The Batavia Business & Professional Women's Club Inc. honored seven local nonprofit organizations in Genesee County with monetary awards in recognition of their service to our community this week.

Recipients included: Genesee Cancer Assistance, Bethany Fire Department, Project Stork, Crossroads House, Alzheimer's Association, Lake Plains Community Network and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County. 

Several students also received scholarship checks, including: Wyatt Gaus and Paige Haile of Batavia High School and Madison Heaney of Leroy High School along with Sarah Adams, Lydia Geiger, Andrew Lin, Morgan Reimer of Batavia High School, Ally Flint of Leroy High School, Montana Weidman of Notre Dame High School and Evan Whitmore of Alexander High School. (Not pictured: Ally Flint, Lydia Geiger, Madison Heaney).

The funds awarded will be used to further their education in the field of their choice.

For more information about the club, visit the club's Facebook page.

Information and photos submitted by Joy Hume.

Press release from the campaign of Ed Rath, candidate for 61 State Senate:

New York State and the Department of Health's failure to protect our most vulnerable citizens is extremely troubling. That is why, I launched a petition demanding a transparent investigation into the State’s handling of COVID in nursing homes. Dozens of residents signed my petition and shared their concerns with me. I will continue to call for an independent investigation and work everyday to protect our seniors and keep our community safe. To sign my petition, you can do so here https://edrathforsenate.com/2020/06/03/our-seniors-deserve-justice/.

A pedestrian has reportedly been hit by a car at West Main Street and Oak Street in the City of Batavia.

The patient is said to have a head injury but is conscious and alert.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 8:49 a.m.: The patient is being transported to UMMC for evaluation and has a small laceration above his eye.

Press release:

The Batavia Business Improvement District (BID) is rolling out a Tasty Tuesdays campaign for the Summer 2020 to support our Downtown restaurants.

Our Downtown participating restaurants are offering up exclusive Tuesday night specials that you won’t want to miss.  

The BID will promote Tasty Tuesdays each week, offering diners that choose to participate an option to upload an image to Instagram or Facebook using #tastytuesdays and tag the restaurant to be entered to win a gift certificate to one of our independent restaurants Downtown.

Tasty Tuesday Specials may be different each week and vary depending on location and hours. Make sure to check out our Facebook page for these sizzling specials and post your participation for the free giveaways!

"If we get enough momentum, we may continue this into the fall," said Beth Kemp, BID executive director.

For more information on BID and Downtown events, please visit this website.

Genesee County planners tonight recommended approval of a site plan application from Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to tack on a two-story, 20-bed detoxification center to the agency’s Atwater House residential facility at 424 E. Main St.

The new 8,788-square-foot addition of the medically supervised detox center enhances GCASA’s ability to treat people afflicted with substance dependency who are seeking support and recovery.

“The great thing about this project is that it allows for the continuum of care,” said Raymond Murphy, representing the Orchard Park architectural firm of Fontanese Folts Aubrecht Ernst on behalf of GCASA.

The detox center will be constructed as a two-story, wood-framed building attached to the southern end of Atwater House. It will consist of 16 beds serving state regulations for medically supervised detoxification and four transitional residential beds (similar to those available at Atwater House).

Murphy pointed out that the architecture is “in kind to what is already on campus .. the proposed volume is two stories to match and fit in nicely with the existing volumes.” He added that clapboard siding and roofing materials similar to those already on Atwater House will be used.

Earlier today, GCASA Executive Director John Bennett said the new configuration will streamline the delivery of services to those in need.

“Operationally, the Atwater residence and the new 816.7 facility (denoting the Office of Addiction Services and Supports Part 816.7 regulation) will benefit from close proximity to one another,” Bennett said. “This will offer more flexibility, comfort and support to clients in transitioning to a residential program – a key component in the continuum of care.”

Bennett said overdose rates have increased significantly due to the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic.

“Addiction is a disease of isolation and the pandemic has certainly isolated people from being able to attend self-help meetings, group counseling and other forms of support,” he said. “When you couple people in early recovery with isolation, the odds of relapse become increased. We need short-term medical detox more than ever in our communities.”

A letter from the architect to the planning board indicated that the proposed location of the addition is fairly open and will require the removal of about 10 trees directly within the building and parking footprint.

It also noted that a new 13-space parking lot will be added, increasing the total number of spaces to 113 (including 18 of them leased from Cornell Cooperative Extension to the west).

Plans call for the first floor of the detox center to house the “communal” functions of the building such as dining, serving, group rooms, intake and employee offices, while the second story will be split into two wings, each of which will contain four shared bedrooms (two beds each) and a bathroom.

The center block – situated between the wings – contains a central lounge, client laundry and nursing/physician spaces.

The $3.6 million addition is being funded by OASAS capital projects and will create 20 or more new permanent jobs -- nurses, counselors and support staff -- as well as several temporary construction jobs, Bennett said.

Planning Board Member Tom Schubmehl called the detox center “a welcome addition to the community … relatives and friends who have had to go for any help have had to go a long ways to get there. So, it is nice that GCASA is doing this.”

Bennett said that the proposal and architectural renderings previously were reviewed by the City Planning & Development Committee.

“They loved the way we designed it in that we made sure that it flowed with the existing Atwater House,” Bennett said. “Overall, the response was very favorable.”

The City PDC is expected to make a final ruling on the site plan at its July 21 meeting.

In other action, planners recommended:

-- Approval of a special use permit site plan and downtown design review application from V.J. Gautieri Constructors Inc., to create 10 apartments on the second floor of the Save-A-Lot building at 45-47 Ellicott St.

A previous story of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative project, known as Ellicott Place, appeared on Wednesday.

Planners’ approval suggested that future development of ground floor commercial space address access and activation of the south elevation toward Ellicott Street, and that the applicant apply for 9-1-1 address verification with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department to meet Enhanced 9-1-1 standards.

The DRI award was for $1.15 million; the balance of the $2.3 million venture will be funded through a loan with a financial institution, said Victor Gautieri, president of the Batavia company that owns the building.

In response to a question from Schubmehl about Save-A-Lot parking lot disruption during construction, Gautieri said crews will be operating for the most part within the east parking lot where most of the Save-A-Lot employees park their vehicles.

“We will be working in conjunction with those folks to make sure they still have access to the loading dock and make sure they have access to their side doors,” he said. “Save-A-Lot has been a tenant for quite some time and we have a good relationship with them.”

Gautieri said store management is “welcoming the redevelopment of the building and believe it’s going to enhance their sales.”

He said Save-A-Lot is planning a facelift of its own – “with new signage and reorientation within the store to freshen it up.”

Previously, Gautieri said the renovation will give the Ellicott Street neighborhood a long overdue modern look.

“When Ellicott Station (across the street) comes to be, it will complementary to ours and ours to theirs,” he said. “Hopefully, we will be able to attract some businesses that are not in Batavia now, which would be very good for the downtown area.”

-- Approval of a special use permit for Krista Lewis, on behalf of the Hesperus Lodge #837, to convert the first story of the historic building at 12 S. Lake Ave. (Route 19) in Bergen from a hair salon (Radiant Hair Designs) to a laundromat with micro-salon rentals.

In documents submitted to the planning board, Lewis indicated that she plans to install six washers and six dryers for the startup. The proposal calls for the laundromat to be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Additionally, three spaces are being set up for hair stylists to rent.

-- Approval of a site plan review submitted by Russ Walker to operate a candy shop in an existing commercial building at 21 Main St., Oakfield, location of the former Warner’s Flower Shop.

Approved as a gift shop in March, the operator is looking to add a 20-foot by 40-foot addition to the rear of the building. The addition would house a commercial kitchen, storage space and renovated bathroom.

According to plan documents, the new construction would be a pole barn design, with steel siding similar to the building on the other side of the municipal parking lot.

-- Approval of zoning text amendments to address solar energy systems and battery energy storage systems for the entire Town of Alabama.

Planning Director Felipe Oltramari said Alabama is the first local municipality to put battery energy storage systems into its zoning code, noting that he considers these primarily as standalone “accessories” to solar systems.

Beating the heat at the Austin Park Spray Park.

Press release:

• Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 231 positive cases.
  • The positive individual resides in Darien.
  • The positive individual is in their 50s.
  • The positive individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • None of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Five new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • No individuals are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 267 positive cases.
  • Two new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Six of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

A car vs. pedestrian accident with what is believed to be a minor hand injury to a young male is reported in the area of 38 Dellinger Ave. in the city. City fire and Mercy medics are responding. The location is between Washington Avenue and West Main Street. A box truck involved is reported to be in Tops Plaza on Lewiston Road and city PD is responding there.

Genesee County officials today learned that its mental health department will be getting 20 percent less in state aid this year.

The cut equates to a loss of $132,710 in revenue for mental health clinical services in the county, said Assistant County Manager Matt Landers.

“We’ve been told all along that there would be cuts of 20 to 50 percent,” Landers said. “We’ve been bracing for that.”

The county’s budget for the mental health department for 2020-21 is $5.6 million, he said, with state aid just one part of the revenue stream.

New York State took a bigger chunk – a 31-percent cut – out of its annual support to the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, action that will have a direct impact upon services provided by Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

“Just in the third quarter alone, this is a $160,000 loss in state aid, with $134,000 of that for Genesee County,” GCASA Executive Director John Bennett said. “Not only will this affect services, but it could very well result in potential layoffs.”

Bennett mentioned that the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program loan will help soften the blow somewhat.

There has been no word on cuts to the state Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (formerly Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities).

In another development, Landers said the county has called back 19 of the 48 employees who were furloughed, including a Department of Motor Vehicles worker needed to help process a heavy load of work since the office reopened.

The furlough program ends on July 31, said Landers, adding that the county’s strategic hiring freeze continues.

Extra large kitchen with plenty of cupboard space and great desk area to do bills, pull up recipes or work from home! There is guest half bath off kitchen as well! Large, bright living room and cozy dining area that lead to three bedrooms and full bath -- with a great dividing door so those that want to sleep can as the guests hang out!

Those rooms all feature nice hardwood floors as well! Kitchen has 6 year old neutral vinyl for easy clean up.

Basement is partially finished and not reflected in homes square footage, it has awesome large game/rec area with fireplace and pool table if wanted! It's a huge space and could be utilized for a lot of extra hang out space! Other half of basement is equally as spacious and is great laundry/work space if so inclined.

New electrical panel and newer H2O tank as well as well maintained boiler. There is an extra deep garage and work shop area and freshly painted outside deck off of kitchen with attached gas grill-a lot here for the money! Easy to see!

Click here for more information or call Lynn Bezon today - Call 585-344-HOME (4663).

A vigil against racism and in support of Black Lives Matter will be held at the Batavia YWCA at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15.

The event is organized by "Community Leaders of Genesee County."

Featured speakers will include: Rev. Dr. William Wilkenson and Rev. Shiela Campbell McCullough.

The YWCA is located at 301 North St. in the City of Batavia.

All are welcome.

All residents served by the Genesee County countywide Public Water Supply (GCPWS) are requested by the GCPWS and the Genesee County Department of Health to conserve water.

According to the local weather forecast, Genesee County is expected to endure at least three more days of excessive heat and humidity. It is expected that very high levels of water consumption will continue throughout this period.

To avoid an emergency situation, all residents served by the GCPWS water system are asked to do their part to conserve water. Guidelines to save water include:

1. Avoid filling swimming pools.

2. Avoid watering lawns and washing cars.

3. Use your automatic dishwasher only for full loads.

4. Use your automatic washing machine only for full loads.

5. If you wash your dishes by hand, do not leave the water running for rinsing.

6. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to keep it cool instead of running the water.

7. Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week and often can be repaired with an inexpensive washer.

8. Check your toilets for leaks. To test for leaks, add a small amount of food coloring to the toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately.

9. Take shorter showers. Long showers can waste five to 10 gallons every extra minute.

10. Install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictors. Area hardware or plumbing supply stores stock inexpensive water-saving showerheads or restrictors that are easy to install.

    We need your help. If voluntary conservation measures are unsuccessful, mandatory water conservation may be enforced. Questions may be directed to the Genesee County Department of Health.

11. The Genesee County Department of Health can be reached at (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555 or:  Health.Dept@co.genesee.ny.us

A caller to dispatch reports about 20 kids are jumping in the water and "being loud" below Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant, located at 1227 Gilmore Road, Corfu.

Press release:

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an initial list of additional commodities that have been added to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made other adjustments to the program based on comments received from agricultural producers and organizations and review of market data.

Producers will be able to submit applications that include these commodities on Monday, July 13. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting through Aug. 28 applications for CFAP, which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic. USDA expects additional eligible commodities to be announced in the coming weeks. 

“When we announced this program earlier this year, we asked for public input and received a good response," Secretary Perdue said. "After reviewing the comments received and analyzing our USDA Market News data, we are adding new commodities, as well as making updates to the program for existing eligible commodities.

"This is an example of government working for the people – we asked for input and we updated the program based on the comments we received.”

USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22.

Changes to CFAP include:

• Adding the following commodities: alfalfa sprouts, anise, arugula, basil, bean sprouts, beets, blackberries, Brussels sprouts, celeriac (celery root), chives, cilantro, coconuts, collard greens, dandelion greens, greens (others not listed separately), guava, kale greens, lettuce – including Boston, green leaf, Lolla Rossa, oak leaf green, oak leaf red and red leaf – marjoram, mint, mustard, okra, oregano, parsnips, passion fruit, peas (green), pineapple, pistachios, radicchio, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, fresh sugarcane, Swiss chard, thyme and turnip top greens.
• Expanding for seven currently eligible commodities – apples, blueberries, garlic, potatoes, raspberries, tangerines and taro – CARES Act funding for sales losses because USDA found these commodities had a 5 percent or greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for marketing adjustments.
• Determining that peaches and rhubarb no longer qualify for payment under the CARES Act sales loss category.
• Correcting payment rates for apples, artichokes, asparagus, blueberries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, garlic, kiwifruit, mushrooms, papaya, peaches, potatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, tangerines and taro.

Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Final Rule Correction and at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

• Using an online portal, accessible at farmers.gov/cfap, allows producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as eAuthentication—to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center. New commodities will be available in the system on July 13.
• Completing the application form using our CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers.gov/cfap. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center. An updated version with the new commodities will be available on the website on July 13.
• Downloading the AD-3114 application form from farmers.gov/cfap and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to an office drop box. In some limited cases, the office may be open for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status to check the status of your local office.

USDA Service Centers can also work with producers to complete and securely transmit digitally signed applications through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. Producers who are interested in digitally signing their applications should notify their local service centers when calling to discuss the CFAP application process. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs.

Getting Help from FSA

New customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.

All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file. 

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment.

Service Centers that are open for appointments will prescreen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors may also be required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in office, by phone and using online tools.

More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Press release:

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and in partnership with Willamette Partnership, today announced the release of Greener Parks for Health resources.

This suite of resources offers a variety of research-informed messages, tools and policy solutions to help park and recreation professionals communicate about, advocate for and institutionalize green infrastructure in parks to improve community well-being, especially in communities facing environmental, health, economic and social injustices.

NRPA’s Greener Parks for Health resource suite includes:

• Greener Parks for Health Communications Toolkit highlights powerful evidence and messaging for professionals to showcase the impacts of green infrastructure in parks;
• Greener Parks for Health Policy Action Framework recommends the creative use of new and existing policies and funding mechanisms at the federal, state and local levels to encourage green infrastructure in parks; and
• Greener Parks for Health Advocacy Toolkit provides key actions professionals can take to be leaders and gain cross-sector and community support for green infrastructure in parks.

“Greener parks mitigate climate impacts using green infrastructure — elements like rain gardens, bioswales and permeable pavement — which serve as essential infrastructure critical to protecting and promoting community health, well-being and resiliency. Greener parks are also key to improving social and economic challenges in communities,” said Kellie May, NRPA’s vice president of programs and partnerships. “These resources have been developed to promote parks as optimal spaces for green infrastructure and provide park and recreation professionals a roadmap to securing necessary support and investments.”

“Getting people equitable access to nature is one of the best public health moves we can make as a society. Even if it’s just a safe space for families to picnic or buddies to play pickup basketball, the physical and mental health benefits of green space are undeniable,” says Barton Robison, Willamette Partnership’s lead partner for the Oregon Health & Outdoors Initiative.

“As we’re grappling with both a pandemic and the very real impacts of systemic racism, planners, park managers, city engineers and community activists should take a serious look at how green infrastructure and parks provide opportunities to keep people healthy while actively creating health equity across communities.”

This project is part of a larger effort to equip park and recreation professionals with the tools, knowledge and resources to advance equitable access to greener parks across the country. Incorporating green infrastructure into systemwide and individual park plans enhances the well-being of surrounding communities through increased health, environmental, social and economic benefits. These benefits are especially needed in under-resourced communities that are hit hardest and recover slowest from extreme weather events.

To find additional information about NRPA’s Greener Parks initiative, click here.

To see copies of the Greener Parks for Health Communications Toolkit, Policy Action Framework and Advocacy Toolkit, click here.

To learn more about NRPA, visit www.nrpa.org.

About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

About Willamette Partnership
Willamette Partnership is a conservation nonprofit dedicated to solving complex environmental problems in ways that work for people. The Partnership serves as a trusted broker to the collaborative process — bringing together the information, ideas, and relationships people need to solve problems well together. We envision a world in which people work together to build resilient ecosystems, healthy communities, and vibrant economies. We work throughout the Western United States with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. For more information visit, www.willamettepartnership.org.

A man is at the City of Batavia Police Department to report that items are being stolen from graves at Saint Joseph Cemetery and Mausoleum on Ellicott Street in Batavia.

Not all the votes are counted yet -- delayed by the massive number of mail-in ballots filed -- but some candidates from the June 23 election are sounding confident of the outcome.

Chris Jacobs seems to believe he's won the NY-27 while Nate McMurray seems sure he's lost and Jacqualine Berger has declared victory in the Democratic primary for the 61st State Senate District.

Richard Siebert, the Republican commissioner for the Genesee County Board of Elections, said it will be 24 to 48 hours before local unofficial results will be released.

That said, based on what he's seen so far, it looks like McMurray will have 400 more votes locally from mail-in ballots than Jacobs in the special election to fill the unexpired term of convicted criminal Chris Collins. 

Siebert believes McMurray won every precinct in the City of Batavia.

Still, that won't be enough for McMurray to close the gap on in-person voting on June 23, when McMurray polled only 1,565 votes in Genesee County to 4,536 to Jacobs.

Results also aren't released yet for other counties but the campaigns typically have poll watchers in place during vote counting so they have some idea what to expect when tallies are released.

Last night, Jacobs released this statement:

"With the counting completed today and the outcome reaffirmed, I’m eager to get to work for the people of Western New York as their representative in Congress. I care deeply about this community and I will do all I can to serve it with honesty and integrity. I would also like to personally thank each Board of Election member and employee who worked tirelessly throughout this process and the entire election season. Conducting an election under these circumstances was challenging for all involved and I appreciate the sacrifices made.”

McMurray has not released a statement but he did tweet about the election outcome.

Jacobs,

All that cash, all those Trump endorsements, the lies, your family’s billions...

Got you a skin of your teeth 1.9% lead in a County you were a State Senator in.

You struggle against a team of volunteers and guy from community college.

We’re coming for you.

Nov 3

— Nate McMurray for Congress 2020 (@Nate_McMurray) July 9, 2020

In the State Senate primary, Democrat Jan Berger released this statement:

Educator Jacqualine Berger has declared victory in the Democratic Primary Election to run for the New York State Senate seat vacated by longtime Republican State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer. Berger was victorious against Kim Smith, formerly of the Monroe County Department of Public Health, and Joan Elizabeth Seamans, a small-business owner. 

The race was too-close-to-call on the night of the election. After all the votes were tallied, Berger edged Smith by 141 votes. Berger received 9,246 votes (39%), while Smith earned 9,105 (38%) and Seamans received 5,475 votes (23%).  

“I am honored to have won this close election against two outstanding candidates. I congratulate both of my opponents for running strong campaigns under challenging circumstances,” said State Senate candidate Jacqualine Berger. “I am looking forward to the general election campaign, where we can work together to give the district the representation it deserves.”

Erie County Democratic Committee Chairman Jeremy Zellner said, “We endorsed Jacqualine Berger because she understands the needs of the 61st State Senate district. I am proud of her victory in the Primary Election and look forward to supporting her this fall. The Democratic Party is united like never before, and ready to take on the Republican extremists.”   

Jacqualine Berger is the Deputy Supervisor in the Town of Amherst and an educator at Empire State College. Berger has a master’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Tulane University. She is a lifelong advocate for individuals with special needs, running a local Challenger Baseball program for children and adults with disabilities since 1991. In 2019, Empire State College awarded Berger the Altes Prize for Exemplary Community Service.

Berger will face politician Ed Rath in the election this fall.

A black dog at a residence on Prestige Crossing in Batavia has reportedly been left outside all week in the sun without shelter or food. An animal control officer is responding.

A heat advisory was posted on The Batavian Monday, warning that little children, pets, the elderly and the sick are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness. Here's the link.

The local temperature today is in the 90s and more of the same is expected tomorrow.

UPDATE 1:24 p.m.: The complaint appears to be unfounded. The officer went to the residence and could see the dog "moving around, happy and healthy" and it did have water. The officer, however, was unable to put hands on the dog and take a closer look because "the homeowner was extremely hostile." She has cleared the scene.

Whether they were spending time at their Albion home or on the job at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Albion residents Nick and Cyndi Mardino are grateful for the opportunity to share their experiences together.

The Mardinos retired at the end of May after long careers at GCASA, primarily at the Albion clinic on East Avenue but also at the Batavia campus on East Main Street.

Cyndi began employment there in 2000, the last 18 or so years as the agency’s customer service supervisor, while Nick started in 2005, first as a part-time maintenance man while he worked his full-time job as a corrections officer at Orleans Correctional Facility and then, over the past year, in a full-time role.

Driven by a mindset focused upon togetherness and teamwork, and guided by a strong faith in God, the Mardinos made a tremendous impact upon GCASA staff and clients, alike.

“Both Cyndi and Nick were excellent employees. They always went above and beyond their job duties, and they were loyal and dedicated to GCASA,” said Kathy S. Hodgins, chief clinical officer, a close friend of Cyndi.

Hodgins said Cyndi, as support staff supervisor, “treated her staff with respect and valued each one of them,” while Nick made sure “the building and grounds in Albion were always immaculate.”

Interviewed by telephone on Wednesday, the Mardinos said that working at GCASA has been “a blessing” and while they miss the work, they miss their colleagues and clients even more.

“I have enjoyed my experience with GCASA and getting to know so many people who over the years had become like family to me,” Cyndi said. “I have enjoyed working with the front staff and Beth Collee and Rachel Patten were the most amazing people to work with and they were family to me. The front office team was a joy and I was very sad to leave.”

Nick, an Air Force veteran, said his time at GCASA was “a pleasure,” and he especially enjoyed taking on all kinds of projects with coworkers Jeff Helenbrook and Ron Hall.

And they said it was extra special to be able to interact with each other at different times.

“We always worked well together, so if somebody needed something, I would say, ‘Nick, can you do this?’ Or if one of the counselors needed something done, I would ask him and he’d always take care of it.”

Cyndi said people would ask her how she could work with her husband and then go home. “I would say, ‘You know what? He’s my best friend.’ ”

Nick agreed, simply stating, “We do everything together.”

Cyndi believes that working at GCASA was meant to be.

“Kathy (Hodgins) always said 'you’re here for a reason,' ” she said. “Because I grew up in an alcoholic family and my first husband was an alcoholic, so there’s always a reason.”

The Mardinos were always quick with a smile and a word of encouragement, traits of their outgoing personalities.

“I always enjoyed talking to the patients because you wanted to have a good rapport with them. I told the staff -- my team – ‘Listen guys, they’re walking in here and a lot of times that first step is the hardest to do.’ When they walk in that door, they have to be treated as a human being,” Cyndi said. “They have problems and we can’t help them with that, but we can be that smiling face – that person who could be there if they have questions or if they just need someone to smile at them.”

The Mardinos were looking to retire a couple years down the road, but changed their plans, opting to close the full-time employment chapter of their lives at the young Social Security ages of 62 (Nick) and 63.

“God intervened and we said it was time,” Cyndi said.

They had anticipated to take a cross-country trip this summer, but that’s on hold due to the coronavirus.

Still, they said they have plenty of projects around the house, are welcoming family members (they have three grown children and six grandkids), love the time with Bella, their chocolate Labrador retriever, and soon hope to be able to visit Nick’s mother who is in a nursing home.

The Mardinos met as a result of a blind date 33 years ago and were married in 1993. Cyndi lived in California, Oklahoma, Texas and Maine before returning to her hometown of Albion to stay. Nick is a native of North Collins in Erie County.

GCASA Executive Director John Bennett tried to keep the Mardinos on a bit longer, but that wasn’t in the cards. He did, however, manage to convince them to stay on as “per diem” employees.

So, in a pinch, GCASA employees may be able to share some moments with Cyndi and Nick once again – giving the Mardinos another chance to express their well-wishes, thanks and appreciation for two decades of service.

DISCLOSURE: Story written by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Press release:

New Cases – As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 230 positive cases.
  • The positive individuals reside in Batavia and Darien.
  • One of the positive individuals is in their 40s and one is in their 60s.
  • The positive individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • One of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Six individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • No individuals are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 267 positive cases.
  • Nine individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.