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This could be the last year for AmeriCorps in Genesee County.

As part of a budget proposal from President Donald Trump, funding for AmeriCorps, founded in 1994 and a part of the Corporation for National and Community Service, would be cut after 2017-18.

Jocelyn Sikorski, director of the Youth Bureau, shared her concerns about the future of the program with members of the County Legislature yesterday during the Human Services Committee meeting.

AmeriCorps, under the direction of Genesee County, provides a variety of services to nonprofit and government agencies throughout the GLOW region. Participants, usually teens, earn a living allowance and up to $5,800  for college -- paid directly to the college. Retirees can also serve and bank their college awards for their grandchildren to use anytime within seven years.

"That's significant if you're a college student you're only going to a local college," Sikorski said. "That might cover almost a semester. So it's significant money when you look at what they get for an education from their work."

A concern for supporters of AmeriCorps is that members of the majority party in both the Senate and House have long wanted to eliminate funding for the program, so while Trump's budget is just merely a proposal, cuts for such programs may gain support from congressional members.

The share of the budget for CNCS, a total of $1 billion, which also supports the senior program RSVP, is less than 3/10ths of a percent of the entire federal budget.

We requested a statement from the office of Rep. Chris Collins on the proposed cut this afternoon but have not yet received a response.

More than 80,000 people participate in AmeriCorps each year, including 35 in the GLOW region.  

AmeriCorp members mentor students, support veterans and military families, work in parts and on community projects. They also organize part-time volunteers for programs and projects.

According to a Columbia University Study, each dollar invested in community service programs, such as AmericCorps, returns $4 in benefits. 

The CNCS also raised $1.26 billion in private contributions to help supplement federal funding.

UPDATE 6:35 p.m.: We received the following statement from the office of Rep. Chris Collins:

“The budget proposal released by President Trump expands upon the priorities he previously released back in March. This proposal shows the President is committed to balancing the federal budget over 10 years, shrinking government and cutting tax rates to get our economy growing.  Balancing the federal budget is an important goal and I commend the President for making this a priority. Additionally, this budget protects a commitment President Trump made to rebuild our military and I appreciate him taking the necessary steps to make sure we are keeping America safe.

“As I said before, Congress will have vital say in this budget process and my top priority is always about fighting for my constituents. I am committed to protecting programs like NIH funding, Community Block Grants, Meals on Wheels, Great Lakes funding, among others, that play an important role in strengthening our community. We will take a careful look at all programs to make sure taxpayers are getting an appropriate bang for their buck.

“As we focus on creating jobs, reducing the national debt, and keeping Americans safe, it is clear that difficult decisions will need to be made. Ultimately, it is up to Congress to make these funding decisions. My constituents know that I will continue fighting for their best interests above all else.”

Genesee County is joining with five other counties that have service-providing mental health departments to create a new nonprofit that should help improve services and lower costs, Mental Health Director Ellery Reaves told members of the County Legislature yesterday.

The new 501(c)(3) will be called Integrity Partners for Behavioral Health.

It's being formed both because regional mental health leaders see the need and because the state is pushing for more consolidation and more shared services. The state has made available $60 million for such consolidations in mental health services and Integrity Partners is the first of its kind in the state.

"So while other parts of the state are sort of scrambling to get themselves together, we’re literally going to submit our application with all of our providers, affiliate providers, and network providers, and it’s going to cover literally a six-county group so far," Reaves said.

Genesee County's Mental Health Services has a staff of more than 65 people, including doctors, therapists, counselors, and care managers. The service provides care to patients who either come to it through the Genesee County Jail, schools, other agencies, or just walk through the front door. The cost of care is either covered by private insurance or programs such as Medicaid or Medicare.

The goal of Integrity Partners will be to reduce costs through greater efficiency and improve care outcomes by sharing resources and knowledge.

"This model we’re moving to is more of a value-based, performance-based model," Reaves said. "We’re all going to get together and decide on what the matrix is going to be for what’s quality care. Then we as providers are going to try and meet those matrixes and get paid based on the efficacy in keeping folks out of hospital beds and providing service immediately, same-day access."

The six counties participating -- Genesee, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Livingston, and Orleans -- all have county-run mental health services. The coalition will also include non-government providers within the region.

The partners have retained legal counsel to help set up the tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) corporation, as well as ensure the organization complies with all state laws and the requirements of the state incentives to organize it.

“If we can pull that off then this corporation will literally be on par with some of the larger health entities in the state,” Reaves said.

Lower costs and improved efficiency comes at a time when the county and the region need it, Reaves said.

So far in 2017, mental health services is on pace to serve more clients than in 2016.

Much of the increase is driven by the decreased stigma associated with seeking mental health care, but for children, social media is creating more problems, and opioid use leading to more mental health patients.

Reaves said the opiate crisis locally is "massive." 

"It's beyond what people can comprehend," Reaves said.

He added, "If you look at the stats on drug use, it's going to have a peak and once it peaks then it will start to abate once we can get more services in place. We haven't reached that point yet."

A car has reportedly hit a pole in the area of 10532 Main St., Alexander.

The car is smoking.

Unknown injuries.

Alexander fire and ambulance dispatched.

UPDATE 5:53 a.m.: The pole is broken but upright.

UPDATE 6:02 a.m.: A field sobriety test is being conducted.

UPDATE 6:25 a.m.: The vehicle also struck a sign on Route 98 in front of the fire hall. There is no tow yet for the vehicle because firefighters are concerned about electrical lines on the vehicle. National Grid is in route, no ETA.

The Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic is underway at Terry Hills today after Kelly delivered welcoming remarks and shared the rules of the tournament.

The annual tournament benefits the Kelly for Kids Foundation, which provides grants to area nonprofits that assist children.

Notre Dame High School conferred diplomas on 41 students yesterday in a ceremony at Genesee Community College. 

Tyler Reese (above) was valedictorian and received several senior awards, including Man of the Year.

For the first time since 1983, the award for Woman of the Year went to two students, Hannah Bowen and Lyndsey Rowland (photo below).

Richard Oderkirk is still growing sunflowers this year, and vegetables and other flowers, but that big old barn that was once the backdrop for a scenic view along Route 33 in Stafford won't be there anymore to provide a touch of history to the six-generation family farm.

The barn was heavily damaged in a storm a couple of winters ago and this morning Stafford fire, with help from Bethany and South Byron, managed a controlled burn on what was left of the structure.

Oderkirk, along with his daughter, who currently lives in the old farmhouse on the property, was there to watch what was left of the century-old barn go up in flames.

Like a lot of old barns that have been lost over the years, this one long ago needed a new roof and it didn't get it, and that's the main reason it fell apart, Oderkirk said. The other barns on the property have been re-roofed.

The roof on this barn was added in 1922, Oderkirk said, because his grandmother for some reason wanted a gable roof on it. Oderkirk said he didn't know why she decided to make the change, but the barn was also enlarged at the time.

"My dad had mentioned the roofers kept the nails in the house so they were warm, so they worked all winter, or part of winter, putting the cedar shingles on," Oderkirk said.

The timber in the beams was still green when they were nailed into place, Oderkirk said, and when the hardwood dried around those nails the wood became hard as rock, he said.

"I can't even pull those nails out now," he said.

Previously: Sunflower farm adds beauty, but grower wants to sell produce

A head-on collision with entrapment is reported in Corfu on Alleghany Road in front of the Dollar General store.

Three ambulances requested.

Corfu fire, Mercy EMS dispatched.

Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE 10 p.m.: Four injuries. An officer on scene says, "it doesn't look like anybody is super serious." Darien ambulance responding.

UPDATE 10:01 p.m.: Pembroke fire requested to shut down traffic at Route 5 and Route 77.

UPDATE 10:18 p.m.: Mercy Flight #5 out of Batavia has been dispatched to the scene.

UPDATE 10:31 p.m.: Patient extricated.

UPDATE 10:58 p.m.: Route 77 reopened.

UPDATE: added a reader-submitted photo.

A two-car accident with unknown injuries is reported at Ellicott Street and Jackson Street, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE: No injuries. Both City fire and Mercy EMS are back in service.

Genesee Cancer Assistance held its annual Festival of Hope today at Batavia Downs, which included a crossing-training competition as well as basket raffles, music, a live broadcast by WBTA, and other events.

Volunteers from Volunteers for Animals were at the Animal Shelter today collecting donated scrap metal as a fundraiser for the shelter and the support provided by Volunteers for Animals.

A couple dozen young anglers turned out this morning for the 26th annual Youth Fishing Derby at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Among the young fishermen were Henry and Darel Matthies, of Newstead, with father Ken.

Harry Gugino, of Buffalo.

Members of the Batavia City Firefighters, IAFF Local 896, were on Ellicott Street and Main Street in Batavia today for their annual Fill the Boot campaign to benefit MDA.

UPDATE: The firefighters raised $10,651.52.

Photos by Frank Capuano.

Dan Clor, a military veteran, and frontman for Los Angeles-based Weapon-X, took the stage this afternoon with D-ZL, the band he started his career with in 1997 when it played its first show at the Eagle Hotel in Le Roy. 

Clor and Weapon-X have been holding an annual music festival in Southern California for five years and this year, Clor brought it home, to Le Roy, and The Ridge Campground.

The American Warrior Concert, with more than 60 musical acts taking the stage, opened today and continues tomorrow (for tickets, click here).

The music starts at noon tomorrow, on two stages, with Weapon-X scheduled to play at 8:15 p.m.

The Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford is sponsoring the weekend of music.

Proceeds benefit the Warrior House, which supports wounded veterans.

The third- and fourth-grade students at St. Joe's got to make butter today.

Then they got to eat the butter they made on graham crackers.

Anne Marie Starowitz, representing the Holland Land Office Museum, visited the classroom today, bringing an 1800-era butter churn as well as other artifacts from the museum and talked with the students about what life was like in early Genesee County. 

She then filed two canning jars with heavy cream and had the students pass them around the room, with each student giving the canning jars 10 hard shakes before passing it to the next student. 

Before long, they had butter.

Next week the students will tour the historic Batavia Cemetery.

One of the most memorable days of sixth grade at Batavia Middle School is the day students recreate the Silk Road, says Social Studies teacher Stephanie D’Alba.

Many of the children dress in costumes of the nations along the world's first stable trading route that connected China with Rome and started the process of global trade.

The Silk Road recreation gives students a chance to learn about history, geography, climate, culture, civilization and, of course, trade. The Silk Road put the world on the path of global trade.  

"Today kids just get on the Internet and they think it’s so easy," D'Alba said. "This shows them the very first way that things traveled from one side of the world to the other."

The name for the trade route comes from China's chief export, silk, which wasn't available in Europe before Genghis Khan established law and order and safe passage for travelers and traders along the routes the comprised the Silk Road. China managed to keep the production method secret for centuries and Rome, with only gold to trade, found its reserves becoming depleted. The Silk Road also introduced Europe to new foods and spices (though, contrary to myth, Marco Polo did not bring back pasta to Italy).

The BMS "Silk Road" covers two floors in the school, with selected classrooms acting as countries along the trade route and the hallways marked with posters and pictures simulating deserts, seas, water stops, and areas that might be filled with bandits.

"It kind of shows you how to make a bargain and see what other people have to trade in their land and see their creativity," said Aidan Anders.

"It's pretty fun," said Cody Harloff. "It's fun trading to get other stuff and we get to see how the conditions were."

This morning, the senior class at Le Roy High School was given a chance to see what happens at a multiple-injury crash scene, that includes a fatality, caused by a drunk driver as part of the annual DWI drive staged by the Le Roy Volunteer Fire Department.

Assisting were Stafford fire, Mercy EMS, Mercy Flight, Sheriff's Office and Le Roy PD.

(Our coverage was truncated by the fire alarm on West Main Street in Batavia this morning).

 

Yesterday, Le Roy's tennis team beat Mynderse 3-2 to claim the 2017 Section V Class CC Championship.

This is the team's second sectional title and first since 2001.

Jim Farnholz ends his 31-year coaching career with a sectional title. His daughter Sophie is a senior on the team playing 1st singles.

The team finished with a 12-2 record, and Le Roy's 4th team sectional title. Previously, the volleyball, winter cheerleading, and baseball teams claimed titles.

Photos and info submitted by Tim McArdle. 

Press release:

John Kennedy Intermediate School has received a $5,000 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant to purchase "Math and Movement" materials for The JK STEAM Program.

“We had the Math and Movement day with Suzy Koontz in April and can now purchase mats of our own to have here at John Kennedy thanks to Lowes,” said Melissa Calandra, who spearheaded John Kennedy’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Program for fourth-graders this year and will take charge of the STEAM lab for all JK students, grades 2-4, next year.

During the Math and Movement day, students moved to the mathematics lessons – emphasizing patterns, stepping out calculations, and working out concepts on large mats. They were able to practice addition, subtraction, telling time, multiplication, division, fractions, place value, and geometry – and with physical movement incorporated into the brain work, the information was a lot of fun – and better retained.

Lowe’s, which seeks to approve grants that improve learning communities, noted that, “These materials will allow for a kinesthetic, multisensory approach to teaching math that incorporates physical exercise, stretching, and cross-body movements. Using the mats, students are ‘moving to the numbers.’ ” The mats will be ordered by the end of this school year to arrive in time for use next year in the STEAM lab. 

All K-12 public schools in the United States are eligible for the Toolbox for Education program.  More information is available at www.ToolboxforEducation.com.