Photo and information from Jason Smith.
Congratulations to Beth Clark, Matthew Smith and Camden King, proudly representing Resurrection Parish in Batavia, who were confirmed Sunday morning at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo by Bishop Michael Fisher.
He shared some of his knowledge on the study of flags earlier this week during a discussion with the county’s Ways & Means Committee about the progress of a public contest to find a replacement for the current Genesee County flag – a blue banner that features the county seal in the middle with the words Genesee County above and Founded 1802 below in block letters.
“One of the no-no’s for flags is never to put words on them,” Oltramari said, admitting the county flag has ruffled his feathers to a certain degree. “Flags are symbols, and they’re not supposed to say things. Especially when they’re flying … you really can’t read them so it makes no sense.”
Oltramari said he became hooked on flags since his elementary school days after seeing pictures of them on the inside cover of a dictionary.
“I’ve been a flag bearer all my life,” he said. “I memorized them and to this day, I’m very good. I like going to GCC, where all the flags are hanging … and I can name them all. It’s fun.”
He explained to the committee that the international and national vexillology associations took their name from the word vexillum, which is Latin for the flag-like object used as a military standard by units in the ancient Roman Army.
When the county embarked on a comprehensive plan update and the Genesee 2050 project associated with it, Oltramari took that as an opportunity to get citizens involved by holding a design contest to update the flag – with categories for adults and children.
Online voting on the five finalists in each division ended on April 30 – resulting in first-place designs pending approval by the legislature before results are released to the public. Oltramari said using the county seal on the new flag is allowed.
Should the designs receiving the most votes move forward (and that is uncertain at this point), Oltramari suggested drafting a commendation and making a presentation to the children’s category winner.
He also thought it would be proper to make the children’s flag the official county flag for a day and fly it outside.
“After that, it would be put in the Genesee County History Department as a display,” he said. “It would be an extra cost to have that flag printed but I thought it would be a nice gesture.”
According to a press release from the county about the flag contest, those who voted online have a chance to win free shelter reservations at DeWitt Recreation Area and the Genesee County Park & Forest for the upcoming season.
Voters were automatically entered into the drawing by voting for one of the flag designs and by filling out any of the Genesee 2050 surveys. The more surveys someone completed, the more chances that person had to win.
To see pictures of the five finalists in both categories, click on the Previously link.
Previously: Vote for a new Genesee County Flag -- one created by an adult AND one by a child
Tonight is The Old Hippies 60th livestream Home-to-Home Concert and it will be their last one, at least for a while.
Meet Mark Kane, the new president of Six Flags Darien Lake
After missing the 2020 season due to COVID-19 restrictions, Darien Lake Theme Park, has reopened for 2021. Currently, the park can operate at 33-percent capacity but expects to be open at 100-percent capacity in about a month.
COVID-19 protocols include a touchless temperature check as patrons enter the park and social distancing. People who are full vaccinated do not need to wear masks. The mask protocol will operate on the honor system. Patrons will not be required to show proof of vaccination.
All of the rides and attractions are open.
“Being part of this community for 37 years, I’ve been given a lot and met a lot of great people, and I saw this as an opportunity for myself and Casella to give back in a small way,” said Pero, about the Rutland, Vt.-based company’s proposal to empty the trash at the city’s nine parks on a daily basis and throughout the downtown business district once a week.
Pero said he read that Batavia was going to a “take in, take out” policy and contacted City Manager Rachael Tabelski to extend Casella’s services at no charge.
“In my opinion, it takes time for the community to understand that new policy, so that’s kind of why I reached out to Rachael and the city,” he said. “Also, Casella is all about community involvement … and felt that this would be a nice gesture, and it’s a chance to let residents know that we are there for them.”
According to a memo dated May 17 from Acting Public Works Director Ray Tourt to Tabelski, in exchange for Casella servicing the parks on a daily basis and downtown on a weekly basis, the city would provide trash bags for the parks and allow Casella to repaint the trash cans in the parks and place a sign on the receptacles, stating “Serviced by Casella Waste.”
Tabelski, in turn, drafted a resolution that is on Monday night’s City Council Conference Meeting agenda that would forge a partnership between the city and Casella through Nov. 30, with the potential for two one-year renewal periods after that date.
Should City Council agree with the plan, the resolution would be forwarded to its next Business Meeting in June.
Pero sold his Trash Away business (that he owned with his brother) to Casella in September 2019, and in the process, accepted the general manager position for Casella’s Batavia Division. He said that seven trucks, operating out of an office on Apollo Drive, handle refuse collection in the division’s two counties – Genesee and Livingston.
Also, on Monday’s agenda:
The respective costs are $50,000, $12,500 and $7,200 for a total of $69,700.
In a memo to City Council dated May 15, Tabelski indicated that resurfacing of these lots is part of a strategic plan to maintain parking lot and sports surfaces. Paving of the Williams Park lot is scheduled for fiscal year 2022-23.
-- Just Kings BBQ (May 29 at Williams Park);
-- Blue Pearl Yoga in the Park (June 1-Sept. 30 at Centennial Park);
-- GLOW OUT 5K run (June 10 at Centennial Park) and parade (June 12 at Batavia City Centre parking lot);
-- Home to Home Concert (July 3 at Jackson Square);
-- Genesee Symphony Orchestra 75th anniversary kickoff (July 17 at Austin Park).
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On another City of Batavia matter, the Planning & Development Committee this week recommended changing the zoning of a parcel at 211 E. Main St. from P-2 (Planned Development) to C-3 (Commercial) to accommodate the demolition and subsequent construction of the GLOW YMCA/United Memorial Medical Center’s Healthy Living Campus.
PDC Chair Duane Preston said a letter was sent to City Council, which will vote on the zoning change at a future Business Meeting.
Council had referred the matter to the PDC for its opinion after receiving a request from the project manager to change the zoning so that it falls in line with the two other affected properties.
More than 35 vendors participated today in a Vendor Blender inside City Centre as a fundraiser for All Babies Cherished.
Press release from the Old Hippies:
GONE FISHIN'! Kay and I have come to a difficult decision to pause our Home to Home Concert Series for the Common Good livestream after this evening's show -- #60 in a row -- May 22 at 7 p.m.
Thank you to everyone who has joined in our fun and music.
We will keep you posted on our website when the livestreams will start again, www.oldhippiesmusic.com, facebook old hippies, and billmcdonald, instragram Oldhippiesbillandkay, and twitter Ohippies.
The livestream can be found as follows:
We appreciate all your support,
Bill and Kay McDonald
An Alabama resident was arrested Friday morning after members of the Local Drug Task Force searched his home and allegedly found brass knuckles, "kung fu stars,"* and two revolvers.
Marc C.J. Cook, 30, of Church Street, Alabama, is charged with five counts of criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a firearm.
The task force obtained a search warrant based on an ongoing investigation of Cook into possession of illegal firearms.
Cook was also taken into custody on two warrants. One, out of the City of Batavia, was based on a charge of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, and the other was a Family Court warrant on an alleged Family Court violation.
On the weapons charges and the city warrant, Cook was released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. On the Family Court warrant, Judge Charles Zambito, based on state guidelines, set bail at $100.
The task force was assisted by uniformed deputies, the State Police response team, and the District Attorney's Office.
*A shuriken (Japanese: 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. They are also known as throwing stars or ninja stars, although they were originally designed in many different shapes.
Yesterday, JoAnne Rock spotted a swarm of bees buzzing down North Spruce Street in Batavia before taking up temporary residence in a tree in front of her house. She said she was told the hive follows the queen and would likely move on soon.
If you’ve been driving around lately, no doubt you’ve been seeing those words plastered on signs on the windows of numerous businesses.
The perception that people aren’t entering the workforce because they are receiving extended unemployment checks is partly valid. But there are other reasons while business owners are pulling their collective hair out trying to find employees.
Theresa Van Son, (photo at right), director of the Genesee County Career Center (Job Development Bureau), indicated as much earlier this week as she reviewed her agency’s 2020 activity to the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee.
“I think that (enhanced unemployment benefits) are part of the issue,” she said, “but I think there are other things that are affecting it as well."
Two of those “things” are the parental need to take care of their children in a remote or hybrid school setting and the New York State Department of Labor being too busy to track if the unemployed are seeking work.
“If schools aren’t fully back again, those parents may not have those options (for childcare) so they may be wanting to stay on their unemployment,” she said. “Another piece of it is when you register for unemployment every week, you have to say that you’re ready, willing and able to work and that you’re doing job search activities. But, right now, the Department of Labor is focused on, still, processing all of those claims and nobody is checking that.”
Van Son said she expects job seeking to “kick into high gear in September when everybody is scrambling to find a job and they don’t have that extra money (when federal unemployment insurance runs out).”
“And we’re prepared for that. We’re doing everything we can to assist local businesses who are looking to find job seekers. You see the (help wanted) signs everywhere. The outlook right now for businesses is that they will look at any candidate,” she offered.
She said that those out of work and receiving benefits are required to come to her office at the Eastown Plaza “to do employment activities and they’re not doing that right now.”
In looking back at 2020, Van Son said the COVID-19 pandemic is putting a huge dent in revenues.
Noting that Genesee County does not directly fund the services of the Job Development Bureau, she said she anticipates a funding shortfall of $70,000 this year compared to 2020. That mostly stems from lost income from the agency’s access contract with New York State Department of Education and its Working To Success program with the Genesee County Department of Social Services.
“It certainly has been a year of challenges and we are justly proud of the work the Job Development Bureau Team has accomplished during the unprecedented time …,” she reported. “We have modified programs, rearranged our space, and adapted plans and schedules multiple times, while adjusting to telework and a virtual environment.”
She said she has cut back on expenses wherever possible, with the plan to use $70,000 of reserves to offset the deficit. Currently, the agency’s cash on hand is about $92,000, she reported.
As far as staffing is concerned, Van Son said three of her five employees are “provisional” and another is of retirement age. She said she hopes all will be staying on for a while longer.
The news wasn’t all gloomy, however, she said, mentioning the cross-training of employees (no more specialized counselors for adult, youth and access) and the signing of a new five-year lease.
“Upgrades were negotiated to increase our building security,” she said. “We added a bathroom off the resource room, which will allow us to limit building traffic, we installed an emergency exit in the back of the building, and we have new carpeting.”
Van Son also said the department has met all contract requirements two months in advance, is “exceeding all of our benchmarks and performance measures” and is serving more citizens than ever.
Other highlights of her report are as follows:
Press release:
GO Health Departments will be on the road with Pop-up Clinics. The Pfizer vaccine is approved to vaccinate anyone 12 years old and older. All clinics are now available for walk-in and registration.
“We have been very successful with the Pop-up Clinics,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health director for GO Health. “We are finding many people are happy to be getting their vaccination closer to where they work and play.
"The scheduling is a great opportunity for more people to get vaccinated. Being fully vaccinated, two weeks after the second dose for Moderna and Pfizer and two weeks after the single dose of Johnson & Johnson will help us enjoy the spring and summer activities with less restrictions.”
Pfizer, J & J and Moderna clinics offer walk-in opportunities; however, we encourage you to register via links below and choose the vaccine that best works for you to guarantee your dose and make your appointment quick and easy. Walk-ins are available on a first come, first serve basis. You can also click on the direct links below.
For those who do not have internet they can call the GO Health Vaccine Registration Help Lines:
These lines are ONLY to make vaccine appointments, are not able to answer COVID-related questions, and are not associated with either Health Department.
“With everyone looking forward to the summer and the looser restrictions we encourage everyone to get vaccinated now,” Pettit said. “There continues to be plenty of options to get any of the three vaccines offered. For your health and the health of others, we encourage everyone who is able to be vaccinated, to get vaccinated now.”
If you are a business/church/organization that is interested in hosting a vaccination clinic at your location, please fill out the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GOHealthPopUpVaccineClinic. One of our staff members will be in contact with you.
For those who are seeking testing, both health departments provide limited free rapid testing for those without symptoms at the respective Health Departments.
For Genesee County, a rapid test drive-through clinic is scheduled for May 27th 1:15-3:15 p.m. at County Building #2, 3837 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.
For Orleans County, a rapid test clinic is scheduled for May 26th 10 - 10:30 a.m. at the Orleans County Health Department at 14016 Route 31 West, Albion.
To register for testing for the Genesee Test Clinic: http://bit.ly/GeneseeTests. To register for the Orleans Test Clinic: https://bit.ly/OCHDRapidTest.
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Moderna: Walk-ins & Appointment
J&J: Walk-ins & Appointment
http://bit.ly/GOHealthJJVaccine
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Pfizer: Walk-ins & Appointment
J&J: Walk-ins & Appointment
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Moderna: Walk-ins & Appointment
J&J: Walk-ins
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Moderna: Walk-ins & Appointment
J&J: Walk-ins
Press release:
The Salvation Army in partnership with Northgate Free Methodist Church will be hosting a drive-through food distribution at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 24th.
This distribution will begin at 2 p.m. at Northgate Church’s north campus, 8160 Bank Street Road in Batavia.
The FDA food boxes will contain milk, produce and frozen meat. We don’t know exactly what will be in the boxes until we get them.
This will be a no contact distribution. Be sure your trunk/hatch are cleared out so the volunteers can place the boxes in your vehicle. Please present a photo ID for each household you will be picking up for.
An one-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported at 6737 Lewiston Road, Oakfield. Traffic will be shut down at Lewiston and Bliss Road. There is a truck and debris in the roadway, blocking the northbound lane.
Oakfield fire is on scene. Mercy medics are told to respond in nonemergency mode.
Notice of Application
5/18/2021
Cider Solar Farm
Genesee County, New York
Hecate Energy Cider Solar LLC (Applicant) hereby provides notice that, on or about May 27, 2021, it intends to file an Application with the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) for a permit for the siting, construction and operation of a major renewable energy facility pursuant to Section 94-c of the New York State Executive Law. The Applicant proposes to construct an up to 500 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) solar energy generating facility, referred to as the Cider Solar Farm (the Project), in the Towns of Elba and Oakfield, Genesee County, New York. The Applicant is publishing this notice at least three (3) days prior to the filing of the Application, in accordance with 19 NYCRR §§ 900- 1.6(c).
A Notice of Intent to File an Application was published in accordance with 19 NYCRR §900-1.3(d) on February 26, 2021.
Brief Project Summary
The Project is a proposed solar-powered electric generating facility in the Towns of Elba and Oakfield, Genesee County, New York. The Project is located on an approximately 3,000-acre area located north-centrally in the County, approximately five (5) miles north of the City of Batavia. Lockport Road bisects the Project from east to west, while State Route 98 traverses the eastern portion of the Project. Project components include photovoltaic solar panels, inverters, buried electrical collection lines, gravel access roads, security fencing, and a substation. If the Project’s application to ORES for a permit is approved, the Project will interconnect to an onsite New York Power Authority (NYPA) 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line. Project components will be located on leased private land. It is anticipated that the Project construction will commence in 2022, with commercial operation commencing in 2023.
The Project is a zero-emission, renewable source of energy that will assist the State in meeting the goals of both the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and State Energy Plan, which include obtaining 70% of the State’s energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030, and 100% of the State’s energy from clean sources by 2040. Project benefits also include increased revenues to local tax bases, temporary and permanent employment, and purchase of local goods and supplies. While the construction and operation of the Project may result in certain temporary and long-term environmental impacts, as will be fully described in the Application, the Applicant has designed the Project to minimize impacts to land and the community by avoiding forestlands and wetlands to the extent practical.
Applicant Representative
The designated contact person for this Project is:
Hecate Energy Cider Solar LLC Harrison Luna, Development Manager
621 W Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60661
(833) 529-6597
CiderSolar@HecateEnergy.com
The website established for this Project by the Applicant is www.cidersolarfarm.com.
Availability of Funds
Pursuant to 19 NYCRR §§ 900-1.4(a)(8) and Subpart 900-5, upon the filing of the Application, the Applicant will provide funding to be disbursed by ORES to local agencies and potential community intervenors to defray expenses for experts, including attorneys and consultants, associated with participating in the Section 94-c process. Within thirty (30) days of the date of the filing of the Application, any local agency or potential community intervenor seeking funding from the local agency account must submit a request for initial funding to the Office of Renewable Energy Siting at 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12231, Attention: Request for Local Agency Account Funding.
The Batavia Town Board on Wednesday night voted in favor of a resolution supporting the initial phase of a five-year plan to widen Route 98 (Oak Orchard Road) and possibly to construct a roundabout at the intersection of West Saile Drive, north of the New York State Thruway interchange.
The town has entered into a “federal aid local project agreement” with the state Department of Transportation – a contract that calls for 80 percent of the work to be paid through federal funding and the other 20 percent to be paid with town money.
Per the resolution, the town board authorized and approved the preliminary engineering phase of the project at a cost of $187,000, with $149,600 to be reimbursed by federal aid and $37,400 as the local share.
Town Engineer Steve Mountain indicated the municipality will handle at least 50 percent of the project design and engineering in an effort to keep some of the funding in the town’s coffers.
Mountain said he anticipates the work being completed in 2023.
In other action, the board:
The project, which will rehabilitate the road from Lewiston Road (Route 63) to Oak Street (Route 98), will improve traffic and aesthetics for those coming to Batavia Downs Gaming and its hotel, as well as other businesses in that section of the town/city.
In March, WROTB directors passed a resolution in favor of payment to the town of up to $395,000 for the installation of sidewalks, a promenade, tree-lined area, street and parking lot lighting, landscaping, road work, valet improvements and infrastructure.
Major work to be contracted out by the town includes new pavement, curbs and curbing from Lewiston Road to Richmond Avenue with sidewalks on both sides of Park Road; pavement overlay and sidewalks on one side of the road from Richmond Avenue to Route 98, and new water lines and street lights on Park Road between Route 63 and Richmond Avenue.
Requests for bids for the state-funded venture are expected to go out in August.
“We’re committed to working remotely as a majority of our staff has been doing that, so we just needed to consolidate what we propose and advise to make sure that everyone is doing what is appropriate,” Supervisor Gregory Post said.
Filed the with the Department of State, the document outlines guidelines, terms and conditions for town employees who work from a location other than our offices and provides an agreement between remote work employees and their department head.
Sections of the policy include eligibility (getting prior approval, subject to a list of stipulations); work expectations; schedule; equipment (computer, software, cell phones), and insurance/compensation/benefits.
As COVID-19 restrictions ease, more and more local venues are hiring, once again, musicians to perform live for patrons.
Thursday, the Sky Cats performed an outdoor show at Dave's Ice Cream.
VENUE OWNERS: If you are scheduling live music, send the time, date, location, and name of the music act to howard@thebatavian.com and we'll include the date on our calendar. If we get enough participation, we'll post upcoming shows on a weekly basis on Thursdays.
Press release:
Data Update – Covering May 18-21
Orleans County is reporting 13 new positive cases of COVID-19.
Emily Underhill-Carlson, a graduate of Alexander High School and lifelong Batavia resident, was honored by Consulting Magazine on Thursday, May 20 as an award winner for Women in Technology, Excellence in Innovation.
Underhill-Carlson serves as the VP of Technology for Divurgent, a healthcare consulting firm based in Virginia Beach, Va.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, she led the creation of TOBIAS, Divurgent’s first AI chatbot.
It enables real-time chat, screen sharing, and video support, which helped clients respond to the coronavirus pandemic in an efficient, economical way, often leading to a 30- to 50-percent reduction in response costs.
As the world has responded to the COVID-19 crisis, the use of technology has been and will continue to be a lifeline for clinicians.
Telehealth has grown rapidly out of necessity and has changed the way healthcare is delivered.
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