Press release:

April 9

Dear Fellow Resident,

Each day is changed from our normal routines. Most of us feel frustrated, a bit scared and a loss of control. However, we can control our reaction to COVID-19. Every Genesee County resident can take action to provide defense to the spread of COVID-19.

We are the first line of defense to Stop The Spread.

Please adhere to these Civic Responsibility Guidelines:

• If you are sick – Stay Home. Call your primary doctor and follow their advice. Do not show up at the hospital unannounced. Healthcare staff is already working hard on those who are sick. Don’t add needless stress to our healthcare system. Think of others first.
• Follow guidance from authorities – if you are told to stay 6 feet apart – Stay Apart.
• If you need essentials – Shop Solo! Don’t take your family on a shopping trip. You put others at risk, especially those working to ensure you have your essential items. Think of them first.
• Use mail-order for prescriptions. Drug stores are offering many options to enable you to receive medications. Call and ask so you can Stay Safer At Home.
• Consider a grocery delivery service. They can deliver to your door. Be sure to wipe down items before bringing into your home. Recipe for solution: 1 gallon of water to 5-6 tablespoons of Clorox/bleach.
• Face Covering is recommended when you go out in public. Stay 6 Feet Apart even with your face covered. Online tutorials on face coverings are available.
• All gatherings including holiday celebrations, such as Easter and Passover are cancelled by Executive order of NYS Governor. Stay Apart so we can be together again.
• Children crave routine, stay in sync with daily bedtimes, meals schedules, dressing for the day and routines. It leads to calm for young children.
• Stay in touch virtually- with family and friends. Take 5 minutes each day to talk with a family member or friend to check in with their needs. Offer to assist if you are able. Do not engage in group activity.

The Care & Crisis Hotline is available if you need to talk to someone – call (585) 283-5200 or Text 741741. We are here to listen.  

Remember that we all want to be in control and these actions will give sense of control against COVID-19.

I ask you, along with my fellow elected community leaders, do this for others who must work in these difficult times. Those who provide you with food, medicine, healthcare; they want to go home, too.

Let’s all do our part now and for the next few weeks to stay apart so we can all be together again.

Together we are Genesee Strong,

Rochelle M. Stein, Chair, Genesee County Legislature

Town and Village of LeRoy

On behalf of the Genesee County Legislature

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is thanking a longtime local business for supporting the community during this current healthcare crisis. Chapin Manufacturing, a staple business since 1884, is donating one gallon and three gallon spraying containers for the purposes of disinfecting buildings during the coronavirus outbreak.

“When the CEO reached out to me last week, I was absolutely thrilled to hear and couldn’t say yes fast enough,” Hawley said. “It’s good to see that despite all of the confusion and concern throughout the state and the country, people are still stepping up to help their neighbors. It gives me the hope and reassurance that after all this is over, our community will come back together stronger than ever.”

The sprayers will be distributed to the Genesee County, Orleans County, and Monroe County Emergency Management offices. The EMOs will coordinate with local hospitals, fire departments, EMTs and schools to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in using these generous gifts.

Press release:

U.S. Postal Service is looking to hire temporary clerk assistants in Post Offices around Western NY (Buffalo, Rochester, Jamestown, Elmira and surrounding areas).

The deadline to apply is April 11.

Pay is $17.95 per hour. THE ONLY WAY TO APPLY IS TO GO TO www.usps.com/careers.

From the website, click on “Search Jobs” select “New York,” click “Start,” and then click on the link for the appropriate job.

A general overview of USPS employment requirements, specific job requirements, and hourly pay is available at the website.

Applicants must be 18 years of age, or 16 years of age with a high school diploma. All applicants must be able to pass drug screening and a criminal background investigation. Some positions require an exam.

Any position that has a driving requirement will also require a valid driver’s license and a clean DMV two-year driving history. Citizenship or permanent resident status is required.

Additionally, if an applicant has been outside of the U.S. for more than six months out of the last five years, the Postal Service is not able to process a clearance for them. This applies to both U.S. Citizens and non-U.S. Citizens.

Job openings will be regularly updated; additional positions are available. Interested applicants should log on to http://usps.com/careers frequently to check for new postings.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The Genesee County District Attorney’s Office and the family of murder victim Norman D. “Don” Ball vehemently oppose an application that would permit Kyle Johnson to be moved from a secure mental health facility in Orange County to a non-secure facility.

Johnson (photo at right), in December of 2016, was committed to the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center in New Hampton after being found not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect of murder.

It was a year earlier, on Dec. 1, 2015, when Johnson shot the 69-year-old Ball to death while he was sleeping at his Selden Road, Le Roy residence.

Johnson then returned to his own home, set it on fire and then fired shots at a Le Roy fire chief and Le Roy police officer when they responded to the fire alarm. Following an hours-long standoff -- during which Johnson reportedly asked officers to shoot him and threatened officers with a rifle in his arms – the perpetrator surrendered peacefully to authorities.

These actions led District Attorney Lawrence Friedman to file an eight-count indictment against Johnson that included charges of murder, burglary, arson and attempted murder.

In the end, Johnson was evaluated by a pair of psychologists – one hired by the prosecution and the other hired by the defense – and it was determined that he was not guilty by reason of mental illness or defect.

Tentative court date set for April 29

Three years and four months later, officials at Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center are petitioning Orange County Supreme Court to allow Johnson to be transferred to a non-secure facility. A tentative date of April 29 has been set by the court to ensure the matter stays on the court’s calendar.

Assistant District Attorney Diane LaVallee, who has been assigned to the case, on Tuesday said the Genesee County DA’s office is against the proposed transfer considering the severity of the crimes committed and the timing of such a move.

“For someone to go from, so obviously, terribly dangerously mentally ill to not being dangerously mentally ill after three years of services … this is hard to believe,” LaVallee said. “I think that everyone expected that this was going to happen someday but no one, including Mr. Friedman, would have ever believed that it would be this quickly. It’s very, very soon.”

LaVallee, with 35 years’ experience as a prosecutor, joined the Genesee County DA’s office recently. She previously served as deputy chief of Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit of the NYS Attorney General’s Office and, before that, chief of the Attorney General’s Capital Assistance to Prosecutors Unit.

She said her office is taking all steps necessary to ensure that Johnson, who was 53 at the time of the murder, stays in a secure mental health facility.

DA's office to seek psychiatric exam

“The DA’s office can be a party to this even though this is a civil proceeding, but we obviously are an interested party, so we have given our notice of appearance and expressed our opposition to such a transfer at this time,” she said. “We’ve been actively going through the process of getting another psychiatrist to conduct an examination of him and we have received the (confidential) medical records.”

LaVallee added that Genesee Justice has drafted a letter seeking information about Johnson’s mental state that would be helpful to the court in deciding whether or not Johnson remains dangerously mentally ill. Those interested in responding to this call for information are asked to contact Rosanne DeMare at Genesee Justice, LaVallee said.

“What we’re looking for is information that would be relevant to whether he currently suffers from a dangerous mental illness,” LaVallee explained. “Relevant information would include information that people might have relating to statements that he may have made about his mental illness or his current capacity.”

Continuing, she said that sometimes patients in these facilities will still correspond with individuals (from the area where the crimes were committed).

“Just as importantly, the horrendous incident itself isn’t that long ago," she said. "So, one of the arguments we expect to make … is that it’s just too soon. The brutal murder of one individual and shooting at other responders at the scene; by nature, you’re not going to be cured of your dangerousness within this short a period of time.”

Victim's son says system is partly to blame

Ball’s son, Ryan, 41, on Wednesday said he is “completely against” a possible transfer and said the system failed society by not locking Johnson up prior to the murder.

“It’s unprecedented how fast this is happening. It’s not even the norm that somebody would be set free or healed in that amount of time,” Ryan said. “I think it’s a danger to society to allow that. And the whole reason that he did this in the first place is because he was not put away after doing several things. He should have been put away before this ever happened.”

Ryan said that Johnson’s history includes holding his own family at gunpoint and “nothing was done about it.”

“He (Johnson) is notorious for not taking his medication,” he said. “I don’t like the fact that he got away on a not guilty by reason of insanity; I do not agree with that. It would have been an uphill battle from what doctors were saying (that Johnson was mentally ill). Sane or not, you know right from wrong. You should be able to be prosecuted.”

Ryan also said he believes the proposed transfer has more to do with a lack of bed space at facilities such as the one in Orange County.

“While I’m glad they’re (the DA’s office) going to battle to keep him in there, I don’t believe it has anything to do with him being healed or any saner, but more about not having enough facilities to handle people,” he said. “That’s my personal opinion.”

Ryan lives with his wife and children on the Selden Road property in a new home that he built (after tearing down the old one). He has three sisters, Cherie (Craig) Wessel of Le Roy, Jeanette Keating of Spencerport and Shawna (Ken) Geil of Spencerport.

'Too soon and a lack of bed space'

His mother, Carol Rider, and her husband, John, said Friedman assured them at the time of the verdict that Johnson “wouldn’t see the light of day for many, many years.” This new development, however, has them worried.

“It has only been three years," Carol said. "They’re going to have a hearing to put him in a minimum-security facility and the next step after that is ‘good-bye.’ And that’s mostly because of lack of bed space.” 

“We feel the community needs to know what is going on and have a chance to give their input,” John added.

LaVallee said she wasn’t sure where Johnson would end up should the court rule in his favor to be transferred, but it could be the Rochester Psychiatric Center.

“Hypothetically, someone admitted to a less secure facility would be put into a lockdown unit with certain conditions put on him,” she said. “As he shows his ability to be not dangerous or (ability to be) compliant, then he’ll be given more freedom but also with more conditions. Eventually, yes, the goal is that he’s back in society.”

She said that some people can be rehabilitated and not be a threat to society, but “we don’t want to create a vigilante-type of atmosphere either.”

“He (Johnson) has got to be able to live safely wherever he ends up living,” she said. “This, hopefully, will be years and years down the line, but whenever it happens we want to weigh the understandable grief and outrage of the victim’s family with his own safety as well.”

An administrator at the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center said “probably not” when asked if someone would be available to comment on the facility’s petition to the court, mentioned a media contact and then hung up the phone.

It's likely that many people in Genesee County -- already worried about the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and New York life on pause -- are brought even lower tonight by the death of beloved songwriter John Prine.

The 73-year-old Illinois native succumbed yesterday to COVID-19 in Nashville where he lived, and fans worldwide are in mourning. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame last June and was to perform in Ireland this summer.

A handful of local musicians say they discovered Prine's music after The Batavian posted Oct. 12, 2018, about the inaugural Day of Remembrance & Hope, which was held just two days later at Genesee County Park & Forest.

The official YouTube video of Prine's "Summer's End" -- a song revealed with the video's release to be about opioid overdoses -- was embedded at the bottom of that post, which noted the accidental drug-related death of a Ventura County resident with local ties, Charles Raymond Sutherland.

Remarkably, a band of seasoned musicians known as the Midnight Cruisers learned the song in rapid fashion and performed it at the debut event -- an occasion put together by Bright Futures Genesee, a nonprofit headed by Sue Gagne, to aid people during the relentless (and ongoing) opioid epidemic.

They said they were delighted to discover John Prine.

Social distancing was not in our daily lexicon; it was a nice autumn day at the park and people were welcome to amble about, reflect on love and loss, and enjoy some tunes.

So the Midnight Cruisers did their thing, with singer Neil Gagne on bass guitar, his son Joe on guitar along with his brother Doug, and Bob Bjornholm ("absolutely no relation") played drums. Afterward, somebody gave the band a few bucks for gas money, a small token of appreciation.

There was sharing, laughs, and tears -- aids always to healing, especially when there's music.

A reporter brought a homemade booklet memorializing "Chuck" that contained family pictures, personal anecdotes, a poem or two, King James Scripture, and links to a "Magnum Opus" of songs posted on YouTube.

Copies had been distributed, along with small purple ribbons, at a memorial service for him two weeks after his death (at 9:05 p.m. Feb. 22, 2018, according to the coroner's autopsy report).

The service took place at the base of (Fr. Junipero) Serra Cross Park at Grant Park, an enormous wooden monument high on a hill in the City of San Buenaventura, with a sweeping world-class vista of the coastline and the Ventura Pier, once the longest wooden pier in California.

Grant Park, site of countless weddings and other public gatherings, was officially closed, the entrance gate remained padlocked. A few months before, the historic and devasting Thomas Fire had charred the chaparral-covered hillsides.

Through sheer audacious begging in a prideless letter to the city manager's office, a public official relented and agreed to meet mourners at the gate below the cross -- damaged but still standing -- unlocking it for the 45-minute service at 4 p.m. on March 8, 2018.

A ukelele player performed "Vincent."

A solo Americana artist played acoustic guitar and sang his favorite song, "Blackbird," and "Summer's End," which was announced by Prine on his Facebook page Feb. 8, 2018, Chuck's 35th birthday. Although the guy knew many John Prine songs, that one was so fresh he had to learn it from scratch quickly -- like the Midnight Cruisers did subsequently.

It had rained in Ventura for several days before and afterward but for the memorial, the midafternoon sky was clear and blue; the Pacific Ocean sparkled.

Two years ago today, the Ventura County Star published the obituary.

They say timing is everything.

It can be painful when it's off. A Prine fan in Genesee County wrote her first-ever fan letter, highly personalized, at the beginning of this month, thanking him for "Summer's End."

But due to COVID-19 and the tsunami of news coverage that followed, it didn't get mailed until after Prine's hospitalization was publicized. Oh Boy Records was alerted to be on the scout for a bright chartreuse envelope.

Belatedly, thank you Midnight Cruisers for sharing "Summer's End," and thank you to John Prine, and poets who vividly express our humanity and give us hope.

(Top photo: John Prine at Mariposa Folk Festival at Toronto Islands, Canada, in July 1972, used by permission of Kris Browne, courtesy of Dave Reilly.)

"Caravan of Fools"

"Summer's End" -- (Song/album presale, lyrics-only version)

"When I Get to Heaven"

A car has reportedly hit a pedestrian in area of 15 Highland Park, Batavia.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:46 p.m.: Batavia PD detectives are responding to the scene. Sgt. Eric Bolles confirmed that the scene is being treated as a crime scene. He said officers at this time do not know what happened and are trying to locate a cooperative witness. The driver was no longer on scene. Bolles could not confirm his status. A woman on scene was offering suggestions of where the driver might be. Bolles did not know condition of the victim, who was apparently taken by Mercy EMS to the Mercy Flight hangar to be airlifted to Strong Memorial Hospital. A man at the scene was yelling at police claiming they weren't doing anything about the situation. Bolles said there probably won't be an update from Batavia PD until the morning.

Faced with another proposal in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2020-21 executive budget that shifts more costs to municipalities, the Genesee County Legislature today unanimously passed a resolution calling on state senators and assembly members to overturn a plan to shift the total expense of mental health competency restoration services to counties.

Cuomo’s spending plan makes counties responsible for 100 percent of the Office of Mental Health State Operations costs for certain individuals receiving mental health treatment at State-operated Forensic Psychiatric Centers – up from the current 50-percent model.

Genesee County officials believe an increase of this magnitude would adversely affect the quantity and quality of local behavioral health programs to help those with mental illness and development disabilities.

“I think this would definitely have a significant financial impact,” said Lynda Battaglia, director of Genesee County Mental Health Services. “Counties, overall, may not have anybody that needs restoration for a year or two, and then the following year they might have four or five. It’s a little bit challenging to budget for something that can be extremely unpredictable.”

The county paid $64,000 in 2018 and $78,000 in 2019 for restoration services to the OMH and an additional $23,000 in 2018 and $75,000 in 2019 to the Office for People with Development Disabilities. These figures represent half of the total cost of these services.

This year’s budgeted amount for OMH is $60,000.

Battaglia said expenses are incurred for individuals who have been arrested for a crime and have been deemed incompetent to stand trial.

“Therefore, they need to be restored to competency so they have an understanding of the court proceedings and the charges being brought against them so they can aid in their defense if needed,” she said. “If they are found to be needing restoration, they go to a state forensic unit for the service -- for the restoration. And the length of time for restoration is really just dependent upon every individual.”

People with developmental disabilities who have found themselves in the criminal justice system also need restoration and counties are responsible for them as well, she added.

The resolution continues to state that counties are not privy to any information about the treatment for which they are paying, unlike other payors “for medical services (that) are clearly entitled both under HIPAA and MHL (Mental Hygiene Law) to receive information about the services for which payment is sought” and that depending on the “medical or surgical treatment required (the cost) could be hundreds of thousands of dollars and have devastating impacts on county budgets.”

County Manager Jay Gsell said this is another example of the governor placing more weight on the counties’ shoulders.

“NYSAC (NYS Association of Counties) told us that this looks like it’s going to stick in the new budget so you need to come up with some kind of strategy as to how you’re going to react to it,” Gsell said. “We’re finding out with the state budget that they did these things at the very last minute. How do you keep up with this stuff? Now, we know that the budget we adopted four or five months ago is no longer the same.”

In another development, Gsell spoke about the "trial run" on Monday of the county Emergency Management alert that went out to mobile devices.

"It's a work in progress," he said, acknowledging that certain devices did not receive the alerts. "We're using it to reinforce 'safer at home' and 'no social gathering' messages. It's not refined yet, but hopefully will be in a few days or week."

In other action, legislators -- during their video conferencing meeting on Zoom and YouTube:

-- Read proclamations noting “County Government Month” and “Public Safety Telecommunicators’ Week (April 12-18).

The first one recognizes Genesee County for its commitment to keeping systems moving during what Gsell called a “trying but encouraging time” and the other thanks 9-1-1 center dispatchers for exemplary service to citizens, police officers and firefighters, especially as they have been “tested during this current pandemic.”

-- Appropriated $3,107 to the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Education Alliance for the 2020 calendar year.

-- Voted to fund, through the Genesee County STOP-DWI program, a $3,778 purchase of MARijuana Driving Experience (MARED) campaign kits and accessories for the City of Batavia Police Department.

Interview with Dr. Jacob Dominik, of the Sleep Insights center in Batavia.

Press release:

• Flags Will Remain Lowered While New York is on PAUSE;
• Kosciuszko Bridge, Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Spire of One World Trade Center and LaGuardia Airport Parking Garages Will Be Lit Blue on Thursday, April 9th as Part of the #LightItBlue Campaign;
• Announces SUNY Albany President Havidan Rodriguez Will Work with State Department of Health and Northwell Health to Conduct More COVID-19 Data Research and Increase Testing in Minority Communities;
• Directs State Department of Labor to Make $600 in Additional Weekly Unemployment Benefits Available to All New Yorkers -- Extends Period Covered by Unemployment Benefits for Another 13 Weeks, for Total of 39 Weeks;
• Governor Will Issue Executive Order to Ensure New Yorkers Can Vote Absentee in the June 23rd Primary Elections;
• 2,400 Brand New BiPAP Machines Donated to the State by Mercury Medical, Flown to New York from Florida for Free by JetBlue and Transported on the Ground by Southern Glazer's;
• Announces Delta, JetBlue, and United are Offering Free Travel to New York for COVID-19 Medical Workers;
• State Has Distributed Over One Million Free Bottles of NYS Clean Hand Sanitizer Across All 62 Counties;
• Confirms 10,453 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State -- Bringing Statewide Total to 149,316; New Cases in 52 Counties;
• Governor Cuomo: "It's not a time to get complacent. It's not a time to do anything different than we've been doing. Remember what happened in Italy when the entire health care system became overrun. So we have to remain diligent, we have to remain disciplined going forward. There's no doubt that we are now bending the curve and there's no doubt that we can't stop doing what we're doing."

Daily COVID-19 Briefing:

New Cases

• As discussed during yesterday’s briefing, we are adding age ranges broken down by decade (except those from ages 0-20) to reiterate that any age is susceptible to COVID-19 and the complications. Throughout the nation even young people are having serious complications that may be associated with known or unknown underlying health conditions and health behaviors such as smoking, vaping and obesity. Tomorrow we are planning on including a cumulative breakdown of the ages.

• As of 2 p.m. today:
  • Genesee County received 11 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 54 positive cases
    • Ten of the individuals reside in the central part of the County and one individual resides in the eastern part of the county.
    • One individual is in their 20s; four individuals are in their 30s; two individuals are in their 40s; three individuals are in their 60s, and one individual is in their 70s.
• Orleans County: Four new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 21
  • All four new cases live in the central part of Orleans County. One is in their 50s, one in their 70s, one in their 80s and one in their 90s
  • All of the Orleans positive cases were connected to a confirmed positive case and are in mandatory isolation.
• Contact tracing has been initiated for all new cases. Known contacts have already been placed under mandatory quarantine and will be swabbed if indicated (if symptoms become present).
• If a person is identified as a contact, they will be notified by the County Health Department, quarantined and if warranted, swabbed if indicated. Limited information is provided to the public in compliance with HIPAA regulations and out of the respect of those impacted by this virus.
• When, and if, there is a situation where potential contact is made in a public location where contact tracing doesn’t have actual names we will send out a media announcement to help seek contacts.

OPERATIONAL UPDATES

• Going out for essentials -- recommendations.
  If you have to pick up essential items such as groceries or prescriptions, only one member of the house hold should be going out. Make a list ahead of time to limit your exposure in the store. Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between you and other people. Do not bring in unessential items such as purses, phones, etc.
• Because COVID-19 is circulating locally, we can’t stress enough how important social distancing is and that EVERYONE needs to take this seriously and stay home! It is your social and civic responsibility to protect yourselves and others.

Businesses and Employers

• Essential Businesses must continue to comply with the guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment issued by the New York State Department of Health and every business, even if essential, is strongly urged to maintain social distance to the extent possible.
• As an employer or business, it is your responsibility to protect your workforce and to follow and understand guidance as it pertains to COVID-19. The health and safety of your employees should be your utmost concern. Below are some things to consider:
  • Actively encourage sick employees to stay home.
  • If an employee becomes sick while at work, they should be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors and sent home immediately. Follow CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting areas the sick employee visited.
  • Have conversations with employees about their concerns. Some employees may be at higher risk for severe illness, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions.
• The Governor has established the New York State PAUSE Enforcement Assistance Task Force where individuals can file complaints regarding the operation of nonessential businesses or gatherings 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click here to file a complaint online. You may also call 1-833-789-0470. Businesses that are not in compliance with the Governor’s executive order may be penalized.
• If you believe your employer is in violation of either existing labor laws or recently issued executive orders, please contact the New York State Attorney General’s office at (212) 416-8700 or mailto:Labor.Bureau@ag.ny.gov

The Use of Cloth Face Coverings

• The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies). The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected. Recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms. Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing or proper hand washing.
   
• The cloth face cover should:
  • fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face;
  • be secured with ties or ear loops;
  • include multiple layers of fabric;
  • allow for breathing without restriction;
  • be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape.
     
• The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

Mental Health

• Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations and having to socially distance yourself from someone you love can be difficult. Below are resources that can help you connect to a professional that can help you though these challenging times:
  • Care + Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 at 585-283-5200 or text "Talk" to 741741;
  • New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling;
  • Head Space: A mindfulness app called Headspace is offering some meditations to listen to for free to ease minds in such a stressful time. The app is free to download and includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help with the varying emotions you may be feeling. The app does include in-app purchases.

Batavia City School District leaders are making plans for a graduation ceremony, even in the unfortunate event that students are unable to return to the classroom.

That’s the latest word from Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr., a couple days after he received news that June Regents exams were cancelled and nearly a month into a prolonged “recess” caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“We’re looking at a couple of different options … and whenever it happens, we will give our kids the graduation ceremony they all rightly deserve,” said Soler, who was hired in January.

Currently, graduation is scheduled for June 27 at Genesee Community College but that could change depending upon the status of mandated social distancing.

“If we get clearance, we’ll have it there,” he said. “If not (and it has to be postponed) we’re thinking about a summer graduation – maybe on school grounds or at Van Detta Stadium. We definitely want to celebrate our kids.”

Soler said he agreed with the state Education Department’s decision to forgo the Regents exams.

“I think it’s good. It was tough decision but it was made in favor of our students,” he said. “We have guidance now of what the rest of the school year will look like. It’s a weight lifted off the kids’ shoulders.”

The superintendent said that remote learning continues at the various grade levels through Google classroom, with students equipped with Chromebooks.

“We’ve been a one-to-one district for a couple years now, but what was a supplemental thing now has moved to a primary (position),” he said. “With kids not dependent upon an exam to graduate, they can get their course credit by getting those assignments in.”

He said he hopes that students will be able to come back to school – “maybe June 1^st,” he said – and spoke of school’s role in students’ “social and emotional well-being.”

Soler also said he is pleased that the district has been able to keep kids fed during the coronavirus shutdown.

“As of Monday, we’ve provided 30,000 meals – breakfast and lunch – to the community,” he said, noting that meals are available for pick up from 9 to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays at both Jackson Primary School and John Kennedy Elementary School.

A pole and wires are down in the roadway at 10797 Darien Alexander Townline Road, Darien. Contractors are on scene. The roadway is temporarily closed. Darien Fire Department was called, then asked to hold in quarters. The location is between Bowen Road and Route 238.

Press release:

Chris Jacobs, the Republican nominee for New York’s 27th congressional district, is calling on Congress to add additional funding to the Paycheck Protection Program.

“The CARES Act provided small businesses with a critical $350 billion in funding, but as the COVID-19 crisis continues more small businesses will need this critical funding to ensure they can care for their employees and still be operational when this challenge is over,” Jacobs said. “I am joining Secretary Mnuchin in strongly urging Congress to add critical additional funding to the program so any small business that needs help can get it. Our Western New York economy depends on it.”

Small businesses in Western New York and around the country are currently applying for the Paycheck Protection Program to ensure they can keep employees employed and cover essential operations of their businesses.

The Paycheck Protection Program is $350 billion loan program enacted as part of the CARES Act signed by President Trump. The program, governed by the Small Business Association (SBA), provides businesses an eight-week loan of cash flow.

The loan can be forgiven if the business uses at least 75 percent of the money to cover payroll costs and the remainder is used for rent, mortgage, or utilities. For more information, click here.

Dorothy Gerhart reads Robert Frost -- "The Exposed Nest." Gerhart is a member of Batavia Players.

James Catino, a lifelong resident of Batavia, a member of the SkyCats band and the Old Hippies, is stuck in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. He wrote this song for the folks back home, “The Sun Will Shine Again."

As many as 300 households were stocked with free food, much of it donated by local farmers, such as Star Growers, at Northgate Church's North Campus this morning.

Dozens of volunteers from United Way, Rotary, and GLOW Women Rise, were on hand to help load supplies into the trunks of cars that drove through the distribution line.

"One of the things we’re seeing in all of this is it’s not necessarily a financial need as much as it is, people are afraid," said Todd Rapp, coordinator of emergency disaster services for The Salvation Army in Batavia. "They can’t go to Tops. they can't go to Aldis. Even though they may have the financial means, they just can’t do it, so we’re helping everyone who needs it."

Mark Logan, director of operations at Northgate, with supplies donated by community members on Monday.

Press release:

Volunteers for Animals of Batavia is getting a $15,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to support its Community Spay/Neuter Program.

The Petco Foundation investment will help to provide low-cost spay and neuter of companion cats and dogs as well as community/feral cats to all residents of Orleans and Genesee counties, regardless of income levels.

Volunteers For Animals is a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the Genesee County Animal Shelter serving Genesee County.

As of the end of 2019, Volunteers For Animals assisted in the spaying and neutering of more than 4,200 cats and dogs by providing low cost spay/neuter vouchers to residents in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.

It has spent more than $350,000 in funding these surgeries through donations, grants and voucher copays, and is committed to reducing the number of “unwanted” cats and dogs in our community.

For more information about obtaining a spay/neuter voucher from Volunteers For Animals, visit www.vol4animals.org, email us at info@vol4animals.org or call 716-472-8968. Vouchers will not be sold at the Shelter.

For more on the Petco Foundation, click here.