While some areas in New York are seeing an uptick in COVID cases — enough to warrant stricter masking policies — that hasn’t been the case in Genesee County so far, Genesee and Rochester Regional Health officials say.

Two Upstate Medical hospitals recently reported revised policies to reinstate mandatory masking for all staff, visitors and patients in clinical areas of the hospitals’ spaces, and masking was also strongly encouraged for non-clinical areas as well, according to news reports. 

Genesee Orleans (GO) Health’s Public Information Officer Kaitlin Pettine said that there’s been an increase in COVID cases in the second week of August, but there has not been any new masking policy considered.

Her agency is reflecting the recommendations set forth by the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at this time, even though “medical centers/systems can also determine their protocols at their own discretion.”

"For the week of August 9 to 15, Genesee County had 10 new cases,” Pettine said. “As expected, we are seeing new strains of COVID. Each strain will present with varying levels of transmissibility and severity.  We will continue to monitor activity in our communities and provide recommendations as indicated."

Rochester Regional Health is seeing some increase in COVID inpatient admissions, but the number is considered “rather small,” communications specialist Cristina Domingues Umbrino said.  

“We are not considering reinstituting the mask mandate at this time,” she said. “Some restrictions remain in high-risk areas.”

Hospital restriction policies are available HERE.

As everyone moves into the fall season, Pettine encourages residents to practice the following public health advice for all respiratory illnesses: 

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash your hands with soap and water often. If soap is not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Talk with your healthcare provider and get vaccinated. 

If you're curious about local cases, GO Health updates COVID-19 data on Wednesdays at the GO Health website 

Joel D. Prouty, 37, of Batavia, is charged with strangulation 2nd and assault 3rd. It’s alleged that Prouty struck the victim in the face and strangled her during a disturbance on an undisclosed date at an undisclosed location in the City of Batavia. When Police arrived on scene, Prouty allegedly jumped out of a second-story window and fled on foot. Officers were unable to locate Prouty that day. On Aug. 4, patrols were called back to the same address for another disturbance between Prouty and the same victim. When officers attempted to take him into custody, Prouty reportedly fought with them. He was additionally charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. He was arraigned in City Court and held without bail.

Owen Charles Scouten, 22, of Batavia (no street address disclosed), is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speed not reasonable and prudent, moving from lane unsafely, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Scouten was reportedly involved in an accident at 1:16 a.m. on Aug. 20, on Lewiston Road, Batavia. Two people were injured in the accident and required transport to a hospital for treatment. Following an investigation, Scouten was arrested by Deputy Carlos Ortiz Speed.  Additional charges are pending. Scouten was released on an appearance ticket.

Owen Charles Scouten, 22, of Church Street, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and moving from lane unsafely. Scouten was stopped at 7:38 p.m. on Aug. 14 on Route 20 in Alexander by Deputy Alexander Hadsall. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Richard A Demmer, 30, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant issued by City Court. Demmer was initially arrested on May 29, after he allegedly attempted to rob the 7-Eleven, on East Main Street A warrant was issued on July 12 after Demmer allegedly failed to appear for a court appearance. He was arrested on that warrant on July 13. Another warrant was issued on July 27 after he again allegedly failed to appear in court. Demmer was located by Batavia Police on Aug. 3 and arrested. He was arraigned in City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $10,000 cash bail, $20,000 bond, or $40,000 partially secured bond.

Crystal A. Mounts, 46, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant issued by City Court. Mounts was initially arrested on April 9, 2022 after allegedly stealing property from a local church. A warrant was issued on April 29, 2022 after she allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arrested on that warrant on May 14, 2022. Another warrant was issued on Sept. 19 after she again failed to appear in court. She was arrested on that warrant on July 29. She was arraigned and released.

Lance D. Beals, 53, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th and criminal tampering 3rd. Beals was arrested after an investigation into an incident on East Main Street where he allegedly damaged to an apartment building. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kavyia A. Spencer, 24, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Spencer was arrested after an investigation into an employee theft from Kwik Fill on Jackson Street, Batavia. It’s alleged that she stole merchandise from the store on two separate occasions. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Patricia M. Anderson, 38, of Batavia, was arrested on on Aug. 9 on an arrest warrant issued by City Court. Anderson was initially arrested on April 9 after allegedly stealing merchandise from 7-Eleven on East Main Street in Batavia. A warrant was issued after Anderson allegedly failed to appear in court. Anderson was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. 

Edmund J. Sobresky, 54, of Batavia, is charged with DWAI Drugs. Sobresky’s arrest is the result of a traffic stop on April 11.  He was charged on Aug. 8 following an investigation. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Patricia A. McCarthy, 29, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd and public lewdness. McCarthy was arrested after patrols responded to Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, on Aug. 6 for a report of two people fighting. It’s alleged that McCarthy engaged in a fight with another person. During the fight, McCarthy became disrobed. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Jason Howard Heerdt, 27, of Hilltop Drive Elma, Ryan Thomas Budziszewski, 32, of Northseine Drive, Cheektowaga, and Carlie Marie Budziszewski, 25, of Northseine Drive, Cheektowaga, are charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle. Heerdt is accused of taking a golf cart at Darien Lake Theme Park without permission on Aug. 6 at 9:25 p.m.. They were issued appearance tickets.

Joseph David Johnson, 53, of State Street, Mumford, is charged with robbery 3rd and harassment 2nd. Johnson is accused of using force to steal property from an elderly victim while inside Batavia Downs Casino at 1:26 on Aug. 10. He was held pending arraignment.

Christopher James Parker, 34, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Parker is accused of violating an order of protection at 10:37 a.m. on Aug. 11. He was held pending arraignment.

Steven Albert Barraco, 53, of Edgewood Drive, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Barraco is accused of shoving another person by the throat during an altercation on Aug. 10 at 5:31 p.m. at a location on Edgewood Drive. He was held pending arraignment.

Brian Michael Tracy, 35, of Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford, is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal contempt 2nd, criminal mischief 4th, and harassment 2nd.  Tracy is accused of getting out of a car and striking another person in front of two children on Aug. 11 at 4:10 p.m. at a location on Horseshoe Lake Road. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and held pending arraignment. 

Jason Michael Babbitt, 49, of Perry Road, Pavilion, is charged with 46 counts of aggravated harassment 2nd. Babbitt is accused of calling the Emergency Dispatch Center 46 times, including calls after he was instructed to stop.  According to the Sheriff's Office, his calls were not placed to request the services of police, fire, or EMS.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jose Efrain Velz-Torres, 42, of Sobieski Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, speeding, aggravated unlicensed operation, operating a vehicle with improper plates, and driving without insurance. Velz-Torres was stopped at 1:19 a.m. on Aug. 14 on Clinton Street Road, Bergen, by Deputy Ryan Mullen. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Mark Louis Frongetta, 53, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. At 6:14 p.m. on Aug. 14, Deputies responded to the Best Western Inn Suites on Park Road after receiving a report of a disturbance. Frongetta is accused of standing in the lobby yelling obscenities and of throwing the hotel's phone. Frongetta was held pending arraignment.

Dennis Edward Biggins, 48, of Franklin Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and driving too slow (impeding traffic). Biggins was stopped at 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 14 on Route 237 in Stafford by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Lorriance Marie Nelson, 61, of Hillcrest Street, Newfane, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, speed not reasonable and prudent, and moving from lane unsafely. Nelson was reportedly involved in an accident at 12:51 a.m. on May 25 on Ellicott Street. She was arrested on Aug. 18 following an investigation by Deputy Mason Schultz.  She was issued an appearance ticket.

Joseph Albert Boisclair, 58, of Knowlesville Road, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, speeding, driving left of pavement markings, and failure to keep right. Boisclair was stopped at 1:35 a.m. on Aug. 19 on Lewiston Road, Batavia by Sgt. Mathew Clor. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Angel Eliseo Colon, 41, of Grant Street, North Tonawanda, is charged with harassment 2nd. Colon is accused of spitting on another person while at the Genesee County Jail at 7:02 p.m. on Aug. 16. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Akeem Rashaad Gibson, 33, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful fleeing a police officer 3rd. Gibson is accused of fleeing from a deputy in the Town of Byron at 3:31 p.m. on July 30. He was arrested on the charge on Aug. 15. He was held pending arraignment. 

Joseph Jerome Kostanciak, 33, of Genesee Street, Pembroke, and Shannon Leah Smith, 46, of Genesee Street, Pembroke, are charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Kostanciak and Smith are accused of possession of drug paraphernalia at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 at a location on Genesee Street, Pembroke, including an uncapped needle that was accessible to children who are under the age of 17.  Both were held pending arraignment.

John Joseph Wojtkowiak, 56, of Attica Road, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and drinking in a motor vehicle. Wojtkowiak was reportedly involved in an accident at 6:44 a.m. on Aug. 1 at the Totempole Gas and Smoke Shop on Ledge Road, Basom. He was arrested following an investigation by Deputy Kevin McCarthy. He was released on an appearance ticket.

It may be summertime, but there’s no break from working on Elba Central School’s farm-to-school program, Superintendent Gretchen Rosales says.

In fact, much of the program’s produce is planted, harvested, and sold — via a farmers market added onto the campus this year — right now. Thanks to state and federal grants from the Department of Agriculture and Governor Hochul's office, Elba students have been able to plant, harvest, learn about, prepare, cook, and most deliciously, enjoy their own healthy foods.

“Agriculture is the backbone of Elba, of Genesee County, our state, and the nation.  This is a great way to see our interconnectedness as a community and as a whole,” Rosales said to The Batavian.  “Elba is a culturally rich community, and I am certain that as we embark upon this project, we will learn so much more from each other.”

Elba first began working with Katie Metzler and Kathy Allen from Porter's Farm last year, when students visited the Elba farm weekly to harvest, wash and prep items for the school's salad bar.

“Some items they picked included tomatoes, peppers, onions, melons, lettuce, and spinach. We also sent them with apples, pears, and green beans. At Thanksgiving, we donated some winter squashes and other seasonal items for their Thanksgiving feast,” Metzler said Monday. “We’re not sure of specifics yet for this year, but we are planning on doing something equivalent to meet their needs. Our hope is to have the students get as much hands-on time at the farm as possible. We are happy to collaborate with faculty and admin at Elba to provide such a hands-on experience for these students. Hopefully, our partnership will continue to grow each year and potentially with other districts in the area as well.” 

After their selections were made, the students would work with Elba’s agriculture teacher, Tracey Dahlhaus, to wash and prep the produce.  They also brought their own egg-laying chickens onto campus so that students could collect the eggs and sell them.  

“We would like to use them in our food options in the cafeteria as well,” Rosales said. “Planning focused around growing our own food. Building a greenhouse is part of this plan.”

Next came the funding. The district applied for a USDA Farm to School grant and was awarded $100,000 this year to "support planning, developing, and implementing farm-to-school programs that connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals,” Rosales said.

“The school district plans to use the funds to continue the work that it began last year in its food science course.  Applying for the grant was the chance to look at what a true farm-to-school could  look like if there were no limitations on funding,” she said.  “Our agriculture students and Mrs. Dahlhaus have talked about wanting a greenhouse since our program started four years ago.  Personally, I have always valued the community connection that naturally comes from harvesting one's own produce.  The shared responsibility of a community garden came to mind.”

And community it is. Students, staff, faculty, local farmers and customers have come together to plant fruits and vegetables, grow their own produce, harvest, cook, support local businesses, supply healthy food sources, and come together to actually “break bread” as a community, Rosales said.

The nice part about the grant, she said, is that lessons are for all students — in grades UPK through 12.  Little ones will be learning how to make their own healthy snack choices and then how to cut foods safely to make those snacks, while older kids will learn more advanced skills and nutritional components of meals, plant science and international cooking.

One facet seems to springboard onto another, and they're evolving the offerings all the time, Rosales said.

“We would like to produce our own maple syrup. Our students can expect to try many new foods in the cafeteria,” she said.  “Mrs. Walcazk (the new nutrition coordinator who just took over for retiring Lisa Crnkovich) has been busy working on new recipe ideas for the students, including hot breakfast choices, expanded salad buffet options, soups, and pasta.”  

Future goals are to build the school district’s own greenhouse and to have cooking classes and shared meals in the evenings, she said. Another grant, this time for $150,000 from a Healthy Eating initiative, will go toward those expenses. 

Another big component of this effort has been the use of surveys, asking students about their food preferences to determine which fruits and veggies to incorporate. Berries and watermelon? A big yay. Cauliflower? Not so much, she said. Kids definitely preferred fresh raw vegetables more so than cooked. The response rate over the summer has been about 60 percent so far. 

And what would an agriculture program be without a farmers market? It seemed a natural fit, and one that fits nicely onto the school campus once a week throughout summer and into fall. 

“The school is the center of the community, so holding it at ECS just makes sense.  We have invited all of our farming students and entrepreneurs to sell their goods.  Students have expressed an interest in selling flowers, eggs, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, maple syrup, and honey.  We are starting small and will see how it goes,” Rosales said.  “It is important for Elba to have a farmers market, and we hope to provide a great service to our community.  Mrs. William's civic readiness class and Lauryn Hawkins (middle schooler) Full Hearts Club have started an Elba food pantry. So again, more connections are being made. I am hopeful that we can include fresh produce in the pantry as well.”

The Elba Betterment Committee will also be involved with the pantry, so that's yet another community member participating, she said. 

The district’s agriculture program, with Dalhaus and the Future Farmers of America students, has accomplished a great deal the last four years from the farming perspective, Rosales said, plus new hire Hanna Erion as a Family and Consumer Science teacher to further expand programming. 

“Food production and food science is a booming industry in our area, which is natural considering that so much food is sourced right here,” Rosales said.  “Schools have an obligation to teach students about these industries and to prepare them for the future.  Although agriculture plays an important part, there are so many facets involved.  There is a production component, but also a business and finance part, as well as a culinary perspective.  It is also about showing our students the process of seeing something through from start to finish, about trial and error and looking at how to best solve a problem from different sides.

“Farming and production are collaborative in nature: our students have to learn to communicate and problem solve as a team.  That is why this grant is so important to us; it is not just the funding. The funding provides critical learning opportunities.”

A vehicle and a semi-truck are turned over in the area of 10386 South Street Road, Pavilion.

Possible series injury.

Mercy Flight out of Buffalo on in-air standby.

At least one person is entrapped in the vehicle.

Pavilion Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched. Mutual aid from Le Roy Fire requested.

UPDATE 2:32 p.m.: A first responder on scene reports there is no entrapment.

UPDATE 2:34 p.m.: Le Roy Fire can stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 2:37 p.m.: Mercy Flight can go back in service.

UPDATE 2:38 p.m.: All Mercy ambulances can go back in service. Le Roy Ambulance will handle the scene.

UPDATE 2:45 p.m.: DEC has been notified. Unknown if they're going to respond. The scene commander reports 100 to 150 gallons of diesel fuel on the ground between the two saddle tanks.

There were some sharp elbows involved, says Bill McDonald, and Bill Pitcher's brother didn't expect the partnership to last when the two "Wild Bills" of the local music scene came together in Batavia 30 years ago to form the band that became the Ghost Riders.

But the partnership has thrived, producing some great music and some great memories for all involved as the Ghost Riders prepare for their 30th Anniversary celebration show at Batavia County Club at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27.

By the time 1993 rolled around, both McDonald and Pitcher were veterans of the local music scene, with McDonald even venturing well beyond Genesee County's borders to pursue a musical career.

When he returned home, it was with the intent to take care of his family in their new home in Darien.  Then a friend suggested he needed to start a country band.

He found a guitarist, and they started inviting in established musicians they knew who would fit into the hardcore country style they were after.

After a few rehearsals, they lined up a first gig and then the bass player had to hightail it to Florida because of some legal issues to resolve there, and then the lead guitarist quit to join an established gigging band in Buffalo.

At the same time, Pitcher's band Bullseye was running its course. The pedal steel player decided it was time to retire, and another member moved to Buffalo and another to Florida.

"So my band was dissolving right at the time that Bill needed a bass player and guitar player, so we kind of morphed into a good group of guys," Pitcher said. "We had all the elements we liked."

But still, no name for the band and gigs already lined up, including gigs originally booked for Bullseye.

Also, part of that original lineup was Jimmy Duval on pedal steel (Duval has played with McDonald for 40 years),  Larry Merritt, and Jimmy Symonds.

The first gig was a long-gone tavern, Confetti's, located on property now occupied by City Centre.

"We played on a Saturday night, and it went over great," McDonald said.

"We’re hardcore country, country with a twang, with steel guitar and lead guitar, and we sang harmonies," Pitcher said.

McDonald said they drew on influences such as Merle Haggard.

"We wanted to keep real country alive," he said.

It was a few gigs into the band's career before they came up with a name.

One evening, the band was booked at the South Byron Fire Hall, and they decided to hold a band name contest. They invited fans to write new suggested names on a card. Then the band reviewed about 20 submissions and narrowed down the field to three "we could live with," McDonald said.

They read the names off to the crowd, and Ghost Riders, taken from the name of a song they played, and suggested by Fred Ferrell, was the overwhelming favorite.

"It may not be the most unique name, but it stuck," McDonald said.

In those early months, the Ghost Riders were a cover band even though McDonald was an established songwriter.  The original songs would come later.

"It just was so hard to put all that together in a short period of time," McDonald said. "Everybody knew all the other songs (the covers), so it just made it easier.  We learned (the originals) as we went into the studio to record an album. Then we practiced all of the original songs that we had. That's when we did our rehearsing, right in the studio. Yeah, that was pretty cool."

The Ghost Riders, in their career, have released five studio albums.  None, of course, were big sellers, but they kept the fans happy, and there were always plenty of fans.

Pitcher remembers that on the first CD, the band included Ghost Riders in the Sky.  They had to pay royalties -- eight cents for each CD sold.  He ended up sending a check for about $3 to the publishing company in New York.

The band has also released another four live CDs, mostly compiled by Pitcher.  There is a collection of songs recorded over a three-year period at the Stafford Carnival.  There is another set recorded at a venue in Buffalo through the sound system onto a cassette that Pitcher said has just amazing fidelity considering the available technology. 

Rarely, over the past 30 years, has the band traveled much beyond Western New York, but there have been gigs in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

"We never got a national booking agency involved with the band," McDonald said. "We had some chances to do it, but we booked our own stuff. We were getting up there. As I said, I was 30 when we started the band. He was 40. So we weren't a couple of youngsters."

McDonald had had his time on the road.  As the frontman of Slim Chicken and the Midnight Pickers, McDonald toured throughout New York before moving the band to Texas (with a year at the end in California).

He even had his shot at a major record deal. One snowy winter night, his band was booked into the Cafe Espresso in Woodstock.  That was a place favored by Bob Dylan and The Band at one time.  The place was dead because of the winter storm. There was one customer, a man sitting by himself shuffling papers and just not leaving.

"I kept saying to the guys, why won't they close the place up and let's get the hell out of here?" McDonald said. "The owner said. 'We've still got a customer.'  And he sat there all night. At the end of the night, after we played our last song, he came up to me and he told me, 'What are you guys doing tomorrow morning? Busy? I ask him who he is, and he says, 'I'm Harley Lewis. I'm from RCA Records in New York City."

He was an A&R man, and he wanted Slim Chicken and the Midnight Pickers in the studio in NYC the next morning to cut a three-song demo.

The band was in the studio and cut the demo, but the deal didn't come through.

McDonald said RCA decided to sign Pure Prairie League instead. 

McDonald started his musical journey in Batavia with some friends and the band T&T and the Explosions, followed by Lookout Bridge and then Beethoven's Dream Group.

Pitcher’s musical journey began when he was five years old.  His dad was a guitar and harmonica player who attached his harmonica to his guitar, not on a rack around his neck like Bob Dylan would popularize. As Pitcher and his brother, known locally as Uncle Rog, were growing up, their dad mostly played house parties, maybe six or 10 couples at the parties, maybe two or three times a week.  He was a school teacher who drove truck in the summer.

When the Pitcher boys -- from Pavilion -- got older and had a band of their own, Dad would sometimes sit in.

"He never took a nickel for playing ever because he loved to play."

Then they formed a family band, Family Plus One. That band included another Pavilion boy, Charlie Hettrick, and Pitcher's mom, who bought her own Git Fiddle, which was a wire connected to a stick and a bell on top. She would hit the floor on the downbeat and pluck the string. Uncle Rog played drums. 

By then, Pitcher was playing a little melody on guitar, which would give his dad a break on harmonica. 

Most of the time, they played in Fulton County, where both of Pitcher's parents had extended family.

They would go into a bar and ask the bartender if they could play a bit.

"We had a good time in the bar," Pitcher said. "You know, in a half hour, 45 minutes, people would gravitate in. Somebody would make a couple of calls or something, and we would end up playing for two or three hours."

Before Bullseye, Pitcher was the leader of The American Countree Four.  He was known as Wild Bill.

And McDonald, in Slim Chicken, was Wild Bill.

For years, fans would get them confused, both McDonald and Pitcher said.

"People would start talking to me, and I would figure it out -- 'oh, they mean a gig that Bill played,'  and I'd tell him, and then he'd go, Yeah, somebody talked to me at a wedding reception, he thought that he was me," Pitcher said.

That's one reason Pitcher's brother didn't think these two guys used to leading their own bands would be able to put away the sharp elbows long enough to make music.

The first compromise was Pitcher, a few months older than McDonald, became "Mild Bill" while McDonald remained "Wild Bill."

Over 30 years, the Ghost Riders have played a lot of gigs.  Most of them paid.  There was a time when a good local gigging band could make a living in the warmer months playing lawn fetes and carnivals and picnics and parties. Every community had at least one annual event back then that needed live music.

Now it's much harder to find enough gigs, McDonald said.  The band has also started other projects.  McDonald and his wife Kay (who is also now a member of the Ghost Riders), for example, also tour as The Old Hippies. Pitcher has a few side projects, including a bluegrass musicians collective in Pavilion. Still, the Ghost Riders have some of the same gigs they play every year and have for 20 years.

One thing they've always done is play for free in support of good causes. 

"We did a lot of civic stuff," McDonald said. "We thought when we started, we wanted to do what we could for the community for no money. You know, just do whatever we could do."

All along, the Ghost Riders have been all about the love of the music, both musicians said.  That's the real secret to keeping the band going for 30 years.

"We just, we'd enjoy it," McDonald said. "We love playing music. And this is what gave us the opportunity."

Pitcher added, "My answer to why we're playing is because that's what we do. We love it. It's part of us. It comes from the heart."

All photos courtesy of the Ghost Riders.

The Ghost Riders Play at Batavia Country Club on Aug. 27 from 3 to 6 p.m. The current Ghost Rider members are: Gene "Sandy" Watson, Bill McDonald, Kay McDonald, Bill PItcher, and Nino Speranza.

The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation billed it as “Not Your Average Golf Outing," and the nine-hole event at Terry Hills Golf Course on Saturday evening lived up to the billing.

There were holes where golfers took shots from a ski before dancing around a mat in a musical-chairs type of game that would determine the club they would use on every shot on that hole, and a horse race to dolls to determine where the group would tee up their balls, and a relay-race (time was scored, not strokes) that involved shooting eight baskets, doing a hula hoop in a tutu and then trying to make a putt from about five feet.

Of course, it was all for a good cause.

"It's just shenanigans on nine holes of golf," said Laurie Napoleone. "We've got great sponsors and great volunteers. It's a good day. It's a lot of fun."

Photos by Howard Owens

If you were tooling around Batavia late Saturday and noticed a lot of classic cars passing through town, they were apparently here for a classic car rally in the parking lot of Tompkins Bank of Castile on East Main Street.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Press Release:

After years of relentless advocacy to bolster Upstate NY’s innovation and manufacturing industries, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced the Rochester-Buffalo-Syracuse region have joined forces with a proposal to become a federally-designated Tech Hub in the first-of-its-kind nationwide competition created in his CHIPS & Science Bill. 

The proposal, entitled the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation Corridor Consortium (NY SMART I-Corridor), would build on the historic investments Schumer delivered that have spurred a boom in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation investments in Upstate NY. 

The three-region proposal would use targeted federal assistance to help attract new companies, strengthen domestic supply chains, launch startups & support innovation, expand workforce training, connect underserved communities to good-paying jobs, and revive this critical industry integral to America’s national security and economic competitiveness. 

Schumer has personally written to Commerce Secretary Raimondo on behalf of Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse, making the case that their proposal is best suited to help drive forward stronger semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries for the entire nation.

“From Rochester to Buffalo to Syracuse the I-90 corridor has everything it takes to become America’s semiconductor superhighway. The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hubs proposal would tap into Upstate NY’s booming microchip industry, training our workforce for tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and supercharging R&D, all while helping attract new major employers in supply chain industries and bringing manufacturing in this critical industry back to America,” said Senator Schumer. 

“Each city has superb academic centers and each brings with it a unique set of assets with Micron’s historic investment in Central NY, Rochester as one of the leading centers in research & innovation, and Buffalo as one of the great manufacturing powerhouses that built America in the last century and is primed to do the same this century. Together they are a killer combination that can make Upstate NY a global leader for semiconductors with targeted federal investment from the Tech Hubs program. I originally proposed the Tech Hubs program years ago as part of my bipartisan Endless Frontier Act with Upstate NY in mind, and was proud to create the Tech Hubs competition in my CHIPS & Science Bill. This proposal is everything I envisioned, ensuring America’s future is being built in the places that helped build our nation as powerhouse manufacturing centers, and nowhere is better primed and more capable than Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse to rebuild this critical industry for our nation.”

Schumer explained that the first-of-its-kind nationwide Tech Hubs Competition is an economic development initiative that he originally proposed in his Endless Frontier Act. The senator was able to finally create the competition in his CHIPS & Science Bill, which included a $10 billion authorization for the Tech Hubs program and was signed into law just over a year ago. 

Schumer secured an initial infusion of $500 million in last year’s spending bill to jumpstart the competition. The competition is designed to strengthen a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and grow technology in 10 key focus areas. The program will invest directly in regions with the potential to transform into globally-competitive innovation centers in the next decade to bring critical industries back from overseas and create good-paying jobs for American workers.

Schumer said the NY SMART I-Corridor proposal would bring together the combined assets of Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse to help the region become a globally-recognized semiconductor manufacturing hub in the next decade, with innovation focused on improving the quality and quantity of semiconductor manufacturing and, along with it, amplifying the region’s microelectronics and microchip supply chain ecosystem.  

Schumer explained that the Tech Hubs program is being rolled out in two phases. The first phase of awards that the NY-SMART I-Corridor has applied for will designate promising Tech Hubs across America and provide strategy development grant awards to accelerate their development— the joint Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse proposal has applied for both types of awards. 

The EDA expects to designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country, and only those that receive the Tech Hubs designation in the first phase will be able to apply for Phase 2 implementation awards. These awards are designed to be larger, multi-tens of millions of dollars each for a first infusion, in order to fund several key initiatives to make the Tech Hub a success.

The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse consortium includes over 80 members from across the public sector, industry, higher-ed, economic and workforce development, and labor communities.  This includes over 22 industry groups and firms, 20 economic development organizations, 8 labor & workforce training organizations, and 10 institutions of higher learning.  

Press Release:

Due to a recent resignation on the Byron Town Board, the Town of Byron Republican Committee is looking for candidates to recommend to fill the position. The Town Board would appoint the candidate to fill the term until an election could be held next year. The appointed term would be the remainder of 2023 and all of 2024. The elected term is for one year, 2025 to finish the full term. Anyone interested in the position please contact Steven Hohn @ 585-703-5528, or Jim Northup @ 585-409-4327 by August 30.

Dispatchers have received an iPhone crash indicator on the Thruway in the area of 379.4 in the eastbound lane.

There is no voice contact.  No answer on callback.

Le Roy Fire and Le Roy Ambulance dispatched.

UPDATE 7:25 p.m.: It doesn't look like a crash. A vehicle is on the shoulder with its four-ways on. Two men are out of the vehicle, walking.  The ambulance is canceled.

UPDATE 7:29 p.m.: The occupants had apparently lost a phone.  They found it.  Le Roy Fire is back in service.

Ann Falco made a special trip to visit downtown Batavia Friday afternoon to share her many thoughts about sections of Bank Street being safe to cross -- or not.

Members of a county health committee had set up displays of potential future curbing, lights and artistic license to demonstrate ways to help slow down traffic and make crosswalks a more viable way to cross over from the east and west sides of Bank Street at three points between Main Street and Washington Avenue. 

“I came just for this,” Falco said as organizers were wrapping up their survey stations. “It’s a joy to drive down Park Road. I want to see that replicated here.”

Falco said that she didn’t want to use the crosswalk leading closest to the Senior Center, and therefore she spoke to The Batavian as organizers were on the opposite side of the street moments before it began to rain.

She had given the matter careful time and consideration, writing down a page's worth of notes about what’s been done on Park Road at the crosswalk in front of Batavia Downs Gaming. Falco appreciates the small, young trees every five to six feet along the road, the speed bumps before and after the crosswalk, yellow warning cones with reminders to “stop” when pedestrians are in the walk — three of them at the Downs — and decorative street lamps and flags, she said. 

In similar fashion, why can’t Bank Street have speed bumps, more warnings to motorists, and decorative embellishments, she wondered. She hopes that her suggestions will be taken.

Emily, who asked that her last name not be used, was pleased with the new look on Friday. She takes that crosswalk all the time to YMCA, and she liked the new, albeit temporary, setup.

“It definitely made me go slower when driving and definitely alerted me of the crosswalk,” she said. “I work at the Y, and one of the worst parts is crossing the street. Anything they can do to make it safer is a good thing.”

She was one of the 94 people that gave positive feedback during the nearly four hours the Genesee Orleans Health Department staff surveyed walkers.

“Everyone loved the set-up. They said the greenery was really pretty,” Emily Nojeim said. “They want safer places to walk.”

She had ticked off 93 people by about 1:45 p.m. after beginning at 10 a.m. She and fellow staff members also asked why people chose that crosswalk over another makeshift one set up several feet north, and most people said because they parked directly across from it in the lot. 

Parked on the sidewalk at the other crosswalk, County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari had tallied up 70 pedestrians. 

“They said it was more functional, and it’s a pretty artistic crosswalk. With the bump-outs, it’s a shorter distance to walk, they said. ‘It’s about time’ we had this, and ‘this is where I used to jay-walk,’” Oltramari said. 

There were two people that said his group members were wasting their time and that people will cross wherever they want to, he said. A delivery driver suggested that they reconsider the turf with straw curbing directly across from the Senior Center, as it makes a convenient place to park the truck for deliveries, and a grassy area may not be optimal for that, he said. 

So how did this all begin?
“We had a 10-week course that was funded through the Health Department. And it's to help with reducing instances of chronic disease. So the health department received this grant, it's actually funded originally from the CDC, and it goes through this not-for-profit organization. Five of us took this 10-week online course to learn how to promote walkability in our communities,” he said. “And this is kind of like our final project, we're required to do a popup demonstration somewhere. So we took an existing site design that the city had proposed for this road. And we decided to implement that with temporary materials like we got turf donated from Batavia Turf, and we got straw wattle, that's got straw inside to kind of show where the curbs are. And we got lighting, to show where the new street lighting would be, and planters, to sort of present where some of the things like trees might be, and the new curb extensions. It helps promote walkability but makes it safer to walk across Bank Street and more enjoyable, also, to walk down on the sidewalk.

“So hopefully, some of the comments and the feedback that we get as a result of doing this pop-up will inform the decision makers at the city that will finalize the design for the street when it gets finally redone in a year or two.”

There’s an expected surge in traffic on Bank Street with the impending new police facility right on Bank and Alva in the next year or two, and the Healthy Living campus on the opposite side behind where the current YMCA is now to be completed by the end of 2024. City officials have an infrastructure project planned to coincide with the developments, at which time there would also be upgrades to the streetscape layout. 

Given that this was a county-led project, why was it only implemented on Bank Street?
“We needed to come up with this because walkable places are usually located in villages or cities. The county really doesn't have jurisdiction over those roads. We don't have anything as a county that we could implement on a road like this. So it was just an opportunity that we had,” he said. “So if the village or another village or hamlet or something like that wants to do something like this before they finalize their final street design, we can sort of roll this up and do it in a different community. So that's part of the process; the grant setup was basically to create a committee that could serve to be as kind of informed decision makers along in other parts of the county that might have designed something that will have other communities to kind of take advantage of their knowledge.”

So what’s the next step?
“So we have to create a report. We'll present that to the city as well, just as a document for them to review. And then, hopefully, they'll take that into consideration as to the design of this road,” he said. “And then, like I said, hopefully, other communities take advantage of the knowledge that our team has gained through going through this process, and maybe we can implement this somewhere else in the county.”

With an opening date of Aug. 26 drawing closer, Rochester Regional Health celebrated the completion of its new medical campus in Batavia on Friday with a brief ceremony that included a ribbon cutting and a first look inside the building for a few dignitaries.

Many of the medical offices and services offered by United Memorial Medical Center and RRH at St. Jerome's and other medical buildings are moving into the new medical campus, making it more of a one-stop shop for area residents receiving out-patient medical care.

RRH invested nearly $45 million in the 95,000-square-foot facility.

Hospital officials describe the facility as "centrally located right off the Thruway, in a convenient place both for local residents and those coming from around the region."

There will be more than a dozen specialty services all under one roof, including primary care, pediatrics, orthopedics, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, neurosciences and Sands-Constellation Heart Institute cardiologists.   

Lab services will also be offered at the campus.

The campus will also offer urgent care seven days a week.

Previously: RRH's 'one-stop' medical campus ready to open

A motor vehicle has struck a utility pole in the area of 6591 North Bergen Road, Byron.

The pole is sheared and behind held up by wires, but there are also wires down in the roadway.

No report on injuries.

Byron and South Byron fire departments, along with Mercy EMS, dispatched.

UPDATE 6:32 p.m.: Mutual aid requested from Bergen Fire.

UPDATE 6:30 p.m.: Responders can slow to non-emergency, a chief on scene tells dispatchers. National Grid requested to the scene.

UPDATE 6:35 p.m.: Patient is expected to be a sign-off. He seems to have "a very, very minor injury on his wrist."

UPDATE 6:42 p.m.: Bergen Fire is re-routing from Byron's call to a report of wires down in the village, between Rochester Street and the library.

UPDATE 6:57 p.m.: On the call in Bergen: The lines down appear to be communication lines. Spectrum to be notified. Bergen Electric does not need to respond.

Press Release:

The Wings Over Batavia Air Show is coming to town on September 2 and 3 and bringing national acts and world champion aerobatic performers in a spectacular night-time show featuring a high energy-choreographed fireworks & flight display. It will be a show not to miss.

If your organization, group, or team is looking for a great fundraising opportunity, then this is it. The Wings Over Batavia Air Show is looking for groups to work the food courts and raise funds through revenue sharing. If you are interested in learning more, request information here - https://forms.gle/TRhMYknQuuY5NuEi6.

The Air Show is also looking for groups to work in the parking lots, and these groups will also be eligible to raise funds through revenue sharing. Sign up for parking online at https://wingsoverbatavia.com/volunteer/. If you would like to see more about the airshow, check out their website at https://wingsoverbatavia.com/ or like them on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Wingsoverbatavia. 

Press Release:

Western Region Off-Track Betting (WROTB) and Batavia Downs President and CEO Henry Wojtaszek was joined by staff from Mothers of Veteran Suicide as they were presented with a check for $3,330. These proceeds were from the “Sock Hop” event that took place at Batavia Downs on August 7.

“We know how important the work that Mothers of Veteran Suicide does in the Veterans community,” Wojtaszek said. “They have had their RV at our concert series and have traveled around the country raising awareness.  We are honored to have helped host this event to raise much-needed funds for their mission.”

“We are so grateful to the staff from Batavia Downs, “said Michele Ladd, President/CEO of Mothers of Veteran Suicide. “With their promotion and assistance, we were able to put on an event that attracted more people than we thought we would have.

Over 150 people attended the Monday afternoon Sock Hop which included Music by Ruby Shooz, an appearance from Batavia Downs Ambassador and NFL Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas, and several raffles which raised an additional $1,994 in funds.

Plans are already underway to schedule next year’s event.

Caya Martin of Alexander submitted these photos of a funnel cloud she spotted twisting in the sky just north of Alexander earlier this week.

After reporting on the demolition underway at 229 Ellicott Street, the former Louie's Barber Shop, in Batavia, The Batavian sought more information about the history of the right of way, the Department of Transportation's agreement with the shop's last owner, and the DOT's plans for the parcel.

We received the following statement:

“The New York State Department of Transportation is demolishing a vacant structure located within our State Route 63 right-of-way in the City of  Batavia that had previously housed Louie’s Barber Shop. The decision to demolish the structure — which has been located in our right-of-way since the 1970s — was made after the building’s previous operator communicated his plans to retire and terminate his occupancy. NYSDOT had no further use for the structure and will pave the property at a later date. NYSDOT’s agreement with the nearby Pok-A-Dot restaurant remains unchanged.”

Photos by Howard Owens.