Father Ivan Trujillo, who served for 36 years as a priest in Batavia, passed away Friday morning at his home in Alexander.

Trujillo retired from the priesthood this year and performed his last service at Resurrection Parish in June.

Father Ivan arrived in Batavia in 1986 at St. Mary's and became parish priest when St. Mary's and St. Joe's merged in 2008.

Over his nearly four decades of service to the community, Father Ivan has led a migrant ministry, and a prison ministry and served at the VA Hospital.

Trujillo was ordained in Jamestown in 1990 and became an assistant at St. Mary's in 1986. 

As a young man in Bolivia, Trujillo was inspired both to the ministry and to serve the poor. While studying philosophy in school, he was mentored by the rector, who was a Jesuit with a passion for caring for poor people.  That example led Trujillo into the ministry, the priest told The Batavian in 2013.

As a result, a good deal of Father Ivan's work in Western New York was with the poor and less fortunate. He worked with the poor and sick in his own parish, ministered to inmates at Attica and Wyoming correctional facilities, and worked with migrant workers in Genesee, Orleans and Niagara counties.

Rev. Trujillo will lie in state on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Resurrection Parish/St. Mary's Church, 18 Ellicott Street in Batavia, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. Most Rev. Michael William Fisher, Bishop of Buffalo, will be the Principal Celebrant. The interment will be private in Grandview Cemetery in Batavia.

Arrangements are being handled by H.E. Turner. A full obituary will be posted on The Batavian's Obituary page later.

SHOP SMALL - SHOP LOCAL - Adam Miller Toys and Bicycles. Valle Jewelers. Charles Men's Shop.

Calling it a “failure of the governor’s office and her team,” State Sen. George Borrello (photo at right) voiced his frustration earlier this week with New York’s inability to forge a new gaming agreement with the Seneca Nation of Indians.

The contract, officially known as the Seneca Nation Compact, expires on Dec. 9 -- just 15 days away.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Seneca Nation leadership thought they had a preliminary deal five months ago, but that was quashed by state lawmakers when it was learned – after the fact -- that the new compact terms included placement of a Seneca Nation-operated casino in Rochester.

Since then, there hasn’t been any news about the status of a new contract, and Borrello, along with other local politicians, isn’t happy about it.

“I've heard that they're trying to sign some kind of an extension,” he said by telephone on Monday. “But really, this is a failure of the governor's office and her team to not negotiate in a timely manner.

“There have been just many broken promises, agreements in principle where the governor backed out. It's just that the governor's team has not been negotiating in good faith. And we've been trying to bring light to the fact that they need to come to the table in good faith.”

Borrello said that once the deadline passes (barring an extension), Seneca Nation has no obligation to pay out any funds to the state because the contract will have expired.

“It really behooves the governor to fix it immediately,” he added.

Borrello, noting that the original compact was signed in 2002, said New York State “changed the rules of the game and pulled the rug out from underneath the Seneca Nation when they created three state-run casinos.”

“And you have sports gaming now, which wasn’t in place then,” he said. “New York State has saturated the market, and that has had a negative impact on revenue. So, I don’t think the previous contract is fair in light of the new situation.”

Per the original compact, the Seneca Nation pays 25 percent of its revenues on slot machines and other games to the state in exchange for the right to offer gaming west of Route 14.

The Seneca Nation currently owns and operates three casinos: the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel on the Niagara Falls Territory in Niagara Falls, New York; the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca on the Allegany Territory; and the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown Buffalo on the Buffalo Creek Territory.

Borrello represents the nation’s interests in Allegany and Cattaraugus territories.

According to a published report in The Buffalo News, the Senecas had agreed to pay 19.5 percent of revenue on slot machines to the state, but only if a Rochester casino was included. Now, they are seeking a lower rate.

A call to Rickey Armstrong, Seneca Nations president, was not returned.

Henry Wojtaszek, president and chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., which is based at Batavia Downs Gaming, said he agreed with Borrello that the market is oversaturated and is supporting the Fair Compact for All coalition that is representing gaming, organized labor, and community interests across the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions.

Members of the coalition, which includes Batavia Downs Gaming, del Lago Resort & Casino, Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack and Hamburg Gaming, said their goal is to ensure a transparent and equitable process as New York negotiates a new gaming compact with the Seneca Nation.

“We’ve combined to at least get the message out that we think a further gaming facility in the Rochester/Monroe County area would be oversaturating the market,” Wojtaszek said. “This would not be a good thing for the employees, it wouldn’t be a good thing for the communities and it wouldn’t be a good thing for the municipalities that receive funds (from earnings at Batavia Downs and elsewhere). It’s oversaturated even according to the state’s own studies that they’ve commissioned.”

Borrello said that even if an agreement is reached prior to Dec. 9, there are several hurdles to cross before ratification.

“Whatever agreement is reached, it has to be approved by the New York State Legislature,” he explained. “And it has to be approved by a vote of the people of the Seneca Nation, and it has to be approved by the Federal Department of Interior.”

Press Release:

Byron-Bergen Central School District proudly announces that on Friday, Nov. 3, senior Mackenzie Hagen signed a letter of intent to attend Roberts Wesleyan University as a member of their women’s soccer team. At Roberts Wesleyan, she plans to enter the Pre-Veterinary Medicine program, majoring in Biology. 

Her commitment to Roberts Wesleyan was witnessed by her parents, her sister Crystal, and Byron-Bergen Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Wayne Hill. 

“Mackenzie is ready for the next level of soccer competition,” said Byron-Bergen Athletic Director Rich Hannan. “Her outstanding work ethic and speed make her an incredible athlete, but she is also a gifted leader on and off the field. I wish her the very best at Roberts Wesleyan.” 

Hagen is a 6-year Varsity Soccer player and a member of three consecutive Section V championship teams. She participates in Varsity Track and Field where she is a member of the record-holding 800m Sprint Medley Relay team. She is also a Scholar Athlete and Genesee Region All-Star. In addition to sports, Hagen is a member of the National Honor Society. She would like to thank her parents, sister, and coaches.

Press Release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are alerting residents that cases of respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, are rising throughout Genesee and Orleans Counties. GO Health has also seen an increase in the presence of RSV in wastewater throughout both counties.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that can be mild for most people, but can be very harmful and serious for very young children, older adults, people with medical conditions, those born premature, or with underlying lung conditions.

Symptoms of RSV include fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, coughing, sneezing, and runny nose. These symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once. In young infants with RSV, the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity, and breathing difficulties.

Severe illness can result in bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lung, and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. Hospitalization due to RSV is needed when a person is experiencing difficulty breathing or is dehydrated.

A vaccine is available to prevent and protect against RSV for adults aged 60 and older, infants and young children, as well as pregnant people to protect their unborn child. If you are interested in the vaccine, you are encouraged to talk with your healthcare provider and for the best protection, you should get the vaccine as soon as possible.

To protect against all respiratory viruses including RSV, COVID-19, and the flu, practice the following precautions:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing/sneezing. This may prevent those around you from getting sick. Use your elbow or shoulder to limit the spray when coughing/sneezing.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. It is especially important to wash your hands after you have coughed or sneezed into your hands or blown your nose. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Frequently disinfect shared items, like doorknobs, handrails, phones, pens, remotes, etc. 

Practice these other health habits for general health:

• Clean and disinfect touched surfaces at home, work, and school.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Engage in 30 minutes of physical activity 3-4 days a week.
• Manage your stress. Read a book, chat with a friend, take a walk, etc.
• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic beverages.
• Eat nutritious foods.

For more information about RSV, visit the New York State Department website. For the Genesee and Orleans Counties Wastewater Dashboard that tracks RSV, COVID-19, and flu in local sewer sheds, visit the GO Health Wastewater Dashboard.

For more information on GO Health programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at:

• Genesee County: 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 
• Orleans County: 585-589-3278

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at GOHealthNY.

The Caryville Inn in Oakfield sponsored its annual Turkey Trot on Thursday morning.

It was a new, and for the first-time certified, course for this year's event.

It’s that time of year when most everyone knows the drill by now: it’s feast day on Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday deals online and at bigger box and department stores, and then there’s the day that not only supports your local community but allows for shoppers to get that personalized touch from smaller, quality businesses.

Yes, Small Business Saturday is right around the corner, and it’s such a great time of year, that Valle’s Jewelers devotes an entire week to it, Carrie Lawrence says.

“We always celebrate Small Business Saturday one week prior by doing eight giveaways and several in-store special sales,” the shop’s co-owner said. “It’s our favorite week of the year to thank our customers for shopping with us all year long.”

Lawrence said that you don't want to miss the eight giveaways this year, as “we do have some really fantastic giveaways.”

“You can just come on in, and each lady gets a ticket, and they can enter in to win all the fabulous giveaways,” she said, adding that shopping local is also important to her as a consumer. “My brother and I, and all of our staff, feel that it's incredibly important to give back to the community that has given so much to us by shopping at all of the local stores. And we kind of feed off of each other at this exciting time before the December rush by sending our customers to the other local establishments as well.”

The opportunity for giveaways will be going on through Saturday, with hours of 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 21 Jackson St., Batavia. 

A walk through the alley between Jackson and Center streets would get you to Adam Miller Toys & Bicycles at 8 Center St., which is loaded with kids’ toys, games, bikes, and accessories. One thing’s for sure, store owner John Roche said, “Small Business Saturday is for us, and not Black Friday.”

“That's totally changed to something different,” he said. “So Small Business Saturday, obviously, is for small business and is very important. It kicks off the holiday season for us.”

The store will begin its expanded holiday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offer some special promotions, he said, including a buy two, get one free for the large jigsaw puzzles and buy one, get half off plastic model kits.

There will also be a holiday gift basket that shoppers can enter to win. Everyone will get one entry form, and then the more you purchase, the more entries you will receive. The shop also has a holiday gift certificate every year that’s priced as the year. So this year, you can purchase a $30 gift certificate for $20.23. 

Just down the street on the corner is Charles Men’s Shop at 200 E. Main St. A longtime familiar face and part owner, Don Brown, is a proponent not only of customers frequenting the men’s shop but of the bigger picture as to how keeping it local works. When you spend your money in your own community, it tends to remain right here and get reinvested, boosting the local workforce, the businesses that those people support, and the overall local economy. 

“Small Business Saturday aims to create awareness about the impact shoppers have when they buy from locally owned stores and companies year-round,” Brown said. “At least two-thirds of every dollar spent at small businesses stays within the local area, creating returns for the entire community. We encourage people to make a big impact by shopping small on Small Business Saturday.”

Brown is also an owner of Batavia Bootery at 210 E. Main St., which sells an assortment of men’s and women’s boots, slippers, shoes, sandals and other footwear accessories. The men’s shop and bootery will be selling a $100 gift certificate for $20 off as a special this weekend. 

Brown wants customers to know that Charles Men’s Shop has a tailor shop on the premises, free gift wrapping and free parking behind the store. That’s another perk of shopping in a smaller downtown such as Batavia — free parking lots, no paid garages, and accessible spots close to shops. 

He understands that people may go online to shop for certain goods such as supplements or batteries, but when it comes to specialty items, that’s where the small, customized business shines, Brown said. He is also a big believer in shopping local himself.

“I am a big fan of shopping local, and creating relationships,” he said.

Charles Men’s Shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and The Bootery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Senator George Borrello will be doing his part in forging those relationships with business owners and constituents on what has become a yearly trek in Downtown Batavia followed by a trip to Wyoming County for some small business shopping. 

Borrello plans to hit up six shops in the city, browsing everything from handmade chocolates and fine jewelry to men’s clothing, comfy footwear and children’s games. Businesses are the “heart and soul of our communities,” he said, which is why he advocates for them in Albany and is a staunch supporter of them locally as much as possible.

“Independently owned businesses make our downtowns more vibrant, spur additional growth, employ our neighbors and contribute to our tax base,” Borrello said to The Batavian. “In addition, every dollar spent at a small business has a greater multiplier effect. Many local shops rely on local suppliers and services and also contribute to local charities and community organizations."

When it comes time to buy gifts for family and friends, he and his wife always shop at small businesses, he said. After all, it takes one to know — and appreciate — one.

“We are small business owners ourselves, and we want to support other entrepreneurs,” Borrello said. “But we also ‘shop small’ because that is where we are most likely to find truly unique, high-quality items that will be enjoyed long after the holidays. Big Box stores typically don’t have those one-of-a-kind gifts."

And should you feel like a bite once out and about,  there are several individually owned restaurants to choose from in Genesee County, including Eli Fish Brewing Co., 109 Main St., and T.F. Brown’s, 214 E. Main St., Batavia. 

Hoops runs in the McCulley Family DNA, and that trait was fully on display on Tuesday in Rochester when cousins Callie and Amelia took the court against each other for the first time in their respective college careers.

Callie is in her final year, as a fifth-year senior and the University of Rochester. Amelia is just starting at William and Smith College.  Both young women helped their respective Notre Dame squads win Section V titles and both scored more than 1,000 points in their high school basketball careers.

Callie graduated in 2019 and Amelia last year.

U of R got the win on Tuesday, 83-72. Calle scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Amelia scored five points and had three rebounds.

Photos by Pete Welker.

Good music was part of the Thanksgiving celebration at Ri-Dans in Batavia on Wednesday night with the Rusty Fisher Band and the Growlers Blues Band both taking the stage.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A two-vehicle accident is reported on Main Street at Clay Street in Le Roy.

No word on injuries.

Reported airbag deployment.

One vehicle is blocking a lane of traffic.

Le Roy Fire and Le Roy Ambulance dispatched.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) recently received an excellent ranking in the New York State Conservative Party’s legislative session ratings report, which was released yesterday. Hawley received a conservative rating of 92 out of 100 with the average score for Assembly Republicans being 88. 

The report took into account members’ positions on issues such as criminal justice, Second Amendment rights and tax policies. Hawley is proud to have received this high rating and is committed to supporting pro-business policies and working to lower the cost of living across the state.

“Upholding conservative principles has been the cornerstone of my time serving in Albany,” said Hawley. “Our state has seen rising crime and increased inflation due to liberal policies that have had negative effects on citizens and businesses. What New York needs more than anything right now is representatives who believe in individual liberty and the rule of law. As long as I am still in the Assembly, there will always be someone standing up for these values in our state.”

Press Release:

Six members of the Byron-Bergen Chapter of the FFA joined over 72,000 attendees at the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana on Nov. 2 and 3. However, their adventure began four days prior when they loaded up the tour bus and set out on an agriculture-themed road trip complete with educational experiences, sightseeing, and celebrity photo-ops. They shared this journey with the Belleville Henderson FFA, Indian River FFA, and Alexandria Bay FFA.

“I really loved meeting people from all over the US,” said 10th-grade FFA member Grace Mundell. “The people I met and got to know on our bus were amazing and I felt such a sense of belonging.”

After a quick stop at the Cleveland Zoo, the group headed to Kentucky for a peak into the world of horse racing. Keeneland Racetrack, Churchill Downs, and the Kentucky Derby Museum were all on the itinerary as well as Ashford Farm. Ashford Farm is a family-owned horse farm specializing in boarding and training sport horses. While at Ashford, FFA members had the opportunity to Meet 2015 Triple Crown Winner, American Pharoah.

“I love how everything and everyone in Kentucky revolves around horses,” said Mundell. “I got to pet American Pharoah, one of two living triple crown winners. I learned that the stud fee for him is $250,000 and I learned about how much work and money goes into horse racing.” 

“We learned that a horse sold for 12 million dollars at Keenland racetrack and (at Winstar Farms) I learned that Secretariat’s heart was three times the size of an average horse’s heart,” said 10th grade FFA member Paige O’Brien. O’Brien’s favorite part of the trip was visiting Haygard Equine Medical Facility. “I was able to see other career options that I may want to fulfill.”

From Kentucky, the group headed to Indiana to visit Tom Farms, the largest landowner in the state. They farm 18,000 acres, 3500 acres in seed corn and the rest is a mix of soybeans and field corn. The group received a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into producing over 150 million pounds of corn and soybeans every year.

The final stop on their journey was the 96th Annual FFA National Convention. The main sessions were held in Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. FFA members networked with agricultural industry representatives and representatives from many agricultural, natural resource, and engineering colleges including Cornell University, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Morrisville, Paul Smiths College, and Clarkson University.

“This was a great opportunity for our students to network with FFA members from across the state and nation,” said Parnapy. “There were chapters at the convention representing all 50 states.”

O’Brien stated that “making connections with members from other states” was the most memorable part of the convention. Mundell will always remember reciting the FFA pledge at the convention center in unison with 66,000 other FFA members. One of the last stops before boarding the bus back to New York State was to the Indiana State Fairgrounds to attend a rodeo.

“I think one of my favorite parts was probably the rodeo, I hadn't ever been to one before and it was really fun and super cool to watch and cheer for the cowboys,” said Mundell. “In all that was the best trip I have ever gone on. I will never forget the people I met or the things I experienced and the places we went, it really was amazing.”

In light of an explosion today at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls of an undetermined nature, Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. would like to remind citizens to be conscious of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity immediately to local law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1.

For those that haven't heard the news, two people died, and a Border Patrol officer was injured when a vehicle exploded Wednesday at the Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the United States and Canada, according to a New York Times article. 

The FBI is investigating the incident.

The article cited two American law enforcement officials "with knowledge of the matter."

The cause of the explosion, its precise location and the direction that the vehicle had been traveling were not immediately clear, the article stated. A video from the scene showed what appeared to be an inspection booth at the bridge, with smoke billowing out of the top and debris surrounding it.

A bicyclist has reportedly been hit by a car on West Main Street, Batavia, between Bogue and Woodrow.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 2:09 p.m. by Joanne Beck: The patient was initially unconscious, but came to and is being examined by Mercy EMS and is likely going to be transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Press Release:

Today we received a tanker of water from the NY State Office of Emergency Management to temporarily provide water to our residents experiencing dry wells.

For those residents affected, please call 585-343-1399, Ext. 202, and leave your full name, address and phone number. You will then be contacted with times to come to the town hall parking lot to fill your water totes.

Respectfully, Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr.

A Town of Batavia resident and business owner reiterated his objections Tuesday night to a proposed Genesee Biogas plant earmarked for the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park but, once again, project developers attempted to alleviate his concerns over the smell of its emissions.

Speaking at the Batavia Town Planning Board meeting at the Town Hall on West Main Street Road, Eric Biscaro questioned Lauren Toretta, president of CH4 Biogas, and Sara Gilbert of Pinewood Engineering, about the extent of the odor from the facility, which is set to be constructed on Ag Park Drive, not far away from Ellicott Street Road.

“If you go by O-AT-KA (Milk Products Cooperative) on lots of given days, the odor there is enough to … it’s bad,” Biscaro said. “So, it’s seems that it would be more intense at your place if you’re going to bring it over from O-AT-KA and (HP) Hood and Upstate (Niagara Cooperative). If you’re going to be worse than O-AT-KA, then I’m going to tell you that I’m going 100 percent against this.”

Biscaro mentioned his neighbors on Ellicott Street Road and also those on Shepard Road when he added, “We really don’t want you to do that to us.”

The scene mirrored what played out six months ago when Biscaro, as a member of the Genesee County Planning Board, voiced his opposition to the digester based on the potential odor.

Last night, as was the case in May, Gilbert and Toretta, responded by stating that measures are in place to mitigate the smell as the digester handles sanitary waste primarily from the three Ag Park enterprises.

Gilbert said the digester storage tanks feature a process that is “entirely enclosed,” unlike the system at O-AT-KA that has open air containers where “odors can get into the air and get wind dispersed.”

“It is an enclosed process, it has odor filtration, and we also have an odor mitigation plan that we’ve started to prepare if there’s a breakdown in the process; a way to identify it and rectify it,” she said.

Toretta called the digester, which was first proposed about nine years ago, a “next level” project and a “landmark facility” that comes with numerous technological advances.

Biscaro then brought up the placement of the facility and wondered why it couldn’t be shifted further north on Ag Park Drive, closer to HP Hood and Upstate and farther away from people’s homes.

“This is the parcel that the Ag Park asked us to be on,” Toretta replied, noting that Hood is planning an expansion and has use for more of its property. “We also oriented the site as far from the road as possible, up against the tree line …”

Prior to Biscaro’s comments, Gilbert updated planners on the project, emphasizing that waste from the food processing plants will be shipped to lagoons approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and not to the City of Batavia wastewater treatment plant.

She said the waste is deemed by the DEC as “good material for fertilizer.”

Gilbert addressed other key points such as making sure the project aligns with federal requirements concerning environmental impact, stormwater treatment, water usage, truck traffic and wildlife protection.

She noted that county planners have recommended approval of a height variance for the storage tanks, and that the next step is to return to the Town Planning Board to take on the State Environmental Quality Review process.