt placed third individually.

4-H Hippology Results:

• Senior Team of Alexandria Tarbell and Eva Rhoads placed second out of seven teams.
• Senior Individual Results: Alexandria Tarbell -- third place; Eva Rhoads -- 13^th place.
• Junior Team of Leah Amend, Laura Grant and Alexandra Witmer placed eighth out of 11 teams.
• Junior Individual Results: Alexandra Witmer placed seventh.
• Novice Team including Wyatt Witmer placed first and Wyatt placed fourth individually.

Alexandria Tarbell, Eva Rhoads, and Alexandra Witmer qualified for the New York State 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl Contest in April at Cornell University and the New York State 4-H Hippology Contest at the New York State Fair this summer. Congratulations!

Special thanks to Coach Cindy Bovier and Assistant Coach Sara Witmer for all of their hard work and dedication to the Genesee County 4-H Horse Bowl Club.

Top photo: Genesee County 4-H Horse Extravaganza participants, from left: Eva Rhoads, Wyatt Witmer, Coach Cindy Bovier, Leah Amend, Laura Grant, Alexandra Witmer, Alexandria Tarbell, and Assistant Coach Sara Witmer.

Below, Genesee County 4-H Senior Horse Bowl and Hippology Team members Eva Rhoads, left, and Alexandria Tarbell.

Below, Genesee County 4-H Junior Horse Bowl and Hippology Team members, from left: Laura Grant, Leah Amend and Alexandra Witmer.

Below, Genesee County 4-H Novice Horse Bowl and Hippology participant Wyatt Witmer.

Press release from the Office of the Sheriff:

On March 9 at 10:45 p.m., the Genesee County Sheriff's Office received a missing person complaint on Maltby Road, Town of Oakfield. After a search of the immediate area, the missing person was located in a small pond, just northeast of her residence.

It appears that Patricia A. Saguin, 72, was looking for her lost dog, and may have stumbled into the pond and drowned.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Sgt. John L. Baiocco, Deputy Ryan Young, Deputy James Stack, Deputy Austin Heberlein, Investigator Joseph Loftus and Chief Deputy Joseph Graff, Genesee County Coroner Karen Lang, and members of the Oakfield Voluntary Fire Department all assisted in the incident.

The incident in still under investigation.

The Batavia City Council on Monday night unanimously approved a three-year contract with the Batavia Police Benevolent Association that gives the union members a 3 percent salary increase each year and makes modest adjustments to their uniform purchase and maintenance allowance.

The vote was 8-0 since Council Member Jeremy Karas was not present.

According to City Manager Martin Moore, the impact of the agreement during the first year would be $72,100 -- $84,000 in wages, retirement and Social Security benefits minus $11,900 in savings from the uniform allowance changes.

The police officers’ allowance would go from $700 per year to $650 per year and the current reimbursable stipend of $300 per year would be eliminated.

The contract runs from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2023.

“There is a lot of give and take (during collective bargaining negotiations) and in all of that give and take, never once does the City of Batavia take for granted what the police department does for us,” Council Member John Canale said immediately following the board’s vote.

In other developments, Moore reported that he expects the state’s Homes and Community Renewal agency to announce its decision on funding for the Ellicott Station project sometime in April.

Moore also said that the Theatre 56 project in the mall is coming together with “most of, not all, of the interior gutted and waste materials removed, and the MRI machine is gone.”

Regarding the deer population control committee’s work, he said the group wishes to update Council at its March 23 meeting, having completed a third draft of a deer management plan with ongoing assistance from the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Wildlife Division.

Canale said that he has been impressed with the committee’s work ethic.

“I’ve never served on a committee like this one,” he said. “It is truly unbelievable. They go out in the woods, checking where the deer are. They’ve taken the ball and ran with it. It is something when community members get involved in solving problems that affect them.”

In other action, Council:

-- Approved sending a resolution to Albany seeking amendments to the state’s recently passed criminal justice reforms, which states that “several of the drastic changes in the law pertaining to discovery are overly broad and vague and are having unintended consequences at the municipal level.”

The resolution outlines increased costs of the mandated measures and restrictive deadlines that hamper the work of attorneys and judges.

“This has been a banner year for Albany pushing things down our throat,” Council Member Robert Bialkowski said.

Council President Eugene Jankowski then shared statistics compiled by New York City’s police department showing that of the 1,482 persons charged with crimes and then released (no bail), 846 of them went on to commit new crimes.

-- Approved resolutions transferring $100,000 from the committed fund balanced to the unassigned fund balance following the completion of the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan, and $27,711 in leftover money from the former Vibrant Batavia program from the committed fund balance to the unassigned fund balance.

-- Referred to the City Planning & Development Committee for review a request by Eric Biscaro, owner of property at 653 Ellicott St., to change the zoning in that area to permit an auto repair shop.

-- Appointed Caroline Hosek to the Historic Preservation Committee through Dec. 31, 2022, and Council Member Patti Pacino to the Batavia Business Improvement District through March 31, 2022.

-- Signed off on GO ART!’s Picnic in the Park event scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 at Centennial Park.

The body of an older female who resides in the area was found in a pond behind a barn on Maltby Road in Oakfield late tonight. The location is between Fisher and Weatherwax roads.

At about 11:18 p.m. Oakfield Fire Department and Mercy medics were dispatched and Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene. Fire and medics were told subsequently to back it down and respond in non-emergency mode.

According to Sheriff's Sgt. John Baiocco, they were told the woman went outside looking for her dogs; she apparently fell in the pond at some point. Baiocco said it's unknown how long she was in the water. A coroner is on scene.

More information will be released at a later time by the Sheriff's Office.

Viewers of the country-flavored television variety show "Hee Haw," a popular offering in the late 1960s and early 1970s, may remember the musical bit that featured the line “gloom, despair and agony on me; deep, dark depression, excessive misery.”

Batavia City Council members left tonight’s Business Meeting at City Hall with similar feelings, mixed in with anger directed at Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after reluctantly overriding the state’s 2 percent property tax cap and then passing a 7.5 percent property tax increase as part of the City’s 2020-21 budget.

“Regretfully,” said Council Member Patti Pacino as she joined Robert Bialkowski, Kathleen Briggs, Al McGinnis, John Canale and Council President Eugene Jankowski in casting a “yes” vote on overriding the tax cap. Paul Viele and Rose Mary Christian cast dissenting votes.

After that, the same five voted to adopt the $17.8 million general fund spending plan, with Paul Viele and Rose Mary Christian again voting “no.”

The third piece of the budgetary puzzle – raising water rates by 3.5 percent – came next, with six votes in favor of passage to more than offset Christian’s “no” vote.

Council member Jeremy Karas did not attend the meeting.

The property tax rate increases to $9.60 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value – a jump of 7.5 percent -- and about $67 more per year on a house assessed at $100,000.

“It was very disappointing to have to pass such a large tax increase,” Jankowski said following the meeting. “It was very disappointing to have to exceed the tax cap that the governor himself set upon all the municipalities. And then he turns around and his budget makes it very difficult for us to not exceed the tax cap. It’s very confusing and very disappointing.”

Jankowski said Council did the “best we could under the circumstances.”

“We’re working really hard in the next 12 months because now that money is not going to be there going forward,” he said. “And it’s not going to go away, and I’m not in favor of raising the taxes again.”

Calling it a “nightmare,” Bialkowski placed the blame squarely on Cuomo for taking about $440,000 in video lottery terminal money generated by Batavia Downs Gaming from the City and leaving the City no choice but to draft (and pass) a resolution asking Cuomo to give the VLT funds back to Batavia.

Canale, McGinnis and Jankowski also expressed their disdain for Cuomo’s action, while City Manager Martin Moore simply stated that “we need that money restored.”

“Assemblyman (Steve) Hawley and Senator (Michael) Ranzenhofer are both calling for the restoration of the funds and this (resolution) supports that,” he said.

Before acting on the budgetary resolutions, Council heard from a pair of City residents – Nancy Ewert, who felt the board could have cut more administrative expenses, and John Roach, who blamed the governor and the Democratic party in Albany for the City’s financial dilemma.

“I think you need to go back to the drawing board,” Ewert said. “For you to raise money for your projects on my back is unacceptable."

In response, Bialkowski said Ewert’s contention that there were closed-door meetings was not true, and justified Council’s use of the VLT money as revenue in the budget.

“Some say we shouldn’t have used the VLT money,” he said. “Should we have put it in the basement or put it under our pillow? Of course, we used it for our budgetary reasons.”

Canale agreed with Bialkowski and noted that the City used to keep the VLT money in a separate fund before New York State “demanded that we start using the VLT money toward operating costs.”

“That’s why we’ve enjoyed a level tax rate the past few years … and have maintained services,” he said. “This was an event that wasn’t expected. The tax increase was .97 percent. But if you all want services that you enjoy, there’s no other way around it. Cuomo said ‘I need it and you guys figure out what you’re going to do.’ ”

Following the meeting, Ewert called out Council for a flawed budget process.

“They say that they have to break the tax cap in order to fund the City government, and yet they can explain away $400,000 in increases – and they’re increases in administration,” she said.

“They’re not increases in police work; they cut the police budget. They froze the fire department budget and they absolutely, I mean annihilated, the youth budget. It’s like down to around $8,000 for the year.”

Ewert said youth services in the City leave a lot to be desired.

“We have a problem in Batavia for our youth. We don’t have alternatives to keep these kids off the street,” she said. “The ice rink is great but it’s not the only answer. We do we not have an indoor basketball court that’s available for free to these City kids. I know the Y exists; it’s not free.”

She also questioned the water rate increase.

“And the whole issue with the water. Now they say we have to pay another 3 point something percent because we need an infrastructure backup plan. Where is our guarantee they’re not going to spend that somewhere else, because that’s what they’ve done in the past?”

Roach said he wasn’t happy with the 7.5 percent tax increase but admitted there was “no wiggle room now.”

“Don’t fault the Republicans on City Council or Batavia Downs,” he said. “It’s strictly the fault of the Democrats and Governor Cuomo.”

Bialkowski said he despises property taxes on homeowners but added that “we need to navigate through this.”

“I wish you were here during some of our workshops,” he said. “We dissected every single line item. There are no winners … we are all losers. But I didn’t hear any solutions (during the workshops) so now’s the time to set aside personal prejudices (and vote).”

Christian responded by informing the board that she gave a list of things to cut to the city manager last week, and Viele shot back at Bialkowski for trying to dictate to the rest of Council on how to vote.

“It’s not a political thing or a Ward thing,” Viele said. “I’ll vote the way I want to vote.”

City Council President Eugene Jankowski is keeping his fingers crossed that Batavia’s financial picture will become much brighter over the next year.

Speaking to The Batavian following tonight’s City Council meeting, Jankowski didn’t hide his disappointment (see main story) but is encouraged by several state-funded Downtown Revitalization Initiative projects that are finally coming to fruition.

“We were caught off guard this year, and we really didn’t have time to do anything other than patchwork,” he said. “Next year, we’ll have 12 months to plan ahead for not having that money in the budget and hopefully we can find some real things that we can trim that aren’t going to cause any major impact on the services or doing business with our core values of police, fire, public works and snowplowing and various things like that that are important."

Jankowski said voting to override the tax cap and for the large tax increase was “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make as a council member.”

“But I understand the whole process of it and I understand why we’re doing it, and it’s the best we can do at this point – and it’s still not good enough in my mind – and we better fix it for next year for sure.”

He said having the Batavia Development Corporation in the mix is essential to the City’s economic success.

“Our goal, and that’s the big value of having BDC, because they are generating development and they are managing all of these DRI projects, expediting them and fast-tracking them to get them started,” he said. “When those buildings – Save-A-Lot building, Ellicott Place, Ellicott Station – the Savarino property – become up and running, some of them may have tax breaks, but they’re not at zero. They will be paying – in Savarino’s case I believe it’s approximately 30 percent in the first year.”

Jankowski foresees a great deal of income generated by converting the empty lot into a multimillion dollar piece of property.

“That will help us, but we have to get it built and we have to do something in the meantime while it’s being built as it will take a couple years to get done.”

He said he is banking on investors to step up to the plate.

“The other DRI projects are the same way. When people invest two million dollars into their property, it’s going to increase their value. It just happens. So, that will increase that commercial tax income and hopefully will bring in more commerce, which will increase the sales tax revenue,” he said.

The council president said he wished the City could have had one more year of VLT money to have that “cushion” while the DRI projects are under way.

Despite the current setback, he said he has to keep focusing on the future.

“I’m hoping that projected income is going to help and I hope these projects get off the ground when they need to and I hope that the governor could restore some of that money back as well,” he said. “If all that combination happens, we’re going to be in much better shape the next year. Otherwise, (there are) a lot of cuts we’ve got to think about for next year.”