Tim McArdle, a popular principal at Le Roy Jr./Sr. high, well-known for his active participation and promotion of the Oatkan Knights on social media, has resigned his post in order to return to his home district, Caledonia-Mumford.

He will become the middle/high school assistant principal.

He said it was a difficult decision.

"This opportunity allows me to work in my home district and be all in with my family which is something that is very important to me," McArdle said.

He added, "Being the Le Roy Jr.-Sr. High School Principal since July of 2013 has been an opportunity of a lifetime. I would like to thank our incredible district-wide staff, students, families, alumni, and our community for partnering with me over the years to create something really special here in Oatkan Knight Country."

Superintendent Merritt Holly informed district parents this evening and shared the timeline for replacing McArdle:

• In the process of securing an interim principal with the potential start date of February 14, 2022. 
• Job posting from February 1 to February 28, 2022. 
• Committee and final interviews in mid-March 2022.
• Anticipated Board appointment on March 22, 2022.
• Anticipated start date April 25, 2022

"I want to wish Mr. McArdle all the best in his new position at Caledonia-Mumford!" Holly said in the email. "Over the past 8.5 years, Mr. McArdle’s leadership has positively impacted our students and teachers both inside and outside of the classroom.  We can't thank him enough for all the extra hours and time he has spent supporting each of our Knights!"

In an email to The Batavian, Holly said McArdle was an asset to the district.

"Mr. McArdle has been a tireless advocate for all his students," Holly said. "He has transformed our elective offerings, cultivated the creation of new clubs and activities, and promoted our students' work/accomplishments for others outside of Le Roy CSD to enjoy and see.  I wish him all the best as his new opportunity allows him to work in his home district and be all in with his family!"  

McArdle's last day at the school has yet to be determined.

Before becoming principal in Le Roy, McArdle was an assistant principal at Batavia Middle School, from 2010 to 2013.  He has a B.S. from St. Bonaventure University in health and physical education, a CAS in education leadership from SUNY Brockport, and a master's in education from St. Bonaventure.

McArdle has become an accomplished photographer during his time in Le Roy and often feeds the school's social media accounts with sports photos and events at the school, as well as providing photos to local media, such as The Batavian.

Photo courtesy Tim McArdle.

Press Release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) released the following statement after it was reported the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) reached a deal to resume in-person services at Social Security field offices, Jacobs has been advocating consistently for this outcome. 

 

“For months my office has heard from concerned constituents who have been in desperate need of in person services, and for months I have been calling for the Social Security Commissioner and the head of the AFGE to come to a workable arrangement to restore in-person services at SSA field offices. Now, I am glad to finally say those efforts were successful. While we wait for final details on reopening plans, this is welcome and long overdue news. The fact of the matter is this shouldn’t have taken this long, and the administration has no excuse for denying in-person services to thousands of seniors for months, especially those in NY-27 and other rural communities who have very limited access to the internet. I am proud to have led the charge to get these services returned to in-person availability, and I will keep fighting to ensure the needs of my constituents are met. 

 

In October, Jacobs led 50 of his House colleagues in sending a letter to Acting SSA Commissioner Kijakazi urging the SSA to work with the AFGE to reopen in-person services as soon as possible. In November, Jacobs introduced the Having Employees Return to Duty (HERD) Act to require government workers to return to work at pre-pandemic staffing levels to provide in-person services for constituents. 

Press Release:

The Batavia Police Department has closed out the Mo-Vember / Don’t Shave December campaigns for 2021.

The department was able to raise $1,730 for Genesee Cancer Assistance. Members of the department would like to thank the community for their support and donations.

The Mo-Vember Worldwide Campaign started in 2003 in Australia and has since grown. Mo-vember was started to bring awareness to Men’s Health; specifically, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.

 

Photo provided by the Batavia Police Department

The Blue Devils hung tough with Livonia through 32 minutes of basketball on Wednesday evening but came up a bit short in a 52-49 loss.

Batavia is now 3-8 on the season and Livonia is 5-7.

Carter McFollins scored 22 points for Batavia.

Also in boys basketball on Wednesday: 

• Elba beat Kendall, 62-51
• Pembroke lost to Wheatland-Chili, 51-48
• Oakfield beat Lyndonville, 79-50

In girls basketball, Pavilion beat Le Roy 54-37.

There was definitely something unifying about the group of musicians rehearsing at Batavia High School (BHS) Wednesday evening.

It could have been their visible roles with instruments in hand, or the fact that many are BHS alumni. It could have also been the clearly recognizable red, white and blue Buffalo Bills face masks and shirts many of them wore. The garb was part of the concert preparation.

“I’m a big Buffalo Bills fan,” school Superintendent and trombone player Jason Smith said in the hallway next to a boisterous rehearsal. “We will be wearing Bills attire, and we’re doing (the Bills make me want to) Shout song before the Bills play that night. It will be fun to have that Bills vibe.”

The signature song for the hometown Buffalo team is one of several upbeat, jazzy tunes featured for the BHS Alumni Jazz Ensemble this weekend. Billed as a fundraiser for the school’s upcoming Scholastic Winter Guard competitions in Pennsylvania, the concert is set for 2 p.m., Sunday in the high school gymnasium, 260 State St., Batavia.

Smith, a 1990 BHS grad, has been playing trombone since the fourth grade. He initially wanted to play percussion, but since that was already taken, then-music teacher John Ranalli suggested that Smith try the trombone. He hasn’t put it down since.

A 30-year member of Batavia Concert Band and its current general manager, Smith has enjoyed playing in local bands and the alumni ensemble, he said. He has several reasons for why he has been so bonded to music throughout his life, and for why people may want to join the fun this weekend. 

“It’s a social outing, it works a different part of your brain, and there are opportunities to reconnect, and in my case, with high school friends,” he said. “Come out and support our winter guard … You can hear some great musicians, some great soloists, and Paul Spiotta, who has a very beautiful voice. There’s an opportunity to hear a wide range of music. Of course, we all love St. Joe’s Drum and Bugle Corps, and you have the wonderful staff and alumni band here too.” 

His favorite piece from the concert line-up is "Sing, Sing, Sing,"  because of its — what else? — good trombone part, he said. This song flares out with fast-moving, snappy brass and recedes in time for a brief drum solo, and back again to the toe-tapping instrumental melody. It’s hard not to imagine a couple on the dance floor performing some lively swing moves.

Music has been a large part of Batavia resident Ross Chua’s life. The 23-year-old plays several instruments and will be featured on trumpet and vocals during this upcoming concert. He teaches beginning guitar, trumpet and song-writing, and helps with engineering, maintaining equipment and playing trumpet at Old Bear Studio on Harvester Avenue. That makes for “kind of a holistic experience,” he said.

His former music teacher, Jane Haggett, who will conduct the concert, asked that he join this musical effort. Chua couldn’t refuse. 

“I like to be involved in the Batavia music scene. Jane puts in a lot of effort to develop and maintain that culture,” he said. “And she was my band teacher.”

The 2016 BHS grad performs with a few ensembles and plays upright bass for the Genesee Symphony Orchestra. He is a graduate of Syracuse University with a master’s degree in audio arts, which is more of the technical side of the field versus playing for a live concert, he said. The concert menu has a sampling of new and older pieces with the punch of brass.

“It’s a good mix of stuff; it’s really tied into the stuff I played in high school,” Chua said. “It feels very Batavia brand. It’s pretty upbeat and peppy.”

Alongside the city school district superintendent will be high school principal Paul Kesler on trumpet, and music teachers Sean Williams, Collin Murtaugh and Stuart McLean.

Alumni also include Brandon Luce, Jackie McLean, Matt Holota, Harold McJury, Frank Panepento, Joshua Pacino, Quentin Branciforte, Mark Hoerbelt, Mary Murphy, Jason Mapes and Bob Pastecki.

Joshua Pacino, 39, is a music teacher at Notre Dame High School and, out of the various instruments he plays, he favors the trombone for its endurance in his life. “That’s the one I’ve played since fifth grade,” he said.

He especially likes the ensemble’s rendition of "Land of Make Believe" by Chuck Mangione. The samba features “great flugelhorn parts,” he said. He opted to join the alumni group as a faithful Blue Devil.

“When I’m free and I can help out, I do,” he said. 

The BHS Scholastic Winter Guard is hosting this event to raise funds for its plans to compete in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Winter Guard Regionals and the WGI National Championships, respectively. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and may be purchased at the door. Money raised from this event will defray the cost of winter guard trips in March and April. This will be the Scholastic Winter Guard’s first appearance at the WGI National Championships. 

Top photo: Jason Smith rehearses with the Alumni Jazz Ensemble Wednesday evening at Batavia High School. Jane Haggett leads the group through jazz numbers during the rehearsal; BHS Principal Paul Kesler belts out some notes on trumpet; BHS Alumni Ross Chua, left, in back. Photos by Howard Owens. 

Municipalities in Genesee County racked up $40,505 in expenses to conduct the Nov. 2 general election, according to information provided by the county’s Real Property Tax Services department.

Per diem fees for training, inspectors and coordinators elections are covered by Genesee County with the expectation that it will be reimbursed after the exact amounts are determined.

According to a resolution passed on Wednesday by the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee (and subject to approval by the full legislature next week), the towns and City of Batavia are responsible for the following charges:

• City of Batavia, $11,070;
• Alabama, $1,615;
• Alexander, $1,790;
• Batavia, $3,770;
• Bergen, $1,860;
• Bethany, $1,220;
• Byron, $1,650;
• Darien, $1,685;
• Elba, $1,685;
• Le Roy, $4,335;
• Oakfield, $1,830;
• Pavilion, $1,720;
• Pembroke, $4,230;
• Stafford, $2,045.

Additionally, $5,781 in fees for the 2021 early voting period (Oct. 23-31) will be charged back to the City of Batavia and towns as follows:

• City of Batavia, $1,331;
• Alabama, $173;
• Alexander, $231;
• Batavia, $636;
• Bergen, $348;
• Bethany, $173;
• Byron, $231;
• Darien, $347;
• Elba, $231;
• Le Roy, $809;
• Oakfield, $289;
• Pavilion, $231;
• Pembroke, $462;
• Stafford, $289

Ways & Means approved resolutions authorizing the Board of Elections to contract with NTS Data Services of Niagara Falls to provide poll book, team registration and full document imaging for 2022 at a cost of $34,809 and for cybersecurity for 2022 at a startup cost of $11,509 followed by a payment of $8,809 for software and support services.

As a result of restrictions on travel, especially the closing of the Canadian border, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce personnel have embarked on a “deep look” into the agency’s operation and reportedly are enthused over the discovery of new technology to aid in tourism’s recovery.

“The last couple of years have caused us to really take a very deep look at what we do, how we do it, and where do we go from here. Who would have ever thought (that) this strong industry of tourism would have been taken down and dismantled the way that it was,” said Tourism Marketing Director Kelly Rapone (photo at right) at Wednesday’s Genesee County Legislature Ways & Means Committee meeting via Zoom.

Rapone reported that the Chamber of Commerce seeks to expand its role into “destination management, where we’re really looking to guide the direction of the future growth of our tourism industry here.”

Data analytics that integrate information into a unique platform, she said, will help them achieve their goals.

“One of the tools that we're now able to access is called Air DNA -- and this is very timely given the change of our local legislation with our short-term rentals (a local law that will result in the county receiving bed tax funds from home and other short-term rentals),” she said. “Now with this tool, we will be able to look at all of the short-term rental data in the county going back -- providing historical data for 2019, 2020, and 2021, and it refreshes monthly.”

Rapone said the agency will be able to track the number of properties, occupancy, location and revenue, and will be able to integrate that with current short-term rental reports.

“The other really exciting data tool that we're using is now this mobile location data collection,” she said. “So, what we're able to do now using this dashboard is drop pins throughout the county and destinations for geographies. And we're now able to go in and capture mobile data -- people that are visiting those locations -- and we're able to extract where they're coming from and what their demographics are.”

She said her department will be able to retrieve this data from the past three years “so that we can really hone in on the visitor -- exactly where they're going or where they're coming from and what they're doing.”

The Chamber of Commerce also is planning to redesign its website this year, she said, something that hasn’t been done since 2016.

Other information shared by Rapone and Chamber President Erik Fix at yesterday’s meeting:

• Hotel occupancy in Genesee County for 2021 was down 24 percent compared to 2019 (considered a “normal” year), while the average daily rates were up by 10 percent. Overall revenue was down approximately 16 percent.

Rapone said the increase to the average daily rate … “largely has been driven by that Canadian border being closed to U.S. travelers crossing as well as others who would have crossed to spend tonight. So, we did see some pickup in room nights, as well as demand in terms of being able to increase room revenues. The average daily rate is really what's bringing our revenue up this year.”

• Year-end gross bed tax earnings are projected to be between $365,000 and $375,000, and the overall visitor impact is projected to be around $150 million, which is down from a more normal figure of $180 million.

• Due to a decrease in matching funds and the agency’s overall budget, the Chamber of Commerce’s participation in with tourism partners decreased. Those who did join in promotional strategies included Six Flags Darien Lake and the Genesee County Fair.

• Visitor Center traffic decreased by 42 percent compared to 2019. “We have had visitors all year long, just certainly not the volume that we're used to seeing,” Rapone said.

COMMITTEE PASSES RESOLUTIONS

The Ways & Means Committee passed two resolutions connected to the Chamber of Commerce – designating it as the county’s official tourism agency for 2022 and authorizing payment of up to $420,000 exclusively from the county’s hotel and motel tax receipts to the Chamber for publicity and tourism services this year.

A reward of $250 has been doubled for the safe return of Bentley, a friendly 7-year-old Brittany Spaniel who broke free from his electric fence Sunday night in Batavia.

The cream and brown freckled dog escaped from his Vine Street-area home around 6 p.m. Sunday. He was wearing a red e-collar. There have been sightings at Meadowcrest Drive, Bank Street, Richmond Avenue, and State Street. 

His worried parents, Roy and Tammy Watson have been desperately searching for the pup, and they hope that a monetary reward might entice someone who may have information or the dog to come forward.

Bentley is friendly, though he has been skittish when people have tried to catch him, Mrs. Watson said. It is best to call her immediately if the dog is spotted, she said. The reward of $500 will be given for the safe return of Bentley. 

To report any sightings or related information, call 585-861-0013.

Photos of Bentley submitted by Tammy Watson.

Press release:

Mercy has received reports of an individual going door-to-door in the Batavia, NY area soliciting monetary donations on behalf of the organization. Mercy Flight does not solicit donations door-to-door.

If you receive this type of solicitation from anyone claiming to represent Mercy Flight, please notify the City of Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350.

The president of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. this morning said he expects work on the Park Road Reconstruction Project to start in March.

“Everything seems to be in place,” Henry Wojtaszek said following the monthly board of directors meeting. “The preliminary work that the town (of Batavia) had to do up here at the corner of Lewiston and Park was completed, and … we anticipate a March start on the construction and probably go through to the end of summer, sometime in August or September.”

Wojtaszek said WROTB is prepared to pay around $450,000 for additional enhancements along Park Road – such as trees and street lights and increasing the size of the sidewalks – and also is working with town officials on issues related to the sewer system.

“We’re considering sewer enhancements instead of a pump station, which would be very costly to maintain,” he said.

The $4.077 million project consists of a complete renovation of Park Road – new pavement, curbs, sidewalks, water lines and street lights -- between Route 63 (Lewiston Road) and Route 98 (Oak Street).

Town Assistant Engineer Tom Lichtenthal previously reported that completion is set for December of this year.

In other developments from today’s WROTB meeting:

• While sports betting on cell phones is now legal in New York State, Wojtaszek said he doesn’t expect that service to come to gaming facilities until early next year.

“We will have the ability to have kiosks here on site for sports betting next January and we anticipate taking advantage of that and providing that service for our customers,” he said. “But right now, we’re having our customers come in and they're betting the games on the phone or watching them in our 34 Rush.”

He said New York has already overtaken all other states to become the leading sports betting state in the nation. “And it took all of two weeks,” he said, noting that it became legal on Jan. 8.

• A June 10 concert by Bruce in the USA, a Bruce Springsteen tribute band, will benefit the Ricky Palermo Foundation. A lifelong Genesee County resident, Palermo has been instrumental in raising millions of dollars for spinal injury research.

“One hundred percent of the ticket proceeds will go to Ricky’s foundation,” said Marketing Director Ryan Hasenauer. “Tickets are on sale now.”

For more information, go to www.bataviaconcerts.com.

• WROTB distributed $65,215 in surcharges to member municipalities in November, Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach reported.

On the branch side, revenue increased by $12 million in 2021 compared to 2020, but was down $1.1 million from 2019. The handle of Batavia Bets, the online platform, went up by $1.2 million in 2021 compared to the previous year.

• Directors approved a resolution to purchase 840 gaming chairs and stools from Gary Platt Mfg. of Reno, Nev., for $346,000.

Joey Robert Tatro, 27, of Exchange Street, Attica, is charged with criminal contempt and bail jumping 3rd. Tatro was arrested on warrants out of City Court by Deputy Andrew Mullen and Sgt. Andrew Hale. He was jailed on $1,000 bail, $2,000 bond, or $3,000 partially secured bond.

Jonathan Lee Holland, 38, of Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right, aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd. Holland was stopped at 1:55 p.m., Jan. 19, on Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

Bianchi (Monroe County) and Morgan (Orleans County) (in photos, left to right) were unanimously re-elected to lead the board at its monthly meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

In nominating Bianchi, director Dennis Bassett (City of Rochester) cited WROTB’s “record earnings and record attendance,” adding that Bianchi “has guided us through some storms … and brought the board together like never before.”

Morgan, a retired highway superintendent, also was credited by Genesee County director Richard Siebert for his expertise in helping WROTB navigate the Park Road Reconstruction project with the Town of Batavia and for being available when needed.

The board, understandably, is opposing a bill proposed by State Sen. Timothy Kennedy of Buffalo that would revise the structure of the board based on population – action that would end the longstanding setup of a director for each of the 15 counties and cities of Buffalo and Rochester that own the public benefit company.

Kennedy also has drafted two other bills that would cap the allowance of promotional items for certain members of the corporation at $15 and prohibit WROTB corporation vehicles from being used as take-home vehicles. This proposed legislation comes on the heels of a State Comptroller’s report that faulted WROTB management and board in these areas.

WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek said the board has worked hard through the committee process to elevate Batavia Downs Gaming, the harness track and its OTB branches to record earnings.

“You heard today that the board certainly doesn't support a measure to dismantle the board that has done such a great job to bring Batavia Downs to where it is right now, where it is returning record amounts of money to the municipalities,” Wojtaszek said.

“So, they oppose it and they intend to go back to their respective communities and legislatures and councils and have them pass resolutions in opposition to this type of legislation. And as I said yesterday (to The Batavian), they directed me to explore options relative to fighting such a piece of legislation going into effect, including litigation.”

Wojtaszek said Bianchi and Morgan are “outstanding” leaders and “they’re always accessible.”

“They are often on site and they provide their expertise in the various areas that they bring to the table and you can see the results,” he said. “And in the numbers (because) people vote with their feet and their dollars … people love what they see when they come here. We provide a great entertainment, we provide great customer service, we have great food and drinks. And we intend to continue doing that.”

As far as Kennedy’s other bills, Wojtaszek said WROTB addressed the perks situation three years ago and is “supportive of those type of actions that provide transparency that cuts down on government waste. All those issues we support.”

He said the corporation has set a limit relative to gifts, but noted a difference in game tickets (Sabres, Bills) that are given to directors for hosting groups.

“It’s not a gift to the person who is a host for Batavia Downs; they’re actually working. So, the use of that ticket is for work, it's not a gift in the first place,” he said. “Our policies and procedures put in place by our marketing director are very good at this point.

“We've been dealing with people all across the state and the Inspector General, and anybody else who's asked – the Comptroller – who we invited into give us advice as to how to run this place better. We've followed that advice and things are running very well right now.”

Previously: Genesee's WROTB director slams state senator's attempt to restructure board of directors, place a cap on perks

Press release: 

The Batavia Police Department has partnered with Crime Stoppers Buffalo which is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of Devon Wright. Wright is wanted for violating his release terms on a recent plea pertaining to the charges of PL 110.00 & 265.03-3 - Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd, PL 120.00-1 - Assault 3rd, PL 110.00 & 120.10-1 - Attempted Assault 1st, and PL 130.50-4 - Criminal Sexual Act 4th. Wright is also wanted for PL 145.14 - Criminal Tampering 3rd, and PL 240.26 - Harassment 2nd (2 counts) stemming from an incident that occurred on 11/27/2021 at a residence on Central Avenue.

Citizens are urged to come forward with information on where to locate Wright. If you have information leading to the arrest or indictment of Wright please contact Crime Stoppers WNY at 716-867-6161 or submit a tip by downloading the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App "Buffalo Tips" from the apple or android store.

For previous coverage of Devon Wright, click here.

After a lack of heat closed Richmond Memorial Library for the first part of this week, it looks like the Ross Street facility will have a warm re-opening on Thursday, Director Robert Conrad says.

“I was just in the office to pick up some things and the furnace seems to be repaired. Everything was toasty warm 70-degrees,” he said to The Batavian Wednesday evening. Although I’m told that they're waiting on some parts for a permanent fix, I’d consider it patched.”

Conrad oversees direct library operations, whereas the actual building and grounds at 19 Ross St., Batavia, are owned and maintained by the city school district. The library has been closed this week due to an aging heating/ventilation/air conditioning system not working properly. A repair that began on Tuesday required additional parts to make the furnace fully functional, Conrad said from what he’d been told by a senior custodian. 

The Batavian emailed questions to City Schools Director of Facilities Jason DeGraff and left a message for comment at the office of the Building and Grounds superintendent Wednesday. This article will be updated with any reply from the school district.

To Conrad’s understanding, city facilities staff was working with contractors and suppliers earlier Wednesday to obtain the necessary parts to fix the problem, he said. 

“I would have to defer any further questions to them, simply because the building/heating are beyond the scope of my training and duties,” he said Wednesday. “I doubt whether there will be an unexpected cost for the school district, as I understand that they budget to replace building infrastructure at the end of its useful life, which our heat system — as I understand — already was.”

Chilly temperatures aside, Conrad has other things on his mind besides a lack of heat. An upcoming Local Authors Fair will be happening in April, he said, with authors from Genesee, Erie and Monroe counties. Other exciting news is the debut of new library cards and a logo, plus a reading therapy dog. Details of both events are to be released in March and April, he said.  A library budget vote and trustee election in May, followed by the Summer Reading Program in June, round out the next five months of activities, he said. 

The library is expected to resume its normal hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 
 

Top photo: Robert Conrad, director of Richmond Memorial Library, is seen in a file photo taken by Howard Owens at the Ross Street library.

Speaking to the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee this afternoon, Richard Siebert, a WROTB director for 28 years, said the proposal by Kennedy (photo at right) would “basically demolish everything we’ve had at OTB.”

“It would eliminate the status that we’ve had since 1974 when our county joined and everybody else (other participating counties) joined,” he said. “The legislation would basically eliminate the directors as we know them … (and) would put perhaps Genesee as a director in with Livingston County, Chautauqua County, Catt (Cattaraugus) County, Orleans County, Seneca County; basically, eliminate all of us, and put just one director, perhaps appointed by the governor.”

Siebert said he wanted the legislature to be aware of Kennedy’s Senate bills, which were introduced last week in response to State Comptroller’s audits – released in September 2021 -- that faulted WROTB management for lack of oversight of perks distributed and for failure to receive prompt reimbursement for personal use of an official vehicle.

The audit by the Comptroller’s office took place over the course of a little more than two years, between September 2017 and December 2019.

According to Kennedy’s website, the three bills would result in the following:

• Revise the structure of the board based on population. As OTB profits are distributed by population, this bill would require that the membership of the board of directors be based on population.

• Cap the allowance of promotional items for certain members of the corporation. This legislation would make the gift rules governing OTB associates consistent with the Public Officers Law, Legislative Law, and Executive Law, where state employees may not receive a gift of any kind valued at an amount greater than $15.

• Prohibit OTB corporation vehicles from being used as take-home vehicles.

Regarding the current makeup of the WROTB, each of the 15 counties plus the City of Buffalo and City of Rochester that receive benefits from gaming and racing revenues are represented by a director.

“It basically is a power grab for the bigger counties,” Siebert said. “We’ve always had one county, one vote. Genesee, Orleans – we’ve always had the same vote as the City of Rochester.”

Contacted minutes ago, WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek said the board has directed him to “explore all of our options.”

“All I will say at this time is that we’re exploring all of our options, including litigation, relative to the proposed bills,” Wojtaszek said. “It’s pretty simple.”

The WROTB directors meet for their monthly public session at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Park Road facility’s corporate board room.

Siebert said he wants the Genesee County Legislature and other county legislatures to draft resolutions to “exercise our Home Rule” opposing Kennedy’s plan.

“We have to realize that under Home Rule, we started this but with the Senate, the governor and the Assembly all in one little room, anything can happen,” he said. “This is very serious and can have serious consequences to our county.”

Ways & Means Committee Chair Marianne Clattenburg agreed with Siebert’s assessment of the situation, reiterating that “it’s definitely a power grab.”

“We all know what it’s about. It’s about the money that’s been shared … pretty liberally with a lot of municipalities and we need to fight this as hard as we possibly can.”

Kennedy, in announcing the proposed legislation, said the Comptroller’s report “outlined mismanagement and dysfunction at the Western Regional OTB, and demonstrated a clear need for reforms at the corporation, which has been plagued with problems for years.”

“Through this legislation, we’re holding members accountable, revising outdated policy, and creating fairer representation on the OTB board moving forward. Taxpayers deserve better, and we intend to ensure they receive that.”

Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli apparently is in the Democratic senator's corner, judging by his comments.

“The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. gave generous perks to board members, employees and others, ignoring state rules,” DiNapoli said. “My auditors found a troubling disregard for appropriate safeguards to hold people accountable and protect public resources. Senator Kennedy is proposing legislation that addresses this mismanagement and our major audit findings. I look forward to working with Senator Kennedy on these critical reforms and holding government accountable.”  

A Volvo SUV was struck by a pickup truck with a front plow attached at about 5:30 as it turned onto Bank Street Road at Assemblyman R Stephen Hawley Drive in Batavia.

The truck driver allowed the driver of the Volvo to sit in his truck while awaiting emergency responders.  She was uninjured, he said. 

There is a stop sign on Hawley drive and Bank Street Road has no stop sign at that intersection.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responded.

Press Release:

Part of the Y’s charitable mission is the philosophy that we never turn away someone with an inability to pay for membership or programs. To that end, we raise funds annually through the Strong Communities Campaign to help subsidize scholarships for youths, teens, adults, families and seniors in our community.

 Our goal is to raise $50,000
 Our campaign runs from January 18 th – June 13 th
 We want to positively impact at least 800 people’s lives in Genesee County.

Charitable gifts from YMCA donors help provide financial assistance for children, adults and families to participate in Y programs. This makes it possible for kids to have a safe place to learn and build confidence after school and over the summer; for families to reconnect and grow together; for seniors to have a safe and supportive place to gather to stay socially and physically engaged; and for kids and teens to have access to education and training to reach their full potential in and out of the classroom. More importantly, 100-percent of donations stay in the local community, having a direct impact on resident’s right in your own neighborhood.

We need your help! Please consider a gift to support us in achieving this goal and making our community stronger for all.

To make a gift, contact Jeff Townsend, Executive Director at (585) 344-1664 or online at www.glowymca.org under the “giving” tab.

Press Release:

Is your child interested in playing one of the most popular sports in the world?  Are they looking to get out of the house this summer and spend time with their friends?  Are they looking to meet new friends and improve their physical fitness?  If so, soccer may be the perfect summer sport for them!

Batavia Soccer Club has served Genesee County for over 40 years.  We have soccer programs available for every age – from 3+.  No prior soccer experience is necessary. All practices are held on our beautiful fields at the Batavia Sports Park on Bank Street Road in Batavia. Parking, concessions, and bathroom facilities are available at the fields. 

 

Please visit our website at www.bataviasoccerclub.com for details on our programs for each age group. 

2003 – 2013 birth years:  1/28/22 registration deadline

2014 – 2019 birth years:  3/20/22 registration deadline

 

Sign up now to reserve your spot and get ready for your best summer ever!