Press release:

Theme and Water Park Complex Seeks 200 Lifeguards and Ride Attendants for 2022 Season

WHAT:
Six Flags Darien Lake will host a spring hiring event on April 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Six Flags Darien Lake Hotel. The theme park complex plans to fill 1,500 positions for the 2022 season including 200 lifeguards and ride attendants. The park is making the application, hiring and training process for team members faster and easier than ever before. Candidates can gain immediate interviews and land thrilling jobs the same day in more than 10 diverse departments including ride attendants, lifeguarding, food service, games, admissions, and retail in preparation for Six Flags Darien Lake’s opening on May 27.

WHO:
Most positions are available to persons 16 years of age and older; however, the park does have a select number of positions available for 14- and 15-year-olds.

HOW:

• Simply text the word “JOBS” to 585-207-8400; or
• Complete a job application at www.sixflags.com/darienlake/jobs; or
• Visit the Six Flags Darien Lake Human resources office in person Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm
• Applicants with employment-related questions can call 585-599-5108  

For more information on Six Flags Darien Lake and Hurricane Harbor, visit www.sixflags.com/darienlake

Press release:

Since 1959, the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District has honored a deserving agricultural producer with the Conservation Farm of the Year Award. This award is given to a producer that has displayed a long-term commitment to sustainable conservation, leads by example, and implements farm conservation best management practices. This year’s recipient is Grassland Dairy, Inc, an organic dairy farm in the town of Pavilion.

Grassland Dairy, Inc., is a 250-cow organic dairy farm that is owned and operated by Brent Tillotson and his family. The farm raises their Jersey cows on a rotational grazing system with a focus on animal welfare. The farm also operates under a comprehensive nutrient management plan that is updated annually to provide nutrient and manure application recommendations based on soil testing, crop requirements, and environmental conditions. Several best management practices have been installed since the farm’s inception in 2008, including a waste separation facility, waste storage facility, erosion control systems, and subsurface drainage. Currently, the farm is working to incorporate cover crops into their corn production by planting a mix of cover crop species into their standing corn crop during cultivation. This approach will help to improve soil health and reduce erosion on the cropland.

Grassland Dairy, Inc., has voluntarily implemented the aforementioned best management practices to protect the environment and create a more sustainable farm operation. They have also been an active participant with the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. To recognize the work that has been done, the farm will be presented the 2021 Conservation Farm of the Year award at the Celebrate Agriculture Dinner on April 2, 2022, at the Alexander Fire Hall.

Photo: File photo of Brent Tillotson in 2013. Photo by Howard Owens.

Previously:

• Son of a farmer, Tillotson makes his own way in the dairy business
• Photos: Kinder Farmin' Day at Grassland Dairy in Pavilion
• Kindergarteners visit Grassland Dairy for the annual Kinderfarmin' Days

AT&T announced today that it has expanded broadband capacity in Genesee County, with emphasis on improved service in Indian Falls and the Town of Pembroke.

In a statement, AT&T said this is the second new cell site constructed in Genesee County in the past year.

The expansion also helps improve FirstNet, a dedicated communications platform for first responders.

"FirstNet is built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority and is designed to help first responders in New York and across the country connect to the critical information they need – when they need it – so they can keep themselves and the communities they serve safer," an AT&T spokesman said.

FirstNet relies on Band 14, a nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the government specifically for FirstNet. 

"We look at Band 14 as public safety’s VIP lane. In an emergency, this band – or lane – can be cleared and locked just for FirstNet subscribers. When not in use by FirstNet subscribers, AT&T customers can enjoy Band 14’s added coverage and capacity," AT&T said.

Fishtales Hideaway, an intimate fine dining restaurant at 107 Evans St., Batavia, has closed.

Ryan Fannin, who has run the restaurant recently for his parents Todd and Grace Fannin, said the prolonged slow down in the restaurant business since the start of the pandemic made keeping the doors open unsustainable. 

"It was a tough decision for me," Ryan said. "I would have loved to keep it open for everybody in town."

As manager of a seafood restaurant, Ryan said he was hoping Lent would generate a return to pre-pandemic customer volume, but it didn't happen. He said when he's driven around town on Friday nights and looked into other restaurants, it seems those establishments haven't returned to previous customer volume. 

Lynn Bezon, broker with Reliant Realty, represents property owner Chuck Keating and she said she's already looking for a new tenant for the building.  She will list the vacancy with the multiple listing service soon.  

Todd and Grace moved to Florida for Todd's health some time back and are now operating a small restaurant there, Ryan said.

If all goes according to the plan laid out by City Manager Rachael Tabelski, the date April 11, 2022 will be one for the record books.

That’s when the Batavia City Council will vote on a resolution introduced by Tabelski to compensate Larry Barnes for his work as the city historian – a job that he has performed with zest on a volunteer basis since 2008.

Speaking at Council’s Conference Meeting tonight at the City Centre Council Board Room, Tabelski acknowledged the fine work by Barnes, a retired educator who has written several books about local history. If passed at the next Business Meeting on April 11, Barnes would receive an annual stipend of $5,000 for his efforts.

“(Barnes) is an author who is working on a book now about Batavia during the (COVID-19) pandemic,” said Tabelski, noting in a memo to Council that Barnes recently was reappointed to a four-year term.

Council member Robert Bialkowski threw his support behind Barnes, noting that he is “a very conscientious person, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Barnes has been or currently is involved with several history groups, including the Landmark Society of Genesee County, Batavia Historic Preservation Committee, Genesee County Historians Association, Government Appointed Historians of Western New York and the Association of Public Historians of New York State.

In other developments, Council moved the following resolutions to the April 11 meeting:

• An extension of the School Resource Officer contract with the Batavia City School District for two more years, through June 30, 2024, with Officer Miah Stevens expected to continue in that role. Provisions of the agreement call for the school district to pay 100 percent of the officer’s salary and benefits, including overtime.

“I believe the program has gone exceptionally well,” said Tabelski, referring to the communication with school officials over parking and traffic issues. “The officer (also) provides services to the students, administration and faculty.”

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said that Stevens “loves her job … and they love having her. It’s a win-win on both sides.”

• Creation of a temporary full-time detective position to keep the police department fully staffed when a current detective retires, likely this summer.  The temporary post carries an increase in pay of $15,000 to cover the promotion, Tabelski said.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. applauded the idea, stating that “it will save us time, effort and money” while the new detective works along side the current one to learn the ins-and-outs of the job and create a smooth transition.

Another resolution – awarding a contract with Pace Analytical for analysis of potable water and wastewater -- was approved during a Special Business Meeting tonight.

Pace, the lone bidder, will receive $9,414 for laboratory services at the Water Treatment Facility and $10,010 for similar services at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Batavia PD is responding to Tully's for a report of an intoxicated male causing a ruckus. 

He was reportedly throwing tables and chairs around in the restaurant.

When police arrived, he was reportedly in a vehicle about to leave.  An officer is with him now.

That’s part of the message shared by Lynda Battaglia, Genesee County director of Mental Health & Community Services, in a phone interview with The Batavian.

“As a result of the pandemic, I think the mental health field has been recognized as essential. It's definitely received more recognition now than it ever has, and it's unfortunate that it took a pandemic to have that happen,” said Battaglia (photo above).

While there has been a renewed focus on mental health, substance use disorder, social services and developmental disabilities over the past two years, a by-product of that is the difficulty in finding qualified professionals to serve those in need.

According to information from LeaderStat, a national staffing agency for healthcare organizations, “The shortage of mental health care professionals coupled with the increased demand for services has led to a grim situation for many patients and providers, and there is no quick fix on the horizon.”

Projections by the Health Resources and Services Administration indicate the United States will need to add 10,000 providers by 2025 to close “the increasing divide” and more than half, over 24 million, of persons dealing with a mental health condition are going untreated and one in five adults seeking treatment is finding his or her needs unmet.

Battaglia said she is feeling a similar crunch in Genesee County as her department currently is not taking any new clients because she has five openings on her counseling staff.

“It's the times that we're in right now,” she said. “I do foresee things getting better. We are not currently taking brand new clients, but our Open Access (crisis walk-in) has remained open throughout the pandemic and remains open today.”

She said Genesee County Mental Health is at a “triaging stage” now.

“We’re taking individuals who are high need or high risk. We're really trying to triage people that call -- individuals that are being discharged from the hospital,” she advised.

Officials at other human services agencies, such as Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, also are reporting numerous job openings – from nurses to counselors to support staff.

Battaglia said she is hoping the staffing situation will get better in May and June “when we will get some clinical people who graduate with their master's in mental health counseling or social work who want to work here.”

“We do have a couple of prospective individuals who are looking to work here and have to go through that hiring process that we have here,” she said.

Currently, each of the dozen or so professionals employed at GCMH have a caseload of 90 to 110 patients.

“That’s high,” she said. “That’s not ideal, but that's what we have to work with. Our supervisors are working at high capacity and high caseloads in addition to providing supervision to staff. And that's not isolated to Genesee County Mental Health. That’s a trend across the state in regard to caseload capacity and (job) vacancies. So, my counterparts are feeling that, too.”

What that does is place additional stress on the counselors, Battaglia said.

“I have to applaud my staff. Their dedication and their resiliency and their ability to do this every day because the work in and of itself, can be challenging on a person in the field,” she said. “And then you couple that with a multitude of additional stressors -- family and all the hats that you wear and trying to put more individuals on your caseload and providing the services that you want to provide.”

Battaglia mentioned the mental health field carries a high rate of burnout.

“Self-care is essential to try to prevent burnout. There’s a lot of things that can help staff with burnout. But isolating during the pandemic was not helpful,” she explained.

“Now, with things opening up (from the COVID-19 restrictions), I can feel a shift in energy here with just more people being able to talk with one another. We still have to wear masks here, because we're considered a healthcare setting, but just the shift in energy of things being more open.”

Genesee County is advertising for positions in the department on its website and also on the Indeed worldwide employment site.

“We did two job fairs -- two virtual job fairs at two different points during the year and we had zero candidates,” she said. “That just speaks to kind of where we are in the times right now with a lot of things virtual. And there are some things like a job fair that's really challenging to do virtually.”

Press release:

A high-scoring 15^th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia came to a close on Sunday with the JAMM team of Batavia taking over the top spot in the Open Team division and Ricky Daniels of Albion jumping into the lead in the Open Singles division.

In unofficial standings released today, the squad of Jason Quilliam, AJ Allenbrandt, Mike Lambert and Mike Johnson posted a 3,061 score – 2,886 scratch – to move past Balduf’s, which had been leading the tournament at 2,920.

Allenbrandt led the way with 757, his best series ever, while Lambert shot 729, Johnson 702 and Quilliam 698.

First place in the Open Team event is $1,000.

O’Dell’s is in third place at 2,902, with Trigger Tribute II in fourth at 2,852.

In Open Singles, Daniels found the line for 233-245-279—757 scratch. Adding his 81 pins handicap based on a 195 average, he finished with 838 to go ahead of previous leader Matt Bourg, who had 780 – 537 scratch plus 243 pins handicap based on his 135 average.

Batavian Mike Pettinella rolled 232-288-250--770 to place third and claim the scratch singles title.

In Open Doubles, last week’s 1,504 (1,456 scratch) by Geoff Harloff and Ed Doody was challenged but remains in the top spot.

Lambert and Quilliam combined for 1,497 on Saturday – with Quilliam posting a 279 game and 791 series – to move into second, with Harloff and Rick Underhill in third with 1,482 and Johnson and Allenbrandt next at 1,472. Underhill had a 289 game in the doubles event.

Brian Cline leads in Open All-Events with 2,295 – all scratch – with Allenbrandt in second at 2,264 and Shayne Herold in third at 2,249. Daniels finished at 2,204 and Brian Green tallied 2,201, including a 300 game in singles competition on Saturday.

Green also had an 802 series in the team event, second in the tournament behind Harloff’s 814.

In the Women’s Team event, PBC Women held on with 2,339 edging Wendy’s Girls by 22 pins.

Members of the Perry team are Montana Bzduch, Joann Van Duser, Rachel Huntz and Katy Bzduch.

In Women’s Doubles, Christine Bovee and Karen Henry, bowling out of Mount Morris Lanes, is in first with 1,276, with Batavians Donna Wolff and Wendy Morse next at 1,259.

Wolff’s 690 (488 scratch) leads in Women’s Singles, with Morse next at 648 (522 scratch), and Wolff also leads in Women’s All-Events with 1,997, with Bonnie Wass of Warsaw in second with 1,837.

The tournament drew 43 teams (four more than last year) and 62 doubles sets (13 more than last year).  There were two 800 series, 41 700 series and 13 games of 279 or better.

At least one in five will cash. The Genesee Region USBC has 30 days to pay the prize list.

BATAVIANS CASH IN ROCHESTER

Three Batavia bowlers cashed at the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour stop at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes in Rochester on March 20.

Mike Pettinella and Fred Gravanda made it to the Round of 8, earning $100 apiece, while Bill Neubert earned $75 for making it to the Round of 16. Neubert was the high qualifier with a 696 three-game series. Kevin Gray Sr. of Honeoye Falls also qualified in the top 16, taking home $75.

Mike Fiola of Rochester captured his second title of the season, winning $320 with a 248 game in the finals.

The next tour event is at 11 a.m. April 3 at Pleasure Lanes in Hilton.

Nancy L. Lawrence, 69, of Batavia, is charged with soliciting alms on a public street or public place. Lawrence is accused of soliciting alms in the parking lot of a business on Ellicott Street at 12:30 p.m., March 18.  She was issued an appearance ticket.

Kiha S. McNear, 24, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd. McNear was arrested following an investigation that began with a traffic stop by a Batavia patrol officer at 4:18 a.m., March 17. McNear was allegedly found in possession of an illegal substance. McNear was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail.

Adam E. Bortle, 38, of Wayland, was arrested on a warrant. He was arraigned and released.

NaQuan J. Shepard, 22, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Shepard was allegedly involved in a disturbance in an apartment complex on North Spruce Street, Batavia, at 11:22 p.m., March 23.  Shepard is accused of throwing a cardboard box at another person. Shepard was issued an appearance ticket.

Curtis Williams, 55, of Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Williams is accused of stealing more than $1,000 from his employer on Ellicott Avenue over a period of time. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Erik R. Motquin, 29, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Motquin is accused of trying to leave a store on West Main Street, Batavia, with $316.03 in merchandise without paying for it. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Joshua Leneir, 35, of West State Street, Albion, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Leneir is accused of violating a complete stay-away order at 3:36 p.m., March 17, at a location on Lent Avenue, Le Roy. He was ordered to appear in Town of Le Roy Court on April 5.

Garrett Berntsen, 25, of Stewart Street, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant in Rochester and brought before the Town of Le Roy Court to answer to charges of criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of the stolen property. He was released under supervision. 

Kasondra Lynn Hubbard, 36, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Hubbard is accused of endangering the welfare of a child during a disturbance at a residence on Myrtle Street, Le Roy, at 8:11 p.m., March 24. Hubbard was ordered to appear in Town of Le Roy Court on April 21.

Earl Benson, 33, of Lyan Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, unlicensed operation, aggravated unlicensed operation, no distinctive plate, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and refusal to submit to a breath test. Benson was stopped at 9:23 p.m., March 25, on Bank Street, Le Roy, by Officer John Ceneviva. He was issued traffic tickets.

Francesca G. Pieter, 21, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Peter is accused of stealing something at 4:23 p.m., March 27, at a location in the Town of Batavia. An 18-year-old from Batavia whose name was not released was also arrested. Both suspects were issued appearance tickets. The State Police did not release additional information.

Press release from Automobile Club of America:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $4.25, no change from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.86. The New York State average is 4.35, down 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.91. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia - $4.36 (up 1 cent from last week)
• Buffalo - $4.36 (down 1 cent from last week)
• Elmira - $4.25 (down 6 cents from last week)
• Ithaca - $4.32 (down 1 cent from last week)
• Rochester - $4.38 (no change from last week)
• Rome - $4.28 (down 2 cents from last week)
• Syracuse - $4.31 (down 2 cents from last week)
• Watertown - $4.35 (up 1 cent from last week)

Data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that total domestic gasoline stocks are down along with gasoline demand. The drop in demand is offset by an increase oil prices leading to price fluctuations. If oil prices continue to rise, pump prices will likely follow suit, reversing course from the downward trend.  

Oil prices remain over $100 per barrel. EIA reports that total domestic crude stocks are down 18 percent compared to one year ago. The current inventory level highlights tightness in the market, contributing to higher prices.

From Gas Buddy:

“The decline we've seen in average gas prices has been slowing down, as oil prices have held above $100 after declining under that level as recently as a few weeks ago. For the near future, we’ll see a mix of slight decreases and some potential increases mixed in. California markets should finally cool off and areas could even move lower in Southern California, while the Great Lakes could see gas prices jump up after having fallen for the last week or so," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "While the national average should start to stabilize for the time being, there's no telling what's around the corner, at least for now, as the volatility in oil prices persists."

Curtis Foss of Medina added to his long list of honor scores this week by rolling an 814 series in the Sneezy's Monday Night League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

The 34-year-old right-hander had games of 278, 257 and 279 for the big series -- his second 800 in 10 days at Oak Orchard Bowl.

On March 18, he rolled 300-279-231--810 in the Rick & Morty Doubles League.

Elsewhere around the Genesee Region USBC, Chris Bailey of Batavia posted 258-265-258--781 in the Turnbull Heating Triples League and Fred Gravanda of Batavia finished with 276 in a 765 series in the Toyota of Batavia 5-Man League, both at Mancuso Bowling Center.

For a list of the high scores for the week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

For many people the neighborhoods where they spent their young years, the houses they lived in and the things that happened there become an indelible part of their childhood memories. As folks get older, with more time behind them than there is ahead, those remembrances seem to come to mind more and more often. My recollections are of the Thomas and Ellicott avenues neighborhood where I spent my years between ages 1 and 10.

Newlyweds
My parents, Jim and Anna Newhouse Reilly were married in April 1944. Dad was serving as a lieutenant in the Army Air Force during World War Two and was stationed at Mitchell Field in Long Island. He had wanted to be a flier but was too tall for the cockpit and at the age of 33 a bit too old. So he had to settle for piloting a desk.

After their wedding in Batavia at St. Joseph's Church ( mom was not  Catholic, but agreed to convert) and reception at Young's Restaurant on Main Street the newlyweds lived in Long Island until dad got shipped overseas for mop-up duty at the end of the war. Mom returned to Batavia to stay with her parents at 25 North Lyon Street until dad was discharged after the war ended.

When my father returned to Batavia he and my mom rented an idyllic spot at what they always referred to as “The Mill” on Seven Springs Road east of town. In a wooded expanse, there was a stream and a pond. The pond emptied over a small waterfall and a small grist mill had been built there in 1811 with a waterwheel for grinding grain which continued for that use for 80 years. From the early 1900s until the 1940s it was owned by a family named Gubb and used as a riding camp and stables. Today it is the Chapin Mill Retreat Center used by spiritual groups for meditation. 

 The Mill on Seven Springs Road where my parents lived when I was born (photo courtesy of Ed Kademan)

The sale of the Mill property to the Chapin family and my parents' desire to own their own home with room for kids led to them buying their first house at 26 Thomas Avenue in the City of Batavia. Located off West Main Street that was where I spent my early years and where my brother Dan was born in 1949.

The Houses
The Thomas Avenue house had plenty of room with three bedrooms, a basement (with a cistern which is still there but not used), and an attic. Upstairs was a cedar closet that had a nice aromatic fragrance.  I used to hide out in there and read Hardy Boys books. There was also a detached one-car garage which might have fit a Model T, but it was too small for the long finned and big bumpered monstrosities of the '50s.

One downside, which resulted in us eventually moving, was the tiny back yard which wasn't even big enough to play catch in. About  20 yards behind the house was someone else's garage on Dellinger Avenue the next block over.

Dave (right) and brother Dan (left) on porch of 26 Thomas Ave. 1955

In 2011 I happened to drive by my former home and noticed a for-sale sign with notice of an upcoming open house. On a Sunday afternoon, I showed up and probably made a mistake by telling my real purpose of the visit to the realtor. Once she found out I wasn't a buyer she kept trying to hurry me along when I wanted to browse around and reminisce.

It was kinda like the twilight zone to be walking around in a house I hadn't been in since 56 years ago. Subsequent owners had changed a few things (the cedar had been removed from the closet), but mostly it was the same. The one thing that really surprised me was how small my childhood bedroom was. My little kid self had seen it as a lot larger.

Dave on the porch of 26 Thomas Ave. 2011

In 1955 my parents sold the house because they wanted a big yard for us kids to play in and for my mom to garden. But, they couldn't find that house right away so for two years we moved one block to the west. If you cut through a couple of back yards (which we often did) it was literally a move of a few hundred yards. We rented the top floor of a huge house at 20 Ellicott Avenue, a wide street with many expansive and beautiful homes. So, new and smaller living quarters (I grudgingly had to share a bedroom with my brother ), but same neighborhood, same kids. One cool thing was we had a second-floor screened porch and I remember sitting out there watching tree limbs fall when the winds and rain from a hurricane moved through. We also had a bigger yard with an apple tree.

20 Ellicott Ave. 2021
 

The Neighborhood
Thomas-Ellicott was a good place for kids to grow up. Two blocks north was State Park (now Centennial Park) where we'd play and go sledding in the winter. A few blocks to the East was Austin Park which had a wading pool. On the corner of Thomas and Washington avenues was a vacant lot ( a house is there now)  where we'd frequently play, so the small yard didn't deter us kids too much.

If mom needed a quart of milk (in a glass bottle) or a pack of smokes ( Viceroy) Corrigan's grocery was around the corner on Main Street.  Mr. Corrigan's daughter was pretty good about letting a kid look through some comics if you didn't bother anyone. Since this was just post-World War II  and the Korean War my favorites were what we called “army comics” and I had quite a collection. Like a lot of other things I should have saved which became valuable, I wish I had kept them.

Next to Corrigan's was J. Frank Dicke's bike shop where my parents bought my first bike. My mom was a worrywart though and wouldn't let me get a two-wheeler until I was 10. So, until then I was reduced to tooling around on a big trike. My friends teased me that if I got a dog in a basket I'd look like Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard Of Oz.

Across from Austin Park was Washington Elementary School ( currently it's RRH Reed Eye Associates.) I attended Kindergarten there until I switched to St. Mary's for first grade when it opened. For some strange reason, I remember virtually nothing about that year. My mom kept a class photo and I don't recall the teacher or the kids.

Across Main Street was the Holland Land Office Museum where I spent a lot of time when I got a little older and my mom would trust me to cross the busy thoroughfare. One of my earlier stories was about how I tried to hoodwink the museum director into displaying a fake artifact I supposedly found ( I failed).  

Kitty-corner across the street was the residence of our family physician Doctor Biagio Mansueto. He made house calls so that was pretty convenient if you needed him or you could go right to his house like my mom did with me when I managed to get a dime stuck in my nose at church. 

Next to the Mansueto's lived an elderly woman named Gladys Foster. She had a bunch of red currant bushes behind her garage and I tormented her by constantly picking them. If I was more clever I could have used the excuse that I was just keeping up with currant affairs.

When we moved to Ellicott there was a widow downstairs named Midge who was raising a couple of kids (older than me) on her own. My mom, who easily made acquaintances with almost anyone, became fast friends with her. For some reason, I recall being downstairs with them when Elvis made his swivel-hipped appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956. Midge wasn't too impressed.

Neighborhood Shenanigans
I have remarked before that it's odd that you often remember quirky things that took place rather than all the big occasions like Christmas, Halloween, etc.  I certainly have my warm memories of family times, but also some vague recollections of little weird or funny incidents that happened.

We had a bully in our area whose name I can't recall, but at Christmastime when I do my annual viewing of “A Christmas Story” on television the bully being described as having “yellow eyes” always makes me think of him. One time he caught me alone on Dellinger Avenue and believe it or not he tied me to a tree and left me there. Did the kid carry rope with him just in case he came across a victim?  More unbelievably though, that was the day I  had sneaked a paring knife out of my mom's kitchen drawer.  Why?  Little boys do stuff like that. So, I was able to cut myself free. But, I couldn't even tell my mom about it (it was embarrassing anyway) because I had to surreptitiously get the knife back without getting caught.

On Ellicott Avenue was the residence of a well-known Batavia photographer. He had a son my age and one day I went over there to play. For some reason, we were up in the attic and the kid locked me in there and went away. After I pounded on the door for a while his mom let me out. Are you seeing a pattern here?

But,  I wasn't always a wimp.  I've only been in two fights in my life, both when I was a kid. One day we were playing at a property on Thomas where there was a big iron fence (it's still there). A kid from Lincoln Avenue named Billy was picking on my little brother. Of course, I tormented Dan every single day. It's almost a requirement of big brotherhood. But I couldn't let someone else do it. So, I took the kid on. I think I won but had a couple of scrapes to show for it. And my brother owed me.

So if I wasn't a fighter was I a ladies' man? Near the corner of Washington Avenue and Dellinger lived a little girl named Nora Ann. We were friends and played together until inevitably the teasing began. “Dave's got a girlfriend!”  I would have been glad to hear someone say that in high school, but at age 7 or 8  it was the kiss of death. Luckily, we went to different schools so I could avoid her and the needling.

Little kids have vivid imaginations and my friends and I were no different. On Dellinger lived an elderly woman. Due to her wizened appearance, we conjured up in our feeble brains that she was a witch. One day  I got up the nerve to go into her enclosed porch, I think with the intent to peek in her window may be looking for a pointy hat or a bubbling cauldron. . My friend waited by the sidewalk.  Suddenly he yelled, “Dave, the old witch is coming down the street!” and took off like he was shot out of a gun. I froze and then spotted one of those cushioned porch swings. Quickly, I crawled underneath and waited, shaking and trembling. Hansel and Gretel's images involving me in an oven flashed through my head. I heard the porch door open and saw some black shoes and heard a key in the lock. The door closed behind her as the “witch” went inside. I scrambled out from my hiding spot and seemingly in seconds was halfway down the street and didn't stop running until I got home. The poor woman who had probably gone to Corrigan's to get a few groceries had no idea that any of this took place. Nonetheless, when we went trick or treating on Halloween we gave that house a wide berth.

One time when I was little,  our neighbor, Dr. Mansueto's son Freddy (who was older than me and went on to a lifetime career as an FBI agent), decided to take me along on an expedition to some wooded property his family owned out on Walnut Street. This wasn't good for a number of reasons: he didn't tell anyone where he was going, we had to cross Main Street and a bridge over the Tonawanda Creek and some railroad tracks and I was about 3 or 4  years old. A frantic search ensued and four parents were pretty upset until we arrived back home. I don't know what punishment Freddy might have received, but my mom wasn't going to let something like that happen again. She bought a harness that fits a child and tethered me to our backyard clothesline so I could no longer wander off. I suppose you could say mom was fit to be tied so she made sure I was too.

In the summer of 1957 when I was 10, my parents found their house with a big yard at 122 North Spruce Street and we moved to the east side of town. This resulted in a bunch of changes and  new opportunities for kid capers as I and my friends got older.

Paul Jerge was born blind, but that hasn’t altered his perspective. 

Although he is visually impaired, the 69-year-old enjoys spending time with family, rooting for the Buffalo Bills and checking out the latest news from his local paper. He just sees in a different way, he says. 

“I follow sports, but I like to read the actual articles, and watch games on TV. I consider it reading … I always say ‘watch’ because that’s what everyone else is doing,” Jerge said to The Batavian. “I’m listening to something all day.  I like to support it. The volunteers give of their time and I really appreciate that.”

In the last few months, Jerge, a 1972 graduate of the State School for the Blind in Batavia, has added the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service to his repertoire as a way to enhance his pool of printed materials. He does everything on his smartphone, including connecting to the online reading service for some news, podcasts, magazine or book recitations.  

Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service has “given voice to the printed word” since 1987. The nonprofit supplies 100 volunteer readers — a number expected to keep growing — for several areas throughout Western New York. Staff is planning to expand into the Southern Tier and small cities including Batavia, Mark Robinson said. 

A former executive director for other agencies in the Buffalo area, Robinson wanted t to slow down a bit, he said. He discovered the radio reading organization two months ago. 

“I really wanted to be part of this; it really is amazing,” he said. “We’ll have boots on the ground in Genesee County very soon.”

There are 150,000 potential listeners that are not able to access the service in this area, he said. So far, the service has covered western regions, including Erie County. There are 500 receivers (provided free of charge) out in those communities for listeners, while the online listeners are a majority of the service’s consumer base, he said. There are apps for smartphones, an online website and access through other devices, including Amazon Echo and Google Home. 

People just like Paul Jerge can access a world of printed materials with just a click or a voice command on a smart device. Within a 24-hour daily schedule, volunteers read the news, perhaps something from the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, a best-selling book, the Buffalo Bills Digest and from several other sources. One the most popular readings isn’t an article at all, Robinson said. 

“They like the Sunday shopping ads,” he said. “They could be disabled veterans, were born blind, lost their sight due to disease or injury. Anybody can access it; as of two years ago, anyone in the world can. We’re working on expanding the service into Rochester and the Genesee Valley.”

Although anyone can access and listen, volunteers are still vital to the program, he said. They are needed to read the news that is local to the area in addition to those John Grisham novels and the like. 

Robert Sikorski, a Buffalo lawyer, founded the organization in March 1987. Thanks to a federal law on the books allowing printed materials to be read for the purpose of enriching the lives of the blind or sight-impaired without copyright infringements, the reading service just surpassed its 35 year anniversary. It now boasts having tallied more than 250,000 hours of reading.

Many volunteers read without leaving their homes, or it can be done at the service’s home base studio in Cheektowaga. All that’s required, Robinson said, is to read out loud and a desire to help. Reading usually takes a couple of hours per week. The service is funded by grants and donations, and listeners have often become strong financial supporters as well, he said.

Robinson is seeking people interested in forming a committee in Genesee County. For more information about that or obtaining a free reading radio, becoming a volunteer and/or donor, go to: www.nfradioreading.org or call (716) 821-5555.

This has been a great season for introductions – from Von Miller signing with the Bills to seeing over 650 students from our middle schools and high schools at the Tech Wars competition.

I can’t wait to see #40 on the field in Orchard Park. He’s a once-in-a-generation talent joining at just the right time.

But as I work with the growing companies across Genesee County, acquiring talent with a $120 million contract is not the model we follow. We don’t have to!

That’s because there are hundreds of STEM-focused students at our local schools graduating every year. At Tech Wars, they all showed their technical abilities, problem-solving skills, and excitement at taking on new challenges.

These students, and the younger kids that were at STEAM Jam that same day, need to know what opportunities are ahead of them.

In Genesee County, students have the option of great careers that come with a high quality of life and no college debt.

Multiple examples of those opportunities were mixed into the Tech Wars program and all the conversations around the halls.

Genesee Valley BOCES and the electro-mechanical trades program gave live demonstrations of their new mechatronics equipment. This is what our employers are using for re-training their teams, and that students are using to be ready for job shadows and internships the growing pre-apprenticeship program!

This simple activity created so much excitement. Younger students were amazed as graduating seniors showed off the mechatronics equipment, and the opportunity to take a cool hands-on tech learning opportunity.

These programs need repeated communication and momentum. Every year we’re excited to have a new class graduating, and a new group of students discovering what’s possible in the back half of their school years.

It was great to see Bill Hayes and Turnbull Heating & Air Conditioning at Tech Wars. Bill and his team are incredibly active in supporting workforce development. When students go through our technical training programs, there are so many skilled trades opportunities that open up. Having people like Bill ready to bring them on board is incredible.

There are also great construction and manufacturing career opportunities. La Fermière announced their project the day before Tech Wars, with plans to hire up to 135 workers in their first 5 years of operations. Many more workers will be involved in building their French yogurt manufacturing facility.

That long-term outlook is critical. At the GCEDC, we’re focused on continuing the momentum of aligning career paths from local companies to our students.

The partnership with our local companies’ workforce demands with custom programs has effectively bridged the gap between students’ career paths and developing skills employers need.

Closing out this school year, the custom programs are expanding.

Cornell in High School will start right after graduation. In less than a week, up to 40 students from Genesee County and surrounding communities will be trained by Cornell in the skills that will launch them into careers at companies like O-AT-KA Milk Products, Upstate Niagara, Yancey’s Fancy and HP Hood.

If students take advantage of this program, they’ll be well on their way to having the financial freedom to not only have a new #40 Miller jersey, but the new truck for the season-opening tailgate. I’ll see them there!

If that sounds good, I encourage students, parents, teachers and guidance counselors to contact me at csuozzi@gcedc.com and to get ready for success.

Chris Suozzi is the Vice President of Business and Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center

Video previously by The Batavian, previously published

Just before 1 p.m., Town of Batavia Fire responded to 4018 South Main Street Road for a chimney fire.  

There was heavy smoke but no flames showing when firefighters arrived on scene. 

A chief on scene suspected creosote build-up as the cause of the fire.

All occupants were safely out of the structure.

The fire was contained to the chimney.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Elba Central School hosted  “Heroes and Hoops” Friday night in the high school gymnasium.  The game was a fundraiser for the senior scholarship fund.  The senior basketball athletes played against local service members.

Photos by Debra Reily. For more, click here.

New York State’s high school drop-out rate has declined in recent years, to an all-time low of 5.6 percent, USAfacts.org says.

Still, nobody wants to see students drop out, even if it’s only one or two, as is the case at Oakfield-Alabama Central, Superintendent John Fisgus said during the district’s recent board meeting.

“We hate losing these kids at the last minute. They usually drop out by 17, as a junior, and they only have one year to go,” he said. “We want to see these kids leave with a high school diploma.”

He consulted with other school districts, including Batavia City Schools and Pembroke Central, about setting a legal drop-out requirement to age 17 for Oakfield-Alabama’s district, which has a legal age of 16 currently. The feedback from both schools led him to his proposal to the board: raise the legal drop-out age to 17.

“There were no negatives,” Fisgus said. “The board has the right to make it 17.”

A board member asked how many students this change would affect, and the answer was “maybe one or two.” But, according to the American Psychological Association, dropouts face “extremely bleak economic and social prospects” from not having a high school diploma. National statistics from 2012 showed more than 1 million high school students not graduating and earning that prized diploma. 

Those dropouts, compared to high school grads, are also less likely to find a job and earn a living wage, APA.org stated. 

“Poverty and dropouts are inextricably connected in the three primary settings affecting healthy child and adolescent development: families, schools and communities,” it stated.

Batavia City Schools not only has the higher age limit but also recently touted a 96 percent graduation rate and various educational and career-related activities being offered to upper-level high school students. Pembroke’s graduation rate is 92 percent, and both are higher than the state’s average of 86 percent. August 2021 data reported Oakfield-Alabama’s rate to be 86 percent. 

The remaining districts in Genesee County include Alexander Central, at 95 percent; Byron-Bergen at 98 percent; Elba at 80 percent; Le Roy at 90 percent; and Pavilion at 83 percent.

Lake Shore High School in Erie County made a move similar to Oakfield-Alabama in 2020, citing an 11 percent dropout rate. The school board adopted a new policy that would force students to remain in school until the end of the year in which they turn 17. The only exception is if they have a full-time job.

New York State law was revised in 2019 to extend the option, initially open to larger cities such as Buffalo and New York City, to rural and suburban districts. State law also exempts students who have full-time jobs.

Should Oakfield-Alabama’s board approve this policy change — something that “affects students and families to this extent” — families would be notified through ParentSquare, the district’s communication platform, Fisgus said. 

Board votes can take a while, however, since the group is entitled to up to three readings of a policy before taking a vote. This particular policy change has an expected timeline of approval in April, he said.

“We discussed it as an administrative team, and I am in full support of such a change moving forward,” he said.