All eight City Council members signed a letter Monday night requesting that state Homes and Community Renewal officials work with the city to bump up a portion of the current Area Median Income levels at Ellicott Station.

“The city of Batavia is requesting that HCR work with us to present a better mix of incomes on the property with apartments that rent for 80 percent and 120 percent AMI,” the letter states. “We feel that this will encapsulate the workforce housing that we were promised, better align with the city’s vision of the DRI strategy, and still provide affordable housing for residents.”

Earlier Monday, during council’s business meeting, City Manager Rachael Tabelski referred to a letter that she had provided for council members to review. Apparently, they reviewed and revised the letter after the meeting. The Batavian has asked for additional details about that process and will update this article once responses are received.

Since the first application went in for Ellicott Station, local folks were excited about the prospects of longtime vacant and toxic property along the south side street getting cleaned up, renovated and repurposed. But since its inception in 2016, as City Manager Rachael Tabelski has described it, the project became fairly fluid.

“Ellicott Station has been a moving target over the last several years as the developer made various and multiple overtures to funding entities with regards to making the project financially viable. In 2019, the City supported the project’s housing component as being mixed-income that would provide housing for residents that were employed in local manufacturing in an application submitted to New York State Homes and Community Renewal from the developer,” Tabelski had said. “Furthermore, in 2020, it was confirmed that people living at Ellicott Station must be employed and not receiving government assistance."

City leaders had expressed disappointment about the apartment project’s income levels after The Batavian’s exclusive coverage published on Feb. 18. Application materials made available at Ellicott Station’s website outlined the qualifications for one- and two-bedroom units, many of which had maximum annual salaries at or below minimum wage and seemingly requiring Section 8 assistance.

One example is that two people each earning minimum wage, $14.20 an hour, are not eligible for a two-bedroom apartment at Ellicott Station because they would be earning too much (the maximum household income for two people in a two-bedroom apartment is $34,600, and two people working full-time at $14.20 would gross $59,072).

Developer Sam Savarino has said, in a follow-up interview with The Batavian, that he expects the housing complex to be filled with gainfully employed people, though he had no thorough rationale for the low maximum income levels. He said that the numbers were set a couple of years ago and can be reset once everything is up and operational at Ellicott Station if current salaries have increased.

Here in Batavia, “we would like to be known for innovative housing that has a mix of incomes to preserve our most vulnerable neighborhoods, help citizens, and provide for housing for entry-level manufacturing, service workers, and students,” the city’s letter states. “The City of Batavia, New York State, Brownfield Opportunity Area, and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) strategy both define the need for downtown housing, including infill construction, upper floor apartments, and a demand for higher income housing, including market-rate housing.”

“When Ellicott Station Project was proposed by Savarino Companies, it was originally a market-rate housing project, however, through several financing iterations, Savarino Companies worked with HCR to finance the project. The city discovered that at the time of application, Savarino Companies applied to HCR for a mixed-income housing model but was directed by local HCR representatives to only allow residents with 50 percent to 60 percent AMI,” the letter states. “While workforce housing is the goal for the Ellicott StationSavarino Development, that is not the type of tenants that this housing will attract.”

The letter further lays out the compounding issues of the capped 50 to 60 percent Area Median Income and  inflationary wage increases that will not allow working citizens to qualify to live at Ellicott Station, and “only vouchered Section 8 residents will now be able to access this property.”

“This is a fundamental change from the goals for the Ellicott Station project and does not match the BOA or DRI strategies for development of our downtown,” it states.

As a result of this fundamental change, city leaders said they are concerned that:

• Drastically increased wages for entry-level manufacturing and service jobs pay more than what would qualify for this housing complex;
• The project no longer aligns with the City’s DRI and BOA strategies, and it won’t fulfill the City’s need for market rate and workforce housing as determined from various studies;
• Low and very low-income housing — versus mixed-income housing — could set the project up for potential issues contrary to community objectives, including drug, gang, and criminal activity, per proven studies;
• Other DRI communities across the state have received HCR tax credits and rents were allowed to be 80 to 120 percent AMI in some cases — so why not here?

Photo of Ellicott Station in progress at 50 Ellicott St., Batavia, by Howard Owens. 

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will be participating in a coordinated effort with the STOP-DWI program to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI efforts start Thursday, March 16, 2023 and will continue thru Sunday, March 19, 2023.  St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a notoriously deadly period for impaired driving due to the number of celebrations and drivers on the road.  New York State Police, County Sheriffs and municipal law enforcement agencies will be out in force during this across-the-board effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related injuries and deaths.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have made great strides in reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers.

“Have a Plan” to get a safe ride because impaired driving is completely preventable – all it takes is a little planning.  Visit www.stopdwi.org for more information, and may the luck of the Irish be with you. 

Press release:

Work for the South Lyon Street Bridge over the Tonawanda Creek project will resume Friday, March 17, 2023, as the work on the bridge had been paused due to seasonal weather conditions. A small portion of South Main Street in Batavia will be closed to traffic over the upcoming months. The area of closure and detour options for vehicular and pedestrian traffic are identified in the included graphic. Please adhere to pedestrian signage and stay outside of temporary safety barriers.

The bridge replacement project began last September and consists of two 11-foot lanes with 2-foot shoulders and a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the truss. The alignment of South Lyon Street will be modified to improve the intersection with South Main Street and approach work includes a seamless transition to the relocated intersection, existing roadway, and sidewalks. 

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is partnering with M&T Bankís Financial Education Center to offer a free financial wellness workshop. Visitors will have access to information on a variety of topics, such as budgeting, credit management, building wealth, retirement, and more.

The class will be held at 5073 Clinton St. Rd, Batavia, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 11 am. Pre-registration is required. To sign up, contact David Dodge at (585) 343-7798 ext. 114 or email ddodge@caoginc.org.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and has served low-income and disadvantaged families since 1965. Community Action programs are designed to empower as well as provide opportunities to those who are not yet self-sufficient

Press release:

The Genesee Amateur Hockey Association (GAHA) Timbit Beginners will be participating in their end-of-the-year “Jamboree” on Saturday, March 18, starting at 9 a.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena. 

The world has the Olympics, Buffalo has pond hockey, but we have the Beginner Cross-Ice Event – ‘THE JAMBOREE”.  The draft has taken place, and the teams are set.  Game schedules are confirmed, and the blue lines are waiting for the hockey players to stand on them for the National Anthem.  The Rink will be divided into three areas, and two teams will play against one another in two-minute shifts for 12 minutes; then, they move on to play more “games” with other teams – a total of four games.  Since there are five teams, the team not scheduled for a “game” will participate in skill drills in the middle section. 

At 9 a.m., the players will be introduced one by one as they step onto the ice and proceed to the Blue Line for the National Anthem.  This year the National Anthem will be played by Miles Meyer on his electric guitar.  Miles is the grandson of the late Dave Meyer, who had a long history with GAHA serving as President for several years and coaching from the Mite level right up to being Assistant Coach with the Notre Dame Hockey team.  We’d love to have you join us and capture the progress of the little players' ages 4 to 12.  This year the Beginner Program consisted of 69 registered players.  They are coached by Brian McCarthy along with Nick Harris as well as many other dads and family members, plus several GAHA Student Coaches serving as on-ice helpers.

Without all of this support, it would be impossible to run this program.

Most of the players have been on the ice since early October thru today.  About 23 joined the program in early January after participating in the November USA Hockey – Try Hockey for Free Event.  At practices, they run through drills established by USA Hockey’s American Development Modules – six stations are set up around the rink, and a different drill is introduced at each station.  The players move from station to station.   GAHA is thankful for the sponsorship of its Beginner Program by the local Tim Horton Shop managed by Dave Lumberg.  They provide the jerseys for all of the players as well as Timbit donuts for our special functions throughout the year.

For this Jamboree, the players are divided into five teams (featuring the Black Team, the Royal Blue Rockets, the Navy Team, the White Lightnings and the Red Hamsters)  denoted by the color of their jerseys and will play five 12-minute games with shifts of 2 min.  A great time is had by all.

At the end of the Jamboree, the GAHA organization will offer a free family skate for the Beginner Program until Noon and the McCarthy Rink Staff and Management will be providing “free” rental skates for those participating.

Click here for 9099 Creek Road, Batavia.
Click here for 5399 Horseshoe Lake Road, Batavia.
Click here for 39 West Avenue, Elba.
Click here for 35 West Avenue, Elba.

Greg Ireland likes to tell people that one of his best days happened 23 years ago. That’s when he was hired by the City of Batavia as an emergency medical technician. Apparently, the feeling has been mutual all these years since Ireland has climbed the ranks, being promoted to firefighter in 2002, lieutenant in 2015 and captain in 2018.

He was given a warm send-off Monday evening during his last department move to retirement. City Councilman Rich Richmond read a proclamation that summarized Ireland’s two dozen years of service that included firefighting, educating other first responders throughout Genesee County, and being “a positive role model to all of the fire department throughout his 23-year career,” Richmond said.

“In the true spirit of appreciation, for many years, Captain Gregory Ireland has served as a City of Batavia employee, the City Council and the City of Batavia herby make this proclamation to sincerely thank him for 23 years of dedicated service in our community, and wish him well in his retirement,” Richmond said.

During an interview with The Batavian in June 2022, Ireland had given notice and already walked out the door.  That last day was emotional, he said, as being part of the city Fire Department had “definitely been part of my lifestyle.”

“Emotions came in waves. It was the right decision at this time,” he said at the time. “I’ll have the opportunity to be home with my family … that’s going to allow me more time with my family and my kids. That was the main driver behind it.”

After more than two decades as a city employee, Ireland has been a recognizable face throughout the community. He started out as an emergency medical technician when the city-owned and operated its own ambulance service. He credits Sept. 4, 1999, as “the best day of my life” for a career move out of the radio — and the airplanes and helicopters used for part of his traffic reporting job.

“I actually flew on an airplane for almost two years every morning. I did that for a bunch of stations up in Buffalo,” he said. “It was a great experience, but not what I wanted to do.”

An Alexander High School and Genesee Community College graduate, he worked in Buffalo for a while before making the move. He began as an EMT in 1999, with a background of having volunteered for the Alexander fire department, and a year or two before that, Ireland took a first aid class. The handwriting seemed to be on the wall before a teenaged Ireland took serious note of it. He moved through the ranks from basic to intermediate EMT and then to paramedic. By 2002, he was offered a job as a firefighter, which was a major goal.

In 1999, the opportunity for a job came up, and it “turned into a great career,” he said.

He couldn’t help but humbly accept the honor before the council and remind everyone how he feels.

“I always say Sept. 4, 1999, was one of the luckiest days of my life,” he said. “They’re always going to be part of my family.”

Photo of Greg Ireland accepting proclamation from City Councilman Rich Richmond during City Council's conference session Monday at City Hall, by Howard Owens.

In a seemingly predictable move, given City Council’s talks of late, the group voted Monday to adopt a law to override the tax cap limit and to approve the $33.5 million operational budget.

Both votes were six to two, with council members John Canale, Rich Richmond, Eugene Jankowski Jr., Paul Viele, Al McGinnis and Kathy Briggs giving a yes and Bob Bialkowski and Tammy Schmidt a no.

“Just as I’ve said in the past, I’m opposed to this, I think it can be avoided,” Bialkowski said. “The county is giving us $392,000 additional sales tax revenues. I’ve had contact from many taxpayers and voters, and they’re very upset with this. So that’s my position and opinion.”

Likewise, Schmidt isn’t in favor of the budget and override and has previously mentioned that she’s voting for her constituents.

“I’ve had many voters asking me to vote no, and I am going to do so,” she said Monday, questioning some budget logic. “So we don't want to use the county money because it's one-time money. But we did use the one-time, Alliance money for raises. So next year, I don't know how we're going to cover those raises. But we're using one-time money for raises but won't use one-time money for the tax cap override. So that's just my comment.”

Jankowski emphasized that the tax rate was lowered last year, and overall, he feels that the city has been doing a good fiscal job.

"We're not using $110,000 out of retirement reserves, which we were kind of forced to do the last two years, we've broken away from that. We're not using VLT money to supplement the budget because we got burned one time. And it was hard not to do during COVID. We were struggling with everyone else. But we were able to get off of that. So that's a huge step in the right direction,” Jankowski said. “We've lowered our debt service by 9%, which has put us in good financial condition to bond the new police station, the LED streetlight conversion, the ice rink chiller, the Zamboni and three upcoming major water and sewer infrastructure improvements,” he said. “So I think we're on the right track to provide the services that people expect in the public safety and things like that. Even though, at this point, we're still taking $454,000 out of the fund balance to kind of cover the budget this year.

“So I think we're doing pretty good, I'm really happy with it. All the people I talked to understand the situation we're in to give us their full support. And I have had one or two people that have concerns, and after talking to them, they understand where we're at,” he said. “So I just wanted to make that clear because, you know, there's some negativity here. I'm not happy about this tax cap, either. But I think under the circumstances, what we're achieving here, and how we're doing it, I think is the proper way to go.”

Viele agreed with Jankowski, and Briggs said that she’s had a few phone calls, but “once I explained it, they were fine,” she said.

The tax cap override means that the city will be able to collect a $6.6 million tax levy for the $19.4 million general budget. City taxpayers won’t see an increased tax rate, as that will remain flat at $8.94 per $1,000 assessed value.

Council was unanimous in its vote to approve the 30-cent water rate increase, which, along with an increased water meter rate and capital improvement fees, will tack on about $60 more for an average home of four people.

If Genesee County legislators approve a law to allow firefighters to opt-in to tax exemptions, it could mean an average yearly savings of $134 for every volunteer firefighter, Deputy Treasurer Kevin Andrews says.

There are a few caveats to the law, however. Firefighters must choose between taking the current tax credit or the new option of a property tax exemption. These may be offered in towns, villages, schools, fire districts and counties, but those taxing entities don’t have to participate.

City of Batavia firefighters and city residents cannot take part in the exemption, even if they’re a volunteer at another fire department, he said. And if someone rents, that’s disqualified as well.

To qualify, volunteer firefighters have to live within the fire district that they serve. They also need at least two to five years of service to participate or can apply for a lifetime exemption with more than 20 years of service. They cannot claim both the tax credit and exemption. The higher the property assessment, the more the savings, Andrews said.

Ideally, one would want to stack a town, school and the county for the maximum 10 percent exemption, he said.

“On average, just the county by itself isn’t enough to receive it,” he said.

He estimated that if every volunteer firefighter took advantage of the exemption, it would mean a two-cent increase on the tax rate, and every taxpayer would pay $3.30 more in yearly taxes.

“The levy would stay the same, but it would get shifted to others,” he said.

That didn’t sit well with Legislator Marianne Clattenburg.

“I'm very concerned about this cost shift because, you know, we have mutual aid. And I'm going to speak for the city constituents. Again, we pay a hefty price for professional fire service, which we want in the city of Batavia. This exemption is gonna get shifted onto an already burdened city resident. So I want to know what this shift is."

With 585 volunteers saving an average of $134, that adds up to $78,000 a year, Andrews said.

"So if we're willing to talk about taking x amount of sales tax money or something along that line to close the hole in the budget to compensate for that, then I would be okay with that. But I don't want it shifted to others," Clattenburg said.

Legislator Christian Yunker asked if this is a real recruiting tool.

“I think it's more every day, we're looking at it as a retention tool. How do you take care of the people that have been here and done the service for so many years, to keep those people engaged because every organization has got such a small group of people that are working there. And there's really nothing to incentivize them for staying, so like this, New York State Fire is talking about incentive programs for new recruits taking training, if you complete your first basic level, you're going to get $1,000. If you go to the next level, it's $1,000. But they're not doing anything for any of the people that are already in the system,” Emergency Management Services Deputy Coordinator Gary Patnode said.

He added, “You know, for a young firefighter that doesn't own their home, this isn't going to benefit them. But for me, being a taxpayer in town, this would certainly be attractive. Right now, they didn't really want to entertain this unless all parties were going to be involved. They wanted to get to school districts, fire districts, villages, you know, town, county, anybody that can go in, so they're getting the best bang for their buck. Otherwise, right now, it's, it's better for everybody to take the $200 tax credit."

He wasn’t sure if schools have even been part of the conversation yet, and pointed to the aspect of involving all volunteers, no matter their job duties. Some go out in the field to combat a blaze, while others maintain headquarters, answer phones, and do the bookkeeping.

“The nonactive is just as important as the active firefighters,” he said.

Clattenburg wants to see more active volunteers, which are those that go out when the bell rings.

“That’s the problem, there are not enough people to go out,” she said.

If the law passes, the earliest it would be adopted is in 2024. Volunteers would then have to apply by March 1.

“There are a lot of questions,” Legislator Gary Maha said. “Thanks for the information, there’s a lot more work to go through.”

Firefighters will have to understand which municipalities and schools are involved before signing up for either the exemption or tax credit, County Manager Matt Landers said.

"Right now, Tim Yaeger is going to be going to GAM and trying to get an understanding between the towns and the villages, getting an understanding from fire districts, and also probably the school districts, to be able to report back to the Legislature: What's the consensus out there? Is there a willingness from our local municipalities and schools to sign up for these exemptions?” Landers said. “Because if the county doesn't have this willingness from our municipalities, then from what I listened to today, it sounds like our legislature would not want to go it alone, it's not worthwhile for our firefighters just to have the county go along on this.”

File Photo of volunteer firefighters during training in 2021, by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that the Fur Ball Gala Fundraiser on Saturday, March 4 raised $20,000 for Volunteers for Animals, the Animal Shelter of Genesee County, the SPCA of Wyoming County & the SPCA of Niagara County. 

Over 70 baskets donated by local companies were raffled off to the more than 160 persons in attendance.  Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas took pictures with attendees while they enjoyed food and drink.  Attendees danced the night away as they enjoyed music from local DJ Marc Tillery.

Monies from the gala will be used by the charities to feed and support the hundreds of animals in their care.

“We are so appreciative to the local community for coming together in support of the Fur Ball Gala,” said Jacquelyne Leach, CFO for Western OTB / Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel and Jody Coffta, General Manager of Food & Beverage for Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. “We want to thank all the volunteers, not only from the local animal organizations but from our staff as well.  We would also like to thank the many vendors who donated food and beverages for this event and all the individuals and local businesses that contributed baskets for the successful raffle held. This was truly a great team effort.”

For those interested in getting involved with local animal organizations, information for each can be found here:

• Volunteers for Animals: https://www.vol4animals.org/
• Wyoming County SPCA: https://www.wyomingcountyspca.org/
• Niagara County SPCA: https://www.niagaraspca.org/

Submitted photos.

Roger Bohn, a 51-year member of the Batavia Lions Club, was honored Monday night at the civic club's weekly meeting held at the American Legion in Batavia with the Robert J Uplinger Award.  

The Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award was established in 1993. The award honors outstanding individuals (both Lions and non-Lions) or organizations who provide a significant service to their club, district or community.  

The Lions Clubs motto is "We serve," and Bohn has fulfilled that duty by being a past president, as well as holding a variety of other offices, and serving on countless committees to serve our community for 51 years, including many events to assist the NYS School for the Blind.  

Bohn is pictured with Diane Hawn, current Batavia Lions Club president.

Submitted information and photo.

Press release:

CAN-USA Sports is very excited that Xtreme International Ice Racing will be here on Friday March 31st, at 7:00 PM at David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to host the XiiR World Championship!

XiiR (Xtreme International Ice Racing) is a motorcycle racing tour...ON ICE! Man and machine going from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, with Speedway bikes and quads that are modified to compete on an indoor ice arena. There are over 2000 metal studs added to the tires and there are NO BRAKES! What does that mean? PURE ADRENALINE! It is THE fastest sport on ice and one of the fastest sports in the world. The rush of so much power and speed on something as unpredictable as ice, has whipped audiences into a frenzy and gained new fans across the country.  Each year's series continues to get better... drawing bigger crowds, more sponsors and riders from all over the globe.​

We are also inviting all members of the media to attend a special pre-event on March 30th, at 3:00 pm at David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to come out to experience the joy of riding on the ice! Please let us know if you are able to make it! 

Tickets are on sale now! Call (814)-504-9979 or you can purchase tickets at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena located on 22 Evans St, Batavia.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its Garth Swanson Memorial Scholarship for 2023. This scholarship was created in honor of Garth Swanson, who was the Stafford Town Historian, a History professor at Genesee Community College, and a former board member and officer of the museum.

This $500 scholarship is open to any graduating senior in Genesee County planning on attending Genesee Community College or current student attending Genesee Community College and have an expressed interest in history or plan on working in the history field in the future

Completed applications should be mailed or emailed no later than May 1st. They can be emailed to Ryan Duffy at duffyhollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Or Mailed to Ryan Duffy, Executive Director, Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020.

The application is available on both the museum’s website and Facebook page. You can also contact the museum for the application or further information.

Press Release:

Nominations will be accepted March 1 – May 15 for this year’s induction class of the Oakfield-Alabama Alumni Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding OACS alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen field after high school through significant contributions to their career, community or through personal achievements; to provide an incentive for current and future students.

If you know a person who meets the following criteria, please consider nominating him/her for this prestigious honor:

1. Nominees must be graduates of OACS or one of its predecessors or have been active in school classes and activities during their senior year. (Nominees who left school while in good standing to perform military service are also eligible. Deceased alumni are not eligible for induction until the fifth anniversary of the year of their death.)
2. Nominees must have graduated prior to 2008.

3. Selection is based on achievement after leaving OACS which includes a worthy record in more than one, and exemplary achievement in at least one of the following categories:

• Job-related achievements
• Professional honors and awards, professional affiliations, publications
• Civic or community involvement
• Personal achievements/accomplishments
• Positive impact on the communities in the Oakfield-Alabama school district
• Other appropriate qualifications which the committee believes merit consideration

Anyone may submit a nomination for any person meeting the criteria stated above. Nominations must be made during the nomination period only (March 1 – May 15, 2023) by using the Online Nomination Form or the PDF Nomination Form (see link below). Electronically submitted nominations are strongly preferred over mailed-in, hardcopy nominations.

Access the Online Nomination Form here.

Press release:

New York businesses and residents affected by Winter Storm Elliott that occurred Dec. 23-28 are eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The declaration covers Erie County and the adjacent counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Niagara and Wyoming in New York. Businesses of all sizes, non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters with uninsured or under-insured losses from Winter Storm Elliott are encouraged to apply to the low-interest disaster loan program. The filing deadline is April 28 for physical damage and November 27 for economic injury.

Applications can be found online at: https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/

Two in-person locations have also been set up to assist those who need it to apply. Both locations are located in Erie County and close to applications Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 4 pm. You do not need to visit these locations to apply.

• Disaster Loan Outreach Center at Delavan Grider Community Center 877 E. Delavan Ave, Buffalo, NY 14215
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Disaster Loan Outreach Center at Erie County Training & Operations Center 3359 Broadway, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
• Hours: Monday-Friday,  9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

For more information, a “Disaster Loan Fact Sheet” is available online at:

https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/article/Disaster-Loan-Fact-Sheets 

Press release:

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) hosted its second annual free food processing boot camp for 30 graduating Genesee County high school students, setting them up for high-wage-in-demand careers.

The three-day program featured industry experts educating students about the many job opportunities in the food processing industry. Participants received a “Cornell Food Processing Certificate,” which will give them an advantage when applying for jobs.

The food processing industry is Genesee County’s number-one employment field. Participating organizations included H.P. Hood, O-AT-KA Milk Products, Upstate Niagara, Yancey’s Fancy, and Nortera. After the success of the inaugural program last year, Genesee County has set a great example of what workforce development programs can do for a community.

“Genesee County offers hundreds of immediate job opportunities to well-trained, hard-working individuals, making it a blueprint for future educational programs,” said Dairy Foods Extension Program Director Kimberly Bukowski. “Thanks to the success of this initiative and funding provided by Governor Hochul’s new Office of Strategic Workforce Development, we intend to expand our workforce development program throughout the state.”

This is one of many successful programs Genesee County has hosted to prepare the next generation of workforce candidates for fulfilling careers in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, skilled trades, and more.

GCEDC VP of Business and Workforce Development Chris Suozzi said, “Genesee County has seen its workforce readiness investment pay off for years, as many businesses have relocated here because of our qualified candidates.” He added, “Leaders from local institutions such as the Workforce Development Institute, GCEDC, and Genesee Valley BOCES have been catalysts in preparing graduating seniors with the skills needed for industries in their backyard.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) is partnering with the American Red Cross to offer free Hands-Only CPR training to anyone in the district looking to learn. These 30-minute courses are designed to be quick, simple, and easy to learn and can make the difference between life and death for others. Hawley is glad to help educate the public on the skill.

“CPR training is an invaluable skill that could very well save lives, and we should all be pushing ourselves to learn it,” Hawley said. “I am grateful to the American Red Cross  for their partnership in this initiative, and I hope to see many of you out at this free event.”

The time and place of the training will be:

• Saturday, March 18, 9:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. at the Stafford Fire Department, 6153 Main Rd, Stafford
• Tuesday, March 21, 1:00 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. at the Albion Elks Lodge 1006, 428 W State St, Albion

Anyone interested in signing up should visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094aacac22a1f4c25-hands1?useFullSite=true#/ to sign up for the Stafford event. Those interested in participating at Albion should visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094aacac22a1f4c25-hands2?useFullSite=true#/. Space is limited, so interested parties are encouraged to apply early. For more information, call Assemblyman Hawley’s office at 585-589-5780.

Press release:

On Thursday, April 13, the Genesee County Youth Board will sponsor their 27th annual Youth Recognition Dinner at Terry Hills Restaurant & Banquet Facility. Twenty-five young people will be honored for their commitment to community service and/or their impressive role within their families. Additionally, the dinner will recognize an Adult Youth Worker and an Adult Youth Volunteer.

The following young people will be recognized for their outstanding service in the community and/or family: Brecken Capone, Caris Carlson, Mary Engelhardt, Katelynn Everett, Gabrielle Graff, Mary Grimes, Lily Haacke, Aubrey Hamm, Kaelee Kelso, Alaina Manges, Kathryn McClellan, Arianne McLaughlin, Maggie Monachino, Brenna Munn, Evelyn Northrup, Cesia Murillo Rios, Lauren Reimer, Olivia Walton and Maia Zerillo.

The following six youths are recipients of the Winter Storm Elliot Award, a recognition of a special group of young people who helped their community during a blizzard: Ayden Esten, Garrett Heale, Emily Hoag, Abigail Russell, Joey Schnitzer and Colton Walczak.

Robert Swanson is receiving the Adult Youth Worker Award from his colleague at Agri-Business Child Development Center for his countless hours going above and beyond expectations. “Bob the Builder,” as the youth at the center call him, provides a very caring and strong male role model for all. He is well respected retired veteran who is a huge asset to the team, but especially to the children and families of the center.

Kathryn Zipkin and her therapy dog, Tilly, are co-receiving the Adult Youth Volunteer Award for exhibiting exemplary dedication and commitment to the Batavia City School District. Kathryn and Tilly help young people learn emotional regulation to ensure successful focus in learning throughout the day. Their countless hours spent volunteering alongside the youth in the Batavia City School District are a valued and memorable service.

Registration and refreshments will begin at 5 PM, with the program and dinner following at 6 PM. Seating is limited, and your prompt reply ensures our ability to include you. If you are interested in attending the banquet, contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau at (585) 344-3960 no later than March 24, 2023. We’re excited to recognize these young people and leaders in our community and hope that you’ll join us.

Press release:

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is inviting everyone to their Lunch in the Dark Fundraising event, on Thursday, April 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will take place in the Gymnasium of the New York State School for the Blind, 2A Richmond Avenue in Batavia, NY 14020.

Participants will experience lunch in a darkened environment in order to better understand eating and socializing with vision loss.  As a group, we will talk about the best practices for making events with food more accessible, as well as strategies for eating with vision loss.  With a donation requested of $50 per ticket, the event includes a 50/50 split drawing and a Basket Raffle.

The BOCES Culinary Class will do the catering with a menu including Italian Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable Medley (Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli), Risotto Cakes, and Panna Cotta.

To RSVP, contact Catherine DeMare at (585) 815-8501, extension 400.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

 

Press release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) introduced the Property Tax Reduction Act, which would prevent state governments like New York from unfairly shifting state Medicaid expenses onto local county governments.

Congressman Nick Langworthy (R-NY) co-led this bill alongside Congresswoman Tenney. Congressman Brandon Williams (R-NY) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) are also original cosponsors.

New York is the only state in the country that requires local counties to pay a substantial portion of the state’s share of Medicaid funding, amounting to nearly $8 billion per year or nearly a quarter of the non-federal cost share for the program. 

This places enormous fiscal pressure on our local governments and has led to some of the highest property tax bills in the country. This arrangement also enables the state to inflate and expand both the scope and the cost of Medicaid since the state is not directly responsible for absorbing the costs associated with burdensome changes and unfounded mandates to the program. This mandate is among the reasons New York also has the highest per capita Medicaid expenditures nationwide; as of 2019, per capita Medicaid personal spending for New York is close to 7 times higher than that of California and 10 times higher than New Jersey.

In New York’s 24th Congressional District, this irresponsible funding scheme shifts a burden of at least $180 million onto our county governments annually. Counties raise most of these funds through property tax levies. Tenney’s bill would stop Albany from passing this Medicaid share onto counties, saving local taxpayers millions. 

“New York State leads the country with the highest rate of outmigration,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “This mass exodus directly corresponds with outrageous property taxes, forcing families and small businesses to relocate. One of the driving causes of this crisis is that New York’s 62 county governments have zero say in how New York’s Medicaid program is operated but are forced to pay a significant amount of its costs. This dysfunctional and unfair system burdens county governments, driving up costs for working families. It also lets Albany Democrats off the hook for reckless spending and gross mismanagement. I am reintroducing the Property Tax Reduction Act to require New York’s Democrat lawmakers to start taking responsibility for reckless spending and to prevent them from unfairly shifting costs to local property taxpayers and counties.”