Skip to main content

State Police investigating trailer stolen from location in the Town of Pembroke

By Howard B. Owens
stolen trailer pembroke

State Police are looking for a person involved in the theft of a Brimar Dump Trailer in the Town of Pembroke earlier this week.

Trooper Brian Pritchett provided these photos, which show both the suspect and suspect vehicle, and asked anybody with information that may assist in the investigation to call State Police Batavia at 585-344-6200.  If needed, the case number is #11744594.

Pritchett said there has been a series of trailer thefts in the area recently.  This one occurred on Nov. 22 at 1:39 a.m.  

The suspect appears to be a white male wearing a white hoodie. The truck appears to be a possible older black diesel Dodge pickup with a white Blizzard Plow on the front.

"The truck is unique, and hopefully someone will recognize it," Pritchett said.

stolen trailer pembroke
stolen trailer pembroke
stolen trailer pembroke

Lancers beat Barker 69-17

By Howard B. Owens
elba basketball

Sydney Reilly scored 21 points and Lydia Ross scored 20 to lead the Elba Lancers to their second win in three games on Friday.

The Lancers beat Barker 69-17.

Coach Charlie Pangrazio said, "The Lady Lancers played solid defense and had balanced scoring."

elba basketball
elba basketball
elba basketball


 

Batavia Girls on fast break to start season at 3-0 after 64-16 win over Wilson

By Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott gets double teamed in the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott gets double-teamed in the paint.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

After a couple of seasons where the Batavia Blue Devils have struggled for wins in Girls Basketball, the team is off to a 3-0 start in 2023-24.

And the games haven't even been close.

The Class A Blue Devils have beat Class A Geneva 42-16, Class A Young Women, 64-25, and on Friday night, Class AA Wilson/Early College 58-21.

On Friday, Jaimin Macdonald scored 21 points, Karizma Wescott scored 11, and Julia Preston scored 10 points. 

The next home game for Batavia is Monday at 7 p.m. against Le Roy.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Jamin MacDonald led the driveopening up the second half big for the lady devils.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jamin MacDonald led the drive, opening up the second half big for the lady devils.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh gets a pass from teammates to score.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh gets a pass from teammates to score.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Leilah Manuel going to the net.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Leilah Manuel going to the net.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Erika Gibbs created another fast break by Batavia. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Erika Gibbs created another fast break by Batavia. 
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland moves the ball up for a score.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland moves the ball up for a score.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Active threat training teaches communication and coordination in first critical minutes after an attack

By Howard B. Owens
active threat training  Dec 2023

The first 15 minutes is when emergency responders have the best chance of saving lives during an active threat -- that incident where a bad actor, or multiple perpetrators, have undertaken hostile actions.

Local cops, firefighters, and medics worked together at St. Anthony's on Thursday to participate in active threat training to learn how to coordinate a quick response to neutralize a threat and perform emergency medical procedures.

"An active threat can be anything and everything from a single shooter to a complex coordinated attack on a facility or building or structure with an intended target," said Don Birou, lead instructor for the training course. "The goal here is as they have something that has occurred, they respond to it, and then they have to respond to save the lives that we put in front of them."

Birou is with the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training Academy and Counter-Terrorism, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based contractor with Homeland Security. 

This is the first time this sort of training has been conducted in Genesee County.

"We want law enforcement to come in, eliminate the threat, get the rescue task force in here and get those victims out of here to a hospital in a very short timeframe," Birou said. "It's a coordinated event among all the agencies. This is not like a single agency stuff. This is police, fire, and EMS working as one. In order to make that happen, they have to train on those aspects and try to get used to it."

Thursday's training included deputies from the Sheriff's Office, Batavia police officers, Batavia firefighters, Mercy EMS medics, and the Office of Emergency Management.  In the photos, police are in blue vests, medical and fire personnel in red, trainers in orange, and observers in green.

Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger said the impetus for the training came from school districts looking to ensure first responders were ready to deal with not only an active shooter but other kinds of immediate hostile threats. 

Law enforcement frequently trains on neutralizing threats, but such training does not typically include fire and EMS responders and coordinate with them during a critical time frame when lives can be saved but the scene is still chaotic, and officers can't be 100 percent certain a threat has been fully neutralized.

One officer participating in the training said he was grateful to go through it because he did find that when the scenario switched from putting down a shooter to dealing with victims, he became more nervous and realized he didn't have enough experience with that aspect of active threat situation.

"Law enforcement is often ahead of fire and EMS, and they're very prepared to respond to those things, but this is not a tactical SWST response," Yaeger said. "This is the patrol officers that are in the field, they have to respond immediately and take out that threat. This program helps us set the baseline to integrate fire, EMS, and dispatch so we're all on the same page, we're all talking about the same terminology and what our job duties are, how we're going to perform."

Yaeger emphasized that the first 10 or 15 minutes is the most critical period for saving the lives of victims so responders need to work quickly and with as little confusion as possible about how to communicate, what to communicate, and what role each plays to "stop the bleeding."

"It sounds simplistic, but it isn't," Yaeger said. "It's very, very complex, especially when you're dealing with law enforcement at the time when they may not know is that one shooter, multiple shooters, you know, or is that a complex coordinated attack?"

This is just the first such training but more is planned, Yaeger said, including a full-scale exercise sometime in 2024, possibly at GCC or one of the other schools in the county.

The scenarios used in the training are true-to-reality, Birou said, taken from after-incident reports of actual attacks and mass casualty events.  

"The training is best practices," Birou said. "How do we respond to these kinds of incidents, and what's the best method for accomplishing our task of saving lives?"

Photos by Howard Owens

active threat training  Dec 2023
active threat training  Dec 2023
active threat training  Dec 2023
active threat training  Dec 2023
active threat training  Dec 2023
active threat training  Dec 2023
active threat training  Dec 2023
active threat training  Dec 2023

Environmental professor weighs in on Genesee County's 'most intense' drought conditions

By Joanne Beck
Stephen Shaw
Associate Professor Stephen Shaw
Photo from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry website

With so much talk about global warming and climate change, that would seem to be the likely culprit for drought so extreme it has dried up dozens of wells in pockets of Genesee County.

However, Stephen Shaw, associate professor for environmental resources engineering at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, says it might be much more random than that.

Shaw has just completed a 20-year analysis and a report about dry wells across the entire northeast. He found that a drought in 2016 was “pretty intense,” especially across Western New York and Buffalo in particular. That didn’t match what these towns — the volume of households  — in Genesee County have experienced, he said. He echoed what locals have described as "the most intense drought" ever seen.

 “I haven't come across anything like that before. So it's definitely … it's not abnormal during dry periods to have some dry wells. But I've never seen anything where it's this many in one place,” Shaw said during an interview with The Batavian. “But I think it's just this really unusual, spatially isolated dry period. I've never seen anything like that in terms of looking at the maps and stuff. It's super dry in that area where it's happened. So it just seems like really unusual conditions, but probably nothing bigger going on. Just kind of bad luck, roll the dice for that area."

He’s been studying water, drought and well level patterns for the last two decades and noted the unusually low levels in certain areas of the county —- being experienced especially in the town of Bethany, with other areas of Pavilion and Pembroke also being affected. 

He referred to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and one spot that pops up just south of Batavia — “not a little dot, but sort of a small mark what we call spatially isolated,” he said. 

“So most of the rest of Western New York hasn't been nearly as dry as that one location. Which, in this issue, you know, when you look at that, it's like, well, it's just, it just seems like they really just had some bad luck in a way, because climate patterns, you know, are continental or maybe regional, you know, statewide,” he said. “But this is just like these really small pockets of really dry conditions. So it's really hard to pin that on climate change at a larger scale. And for anthropogenic climate change, the projections, especially for some of the East Coast and Northeast, are generally to be wetter conditions. The climate model projections would say that it's anticipated with climate change, that most likely the Northeast will be wetter, will have more rainfall.”

“The Northeast Regional Climate Center, which is based at Cornell, have these maps of precipitation deficits in the state. So you can look at this map and see the same way the drought monitor shows like this pretty spacious, spatially isolated, little spot where it's been dry, the rainfall map shows the same thing. So this is a drought that's really caused by, instead of high temperatures and higher evaporation, it's really been caused by lack of precipitation,” he said. 

So, can you attribute the lack of precipitation and resulting drought to anything?

“Not really, because it's so spatially isolated, like if it was a bigger region or, you know, the larger northeast region, but it's really just over part of the county or the town. It's really just such a small area that's dry. It's hard to say it's larger climate patterns, it just seems like kind of bad luck in terms of where rain didn't fall,” he said.

To attribute a drought to climate change, there would have to be more of a pattern established, he said, such as this happening three times every 50 years versus once every 50 years. And a climate change factor would also cover a large area, not just 20 square miles, for example, he said. 

As for a solution, it sounds like these residents will have to just wait for Mother Nature to come through, is that right?

“It should reset, it should start to refill. Sometimes through the fall, actually, that's really the driest time of the year, like through October, because you basically … have the tree leaves still in the trees. So there's still evaporation, there's not that much rainfall often. You don't really start to get a sort of replenishment of groundwater until, say, November, something like that. So maybe it's a little delayed this year,” he said. “But now, with the leaves definitely off the trees and then you don't have much evaporation. So pretty much any precipitation that falls is going to start to go to recharge. So they should start to see recharge here in the next few weeks to two months. But it can take a while as you've depleted the water, the water has been drawn down. And it takes a while to fill that backup. But there's no reason to think that it won't start to recharge, especially as we get some winter storms and wet weather.

“The drought in 2016, it actually reversed pretty quickly. Groundwater always is a little more delayed, but you know, you just get some change in storm weather patterns, and you go from not having much rain to having quite a bit in a short period of time,” he said. “I haven't looked at the forecast over there. But it sometimes doesn't take that long in terms of just to get two weeks of pretty rainy conditions and you're catching up pretty quick.”

That would be awesome news for Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. and the dozens of town residents who have been scrambling for water due to dry wells the last few months and to others on the county’s west side, including Janet Seaver and at least 10 other households in Pembroke. All of those folks had been driving out of town to fill up containers on a regular basis so that their homes would have water for basic necessities. 

Only more recently, in the last couple of weeks, was Bethany able to better assist homeowners by filling totes from a large tanker stationed at town hall. The town caught the attention of the state Office of Emergency Management in Albany, and it sent a 6,700-gallon water tanker to the town for water fills. Once word began to spread about that option, the tanker was emptied in six hours, Hyde said. 

The town is now on its second tanker full of water, thanks to a refill from the county. Donations of bottled water from Casella Waste Systems, Tops Friendly Markets and Wegmans Food Markets have also allowed for drinking water distributions to those residents as well, he said.

“People have been coming for their rations. The hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 to 3,” he said Thursday. “The fill times are Tuesdays 5 to 7 p.m. and Thursdays 6 to 8 p.m. every week, that seems to be working for people. We still need people who need water to get on the list. Tuesday, we picked up four new people. Yesterday was the first day we had no calls.”

Town of Pembroke officials more recently began to offer filling containers with water for town residents, and the need has been there. Janet Seaver had initially counted 10 people in addition to her and her husband having dry wells, and two more wells had gone dry since then, she said.

She and her husband have been stockpiling water in barrels to “get us hopefully through February,” she said. 

“We cannot afford to drill, as we are both retired and on a fixed income,” she said. “Those that have drilled have reported paying 12 to 15 thousand. We are praying for rain and/or snow to make the wells come back, and if not, we will be living like this until public water is put through.”

A request for comment from Town Supervisor Tom Schneider about the drought and future public water possibilities was not returned Friday afternoon. 

A quick look at the extended weather forecast shows a mixed bag of rain and wet snow for at least seven more days in December in a pattern that Shaw pointed to as the beginning of winter’s recharge for dry wells. 

For more information about drought levels, go HERE

For a live water data monitor, go HERE. Shaw said that the local water table, per a well monitor just south of Batavia, has risen by two feet as of Thursday. 

Photos: Deer in Elba

By Staff Writer
deer in elba

Photographer Debra Reilly had her camera ready in Elba when she spotted a couple of deer.

deer in elba

Byron-Bergen edges Attica 59-56

By Howard B. Owens
byron bergen basketball

With 17 points in the final quarter, Byron-Bergen notched a 59-56 win over Attica on Thursday evening.

Braedyn Chambry scored 21 points for the Bees. Brody Baubie scored 13, and Colin Martin scored nine.

Jack Janes scored 19 for Attica.

The Bees are now 3-0 on the year.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

byron bergen basketball
byron bergen basketball
byron bergen basketball
byron bergen basketball
byron bergen basketball
byron bergen basketball

Alexander beats Elba in Boys Basketball, 60-34

By Howard B. Owens
alexander elba basketball

Alexander improved to 3-1 in Boys Basketball with a 60-38 win over Elba (1-1) at Elba on Thursday night.

Dylan Pohl scored 16 points for the Trojans, with King Woods scoring 13 and Trent Woods scoring 11.

For the Lancers, Angelo Penne scored 16 and Mike Long scored 11.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

alexander elba basketball
alexander elba basketball
alexander elba basketball
alexander elba basketball

Sponsored Post: Reliant Real Estate; This home has all the space you could want!!! Call today

By Lisa Ace
Reliant Real Estate
5444 School Road, Byron. Solid well cared for country home super well kept and ready for immediate move in! This home will surprise you with its spaciousness and impress you with its homeyness! Downstairs features a pretty oak eat in kitchen with hardwood floors and great cupboard space leading to oversized family room, first floor bedroom and full bath! There is also a large and bright shop space currently used as hair salon with secondary spa room-could be your home based business space/office or easily converted to another downstairs bedroom!! Upstairs has three extra large bedrooms and another full bath with convenient upstairs laundry!! Basement is clean and dry and roomy for all your extra storage. Furnace/AC and hot water tank 2.5 years new! This home has been nicely kept and upgraded throughout the years -upstairs of home was added 13 years ago! There is really pretty front foyer/sitting room leading to open front deck to enjoy your evenings and overlooks pretty and secluded country road-most have never traveled down! This is truly a lovely country home and property! Public water soon to be available, connection is at road! (Buyer to connect). Call Reliant Real Estate today; call 585-344-HOME (4663).

NASA HUNCH mentor to talk about 2024 eclipse during Jan. 9 event at Eli Fish

By Joanne Beck
Gene Gordon
Gene Gordon
Submitted Photo

If you are wondering what all the fuss is about with the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, the Chamber of Commerce has planned an exciting (and free) opportunity for you to learn more and get ready for the Total Solar Eclipse of April 8, chamber staff member Kelly Rapone says. 

Gene Gordon of NASA HUNCH will provide a community presentation and answer your questions during a one-hour information session that is being hosted from 5 to 6 p.m. Jan. 9 by Eli Fish Brewing Company at 109 Main St. in Batavia. 

Call Eli Fish at 585-343-0008 to reserve your seating by Jan. 4. Seating is limited with reservations in advance.

Arrive by 5 p.m., as the presentation will begin promptly at 5:15 p.m.

Plan to stick around after the presentation for dinner!  Eli Fish will be offering eclipse-themed food and drink specials, Rapone said. All ages are welcome, and Genny the eclipse mascot will also be on site for photo opportunities.

Gene Gordon taught science in the Rochester area for more than 30 years, eventually creating a NASA research class that led to his students creating projects that would fly to the International Space Station. 

Gordon has flown on board NASA’s Zero-G plane twice, and he used that experience to help others understand the world around them. He became the president of the Science Teachers Association of New York State in 2015, where he took part in the creation of the new science standards. 

This year he received the 2023 Margaret Ashida STEM Leadership Award as well as the highest honor in STANYS, by being named a STANYS Fellow.

Although he retired from teaching in 2018, he joined NASA HUNCH as the New York State mentor, and dreams of having students from all over New York State designing and building things for space, Rapone said. 

Visit GeneSEEtheEclipse.com for more information on the upcoming eclipse.

Wings to return over Batavia in 2024

By Joanne Beck
2023 file photo wings over batavia
2023 File Photo of Wings Over Batavia Air Show
Photo by Steve Ognibene

With no fanfare or formal announcements, Wings Over Batavia Air Show launched its 2024 event online at its official website recently, with another two-day Labor Day line-up.

The event, which has not appeared before the Genesee County Legislature for official approval, has been scheduled for Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, 2024.

The event is to feature modern military aircraft, warbirds and world champion aerobatic performers, plus the same high-energy night show choreography fireworks that were promised and delivered in the debut 2023 shows at Genesee County Airport.

Gates are to open at 2 p.m. each day, with flying to go from 5 to 9 p.m., organizers say. Performers are being “added regularly,” and USAF F-16 Viper is already on board.

New this year is The Bataviators Air Show Insights Club, which invites people to register by email to “be the first to know about updates for Wings Over Batavia” and get early ticket access before the general public. 

For more infomration, go to Wings Over Batavia 

Traffic blocked on West Main Street Road, Batavia, following accident

By Howard B. Owens

A motor vehicle accident is reported in the area of 4028 West Main Street Road, Batavia.

There was an initial report of entrapment, but a male victim is now said to be out of the vehicle, in the roadway, holding his head, moving, and breathing.

Traffic is blocked.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: A scene commander asked to check on the availability of Mercy Flight. Mercy Flight is unavailable.

UPDATE 4:46 p.m.: A second advance life support ambulance is being dispatched, emergency response, is dispatched.

UPDATE 5:15 p.m.: Town of Batavia Fire is back in service.

Schumer pushes for more physicians in rural Upstate New York

By Press Release

Press Release:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced the launch of the Northern Border Regional Commission’s (NBRC) new J-1 Visa Waiver Program, an initiative the senator has long pushed for which can help recruit and bring more highly needed physicians to rural Upstate New York. 

Schumer said the new program will help address the healthcare provider shortage in New York and beyond by easing the visa requirements for physicians who are trained in the U.S. and agree to practice in underserved areas of the Northern Border Region. 

He said NBRC will recommend the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waive their “two-year home-country physical presence requirement” for eligible physicians seeking to work at healthcare institutions and practices in New York and other states within the NBRC territory.

"This is just what the doctor ordered to help recruit more highly qualified physicians and a major step to helping address the national healthcare worker shortage we are seeing in rural communities across America and in Upstate NY. Rural communities from Penn Yan to Plattsburgh, know the struggles of healthcare worker shortages all too well. This long awaited initiative will help provide rural and underserved areas across Upstate New York with quality, affordable healthcare by working to address ongoing physician staffing shortages,” said Senator Schumer. 

“I am proud to have advocated for this program, and to be leading the charge to help the NBRC get the increased support it needs to continue vital programs like this. I will never stop fighting to ensure that every New York community, regardless of its size, has access to the quality medical care it needs.”

The NBRC will consider recommending a waiver on behalf of eligible J-1 physicians who will work in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). 

Eligible physicians will work in primary or mental health care for at least three years and 40 hours per week within a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designated HPSA or MUA of the Northern Border Region. The program is modeled, in part, after the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) successful J-1 Visa waiver program.

Schumer has a long history of championing the Northern Border Regional Commission and its positive economic impacts on the North Country and broader Upstate New York regions. Earlier this year, Schumer announced nearly $11 million in federal funding for twelve projects across the North Country and Upstate New York through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) – the largest annual investment for Upstate NY in the program’s history. The historic increase in funding for the NBRC is a direct result of the funding Schumer was able to deliver in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law. 

In 2021, the senator secured $150 million for the NBRC in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, over triple its funding from previous years. For context on how large the historic nearly $11 million investment in Upstate NY is this year, from 2010-2022, the NBRC invested in over 60 projects totaling over $28 million in investment for Upstate New York. Last year, the NBRC awarded $5.8 million for projects in Upstate NY. 

The NBRC’s 2023 Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. The Commission made a historic level of funding available through the program this year, with up to $45 million in grants, including up to $20 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that communities across Upstate NY were able to tap.

Celebrate Ag 20th annual dinner tickets are now on sale

By Press Release

Press Release:

Plans are already underway for the 20th Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner which will take place Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 6 pm at the Alexander Fire Hall.

This annual event is a celebration of Genesee County’s #1 Industry, Agriculture! The highlight of the night is a delicious meal using locally produced foods prepared by the Culinary Arts Students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center. Led by Chef Alberto Santos and Denise Kaus, Culinary Arts teacher aide, this will be the third year of this perfect collaboration between the Chamber’s Agricultural Committee & Culinary Arts Program. 

The dinner is open to the public. Tickets are on sale now at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, 8276 Park Road, Batavia. Tickets are $30 each or a table of 10 can be purchased for $275. Sponsorships are also available which help support agriculture educational events in Genesee County. 

Only 400 tickets will be sold. Tickets must be purchased by February 24, 2024. For more information or to download the registration flyer visit the Chamber’s Website www.geneseeny.com.

The Celebrate Ag Dinner is coordinated by the following partners: Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District, and Genesee County Farm Bureau.

Sponsors of the 2023 celebration included: Alleghany Farm Services, Arctic Refrigeration, Baskin Livestock, Inc., Batavia Muckdogs, Carolina Eastern Crocker, CPL, Farm Credit East. ACA, Farm Family Insurance, Fieldstone Private Wealth, Freed Maxick CPA, Junction Motor Freight, L&M Specialty Fabrications, LLC, Lamb Farms, LandPro Equipment, Lawley, L-Brooke Farms, LLC, Monroe Tractor, My-T Acres, National Grid, OXBO International, Perry Veterinary Clinic, Sackett Farms, Torrey Farms, Western New York Energy, LLC, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. William Kent, Inc. and Windy Acres Farm.

Farms and businesses that donated locally grown food for the 2023 dinner included: Dorman Farms, Farm Fresh First, Inc/Nortera Foods, Fenton’s Produce, Harrington’s Produce, SJ Starowitz Farms, Torrey Farms, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., Kreher Family Farms, Daves Ice Cream, Doug & Peggy Torrey, Yancey’s Fancy. 

For ticket information or questions contact Kelly B. at The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, 585-343-7440 or kbermingham@geneseeny.com.

Salvation Army's annual toy drive happening Friday

By Press Release

Press Release:

The Salvation Army in Batavia would like to announce that our annual toy drive will be this Friday, Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

We are once again partnering with WBTA Radio and Ken Barret Chevrolet Cadilac to collect toys for kids in need right here in Genesee County. 

We will be live on the air all day from Ken Barrett at 229 West Main Street. Bring a new unwrapped toy and stop in for a cup of coffee and a donut. 

BCSD capital project hearing draws a party of one with many questions

By Joanne Beck
Architect Brian Tott with Herb Schroeder
Architect Brian Trott explains the artificial turf as Batavia resident Herb Schroeder listens during the city school district's capital project hearing Thursday at Batavia High School. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

Of the nine people at Thursday’s Batavia City Schools capital project public hearing, only one was a district resident who came to hear the presentation.

The remaining people in the auditorium were district staff, board members and an architect from the project design team. Although Herb Schroeder was the lone attendee, he came armed with a list of questions about the $45 million district-wide project.

Is this being paid for with a grant?
No. $6.9 million is coming from capital reserves, and the remainder of $38 million from a loan, to be paid back with reimbursement from the state.

What if the state reneges? It’s a lot for the taxpayers to handle if the state reneges. 
None of the presenters had ever heard of the state backing out of its commitment to reimburse a district for a capital project. These projects must be approved by the state Education Department after voter approval.

Have you looked into the price of traditional turf (in addition to the artificial turf that’s part of the capital project)?
No. Superintendent Jason Smith wasn’t saying that he wouldn’t look into it, but from everything that coaches and the Clark Patterson Lee team have advised, artificial is the way to go to help address the drainage issues with the fields at Batavia High School, Smith said.

“Drainage issues are going to be a problem no matter what you do … it’s a lot of money, that’s my biggest pet peeve,” Schroeder said. 

Even professional associations are considering going back to natural turf after some athletes have gotten injured on the artificial material, he said.

The plan calls for two synthetic turf fields for the high school, a baseball and softball field each, for about $7 million of the total cost. A proposed turf field at Van Detta Stadium upset a fair number of people — prospective tax-paying voters — so The Batavian had previously asked Smith why turf for the high school. 

The fields behind the State Street site have been prone to excess water and drainage issues for years, he said, since the school was built on a swamp. “We have received complaints from families,” he said and had to move several games to Genesee Community College as a result. 

Synthetic turf raises the playing field, alleviates pooling water, and provides “a better quality playing field for the kids,” he said. Installing this type of material would permanently fix the swamping issue, he said. 

“Most of us don’t see it as a luxury anymore,” he said. 

Robert Morris was closed in 2011 due to declining enrollment, so what are your projections for the next five years?
Enrollment is flat, with a slight increase at Robert Morris with the universal pre kindergarten, pre-school and pre-school special education programs enrolling kids ages 3 to 5. 

After using the one reserve for this project, are there any reserves left?
Yes and no, Smith said.

“Man, that’s a politician,” Schroeder said with a small chuckle.

Business Administrator Andrew Lang explained that there are some reserves already in place, including a teacher’s and employee’s retirement system reserve, and a reserve that the district created this past budget season to begin building up an account for future needs. This project, however, will drain this one particular reserve of $6,928,000.

A shift from getting a grant to borrowing the money “scares me,” Schroeder said, but he pledged his support.

“I’m going to vote for your project,” he said. 

This was the second presentation in the last two weeks, with the first one drawing only about three or four people. Board President John Marucci isn’t concerned about the low attendance. In fact, he believes it’s a testament to the district’s competence in disseminating the information and answering questions sufficiently before next week's vote. 

“I guess I was a little worried walking in and seeing that there's only one person here. But the more I thought about it, the more I think the community is comfortable with the job that we did. They're happy with what we've done. And I think the vote next week will show that it'll pass with flying colors,” Marucci said. “If this would have been a full auditorium, I would have been real worried. Just because that would tell me that, I think, there might be some people that have some real questions on the job we've done.  I think just seeing the one gentleman here tonight asking some great questions, that just showed that I think the community has paid attention to the flyers that we put out, the videos we put out, and they're happy with what we've done.”

As for what seemed to be one of Schroeder’s biggest sticking points, the artificial turf, not only has that not been a major complaint, but many people have wanted to see more of it installed throughout the district, Smith said.

“When I talk to the teams and the coaches, they’re excited about it. Also, I should have mentioned it will give us more practice area for our soccer team to practice on because our soccer team does play on turf at Van Detta, so they like to practice on turf,” he said. “It's not a full soccer field, but they can still get that turf experience of playing on turf, which they do at Van Detta and other schools, so there's more benefit besides just softball and baseball.”

Board Vice President John Reigle agreed, adding that the artificial field raises up the playing surface and helps to get the players out of a flooded field.

“It’s a great asset for the district,” Reigle said. 

The project will also involve some reconfiguration of grade levels. Kindergarten will move from Jackson Primary to Robert Morris; second grade will move from John Kennedy Intermediate to Jackson and fifth grade will move to John Kennedy from the middle school.

The district performs a building conditions survey every five to seven years, and the architect Clark Patterson Lee recommended a detailed scope of work that was prioritized from one to three, Smith had said in a prior interview, with mostly ones and twos being chosen for the project. Much of the work is being done to shore up 20-year-old infrastructure, such as the high school’s boiler system, roof, and the gym at Robert Morris.

Nothing is on the list to be expanded, such as extra classrooms or other such student space, which makes sense according to enrollment projections. By the district's calculations, total enrollment topped out at 2,383 in 2013 and fluctuated until it peaked for the last time in 2020 at 2,190, declining to 1,978 in 2023. Estimated total enrollment will be 1,933 in 2024, 1,902 in 2025, 1,880 in 2026 and 1,858 by 2027.

All of the schools have many of the same upgrades, including PA/clock and fire alarm replacements, phone system replacement, blue light notification system, information technology infrastructure improvements and pavement replacement for Jackson, John Kennedy, and the middle and high schools.

Jackson is also in line for building-mounted lighting and the replacement of a failing retaining wall on the east side between the school and its neighbors. John Kennedy would also get a new roof, an upgraded gym divider curtain and regraded softball field and other amenities.

Batavia Middle School “is getting the most renovations to the interior space,” Smith had said, “where it’s needed.”

“The whole school really needs a lot of work; it’s a historic, beautiful building, and we're trying to home in on that to give it the attention it needs,” he said. “I think that foundation repairs is an example of that.”

The breakdown of the $45 million is:

  • BHS - $16,965,918
  • BMS - $9,740,584
  • John Kennedy - $6,852,018
  • Jackson - $1,779,991
  • Robert Morris - $9,537,600
  • Richmond Memorial Library - $184,375

The project is to have no additional tax increase for district residents, officials said. 

Voting will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 14 at designated sites, depending on where you live. 

For residents living north of Route 5 (Main Street), vote at Robert Morris, 80 Union St., in the Multi-Purpose Room.
For residents living south of Route 5, vote at Batavia High School, 260 State St., in the library.

More information about the project:

Click here to view our BCSD Reimagined Project Website 

Click here to view our BCSD Reimagined Project Factsheet

Click here to view our BCSD Reimagined Project Newsletter

Click here to view our BCSD Reimagined Project Video

Jason Smith presenting
Superintendent Jason Smith reviewing the work to be done at BHS and the turf fields.
Photo by Joanne Beck
Andrew Lang presenting
Newly hired Business Administrator Andrew Lang presents the financial end of the project during Thursday's public hearing. 
Photo by Joanne Beck

Photos: Holiday Remembrance Service hosted at Northgate

By Howard B. Owens
h.e.-turner-rememberance-service

H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home's annual Remembrance Service was held at Northgate Free Methodist Church on Wednesday.

The service is an opportunity for area residents to honor and remember loved ones who have passed. 

Pastor Vern Saile led the service.

Photos by Howard Owens.

h.e.-turner-rememberance-service
h.e.-turner-rememberance-service
h.e.-turner-rememberance-service
h.e.-turner-rememberance-service

Photo: First snowman of the season

By Howard B. Owens
first snowman of the season
Tristine Vanice submitted this photo from Thursday of a group of kids in Centennial Park in Batavia and their first snowman of the season.

Top Items on Batavia's List

Town Court Clerk Below are two lists: one details the myriad responsibilities that fall within the purview of the court clerk; the other summarizes the knowledge and abilities that court clerks possess or acquire through training. These lists are provided so that a judge and municipality can intelligently discuss the benefits that a court clerk can provide. The items below can also form the basis for a list of job duties should a municipality need to fill a vacancy in a court clerk position. Primary Responsibilities A. Maintain confidentiality of records and information when required to do so B. Prepare court calendar C. Collect monies, reconcile daily receipts, deposit receipts, prepare reports for monthly disbursements, reconcile bank accounts, and prepare administrative reports D. Enter convictions on drivers' licenses and prepare conviction reports electronically transmitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles E. Enter criminal conviction on NCIC reports and electronically send same to Division of Criminal Justice Services F. Respond to inquiries-in person, by phone, by e-mail and by mail-and provide assistance to lawyers, litigants, media, and members of the public G. Prepare monthly reports that are electronically sent to the Office of the State Comptroller H. Prepare orders, summonses, warrants and other court forms i. Communicate with outside agencies in order to coordinate the Court's activities and provide services to litigants. Such agencies include: ii. Law enforcement agencies, such as local police departments, New York State Police, Sheriffs office, FBI and CIA, US Armed Forces, and the Office of the District Attorney; I. Other courts, including superior courts and other local town and village courts; and i. Miscellaneous county agencies, such as Community Service, Community Dispute Resolution Center, Pre-trial Release, Probation, Stop DWI program, Victim Impact Panel, and Youth Court. ii. State agencies that require periodic reporting, including the New York State Unified Court System, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office of the State Comptroller, the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and the Office of Court Record Retention. J. Examine court documents to ensure their accuracy and completeness K. Receive and file summonses, traffic tickets and other documents for court proceedings i. Assist the Justice at the bench during all Court proceedings Knowledge of: 1. The functions and organization of the Unified Court System ii. Basic legal terminology, codes and abbreviations iii. Court forms, practices and procedures, including those set forth in the Uniform Justice Court Act and the Uniform Civil Rules for the Justice Courts (22 NYCRR Part 214) 2. Ability to: i. Prepare judicial orders and decisions ii. Effectively communicate information orally and in writing iii. File and retrieve materials, extract data from various sources for entry onto court form iv. Research and interpret laws outlined in court documents and litigants' motions and other papers v. Perform mathematical tasks in order to compile court activity reports, total receipts, accept payments, and verify bills vi. Refer to appropriate documents, statutes, citations or other sources in order to respond to specific questions from attorneys, litigants and members of the general public vii. Interpret policies, statutes, rules and regulations and apply them in specific contexts viii. Establish work priorities ix. Constructively manage conflict with court users Qualifications: Highschool diploma recognized by the NYS Dept of Education or appropriate equivalent. Along with 4 years of college, specialization in criminal justice, law, business administration or related field. -OR- 2 years college with specialization in Business Administration or related field. Please email your resume to abrownell@townofbatavia.com no later than 12/16/2024. Pay is based on experience.
Tags: Jobs Wanted

Authentically Local