A motor-vehicle accident with unknown injuries is reported at Galloway and Lewiston Roads, Batavia.

The initial report was for multiple vehicles but law enforcement on scene reports only two vehicles involved. One is off into the woods with two occupants unable to exit.

Two ambulances requested to the scene, one non-emergency response.

Town of Batavia fire dispatched.

Press release:

The Batavia New York Rotary Club has a long history of making significant capital contributions to local projects which are typically multi-year commitments.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the most recent and major fundraiser –The Annual Corvette Raffle – was put on hold while the State of New York’s elected officials in Albany reformed outdated 1950s laws with regards to nonprofit/charitable gaming raffles. Specifically: to whom, where and when tickets could be sold.

In the 21^st century of Internet, credit card and remote sale transactions, the current NYS limited raffle laws continue to be a major constraint on Batavia Rotary Club ticket sales necessary to cover the previous cost of the car, 10 other $500 winners, the expenses to run such a raffle, and net proceeds to satisfy our financial commitment to donations.

These donations go toward the UMMC operating room renovations, YMCA/UMMC wellness center and our annual $18,000 college scholarship program for three deserving high school graduates from Batavia High, Notre Dame and Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

All that said, the Batavia Rotary Club is pleased to announce they are reentering the game with a 100-percent NYS Raffle Laws-compliant Cash Raffle having a $20,000 top prize.

Only 999 tickets will be sold at $100 each and the vast majority of the tickets will be sold here in WNY -- in the counties of Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara and Erie (as is still required by antiquated NYS Lottery laws).

The Batavia New York Rotary Club – 85 members strong -- will be soliciting and reaching out with tickets through a limited distribution and face-to-face contacts starting today, July 6.

The top prize winner will be selected as part of our Annual Brew Fest Event on Sept. 29 at the Batavia Downs Gaming. Five other lucky ticket holders will receive $100 cash prizes.

Contact any Batavia Rotarian for tickets. Tickets will also be available at:

• Lawley Insurance at 20 Jefferson Ave.
• Michael Kubiniec, DDS, at 180 Washington Ave.
• WBTA at 113 Main St., Suite 1

For further information:

Cash Raffle Event Chair, Sharon Kubiniec at (585)356-2771 or sharonKubiniec@gmail.com

Or at www.bataviarotary.com

Thank you in advance for your support! -- Laurie Mastin, president, Rotary Club of Batavia

Press release:

Searching for talented children and adults! The Genesee County Fair Talent show is July 21st and anyone age 6 and older is invited to participate. 

There will be cash prizes as well as prize bags containing passes to local attractions and toys for the first-, second- and third-place winners of both the Mini Division (ages 6-12) and the Maxi Division (ages 13 and older).

The link to register is: http://www.gcfair.com/participate-at-the-fair/talent-show/ 

Starting with this payroll, 22 Genesee County employees will no longer have money deducted from their paychecks to help support the Civil Service Employees Association, a union that represents 214 county employees, according to County Manager Jay Gsell.

The change is a result of a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that week, Janus v. AFSCME  (analysis by SCOTUSBlog), that struck down rules that allowed fees to be charged to non-union members who were employed by a government agency under terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

There are four unions representing 353 county employees, Gsell said, but only CSEA was receiving fees from non-members.

Interim City Manage Matt Worth said there are no City of Batavia employees who are covered by collective bargaining who are not members of their respective unions.

According to a Gannett News Service report, 31,000 state employees from throughout New York, will cease paying the fee this week.

Federal employees covered by collective bargaining are not required to pay the fee, and according to Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion in Janus, 28 states prohibit such fees.

Unions at the federal level and in these states have not been thrown into “pandemonium” nor has there been “conflict and disruption” without these fees, Alito noted.

The suit over union fees that eventually made its way to the justices was initiated by Mark Janus, a child-support specialist for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. He objected to the fees because they went to such political speech intended to influence government agencies on issues such as salaries, pensions, and benefits for government employees.

That, he said, violated his First Amendment rights by forcing him to support speech that did not necessarily conform to his personal views.

“In simple terms, the First Amendment does not permit the government to compel a person to pay for another party’s speech just because the government thinks that the speech furthers the interests of the person who does not want to pay,” Alito wrote.

Alito noted that public spending, including the “mounting costs of public-employee wages, benefits, and pensions” – has skyrocketed in the past four decades. As a result, collective bargaining has gained a new political significance making the issue of fees to support that speech a bigger First Amendment issue.

In her dissenting opinion, Justice Elena Kagan warned that the ruling could disrupt “thousands of ongoing contracts involving millions of employees.”

UPDATE 5:50 p.m.: The county schedule for payroll deductions for union fees are: 

• AFSCME: $18.76 bi-weekly
• DSA: $22 bi-weekly
• SEA: $15.55 bi-weekly
• CSEA: bi-weekly range is $18.73 - $30.15

Photo of Framing Our Future Steering Committee Co-chairs -- Professor and Program Director of Social Sciences, Tim Tomczak, and Dean of Distributed Learning, Craig Lamb, Ph.D.

Submitted photo and press release:

In May, the Board of Trustees at Genesee Community College approved the new Strategic Plan that will help guide the College through the next five years at all levels.

From academic program developments to the investments in teaching and learning technology, hiring new employees to facility improvements-both large and small decisions are all guided by the Strategic Plan.

The shape of GCC's future at all seven campus locations in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming (GLOW) Counties, as well as GCC's Online Learning, ACE Program and even developments at College Village will all be governed by the Strategic Plan through 2023.

"Framing Our Future" is the theme of the new plan and the comprehensive planning process began in 2017 with the establishment of a 32 member Steering Committee co-chaired by Professor and Program Director of Social Sciences, Tim Tomczak, and Dean of Distributed Learning, Craig Lamb, Ph.D.

Their combined efforts included a careful examination of the prior plan's priorities and progress, an online open input form, seven forum sessions scheduled across the GLOW region and involving more than 150 participants, 500 surveys, more than 1,000 ideas, suggestions and recommendations from the College and community, and thousands of pieces of data.

"Framing Our Future" now features revised Mission and Vision Statements. In addition, there are five major Priorities reinforced by Core Objectives impacting all departments. These become the new road map by which each unit measures its success in tri-annual reports and also develops annual goals or "Plans of Achievement," as they are commonly known across campus.

To view the Strategic Plan in its entirety, go to the designated Web page at:

https://www.genesee.edu/home/about/administration/strategic-planning-initiative.

"Framing Our Future is an essential management tool that drives our programs, budgets and operations. But simultaneously, it is also an embodiment of the aspirations we hold for our students, fellow colleagues, friends and neighbors," GCC President James Sunser said.

"I invite the entire community to review this important document and our core objectives which we have published online for easy access. We hope the communities that GCC serves will join us in harnessing the power of the future."

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Three people were taken into custody around noon at Park and Oak, Batavia, after being stopped as shoplifting suspects.

Charges are pending and their names have not yet been released but police said they recovered a cache of goods allegedly stolen from Tops Friendly Market and Walmart.

The groceries from Tops included, officers said, steaks, lobster, shrimp, a large roast, gluten-free pizza, and several household items, including toilet paper.

The items recovered that appeared to be stolen from Walmart included archery bows.

The suspects appear not to be local residents.

A caller had followed the red van from Tops until police initiated a traffic stop at Park and Oak. The caller reported observing the driver of the red van pounding the steering wheel in an apparent realization they had been caught.

Police are still investigating and will release more information later.

(Submitted Photos)

Children and their families dealing with cancer often need an extra ray of sunshine and that's the purpose of Maria’s Sunshine and Dreams fund, which is the focus of a golf tournament July 29 at the Batavia Country Club.

There is still time to sign up for the sixth annual tournament, said Sarah Christ, Sunshine and Dreams Fund board member.

Maria’s Sunshine and Dreams fund provides "sunshine" for children and their families facing medical hardships with large toys, family memberships to local zoos/museums, and needed "supplies" including gift cards for gas, groceries and more.

The fund is made possible through donations and the annual golf tournament, which typically funds the program for the rest of the year. Registration for the golf tournament can be found on their website here and any questions can be directed to sunshineanddreamsfund@gmail.com. 

“Many local people come and golf in the tournament and we are constantly looking for donations and big-ticket items as well,” Christ said. “We are new and we are trying to get our name out there.”

Maria’s Sunshine and Dreams fund was started in honor of Christ’s friend, Maria Nash Anderson, who lost her battle with cancer in March 2012 at age 25. Anderson served on missions trips while attending Roberts Wesleyan College, and worked as a youth caseworker for the Genesee County Department of Social Services. Christ said she loved children and wanted to make a better life for other children.

“We thought this would be a great way to keep her memory alive,” Christ said. “We want to help other families going through difficult times by providing sunshine to them.”

Christ helps to personalize each gift by speaking with friends and family to find out the children’s interests and personalities.

“We’ve done WWE live event tickets for one boy, a spa day for a little girl, and other things, too,” Christ said. “We try to include the siblings and other family members as well because they’re going through this, too.”

Missy Sacheli, mother of “Sunshine Kid” Joseph Sacheli, said the organization brings happiness, comfort and smiles to those who need it most and they will be forever grateful they were chosen to bring sunshine to.

“The Sunshine organization was an unexpected ray of light for our son during a really difficult and dark time,” Sacheli said. “They are thoughtful and take into account each child’s interests and likes. My favorite part about them is they allow kids to focus on being kids...instead of the setbacks they are working to overcome.”

Almost all of the sunshine stays in Genesee County, but Christ said they do branch outward to surrounding areas to help other children.

In the past, Maria’s Sunshine and Dreams fund has given a lot of the proceeds to Ronald McDonald House of Rochester to be used as a separate fund for families to have fun in Rochester while they were in the area and provide meals once a week. Christ said they realized they needed to keep the money local, so most of the funds go to local families now.

“We want to try to help more kids in the area and spread the word around more than we have in the past years to get support in the community,” Christ said.

Christ is hoping to continue growing the organization to give the children bigger and better toys, as well as help the parents provide more necessities. The organization started in Rochester but was brought back locally about four years ago. Since then, Christ said they have helped more than 20 children and their families, and the number is growing.

“We try to help any kids from the age of a preemie baby whose family has to go back and forth to the hospital, or a kid with a severe or daily medical issue,” Christ said. “We focus on the kids' needs and what they love and try to use that to personalize each basket. Every basket is completely different.”

Dawn Logsdon, mother of “Sunshine Kid” Roger “Bubba” Logsdon said it is a phenomenal organization that has a unique way to brighten kids’ days and put smiles on faces that have every reason not to smile.

“The kids [Maria’s Sunshine and Dreams Fund] help have been dealt a terrible hand and [the] organization gives them the “wild card” that keeps them motivated to keep getting better and stronger,” Logsdon said.

Premier Genesee Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, the former county nursing home on Bank Street, Batavia, was hit by two air conditioning outages this week, according to the facility's director, but the AC is working now and portable ACs are being delivered to help improve cooling on the third, fourth, and fifth floors.

The first outage was only for a couple of hours on Monday and it was repaired that day. Yesterday, the outage lasted longer and residents were moved from the upper floors to the first-floor mall during repairs and re-cooling the building, said Executive Director Christine Schaller.

"It took a few hours to cool down the upper floors due to extreme outdoor heat," Schaller said. "We will continue checking all room temps routinely today and taking other measures to keep everyone cool."

Lisa Sofia, CEO of Premier Healthcare Management, has informed staff that 20 portable air-conditioning units have been ordered for the Batavia facility. Five are expected to arrive today and 15 on Saturday.

The units, Schaller said, will be used to assist in keeping the upper floors cool during the current heat wave.

Schaller shared an internal memo from Director of Nursing Tina Ferrando about the situation yesterday. She said state officials arrived at 1:45 p.m. to survey the situation.

"They took temperatures, interviewed residents and staff, as well as myself," Ferrando wrote. "(They) saw our plan in action -- all residents from upper units (3, 4, and 5) being comfortably cared for on the first floor -- using the mall walk, main dining room, and rehab dining rooms. It went well. We were doing everything we said we would and they seemed pleased with that."

The Batavian contacted the state's spokesman for the Department of Health. He didn't immediately have information available but said he would look into it and get back to us.

Ferrando said upper floor temps were checked about 7 p.m. and had fallen to below 81 degrees, so staff began moving residents back to those units. They were back in their units by 8:15 p.m.

"All residents were kept comfortable, enjoyed ice water, lemonade, juice, popsicles, ice cream, and other refreshments all day," Ferrando wrote, "with movies and music."

She promised supervisors will stay on top of the situation, regularly checking temperatures and immediately report any temperature increases.

UPDATE 2:30 p.m.: Statement from the State Department of Health:

“Ensuring the well-being of all nursing home residents is of the utmost importance of the state health department.  We are investigating concerns related to the Premier Genesee Rehabilitation and Nursing’s air conditioning system.  The Department will continue to closely monitor the situation.”   

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer is encouraging students to continue growing, learning and developing – even though school is out of session until September – by participating in his Summer Reading Program.

“As the school year comes to an end, students are turning their thoughts away from books to vacation," Ranzenhofer said. "This program is a great way to promote literacy and keep children’s minds active when they are not in a classroom. I encourage students to read all summer long by participating in the Summer Reading Program."

The theme of this year’s program is Libraries Rock! Students and parents can participate by visiting Senator Ranzenhofer’s website, ranzenhofer.nysenate.gov.

Evidence shows that children who stop reading over the summer often fall behind when they return to class in September. More than 2.2 million students participated in summer reading at New York libraries last year.

The Batavia Muckdogs’ game against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Thursday night was suspended due to rain. Batavia was trailing 3-0 in the top of the fifth. Albert Guaimaro was up to bat with a 2-0 count when the tarp came out.

The game will be finished tomorrow at 5:05 p.m. The full nine innings will be played to finish that game. Then, the originally scheduled game for tomorrow will be played 30 minutes after the completion of the first game. The originally scheduled game will be seven innings, the first seven-inning game of the season for the Muckdogs.

The Muckdogs won game one of the series, and look to give Mahoning Valley their first series loss of the season by winning either one of tomorrow’s games.

WXXI: Schumer introduces bill to allow veterans to fundraise outside post offices

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Press release: 

As Genesee Community College's 50th graduating class crammed for finals, one student worked harder, practiced longer, collaborated more, and without realizing it she embodied the College's "Beyond Expectations" brand with quiet dignity and integrity seldom seen.

Lifelong Bergen resident, Lauren E. Stumpf was born in 1994 with cerebral palsy, and has relied on a wheelchair for mobility for most of her life. But this challenge never much slowed Lauren down, nor dampened her spirited disposition.

With hard work and dedication, she has enjoyed great success. She graduated from Byron-Bergen Schools in 2012 and months later enrolled at GCC with plans to earn a degree in Human Services.

Lauren's determination has always been a mark of her character and integrity, first by proving her doctors wrong by far exceeding their projected life expectancy of just five years. Then at GCC she excelled in her coursework and quickly made friends across campus.

Several months before graduation, Lauren decided she wanted to make the ceremony even more special by surprising her family and friends with another significant accomplishment -- walking across the Commencement stage to accept her degree.

To that end, Lauren began doing exercises to strengthen her muscles, and she contacted her friends who were enrolled in GCC's Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. Together, with guidance from their professors, they helped Lauren by monitoring her progress, educating her about proper posture and exertion levels to ensure she rested appropriately and did not injure herself.

As Lauren proudly walked across the stage, the crowd cheered, applauded and many people jumped to their feet with enthusiasm and support. She shook hands with keynote speaker Kristina Johnson, Ed.D., the new SUNY Chancellor, whose speech included a message about optimism and rising to her own challenge of being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Lauren's determination inspired the GCC's admissions office to capture her story in a short video that would illustrate her resolve. It also will inspire others to meet their challenges head-on and realize the many resources available to help make their dreams a reality.

Lauren's story is proof that good news travels fast and far. After posting Lauren's story on the College's social media channels, there were more than 4,500 views in just one week. This included a message from Buffalo State College who is looking forward to having her on their campus this fall, as she begins her next challenge.

Lauren will be enrolled in Buffalo State's Special Education program, in part, as a tribute to her close friend who also enrolled in the program but sadly passed away before she graduated.

"After Buffalo State, I want to get a job as a special education teacher and possibly go back to GCC as a professor for the Developmental Disabilities class," Lauren said.

And to that GCC remarks, "Bring it on! We can't wait to see you."

Photo by Howard Owens.

News of the theft of urns from the Batavia Peace Garden has prompted community members to come forward and help both with the replacement of the urns as well improving security at the park.

Carol Grasso told WBTA this morning that Michael Tomaszewski, owner of Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel, has offered to replace the urns.

Another anonymous donor has offered to help pay for security cameras and improved lighting.

"Michael Tomaszewski, he's such a great guy; he goes so much for our community," Grasso said. "He called Paula (Savage) up and he said, 'I'm going to replace those for you.' We were just the ecstatic. He was kind enough to do this for us. He's just always been such a good supporter of the Peace Garden."

As for security, the Peace Garden board had already decided to purchase a video camera and lighting but still needed to raise more money for it. The anonymous donation helps.

"It's not cheap, you know, and then you have to have them installed," Grasso said. "We don't have any money coming into the Peace Garden. Everything we do is through donations and fundraisers. We're very fortunate to have a community that is supportive of us."

Grasso thinks it took more than one person to steal the urns.

"They were two huge, large -- they probably come up to your waist, that's how big they are," Grasso said. "They are heavy and solid granite. They're just beautiful, black. They are just gorgeous ... whoever took them, it had to be a couple of people because you can't just move them."

WBTA is news partners with The Batavian.

A caller is apparently distraught after hitting a raccoon with her car in the City of Batavia.

A dispatcher has asked an officer to stop and speak with her to calm her down and "let her know it's OK."

No location was given for the accident.

UPDATE 1:40 p.m.: About 10 minutes ago, the caller decided "she's moving on" after determining that she suffered no injuries and her vehicle is not damaged.