Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is releasing the following statement after reports surfaced Wednesday afternoon that the U.S.-Canadian border will remain closed to nonessential travel through Oct. 21st.

“The economic impact on Western New York from the extended closure of the northern border has been devastating,” Jacobs said. “This shouldn’t be a question of if we can open the border, but how to end these 30-day extensions and open safely to ensure family members can be reunited and local economies can be stimulated.

"I will work with the White House and Homeland Security to find a solution to implement a phased reopening that satisfies the needs of the United States and Canadian governments -- Western New York’s economy cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Press release:

Continuing his fight to make a college education more accessible for every New Yorker, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced a plan to cancel up to $50,000 in debt for federal student loan borrowers.

The resolution outlines how the next president should use existing executive authority under the Higher Education Act to substantially cancel student loan debt for students in New York and across the country, and ensure there is no tax liability for federal student loan borrowers resulting from administrative debt collection.

Schumer said addressing the student loan crisis will be one of the first legislative actions he will prioritize in the new 117^th Congress in January.

“Millions of young New Yorkers and their families have been crushed by student loan debt greatly impeding their ability to begin careers and build the financial resources needed to build their futures,” Senator Schumer said. “For far too long the sunny, American optimism of our young people has been clouded by crippling student debt.

"Education is supposed to be a ladder up, but studies have shown that student loans hold people back and prevent young college graduates from owning homes or starting small businesses. This holds our entire economy back, which we cannot afford after the financial devastation of COVID. That is why I will prioritize student debt forgiveness in 2021, bringing immediate relief to millions of New Yorkers and boosting our economy.”

Schumer added, “The bottom line is that the cost of college is out of control and paying for it forces millions of students and families to take on crippling debt, which greatly impedes students’ ability to get started and succeed after graduation. It is like starting a long walk with a backpack stuffed with bricks. This plan to cancel student debt on federal loans will substantially lighten that load and give recent graduates a huge boost that will launch them into a much brighter future – that will energize the economy and substantially expand our dwindling middle class.”  

The senator noted that this plan will provide complete forgiveness of student loans for more than 75 percent of borrowers across the country and at least some debt forgiveness for 95 percent of people with student loan debt. This is especially good news for the nearly 2.4 million New Yorkers with outstanding student loans and a cumulative debt of $89.5 billion as of March, according to studentaid.gov.

Schumer explained that student debt cancellation can provide immediate relief to millions who are struggling during this pandemic and recession, and give a boost to our struggling economy through a consumer-driven economic stimulus that can result in greater home-buying rates and housing stability, higher college completion rates, and greater small business formation.

More than 100 community, civil rights, consumer, and student advocacy organizations have already come out in support of using executive authority to cancel student loan debt. 

Congress has already granted the Secretary of Education the legal authority to broadly cancel student debt under section 432(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1082(a)), which grants the Secretary the authority to modify, "... compromise, waive, or release any right, title, claim, lien, or demand, however acquired, including any equity or any right of redemption."

The Department of Education has reportedly used this authority to implement modest relief for federal student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The resolution aims to:

• Recognize the Secretary of Education's broad administrative authority to cancel Federal student loan debt under the existing authorities of section 432(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1082(a));
• Call on the President of the United States to take executive action to administratively cancel up to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt for Federal student loan borrowers using existing legal authorities under such section 432(a), and any other authorities available under the law;
• Encourage the President of the United States, in taking such executive action, to use the executive's authority under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure no tax liability for Federal student loan borrowers resulting from administrative debt cancellation;
• Encourage the President of the United States, in taking such executive action, to ensure that administrative debt cancellation helps close racial wealth gaps and avoids the bulk of Federal student debt cancellation benefits accruing to the wealthiest borrowers; and
• Encourage the President of the United States to continue to pause student loan payments and interest accumulation for Federal student loan borrowers for the entire duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Schumer introduced this resolution along with Senator Warren. The legislation follows their March effort to cancel student loan payments for the duration of the COVID pandemic and provide minimum $10K payoff for all Federal student loan borrowers.

GO ART! is goofy for golf balls -- buy balls to be dropped from a helicopter for a chance to win up to $2,000!

The fundraiser for the nonprofit Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council takes place Saturday, Oct. 24 at Terry Hills Golf Course, located at 5122 Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

Tickets -- in this case golf balls -- are one for $10, three for $20, or 15 for $100. Closest to the pin wins!

GO ART! Executive Director Gregory Hallock says in an email: "Hola, aloha, bonjour, konnichiwa, hallo, hello amigo/friend/home slice, what do I need to do to convince you to buy some tickets? Please keep in mind that I am in quarantine, lol. Can I put you down for 3 at $20 or 15 at $100?"

Zeliff Aviation is providing the helicopter. The event is hosted by Terry Hills, Zeliff Aviaton and the Board of Directors for GO ART!

First prize -- up to $2,000 cash -- is based on the number of tickets sold. The minimum first prize amount is $500.

Second, third and fourth prizes are all rounds of golf at Terry Hills.

To buy balls, phone (585) 356-4617; email:   joan@gpgsinc.com; or get them online here.

The total annual tax revenue from all current Genesee County Economic Development Center-backed projects -- more than 160 since 2006 -- will generate more than $8.4 million in additional property tax revenue for local governments once all the projects have matured out of their PILOT phase.

There are more than 90 projects that received a PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) that are now completely on the tax rolls.

A PILOT waives property taxes on the increase in assessed value associated with a building expansion or new construction but requires the property owner to make payments to the local taxing jurisdictions. 

The 71 projects currently with an active PILOT generated $1.5 million in revenue for local governments, such as municipalities, the county, and school districts, in 2019.

The projects with completed PILOTs generated another $3.5 million in revenue for local governments -- revenue that would not have been realized if the property owner had not expanded or started a new project causing an increase in the assessed value of the property.

Steve Hyde, CEO of GCEDC, Jim Krencik, marketing director, and Lezlie Farrell, CFO, shared data on GCEDC's progress during an annual review presentation for the county's Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday.

Hyde and Mark Masse, vice president of operations, both said Genesee County is well-positioned to take advantage of the new thinking among manufacturers in the post-pandemic world, when many companies realize they need to tighten up their supply chains and "reshore" (bring factories back to the United States) their operations. They're looking for shovel-ready sites, and there is ample such acreage in the GCEDC-created industrial parks around the county.

"Companies are taking a serious, hard look at where there are failings in the current system, from raw materials up through shipping," Masse said.

On a recent statewide conference call with three of the nation's top site selectors, one of them, whom Hyde described as the dean of site selectors, praised Genesee County.

"We've been working on getting on his radar for 10 years," Hyde said. "When you start to get on their radar, you've got a shot."

As for STAMP -- the industrial park in Alabama being marketed to tech manufacturers -- there are five companies currently considering siting a new facility there, including a semiconductor company that Hyde indicated Sen. Charles Schumer helped swing Genesee County's way.

These are long-term projects so Hyde said it will be a while before any of these potential suitors sign a deal.

The biggest obstacle to industrial growth in Genesee County is the lack of quality housing stock. That makes it harder to attract companies who want to ensure employees who move here can find quality housing or it means well-compensated employees move to Rochester or Buffalo.

Hyde noted that the average age of a house in Batavia is 73 years, twice the national average.

Update: 1:30 p.m. with comments from Steve Hyde, president and chief executive officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center:

"Through the support of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, more than $60 million is being invested in Batavia through brownfield redevelopment, historic building renovation, and new construction.

"In this instance, we deeply appreciate the funding support by the New York State Homes and Community Renewal for Ellicott Station. The agency is a tremendous partner in helping to revitalize our community. HCR's support for transformational projects like the redevelopment of Ellicott Station is another significant step forward for our community's continued growth."

----------------

Buffalo developer Samuel Savarino this morning said the allocation of nearly $5.7 million of low-income housing tax credits for the Ellicott Station project is the key to moving the project forward.

“This is the critical component and major milestone,” said Savarino, chief executive officer of the Savarino Companies of Buffalo.

Savarino said that the commitment from New York State Homes and Community Renewal will enable his company to “get the investment in for the tax credits, which we are working on right now.”

“Closing and commencement of construction could occur anywhere between fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year,” he said. “That depends on a number of factors, including New York State being ready to close. We’re not the only transaction they have.”

The $22.5 million mixed-use brownfield development project on the site of the former Soccio & Della Penna construction company and Santy’s Tire Sales on Ellicott Street in the City of Batavia has attracted other funding streams and tax incentives since being announced more than four years ago.

Savarino said the HCR award -- reported first on The Batavian -- is a “critical component which all the other commitments of the project which are in place have been waiting for.”

“We’re very pleased to have gotten the award. There are an awful lot of projects and an awful lot of communities competing for these awards, so I think it speaks well (for) not only the project but (also) the efforts of everybody in Batavia. It certainly is good news,” he said.

It is anticipated that construction could last for up to a year and a half.

Andrew Maguire, director of economic development for the Batavia Development Corporation, expressed his thanks to HCR and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation for their continued support and investment into the City of Batavia and its downtown.

“HCR has also provided the city several New York Main Street grant programs in the past that were executed successfully,” he said. “Most recently, the City of Batavia was successful in obtaining an award for another round of New York Main Street grant funding in the tune of $300,000.”

Maguire said state funding sources “will continue to help building owners complete rehabilitation projects with a focus on additional residentials units, which is an identified need in our city and county.”

“As we continue to see increased economic development in our city with catalytic projects like Ellicott Station, and many other projects coming to fruition, HCR, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and many other state agency programs have been an integral part of that process,” he noted.

Previously: BREAKING: NYS Homes and Community Renewal approves $5,691,573 award for Ellicott Station​

The New York State Homes and Community Renewal agency has approved an award of $5,691,573 for Ellicott Station, a mixed-use brownfield development project to be built on the site of the former Soccio & Della Penna construction company and Santy’s Tire Sales on Ellicott Street in the City of Batavia.

Minutes from a July 14^th teleconference meeting of HCR’s Housing Trust Fund Corporation, a subsidiary public benefit corporation of the NYS Housing Finance Agency, reveal that Savarino Companies of Buffalo, project developer, was one of 19 initiatives receiving assistance.

The minutes also indicate that the committee members "hereby provide that this authorization will lapse after 360 days if a closing on all sources of construction financing sufficient to complete the project has not occurred."

The plan for Ellicott Station, with a price tag of $22.5 million, is to construct a five-story apartment building with 55 new, modern workforce housing units, as well as a brewery, restaurant/beer garden and potential further development on 3.31 acres. It is expected to create 20 jobs in the city’s downtown area.

The venture has received funding ($425,000) from Batavia’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award and has been approved for $3.6 million in tax abatements from the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

In December 2016, the project was awarded a $1.9 million Consolidated Application Grant through the Finger Lakes Regional Development Council. It was introduced to the public by Batavia Development Corporation officials at a press conference nine months earlier.

A telephone call and text message to Chief Executive Officer Samuel Savarino have yet to be returned.

Batavia's Acting City Manager Rachael Tabelski said that Savarino Companies have paid all of the building permit fees to the city, a sign that activity could be underway in the near future.

According to its website, the HTFC’s mission is to further community development through the construction, development, revitalization and preservation of low-income housing, the development and preservation of businesses, the creation of job opportunities, and the development of public infrastructures and facilities.

Financing resources include agency-issued tax-exempt, taxable, and 501(c)(3) bonds, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and subsidy loans.

The HTFC also authorized a $4 million award to Home Leasing LLC of Rochester for its Liberty Square project, a 55-unit, four-story apartment building that is under construction on a parcel of land that had been the site of homes at 552, 554 and 556 E. Main St., Batavia.

Twenty-eight of the apartments will be set aside for homeless veterans with the remainder designated as affordable for lower-income residents.

The total cost of that development is expected to exceed $12 million.

There are any number of reasons that a child might have the sniffles, or run a fever, or get a stomachache. But since all of these ailments are also potential symptoms of a COVID-19 infection, school districts are under instruction from the State Health Department to isolate children with these and other symptoms until its confirmed that child can't spread the disease at a school, said Rochester Regional Health Pediatrician Dr. Steven Schulz today in a Zoom conference call with reporters.

"Because of low community prevalence, there's a 99-percent chance that those symptoms are due to a different virus, that it's not COVID and that's a good thing and a good place that we're starting out with," Schulz said.

"But because we don't want COVID to spread in the schools and break out, we are being very stringent. Actually, it's the Department of Health that's been very stringent with regulations on what's required to eventually return to school."

If a child goes home with a potential COVID-19 symptom, that child can't return to school unless there is a negative COVID-19 test, and the child is again symptom-free, and a doctor has cleared the child to return to school.

The reason a child must be symptom-free even after a negative test for COVID-19, Schulz said, is because of the small percentage of COVID tests that return a false negative.

Schulz serves on the Finger Lakes Region School Reopening Task Force and is one of the people responsible for writing school reopening guidelines in the region. RRH, parent hospital group for UMMC in Batavia, sponsored today's press conference on what parents should know as their children return to school.

Possible COVID-19 symptoms that could lead to a child being kept out of school include runny nose, congestion, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, poor appetite.

"There's a whole host of conditions that can cause all of those things, not just COVID," Schulz said. "And so many kids do have chronic conditions, such as seasonal allergies that can have overlapping symptomatology."

For children with chronic conditions, a doctor can verify those conditions and letters written as needed to allow those children to return to school.

What the main focus is on, he said, is the development of new, or different, or worsening symptoms. 

"Every school district has implemented a screening protocol for students and parents to go through before that student set foot sets foot on campus If they screened positive for any of those," Schulz said. "Again, focusing on new and worsening symptoms, in particular, and those would be reasons for an evaluation with the health care provider.

"Obviously, the big one would be a fever. If a child has a fever, they certainly would need to have additional evaluation. So we, of course, would encourage families if there is any concern that their child might have symptoms that are consistent with COVID to contact their health care provider for the next steps."

If a child at a school does test positive, the Health Department will take over, conduct contact tracing, and determine if any other children were exposed and take proper precautions as necessary. If proper social distancing has been maintained and masks are worn properly, it may not be necessary to quarantine other children.

One thing parents can do to help the entire community, Schulz said, is to ensure they and their children receive a seasonal flu shot.

"It's especially important this year," Schulz said. "COVID and flu have a lot of overlapping symptoms and people can theoretically be infected with both. The concern with that is that we could overwhelm our health care system not just with COVID, but also with flu. Both together could overwhelm it even more.

"So the flu vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect you and others around you from getting the flu. And we are encouraging everyone to get that as early as possible this year."

Press release:

New Cases – As of 2 p.m. 

• Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • Two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Twenty new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
     
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19.
• One of the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
• Seven new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Photo: 4-H Fall Garden Fair class champions, from left: Gia Zuber’s Sunflower Exhibit; Tate Zuber’s Field Crops Exhibit; Alexandria Tarbell’s Pumpkin Exhibit; Bing Zuber’s Dahlia Exhibit.

Submitted photos and press release:

Congratulations to the Genesee County 4-H members who participated in the 4-H Fall Garden Fair at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Office on Sept. 14-16.

A variety of vegetable, field crops and cut flower projects were entered by 4-H youth.

With the County Fair cancelled this year, the 4-H Fall Garden Fair was an opportunity for 4-H members to have their gardening projects evaluated.

Projects were judged by Genesee County Master Gardener Volunteers for their overall quality, uniformity, color and being free of insects and disease.  

4-H Fall Garden Fair Class Champions:

Sunflower Cut Flowers – Gia Zuber

Field Crops – Tate Zuber, field corn exhibit

Vegetable – Alexandria Tarbell, pumpkin exhibit

Dahlia Cut Flowers – Bing Zuber

The Genesee County 4-H Program is a youth development program for youth ages 5-18. New 4-H youth members, adult volunteers and clubs are always welcome.

For information about how to join the Genesee County 4-H Program, please contact the 4-H Office at genesee4h@cornell.edu or (585) 343-3040, ext. 131.

Below, Genesee County Master Gardener volunteer Kim evaluating 4-H fall garden fair projects.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs is announcing the following information for students in New York’s 27^th Congressional District who are seeking a nomination to a United States service academy.

Members of Congress can nominate candidates to four of the five U.S. service academies – the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, Colo.; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY. The fifth academy – the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn. – does not require a congressional nomination.

Rep. Jacobs’ office will be holding a virtual information night with representatives from each of the academies to brief prospective attendees on the nomination process and answer questions. The virtual meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 23^rd, at 6 p.m. EST. To RSVP for this night and get login information attendees may call (716) 634-2324 or (585) 519-4002.

Application information can be found at Jacobs.house.gov/services. The deadline for applications will be Friday, Nov. 6^th, at 5 p.m. EST. All applications must be sent to Rep. Jacobs’ Clarence District Office at 8203 Main St., Suite 2, Williamsville, NY 14221.

“It is my distinct honor to help foster the next generation of military leaders," Jacobs said. "Western New York has a deep history of service to our nation, and I look forward to nominating a new class of dedicated and service driven students to our service academies this year."

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) released the following statement Tuesday following the signing of Abraham Accords between Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.

“Stability in the Middle East has been a long-sought and elusive goal, so it is incredible today President Trump presided over the signing of three different peace agreements between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain," said Congressman Chris Jacobs.

"Iran and radical extremism have been a persistent threat to our troops, our allies and partners in the region, and global security for years, and these peace deals move us closer to building a coalition to confront and end Iranian aggression once and for all.

"I commend President Trump and his team for their tireless work to stabilize the Middle East and uphold our commitment to supporting Israel; this is truly a historic day, and every American should celebrate this tremendous accomplishment."

From Jerry Diskin:

Commander David Rumsey announces that at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18th, there will be a brief ceremony for POW/MIA Recognition Day at the memorial park outside the Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post #576, located at 53 W. Main St. Village of Le Roy.

What is National POW/MIA Recognition Day?

The United States’ National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed across the nation on the third Friday of September each year. Many Americans take the time to remember those who were prisoners of war (POW) and those who are missing in action (MIA), as well as their families.

The event will begin at 6 o'clock sharp! with a brief ceremony, presenting the “POW/MIA” Missing Man table ceremony, followed by a salute from the Color Guard and Firing Squad.

All are welcome to attend. "For God and Country..." 

In photo from left, Superintendent Mickey Edwards, Undersheriff Bradley D. Mazur, Deputy/Byron-Bergen SRO Joshua A. Brabon, Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr.

Submitted photos and press release:

Due to the recent retirement of the Genesee Valley BOCES School Resource Officer, Deputy Richard S. Schildwaster has been assigned to fill this position. He is a six-year veteran of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and was the former SRO at Byron-Bergen Central School District.  

The Byron-Bergen Central School District has selected Deputy Joshua A. Brabon as its new SRO. Deputy Brabon is a 2012 Advanced Regents graduate of L.A. Webber High School in Lyndonville, and a 2016 graduate of SUNY Brockport with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Environmental Studies. Deputy Brabon brings with him experience as a former SRO at the Perry Central School District and is a two-and-a-half year veteran of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. 

Additionally, the Oakfield-Alabama, Pembroke, Alexander, and Pavilion central school districts also renewed their commitments for this year’s School Resource Officers on campus. 

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. has previously stated that it his goal to establish a School Resource Officer in all county schools to ensure the safety and protection of the students and faculty.

“Although the cost associated with placing a School Resource Officer in the schools is significant, I continue to believe the safety and security of our children should be of the utmost precedence,” Sheriff Sheron said.

Below, from left, Undersheriff Bradley D. Mazur, Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr., Deputy/ Genesee Valley BOCES SRO Richard S. Schildwaster, and Executive Principal Jon Sanfratello of Genesee Valley BOCES.

Press release:

The Pavilion Central School District’s Board of Education has named three finalists for the district’s next superintendent.

Marirose Ethington, Pavilion Central School District’s board president, said she is pleased with the high-quality candidate pool and enthused about the potential the three finalists have to offer. 

“Selecting the best superintendent for Pavilion Central Schools is the Board’s top priority,” Ethington said. “We are extremely pleased by the quality of the finalists. We are confident that one of these candidates will be the best Superintendent for our school district and community.”

The three finalists are Mary Kate Hoffman, Timothy McArdle and Paul Kesler.

Mary Kate Hoffman is the principal of York Elementary School located in Retsof. Hoffman has 11 years of educational leadership experience including serving as the assistant secondary principal, interim principal and director of Curriculum and Instruction at Pavilion Central Schools. Hoffman began her career in education in 1995 as a second-grade teacher at Pavilion Elementary School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from SUNY College at Fredonia, and a Master of Science in Education from SUNY College at Geneseo. She earned a certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from SUNY College at Brockport.

Timothy McArdle currently serves as the principal of Le Roy Junior Senior High School located in Le Roy, a position he has held since 2013. McArdle began teaching in 2003 as a Health and Physical Education teacher for grades 7-12 in the Portville Central School District. He continued his career at Honeoye Falls-Lima Central Schools serving as the Middle School dean of students. McArdle also served as an assistant principal at Batavia Middle School from 2010-2013. McArdle earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and a Master of Science in Health Education from St. Bonaventure University. He holds a certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from SUNY Brockport.

Paul Kesler is the principal of Batavia High School, where he has served since 2018. Kesler has 23 years of experience in the educational field. He has been employed by the Batavia City School District since 2005, when he began as a principal of John Kennedy Elementary School. He began his career in education in 1997 as a kindergarten/second grade teacher at Dr. Louis Cerulli School #34, an elementary school in the Rochester City School District. Kesler holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from SUNY College at Geneseo and a Master of Science in Education from SUNY College at Brockport. He also holds a Master of Science in Educational Administration from St. John Fisher College. Kesler is certified as a New York State School Administrator/Supervisor. 

Stakeholder groups and the BOE will conduct the final round of interviews with the three candidates on Sept. 29 and 30 at the Pavilion Central School District. The BOE hopes to appoint the final candidate by early November.

Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of the Genesee Valley BOCES, who is acting as search consultant, said the Board has developed and implemented a process that will help determine the best candidate.

“This is a rigorous search process,” MacDonald said. “Finalists are interviewed by several stakeholder groups, and concludes with a board meeting to make a final decision.”

This home is so spacious and well laid out with extra large rooms, nice kitchen cabinetry, new flooring through out and two full large baths -- one on each floor. Off of kitchen is a large pantry room with laundry hookup – so convenient! Three bedrooms and full bath upstairs, the master bedroom is oversized with pretty wood accents and nice lighting.

There's also full attic, if you need more storage as well a freshly painted, clean and bright basement area for all the rest or a place to work. Cute fenced in back yard and drive...this a great home! Click here to view this listing. Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today, (585) 344-home (4663).

Press release:

Continuing their tireless advocacy for New York’s hard-hit dairy farmers in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to ensure both Canada and Mexico are held accountable to their trade commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force earlier this year on July 1^st.

Specifically, the senators pointed out three harmful dairy trade practices, including Canada’s recent allocation of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for U.S. exports of several categories of dairy products, Canada’s Class 7 pricing program (Class 6 in Ontario) and lack of transparency in milk-pricing regulations, and the need for Mexico to translate its USMCA commitment of safeguarding more than 30 common cheese names for American products, into regulations.

“New York’s dairy farmers are the lifeblood of the Upstate economy, but unfortunately they have been squeezed by the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis,” Senator Schumer said. “That is why I am calling on Ambassador Lighthizer and Secretary Perdue to do everything in their power to ensure that Canada and Mexico abide by their dairy trade obligations, allowing Upstate New York dairy farmers to freely sell their product – as agreed to in the new trade agreement with both countries, the USMCA.

"The trade deal entered into force two months ago, and there can be no further delays to ensuring our New York dairy farmers can sell their products, unimpeded by unfair trade barriers, into Canada and Mexico and churn up profits that mitigate the huge losses they have suffered this year.”

“Dairy is New York’s primary agricultural product and our rural economies depend on the survival of the industry, but poor implementation of USMCA provisions on dairy will harm our dairy farmers and make it even harder for them to recover from this crisis,” Senator Gillibrand said. "Secretary Perdue and USTR Ambassador Lighthizer must hold our trading partners accountable and ensure equitable trading practices for America’s dairy farmers.”

Schumer and Gillibrand explained that under USMCA, Canada agreed to an expansion of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for several categories of U.S. dairy products. However, recently, it has come to the senators’ attention that Canada’s recently-released TRQ allocations weaken the intent of the USMCA and will prevent New York dairy farmers from fully benefitting from the agreement’s expanded market access opportunities.

Additionally, the senators said that under the new trade deal, Canada agreed to eliminate Class 6 & 7 pricing within six months. However, as Schumer revealed in June, Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO), which represents approximately 4,000 Canadian dairy farmers, requested that Ontario’s tribunal which provides an avenue of appeal on agriculture issues grant restricted access to DFO’s pricing regulations.

The senators argued that with only a few months left until the USMCA six-month deadline to eliminate Class 6 & 7, the lack of transparency and timing of DFO’s request  in combination with the new TRQs, raises questions about whether or not Canada is seeking to circumvent its dairy commitments in USMCA.

The senators also noted that U.S. dairy farmers secured a major victory in the USMCA when Mexico affirmed a list of more than 30 terms for cheese that would remain available as common names for U.S. cheese producers when exporting to Mexico, but with uncertainty remaining over how Mexico will translate its commitment to protect these common cheese names into regulations, U.S. dairy farmers are in danger of losing out on the market share they spent years developing.

Contracts for school resource officers at the Byron-Bergen Central School District and Genesee Valley BOCES* were approved on Monday afternoon by the Genesee County Legislature’s Public Service Committee.

At a meeting at the Old County Courthouse, the committee endorsed memorandums of understanding that place county sheriff’s deputies in the schools as follows:

• Byron-Bergen, 12-month pact from Sept. 1, 2020 through Aug. 31, 2021, at a cost of $96,720.86, which includes salary, fringe benefits and medical insurance;
• GV BOCES, 10-month pact from Sept. 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, at $77,327.70, and from Sept. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, at $78,191.89, which includes salary and fringe benefits.

County Sheriff William Sheron said that Deputy Josh Brabon will be assigned to Byron-Bergen and Deputy Rich Schildwaster will be assigned to GV BOCES.

Appointments at both schools changed recently with the retirement of Deputy Chris Erion.

The discrepancy in the contract figures stem from the fact that Schildwaster is not taking the medical insurance, instead opting for a “buy-back," Sheron said.

The actual dollar amounts could change after ratification of hourly rates negotiated with the Genesee County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, and yearly retirement and health insurance rates. All costs associated with the SROs are paid for by the school districts.

In other action, the committee:

-- Approved allocating $28,900 from the 1 percent sales tax fund to advance a capital project for improvements at the Genesee County Animal Shelter at 3841 W. Main Street Road.

The county received a $200,000 grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets under the Companion Animal Program and proceeded to solicit bids from qualified contractors for the renovation.

Committee approval awards the job to Testa Construction Inc., of Rochester, which put in a bid of $209,900. Since the balance in the project after architectural costs is $181,000, the amendment to take an additional $28,900 was necessary.

Highway Superintendent Tim Hens said that improvements include installation of mobile kennels, properly winterizing the facility (ventilation system modifications), flooring, caging and fencing.

-- Accepted a grant from the NYS Office of Victim Services in the amount of $130,104.49 to cover the period of Oct. 1, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021 to continue Genesee Justice’s Victim Assistance Program.

Genesee Justice Coordinator Catherine Uhly said the award represents a 23-percent increase from last year.

The animal shelter and Genesee Justice resolutions will be considered by the Ways & Means Committee at a meeting scheduled for 4:30 this afternoon at the Old County Courthouse.

*BOCES is the acronym for Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce our next edition of our Guest Speaker Series. On Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., Jay Black will be presenting on “Civil War Weapons.”

Black is a local Civil War reenactor who will be telling us the history of many of the weapons used during the Civil War as well as showing off many of them in person from his vast collection.

The presentation will be available virtually through Zoom and Facebook Live. It is free to join and watch the presentation. For the Zoom information please visit our website. The Facebook Live information is available on our Facebook page.

This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!

For more information please call the museum at (585) 343-4727 or email at:   hollandlandoffice@gmail.com