Oakfield-Alabama beat Elba in Boys Basketball on Friday, 78-51.
Stats for O-A:
Elba:
Photos by Jordyn Tobolski.
When Thea Anderson was working through her recovery program more than a year ago, she wasn’t thinking about claiming an award for the art. She was learning to relieve stress.
Yet Zentangle — a structured drawing method of creating repetitive patterns and intricate designs — served the purpose of helping her relax, focus and produce something that others have come to appreciate. In fact, her piece, “Recovery Tryptic,” won the People’s Choice Award at a new GO ART! Members/Staff Exhibit.
“These pieces kind of represent how far I’ve come in my life,” Anderson said during an interview with The Batavian. “And it’s pretty amazing to have been chosen by a lot of people.”
Anderson is one of three artists to be presented with an award this weekend. The public is invited for a free closing reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday to view the artwork, meet her and artists Rebecca Graham and Jodi Fisher, and help celebrate their awards. This event is at GO ART!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia. Refreshments will be served.
A resident of Batavia, Anderson decided to enter a 28-day rehab program, and during that time, she rediscovered her love of art. While she had pursued acrylics previously, she said her latest medium is pen-and-ink. This three-piece work, the tryptic, fits together in one matted frame of a large white flower against a Zentangle background design.
“So I discovered Zentangle. It’s a form of art and meditation, and I really liked that because I was going through the recovery process, which I’m still doing. So these pieces kind of helped me with my anxiety and depression. I was an alcoholic. So it was an addiction. I was in a program to get well, and I've been sober for about, I think, 15 months now. I didn't do art for a really long time when I was sick in my addiction, and then as I got better, I started to realize how it was helping me with my anxiety and with dealing with a mental health disorder.”
She wants to share some of her story with hope that it might encourage others to seek help if they are struggling as she did. Anderson is proud of her sobriety as she remembers how she felt 15 months ago. It’s also how to describe her artwork.
“A blank white flower is how I felt,” she said. “It was like I was rediscovering and also creating a new me.”
It took her 20 hours per individual piece, for a total of 60 hours working at her makeshift studio space at her dining room table. She became a GO ART! member a year ago and also volunteered along with her fiancé, Kyle Moore. They befriended Executive Director Gregory Hallock, she said.
Visitors to the exhibit were asked to vote on a favorite for the People’s Choice from Dec. 12 to Jan. 31. Anderson was “honored” to be selected out of several pieces, she said.
“So many opportunities have opened for us because of GO ART!,” she said. “We’re very grateful for Gregory, for taking a chance on us. I was shocked, I was so happy to have created something that I wanted to share with people. I had no thoughts of winning anything.
“Like I said, it represents how far I've come, and to have a tangible creation to show for the time that I spent kind of doing the work, the inner work, all the stuff that you have to go through and explore when you're in the process of recovery,” she said. “Even to have something to show was such an amazing accomplishment for me, and then winning. It's just, it's amazing.”
She and Moore have a work in progress on the second floor of the nonprofit, she said. They are painting a small ceiling area with a floral scene that will eventually be lit. Since beginning recovery, she has strengthened confidence, stronger focus and steadier hands, she said.
“When people are in addiction, they try to fix the problem with substance,” she said. “Sometimes, it was an undiagnosed mental health disorder. I chose to medicate. I think that’s what people need to understand, that people who are in recovery or addicts, you have to address all those mental health issues … the person is just trying to get through life.”
GO ART! President Linda Knipe chose Rebecca Graham’s black and white portrait of “Indian Girl” for the President’s Award. A page filled largely with a child’s eyes and rounded cheeks, this genre is challenging, Graham said.
“Children are especially hard to get that child look to them without looking alien,” she said.
She won a few awards in high school, and that fueled her continued interest in the arts, with an affinity for graphite, charcoal or colored pencil, and trying to get more comfortable with mixed media, including paints.
She won an award in school also for a pen-and-ink of a sports car, and enjoys that kind of three-dimensional detail work, she said. A respiratory therapist who has enjoyed the healthcare field for the last 30 years, Graham looks forward to having her artwork as a “nice hobby” at some point in semi-retirement.
“I am able to challenge myself to see if you practice enough, you’ll get better,” she said. “It’s a challenging thing to see how good I can get. Once I’m able to spend more time, I’ll be able to take commissions.”
A resident of Le Roy, she likes to do people and pet portraits and would like to get back to those eventually while exploring various mediums, she said. The competition was stiff with some amazing members for this exhibit, she said.
“You’re hopeful, and you think it’s good, but it’s like the lottery,” she said. “My sister has been a big inspiration. Some of the work I had done when I was in high school, she’s confiscated it and it hangs in her house. It’s sort of like, well, she definitely thinks I do good, and she’s intelligent, so I thought it’s worth continuing, right? It validates that feeling of its worthiness.”
The Curator’s Award went to Jodi Fisher of Batavia, who is both a member and GO ART!’s program director and statewide regrant co-coordinator.
Fisher’s work was yet in another medium — photography. She captured the scene two years ago while at Genesee Country Village Museum during a yuletide dinner and tour by candlelight. The scenario depicted a Scottish American home with no electricity, which provided the luminescent glow and shadows that Fisher is drawn to, she said.
“So that was really exciting, I got to see a place that I hadn't been in, but they were talking about their Scottish celebration for New Year's Eve, and I saw the shadows on the table with the lanterns. And it just was, I don't know, it really resonated with me,” she said. “When I put in I didn’t realize it was going to be judged, I just brought in some of my work because it was a staff and member show. So it was actually a surprise to me when (staff) told me that I had won an award.”
Her main art is in the literary field, with poetry and prose, and she only more recently began snapping photos with her iPhone 13 mini.
“I really love the vibrancy of nature. I would consider myself mostly a nature photographer. I love light and shadows and color, and when I see something to me that looks very vibrant and alive, I like to try and capture that and share that with other people,” she said, describing why the table scene drew her attention. “The shadows and the simplicity of pre-electricity there’s a lot of depth and meaning in it.”
The photo is simple enough, but also with details that strike against the darkness and a smooth linen tablecloth set with two lanterns. Shadows emerge from varying positions around the lanterns and a coffee mug, and there seems to be a faint stream of light possibly from a nearby window.
Fisher had a show two years ago combining both of her passions, prose and photos, and would “love to show my work more,” she said. There may also be a book of her poems in the future.
Batavia City School District’s students, faculty and staff have come together in the aftermath of a tragedy that took the life of one of their own this week, Superintendent Jason Smith says.
Three siblings were rescued from a fire that broke out at 3 Vine St., Batavia in the early morning hours of Thursday. Javarius-Gus, 10, did not survive. The Batavia school district readied personnel to be a source of support for students and staff as they learned the news.
“We have activated our counseling and support teams for our students. I was at BMS this morning, and teams were ready to support our students and staff,” Smith said Friday. “Our Trauma, Illness, and Grief team, consisting of mental health staff from Batavia High School, John Kennedy, and Jackson Primary, were on site to provide support to students and staff. We will have the same support available on Monday, February 10, and will continue to provide it for as long as necessary.
“Our students and staff are struggling with the loss of Javarius-Gus, and we are actively supporting them. I am most appreciative of our leadership team and counselors for their incredible response to this tragedy and to our teachers and staff for supporting and consoling our students,” Smith said. “We continue to keep Javarius-Gus and his family close in our hearts, as well as his siblings.”
The school community displayed a visual memorial on Friday, Smith said, and “students and staff wore blue today across the District, as blue was Javarius's favorite color.”
“And students honored him by memorializing his locker with kind words about what a special friend he was,” Smith said, adding a reminder to parents and guardians. “Over the weekend, if your child needs additional support, you can call the Care and Crisis hotline at (585) 283-5200 or text "talk" to 741741, and they will provide support.
Elba beat Wheatland-Chili on Thursday in Girls Basketball on Senior Night at Elba.
Elba scored 66 points to 20 points for Wheatland.
Scoring:
Photos by Debra Reilly
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Hey, golfers, snow and cold got you down? Tyler Crawford is ready and waiting to help you drive away those winter blues.
At the beginning of 2025, he opened The Sim, a shop in Batavia's City Centre where golfers can keep their game sharp even on the coldest of days.
He's providing a golf simulator for foursomes or practice rounds throughout the winter months and after dark in the summer.
"It's playing golf indoors," Crawford said. "You're hitting everything from a driver to a putter. Alot of these indoor facilities, you don't putt or you chip instead of using your putter. I think that's something that's nice and unique. Here, you use your putter. The main reason I wanted to do it was just to play golf indoors in the winter. I got into golf pretty heavily these last few years, maybe a league or two, and I can't afford to travel to play golf all winter long. Really, who can? So I figured I'm not the only one. It's been going good."
The Sim is open by appointment, Crawford said. You can call or text him at 585-356-9358 to book a tee time. He will take tee times as early as 6 a.m. and he's had golfers playing a round as late as 11 p.m., he said.
He said he expects to be open during the summer, either for the golfers who didn't get in enough holes during daylight or for parties and company events.
Currently, he sells memberships. A membership isn't required but membership does have its advantage, such as $10 off a round ($50 an hour for non-members, $40 for members). Non-members must book at least 24 hours ahead.
"As a member, you get to leave your bag in our members' bag room," Crawford said. "You don't have to lug the clubs in and out or leave them in the garage or in the car. And we're going to host a little Club Championship at the end of the year."
As for liquor, he's applied for a license for BYOB. For food, Everybody Eats is just a few doors down from Crawford's shop.
Crawford said he thinks the mall, with the renovation and growth plans in progress, and the current mix of property owners, is a good spot for his business.
"There's a lot going on in here, and I think there's more to come that we'll see here in the future," Crawford said. "I think food and drink will be readily available right outside the doors. And I definitely plan on marketing and planning to work with everyone who's in here serving food."
Press Release:
A coalition of 69 environmental, faith, human rights, and good governance groups from across New York State are demanding that three developers withdraw their applications to site a data center at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). In their letters, the groups cite the threat data centers pose to regional environmental quality, local quality of life, and the sovereignty and well-being of the federally recognized Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Reservation Territory abuts the parcel under consideration for a data center.
The letters assert the data center proposals are “not aligned with either New York state or international commitments to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and long-term stewardship.” Rather, placing a data center at STAMP would “move our state in the direction of further environmental injustice.”
Signatories include the Western New York Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Citizen Action of New York, Interfaith Climate Justice Community, and the NY Renews Coalition, which itself represents more than 400 environmental organizations across the state.
The coalition announces the delivery of these letters on the same day the Genesee Economic Development Center (GCEDC) plans to hold daytime public hearings on the three proposals. These hearings are required by Article 18-1 of the General Municipal Law and pertain to financial incentives proposed by GCEDC to each of the three applicants. GCEDC posted documents regarding these proposed incentives to their website at midday on Friday, January 31, which was also the deadline for the submission of written comments on said incentives.
To date, GCEDC has refused to disclose the identities of the companies represented by the investor group applicants. The financial incentive documents offer tax exemptions in the hundreds of millions of dollars to these unknown companies. To date, STAMP has already received more than $410 million in public monies.
“I am outraged at GCEDC’s utter failure of transparency and violation of the public trust. They scheduled ‘public’ hearings on these data centers in the middle of a workday with less than two weeks’ notice and then quietly buried information about proposed giveaways of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to an obscure part of their website on the last business day before hearing public comment on these subsidies - which, I’ll add, would be directed to operations that will harm our shared environment and destroy our local quality of life,” said Margaret Wooster, one of the letter drafters and a Board Member of the Western New York Environmental Alliance. “This is shameful. Clearly, GCEDC does not actually want to know what we think about these incentives. Subsidies to a data center will not benefit the public: every person who pays taxes, breathes air, and drinks water in Western New York should be angry.”
‘Data center’ is a generic term referring to operations ranging from cryptocurrency mining to Artificial Intelligence processing. As the coalition’s letter outlines, data centers are well known for their massive energy demands - in the case of the three applications under consideration, between 195-250 MW of electricity per year - and their use of vast quantities of water. One of the applicants, Project Rampart, would include a ten million gallon holding pond.
Data Centers produce continuous, jet-engine-like noise that can be heard up to eight miles away. Scientific research establishes a link between excessive noise exposure and harms to both public health and the health of wildlife. Data centers also produce significant air pollution and large quantities of e-waste. Their strain to the energy grid can increase the frequency of blackouts and brownouts. The building of new infrastructure needed to service data centers is associated with consumer energy rate increases. Data centers produce few permanent jobs and rarely remain in operation for more than 10-15 years.
Data centers face opposition from other WNY communities concerned about their noxious public health and environmental impacts. The proposed data center would be sited on a parcel of land characterized by wetlands and located immediately adjacent to the Reservation Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Council of Chiefs opposes STAMP.
Alexander beat Attica on Wednesday in Boys Basketball 79-42
Scoring for the Trojans:
Le Roy improved to 12-3 on the season in Boys Basketball with a 54-42 win over York at home on Wednesday.
Scoring:
To view or purchase photos, click here.
Notre Dame beat Oakfield-Alabama 64-47 in Boys Basketball on Wednesday at O-A.
Scoring for Notre Dame:
Cole DiQuattro has a three-pointer with 4.8 seconds left in the game to give Byron-Bergen a 54-51 win over Pembroke in Boys Basketball on Wednesday.
For the Bees:
Pembroke:
Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro
At Wednesday's basketball game between Notre Dame and Oakfield-Alabama at O-A, a song with crude language was apparently played during a break in the action.
Videos provided to The Batavian indicate some sort of confrontation between a couple of adults who attended the game and O-A Superintendent John Fisgus. One video is blurry with no discernable audio, and the other is very short with no significant statements, so it's hard to say what happened.
A person who complained to The Batavian about the incident said the song contained racial slurs.
Fisgus issued the following letter to members of both school communities and in response to a request from The Batavian for a comment on the incident, provided it to The Batavian.
Dear Notre Dame High School and Oakfield-Alabama School Communities,
On behalf of the Oakfield-Alabama School District, I sincerely apologize for an event that occurred during the Varsity Men's Basketball game on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in our
gymnasium. After the game concluded, I was approached by some concerned parents who brought to my attention the inappropriate lyrics of a song played during the contest.Upon further investigating this situation, I confirmed that the song contained very inappropriate lyrics and language and should never have been played. Please know that this song's selection was unintentional, and I am utterly embarrassed that this occurred.
Again, my sincerest apologies to all the attendees and fans who showed up to root for their children and respective teams that evening. Our school and its environment is a place where everyone should feel respected, valued, and safe. Please know that we will have extra measures in place to prevent this situation from occurring again.
My sincerest apologies to anyone affected or hurt by these actions. We look forward to having the Notre Dame School Community at future events on our campus.
Press Release:
Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or the “Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced Wednesday key leadership changes as part of its established succession plan.
Daniel J. Thoren, President and Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman, effective June 10, 2025 and will remain active in the operations of the Company for the foreseeable future. As part of the transition, Mr. Thoren will serve as a strategic advisor, focusing on guiding strategy and helping the Company grow through business development. With this change, Jonathan W. Painter, Chairman of the Board of Directors, will transition to Lead Independent Director.
In alignment with this plan, the Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Matthew J. Malone as President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Mr. Thoren, effective February 5, 2025. In this role, Mr. Malone will oversee, guide and lead each of the Company’s business units. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Malone has served as Vice President and General Manager of Barber-Nichols since 2021. Concurrently, Michael E. Dixon, Director of Sales and Marketing of Barber-Nichols, will be promoted to General Manager of Barber-Nichols reporting to Mr. Malone, effective February 5, 2025.
The Company further announced its intention for Mr. Malone to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer on June 10, 2025, and the expectation of his appointment to the Board of Directors. At that time, Mr. Dixon is expected to assume the role of Vice President of Graham Corporation and General Manager of Barber-Nichols.
Jonathan W. Painter, Chairman of the Board of Directors said, “I am pleased to announce these leadership appointments in accordance with our planned succession strategy, which demonstrates the bench strength of our executive team and reflects Graham’s commitment to developing exceptional talent. I would like to personally thank Dan for his leadership and tremendous accomplishments while serving as CEO since August of 2021 and we look forward to continuing to work with him in this next chapter, while he steps back from the day-to-day demands of public company leadership.”
Mr. Thoren said, "I am grateful to have led Graham as CEO and am proud of the great work we have completed during my tenure. Today’s appointments further highlight the strong talent we have attracted and developed across the entire organization, and I am pleased with the opportunity this transition has created within the Company. Matt Malone has demonstrated outstanding leadership capabilities throughout his time with Barber-Nichols and Graham, and his deep understanding of our business makes him the ideal choice to lead the Company into its next chapter of growth. Similarly, Mike Dixon's promotion to lead Barber-Nichols reflects his deep industry knowledge, product expertise and institutional knowledge of Barber-Nichols. I look forward to working alongside Matt, Mike, and the rest of the executive team to ensure we achieve our long-term strategic objectives and have complete confidence that under this new leadership structure, our company will continue to thrive and create value for our stakeholders."
Matt Malone brings over 15 years of engineering and executive experience to his new role as President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Malone joined Barber-Nichols in 2015 as a Project Engineer focused on rocket engine turbopump design and development. He was promoted to Navy Program Manager in 2018, overseeing key U.S. Navy programs and was appointed Vice President of Operations at Barber-Nichols in 2020 and then General Manager in 2021. Earlier in his career, he held a variety of engineering and management positions at GE Transportation. Mr. Malone earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with honors in design optimization from Pennsylvania State University and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Mike Dixon has been an integral part of Barber-Nichols for the past six years, most recently serving as Director of Sales and Marketing. During his tenure, he has played a pivotal role in expanding the Company's technical capabilities and securing major contracts in the space and aerospace, and defense sectors. Prior to joining the Company, he held roles of increasing responsibility at Sundyne and began his career at ESS Metron. Mr. Dixon holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Illinois University.
Opening Friday at the Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia is the Batavia Players' production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap."
A murder mystery, it is Christie's most popular play and is directed by Sophie Houseman.
Set in a cozy guesthouse nestled in the snowy English countryside, run by a husband and wife new to the hospitality business, a group of strangers become trapped by a snowstorm. When a police detective arrives with chilling news—a killer is among them—secrets begin to unravel, and tensions rise.
Everyone is a suspect in this classic whodunit, filled with Christie’s signature twists and turns.
Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $24 for adults at the door and $22 for students and seniors. Tickets are $2 cheaper if purchased online.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Visit us online or check out our Facebook page.
A 10-year-old who was rescued from a house fire at 3 Vine St., Batavia, early Thursday morning, has died, according to the Batavia Police Department.
The name of the child has not been released.
The child's two siblings, ages 4 and 12, are in critical condition at Strong Memorial Hospital.
The fire remains under investigation by Batavia PD and the Batavia Fire Department.
The fire was reported at about 12:30 a.m. when a downstairs neighbor heard the smoke alarms going off. The neighbor, Dennis Say, said he called emergency dispatch and while the children were yelling that they were trapped, he tried to break down a locked door but was unsuccessful.
An initial fire crew was on scene and minutes and quickly extricated two children and a third child was located and carried from the house a short time later. All three were quickly transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC before being transferred to Strong.
Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact Batavia PD at 585-345-6444.
Rep. Claudia Tenney announced late Wednesday that members of staff were the targets of violent threats.
The Batavian asked a spokeswoman for Tenney for copies of police reports or other documents substantiating the claims. She said Tenney's office would make no further statement about the matter.
The public information officer for Capitol Police also declined to confirm the alleged threats.
Here is Tenney's statement;
“Unfortunately, our team had to contact law enforcement today on three separate occasions due to threats of violence and intimidation against our staff members. I am appalled by these threats and am calling on everyone to express their First Amendment Rights in a peaceful and compassionate way. Our team of expert caseworkers are dedicated to serving all of the constituents in NY-24 with compassion and professionalism. I can confidently say that our team is among the very best in Congress. I am grateful to the Capitol Police and local law enforcement for their swift response and commitment to the safety and security of everyone who is seeking help in our offices as well the safety and security of our staff. If you have a comment our concern you would like to share with our office, please visit tenney.house.gov to speak to a member of our team.”
Press release:
The city of Batavia Police Department and Fire Department are currently investigating a structure fire that occurred in the early morning hours on Thursday on Vine Street in the City of Batavia.
At approximately 12:45 a.m., the Genesee County 911 Emergency Dispatch Center received a call from the downstairs tenant of 3 Vine Street reporting a fire in the upper apartment with three children trapped inside. Upon arrival, city police officers observed flames coming from a second-story window. Officers made their way to the second floor in an attempt to enter the apartment but were pushed back by smoke and heat. City Fire arrived moments after police and made entry into the apartment, where they located and rescued three children, ages 4, 10 and 12.
The children were the only occupants of the apartment at the time of the fire. All three children were transported to UMMC and then to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. All three children are siblings and their conditions will be updated at a later time.
The cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation. City Fire and City Police are working alongside each other as the investigation moves forward. More information will be released at a later date.
Two city police officers and one city fireman suffered minor injuries, but they were treated and resumed working. Assisting with the incident were Mercy EMS, the Town of Batavia Fire Department, the LeRoy Fire Department and the Genesee County 911 Emergency Dispatch Center.
Would you agree to answer some questions about your personal habits, substance use, mental health and household status?
What if your anonymous answers could help Genesee County Health Department, in cooperation with Orleans and Wyoming counties, conduct a health assessment survey of community residents to help shape future public health planning?
Responses are needed to help health departments, hospitals and community partners identify needed services and help to improve others already in place in the three-county area, Kaitlin Pettine says.
"The input from residents will help identify community health needs, gaps in services and other factors that may contribute to a less than optimal health status for our community residents,” said Pettine, GO Health’s public information officer. “This will ultimately help us to develop our Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for the next few years.”
This Community Health Assessment was part of the health department’s annual report relayed to county legislators at this week’s Human Services meeting. It covers various areas that health department officials have been working on, such as one’s physical and mental health, eating habits, and preventative care.
One question asks what would help you become more active? Answers include having discounts on gym memberships, an exercise buddy, a personal trainer, transportation, more motivation, personal time, child care, or ways to address physical limitations.
Another question deals with why you may not have gotten needed mental healthcare or substance use help. Was it because treatment was too expensive, not covered by insurance, a local provider was not available, you didn’t know where to get the care, medical staff didn’t speak your language, there were no accommodations for people with disabilities, or some other hindrance to obtaining help?
It’s crucial to have the right information when it’s needed, Pettine said. A case in point is what health officials have learned about people’s perceptions of vaccines.
“There is a significant amount of misinformation about vaccines, which greatly contributes to vaccine hesitancy,” she said. “Routine vaccinations are crucial in preventing the spread of serious and sometimes fatal diseases. They also play a key role in reducing outbreaks and protecting vulnerable populations, including young children, older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems.”
The health department will continue to offer immunization clinics and provide education that emphasizes the importance of staying up to date on routine vaccinations, she said.
“We always encourage and support individuals to have conversations with their health care providers in regard to their health care,” she said.
The assessment also includes questions about various substance use, including prescription and over-the-counter meds, reasons for taking them, how you’d respond to a loved one struggling with substance use, health and social challenges in the household, and what services has your household lacked access to in the past year (such as affordable, safe housing; child care; employment; high-speed internet; resources for people with physical, mental and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities; transportation).
She said there are viable solutions for these issues, such as lead poisoning prevention funding. GO Health has been promoting grants received through HUD and the Healthy Homes Production program that address health and safety hazards within residential buildings in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
Eligible homeowners and landlords with eligible tenants may apply to receive these funds to help remove toxic materials, including lead. For more information, go HERE.
There are questions about childhood experiences, the most important features of a strong, vibrant, healthy community, ideal health priorities for your community, and environmental challenges in the community.
The assessment covers aspects of mental health and substance use, which “remain significant health issues for our residents,” Pettine said.
The health department continues to maintain existing programs as well as introduce new programming to tackle these issues,” she said. The health department actively participates in the collaborative efforts of GOW CARES Alliance to address these health challenges and the stigma associates with them.”
The GOW CARES Alliance -- formerly the Opioid Task Force -- currently has over 440 members from across the tri-county Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming regions. Members represent various sectors of the community, including public health, mental health, human services, local government, substance use disorder treatment and recovery agencies, law enforcement, EMS, faith-based groups, health systems and medical practitioners, education, businesses, concerned individuals, families, and individuals in recovery, according to its website.
The group’s goal is to address the growing opioid crisis in the Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming region, and “through active collaboration and engagement across our tri-county region, we envision a community free from opioid-related deaths and overdoses.”
With that in mind, what can folks do to pursue a healthy life in 2025?
The health department encourages residents to:
“The health department offers education on these topics through its website, social media, press releases, and by participating in community outreach events,” she said. “Additionally, the health department administers the National Diabetes Prevention Program in the county. This program is evidence-based and covers many of these topics.”
The community assessment is available in English and Spanish
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